Torrington Church Of Christ
The Mustard Seed
SERMON 1-3-2010
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO
       I RESIGN AND RESOLVE

 Objectives: To motive each one to leave behind the past
year and be motivated to serve the Lord in the new year.

    INTRODUCTION:
    1. Read: Philippians 3:13-16
    2. About the Text:
    1) Paul was no stranger to failure.
    2) He had failed His Lord on more than one occasion.
    3) He was party to the murder of Christians.
    4) This was his past.
    3. The New Year
    1) Thursday evening, the old year ended and Friday morning the New Year began.
    2) A year is simply the completion of the revolution of the earth around the Sun.
    3) Spiritually, it is an opportunity for us to begin again.
    4) A certain time has lapsed.
    5) We now have new time.
    6) What are we going to do with it?
    7) There are things that we must resign.
    8) But there are other things that we must resolve.

    I.   I RESIGN
    1. My past failures.
    1) We all have failures.
    2) Consider Moses.
    a. Acts 7:25
    b. Exodus 2:11-15
    c. Moses failed, but he overcame his failures.
    3) Consider Samson
    a. Samson was strong physically, but had a spiritual weakness - lust.
    b. It was his undoing.
    c. Judges 16 tells the story of Delilah's betrayal and Samson's capture.
    d. Samson failed, but he overcame his failures.
    4) Consider Peter
    a. Here was one of the Lord's disciples.
    b. He vowed never to deny Jesus.
    c. John 18:27s.
    d. Peter failed, but he overcame his failures.
    5) In this new year, I must resign my failures.
    2. My excuses.
    1) Every single one of us have made excuses sometime in our life.
    2) Proverbs 26:13
    3) An excuse is just a rationale for laziness.
    4) Exodus 3-4.
    5) In this new year, I must resign my excuses.
    3. My apathy.
    1) Apathy is being lukewarm toward something.
    2) Revelation 3:16
    3) In this new year, I must resign my apathy.

    II.  I RESOLVE
    1. To Spiritually Succeed
    1) Moses, Samson, and Peter all failed, but then they succeeded.
    a. Moses lead the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
    b. Samson delivered the children of Israel from the Philistines.
    c. Peter became a great apostle and leader in the early church.
    2) They all failed, but then, they resolved to succeed!
    3) While we must resolve to succeed, success comes from dedication and hard work.
    4) One of the fruits of the Spirit is "perseverance" ( Galatians 5:22).
    5) In this new year, I resolve to spiritually succeed.
    2. To do what needs to be done.
    1) Instead of offering excuses, let me offer effort.
    2) Proverbs 21:25
    3) 1 Timothy 4:10
    4) Colossians 3:23
    5) Do we have tasks before us that need doing? Then let's roll up our sleeves and do them.
    6) I resolve to do what needs to be done in this new year.
    3. To care about others.
    1) 1 Corinthians 12:20-25
    2) What must we do to care for each other?
    a.  Galatians 6:2
    b. Galatians 6:10
    c. Philippians 2:4
    3) I resolve to care about others and their problems in this new year.

    CONCLUSION:
    1. I resign and I resolve . . .
    1) I resign my failures and resolve to spiritually succeed.
    2) I resign my excuses and resolve to do what needs to be done.
    3) I resign my apathy and resolve to care about others.
    2. Invitation