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Persevere in the New Year
Heb. 12:1-4 Intro: We call it a New Year but certainly everything is Not New! You are not new, you have the same spouse, the same children, the same job, the same house...you get the point. Everything is not new. You also brought your Christian experience with you into the new year. You may have been saved and living for the Lord for many years or for only a few years. Whichever is the case for you, when you became a Christian you started on a Race To Heaven. While the years change and the old years pass away and the new years come this Christian Race continues. We must press on until we reach the finish line; heaven’s bright shore! We must Persevere in this New Year. In this text from Hebrews 12, I find three things in particular that each of us must do this year in order to persevere in our Christian Race. I. Put Off the Weight. “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” It’s ironic how many people make physical weight loss their number one resolution year after year. It’s also ironic how Few people seem to make spiritual weight loss an important part of their new year’s plans as a Christian. This matter of laying aside every weight is very important for successful running in the physical realm. The runner will put off anything that hinders him or holds him back or slows him down. So it is that every Christian must be serious about Putting Off the Weights in the new year. I know that physically many start on a weight loss program and it lasts for about a month and then they fall back into the same old habits that overcame them before. Spiritually, you and I need to identify those things that have hindered us in this past year; those things that held us back; those things that slowed us down spiritually; and we need to lay those things aside, never to take them up again. We all need to get stirred about our spiritual devotion, part of which is to put off the weights that hinder and hold us back. Don’t allow things of this world to attach themselves to your life and hold you back in your Christian race. You need to Persevere in the New Year. II. Participate. “Let us Run the race that is set before us” “LET US RUN” You cannot just sit on the sideline watching others faithfully run the Christian Race. You need to really get in it for yourself and get in it for real. If you want to persevere in the new year you must participate in the Christian race. You must Pray; you must Attend Church faithfully; you must Worship fervently; you must Play your music and Sing your song; you must testify and rejoice and yield to the Holy Ghost; you must Participate! Remember the old Patriotic song that says, “this land is your land, this land is my land from California to the New York Islands; from the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters...” Well, you need to remember that this church is Your Church, this church is my church; the building, the furnishings, the services, the people... Whatever is accomplished by your local church this year depends on YOU. It does not just depend on the pastor and his wife or the members of the board, it depends on you. What kind of services will Your church have? Will they be alive? Will they be spiritual? Will they have manifestatins of the Holy Ghost? Will anyone be saved? Will holiness, both inward and outward, be evident in your church? I trust you will not go AWOL this year or abandon the Christian race. You must Persevere in the New Year. III. Patiently Wait. In our text, it’s clear that running this Christian Race is not easy. It is very difficult at times and has its hardships & trials. We will sometimes suffer discouragement & weariness. So the writer gives us the following exhortations: Verse 1- “run with patience” Verse 2- “Looking unto Jesus- Author & Finisher of our faith- endured Cross, despised shame & is set down at the right hand of throne of God.” Verse 3-“consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Verse 4- “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” We all have difficult days where we don’t “FEEL” the Fire and Power of Holy Ghost. Troubles do come to us in our Health and our Finances and our Work and in our Relationships but this Christian Race is of vital importance. This is not a matter of personal convenience or comfort. This is serious! It is a matter of Eternal life or death. You need to persevere in the new year. 1 Cor. 9: 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 2 Tim 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Put Off the Weight. Participate. Patiently Wait.
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The Unsung Hero of Christmas
Mat. 1:18-23 Intro: Joseph is the one I call the unsung hero of Christmas. We don’t neglect him deliberately and we don’t disrespect him, we just don’t often Highlight him. For the most part, Joseph is the silent man in the Christmas story. He never speaks in the Bible and he is not actually quoted anywhere in the Christmas story. We sometimes put words in his mouth in regard to his talk with Mary about the angel’s visit or in his conversation with the inn keeper trying to secure a room, but none of his actual words are recorded in the story. Still, he is an Unsung Hero in this whole matter. I. He is a Hero of Faith. When Zacharias was told that he and Elizabeth were going to have a son in their old age, he doubted and was made to be deaf and dumb until the promise of God was fulfilled. Even Mary struggled at first with the message of the Angel and questioned, “ how can this thing be?” Yet, while Joseph was struggling with the news that Mary was expecting and while he was thinking that he would have to divorce her quietly so as not to create a scandal, an angel from God came to him in the night and told him to take Mary as his wife and that the child in her womb had been conceived by the Holy Ghost himself; and Joseph BELIEVED! He did not question God; he did not demand further explanation; he did not Doubt the word God had sent. He is a Hero of Faith! Oh, that we might believe God like that! That we would take God at his Word even when it seems Incredible and even if it seems Impossible. Remember, what is incredible to man is just another day’s work for our God and what is impossible for man is just routine for our God. Do you Believe God? Will you Believe God? II. He is a Hero of Obedience. Again, Joseph shows his great character in the fact that when the angel told him about God’s plan and gave him instructions he Simply Obeyed. Look at the story: In vs 19 he was struggling with the news that Mary, his betrothed, has become expecting. He was wrestling with the best way to handle the situation so that she was not harmed. In vs. 20 the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid of taking Mary as his wife. He was assured that she has not been unfaithful to him but that her pregnancy was the direct act of God. In vs. 21 Joseph was told that the child would be named Jesus for “he will save his people from their sins.” In vs. 22,23 Matthew inserts a parenthesis and remarks that these things were a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. Matthew resumes his narrative in vs. 24 with these words: “THEN Joseph being raised from sleep, DID as the angel of the Lord had bidden (or commanded) him; and took unto him his wife.” Now, how does that account read to you? Do you hear it like I hear it? As soon as the dream was completed; as soon as the angel departed after leaving his message; at that Very Point, Joseph got up out of bed, dressed, went out into the streets, made his way to the house of Mary, informed her about what had happened, and immediately started the process for Mary to officially become his wedded wife. Joseph is a hero of obedience! He obeyed even though he was initially afraid. He obeyed even though he did not understand the whole situation. He obeyed even when it was going to cause gossip and bring reproach on his reputation. Oh, the Glory of Immediate Obedience! Jesus asked this question to some who claimed to be his followers: Lk 6: 46- “and why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” John recorded three times that Jesus said, “If you love me you will Keep my commandments.” Obedience! What a testimony of true love and devotion to the Lord. III. He is a Hero of Faithfulness Not only did Joseph have great faith to believe what God said and to take God at his Word; not only did he respond with immediate and whole hearted obedience; he also continued to obey God and fulfill the role God had ordained for his life. It was NOT EASY! He faced reproach from those around him; he restrained his natural desires for a physical relationship with Mary until after the baby Jesus was born; he made a difficult journey to Bethlehem because it was God’s will; he then made the long move to Egypt at the warning of Gabriel to protect the young child’s life; he put his own life and plans on HOLD for quite a while; he closed down his carpenter shop for at least two years and had to do whatever work he was able to find to take care of Mary and the child Jesus. Joseph was a Faithful Man. He was reliable; he was dependable; he was steady and true. He cared for his wife and child through difficult circumstances in order to be pleasing to God and to do God’s will. It’s great to hear from God; to feel God’s presence; to be blessed by God; to be given new life by the Blood of Jesus. But after the glory of salvation comes the task of living out your faith in this sinful world. When life brings trouble, stay faithful to the Lord. When life brings sickness & affliction, be faithful to the Lord. When there is distress in your family, be faithful to the Lord. When you feel perplexed and don’t understand why you are going through these circumstances, be faithful to the Lord. This Christmas, Be a Hero of Faith, Obedience, and Faithfulness. God Saves the Best for Last
John 2:10 Intro: This is a familiar story in the life of Christ. He had been invited to a wedding and attended along with his disciples. When the host ran out of wine, Mary told Jesus about the dilemma and she then told the servants to do what ever he commanded. Jesus had the servants fill the water pots to the brim with water, then he told them to draw out and take it to the governor of the feast. When they did, the governor exclaimed in surprise- Most people put out their best at the first and if they need more, they put out the lesser quality. BUT you have done the opposite; you have put out the Best at the Last. That’s the way God works; He saves the Best for Last. I. Creation. The whole story of creation is amazing; “In the beginning GOD...” Nothing existed but God- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. God decided to create a universe and began creating just by speaking it into existence. 1) God created Light- cosmic light; no sun or stars yet 2) God created the Atmosphere that would surround and support life on the earth. 3) God created the Seas and Dry Land; then called forth grass, herbs, and trees; Vegetation on the earth. 4) God Created the Planets, the Sun, Moon, Stars 5) God created all the Birds of the air and the Fish of the Sea 6) God created all the animals that would live on the earth This was All Pretty Amazing! Actually Incredible! BUT THEN- God had saved the Best for Last; For NOW God said Let Us make MAN in Our image and after our likeness... So God created Man in his own image- in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them; The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Man was God’s BEST creation: - by his special creation by the very hands of God; - by his special composition- not only body, but soul and spirit; - by his special commission- he was given dominion over the entire earth and the animal kingdom. The Psalmist said it best- Ps 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. II. Salvation. God’s plan of Salvation clearly Saved the Best for Last. In Eden when Adam and Eve sinned, God shed the blood of innocent animals and made Coats to Cover them. Later, at the Passover, God revealed the necessity of Blood to Atone. In the law, God prescribed Sacrifices as Substitutes; where innocent animals took the place of guilty men and women and bore the penalty of their sins for them. Also in the law, God ordered Ceremonies of Commitment whereby men and women offered their sacrifices in faith and by doing so, offered themselves and their lives to God. Still- these methods and procedures were only preliminary ones- for the Best was yet to come. Heb. 1- God who at sundry times (various times) and in divers manners (in different ways) spake in time unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by HIS SON- who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person... Better than the Coats to Cover; Better than the Passover Lamb to Atone; Better than the Sacrifices as Substitutes; Better than the Ceremonies of Commitment; Better than the Tabernacle; Better even than the Angels! Not Just BETTER but the BEST! Christ came a High Priest who was Holy, Harmless, Undefiled, Separate from Sinners and made higher than the heavens. He needed not offer up sacrifices first for his own sins- for he KNEW no sin; he was Tempted in all points like as we are YET WITHOUT SIN. He did not enter into the Holy of Holies with the blood of goats or calves- but by his OWN BLOOD, he entered in once into the holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us. (not temporary but Eternal) Thank God the Father for Giving us Jesus! Thank you Jesus for Giving us Your Life; Thank you Holy Ghost for bringing the Life and Presence of Jesus Inside Us! AND this matter of God saving the Best for Last is not over yet. III. Dispensations. When God started dealing with his people it was in the Garden of Eden with a dispensation of Innocence; when they sinned God opened the dispensation of Conscience where he led men by his voice inside of them; then he ushered in the dispensation of Human Government after the flood where man was given the authority and the command to deal with wrong doing and govern themselves properly. God then spoke to Abraham and began a dispensation of Promise- where he chose Abraham to be the father of a Nation that would be God’s own special people and would bless all the nations of the earth. At Mt. Sinai God brought in the dispensation of Law where he revealed how he expected his people to live and where he instituted the sacrifices mentioned before to cover man’s sin temporarily. Then came the Dispensation of Grace- where God sent his own son Jesus to be the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world; Jesus paid the price for sin and opened the door of salvation to the entire world. NOW we can be SAVED- we can become part of the Church; the body of Christ; we can become part of the Bride of Christ; we can enjoy the fulness of the Holy Ghost not only in Conversion but in a Baptism of Glory and Power; we can experience the sanctifying power of the Spirit of God and the Word of God and can live a victorious life for the Lord right in the midst of a Dark and Wicked World. This dispensation comes to a close with a Powerful and Amazing Event known as the Rapture of the Church. Jesus himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch angel and with the trump of God; the dead in Christ will be raised first and we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord! All the Saints of God will be Caught Up; Changed; Glorified; Rewarded; Granted positions of Rulership in the coming Kingdom of God- we will Rule and Reign with Jesus Christ as Kings and Priests. Oh, yes, God is Saving the BEST for LAST. The LAST age of time; the last dispensation will be one of TOTAL Righteousness; a time where God’s Kingdom is established first on this earth and finally in a New Heaven and New Earth. This is not Science Fiction; not Fantasy; not some Far Out Opinion; This is TRUTH and REALITY. Jesus is Coming! Saints are Going to Heaven! After the world is punished by the Wrath of God, His Kingdom will Come; His Will will be Done on the earth just like it is done in heaven. Are you Ready for that day? That day when God puts out the Best he has saved for Last! The Last Words of Jesus
Rev. 22: 7, 12, 20 Intro: John the Apostle had been persecuted beyond measure; he was arrested by the order of emperor Domitian and taken from Ephesus to Rome where he was thrown into a large vat of boiling oil. John was miraculously protected by God and was not killed. The emperor then ordered that he be banished to the Isle of Patmos, a small rocky and barren island where prisoners of Rome were sent to work in the mines till they died. Here John received the Amazing and Glorious Revelation of Jesus Christ that concluded God’s Revelation to man as far as his Written Word was concerned. It is here in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible that we read the last spoken words of Jesus; in vs 20- Surely, I Come Quickly. I. The Urgency of This Announcement These are the last words Jesus spoke aloud to an Apostle; these are the last words in Red in the Bible; this was the announcement that meant the most to Jesus as he concluded his revelation of Truth to mankind. “Surely, I Come Quickly!” Even today, a person’s last words are considered very important. Those last words often reveal the inner most part of a man’s soul. Sometimes they are a confession of wrong doing; sometimes they are an admonition for those standing by; sometimes they are final words of love and devotion; sometimes important information is given that no one knew about. The Last Words of Jesus are important! “Surely I Come Quickly!” Then, when we add to the fact that these were the last words of Jesus, the fact that in this chapter Jesus gave the same announcement Two More times besides, this announcement Really becomes Important! Do you feel the Urgency of this announcement? Vs. 7 Behold, I come quickly Vs. 12 Behold I come quickly Vs 20 Surely I come quickly “Behold!” (May I have your attention please? Hey! Listen Up! Maybe A loud whistle; clapping of the hands; raised voice. This is Urgent; this demands your immediate attention.) Already in the Gospels Jesus had emphasized the urgency for us to be aware of his coming. In Matthew’s account Jesus said, Watch therefore and Be ye also ready. In Mark he said, Take Heed; Watch and Pray; Watch ye therefore; Watch In Luke he said, Take heed to yourselves; watch ye therefore; pray always. Then Paul later said that we must Watch and Be Sober. Peter exhorted us to be Diligent in regard to the coming of the Lord. Do you feel the urgency of this announcement? Are you watching, praying, taking heed to your life; being sober and alert and aware and diligent? II. The Certainty of His Appearing I would say that a three fold repetition would make a great case for the certainty of what is being said, how about you? Three times here in the last chapter of the Bible Jesus reminds us that he is Coming. When Jesus ascended into heaven Angels told the disciples that this same Jesus that was being taken away from them into heaven would so come in like manner as they had seen him go. How did he go on that day? He ascended bodily and visibly; he ascended up into a cloud. He will come bodily and visibly; he will come in the clouds and call his children home! Paul wrote that the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch angel and the trump of God; the dead in Christ will rise first; then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Peter told us that the Chief Shepherd, Jesus, would appear. John said that Jesus would appear and that we would be like him for we would see him as he is. James said, Be patient brothers unto the coming of the Lord. I know there are unbelievers and there are scoffers and mockers who deny that Jesus will really come in the air to take Christians to heaven BUT whose word will you take? Will you take the word of people who don’t know the Lord at all? And Have no spiritual understanding at all? OR will you take the word of Jesus himself; the holy angels; the holy apostles who wrote the holy Word of God? The Urgency of this Announcement; The Certainty of his Coming; and III. The Glory of His Approval In vs 7 Jesus said, Blessed is he that keeps my sayings. “Blessed!”- Favored, Happy, Enriched In vs 12 Jesus said My Reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. He is coming and he is going to Reward Us. He will bring his Glory to us as a sign of his Approval of our life. When we took Him as our Savior and our Lord, we became his children. His great love for us does not end when we die or when we are raptured; NO his great love continues on into Eternity. Think of some of the Rewards the Christian will Receive: 1) A miraculous change from mortal to immortality. 2) Being translated from this earth into the Wonders of Heaven. 3) We receive Crowns as rewards. 4) We are designated as Rulers in the kingdom of God. AND the reward that sums it all up- “And so shall we ever be with the Lord!” Are You Ready for the Rapture? Victory Over Sin
Romans 6:15-23 Intro: Romans 6, 7 and 8 form a Powerful Doctrinal Passage concerning Sin, Salvation, Sanctification, and the Spirit Filled Life. Here in ch. 6 in particular, Paul stresses the Victory that we as Christians have been given over the power of sin. I. A Gracious Deliverance (15-18) Paul asks 5 powerful questions in this Passage to make us THINK about what God has done for us when he Saved Us! Vs 1- Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound? Vs. 2- How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Vs. 3- Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Vs. 15- What then, shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Vs. 16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness? Paul rejoices in the Power of God’s Grace! He reminds us that the Grace of God superceded the O T Law in that it brought true Salvation INTO our spirit, our heart, our life, our very being. In the past, every human being was a Servant of Sin. Sin dominated our lives. Sin dominated our thoughts. Sin dominated our decisions; our feelings; our attitudes; our actions; our whole life; BUT now we have been made FREE from Sin. Vs. 17- ye WERE servants of sin...but Vs. 18 You have been made free from sin... Oh the power of God’s Grace! Paul wrote in Col. 1:13 that God the Father has “delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son...” Delivered! Rescued & Redeemed; Spared & Saved; Emancipated & Liberated! My What a Gracious Deliverance! II. A Great Difference (19-22) Paul points out the Great difference between our Present Situation and our Former One. Before, we were Servants of Sin and totally without Righteousness. We YIELDED our “members” (our mind, our hands, our feet, our bodies) to Uncleanness and Iniquity After Iniquity. This was the FORCED Submission of Tyranny! Sin was a Tyrant; Satan was a Tyrant; and because our Nature was dominated by Satan and Sin, our own Nature became a Tyrant and forced us into uncleanness and multiplied iniquity. Sin controlled us; Sin compelled us; BUT Now there is a Great Difference! Since we have been Graciously Delivered From Sin’s Tyranny and Dominion; We Willingly Submit our lives to Righteousness and Holiness. Notice the Great Difference here: Before, it was the forced submission of tyranny; NOW it is the willing submission of Love! Paul says, Remember when you were a servant of sin? Remember how sin forced your life and actions? Remember what sin made you do? When you think about it now, you are ashamed and embarrassed. But Now- you have been made free from sin; you have become a Servant of God; so now you willingly submit your members (your mind, your hands, your feet, your body) to Righteousness and Holiness. The “Fruit” your life bore under sin’s dominion was unclean and shameful. The “Fruit” your life bears now under God’s Grace is righteousness and holiness. What a Great Difference! Why would anyone fight against living a holy life? Why would anyone resist living a life of righteousness and holiness? Why would anyone think the tyranny of sin’s dominion is to be preferred over the power of God’s Grace? We should be Forever Thrilled that our lives no longer bear unclean fruit that brings shame and reproach; That our lives now bear fruit that is Righteous and Holy and brings Glory to God. One more brief but important point: III. A Glorious Destination 22b- the END, everlasting life 23- the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord. Here we Go! Our Glorious Deliverance was for an Eternal Purpose! The Great Difference in life is for an Eternal Purpose! If we will Follow this Righteous Path to its END, we get Everlasting Life; Eternal Life. Talk about Victory! We have Victory over Sin NOW. We have Victory over Satan NOW. And we will have Ultimate Victory THEN! How about it friend- are you Looking at the END? Are you going to let the devil trick you into looking only at the NOW in this world? Are you going to allow the devil to talk you into disobedience like he did Eve by telling her that what God had withheld from her was actually Good for her? Are you going to let this sinful world pressure you into worldliness, spiritual and moral compromise, and disobedience to God’s Holy Word? Are you going to be so gullible as to believe that you can live however you want and do whatever you want and still get everlasting life? There are only two Roads of life: 1) the strait gate of salvation through Jesus Christ and the narrow road of obedience to the Word of God. 2) the wide gate of selfishness and rejection of Jesus and the broad road of permissiveness and sin. Only one of the two roads ends in Heaven; only one of the two roads ends in everlasting life; only one of the two roads ends in eternal life in the presence of the Lord. I’m making the right choice! How about YOU? |
Bro. Dwain GaliherPastor of JHPC Archives
January 2026
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