Renewal 1/5/25

Anyone have any New years resolutions?  Mine is to be less lazy at home and just plain consistent with what I do work, working out, time in Bible, time with wife, teaching kids Bible… Just consistent!

Does the new year and its resolutions feel good and exciting to you?

For me, new years is a time to recommit to renew to start fresh. It is a time we can hit the reset button and start over.

God is the God of renewal, of Rebirth, and taking nothing and making something out of it right?  I believe we need a reboot for 2017 so I am equally excited about the New Years!  Often people will come to me struggling in one way or the other. Lack of motivation, falling into same sin over and over, not sharing faith.  I am often reminded of this scripture in Revelations.

Rev 3: 1- 3 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Remember therefore what you have received!  

There are over 200 references to remembering in the Bible. God knows the we often forget so he tells us over and over to remember.

Deu 4:10 “Remember the day you stood before the Lord.” Deu 5:15 “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt…” 1 Chron 16:12 : Remember the wonders he has done…”  Many of these verses and many more are pointing god’s people back to him.

David after his adultery with Bathsheba gives a good example…

Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

In the first half David is confessing his sin and recognizes his need for God.  The second half he is rejoicing because of God grace and his need for him!  The tone changed from confession and shame of sin to an overwhelming desire to be equipped to do more for God!  

This blows me away and challenges me to remember how much I need and how much I should want to be equipped by God!

So some questions to think through as you prepare to be renewed in the new year.

1) Do you remember what God has done for you?  Is that memory real or far off in your mind.

2) Does it motivate you to be different.

3) How will you be different this week while praying for a renewed spirit?

4) If we are really imitating David’s heart to repent and then be equipped what can we do, what can this group do how will this year be different from other years?