January 3, 2016

How many folks here this morning made New Year's resolutions? Raise your hand if you made a New Year's resolution. And I might be tempted to ask you how it's going, but it's too early in the year. That would be too easy of a question. So I have a different question about New Year's resolutions. our last Year's resolutions going

There are you there yet? I'm doing great ever since Friday. I've been I've been totally, you know doing great. How are you doing on last Year's resolutions. Can we get some testimonies anybody want to get up and tell me how much weight they lost, They totally changed their life their finances if they kept up with all the little goals you had from last year. The silence is telling Every year we got to think you know, what I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that but we often struggle to succeed and not just in small ways. But in large ways, I've been thinking about those dates New Years 1985 to January 5th 1986 because that was a point in my life. When I proved in my own experience what Paul says in Romans chapter 7 what all of us know from thinking about last Year's resolutions. Is that while we have good intentions and we have good goals and sometimes good information. We struggle to actually live up to that knowledge to those standards to those goals and New Years 85 that was the beginning of a several-day. In my life when I hit rock bottom because of my own behavior and my own sins and my own struggles and it'll be 30 years this week that on January 5th 1986. I called out to God and The God I'm a wreck. I mean, I I've got to have you I am going to end my own life through stupidity and self-destructive decisions and behavior. If you don't rescue me, and even though that was a painful. Of my life, I thank God that I came to that knowledge. Sometimes we can live many many many years thinking you don't want there's not a big crisis yet. I'm on top of things. I can manage my own life, and we really just stack up the consequences as life goes on the longer. We live without calling upon God and so I'm thankful for even those dark days that led up to that day when I made that decision. I heard Romans chapter 7 preached on a couple of months earlier. And in Romans 7, it's where Paul says you don't want the very thing that I want to do. I don't do and then he says the very things that that I shouldn't do I do and what I heard that sermon read that passage as a Seeker, I wasn't a Christian as a secret. I thought hey this guy's read my diary this guy that he knows what's going on in my heart. You know, if the Apostle Paul this great follower of Christ could say here's the reality of my struggle to live out my Christian convictions to fulfill my New Year's resolution. Here's the reality is often times. The very thing that I know I shouldn't do I don't do and the very thing that I know I shouldn't do I do can anybody relate to that. Can I get an amen? What does have a human being party right here? And we'll just preaching amen. All of us could say I can relate to exactly what Paul is saying whether it's simple as losing weight or quitting smoking or too much more significant like Trying to heal a marriage through our own strength, but instead we just continue to poke and prod and have arguments and make Williams work and walk down a path that leads to Heart break through our own self destructive decisions until life if it's heavy in that regard because left to ourselves on our own we struggle and I love ramen 7 because Paul says that's the reality for me, even though in that same chapter. He said in my inmost being I love God and I love his word and I desire to follow him, but he says I sell dnd's that chapter sing who's going to save such a Wretched Man like me and I remember reading those verses that day on January 5th on a Sunday afternoon time sober up that morning so that I can go to church. Listen don't don't judge anybody who ever staggers into church. Okay, because I was sincerely seeking the Lord but I sincerely have one foot still wrapped up and send but I have enough respect for some of the Christians that I met that I tried to say. Well I got to get this off my breath you don't couple of breath mints, but I went into church thinking you know what I'm looking for some hope so that's how I knew about not Romans chapter 7. I went home and found a Bible that my mother had given me had the Hartford to find it found that Bible dug it out read Romans chapter 7 and I got to that part where Paul said who will save me. Oh Wretched Man that I am and I thought yes. Yes. What's the answer to that question? Because I'm that Richard man describes himself as being an answer his own question. He said thanks be to God Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ will be our savior. We struggle like Paul even if somebody who admittedly since the Lord the reality is the heart of the problem is a problem with the heart when we talked about our struggle to do what we're supposed to do or do not do what we're not supposed to do if it's a problem of the heart and until I came to that conclusion that left to myself left to my own devices My Own Strength my own wisdom that I was going to fail again again again until I came to that conclusion that I needed God to save me to rescue me to do a work in my life. I was not going to go forward. I was not going to live the life. God called me to live in design me to live. The reality is the problem is a problem of the heart of the units. It's not a problem of knowledge. We have knowledge. How many people in this is me. This is me. Okay, how many people buy the newest book the newest self-help book of the newest Business book or the newest this Hangar just convinced. This is the one that's going to help me turn the corner on this struggle this Habits this discipline this success in business to success in relationships and never do that. Bunch of liars everywhere Insurance. Have you ever watched an Oprah episode and thought that's what I need and you order the book right away hoping that that author of that solution bottle diet book, right and then another diet book and then another time but can you do this is going to be programmed. This is going to be the one I got a whole stack of books. I thought about bringing them out and just stack them up because sometimes we slip into thinking you don't want I just need a little more knowledge. We think that as a culture sometimes we think if we could just get everyone a good education. We would solve the problems of humanity not true. Very educated people do awful things if we could just get everyone housing and food and clothing then we would saw Humanity's problems folks with with housing and food and clothing do very awful things. Most of them are in the room right now. Write the problem is the heart is not simply a matter. If I could get the right information. Then I would turn my life around or if I could just get enough settlements in my life. I could turn my life around even with all the knowledge that we have in this world with the internet and every great author book and wisdom. And those are good things together wisdom, but even with that there's times in which our own Hearts defeat our best intentions. Amen. We go in that direction, but we end up falling snow. Biblically. The idea of heart is the whole self. It's not the way we think of it today culturally. We think of the heart as the seat of the emotions and the analects something opposite of the heart in biblical times when scripture talks about heart. It's the whole self. It's your intellect and your emotions and your soul. It's a very essence of who you are. It's your in most being in the heart is it when scripture talks about the heart being the problem? That's what it's talking about. Our hearts lead us astray scripture says and the reality is the very thing that we focus on the direction we point ourselves in is what lead us astray. We decide that life is about substance or stuff or material or our own ego or career. And so we are Hearts direct us in the wrong direction. That's why Jesus comes preaching repent. Which means to turn turn in a New Direction he's warning us listen left to your own accord. Your heart will lead you astray and you will structure in your entire life in a direction that will ultimately be a dead end and so he comes preaching with Grace and love and truth repent turn in a New Direction. You need a new heart in scripture talks about this concept again, and again stood around 8:30 from early on God was focused on the heart of Israel. He says looks I'm going to give you a circumcised heart not be my nose. What circumcision is that part makes you think what is he talking about is what is he talking about circumcision was the rite of passage in the old Covenant for Israel to commit themselves to God. It was this physical rite of passage in Genesis chapter 15 when Abraham first makes his Covenant with God we get a sense of where circumcision comes from sin in terms of the brutality of it because in that culture the way I covered it with signs and animal was cutting. And both house related parts and the person walked through those house and when they want to those half they were saying if I don't keep my end of this covenant made the same thing happen to me that happened to this animal here on the ground. So there was this cutting this this pain demonstrated. This is the consequences of breaking this Covenant. And so when Israel of God in Covenant in jurong an exodus, there was circumcision as a sign of the coming of this cutting to say, you know, what I'm committing myself to God and the consequences of sin of breaking myself off is this cutting off the separation from God the separation from family and they should the separation from self and self this demonstration that looks in has consequences in you're committing to this Covenant and when you break that Covenant, there are consequences that come your way, but even in Deuteronomy 30, there's this focus on the heart. We always think of the Old Testament is purely focused on the wall, but even then we saw the Seeds what God would do fully in Christ that he wants to give us a new heart Jeremiah talks about that. Very thing that one day want God's going to complish is that have people for whom the law is written on their heart set of this external thing that says, hey you better behave you better obey these rules God's desire was to accomplish something that would allow the law to be written on our hearts so that our hearts become changed because our hearts are the very thing that fell us and trick us and defeat us until we need hearts that are changed in that are new. We don't just need information. We don't need the wall delivered to us. Here are the commands of the Lord will thank you. Now that I know I'm I will obey them perfectly doesn't work. That way doesn't the information is not enough. We need hearts that will obey that we go in that direction zekiel talks about a new heart. It's the same thing that John talks about when Jesus said to Nicodemus you may be following the law, but you're misunderstanding what God is doing for you. Must be born again born again. I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to. Do. You know the spirit you've got to be a new person. There's got to be this fundamental change Jesus challenges and invites Nicodemus to consider 2nd Corinthians 5 talks about a new creation Galatians 6 Paul talks about Christ Living in me. We could go throughout the New Testament to be filled with the Holy Spirit or to be in Christ. All of that language is saying the same thing again, and again, and again God is working on the goal of putting within us a new heart changing our very part so that we don't just make New Year's resolutions everyday and every year and then fail to achieve them but instead we become different people are hearts become different a new heart. Here's a sign that God has successfully placing a new heart within you. You will have new dreams or better yet sad new Daydreams. Think about it. Where does your mind go when you're completely free to let your mind go? What are your day dreams full of?

That really tells your heart because the heart is the whole self. If you Daydream is it had a dream about winning the lottery, you know, is it and I can't believe you're going to get $5,000 a week for the rest of your life. I would get my mom this and I would buy my brother's this I pay off all my debt and then I get the kids this and then I'll put some money with you have those kind of Daydreams. Is that where your mind is on if I could just have all my money issues resolved or do you have Daydreams about people but individuals maybe if you're single you just imagine that person who has caught your eye just coming to you one day and saying, you know, you're just the most wonderful person ever in could I please possibly go on a date with you? It was that is that the little things that go through your head or do they dream about you losing the weight you want to lose or or being healthy or the big home? You're going to get or or family life with the perfect picket fence or Or maybe think about the things that are mine go to when when her mind is freed up when we have nothing else pressing. That's a revelation of our heart. And if God is successfully planting in us and growing within us a new heart our Daydreams will begin to change. What we long for what we dream about is being closer to God and what we long for and what we dream about is a world that's not broken and crushed and what we long for what we dream about is our friends and family and neighbors and loved ones being restored and redeemed and reconciled to God what we long for in dream about is no longer seeing the pain of poverty in our culture. What we long for and dream about is seeing Justice Done is seeing marriages restored those things began to weigh on our heart and a good sense of way on her heart and those new dreams in our hearts help cultivate a new heart itself new desires itself and then a new life itself in the way we live How does God cultivate this new heart within us? I think he does it by demonstrating his very character his very Beauty and so scripture says in 1st Peter Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we would stop living for sin and start living for what is right and you are healed because of his wounds. While we were yet sinners Paul says in Romans 5 Christ died for us the cross stands as this permanent historical demonstration of the love of God of the character of God revealed in Christ. And that demonstration of God's goodness of his character is designed to prick are hard Parts designed to woo us and the call us to God designed to reveal God's as trustworthy and good and loving a God who would die to rescue us so that when we see his goodness is trustworthiness we can begin to soften our hearts and let go of her own Daydreams and Trust his dreams trust him trust where he would call us trust that he is good for us that we can give up our own way, which If we're honest we've proven doesn't work over and over and over again. I'm still proving it 30 years after the first New Year's I still keep proving myself over and over and over again that I need. Jesus on that stubborn and maybe I'm the only one but I suspect a lot of us could relate to that and so God continues even if it's not the day of our convergence he continued to rekindle that love in a heart. He continues too long for us to allow his love and his goodness to break through so that we would see his heart and his character his love for us in such a way that were drawn to him that our heart becomes different.

Look at what Paul says here in Colossians 2. He says also in Christ you had a different kind of circumcision a circumcision not done by hands. It was as though Christ circumcision that is his death that you were made free from the power of your sinful self to Paul uses that same image of circumcision that cutting off to say, you know, what when Christ paid for our sins on the cross he was cut off from God the father when he said my God my God, why have you forsaken me he took upon him the consequences of breaking the Covenant. He took upon him the consequences of sin. He became sin call says it's a Corinthians 5 for those of us who were Sinners. He he became sin for our sake he took on those consequences by his wounds. We are healed. Christ Jesus gave his life for you and I So that our sins could be covered and could be forgiven so that our hearts could be washed and made clean and made new. And that love of Christ is that seed that God wants to grow in our heart to draw us closer to him. To help create in us a new heart that loves him and follows him. The route is the greatness of the being of God Demands. A lot of that. Can't be a response to a demand. Because God's love for us because of his personhood itself because of his desire to have a love relationship with us. He demonstrates his love and waits for us to respond. It simply cannot be a matter of here's the command now you obey who would want a spouse who was staying with you because of a command.

And God doesn't want us to follow him because we feel like we're commanded to do it and if we don't obey we're going to get in trouble and if we do obey we're going to get salvation listen salvation is the byproduct of knowing god. Understand that salvation is the byproduct of knowing god what he invites us to is to step into a relationship with him to trust him to do Jesus modeled in the gospels to believe that the heavenly father can be depended on that. He can be trusted and to live a life trusting him and the byproducts the fruit of that is eternal life with God is salvation. Sometimes we switch it around. Sometimes we change the whole mechanism of everything. Okay, I get it. If I do these things God if I obey in this way this way in this way, then I get this against think about your marriage. Would you want that sort of marriage? Would you want that sort of relationship where it's a negotiated where it's a bargain? We're some sort of cold contract. I know I know had to take the trash out. You're not going to let me come to take the trash out. Okay, get off my back a warm household. What God calls us to do is to trust his extravagant Grace that says I know you're worried about right and wrong and laws and rules and how things are made. Right? And so I will pay the price. I'll make everything right. Question for you is will you trust me? Will you love me? Will you trust that my love is real and good not a trick. I'm not going to say to you. I love you. And then as soon as you step in the relationship, I'm not going to suddenly switched the rules. And so I said I loved you. But here's the 16 things. You've got to work on. They sometimes we have that sort of dynamic because of our own human failings and for all these and we project on the God our own human weaknesses, but God has demonstrated his character in Christ on the cross for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believe. The trust would leave the good news the gospel that God is that good would not perish but instead would have lice that last forever with God.

John Newton hymn writer says this way our pleasure and our duty though opposite before since we have seen his Beauty speaking of God. They are joined to part no more to see the law of Christ fulfilled and hear his pardoning voice changes a slave into a child and Duty into a choice.

T god demonstrates his love for us so that we might be drawn to him so that our hearts might be changed. So that our hearts might be new. I'm going to bike to worship team to come forth. Is there anything greater that our minds and hearts could be focused on other than God the Father.

There's a New Year's resolution for you. Simply to draw your mind and your heart to draw your attention more frequently more regularly to God. To look upon him in the word to look up on him in the face of Christ in the Life of Christ to look up on him on the cross.

Two again and again draw our eyes and our hearts to the goodness of God to let the reality of his sacrifice touch our hearts in a fresh way. Sometimes I fear that we get so off track. I know I do sometimes where I'm just on autopilot. I just kind of go to church and read my Bible and pray because that's what you're supposed to do. And suddenly I think when's the last time I had a wonderful dinner with God? When's the last time I just enjoyed his presence and I didn't feel like that's right. God hears all the things. I'm sorry for please forgive me and all that's right. God hears all the things. I promise to do better in the next week again. Can you imagine what that would do in your marriage? If every time you were together the other person felt like all they just had to constantly apologize. I'm sorry. I didn't get out till Tuesday. I promise next week. I will do better. Sometimes we have this constant sense of I I've got two and we never just relax and celebrate the gospel. That our sins have been covered. You don't Romans chapter 7 leaves to Romans chapter 8 works that way. And after Paul talks about who will save me. Oh Wretched Man that I am at the end of Roman chapter 7 and he says Jesus Christ will save me the next verse after that is Romans chapter 8 verse 1. He says therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

If you have allowed Jesus to be your rescuer if you've allowed him to be your savior. Then you are safe and secure cleansed and forgiven in Christ.

God has provided that for you. He's really not waiting for you to get your act together to straighten up a certain number of things before he will grant you fellowship with him. Jesus says to the church in Revelation 3. I stand at the door and knock. Not to the non-Christian. We always use that verse for evangelism. He's actually speaking to Christians in that verse. Revelation 3:20 he says I stand at the door and knock and if anyone. Open the door. I will come in and have supper with him. with her

It's a really. the opportunity for fellowship with God the provision has already been made through Christ. I suspect a lot of our spiritual resolutions are all about somehow getting our act together more spiritually Lord. I promise to pray more. I'm going to read through the whole Bible this year. I promise and Lord. I'm going to I'm going to witness to an in all these spiritual duties which are good. Don't miss hear me. But if they become what we think of as the bridge between us and God the substance of making our way to him then we're going in the wrong direction and Jesus says repent. I stand at the door knock. All you have to do is open the door. I just believe the good news trust that I have provided. So that's my resolution this year that I would open the door my heart more to Christ. That I would celebrate and enjoy the fellowship that he longs to have with me more instead of slipping into the desire to earn it to somehow manage it to somehow feel like I deserve it because the truth is I can never deserve it. I can never earn it. None of you can ever on it. The most saintly Among Us can never earn it. It's already been provided. It's a logical impossibility to earn it because it's already been earned. It's already been provided by Christ. It's a my resolution and join me in this please is to have more joy. To have more trust more faith and less fear. To celebrate what Christ has already accomplished and a hopefully bear that fruit in my life as a witness to his goodness as a light in the world that needs that light.

As we sing Our Song you're the mom and if you've never accepted Christ as your lord and savior invite you during this song to come forward and accept him You're looking for a church home. I invite you to come forward and make that decision or will have folks ready to pray for you. If you've got a concern on your heart, if you need to pray about what was said in the sermon this morning come to me or another person and pray about it. If you need to pray about something completely unrelated at if your mind has been somewhere else this whole time. That's okay. Maybe you got something weighing you down and you need to pray with somebody about it. Then please come to me or one of our prayer team members and pray with them. They'll be a pretty Nimble up never upfront. They'll be a couple in the back and I'll be in the back. So if you have a decision to make or prayer find US during during the song and let us let us serve you please stay.