Preparing for the new year

New Year – New You – Bible Study Text: Ephesians 5:15-17

Introduction:

It’s the first Sunday of the new year, so let me wish everyone a very happy and blessed 2023!
I like the new year holiday and all it’s traditions – including the new year’s eve count down and the ball dropping, and the parades and football games on new year’s day.
Another tradition is new year’s resolutions.
I heard about a young man who called his grandparents to wish them a happy New Year.
As they talked, he asked them about their new year’s resolutions.
His grandfather said, “My resolution is to make your grandmother as happy as I can all year!”
Then the young man asked his grandmother what her resolution was.
She replied, “To see to it that your grandfather keeps his New Year’s resolution.”

Another new year tradition that I’m sure you have noticed is that all the major news magazines put out an issue with special pictorial sections recalling people and events that made news during the previous year.
Many magazines also include articles by experts predicting what they expect to see happening in the years ahead.
Some even go so far as to make predictions covering 10, 20, or more years in the future.
In the past, a few of these predictions have proven amazingly accurate, while others couldn’t have been more wrong.
For example, back in 1967, experts predicted that by the turn of the century technology would have taken over so much of the work we do that the average American work week would be only 22 hours long, and that we would work only 27 weeks a year. As a result, one of our biggest problems would be in deciding what to do with all our leisure time.
Well, I don’t know about you, but that prediction certainly missed the mark as far as my life is concerned!
In fact, most of us seem to be very busy.
We are always in a hurry: We walk fast, and talk fast, and eat fast.
And after we eat, all too often, we stand up and say, “Excuse me. I’ve gotta run.”

So here we are, almost at the first Sunday of 2023.
I wonder how things will go this year?
Will we be as busy? Will we make good use of our time?
In 363 days, when this year is over, will we be looking back with satisfaction, or with regret?

There is a passage of Scripture that I believe can be of help to us as we begin this new year.
The passage is Ephesians 5:15 17, and here is what it says, “Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Let’s consider these statements of the Apostle Paul and apply them to our lives in the new year.

We must realize that our TIME IS LIMITED.
The Psalmist wrote: “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life” (39:4).
The Psalmist also wrote: “The length of our days is 70 years or 80, if we have the strength…they quickly pass, and we fly away” (90:10).
Now, I realize that for some of you younger folk, 70 or 80 years sounds like a long, long time.
In fact, I can remember when I thought anyone over 40 was ancient.
40 is looking younger all the time!

The Psalmist also tells us to number our days so that we will develop a heart of wisdom.
A few years ago People Magazine published an article entitled “Dead Ahead” telling about a new clock that keeps track of how much time you have left to live.
The clock calculates an average life span of 75 years for men and 80 years for women.
All you have to do is program your sex and age into the clock, and from then on it will tell you how much time you have left.
It sold for $99.95.
I’m not suggesting that we buying one, but it is an intriguing idea.
Isn’t that what the Psalmist told us to do to number our days?

If I knew that I was going to die on my 75^th birthday, then that means that I have 25 more years to live.
That would mean that I would have 9125 more days to live (I’ve already lived @ 18,000 days)
That equals 219,000 hours.
That’s 13 million, 140 thousand minutes.
On the one hand that sounds like a long time, but on the other hand that is not that long at all.

But here’s the most sobering reality of all – Neither you, nor I, have a guarantee of even one day more to live.
In fact, the Bible tells us not to count on tomorrow because tomorrow may not come for you or for me.
All we have is right now.
For all we know, today is our last day.
For all we know this year we just began may be our last year.

I don’t say all this to scare us or depress us.
I say it because it is true.
So our time on this earth is valuable because it is very limited.
And because it is limited, it must be lived carefully.
Which leads to our next point.

We must MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY
A. Paul tells us that we must make “the most of every opportunity,” and then he gives a reason,

“because the days are evil.”

Jesus said that Satan is a thief, and one of the things he tries to rob from us is our time and opportunities, because they are is a very precious possessions.
Just think of the time and the lives that are wasted in sinning.
Think of the time wasted in bars or in gambling casinos or in shallow affairs.
Think of the time wasted in gossiping or spreading rumors.
Think of the time wasted watching TV or surfing the internet on either appropriate or inappropriate sites.
Or think about all the time wasted worrying about what might happen.
Satan is a thief and a robber!

But it is not just sin that makes demands on our time and steals our opportunities – Sometimes even good things can make time demands that cause us to neglect better and more important things.
Do you remember when Jesus went to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
He sat down to teach, and Mary was sitting at His feet just soaking in every word.
Meanwhile, Martha was out in the kitchen preparing dinner.
Martha got upset because Mary was not in the kitchen helping her.
So she complained to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” Jesus answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:40-42)
Now think about it – was Martha committing a sin by fixing a meal in the kitchen? No, of course not! Meals are good and important – I like it when my wife cooks for me.
But here’s the problem – She was so preoccupied with what she was doing that she didn’t realize that God was in her living room teaching important truths – She was missing a great opportunity.

That’s the same mistake you and I often make – We get so caught up in the here and now that we fail to deal with the eternal, the things that will last forever and ever.
Richard Swenson, a medical doctor, wrote a book in which he discusses one of the major maladies of our time – anxiety and stress.
He calls it “The Overload Syndrome,” and says that people are just plain overloaded.
We’re overloaded with commitments.
We’ve committed ourselves to go here and there, to take part in this activity and that social function.
As a result we soon begin meeting ourselves coming and going because we have overloaded ourselves in the area of commitments.
We’re also overloaded with possessions, he says.
Our closets are full, and our garages are overflowing.
We’ve gone into debt to pay for all of these things that we “simply must have.”
And now we’re so afraid that someone will steal them or break them.
We are overloaded in the area of possessions.
Thirdly, we have an overload in the area of work.
We get up early, fight traffic, and work long hours.
Downsizing has us doing the work that 2 or 3 others used to do.
There is also an information overload.
Everything is changing so fast it is hard to keep up with it.
And now with the internet there’s an information superhighway that has an endless supply of information.
But the problem is that we can’t possibly absorb and assimilate it all.
So we feel an overload in this area, too.

Well, I could go on and on, but you get the picture.
There are so many demands on our time, so many good things that need to be done.
But there are just 8,760 hours in this year, and we’ve already used 30 plus of them.
So how can we make the most of every opportunity?
The answer lies in our third point.

III. We must UNDERSTAND LORD’S WILL AND DO IT.

That’s what Paul tells us: “…do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Now what do you think God’s will is for you in this new year?
Do you think He wants your mind so saturated with worries and anxieties that you can’t think spiritual thoughts?
Do you think He wants your calendar so crowded that you don’t have time for the important things?
What do you think God’s will is for you this year?
Let me make a couple of suggestions for our consideration.
First of all, we must establish priorities that reflect God’s Will.
I’m assuming that since we all are in church this morning that we believe God should be an important part of our lives.
But when we begin to establish priorities, we have to decide just where He stands in our lives.
Just how important is God to us?
And I’m hoping that all of us believe that our relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, is the most important thing of all.
If so, then God is at the top of our list of priorities and this will affect our decisions, our scheduling, our relationships with others, and our whole outlook on life.
Therefore, when Sunday rolls around neither rain nor shine nor football kickoffs will interfere with our being in church, because He comes first in our lives.
If God is our top priority, then we will allow nothing to interfere with our worship of the Lord.
Another priority that has to do with our relationship with God is the priority of spending time each day in prayer and reading God’s Word.
Very few, if any, commitments will make a greater difference than prayer and study.
Another important priority must be our families.
Husbands and wives must learn to treat each other well, and spend special time with each other.
It’s important to make time for dates with your spouse – a time when just the two of you get away and don’t have anything else to interfere – no kids, no cell phones, and no interruptions.
Also, we must spend time with our children.
They’re growing up ever so fast. These are precious moments. We must not let them get away.
Let’s make sure to spend quality time with our children.
Make family a priority.
Another important priority must be our health.
If we want to be able to use our body to God’s glory, then we must take care of our bodies.
Taking good care of our bodies includes getting enough rest, eating right and getting some exercise.
It also doesn’t hurt to let the doctor check things “under the hood” once in a while.
A final priority for us must be our work and service.
We, Christians, ought to be good workers and hard workers.
When someone hires a Christian they ought to know they’re getting someone who will give them an honest days work.
As Christians, we have a responsibility bring glory to the Lord in even in the marketplace.
And if we are retired or don’t need to work to support ourselves, then we can use our time to more directly serve the Lord.
So first of all, we must establish our priorities according to God’s will – that’s my first suggestion.

Secondly, I would suggest that we learn how to live one day at a time.
The two greatest enemies of living one day at a time are regrets for things we did in the past, and anxiety about what will happen to us in the future.
Unfortunately, many of us are living either in the past or in the future.
Many people are engaged in the little game of, “I wish it were.” – “I wish it were next week,” or “I wish it were next month,” or some such thing.
People say, “Boy, I wish this day were over.”
I heard the story of a girl who went to college and just hated it.
But she told herself, “If I can ever get out of college and get married and have children, I know I’ll finally be able to enjoy life.”
So she stuck with it. She went to classes every day and finally graduated from college.
Then she got married and had children, and discovered that children are a lot of work.
So she told herself, “If I can just get these kids raised, then I’ll be able to relax and really enjoy life.”
But about the time the kids were entering high school her husband said, “Guess what? We don’t have enough money to send our kids to college. I guess you’ll have to get a job.”
Well, she didn’t want to, but she knew he was right and they needed the money, so she went to work. And she hated it.
But she told herself, “If I can just get these kids out of college, and get all of the bills paid, then I can quit work and really enjoy life.”
Finally, the last child graduated from college, and all the bills were paid. So she walked into her employer’s office and said, “I quit.”
He said, “Oh, you don’t want to quit now. If you stay with us just another 8 years you’ll have a pension for the rest of your life.”
She thought, “Well, I don’t want to work another 8 years, but there’s all that money there, and I really can’t turn down the opportunity.” So she worked for another 8 years.
Finally, she and her husband retired at the same time. They sold their home and bought a little retirement cottage.
Then they sat down on the swing on their front porch and looked at the family picture album and dreamed about the good old days.

Conclusion:

Life goes much too fast to hurry through any of it.
Let’s be sure to prioritize.
Let’s be sure to live in the moment.

Another year has come and gone.
A new year stretches before us.
Here’s a great quote: “The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year, but that we should have a new soul.”
How wonderful to think that with a new year, you can have a new you!
God can mold us and make us more into His likeness in 2023 if we work with God and depend on God.
It begins with the verses we have examined today: “Be very careful, then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Eph. 5:15-17)

Let me end with these words of a poem. Let me put them into a prayer for us for 2023:

Lord, In this new year please give us…

enough happiness to keep us sweet – enough trials to keep us strong,

enough sorrow to keep us human – enough hope to keep us happy,

enough failure to keep us humble – enough success to keep us eager,

enough friends to give us comfort – enough wealth to meet our needs,

enough enthusiasm to make us look forward to tomorrow,

and enough determination to make each day better than the day before.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

David Owens

Resource:

New Years – Now is the Hour! Sermon by Melvin Newland, SermonCentral.com