Message Aim: Eve of the New Year
Sermon Title: “Resolutions for the New Year”
Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-32
Message Synopsis:
This is the last Sunday of 2017 and the New Year’s eve of 2018. Have you made any resolutions? When you think about it, all New Year’s Resolutions basically fall into 3 categories. They deal with:
(1.) Things to make us look better and live longer.
(2.) Things to make us have more.
(3.) Things that will help us to get along with others.
We can call them – Longevity, Prosperity and Peace.
I received a call from someone who knew I was a pastor and asked if I could help them. They were going through some difficulty, and they wanted to talk with me “about life.” They needed some answers to some tough questions about life. We all have questions about life. Did you know that we could find an answer in God’s word for any question or situation of life if we would just look? So if that true (and it is) what is there in God’s Word about New Year’s Resolutions? Well they’re not called New Year’s Resolutions. They’re called principals. They are precepts or principles that we should live by in order to have long life, prosperity and peace.
The book of Proverbs, Chapter 3, starts off with a very matter of fact statement: 1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Then the verses that follow gives very specific details of 10 precepts or principles that we should live by in order to have long life, prosperity and peace: (these 10 principles will be our 10 New Year’s Resolutions). Some of these are rather simple, in fact all of them are simple to name, but when it comes to putting them into practice it becomes quite difficult. However, I sincerely think if each of us would adopt these principles and conscientiously live them out in this coming year that it would greatly impact our lives. I’m not talking about giving lip service to them but conscientiously living them out. Every day make it a part of your life. I believe that this will impact or change our lives.
So now let’s go to verse 3 and start with principle #1.
Proverbs 3:3-4 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Resolution 1. LET LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS NEVER LEAVE YOU (vs 3-4) Love isn’t what we feel, but what we do. And faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that God will be free to do His work through us.
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. [Or will direct your paths.]
Resolution 2. TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART. (vs 5-6) Trust means to rest in God’s understanding; because we are to know that God possesses all wisdom.
Proverbs 3:7-8 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
Resolution 3. DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES (vs 7-8) So much in this world can clutter up our relationship with God. When we pursue Him, we find life—abundant life.
Proverbs 3:9-10 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first-fruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Resolution 4. HONOR THE LORD WITH YOUR WEALTH (vs 9-10) If we can trust God with the first of our wealth, we’re truly showing how much we depend on Him.
Proverbs 3:11-12 11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
Resolution 5. DO NOT DESPISE THE LORD’S DISCIPLINE (vs 11-12) When we have Scripture planted firmly in our hearts, God will often use that to deal with us. Even in the midst of turmoil, God sticks with us and uses those challenges to shape us.
Proverbs 3:13, 15, 17-18 13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding….15 … nothing you desire can compare with her…. .17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace…. 18 … those who lay hold of her will be blessed….
Resolution 6. SEARCH DILIGENTLY FOR WISDOM AND FIND IT (vs 13-24) The Wisdom teachings of the Bible follow from the two great themes of the Greatest Commandments of Jesus: love God, our Creator, and love others, our neighbors.
Proverbs 3:25-26 25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, 26 for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.
Resolution 7. HAVE NO FEAR (vs 25-26) What do you do when life is coming down on you hard? You come to God in faith. You come because of who God is: He loves you. You can trust Him.
Proverbs 3:27-28 27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow” — when you now have it with you.
Resolution 8. DO NOT WITHHOLD GOOD FROM THOSE WHO DESERVE IT (vs27-28) We are to do good to those who are in need or deserving of the need, whenever we have the means and opportunity.
Proverbs 3:29-30 29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you. 30 Do not accuse a man for no reason — when he has done you no harm.
Resolution 9. DO NOT PLOT HARM AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR (vs 29-30) Our business is to observe the precepts of Christ, and to copy his example; to do justice, to love mercy.
Proverbs 3:31-32 31 Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, 32 for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.
Resolution 10. DO NOT ENVY A VIOLENT MAN OR CHOOSE ANY OF HIS WAYS (vs 31-32) The man that gets wealth and riches by acts of injustice; do not envy his prosperity, he is far from being a happy man; his end will be bad.
Challenge: Let us resolve today to pay close attention and adherence to these principles and see what God will do in our lives. I sincerely think if each of us would adopt these principles and conscientiously live them out in this coming year that it would change our lives.
0 Comments