New Year's Resolutions

December 27, 2015
Sermon
New Year’s Resolutions

“WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION IN FEAR AND TREMBLING”
(IT IS GOD WORKS IN US TO WILL AND TO WORK FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE)

“WHATEVER YOU DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD”

Main Idea: When God motivates us to work, we must work—to glorify Him!

• We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12)
• We must work because God motivates us to do so (Phil 2:13)
• We must work to the glory of God! (1 Cor 10:31)
• This means that we need to make commitments along the way….

Resolution Principles

1. It’s entirely biblical to have specific, quantifiable goals! (Rom 15:24)

2. These goals need to be made in faith, beyond current resources!
    Trusting God for more resources (i.e., Spain)
    Trusting God for the needed gifting (i.e., Moses)

3. These goals must be made in dependence upon God. (Phil 4:13)

4. These goals need to stretch us to grow us in grace
   Individually and corporately—2 Pet 3:18; Eph 4:11-16; Heb 6:1

5. These goals need to grow us in application of the Word (2 Tim 2:15)

6. These goals must be both general and specific:
   General enough to allow for flexibility
   Specific enough to cause something to actually happen!

Dangers:
 Idolatry (1 John 5:21)

 Judging others (Matt 7:1)

 Inflexibility to the Spirit’s leading (Bithynia—Acts 16:7)