Scripture:

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes towards heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified him who lives for ever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No-one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?" Daniel 4:34-37

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Matthew 13:31-33

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. I John 4:4

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. I John 3:10

Introduction:

How shall we look toward the New Year of 2008? Shall we be afraid or courageous? Shall we be discouraged or enthusiastic? Shall we by puzzled or shall we be confident? Which sounds better to you? Afraid, discouraged and puzzled? Or courageous, enthusiastic and confident?

Do you remember the story of Peter walking on the water? When he took his eyes away from Jesus and looked at the boisterous threatening waves, he began to sink. But when he had his eyes fixed on Jesus he could walk on water. As Christians we should not decide how we feel about the future by reading the newspaper or watching television. The media is not controlled by Christians. In fact, it is mostly controlled by people who are actually opposed to Christianity. So let's look to Jesus. Let's look to the Word of God to see how we should feel about the future.

I'm going to suggest to you today FIVE NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS:

I. Let us resolve to remember that the Bible tells us that God rules the nations.

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes towards heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified him who lives for ever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No-one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
Daniel 4:34-37

Nebechadnezzar thought that HE ruled the nations by his own wits and abilities. He came to realize that his position of power was simply a gift from the Almighty God.

The newspapers, radio and television are filled with the news of national unrest, wars, assassinations and chaos. The Bible shows us that God is at work. Sometimes behind the scenes. Sometimes quite openly.

"The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." (Proverbs 21:1)

• 1 ¶ In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfil the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:
• 2 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
• 3 Anyone of his people among you—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
  (Ezra 1:1-3)

• 15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."
• 16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God,
• 17 saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.
• 18 The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great—and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
  Revelation 11:15-18

Do you worry about the Republican and Democrat primaries, and the November election? Stop worrying! Be a responsible citizen. Vote. But leave the results with God, and quit worrying. God is in charge.

II. Let us resolve to remember that God's Kingdom has grown much, and is growing now, and still has a lot of growing coming up!

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."
Matthew 13:31-33

The Kingdom of Jesus was very small 2000 years ago, but it has been growing. Today at least 1/4 of the world's population claim to follow Jesus Christ. What percentage are true born-again believers we don't know, but numerically there are probably hundreds of millions of true Christians in the world today. Africa was once called the "heart of darkness," but now sub Sahara Africa is Christian. India is a Hindu country, but now there are tens of millions of Christians there. South Korea was once a Pagan nation, but now it is Christian, and home to many of the largest mega churches in the world. China once had no Christians, but now we estimate between 50 and 100 million believers in China. In fact it is quite possible that there are more true believers willing to suffer martyrdom for their faith, who live in China, than who live in the United States.

What will happen when the world of Islam falls apart? What will happen when people in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran and Indonesia are free to become Christians without fear of losing their heads? A great turning to Christ! Let's not think in terms of 10 years, 50 years or 100 years. Let's imagine what might happen in 500 years, or a thousand years. Perhaps in 500 years the percentage will be 50%. And perhaps in 1000 years, the percentage will be 75%. And perhaps in 2000 more years, the percentage of the earth naming the name of Christ will be 100%!

Why not? Isn't the Gospel the power of God unto salvation? Did Jesus say He would continue to build His Church, and that the Gates of Hell would not "prevail against it"? (Matthew 16:18)

Although this verse is well-known, few seem to understand its significance. Many Christians are so conditioned to a pessimistic view of history that they automatically reverse that passage to read "Hell will not prevail against the gates of the Church." That's not what it says!

The Church is not to withdraw within its walls and take pride in the fact that she can withstand the continuing siege of the forces of darkness until Jesus comes back and raptures her out of her predicament. No! Christ is commanding His church to get out and take the offensive and storm the gates of Hell and knock over the devil's strongholds. Christians should be (and are) taking their principles to the marketplace and making inroads for the kingdom of Jesus Christ. He has promised that the gates of Hell are no match for His loyal troops.

The Berkeley Version translates it, "the gates of hell shall not hold out against her." It has often been understood to mean that the Church which Christ established will be able to defend itself against all its foes, that even the worst that the enemies of the Gospel will be able to bring against it will not be able to destroy it. However, the real meaning is quite different. "Gates" are not offensive, but defensive weapons. They are stationary. They do not make the attack. In that day the gates were strongly fortified instruments designed for the defense of the city, designed to withstand the strongest onslaughts of the attackers. As such they did not move. Hence the real meaning of this verse is, not that the Church will be able to defend itself against all attacks, but that it will make the attack, that it will advance throughout the world, and that nothing will be able to resist it.

III. Let us resolve to remember that the One living in us is greater than the one living in the world.

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." I John 4:4

Who is the one in the world? Satan. Who is the One living in us? The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ and God the Father. What chance does Satan stand against God? ZERO, ZIP, ZILCH, NADA, NONE AT ALL.

Why are Christians so afraid of Satan? What did the Apostle James write:

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Do you remember what Martin Luther wrote in his hymn "A Mighty Fortress?"

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little Word shall fell him.

IV. Let us resolve to remember that God has commissioned us to evangelize the world, and to be be salt and light.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

• 13 ¶ "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
• 14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
• 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
• 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
• 17 ¶ "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.
• 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
• 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
  Matthew 5:13-19

What does it mean to evangelize? What does it mean to be salt? What does it mean to be light? Well, it means something DIFFICULT. It means CONFLICT. It means SPIRITUAL WARFARE.

If you evangelize people, you must tell them that they are sinners. If they are Pagans you must tell them that Christianity is true and that their Pagan religions are false. If they are Atheists or Secularists, you must tell them that they are sinners and that there is a God they must answer too. They won't like this, and there will be conflict. Now, we are a peaceful people, but we must learn to stand up for Jesus and enter the conflict.

If you act as salt, you will irritate people in the world. If you act as light, you will expose people who don't want to be exposed. Christians today in Muslim countries, and in Communist countries, are in the battle. And they are being attacked and suffering for their Faith. It is up to you and me to remember them, to pray for them, and to support them in any way we can. There's a great hymn by Isaac Watts:

1. Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb, and shall I fear to own his cause, or blush to speak his name?

2. Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize, and sailed through bloody seas?

3. Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to God?

4. Sure I must fight, if I would reign; increase my courage, Lord. I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy word.

5. Thy saints in all this glorious war shall conquer though they die; they see the triumph from afar, by faith they bring it nigh.

6. When that illustrious day shall rise, and all thy armies shine in robes of victory through the skies, the glory shall be thine.

V. Let us resolve to remember that Christ has called us to love one another.

"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." I John 3:10

It is not difficult for us to love one another, because we are truly brothers and sisters in the Lord, and family almost always love each other no matter what. Here's what I mean....

Article published Feb 20, 2007
Hudson woman donates kidney to brother
By HATTIE BERNSTEIN, Telegraph Staff
hbernstein@nashuatelegraph.com (Nashua, New Hampshire)

NASHUA -- There are some things that are meant to be. That’s how Maria Keller feels about donating one of her kidneys to save her older brother’s life. Today, the Hudson resident will undergo surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital to remove one of her kidneys. The laparoscopic procedure was scheduled for 7 a.m., two hours before doctors receive the donated organ and transplant it into Keller’s 44-year-old brother, Hudson resident Peter Cantara.

The donation, the siblings said, is a double blessing. Both are filled with love, gratitude and a spiritual sense that the hand of a higher power is guiding them. "Not a lot of us in life have the opportunity to save someone’s life," Keller said during an interview in the dialysis center at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center on Monday afternoon. "It’s really a gift." Her brother sat in a chair, hooked up to a dialysis machine in a corner of the clinic. "I’m extremely grateful," he said softly, offering a wan smile. "I can’t believe the sacrifice she’s making for me." He and his sister will be transported to separate recovery rooms following their surgeries this morning, but by Wednesday, they said, they will be occupying rooms in the same hospital wing, not far apart. "I’ll waddle over with an IV and say, ‘Hey, how’s my kidney treating you?’ " Maria Keller joked.

Wayside is our family, and we love each other, and help each other. When we irritate each other, we forgive each other. We are a family in Christ. If you ever need help, let us know. We want to be Christ's family for YOU.

Conclusion and Summary. As we approach 2008, let's resolve to remember five things:

• 1. Remember that God rules the nations.
• 2. Remember that God's Kingdom is constantly growing.
• 3. Remember that The One who lives is us is far greater than Satan in the world.
• 4. Remember that God has called us to be evangelists, to be salt and to be light.
• 5. Remember that we are God's family, and we love each other.

Now go out and make it a great year!