A Simple New Year’s Resolution

 

Have you heard about the man who moved into a retirement community to spend the rest of his life there?

           It wasn’t long until he had made a number of friends among the other residents.


           There was one lady he was especially attracted to, & she was attracted to him, also.

                      So they spent a lot of time together.

Finally one evening he proposed, asking her to marry him.

The next morning he woke up remembering his proposal, but he couldn’t remember her answer.

So he went to her & said, “I’m really embarrassed. I proposed to you last night but I can’t remember if you said ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’”

 

“Oh, thank goodness!” she replied. “I remembered saying ‘Yes’ but I couldn’t remember who asked me.”

Sometimes I feel that way about New Year’s resolutions.

I tell myself, “This year I’m going to turn over a new leaf. I’m going to exercise regularly, I’m going to change my diet. I’m going to do all kinds of things to improve myself physically & spiritually.”

                      But then somehow I forget.

                                 Maybe you have that problem, too.


So this year I have a suggestion for a New Year’s resolution that we ought to be able to remember.

           It is kind of broad & very general, but here it is:

                      Let’s promise ourselves & God, that we will are going to have a positive attitude.


                      This year, as God’s people, as His church, let’s make this one simple resolution:

We’re going to have a positive attitude.

It has been said:

           If you think you are beaten, you are.

           If you think you dare not, you don't.

           If you'd like to win but think you can't,

           It's almost certain you won't.

           Life's battles don't always go

           To the stronger or faster man,

           But sooner or later, the man who wins

           Is the man who thinks he can.

Let me suggest three areas where we really need to have a positive attitude:



I. DEVELOP A POSITIVE OUTLOOK TOWARD LIFE

A few years ago a lady committed suicide, leaving behind this note.

           “I decided that unless life was worth living I would just quit living.”

           How do you feel about your life?

                      Is it worthwhile?


 

Or, let’s change the question.

           What would it take for you to feel that your life is worthwhile?

                      What would have to happen to make you feel really positive about your life?


           If you won the lottery, would that do it?

           If your marriage suddenly was all patched up, would that do it?

           If your kids began to make you proud, or if you got a promotion, would that do it?

 

           What would it take for you to really feel positive about your life?

Now if that’s the way you’re thinking, then you’ll probably never feel really positive about life,

           because all the little pieces that must come together,

                      to make you positive about life will probably never be there.

That is the reason I have selected Philippians 3:12-14 as our text this morning.

           But before we read, let me remind you that as Paul writes this, he is in prison,

                      chained to a Roman guard, under horrible conditions.


           Yet despite that, he writes these wonderfully positive words,

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”



Now stop for a moment & ask yourself, “What is Paul trying to grab hold of?”

           Paul tells us in vs. 10 & 11,

“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

 

What is he reaching for?

                      What is his goal?


           Paul’s goal is the resurrection from the dead.

                      His goal is eternal life with Jesus.


           That is what he is reaching for & striving for every day.

                      His goal is heaven.


Now here is the point.

           If our goal is heaven; if our goal is eternal life with Jesus Christ;

                      then all these little setbacks in life,

are only stepping stones, getting us closer to the time when we will be with Jesus.

There will be disappointments in life, but every day that passes,

                      is one day closer to the time when we will be with Jesus.


           If that is our goal, then Romans 8:28 is true.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

The world says that the way to feel good about yourself, is by:

           climbing the ladder of success

           by making a lot of money

           by having influential friends

           by receiving a lot of awards

           by belonging to the right circles.

 

           Those are the things that make you feel good about yourself.

But the Bible teaches us, that we are to feel good about ourselves, because God loves us.

           You are such a treasured person in God’s sight, that He gave His only Begotten Son for you.


           That makes you valuable, and you can feel good about yourself.

Frank Peretti said, “It’s no wonder that our young people today have poor self images when they go to school & read books that tell them that they are the products of blind chance - that they are just accidents of nature - unplanned, unloved, & unwanted.”


           But the Bible tells us that we are wanted and loved and cared for, by God Himself.

Jim Vol-von-o was head coach of the N.C. basketball team.

           He rose to fame when his team started winning championships.

                      Everybody liked him.

                                 He was always cracking jokes & had a winning way of dealing with people.


           But in 1991, Volvono learned that he had inoperable bone cancer.

 

During Christmas time, in 1992, he said, “It’s difficult to be thankful this Christmas, because I’m not sure I’ll be here next Christmas.”


           And he wasn’t. He died in 1993.

 

“But,” he said, “this Christmas I’m getting down on my knees and thanking God for every day of the 46 years of my life.”



He was positive about life, because he realized that life is a very precious gift, God has given us.

 

           It must sadden the Lord, that oftentimes we take this gift He has given,

                      and don’t treasure it for the precious thing that it is.



II. DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHURCH

When looking at the church as a whole, many people have less than a positive outlook on it.

 

           When people view the Church today, many of them don’t see the Church for what it can be,

           they see it how they choose to see it.

They see the scandals that fill the pages of the newspapers and reports on the evening news.

They see the Church accepting teachings that are contrary to the basic teachings of scripture.


                                 All of which does great harm to the church.

 

They see the countless Christians around the world being persecuted for their faith.

James and Marti Hefley have co-authored a book entitled “By Their Blood.”

                                 It tells of the Christians Martyrs of the 20th century.

 

In the book they write these words “more Christians have been martyred in our century that during all the other eras of Church history combined.”

 

Looking at this I could understand the lack of a positive outlook on the Church

But with all that is going on, there are still positive things happening.

           It looks as if the Church is dying, but the fact of the matter is, the exact opposite is true.

                      The church is growing by leaps and bounds –

but the liberal media and others don’t want us to see that.

Even in the midst of scandal and false doctrine and violent aggression against Christians,

           the Church is growing.

                      In the midst of it all, the Church is PRESSING ON!!

We as a church have a lot to look forward to:

- Another year of being faithful to God’s Word.

- Another year of God’s blessing upon us, for remaining faithful.

- A chance to grow the body of Christ.

And when I speak of Growth I’m not just talking about numbers.
Spiritual Growth as well as numerical Growth is the Goal.

 

           - To reach the world for Christ.
                      
           - A chance to be of service to Christ.



In a lot of ways the future of the Church is going to be what we make it.


           Just as with anything in life, much of what comes out of it,

                      depends greatly what we put into it.

There is power in having a positive attitude.

There is no doubt that discouragement can happen even in the church.

Melvin Newland once said “I would rather be trying something great for God and fail, than be playing it safe and succeed.”

Positive thinking can set a great base for success; in what ever we endeavor to do for the Lord.

Beyond having a positive outlook on life and the Church,

           the one thing that will impact what comes to pass in the next year,

                      is our attitude toward others.


III. DISPLAY A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS


Robert Schuller wrote, “It would amaze us how many people we could influence for Christ if we would just treat people nicely.”

           I think he is right.



This is a hard world, a world that doesn’t always exercise courtesy.

           Sometimes it’s a dog-eat-dog world.


           People are jockeying for positions on the freeways and in their companies.

And they’re filled with all kinds of stress & anxiety.

But the church must be a place, where we all can come and be accepted and loved and encouraged and built up.

           A place where there are people to help us carry our burdens, and everyone feels welcome.

One of the things about our congregation that I really appreciate, is when I talk with visitors, they can’t wait to tell me,

           “Everyone was so warm & friendly in your church. We really felt at home there.”
 


You see, if we treat each other with love, then wonderful things will happen for the kingdom of God.

           So this new year let’s make sure that we display a positive attitude toward others.

When Terry Bradshaw was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame, he mentioned other players who had played with him and said,

           “This honor would mean nothing to me at all if I didn’t have people like that who loved me.”


CONCLUSION:


People need people.

           Someone wrote a song about that.


           But more than that, people need positive people - a constant positive influence in life.

           Maybe, that more than any other, ought to be your new year’s resolution this year.

                      Lord, help me to have a positive attitude.


                      “I’m going to be positive as I look at my life.

                      I’m going to be positive as I look at the church.

                      And I’m going to be positive as I look at others.”
                                 

May I suggest to you, that as this resolution filters down into every segment of your life,

           that this year, will be one of the best years, you have ever had.


           And as you live each day of it, you will get closer and closer to the goal,

                      the heavenward prize, to be with Jesus.
                                                                  

We are a year closer to heaven than we were this time last year.

           Everything is on course, folks.

 

           We need to trust the Lord and love Him -

                      to place our lives in His hands and allow Him to use us to His glory.


If you are here without Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior,

           then you have an opportunity to make a change for the better right away.


           As we face another new year, come and name the precious name of Jesus,

                       accept Him as your Lord & Savior, & be faithful to Him in Christian baptism.

We invite you to come.

           We present His invitation & pray that you will respond to it as we stand & as we sing today.