DAY #1: A New Year

In the ancient world there were no bottles, no recyclable cans. They would put liquids in skins -- animal skins tied together and used like canteens. Obviously, as time went on, the skins would become hardened, brittle, and they would eventually break and crack and the liquids would spill out, particularly if it was new wine that you put in the wineskin. It would continue to ferment and would produce additional gases and cause the wineskin to explode.

Jesus told a parable about this life truth - He said you can't put new wine in old wineskins. This is really an illustration of life. This parable is where we will find our key verses this morning. Luke 5:36-38 says “He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.”

Here’s the bottom line; new goals and commitments will require a new plan of action. Today is the first day of a new year – millions of people will make resolutions. New diets, new career goals, hopes for new relationships, a desire to be a different person in 2010. All admirable goals and laudable desires.

But guess what? Last year millions of people made theses very same goals and resolutions and failed. WHY? Why do we fail? I’ll tell you why, we try and change the outside – the way we act and the way we talk. The way we relate, but until their is change – real change on the inside - we are doomed to failure.

Today, in this first devotion of the New Year, I want us to look at “A New You for a New Year.” I want to ask you - what are your wineskins? Your wineskins are old ways of thinking, acting, talking, listening, responding that may have worked well before but they're not going to cut it now. If you want to change and grow and become the person God desires for you in 2010, you've got to put new wine in new wineskins.

What can you expect in 2010? You can read what the psychics say. They'll be glad to give you predictions. You can look to your horoscope, or rely upon what Oprah thinks or Dr. Phil or Dr, Ruth. But folks, that’s all hogwash. In 2010 you can count on three things. New problems, new pressures & new possibilities.

How can you make it? How can you cope? Even more, how can you succeed? The answer is character. Character always overcomes circumstances. That’s what we want to look at this morning! My prayer for you this morning and this year is that this will be a year of character development. Let’s look at how you can handle what life will throw at you in 2006.

The first thing you can expect this year – it’s a given.. PROBLEMS! And you know what?...
#1. NEW PROBLEMS WILL REQUIRE CHRSIT-LIKENESS

The bad news is you will have more problems in the 2010. The good news is they're not the same old ones. You’ll get a whole new set. Think about this - how many of you, last year, anticipated the problems you're facing this year? Most of us have no idea what problems will come. New problems require new solutions. The old ways of thinking, the old attitudes, the old ways of dealing with problems will not work.

How do we typically deal with problems as they crop up in our lives? Same way we have for our entire lives; stress out, worry, anxiety, lash out, get angry, hold grudges. Let me ask you, have those attitudes and old ways of dealing with problems worked? NO! What is required then? Christ-likeness!

Philippians 2:5 tells us in fact that “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Talk about a tall order. WOW! Here’s the point – if you’re going to grow and tackle the problems that lie ahead this year as Christ would want you to, then you have to become more like him. New wine into new wineskins.

Ephesians 4:23-24 says "Your attitudes and thoughts must be constantly changing for the better. You must be a new and different person, holy and good." . Your attitude must be constantly changing. It must constantly becoming like Jesus Christ!

New problems will require Christ-likeness. How do you develop that? You have to get into the word. We teach about this in CLASS 201, one of our core classes we teach here. It’s a class about developing spiritual maturity. In CLASS 201 we say that getting into the word is fundamental to your walk with God.

And we say there are six ways to get into God’s word. Hear it, read it, study it, memorize it, meditate upon it and most important of all – apply it to your life. That is how you will be able to tackle new problems this year – become more like Christ. And we become more like Christ as we let his word wash over us and sink into us and change us from the inside out.


The second thing you can expect this year – NEW PRESSURES!
#2. NEW PRESSURES WILL REQUIRE CONVICTION

Conviction is a willingness to stand up for what you believe. Conviction means you don't cave in to culture. Having Convictions means I’m willing to take a stand, I’m willing to stand up and be counted. What is the difference between a conviction and an opinion? An opinion is something you'll argue about. A conviction is something you'll die for.

The Phillips version of Romans 12:2 says "Don't let the world squeeze you in its mold, but let God remake you so your whole attitude of mind is changed." Don’t you like that? Folks, there are going to be a lot of pressures on your life in the 2010: materialism, sexuality, the pressure to lower your standards, drugs, many things. If you don't stand for something you're going to fall for anything.

What we need in 2010 are men and women of conviction, men and women who are not wishy-washy, men and women who say, "I don't care if everybody's doing it! It's not right and I'm not going to get caught up in this materialistic binge! I'll do what's right and not let the world squeeze me into its mold."

Where do you get the strength for that? Two places: God's presence and God's word. Isaiah 40:31 says "Those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed.” Psalm 19:7 says "God's word gives new strength.” If you want the strength to stand up to the pressures that this world puts upon you, know this – you can’t do it on your own. You need his presence – you need His word.

Let me ask you, why do you think that God allow pressure in our lives? Have you ever thought about that? In 2 Corinthians 1:8, Paul says, "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life . . . But this happened so we might not rely on ourselves but on God . . ." Paul says God allows these pressure in our lives so that we can rely on God.

New pressures in 2010 are going to require conviction. Where do you get conviction? Not from a textbook, not from some self help book, but from God’s book and from God’s presence in your life.

Finally, what else can you expect this year? – NEW POSSIBLITIES!!
#3. NEW POSSIBILITIES WILL REQUIRE COURAGE

2010 is going to be full of wonderful plans that God has for you. I don't know a more exciting time to be alive. There are great possibilities! God wants to do great things in your life in the next year, but it will not happen automatically. You've got to step out in faith. There's an element of risk.

Hosea 10:12 says "Plow new ground for yourselves, plant righteousness, and reap the blessing your devotion to me will produce! It's time for you to turn to me, your Lord, and I will come and pour out blessing on you." Do me a favor and underline three verbs in that verse - plow, plant and reap. If you want 2010 to count, you've got to do some cultivating.

What are you planning to harvest in 2010? 365 days from today, how are you going to be any different? If you plan to have differences in your life a year from now you've got to start cultivating now! You need to cultivate some new habits. You need to cultivate some new relationships. You need to cultivate some new activities. It just doesn't happen.

If you're going to be any different a year from now, you've got to start cultivating now. What do I want different in my family? What do I want different in my finances? What do I want different in my personal walk with Christ? What do I want different in my relationship to my children? You've got to start cultivating now! Whatever you sow you're going to reap. If you don't sow anything you won't reap anything.

What is it you need to start cultivating in your life? Think that out. What do I want to see in my life down the road that I need to start on now?

Look at that verse again, and notice the phrase "plow new ground" – what’s that mean? Don't plow up the old ground. Don't do the same old thing you've already done. What worked last year is fine but now it's a new year! Plow some new ground. Step out on faith. Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is. Plow new ground. That involves courage.

New possibilities require courage. It's risky to try new things. It's much safer to stay with the familiar. Let me ask you, what is it you would attempt for God if you knew you couldn't fail? Can you dream? Can you imagine? BIG STUFF!

What could hold you back? Some of you say, "My past! I've blown it so much, God could never use me. Because of my past, I should never expect anything from God." SHUTUP! Isaiah 43:18-19 says "Don't cling to the events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I (God) am going to do!”

Don't keep dwelling on that problem, that hurt, that relationship, that difficulty, that failure, that tragedy. Don't cling to the past. Don't dwell on it. God says I'm going to do a new thing in your life. New possibilities will require courage.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says "When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!” When you open your life to God it's like starting over. That’s why I love a new year, it’s a chance to start fresh, to start new.

Some of you are sitting there this morning saying – aw, things are going ok – why change? I’m Ok just the way I am. Really? Folks, I want to tell you that many people make the mistake of thinking the decision they made for Christ two years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago is going to carry them today. But it won't.

So, when was the last time you updated your commitment to Christ? Last year's commitment was fine for last year but it's not going to make it this year! There will be new problems, new pressures, new possibilities. I can't think of a better time to update your commitment! You need a deeper commitment, a new commitment for a new year.

Romans 7:6 says "Now you can really serve God; not in the old way mechanically obeying a set of rules, but in a new way." The new way is serving God through a relationship. Some of you are stuck in legalism. You thought that was pleasing to God. God says, "NO! I want you to serve Me in a new way. I want to have a relationship with you this year that is better than it has ever been before."

SO WHAT? (what will you do with what you have read today?)

2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT) says “For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.” Has God spoken to your heart this morning?

Prayer:

Why don't you talk to God right now in your heart, in your mind? You don't have to say anything aloud. He knows you. He knows the very thing you're thinking right now! Talk with Him and tell Him what's on your heart. You don't need a prayer to pray, just talk to Him in your heart. Say, "God, I want to go deeper with You in 2010. This is going to be Your year. I want to make my life count.”

Say, "Lord, I need Christlikeness to face the new problems that will be coming my way. Lord, I need new conviction to face the pressures that are going to try to bend me all out of shape in the 2010. I need conviction from Your word and Your presence in my life. I need courage to take advantage of the new possibilities that will be before me."

If you've never opened your life to Christ say, "Jesus Christ, come into my life and make me the person You want me to be." Some of you are already Christians and you need to say, "Lord, I need to serve You in a new way. Not mechanically obeying the rules, but having a relationship with You."

Thank you, Father for Your word. May 2010 be a year of destiny for each of us as individuals and our church as a family. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.