HOW TO HAVE THE BEST YEAR EVER

Well, I've been asked to how our trip when it went. Well, we always have a good time with family and we're we're thankful though to be home. I'm I feel blessed to be able to call West Virginia my home and I know my kids are and and my wife as well. We're thankful to be back at home and with the Fine Brothers in here in Cerrito. And so we're thankful for that and I tell you it's it's a long drive. I will admit that we it takes us about 10 hours just to drive it but with five kids it takes him more than 10 hours just to drive it and you know, so I don't know how long it takes us. It seems like forever and you will go down the road and we'll stop like every couple of hours for bathroom breaks or I say every couple hours more like every half hour or so, but And then it's snacks and then it's lunch and then it's dinner, you know until it's finally they're exhausted and you can drive for several hours. And but that's the way it goes Madam. You know, one of the things that I like to do is I like to speak about things that are kind of going on. And right now is you know, the new year is upon us know I want to before we actually get into talking about the topic at hand. I want to say this one of the biggest problems that we see in the religious world is that people think that it's okay to wait for a certain point in time to change your life in a lot of people do that. A lot of people will wait for the new year and when the new year comes around that's when they make the big changes in their life things that they know that they should have done before and while I some of those things when were thinking about it and In a worldly, prospective. Maybe it is a we we decide. Hey, you know what? I'm going to I'm going to lose weight in the New Year, whatever those are not the kind of issues that were talking about. But you know when when someone decides to do something spiritually it really needs to be done right then, you know, you don't wait until the new year to make a change like that when it comes to spiritual things. I need to make that change as soon as possible. So we're going to talk about some things this morning and it really specifically about how to have the best year ever. You want to know the answer to that question how to have the best year ever will we're going to we're going to answer that and some very plain simple points and so is this if you want to have the best year ever

I don't know what we'll have to go without I guess it's kind of Frozen them. All right, so if you want to have the best year ever the number one thing you need to do is you need to plan to serve God absolutely have to plan now. I want to tell you about something that that I do on a regular basis and I've done this for several years, but it is only in recent years that I have become a little more serious about this but I have realized that if I'm going to have to plan to do anything I have to do one simple thing and that is actually planted. You know, we can we can say a lot of things and say hey, you know what I want to do this and I want to do that. But until we actually put that into words write it down or do something like that and then you know what we are not going to get those things done.

Now I typically don't get anything done unless I have it planned in a while. I mean, I haven't planned. I mean I have to write it down while riding it for some reason helps us psychologically really know why but it does it help if you want to you know, let's say you've got the idea that you want to get out of debt will just saying hey, you know what I want to get out of that doesn't really help you does it have to have some sort of a strategy to go along with it. You're going to have to make a budget you're going to have to go through and find expenses that you can cut your going to have to see how much you can save and how much you can put towards that dead. That's how that works. You can't just say, you know what I like to do this. She know it's the same thing. You know with all these people right now. That's all RC know what I want to lose weight in the New Year. Well, you know what anybody can lose weight if I can do that, but you know, What if you don't want to amputate a limb then you're going to have to put some sort of planning. Is that right? You're going to have to say hey, you know what? I'm going to change my diet and these are the specific for that or I am going to start exercising. I want to do that three or five days a week and these are the things that I'm going to do. You have to have it planned. And so when we plan to serve God we are going to have to make a specific plan now, I like I said, I'm a big fan of writing things down and I've been a to-do list her for a long time. You know, what if you want to get things done and then get them done quickly write it down on a list and it will if you want to do things spiritually that way there's no shame in writing it down. Actually. It's going to help you out. So if you want to say hey,

Mobile in 90 days and so what are you do you say hey, I'm I'm going to do this. You're right it down and then you start implementing that you got to find out how many chapters a day you're going to have to read in order to succeed and I tell you why I miss that gold by two days. I went to 92 days and that's that was unfortunate for me. But you know, we're talking about spiritual goals. You got to write it down plan it out understand how long it's going to take you to do whatever it is that you have to do, but we need to first and foremost plan to serve God and James Chapter 4 verses 13 through 15 says come today or tomorrow. We will go into this city and spend a year there and trade and get gain whereas, you know, not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? Free are vapor that appears for a little time and then vanish at the way for that he ought to say if the Lord will we shall both live and do this or that? And I Luke chapter 12. It's the story of the rich man. And of course was rich man, do he says he'll like I've got all these goods and what I'm going to do is I'm going to build all these Barnes. I'm going to want to fill them up with those things. And of course he does just that and he sits back to admire his work and yet the Lord says Thou fool This day my soul shall be required of Thee.

You know what? We we can plan on spiritual things in our lives. I may not know what is going to happen. But if I plan to serve Lord I'm going to do exactly that kind of taking some flag of this over the years and I don't understand exactly why I taking flak over this because it seems very very logical to me and I hope it does to you too because it will keep you from various things, but if I plan on

if I plan on various things in life, I can I can achieve those things. Such as if I say today, which I have said on multiple occasions. That I will not cheat on my spouse. I've had people literally come up to me after I've said that will how can you know, you don't know what the future holds. Well, I can know that if I decide today right now that I'm not going to cheat on my spouse. Guess what I'm not going to do tomorrow. I'm not going to cheat on my spouse. You know what my not going to do 10 years from now. I'm not going to cheat on my spouse now could we do that with other things? Absolutely and we do we do that with all sorts of things. Now if I were to say, you know what I am never going to drink I'm not going to do that of my own volition. I'm not going to try that on my own. Well, guess what? I've never done to this day. I've never picked up a bottle of alcohol for myself and said you know what I'm going to enjoy this not done that never have never will I can plan to do that. You can plan very things in your life and you know that you know that you've done those things. Maybe it is that you said, you know what I'm I'm going to make sure that my lawn is mon every week you can do that, right you can do that. You can fit that in you can plan it but for some reason people want to think about various things like this and they go well, it's impossible to know what the future holds and therefore you cannot know whether you are not going to cheat on your spouse or not. I can tell you right now if you plan to serve God and to not cheat on your spouse. Guess what you're not going to do. You're not going to do that. Now we talk about spiritual things if we're going to plan to serve God then we need to plan out these various aspects. You know what I'm going to plan serve God and want to serve God in this way or that so number one. If you want to have the best year ever then you need to plan to serve. God number two.

You want to have the best year ever then? Do not grow weary in well-doing and Galatians 6 and verse 9. Our labor is not in vain in the Lord for in due season. We will reap if we faint not the word faint means to become weary. So if we don't become weary Then we are going to be rewarded for that. Now. How do we how can we understand this if we were today? To be told that you know, what if if you can get together. And compile let's just say his congregation if we can get together and compile somehow $1000000. Then we will be rewarded with two billion dollars. Guess what we're going to do. We are going to every single one of us in here is going to find a way that we can get the most money that we can maybe we all mortgage out homes or whatever. We're going to find a way to get $1000000 because we know that there is a reward coming now. Do you think that that would be difficult? Well, you know granted there are many of us here would still be very difficult for us to bring that kind of money together and not have any hardship in our own lives, you know several of us have mortgages and car payments and things like that and it would be very difficult for us to get all that together. But if we could get that together, you know, we know the end result of that. We know that the end of all this we're going to be rewarded guess what we're going to do we're going to we're going to hold fast run a stand strong and the same thing goes spiritually we're going to be rewarded in the end and because we're going to be rewarded You need to be strong and know that if we will not faint. We are going to be rewarded for all of the things that we've done. You know, what we need to be concerned about giving to the Lord and not just not just monetarily but you know it with with our own time and efforts we need to care for others and we did have a love and concern for the Lost which brings us to the next point if you want to have the best year ever. Then you need to have compassion for the lost. You know, what we want to take care of those who are in need physically and a lot of times I've seen corrugations that pour their efforts into making sure people were taking care of physically and I'd there are benevolence programs out there and we have good ones hero, but I've known of benevolence programs at solely. I looked at the people's physical need that's all they cared about and that's really not the approach that we ought to have firmly believe that if we are going to try to be benevolent to those that are outside of Christ. Guess what we also need to be doing. We need to be trying to bring them to Christ and that's not just going to be one of those things were hey here. Here's you some food and you know go about your way, but we want to invite you that's not going to work. We need to be a little more. Little more forward than that. We're going to have to stand in and say hey, you know what? I know that you've been struggling physically here is some help physically, but let me tell you about the spiritual things in life. Let's talk about the Lord. Let's bring those people to the Lord and we need to have compassion on the lost. You know, it's it's amazing to me how how often when people are in physical danger others will rush in and help him right now. There are several instances throughout history where people have been in physical danger and yet people that have not known them at all rushed in to help those individuals and and they said they did it to save their life. brethren We have a spiritual life. We have a hope of heaven and because of that, you know all we need to do we need to make sure that people are taking care of spiritual there. Lots of people around us in spiritual danger. And what's the difference? Why is it that we are not going to them as quickly as those that might be in a car wreck or something or we not doing those things. Why are we not going to help? In Luke chapter 15, we have the various Parables here. We have the the lost sheep. And then we have the Lost coin and then we have the lost son and an each of these things. You see that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents and over the 99 just persons that need no repentance. And there's that importance there of that one that is lost out of the tent and bring that back into the fold and there's that one song that has lost and even though the other son has a bad attitude and is and is upset cuz look it's good for us to Rejoice because this your brother my son. Was lost and now is found. Is what we need to have this type of an idea where there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents. I think a lot of times brother and look down on those that are outside the church weather there in denominations or just people and in the community that have no sort of religious bones in them at all, but we need to be different than that. We absolutely do. I know I was the first congregation. I worked with the outside of preaching school on this is this is how it goes in this kind of backwards in a way things work when it comes to congregation the older experienced guys, they get the really good work and the younger inexperienced preachers get the works that nobody else wants and and I got such such a work my first time preaching School. I have no real experience in this at all. And all of a sudden I find out that there's a lot of very very big problems to address each one of these and the best way I possibly could but one which was so glaring was this and that is that I was very highly into evangelism. We had had had several Bible studies. I think we had how I want to say there was 15 baptisms for Restorations. I believe I'll have a lot of growth real quick and it was really nice. But the biggest complaint was was this send will you're not visiting our own members? I was like, okay. Well, that's not really specifically a preacher's job. It's really everybody's job. I'd be glad to visit but I am very busy with these things a guy who would like to jump in and help me out with this. I'll be glad to visit more in and they were upset about that. I'd even ask that because you know, that's the preachers job, right? And so they were upset with me for the adhan and I started talking to him about and and they ended up saying you know what literally okay. I'm going to quote here. I said we're more important than they are.

We are more important than they

now I'm I went back to Luke chapter 15 and I ask this very simple question. What does it mean? That there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents. Then over ninety-nine just persons that need no repentance.

Now he didn't really answer me on that one. didn't really say What was going on? I didn't really give any sort of explanation. But for them or just said, you know what we are more important than me. Answer this man. My response was very simple. I said well, maybe it is I've been looking in the wrong spot. Maybe it is instead of looking outside and trying to bring people in. The Sinners were already here.

brethren we need to make sure that we're right with God.

And when we're right with God we can look to others and have compassion for the loss and knowing that yes indeed. There is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents now maybe you're sitting there going to have this kind of compassion towards towards the lost well, and you know what then we need to do something we need to go and call these people that are lost and try to bring them in and you know, you do something as simple as give attract or you know, now we have DVDs which is very convenient to handle my DVD talk to them ask for Bible study. But the thing is is that we have to be proactive. If we're not proactive we stand to reason that we are probably inactive. So we need to be proactive in this and you know, it may be that there are people in our lives and it might be too dicey for us to talk to and to bring him a price so we may not be successful in that but it could be the case that if you just simply guided them over to somebody else so you could study with him that they would be just fine with them and and that would be good. And so you could still bring someone to Christ if you just point them in the right direction number for This is a big one.

Know what you want to have the best year ever listen to this one?

You need to be easy to get along with. Now granted I know I just ended my sentence. Whether that's a preposition are but, you know free English people you're off to get over that be easy to get along with. But in all seriousness, we we look at the scriptures. There are times when we need to be easy to get along with that. There are times. We we need to stand firm and compromise right? Sometimes compromise is good. LOL. Let's let's to find that when it comes to the scriptures. We do not compromise, but when it comes to other things we can compromise, you know what this if there was a big stink over whether we wanted the the the pews to be purple or yellow. I mean God forbid either one really, but you know, If if we were going to have an argument over that guess what we need to do, you know what it doesn't matter. Go ahead. You know what we can look at the same hideous fuse every Sunday together, but you know what? It doesn't need to be a point of contention. I have been in the car gation where they were changing out very subtle things in the creation. They want to paint the walls or you're not going to paint my church building. Since when did you own the church building and you know, it's not it's it's amazing how people get so upset over these little things, you know, we were part of a congregation that got hit by a tornado and a hung out the congregation but the church building Mary go get hit by tornado and a lot of water damage how to replace some things and I remember people getting upset over over the carpet, you know, they didn't ask me what carpet to put in here and I'm like thinking, you know, why don't you quit being narcissistic and just go on with life. It's not important. It's not important what the carpet looks like really isn't a granted. I know that we like things to look nice, but what's the difference between this type of brown carpet and this other type of brown carpet, you know, it doesn't matter and so We need to be easy to get along with do we have any example in scripture of that? Absolutely, we do in Genesis chapter 13 Abraham and lot go out. There's some tension there among their own servants and they go out and and Abraham said, you know what the here is a slant. If you go to the right, I'm going to go to the left if he goes to left to go to the right. That is the epitome of being easy to get along with there are things that do not matter and when it doesn't matter we shouldn't have a whole lot of an opinion.

Is it is it okay to have an opinion? Absolutely? But we're talking about here is not pressing and opinion because you know doing that can make a whole lot of hard feelings. It really does. Romans chapter 15 verses 1 through 3 and not to please ourselves Let each one of us, please his neighbor for that which is good unto edifying for Christ. Also, please not himself but as it is written the reproaches of them that our approach that reproached me fell upon me and so you know what we are not living for ourselves, but we're living for others. You know, what we are living for the Lord number one. We live as an example to those around us. Can we live also to serve each other as brother? And so because of this rather we need to have the attitude among ourselves that we should be easy to get along with. number 5

I know that. I said this once before but this is also a very important point you want to have the best year ever than you need to do this thing because this one thing will help you out with most other things in life. And that is that you need and we all need to come to cultivate our hatred for sin. Now what if if we will decide that we're not going to do those things that are wrong that are sinful is going to help us out. But also if we know that's a sin is dangerous. And so we need to cultivate our hatred for said and make sure that we keep it out of our lives and Psalm 119 verse 104 says through thy precepts I get understanding therefore. I hate every false way.

Brother that should be our attitude towards saying you know what we should hate every false way the spies that want to get rid of it.

Now if I cultivate my hatred for sin. Only am I not going to participate in it, but I'm going to be able to keep others from it named Lee in the church and you look over at 1st Corinthians chapter 5 NYC that idea of withdrawal of fellowship and you know when there's sand in the congregation and yeah, we need to get rid of that and we need to do that in a timely manner I get that. But there are Brethren across this world that they haven't cultivated their hatred for sin and when they cease and the congregation, they don't want to mention it. They don't they don't want to do anything about it because you know, maybe It'll point out their own sin, or maybe it is that they feel like this person's come along way and because of that they don't they don't want to hinder their progress, but brethren

If we don't hate sin, and we allow sin to live in abide in this congregation.

Then we might as well shut our doors. And never come back.

the whole point I've living for the Lord is to live righteously. And if we overlooked sin in anybody's life. Well, then just as we see in 1st Corinthians chapter 5 that sin is going to grow and the congregation.

Cuz a little bit of Leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

I need to hate sin. I need to be able to remove it from my life. And help get it out of the lives of others.

Last but not least what you to turn over to 1st Corinthians chapter 13.

1st Corinthians chapter 13 mission something really quickly.

If we want to have the best year ever. Then we need to be Christians that love.

If we speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love. Then we become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal and if we have the gift of Prophecy and know all Mysteries and all knowledge and if we have all Faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love we are nothing. And if we bestow out all of our Goods to feed the poor and if we give our bodies to be burned but have not love it profits nothing. Because love suffereth long and is kind love and he's not love vaunteth not itself is not puffed up. If not, behave itself unseemly seeketh not its own is not provoke take if not account of evil Rejoice. If not in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth beareth all things believe with all things hope with all things endureth all things Love Never Fails. What are there be prophecies they shall be done away. Whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall be done away for we know in part we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child. I felt as a child. I thought as a child now that I am become a man. I put away childish things for now. We see in a mirror Darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know fully even as I also fully was fully known but now abideth faith. Hope love these three. And the greatest of these is love. You want to have the best year ever?

I will be loving individual love the Lord. Love the brethren. Isle of the Lost If there's anybody here that is a need to respond imitation. You're going to have a moment to do that. One thing that we need to all make sure of is this is that when we meet people that they are not to Christians, they need to understand what it is to serve the Lord and become a Christian and so they are going to have to obey the gospel. There may be someone here who is not yet done that they have not obeyed the gospel as of yet. And so they're very simple things that we have to do. We have to hear the word of God as we've done today and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God repent of our sins and confess Christ before men and then be baptized into Christ and of course live faithfully, and if you need to do that today, please come as we standing As we sing.