What Will I Make Of The New Year?

Rob Espinosa
12/26/21 - Sun AM

Link to sermon video: What Will I Make Of The New Year? - R Espinosa

What Will I Make of the New Year?

By Kevin Cauley

Scripture ref: Acts 17:24-28

SUBJECT: New Year

TITLE: What will I make of the New Year?

PROPOSITION: What will I make of the New Year? I will make it a year of 1) love, 2) service, 3) optimism, 4) growth.

OBJECTIVES: Each should resolve to make this New Year a year of love, service, optimism, and growth.

AIM: To exhort each Christian to make the best of this new year that they can make of it!

INTRODUCTION:

1. Read: Acts 17:24-28

2. About the Text:

1) From reading this passage of scripture we learn some things about God.

2) God gives to all…

a. Life

b. Breath

c. All things!

3) God has made

a. All men one.

b. To live on the earth.

c. With limited time and space.

4) God has given us a purpose – to seek Him!

DISCUSSION: What will I make of the New Year? I will make it a year of…

I.   LOVE

1. For God

1) We must love God first!

2) Matthew 22:37, 38, “And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

3) 1 John 5:1-3 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

4) Romans 8:28 “And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.”

2. For my brethren.

1) 1 Thess. 4:9 “But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another;”

2) Heb. 13:1 “Let love of the brethren continue.”

3) 1 Peter 1:22 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently:”

3. For my fellow man.

1) Matthew 22:39 “And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

2) Matthew 5:43, 44 “Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you.”

3) Romans 13:10 “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law.”

II.  SERVICE

1. Love demands service.

1) Galatians 5:13 “For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another.”

2) Phil. 2:5-8 “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.”

2. The greatest is he who serves.

1) Matthew 20:25-28 “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

2) Luke 22:26 “But ye shall not be so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”

3. We must remember what it means to serve.

1) Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

2) Luke 14:21-23 “And the servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and maimed and blind and lame. And the servant said, Lord, what thou didst command is done, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

3) Luke 12:37 “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them.”

4) Matthew 25:34-36 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”

III. OPTIMISM

1. The Christian has been given a life of joy!

1) We rejoice in salvation! Rom. 5:2 “through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

2) Rejoice in those who walk in truth! 2 John 1:4 “I rejoice greatly that I have found certain of thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father.”

3) Phil. 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice.”

2. The Christian has fellowship with God and Christ

1) 1 John 1:3 “that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ:”

2) 1 Cor. 1:9 “God is faithful, through whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

3. The Christian has been given the promise of eternal life and heaven!

1) John 6:68 “Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”

2) 1 John 2:25 “And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal.”

3) Titus 1:2 “in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal;”

IV. GROWTH – Personal (Spiritual) & The Church

1. Personal (Spiritual) habits for growth.
   1. Bible reading & study – 1 Pet. 2:2
   2. Praying – Heb. 4:16; Phil. 4:6-7
   3. Singing – praising God in song – Col. 3:16
   4. Assembling together – Heb. 10:24-25
      1. Helps us to stimulate one another to love and good works.
      2. We exhort one another in our service to Christ.
2. The Church – Functional habits for growth.
   1. Assembling together with the church to reach our functional goals as a church. It will be done in the framework of the local church.
      1. We become familiar with identities and needs of other members.
      2. Learn what functions are needed in the body of Christ – Rom. 12:3-8
   2. Participation in the work of the church.
      1. Teaching classes, leading singing, serving the Lord’s supper, greet visitors, minister to the sick, encourage the weak, teach the gospel to the lost (personal work) and taking care of the building.
   3. Congregational habits.
      1. Defining roles for service.
      2. Providing opportunities to learn and serve – 2 Tim. 2:2
      3. Participation in activities of service (preaching, teaching)

CONCLUSION:

1. What will I make of the New Year? I will make of it a year of…

1) Love

2) Service

3) Optimism

4) Growth

2. Now, let’s challenge ourselves to get out of our comfort zones this year.

1) Not to rest on our laurels.

2) Not to settle down into a rut of behavior by which we don’t accomplish anything for the Lord.

3) Not to be like the one talent man! (Matthew 25:14-30)

4) If we love, serve, and are optimistic regarding our future, then we will be out of our comfort zones and in the place where we need to be to serve God!

3. Invitation