5 Ways of Resolute Living Theme: Resolve one way to live for God Scripture: Psalm 101

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1 5 Ways of Resolute Living Theme: Resolve one way to live for God Scripture: Psalm 101 Introduction New Year s resolutions are upon us. Many of us dislike making these resolutions and the dreaded question, What is your New Year s resolution? Some of us do not like resolutions because we are much like the comic Calvin. Others of us do not like resolutions because we can never stay disciplined enough to keep them. Time Magazine a couple years ago came out with a list of the Top 10 Broken New Year s Resolutions. Everyone knows what is at the top of the list. After the Christmas eating spree, comes the New Year s fitness bee. Someone was asked, What is a New Year s Resolution? The reply came, It is a to-do list for the first week of January. Christians are called to make resolutions in our lives. Not like the often fickle resolutions that New Year s brings, but resolutions involving our relationships with others and with God. When we resolve to do something, we must not be like most of the world and fail to keep it. We must carry through on our vows, even if it means losing a daughter (ask Jephthah about that). When it comes to making resolutions, 2 men stand tall in my mind above the rest. One comes from Christian history and the other comes from the Bible ILL: Jonathan Edwards (preacher & theologian in 1700 s) Lived by resolutions Before the age of 20, he penned 70 resolutions that he wanted to live by. o Read them every week over 1800 times in his life Lived his life with resolutions focusing on his life mission / good works / time management / relationships / suffering / character and his spiritual life God used him to preached the most famous sermon ever preached God used him to lead the Great Awakening in the 1700 s multitudes came to Jesus through his and other s leaders preaching God used him because he resolved to be a godly man

2 God used another man mightily who made resolutions in his life. By living these resolutions out in his life, he rose to become king and adored by a nation. We see some of his resolutions listed in the Bible in Psalm 101. College starts with class 101 Living like Jesus is found in Psalm 101 READ: Psalm 101 Today we will examine 5 resolutions that David made to God. It is said, If we aspire to little, we will achieve little. This year, don t aspire to little, aspire to much. My challenge for you today is to carry one of these resolutions into the New Year (fail easier if we keep more than one) PRAY Lord show each one what resolution you would have us keep this year (1) I will sing to you, Lord (vs. 1) First priority worship God The Westminster Catechism (Christian teaching) starts with The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Jonathan Edwards 1 st resolution Resolved that I will do all I think or say to the glory of God and not to take into consideration my own comfort, profit or pleasure. Resolve to worship God more this year Worship him with words and songs o Morning greeting to God o Sing one song a day to God ILL: Sing boiling eggs One woman sang three verses of a hymn to do a soft boiled egg 5 verses to do a hard-boiled egg Worship him in prayer o Prayer is another way to talking to God o Resolve to set a time to pray not with requests but with thanks and honor to God

3 (2) I will be careful to lead a blameless life (vs. 2) ILL.- I m prettier clean As a father came home from his work he saw his little daughter who had been playing in the mud. He said to her, My, you re pretty dirty. In her childish way she replied, Yes, I know daddy, but I m prettier clean. The girl is right we are prettier in God s eyes when we re clean and blameless. It is only then that we can experience the full, free life that God has planned for Christians. Our relationship with God and others are at the best when we are pure. Blameless living obeying God s commands Jonathan Edwards resolution: Resolved to be self-controlled in all areas of my life Not utter perfection (every human fails) Obedience to the best of your ability help from the Holy Spirit o The ability to be proud of your life in front of Jesus o Requires a concentrated effort to live the best you can o Another word living with integrity ILL: Rebecca St. James Song Omega May the grace of our Lord be with you, now and always, may you stay blameless till he comes The lyrics come from Paul (prayed / instructed / blessed blameless living) Paul repeatedly talked about the need to be blameless 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 28 (NIV) 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Blameless heart internal obedience Pharisees live with outward obedience (robes, prayers, flaunted righteousness) God calls us to inward obedience the place that no one can see but God David prayed Psalm 139:23 24 (NIV) 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Jonathan Edwards Resolution: Resolved to inquire every night as I am going to bed, where have I been negligent; what sin have I committed and where have I denied myself. Resolve to live blamelessly Live as blameless as you can integrity (work / home / school / church) Live blamelessly before God examine yourself regularly and repent of sin

4 (3) I will set before my eyes no vile thing (vs. 3) Lustful images God calls us to be pure in what we see ILL: Bible School One friend taped above the computer screen (no internet access) Another friend addicted to pornography (hid it in the bottom of a tool chest) o Made a vow to forever get rid of it (burning party) o The bottom of the tool chest taped this verse Sins of lust brings the biggest amount of shame and regret on a person Jonathan Edwards Resolved that I will live as to have no regrets or wish I had done something before I die Evil images Violence Shameful artwork Witchcraft, sorcery Matthew 6:22 23 (NLT) 22 Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! Resolve to view only things that are pure This is probably the toughest resolution for a male to make. Society saturated in lust billboards, magazines, internet, TV Society that loves evil and hates good o Hollywood flaunts evil TV shows titled Revenge, Betrayal, Witches of East End o Christians who speak truth against evil are called intolerant Philippians 4:8 (NIV) 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. We can t eliminate all evil into our eyes, but we can limit it o Thomas Carlyle: The greatest security against sin is to be shocked at its presence. But the problem in North America is that we are no longer shocked by the presence of sin. o Help yourself get chocked at the sight of sin Internet filtering / TV viewing / Burning Magazines

5 (4) I will have nothing to do with evil (vs. 4) Flee evil people (vs. 4, 7) The Message (vs. 4) I refuse to shake hands with those who plan evil. Scripture repeatedly says it is wise to not be friends with people who are evil we are to separate from them Psalm 1:1 (NIV) 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, Proverbs 12:26 (NIV) 26 The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 22:24 25 (NIV) 24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, 25 or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV) 33 Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. READ: vs. 3-8 (NLT) Psalm 101:3 8 (NLT) I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. 4 I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. 5 I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. 6 I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. 7 I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. 8 My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the LORD from their grip. Resolve to flee evil people Life does not allow us to avoid all evil people (family, co-workers) But we can limit our contact with them so that we will not be influenced by them Ask God to help you discern if there are people dragging you down o Replace them with those who are faithful (vs. 6)

6 Jonathan Edwards Resolution: Resolved that nothing but God, Gods word and Gods will shall influence how I live to shun anything that is not of Christlike character. (5) I will seek justice (vs. 5, 8) Advocate for God s justice (5, 8) David was king could rule with justice READ: vs. 5 & 8 We are not in government but we have a job to do advocate God s justice o Write politicians o Write to newspapers, on facebook, post on news articles o Many causes to fight for Babies right to life Marriage between a man and a woman Right for parents to teach their kids religious education Prostitution Euthanasia The poor Resolve to speak for God s justice this year Become a William Wilberforce or an Abraham Lincoln against slavery Become a Tommy Douglas (Baptist preacher) who changed Canadian laws to help the poor Become part of the Christian women who brought equal rights (voting & more) to women in Canada and the world Become a Martin Luther King who preached equality for all races Become a Jonathan Edwards who God used mightily to lead a great revival Become a David who honored a lame man at his table Join the great Christian men and women who spoke for God s justice to a hostile world Conclusion King David was a man unique to his world. He resolved to live with integrity in his personal life and in his country. Because of his ability to live these resolutions in his life, God was proud of him and blessed him. We know God was proud of him because every other king that came after David was compared to him in how he ruled; whether he followed God with all his heart or not. Has God spoken to you today in one area of your life? Does he want you to make a resolution like David did and Jonathan Edwards? Resolve one way to live for God. If you resolve to do little this year, you will achieve little. If you resolve to follow God, he has a big adventure in store for you.