STEPS FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR (2025).

TEXT: PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14.

God is the giver of many wonderful new things. We come to Him by the faith in Christ and He gives us the new birth. Then He gives us a new nature, a new heart, a new life, a new hope and a new task. Finally at the end of the way He will gives us a new body in a new home called Heaven. Today, God has given us a new year. This means a new start for some of us. We have not done so well in the old year. Now we have a chance to make a new start. It is very interesting to know however, that God does not measure our life by the number of years, rather He wants us to number our days-Psalm 90:12. Usefulness surpasses longevity. The psalmist pleads for daily discernment in ordering our days not our years. God wants us to keep short accounts with Him. God wants us to make new stats daily not annually.

In our text, we see Paul looking two ways. He looked backward and thought of all that he had suffered for Christ and all that he had accomplished for him. He was putting it all behind him. Look forward he dedicated himself to move forward to accomplish more for Christ. It is important for us to put behind us last year 2024 and move forward to greater things for Christ.

What are we then to do now?-

LET US REPENT.

• We know that repentance is always the first step to God.
• No one can have a personal relationship with God until first of all he has repented of his sin.
• Then in connection with repentance he puts his trust in Christ and is saved.
• But there is also repentance for the christian for the saved, for the born again.
• Repentance brings us into a right standing with God.
• Sin always altars our position with God and repentance restores that fellowship.
• Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the evening, but when they sinned that sweet fellowship was lost.
• They were out of fellowship with God.
• You can be saved and yet loose the joy of salvation through sin.
• There is relationship that happens when we come to God for salvation. After salvation fellowship with our father must be kept each day, moment by moment.
• Sin breaks our fellowship with God-Psalm 51.
• We can only teach transgressors God’s ways and convert sinners to Christ when we are in fellowship with God.

1. There are sins to be repented of, you remember some of the things that are wrong in God’s sight.

• When David sinned he kept still about it for a long time-but he could not pray, he was not happy.
• Finally, when he broke the silence, when he cried to God the floodgates were opened.
• A sinning christian is going to be miserable until things are right between you and God.

2. There is neglect to be repented of. These are called “Sins of omission.”

• You may not have indulged in open sin, but you have neglected your christian duties.
• When you gave your life to Christ, you pledged to be faithful, you kept the vow for a short while, then you let other things crowd Christ and His church out of your life.

3. There is wrong spirit towards others to be repented of. You have not forgiven others you forgot. You forgot to pray and to witness, read your Bible and to tithe. Let us repent as we enter this new year.

LET US RESOLVE.

• It is a good thing to resolve in your heart.
• Resolutions are important for the child of God when we make them with intention to keep them.

1. Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself. He vowed not to defile himself with the king’s wine and foods.

• Daniel kept that vow and lived a holy life for seventy (70) years-Daniel 1:8.
• Daniel vowed to live rightly before God regardless of the cost and God blessed him.

2. Jacob resolved to bring his tithe unto the Lord-Gen. 28:16-22.

• He resolved not only to tithe but that God (Jehovah) will be his God.
• The morning that he made the vow, he had nothing. When he got back to Bethel, he was a rich man.

3. Moses vowed never to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to identify with the people of God, he chose the life of poverty rather than riches of sinful living-Hebrews 11:24-29.

LET US REMEMBER.

1. Let us remember we cannot repay Christ for all that He has done for us.

• What has He done?
• He knows that we have sinned and that the wrath of God would fall upon us. So He went to the cross.

2. We must remember that the greatest happiness and the richest rewards come to those who are faithful.

• This cannot be a happy new year for you and me unless we are living for Christ.
• People are looking for happiness in the wrong places.
• Happiness is to know Christ and living a life in His favor-Happiness is the LORD.

3. We must remember that this may be our last-we must make it the best year ever.

• Life is uncertain. Christ is coming soon perhaps, even today-Luke 13:6-9.

CONCLUSION

• Let us repent.
• Let us resolve.
• Let us remember.
• Happy and blessed Happy New Year.
• I truly wish you Jesus Christ.