PSALM 119:15-16
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR
Please turn to Romans 12:2
Lord willing, we will continue our study in Ephesians next Sunday Morning.
My message this morning is for born-again Christians. A born-again Christian is someone who has placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. A born-again Christian has had a time in his or her life when he or she has made a definite commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior. John 3:36 says very clearly, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
If you have not made a decision to trust Christ, you need to.
If you have trusted Christ, this message is for you.
Christian, where will you be this time next year?
Will you be at the same job?
Will you live in the same house?
Will attend the same school?
Will you have the same friends?
Will your health or the health of your loved ones be the same?
Where will you be this time next year? You can't answer one of these questions with certainty. You can only think you'll be at the same school or be at a new school. You can only think you'll have the same job or a new job. You can only think that your health or the health of another will be same or get worse. You can only think that you'll live in the same place or that you'll move. You can only think that you'll have the same friends or new ones.
Where will you be this time next year? Although you can't answer that question, if you want things to be different, in most cases you'll have to work at it.
Granted, there are things that we can't control, and only God knows for sure where will be and what we will be doing.
But if you want a different job, you'll have to work at finding one.
If want to be in a different school, and you are in a position to make your own decision, you'll have to work at applying at a new school
If you want new friends you'll have to work at developing new friendships.
If you want to live in a different house, you'll have to work at finding a place and moving there.
Health is not as definite. We can't guarantee health. But I do know this, if we want this best health possible next year at this time, we need to work at being healthy.
Now, Christian, let me ask you another question. Where will you be Spiritually this time next year? Will you have become more like Jesus in your behavior? Will you have licked any bad habits? Will your prayer and devotional life improve? Will you be a better witness for Christ? Will you have obeyed 2 Peter 3:18 - But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…?
You are probably thinking, "I really don't know!"
But let me tell you this: You will be no better off Spiritually this time next year, unless you work at being more Spiritual this year.
To grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ… is a command to be followed.
So how are we going to make sure that at this time next year we have grown Spiritually?
Romans 12:1-2 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
First of all, in order to grow in this coming year, we must be yielded to God. Because God has shown us great mercy by saving us, keeping us, loving us, and protecting us, we should present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice. That means we make ourselves available to God to go where He wants us to go, to do what He wants us to do, and to be what He wants us to be.
When we are holy, we are set apart for God.
When we do what is acceptable unto God, we do what pleases Him.
This is our reasonable service. I always think of it as the least we can do.
The work really starts after we yield ourselves to God.
Romans 12:2 tells us not to be conformed to this world. Some have rendered this phrase as "Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold." The world here is the world system, and the Christian is warned against loving the world and being like the world.
1 John 2:15-17 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [17] And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Romans 12:2 tells us that instead of being conformed to this world, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
We are seeing a transformation take place in the basement of the old grange hall. Some old appliances have been taken out and others are being removed. The walls have been painted, the bathrooms improved, and a carpet added to the floor. Sofas have also been added and more improvements will come. Our thanks to Brenda, Doug, J.D. and the youth group for all their hard work. Transformation is taking place.
A greater transformation has already taken place in your life if you know Christ as Savior.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
God's Holy Spirit lives inside of you and has made a great transformation, but He wants that transformation to go even further in this coming year. He wants transformation to continue by the renewing of your mind.
Why must your mind be renewed? Very simply, you are what you think.
Luke 6:45 - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
What does the Holy Spirit use to renew your mind?
He uses the Word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
If God uses His word to renew our minds, that very simply means that we need to expose our minds as much as possible to the Word of God. That's why you should be Sunday School. That's why you should be in Evening Church. That's why your should be at the Master's Men, Care and Share, Youth Group, of Good News Club. For the Christian the exposure of the mind to the Word of God should be a large priority.
But there's another way to renew our minds with the Word of God, and that's what I want to talk about in the remaining minutes of this message.
Turn please to Psalm 119:15-16 - I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. [16] I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
There are four things to do here that will renew your mind, if you decide to do just as the psalmist had decided to do. Throughout this passage the psalmist says "I will"!
Reflect - I will meditate in thy precepts...
Respect - ...and have respect unto thy ways.
Rejoice - I will delight myself in thy statutes...
Remember - ...I will not forget thy word.
We are going to begin with the last statement in these verses which reminds us to
Remember - ...I will not forget thy word.
Most of us struggle with our memories. As one sage put it, "There are three signs of old age. The first sign is that your memory begins to slip… And I can't remember the other two!"
But I have noticed one thing. The harder I work at remembering something, the better I do. If I really want to remember something I can.
The psalmist says ...I will not forget thy word.
The psalmist was determined to remember God's Word. Why?
The psalmist was determined to remember God's Word because of the transforming power it has in the life.
Psalm 119:11 - Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:105 - Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Jeremiah 15:16 - Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
When something goes wrong I can get terribly upset. Lately I have been working hard at memorizing Scripture. Friday I had spent most of the day working on the evening message. I was almost done when, for some reason my computer decided to reboot and I hadn't saved the material I was working on. Normally, I would lose it, but I didn't it. I was calm. Not happy, but calm. Why the change? I feel that the Word of God was at work in my heart. I am remembering more of God's Word, and God is using it to transform me.
And by the way, my computer does have a feature that saves stuff in a new file if the computer shuts down suddenly. I didn't lose all that work after all.
So my challenge to you is to remember God's Word if you want to be different this time next year. And as your pastor I'm willing to help you do that. In your bulletin there is a new section called "52 Weeks to a Better You". You will notice that all it is a memory verse for this week and one for the previous week. The same verses that have always been in the bulletin, but in a different place. These verses have been specially selected to help you grow in the next year. And as you leave today, you may have a copy of the verses for the whole year.
Here's what I suggest you do.
· Write out the verse on a 3 x 5 card with the verse on one side and the reference on the other. Carry it with you.
· Work on the verse throughout the week so you can say it to someone the next Sunday. Make yourself accountable to somebody for the saying of the verse.
· Save the cards and review them regularly.
Because I already know these verses, I plan to add a new verse each week and say it to J.D. I might even say it in Sunday School opening.
Now if you say, I can't memorize, I beg to differ with you. Through repetition you memorize lots of things, including lists of numbers like Social Security or phone numbers. Through repetition you can memorize Scripture.
Also consider this week's memory verse. You can memorize because God will enable you. Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Remember - ...I will not forget thy word.
Reflect - I will meditate in thy precepts...
To meditate on something is to mull it over in your mind. It is to reflect on it. It is kind of like a cow chewing her cud. She chews on what she has eaten for awhile, then swallows it and it goes into one of her four stomachs. Later, she brings it up again and chews some more. This way she digests her food.
Reflect on the memory verses that you know.
Mull them over in your mind.
Apply them to your life.
Talk to the Lord about them. Make them a prayer, if that's applicable.
Will this process of meditation really help to renew your mind?
Psalm 119:98-99 - Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. [99] I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
If I can be wiser than my enemies and have more understanding than my teachers, I would say that my mind was renewed.
You may wonder if you can really have more understanding than your teachers. As you meditate on the Word of God, you will apply it to your life. You will have more understanding how the Word of God applies to your life personally than I or any other teacher will.
How can we help each other in this meditation process?
We can help each other by sharing what we've learned with each other on Sunday Nights during testimony time.
I will try to help you by preaching on most of the verses, usually on Sunday nights.
Remember - ...I will not forget thy word.
Reflect - I will meditate in thy precepts...
Respect - ...and have respect unto thy ways.
I respect my Dad.
When I was under Dad's roof, I respected my Dad to the point of obedience.
I have noticed something with our son, David, who is a pastor.
Dave shows respect for me in ways he probably doesn't think of as respect.
His style of pastoring is often like mine.
He memorizes Scriptures as I have.
Why he even roots for the Yankees! J
When I love and respect my Heavenly Father, I will strive not only to memorize and meditate on Scriptures, but I will strive to obey the teachings, the ways of God.
Psalm 119:11 - Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:112 - I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.
Psalm 119:100 - I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
And you know that God is pleased with obedience!
1 Samuel 15:22-23 - Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. [23] For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Remember - ...I will not forget thy word.
Reflect - I will meditate in thy precepts...
Respect - ...and have respect unto thy ways.
Rejoice - I will delight myself in thy statutes...
I have watched some of you rejoice in your children.
I have listened to some of you rejoice in hunting.
I have listened to some of your rejoice in the Steelers and/or Piratess.
I have to listened to some rejoice in their husbands or wives.
I have listened to some rejoice in their jobs.
Do you want to know what you really rejoice or delight in?
Consider what you think about most.
Consider what you talk about.
What you talk about will be a dead give away for where your priorities and interests really lie.
I want to go back to a verse we considered earlier.
Jeremiah 15:16 - Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
Jeremiah was called by the name of the Lord God of hosts. In Christian vernacular we would say that he was a child of God.
Because Jeremiah belonged to God, Jeremiah delighted in the Word of God.
Christian, you are a child of God.
Do you rejoice or delight in the Word of God.
Delighting in God's Word will help you meditate on God's Word.
Psalm 119:97 - O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
So, this time next year where will you be?
Will you have grown Spiritually? Will you be further along in your walk with God?
You will grow Spiritually if you are transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Remember - ...I will not forget thy word.
Reflect - I will meditate in thy precepts...
Respect - ...and have respect unto thy ways.
Rejoice - I will delight myself in thy statutes...
It's decision time now.
Where will you will be Spiritually next year at this has much to do with your commitment to memorization and mediation.
Are you willing to strive to memorize, mediate and review the memory verses this year?
Are you will to be accountable to somebody else while doing it?
Let's Pray