The Resolution Above All Resolutions (1/6/19 New Year’s Sunday Message)

ATTN: Someone has said, “You live the first half of life forming habits and the second half living off it.” I think that’s largely true. I’m in the second half of my life and I don’t really make new year’s resolutions anymore. Partly because I’ve already changed what I should’ve changed, or the ones I can’t change, I’ve given up on. For example, I’ve given up on drinking coffee without any sweet creamer in it. I know it’s better to drink coffee black, so I tried. Those few weeks I tried, I hated it. I wake up early just so that I can enjoy my coffee as I read my Bible, but I wasn’t enjoying coffee anymore. So, what is the point? So, I did the cost-benefit analysis and determined that drinking black coffee that I didn’t enjoy wasn’t worth the health benefit I would get from it. So I gave it up. Now I drink it with all the sweet stuff in it – the vanilla creamer and white chocolate moccha, so much so that at the first sip each morning, I proclaim, “God is good!”

So, not much prospect for much change for an old guy like me. However, there are some resolutions we should make and renew every year if not every month or every week no matter what age we are at.  The resolutions that I’m going to suggest to you are three and these three are not to be added unto the resolutions that you have already made but to be a foundation for the resolutions you have made. I will tell you what I mean later. But the three resolutions that I’m suggesting that all of us make this year are: 1) Draw near to God, 2) Be consistent in your faith till the end, 3) Stir another’s love toward Jesus.

TRANS: Today, I want to focus on just one of these resolutions: Draw near to God. This is the outline of my sermon today: 1) What is drawing near to God? 2) Why should we draw near to God? 3) How do we draw near to God?

 

1. What is drawing near to God?

It could mean one of two things: What C.S. Lewis says “nearness by likeness” or “nearness by approach.” We can be near God in that we can near Him by our likeness or we are near Him by our approach. Being near God by our likeness is our resemblance to God. The very fact that we are made in the image of God makes us resemble God in certain aspects. So, when a mother devotes herself to her child, she’s demonstrating god-likeness in her devotion. When a beneficent mogul or a teacher gives and gives, he is exhibiting likeness to God’s character. That’s nearness by likeness or resemblance. However, you don’t have to be a Christian to demonstrate those qualities. “Nearness by approach,” however, is something we do in order to get close to God in relationship. Not just to copy His characteristic but to get close to Him to know Him, to love Him, and to become like Him from the inside-out rather than the outside-in.   

ILL: My children look like me. That may be a cursing or a blessing depending on your perspective… Now, if for whatever reason my children got separated from me, they will always have my likeness in them. However, that does not mean that they have a relationship with me necessarily. Nearness by likeness does not necessarily mean, in other words, we have a relationship. But nearness by approach is their striving to get closer to me in relationship, to know me, to spend time with me, and to love me so that there is this intimacy and closeness in relationship that we share.

Now, when the Hebrew writer adjures for us to “draw near to God,” he meant the latter – nearness by approach. We are to come close to Him just not in our external characteristics such as creativity or moral uprightness, but in our love relationship with Him by knowing Him, interacting with Him, and loving Him.

But you will recognize that as we draw near to God by approach, what inevitably happens is also the nearness of likeness. In other words, as we approach God and our relationship with Him gets deeper and deeper, we become like Him in His character. We become more patient like Him with everyone. We become more merciful and gracious like Him. We become generous and kind like Him. In other words, nearness by approach should and ought to bring about nearness by likeness.

Paul says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” 2 Cor. 3:18. How do we become changed? As we draw near to Jesus, as we get to know HIm more and more, we naturally become changed to become like Him.

ILL: If my children admire me and love me, then naturally they will want to become like me in character. “I want to be just like you mommy or daddy” is a great compliment from our children. So, God would consider it a great pleasure for us to say, “Jesus, I want to be just like you and do whatever we can to draw near Him so that we can become like Him.

2. Why should we draw near to God?

Well, I can give you the most self-serving reasons for it in hopes of motivating you – It’s good for us. We will be happier for it. Our lives will be richer. All those are absolutely true. But that’s not the reason the Hebrew writer gives. 9 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near” Heb 10:19-21

Why should we draw near to God? Because Jesus made the way with His own blood. He opened the door by using himself as a wedge to keep the door open, being mangled in the process. Therefore, we should enter in.

It implies several things –

1. Our coming to God is worth God’s Son’s life. It cost God’s Son’s life to make it possible for us to come to God.
2. This is the only way. (if there was any other way, God would’ve chosen it)
3. To not go in will have dire consequences! ILL: Jesus tells the parable of the tenants in Matthew 21. He speaks of a master of a house who planted a vineyard and went away. He sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. But they beat them and killed them. This happened several times. Finally, the owner sent his son to them hoping that they would respect him seeing that he’s the owner’s son. But they also beat him and killed him. The owner comes back and annihilates those tenants!

But here’s my question: Why wouldn’t you want to? Why wouldn’t we want to draw near to God when He is that good and that loving? Has this thought ever occurred to you? If you ever got what you wanted at the time you wanted it, where would you be? Would be better or worse off? I ask that question because one of the reasons why we wouldn’t want to draw near to God is because we like where we are better. Some distance from God, so that we can do our thing when we don’t really agree that God’s way is better. So, I ask the question, “Where would you be if you got everything you wanted at the time you wanted it?” If you are under 40, you are not qualified to answer that question because you haven’t lived long enough to feel the consequences, but if you are over 40, wouldn’t you agree that all the foolish things you wanted and asked for when you were younger, if you were to have gotten them, you wouldn’t be happier, but more miserable?

So, why should we draw near to God? Because the Son of God sacrificed Himself to make the way for us, which means it’s worth the life of the Son of God, and to not do so would result in eternal misery and torment.

 

3. How do we draw near?

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

3 things:

1. A) With full assurance that He will accept us when we come to Him.

Many a young men and women have said to me, “Pastor, if you know what I have done, you wouldn’t think God would accept me. I want to come to God, but I don’t think He wants me come to Him.” You underestimate God. Let me tell you what great saints of the Bible have done: David took on several wives, cheated on all of them by laying with his subordinate’s wife, and then to cover it up, he had him killed, abusing his power. Have you taken another man’s wife and then got a hitman to kill the man? Even so, you can be forgiven.

Perhaps you have a besetting sin that you go back to over and over like a dog goes back to its own vomit? 7 times 70, Jesus said you will be forgiven. In case you think, “that’s 490 times. I think I’ve sinned more than that,” 7 and 70 are perfect numbers and that mean as many times as we ask for forgiveness…

So, come to God with full confidence that He will accept you when you come to Him.

1. B) With clean conscience

Come to Him not with a guilty conscience but with a clean conscience that He is pleased with you – that when He see you, He does not see the sin and dirt that is in you but His Son’s perfect robe covering you. This is especially difficult for those who grew up in a law-based or merit-based culture. We think God is like Santa Claus. He judges us by whether we have been nice or naughty. He will weigh our good against our bad and judge us according to it. Even though you have heard it over and over that that’s not so, it’s been ingrained us to think that way. I know my people are thinking that way when I hear things like, “ I haven’t come to church in a while because I’ve really messed up on something,” or “Everyone else at church is so good, I don’t fit in. I’m not like them.” “I’m ready to give up on God. I don’t even love myself. Why would God love me?” Listen, you are underestimating God. Underestimating the power and the grace of god to forgive. And He goes further and desires for you come to Him and enjoy Him as His child.

So go to him with a clear conscience that you are loved because of the robe that his son got you to wear. Not as a merit of what you have done but by receiving what Christ has done.

 

1. C) Our bodies washed with pure water.

Most Bible scholars agree that this is referring to water baptism. But what does baptism symbolize? Public identification with Christ. You are declaring to the world and to your friends that you are a Christ-follower and you are not ashamed to declare it. So, you approach God unashamedly and publically. Not only in our heart, but also in our body. There should be no such thing as a secret Christian. I’m not saying that you blast the fact that you are a Christian and be boisterous and obnoxious about it because elsewhere we are told to lead quiet lives and make peace with everyone, but we are also to be salt and light. Salt makes everyone else better. We are important members of the society that strives to make our society better. And light, as in sheds god’s goodness in this dark and fallen world so that they may see a way to God through us.  

So many of the young people at the retreat made a public confession of their faith. Jesus died publically in shame and scorn. It wasn’t done in a corner or a cave somewhere where no one knew about it. And Jesus tells us to follow Him. He will be ashamed of us if we are ashamed of Him. He will deny us if we deny Him.

So, we approach Him boldly, confidently, and publically.

 

Practicals

Draw near to God through His word. Let me ask: If I told you that I will give you $1000 when you finish reading the Bible, how many of you would do it? What about $10,000? If you were thinking about raising your hand, then what you are saying is that money is more important than knowing and enjoying God. I want you to consider the benefits that are far greater than $10,000.

1. God’s word will enliven your soul. “Man shall not live on bread alone but by every word that come from the mouth of God” How many suicides and drug overdose death could’ve been prevented if only God’s word was spoken to them at the right time to revive their soul!
2. God’s word will guide you in your decisions. You don’t know the future. But God does. Young people, imagine getting guidance from God regarding your career, your marriage, your mission and purpose of life. You are tapping into the mind of God when you delve into His word. So you will be guided in the biggest decisions of your life.
3. God’s word will keep you from sin that will destroy you. David said, “I’ve hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
4. God’s word will be an avenue to the greatest joy you will ever know. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Ps. 16:11. How did God make it known this kind of joy to David? Through His word.

Here’s the awesome thing about God’s word. God’s word not only gives you joy, but it also causes every other joy to become more joyful. Everything seems more meaningful. Everything has more weight. Therefore, joy and glory.

Practicals –

1) Set a specific time and place each day.

2. Use a Bbile reading plan to guide you.
3. Choose a version that’s understandable.
4. Expect God to speak to you as you read and pray.
5. During the day, when faced with a puzzling circumstance, remember what you read and link the two.