Message for THE LORD'S DAY MORNING, January 7, 2018 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE TOPIC: New Year, Holiday Messages Raise The Bar This New Year HEBREWS 12:1-3 (NKJV) According to a recent article, here are the top five New Year's resolutions people make each year: #5 Stop smoking #4 Make more money #3 Improve relationships #2 Exercise more And does anybody want to guess what the #1 resolution is? #1 Lose weight All of these resolutions reveal one thing and that is that all of us have a desire to do better. We want to improve on our past performance. We want to gain control of an area of our lives where we have failed or fallen short. And our thinking is, If I can get these one or two areas of my life under control I will be much happier. or If I could improve in this area or that, I could become a better person!
The problem, of course with New Year's resolutions is that the greatest percentage of us rarely follow through on them. We start out with great enthusiasm, but soon our resolve to keep our resolutions starts to wain under the pressure of time, and responsibilities, and our own lack of will power. And as is the case so often, this year's New Year's resolutions will wind up becoming next year's New Year's resolutions. If you have made resolutions for this New Year, I wish you all the best, and I pray that you will have success. But this morning, I'm not here to challenge you to lose weight or to start exercising more. I want to challenge you to raise the bar in your spiritual life. In sports they call this stepping up your game or elevating your game. That is what I want to challenge all of us to do in 2018...to raise the bar to step up our game in our spiritual life. Please open your Bibles to today's scripture text in HEBREWS chapter twelve. And let's read verses 1-3.
HEBREWS 12:1-3 (NKJV) 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. PRAYER **************************************** In our scripture text, the Hebrew writer is reminding you and me that we are like marathon runners in a long race from here to eternity. We have now come to milepost 2018 on our long and strenuous journey.
None of us knows what great opportunities lie before us in 2018. None of us knows what trials, or troubles, or sorrows lie ahead in the coming year. This is why we must Trust in the LORD with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. And in all our ways to acknowledge GOD, and He will make our paths straight. In our text, we find three things you and I MUST do if we are going to raise the bar in our spiritual life this year. First of all... I. We Must LAY ASIDE Those Things Which WEIGH US DOWN v. 1a Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
Illustration: The army of Alexander the Great was advancing on Persia. At one critical point it appeared that his troops might be defeated. Alexander's army had taken so much plunder from their previous military campaigns that they had become weighted down and were losing their effectiveness in battle. Alexander commanded that all the spoils be thrown into a heap and burned. His soldiers complained bitterly, but they soon realized the wisdom of Alexander's order. One of his soldiers would later write: It was as if wings had been given to us, and we walked lightly again. 1. The Hebrew writer issues us this command from the LORD: let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us.
2. What are some of those things that weigh us down spiritually that we need to lay aside? (A) We must lay aside our PAST SINS. Over the course of our lifetime our sins have been so many and so great that we can't even begin to count them. But if you have confessed those sins and forsaken them, the Bible tells us that GOD has put away our sins as far as the east is from the west and that He remember our sins no more. It is useless for us to brood over our past sins. GOD buried those sins in the grave of Christ. So as we begin this new year it is time for us to Go and sin no more. (B) We must lay aside OUR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. Are you nursing a grudge towards someone over something that happened ten or fifteen years ago?
Are you still bitter or resentful towards someone who said something hurtful to you a long time ago? Are you harboring hatred or jealousy or envy towards anyone? Negative emotions are to our minds and hearts what deadly poison is to our physical bodies. Brother or sister, if you are going to raise the bar in your spiritual life it is time to let go... it is time to surrender the hurt and pain to the LORD and FORGIVE and MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE! Don't drag last year's toxic, poisonous emotions with you into this New Year! (C) We must lay aside all PRIDE over past ACHIEVEMENTS All of us take great pride in our past accomplishments and successes. But if we're not real careful, our pride over our past can hinder us from reaching for new goals and challenges.
Thank the LORD for what He has helped you accomplish in the past, and ask GOD to open new doors of opportunity to serve Him in even greater ways in 2018. So that's the first thing we must do if we are going to raise the bar in our spiritual life this year, WE MUST LAY ASIDE THOSE THINGS WHICH WEIGH US DOWN. Now here's the second thing we must do... II. We Must RUN OUR RACE With ENDURANCE (v.1) 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 1. Our English language doesn't fully convey the force of this admonition in the original Greek.
The Hebrew writer is literally saying, Keep on enduring, keep on persevering...keep on running... keep on fighting... don't ever give up! 2. Sadly, in the Christian life that is exactly what a lot of people do...they give up! There are many who start the race, but only a few who finish. There are many who are faithful for a time, but only a few who are faithful unto death. 3. Like 2017, and 2016 before that, and 2015 before that... 2018 will have its share of good days and bad days. There's not a one of us here this morning who will go through this next year without facing some trials...and troubles...and heartaches...and sorrows...and tears.
4. But while we have no knowledge or control over what this New Year will bring, we do have control over how we will respond to this year's trials and challenges. We can either GIVE UP AND QUIT...or we can ENDURE and KEEP RUNNING THE RACE! If we are going to RAISE THE BAR in our spiritual life this next year, We Must LAY ASIDE Everything That WEIGHS US DOWN and We Must RUN OUR RACE With ENDURANCE. And thirdly... III. We Must STAY FOCUSED On JESUS CHRIST (v.2,3) 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
1. The Hebrew writer is reminding us in these verses that one of the most important things you and I can do this coming New Year, as well as the rest of our life's journey is to STAY FOCUSED ON JESUS CHRIST! 2. Just like billboards along the interstate, there are many things in this world to distract us and grab our attention. This is why we must constantly stay on guard and not allow the pleasures and treasures of this world to take our focus off of JESUS. 3. The Hebrew writer points us to JESUS as the supreme example of how to run life's race and finish it victoriously! How did JESUS endure the terrible beatings...and the false accusations...and the injustice...and being forsaken by His closest followers? How did JESUS endure the cross...and the nails...and the crown of thorns and the unbearable pain? He did it by focusing on the JOY that would be HIS and OURS beyond the cross.
Jesus knew the cross was not His final destination. His final destination was the SEAT OF VICTORY...the SEAT OF HONOR at the right hand of His heavenly Father. 4. No matter trials and troubles we may face this coming year, they will not be the end of us! For our JOY lies in the One who has already gone before us, therefore WE MUST STAY FOCUSED ON JESUS CHRIST! **************************************************** CONCLUSION Brothers and sisters, I want to challenge you to Raise the bar in your spiritual life this year! Make a commitment that this will be the year you will seek to live for JESUS like you have always desired to live for Him.
LAY ASIDE those things that are WEIGHING YOU DOWN in your spiritual life! RUN YOUR RACE With ENDURANCE this year resolving never to give up or quit. And STAY FOCUSED on JESUS CHRIST I leave you with this Blessing For The New Year... During this New Year, may God bless you with... Enough HAPPINESS to keep you SWEET Enough TRIALS to keep you STRONG Enough SORROW to keep you HUMAN Enough HOPE to keep you HAPPY Enough FAILURE to keep you HUMBLE Enough SUCCESS to keep you EAGER Enough WEALTH to meet your NEEDS And Enough FAITH to keep you MOVING HEAVENWARD!