The King: New Years Revolutions

The King: New Years Revolution

Intro: When we stop and think of the Christmas story, we ultimately see a beautiful plan that God was staging. It was intentional, prepared in advance, and then implemented flawlessly. There’s a central theme that we see throughout the Scriptures and that is God’s LOVE. His never ending, never failing, unconditional LOVE. God’s action plan was to demonstrate His love toward us by sending us His Son Jesus into the world. Not only to live a perfect life and be the example for us to follow, but so that He could bring about Salvation for a hurting and broken world.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16 NKJV

Deuteronomy 6:5 “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”

1 Corinthians 13:13 “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

I want to take the next few minutes and talk on a practical level about how this story of LOVE can not only change your life today, but how it can set you up for a purposeful and intentional 2020.

Question: Who here has already thought about the changes they want to make in 2020? Who here has already set their New Year’s resolutions? Did anyone fail on their resolutions in 2019? A failed year?

I want to challenge you and ask maybe it’s because you didn’t have a theme. A guiding light. Or maybe you didn’t take the necessary steps to allow that theme to guide you.

Story: Every year I set a theme for my life. Often times we have also set a family theme as well. For example, this past year my themed word was Communication. I felt like God was calling me to be a better communicator. I wanted to get better at private and public communication. I wanted to get better at communicating with my wife, kids, and friends. Since that was my “theme”, I spent the whole year reading books on communication, public speaking, and preaching. I watched YouTube videos and listened to podcasts. The theme drove my habits and those habits looked ahead toward the vision I believe God has for my life.

A leadership author and communicator named Brad Lomenick has said “The patterns we cultivate shape the person we become.” And I believe that to be true. The routine and oftentimes seemingly small habits in our lives, lead to the person that we will become.

With that being said… have you considered a theme word or a specific goal for your life in 2020?

I believe that the best direction we can receive in our lives is a vision or divine guidance from God. I love the book of wisdom, also known as Proverbs in the Bible.

Passage: Proverbs 29:18 MSG

“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.”

Pray:

Main Points: Questions to Consider for 2020…

1. How do I finish this year well?
   1. “Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.” - Ecclesiastes 7:8 NLT

   2. Illust: It’s not all in how you start that counts, but how you finish. You can start a marathon at a 4 minute pace, but if you crash at the 25 mile marker then was it worth it?

      1. Question: How many here want to be able to say like Paul “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” - 2 Timothy 4:7 NLT

      2. Anyone can start, but few persevere and finish well.

         3. Question: Aren’t you glad that God’s plan for Jesus wasn’t just to send Him down to earth? But His plan extended all the way to the cross.

      3. “Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:28-30 NLT

      4. And then aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t stop there, but as prophesied by the Spirit and set in motion by the Father, Jesus Christ rose from the grave! Defeating the enemy, the grave, and death forever more!

         4. The middle doesn’t determine the end, it’s not over.

      5. Someone needs to hear this today, you’re just getting started. The best is yet to come! You’re not running to victory, you’re running from victory.

      6. For we serve a God of victory… victory over your current situation, victory over your addiction, victory over your doubt, victory over your marriage, victory over your singleness, C’mon somebody, just because there were some valleys it does not mean that you aren’t pressing on!

         5. EX: Have you ever started something that you didn’t finish?

      7. Maybe it was a book? Maybe it was a diet goal? Maybe it was an exercise goal?

      8. Application: it never feels good to go half way. It never feels good to almost finish. It sucks to fall short over and over again.
      9. Remember this… where you are is not where you have to be! God is calling you higher, He is calling you to greater things, He is calling you to significant purpose! He is leading you not out of guilt or shame, but out of love and hope!
      10. Text: The Apostle Paul said “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” - Philippians 1:6 NLT

      11. God does not leave an abandoned project!

          6. Application: Start a backlog

      12. Determine in advance the overarching values that will drive your backlog

      13. What goals were left in 2019 that you didn’t fulfill? What do you want to do in 2020? What is God calling you to do in 2020?
      14. The bigger this list the better. Little and big things. Reasonable and impossible ideas. Smart and dumb goals. Put it all in the backlog.

      15. How do I prepare for a new year?

          1. The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. - Habakkuk 2:2
          2. Habakkuk was writing down what God had revealed to him. So we start by asking what He has said. Then, unless you go into 2020 with a plan, you are likely to return to the standard of your past.

      16. “A man without a vision is a man without a future. A man without a future will always return to his past.” P.K. Bernard

          3. Example: Jesus speaking of being a disciple

      17. “28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’” Luke 14:28-30 NLT

      18. Illust: it’s great to have a big vision, but if that big vision does not have simple and practical action steps, then you are really just a thinker not a follower.
      19. I want to be an owner this year, I want to serve more, I want to read my bible more, I want to build meaningful relationships with those around me, I want to excel in my career… etc. All good things, but let’s get practical.
      20. GET PRACTICAL: I want to be an owner… then start empowering leaders, start leveling up areas outside of your area, start showing up early and leaving late, start sacrificing everything to make the vision a reality… oh wait.. That’s what it takes to be an owner?!

      21. COUNT THE COST! COUNT THE COST! Do you only want the destination without the discipline? Do you want the status without the sacrifice? Scripture says that if you want to follow Jesus you have to DIE! Literally put to death your desires to follow His plan for your life.

          4. God had a plan: All throughout the story of the birth of Jesus we see God’s intentional plan being fulfilled.

      22. Through the inspiration of the Spirit…

      23. The prophets wrote down the details of the coming Messiah.
      24. The disciples wrote down the narration of the account of the birth and life of Jesus.
      25. The apostles carefully articulated the birth and expansion of the early church

      26. We know these accounts because faithful men and women, led and instructed by the Spirit, wrote it down.

          5. We desperately need vision from God - Proverbs 29:18. Vision there means God's revelation, what He has shown us in His Word.

      27. “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.” - NASB

      28. “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” - NLT
      29. “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.” - Message

      30. “The stakes are too high for us to die with a small vision” - Louie Giglio

          6. Application: Craft A Blueprint

      31. Look ahead 1, 5, and 30 years. What legacy do you want to leave?

          1. Story: 5 year plan to be debt free. God is a miracle working God. We prayed, we worked, we believed, we brought the right people on the journey with us, and GOD DID THE MIRACLE!

          2. Put your mouth where your faith is. If you believe it, say it. Put your pen where your belief is. If God has given you a word, write it down! 2. Look ahead at the end of 2020, what is one specific theme that you want to accomplish?

          3. Begin with the end in mind and be specific 3. Look around at the people in your life and see if they align with that theme.

          4. Your alignment will determine your assignment.

          5. How to start the year well?
             1. “But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.” - Acts 20:24 CSB
             2. Why this passage? Because how you want to end will determine how you should start. If you start with a self made plan, self made wisdom, and self made strategy, then it will result in a self made legacy. But if you want to leave a legacy of faithfulness to God, then the vision and priority has to start with Him!
             3. Set out to live 2020 with God as the priority and others over yourself.
             4. Underestimate desire and commit to discipline.

Closing: Let’s not casually come on the scene in 2020. Let’s not average our way into a new decade! Let’s not resolve to move the needle when we have an opportunity to shake the world!