I Resign and Resolve
Categories: Audio Sermons, Sermon Outlines, Topical Sermon OutlinesDate written: January 6th, 2007
Scripture ref: Philippians 3:13-16
SUBJECT: New Year
TITLE: I Resign and Resolve
PROPOSITION: I resign to my failures and resolve to be spiritually successful. I resign to my excuses and resolve to do what needs to be done. I resign to my apathy and resolve to care about others.
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 and he knew it.
3) He was party to the murder of Christians and persecuted the church.
4) This was his past.
5) However, he didn’t let that stop him from what he had to do.
6) He moved forward, letting the hope of the resurrection motivate him.
3. The New Year
1) Last Sunday evening, the old year ended and last Monday morning the New Year began.
2) A year is simply the completion of the revolution of the earth around the Sun.
3) However, 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.
4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.
DISCUSSION:
I. I Resign
1. My past failures.
1) We all have failures.
2) Consider Moses.
a. Stephen said in Acts 7:25 “and he (Moses) supposed that his brethren understood that God by his hand was giving them deliverance; but they understood not.”
b. Exodus 2:11-15, however, tells us that they did not understand.
c. Moses failed, but he overcame his failures.
3) Consider Samson
a. Samson was strong physically, but had a terrible spiritual weakness – lust.
b. It was his undoing.
c. Judges 16 tells us 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 top disciples.
b. He vowed never to deny Jesus.
c. However, during Jesus trial, he denied Him three times as John 18:27 records.
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 says, “The sluggard saith, There is a lion in the way; A lion is in the streets.”
3) An excuse is just a rationale for laziness.
4) Moses also made excuses, but God didn’t accept them – see Exodus 3-4.
5) Someone has said an excuse is just a lie wrapped in the skin of a reason.
6) George Washington Carver said, “Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”
7) In this new year, I must resign my excuses.
3. My apathy.
1) Apathy is when we just don’t care and it is a terrible problem to have.
2) Apathy is being lukewarm toward something.
3) Apathy has no passion, no motivation, and no accomplishments.
4) Jesus said, “So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16).
5) Helen Keller said, “Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all – the apathy of human beings.”
6) 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 beyond their wildest dreams.
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) Henry David Thoreau said, “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
5) Colin Powell said, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
6) One of the fruits of the Spirit is “longsuffering” or “perseverance” (Galatians 5:22).
7) 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) The ancient writer Horace said, “Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work.”
3) Proverbs 21:25 says, “The desire of the sluggard killeth him; For his hands refuse to labor.”
4) What is our motivation? 1 Timothy 4:10 says, “For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe.”
5) Remember Colossians 3:23 “whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;”
6) Do we have tasks before us that need doing? Then let’s roll up our sleeves and do them.
7) I resolve to do what needs to be done in this new year.
3. To care about others.
1) The opposite of apathy is to care and sometimes caring is the hardest thing we can do.
2) Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:25 “… the members should have the same care one for another.”
3) If we love one another, then we will care for one another. Romans 12:10 “In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another…” Can we do this without caring?
4) What must we do to care for each other?
a. Bear each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).
b. Provide for those who are in need (Galatians 6:10).
c. Follow the example of Jesus counting others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:4).
5) 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