-
A Simple New Year’s Resolution
Contributed by Melvin Newland on Jan 5, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: In this new year, let’s make this one simple resolution -we’re going to make a change for the better. (Powerpoint available - #329)
C. 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, & you can feel good about yourself.
ILL. 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 & loved & cared for by God Himself.
ILL. Jim Valvano 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 Valvano learned that he had inoperable bone cancer. During Christmas time, 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 & 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, & don't treasure it for the precious thing that it is.
II. DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHURCH
Secondly, I think we need to have a positive attitude toward the church. I don't say this in a self serving way at all because one thing that is right about the church is that our desire is simply to lift up Jesus, to reach out to a lost & dying world with the message of salvation. Yet, at times I hear people criticizing the church.
A. For instance, someone says, "The church costs too much." We are always worrying about how much something costs.
In Matthew 26 there is an interesting account of something that happened as Jesus ate with His disciples. If you remember, a woman brought a jar filled with expensive perfume & broke it & anointed his head with the perfume.
Immediately some of the disciples criticized the waste, saying that the perfume should have been sold & the money given to the poor. But Jesus defended her, saying, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. … When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial."
You see, we have a different value system than the world. The world would consider something waste that we consider valuable. The world thinks you're wasting your time going to church. You wanted to hear about God & Jesus Christ, & the world thinks that's a waste.
When the world looks at your tax return & sees that you gave away 10% or 15% or 20% of your income to build the kingdom of God, it would call that a waste, too.