Stand Alone Sermon

There is something about turning the calendar to a new year that makes it seem that almost anything is possible, which is why many people begin the year by making resolutions. The problem, however, with the resolutions most people make, is that they rely on merely human “will-power” to accomplish them, and so they eventually end up where Paul did in Romans 7:15, where he confessed, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate!” We have all been there, and because we are not yet perfect, we will be there again. BUT GOD!! As disciples of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has given us new life in Christ, and as He works in YOU, your desire will be to please your Father in heaven in all you say and do. New Year’s resolutions cannot and will not lead to lasting change or to a life lived for the glory of God. You need MORE! You need GOD!! You need a relationship with God based on faith and trust as He reveals Himself to you in His Word. Through hearing and believing the Gospel you know that your sins are forgiven and that you HAVE eternal life. Jesus will never leave you or forsake you, for His Spirit lives within you. You have all you need in being united to Christ. You can’t have “more” of Christ than you have now … but you can experience the joy of being united to Christ only as you seek Him, as you set your mind and heart on Him, as you occupy your thoughts on the God who saved you for Himself. It is in seeking God that you begin to understand His plan and you discover that HE is all you need in the New Year. This is the “life” Jesus came to give His disciples, even as we live in this world. Are you seeking God every day?  Will you begin the New Year with the confident assurance that victory over sin, despair and misery is at your fingertips as you seek the Lord in His Word and trust in Jesus Christ to continue His work in you and through you for His glory? “Seek the Lord while He may be found!” … “Seek FIRST the kingdom of God!!”