2015 NEW YEAR SERVICE
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki - Abuja
1st January, 2015
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki - Abuja
1st January, 2015
★ SERMON
* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur
* Topic: The Great Past and the Great Future
* Theme for 2015: Growing up in Christ (Ephesians 4:14)
* Service Leader: Pastor Victor Amos
* Text: Ecclesiastes 7:8 "The conclusion of something is better than its beginning, and a patient attitude is more valuable than a proud one."
★ Philippians 3:12-21
* The future, the present and the past are inter-connected to each other
* You cannot talk about the future without making reference to the past
* You must not forget about the past if you really want to walk into the future with boldness, that is why the work of historians is important
* History keeps repeating itself every time. There is nothing new under the sun
★ Ecclesiastes 1:9
" Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth."
* Businessmen usually make reference to the past in order to get vital information that would be useful in making future business decisions. You Should learn from this.
* Information is vital to the success of any venture in life.
* You will need credible information if you intend to venture into an unknown territory
* Question: How did you end 2014?
* How you ended the last year would give you an idea of how the coming year might turn out to be
* NOTE: Faith does not deny the reality of things. What is the current reality of your life?
* You might have ended 2014 on a wrong note, but you still have the opportunity to make amends now before it is too late
* When Apostle Paul took inventory of His life, he realized that he had not yet arrived his destination (of knowing Christ intimately), that is why he said: " It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already become perfect. But I keep pursuing it, hoping somehow to embrace it just as I have been embraced by the Messiah Jesus" → Philippians 3:12
* The primary work of every Christian is to do the will of God. Your (secular) job is secondary to that primary work/calling.
* NOTE: there is a major distinction between "work" and "job"
* Your (secular) job should not hinder you from fulfilling God's primary purpose for your life. If it is, then you need to reconsider.
* NOTE: God will not Judge you based on the success recorded in your secular job, but on whether (or not) you fulfilled your primary purpose/calling in life
* Question: Did you do what God asked you to do in 2014?
☆ 3 Things to do with the Past:
1. You need to look at the past.
* This requires careful and honest evaluation of your past experiences - both good and bad
* If you do not look at (honestly confront & evaluate) your past, there is a tendency to erroneously think that you have "arrived" at your destination or fulfilled your divine purpose in life
2. You must learn from your past
- The historical accounts of the Bible were written so that we can learn from them today
★ 1st Corinthians 10:11 - "These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down as a warning for us in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained."
* Keep records of the past because the past is not yet past!
* You need to learn from your past experiences and make necessary adjustments accordingly
* Failure to learn from the past is a sign of foolishness
* Don't keep doing the same thing over and over again that is not producing positive results
* Look for information; get to know more about what you are doing and how you can do it better in the new year
3. Leave the past behind
- Though there are things to learn from it, you are not supposed to carry the past into the future
* Many people today live on past glory (of spiritual achievements and service to Christ)
* NOTE: You cannot walk forward if you keep looking backwards
* Sometimes we carry our past mistakes into our future and they constitute obstacles on our way to moving forward
* NOTE: It is not possible to wind back the hands of time to correct the mistakes of the past. leave them behind you
★ Philippians 3:13b → "But this one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead"
☆ 3 things to do with the future:
1. Plan for a good future.
* Evil things grow on their own, while good things are a product of careful planning and preparation
2. Move into the future with Courage
* Do not give room for fear in your life
* Fear cripples and hinders you from becoming who God wants you to be.
3. Do Something Great for God
* Doing great things requires great faith in God
* The surest way to please God is to consistently walk in faith (Hebrews 11:6 → "Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently search for him.")
* Attempt something great for God this year
★ SUMMARY
☆ 3 Things to do with the Past:
1. Look at the past
2. Learn from your past
3. Leave the past behind
☆ 3 things to do with the future:
1. Plan for a good future
2. Move into the future with courage
3. Do something great for God
