New Years Resolution? Or Just Being The Best You?

New Year’s Resolution? – Or Just Be The Best You...
Sermon Notes –P. Jim White
Sunday 27th December 2009
• When we start looking at the New Year – we often think about the things we need to change – the New Year’s resolutions that we need to make – and even though we can come up with lots of good ideas – most of it is usually still centred around ourselves.

• I’ll lose some weight. I’ll do more exercise. I’ll save more money... I’ll get a better job... It’s usually about what “I” am going to do to make my life better in some way.

• But I want to give you some thoughts this morning about how you can really live a life in 2010 that will be truly effective, and make a very real difference for the kingdom of God. And I want to take a few points from Rom 12: 9-21.

• In the NKJV this section is titled – “Behaving Like a Christian.” It’s not a bad place to start as we look to 2010, is it? But I want to read this scripture from The Message Bible.

• “Love from the centre of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
11-13Don't burn out; keep yourselves fuelled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
14-16Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.
17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."
20-21Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.”
• Rather than think about all the New Year’s resolutions you could make for 2010– take a step back and look at things from a bigger perspective. Ask yourself the question: How can I simply be the best possible version of me? And this scripture gives us some answers to that very question.


• 1. Love from the centre of who you are:

• This could be the best New Year’s resolution you could ever make. Make a decision to love God and others from the core of your being – from the place within you that is the most genuine and real part of who you are.

• Other versions say – don’t pretend to love – really love others. Don’t be a hypocrite.

• One of the most meaningful things we have to offer other people – particularly those who are searching for truth – searching for God – is genuine friendship, acceptance and love that is based on our own relationship with Jesus Christ.

• And that’s the key to loving others. It’s first of all knowing how much God loves us and accepts us. The love of God brings real security and peace, and a sense of wholeness. Out of that place of wholeness we can love others – without fear, fear of rejection, or intimidation or anything else.

• I believe it’s the most powerful church growth factor – loving relationships. Jesus Himself said in John 13:35 – “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

• It doesn’t say – if you have all your theology perfect – or if you can give an exegesis on the whole book of Revelation. The most important thing is genuine love – sincere love. This is what will build the kingdom of God quicker than any theological debate.

• People will pass a hundred other churches to come to the one where the love of God and the love of people fills the hearts of the worshippers.

• I believe we already have a good measure of this kind of love – but we can always sift out a little bit more judgementalism – jealousy – gossip – negativity and criticism...

• 1John 4:20 – “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can[c] he love God whom he has not seen?”

• You might think – well I don’t hate anyone. But this word hate actually means – if you don’t welcome someone, be fond of them, and love them dearly...

• I have seen lately the powerful effect of being in genuine unity – seeing people genuinely loving one another and caring for one another – and I am convinced that when we operate from the heart of God in this way – it releases the blessing and supernatural power of God.

• So – the first thing we can do to make a huge difference in our life and those around us this year – is to love from the centre of who we are – not faking it – no hypocrisy – just allowing the love of God to flow through us.

• 2. Run for dear life from evil to good:

• This reminds me of James 4:7 – “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

• God does not expect us to fight alone – to overcome sin alone. His grace abounds toward us – both to forgive and to empower us to walk a victorious life. The power to overcome is in firstly submitting to God – really desiring to live righteously.

• Maybe the question we should ask ourselves is not – how much do you want to overcome sin – but how much do you want to live a righteous life for God? How desperate are you to live in freedom? The more we seek after God, the more the devil will flee.

• It says “Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.”

• The reality is that evil will rob us of our best if we allow it to. That’s why I say – don’t worry about New Year’s resolutions – just decide to live your best life – the best version of who you already are.

• I’m not talking about your salvation here. Because your own goodness will never save you. Only the acceptance of the gift of life in Christ Jesus will save you. But there is life beyond salvation – and why shouldn’t it be the best life you could live?

• Submitting to God – and resisting evil – makes you strong. When we overcome sin – we become strong in our spirit, in our convictions, in our faith. It’s an upward spiral. The stronger we become, the bolder we are against the devil, and the more we overcome – strength builds, boldness builds, the power to overcome builds, spiritual authority builds.

• Sometimes, to begin with especially, you just have to hold on for dear life to good, but the rewards are multiplied as you push forward.

• 3. Practice playing second fiddle:

• If I had to say what 2010 is going to be all about – I would say it’s a season of living for others – taking the focus off ourselves – our ministry – our needs – our accomplishments... and to start practicing more than ever – giving our life away.

• It’s about being selfless in our attitude – turning our hearts toward others – and particularly toward the lost. I’m praying for an increase in the measure of anointing upon our lives and upon this church, to reach the unsaved – or the presaved (is a better description)... looking for new opportunities to connect with people outside our four walls.

• It’s already happening – but that’s only the beginning. We need to be moving with the momentum that is taking us outward.

• Playing second fiddle is about honouring others more than yourself. We like to think we do it, don’t we? But do we really like to do it? How often do we really give preference to others before ourselves – and actually delight in it – and are grateful for the opportunity?

• Phil 2: 3-8 – “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

• Jesus humbled Himself. He heard the cry of His Father in heaven for all mankind. He connected with the lostness of mankind and did something about it. Humility is about listening to others / connecting with others. Being there to laugh when they laugh – and cry when they cry. Being friends with nobodies... showing no partiality with people.

• Jesus was forever reaching out to the wounded – the defeated – the dispossessed – the poor – the sexually broken – the lost. He brought a message of salvation and hope that was all about raising them up – not Himself. He’s calling us to do the same.

• 4. Don’t burn out:

• This is such a big key. It says, keep yourselves fuelled and aflame. We are no good to anybody if we become overwhelmed in serving and giving out. We have to understand the ways that we personally get refreshed and refired.

• You don’t need a tired and wrecked pastor as a leader. You deserve someone who is healthy and happy and excited about the future – passionate about the church – able to take the time to genuinely love people and journey life together with them. Not being resentful or impatient – but grateful and connected.

• I need to do whatever it takes to try and stay in that place. Not just for my sake, but the sake of the church. I need to know what refuels me and refreshes me. If it’s a conference – or a quite time – a worship CD – or a coffee break with Venese – or a play with Elly... these might be some things that prevent me from burning out.

• But what about you? What refreshes you? What fans the flame on the inside of you? Because others need you to be the freshest and most passionate and best you that you can be.

• Gal 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

• And the scripture that keeps coming up over and over lately – Heb 11:12 – “...do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

• I’m a great believer in being patient for due seasons to come to pass. Building takes time. But the greatest danger is that we become sluggish, lose heart, or burn out.

• Do whatever you need to do to stay fresh and refuelled for the journey.

• 5. Be cheerful and expectant servants:

• Last week at Mullumbimby I spoke about having joyful, confident, expectation – which is the basic definition of hope.

• Do you serve with a heart that is cheerful and confidently expectant? Or are you resentful, frustrated and discouraged?

• If it’s the latter, than you need to make some changes. God wants us to serve with joy and a grateful heart.

• In Gal 5:13, Paul is talking about our call to live in liberty – and he says, don’t use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, “but through love serve one another.”

• I believe there needs to be a sense of freedom and liberty in all that we do – otherwise we begin to come under the constraining influence of religion. Our attitude should be that we are free to serve.

• And who are we ultimately serving anyway? Are we doing it for man? Are we doing it to make ourselves feel better? To ease our guilt? To be accepted and praised?

• Eph 6:6,7 – says we should serve, “not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.”

• Imagine the difference our life could make if we got this one right? Serving others out of love, with a sense of liberty, with cheerfulness and an expectancy – and most of all, doing it for the Lord, not for men.

• 6. Don’t hit back:

• How would this be as a New Year’s resolution? Make a decision not to hit back – whatever anyone does – no matter how much someone lets you down – persecutes you – hurts you – is mean to you... Instead – it says – bless them.

• Eph 4 speaks about having longsuffering – bearing with one another – endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit – putting on the new man – not giving place to the devil – putting away evil speaking...

• But Eph 4 finishes with probably the biggest challenge of all – forgiving one another just as God in Christ forgave you.

• Forgiveness is a way of living. It’s a continual process of extending the grace of God to others, just as it has been extended to us – also on a daily ongoing process.

• It doesn’t mean you don’t sometimes have to set boundaries, or perhaps be assertive when you have to be – but forgiveness must always be part of the deal.

• Col 3:3 & Gal 2:20 both say that we are dead to ourselves – and our life is hidden in Christ. We are hidden by the covering of forgiveness and grace.

• Imagine living your life in 2010, being free to forgive and extend grace to those who let you down and hurt you. It comes from the fullness of who you are in Christ – the best version of you that you could be.




• There are a few other points there in Rom 12 that you can sift out for yourself – and it’s a worthwhile thing to do if you want to be a more effective, influential, and better you. New Year’s resolutions don’t usually work anyway. But living according to the Word of God is powerful.

• Summary:

• 1. Love from the centre of who you are – genuine and sincere.
2. Run for dear life from evil to good – submitting to God first.
3. Practice playing second fiddle – giving your life away.
4. Don’t burn out – stayed fuelled and aflame.
5. Be a cheerful and expectant servant. Doing it for the Lord.
6. Don’t hit back – live a life of forgiveness toward others.