Sermon Info
Summary
As we turn the calendar into the year 2023, we’ll be commemorating twenty years in the life of Rolling Hills Community Church. Anniversaries offer us the chance to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we hope to go. Our church’s calling has always been to be a people of God reaching out, growing up, and giving all. How has God brought this vision to life in the past, and how can we continue pressing toward this vision in the future? Join us this January as we celebrate the testimonies, salvations, baptisms, miracles, and life-change which have marked the last twenty years at Rolling Hills. Then, join us in our 21st year and beyond as we continue to build His Kingdom.
Content
On New Year’s Resolutions
Has anybody asked you about your new year’s resolutions yet? For many of us, developing a lofty goal or two at this time of year is a given; it’s just a matter of what we’ll choose to focus on this time! But why is resolution-making so popular on January first? Here’s three big reasons:
- We want a new beginning and a clean slate. Our old self can feel so far away. Those past bad habits and mistakes aren’t just yesterday anymore: they’re last year! We can start fresh, enjoying for a moment a fleeting feeling of perfection. It’s wonderful to get to say, “I’ve worked out every day,” even if we have to tag the pesky phrase, “so far in 2023” at the end.
- Other people are bound to be on the same journey. We might complain about how busy gyms become this time of year, but the truth is, it’s motivating to be in it together. When you set out on goals with other people, you’ll probably work hard to make sure you don’t fall behind. Plus, other people are more likely to keep you accountable. Hard work can be fun with company.
- We’re feeling a bit down on ourselves. We just spent a lot of money and ate a lot of food. December has plenty of celebration, and our wallets and waistlines can take a hit. No wonder we’re all so interested in self-improvement come January!
Friends, the majority of us make the same resolutions year after year, because we fail each time. Likewise, as Children of God, so many of us also desire to be doing more to grow in our faith and live like Christ, but we fail to pursue it in action.
Spiritual Resolutions
This disappointing yearly rhythm of resolutions is also found in our weeks. How many times have you felt energized to live differently on a Sunday morning, but lost that fire by sunrise on Monday?
You see, resolutions aren’t just a January first thing; they’re an everyday thing. And that goes for 1300 BC as well as 2023 AD. How many times did the Israelites thank Yahweh for His blessings and promise to worship Him alone, only for their faith to fade with time?
We make spiritual resolutions to read our Bible more consistently, and to pray more often, or maybe to fast when big decisions loom. Perhaps the most important “resolution” any of us ever make comes when we repent of our sins and ask our Father for forgiveness.
Repentance is a resolution to turn away from our own evil ways. It’s more than an empty apology to God for a past mistake; it means having a heart which desires to pursue christlikeness moving forward. Repentance implies an intention to act on the conviction against our sin.
On repentance, Jesus himself said,
- Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. (Matthew 4:17)
- I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)
- Unless you repent, you too will perish. (Luke 13:3)
Everyday Hope for God’s People
Consider the three reasons above which explain why the whole world makes resolutions on January first. Let’s view each from the Christian perspective.
Everyone desires a fresh start, because we all know we are not perfect. But the fresh start a Christian enjoys is so much greater than the one the world enjoys arbitrarily once every 365 days. As a people of God, we don’t just live in this new year we’ve made for ourselves — we, ourselves, are made new!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! — (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Second, as Christians, we are all part of the community of believers, which is a more fundamental and impactful bond than the rest of the world could know!
The following is a quote from Christian counselor Larry Crabb: When members of a spiritual community reach a sacred place of vulnerability and authenticity… An appetite for the holy things is stirred. For just a moment, the longing to know God becomes intense… Spiritual togetherness, what I call connecting, creates movement: Togetherness in Christ encourages movement toward Christ.
Brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. — (2 Corinthians 13:11)
And third, unbelievers recognize many of their shortcomings, just as believers do. But because we know the truth, we don’t have to live under the weight of our failures. We know that our worth and our salvation does not depend on what we do, but on what He has done for us!
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. — (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Friends, let us remember how God has blessed us. We do not need to make empty resolutions like the world does. We can be at peace knowing our fresh start comes every day we ask for it. As a people of God, we are not alone. And our hope is in Him, not in our efforts of self-improvement.
Resources:
Advance // Part 1: Physical Health // Jason Hale
