Happy New Year!

Happy New Year CVR

Psalm 146:5-6 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: 6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever.

Many people stayed up late last night to “Ring in the New Year”. Bro. Jim Linam told us at Church Sunday that he usually stays up pretty late on New Year’s Eve – sometimes as late as 8 or 8:30 pm! I agree with him. Some people stay up until the New Year begins, and then fire off fireworks, hug one another, hoot and holler. Many will sing during a “New Year’s Eve Party” an old Scottish poem penned by Robert Burns and set to music in 1788 called “Auld Lang Syne”. Loosely translated the title means “for the sake of old times”:

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,

and old lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne!

Of course, then everyone will “lift a cup”, usually of some sort of alcoholic beverage, then toast the New Year. “Happy New Year!”. Do you want to have a “Happy New Year”?

Alcohol isn’t going to do it.
A party isn’t going to do it.
A new year isn’t going to do it.
Do you know what will give you happiness in this New Year?

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the LORD his God

What brings us great happiness? It is to be a Christian. Not a “Cultural Christian” nor a “Nominal Christian”, but a Christ who loves Jesus and is loved of Him. I saw something the other day that said – and I quote it:

It doesn’t matter if you have given your heart to Jesus.
What matters is that Jesus has given you a new heart.

If you enter the New Year with the same old godless hear, you will not have a Happy New Year. It’ll just be more of the same – over and over again – until you make “Jesus is Lord” a reality in your life. Christians should be among the happiest people on the face of this earth.

For your New Year I want to present to you seven reasons Christians will have a Happy New Year
(and none involve alcohol)

The Sacrificial Cross Of Jesus Christ
Sufficiently Paid For All Our Sins

The Christian – saved by faith in Christ – is the only person who stands in the glory of God’s righteousness and is not damned by it’s light. God’s pronouncement on the world is without a doubt that:

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

When God says “all” He means “all”. Every baby born. Every child reared. Every man. Every woman. Some have asked me “But Brother David, what about little babies who die without Christ?” My response is that I believe God is just, and God does not condemn those who have not reached the age of accountability. But from the age of accountability and upward – to die without Christ is to meet damnation (John 3:16-18). We all fall short.

When our Lord Jesus died on the Cross His last words were:

“It is finished” (John 19:30)

He did not say “I am finished” but “It is finished”. Before Jesus was crucified He prayed to the Father, saying “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” (John 17:4). Our Jesus did everything the Father set before Him to do. He showed us the love of God. He showed us how much God loves each person. Then there was one work left. Jesus had to die for our sins.

“It is finished” is the Greek Τετέλεσται, which means “paid in full”. Among the Romans certificates of debt were stamped with this word to signify that the debt was paid in full. Jesus Christ paid for ALL of our sins. The writer of Hebrews said:

Hebrews 10:4, 9-14 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 9 Then said {Jesus}, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But {Jesus}, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; … 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Jesus’ offering for sin is a once and for all offering. Dr. Tim Keller writes:

“When Christianity first arose in the world it was not called a religion. It was the non-religion. Imagine the neighbors of early Christians asking them about their faith. “Where’s your temple?” they’d ask. The Christians would reply that they didn’t have a temple. “But how could that be? Where do your priests labor?” The Christians would have replied that they didn’t have priests. “But . . . but,” the neighbors would have sputtered, “where are the sacrifices made to please your gods?” The Christians would have responded that they did not make sacrifices anymore. Jesus himself was the temple to end all temples, the priest to end all priests, and the sacrifice to end all sacrifices.”

We come together in this place to learn more of Jesus, to learn to be better disciples. But Jesus Christ is the all sufficient sacrifice for sin – praise God forever!

God Is Always Willing To Forgive Us
When We Confess Our Sins

Psalm 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help,

Every word of Scripture is carefully crafted by God to convey the message He wants us to hear. Notice that God is here called “The God of JACOB”. Now who was Jacob? Jacob was the man who would one day be called “Israel” or “the one who wrestled God”. His birth name was “Jacob” which means “the one who seizes the heel”. Jacob was a conniving man who robbed his brother of his birthright. The day that God changed his name to “Israel” Jacob wrestled God in Peniel, and demanded a blessing for God. You can read all about this in Genesis 32:22-32.

Israel was the “saved” or blessed name of Jacob – but when he allowed his flesh to show through he was called “Jacob”, the name he had before surrendering his life to God. Jacob often failed God. So do we. And yet God is still the “God of Jacob”. God is not just the God of Israel, the righteous living believer. He loves the child of His that wanders, and stirs the child to return to His embrace. The Bible says:

1 John 1:6-9 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Every believer I have ever met has had an Israel side and a Jacob side. Even me. Yes, it’s true! But God saves us as we are, imperfect as we can be, and promises to stay with us. When we sin, we are to confess that sin as quickly as possible, trusting in the sufficiency of Christ. I have heard confused people say, “But you must repent and promise never to do it again”. No Beloved, that is not in the Scripture. Our blessing is in the efficacy of Christ’s blood, that He cleanses us from all sin. And yes, we will grow, and cease to follow certain sin patterns. But the strength of our faith is in Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit Who indwells us. Which brings me to:

God Promises To Stay With
His Children Forever

The love that God has for us, dear believer, is immeasurable. The Apostle Paul prayed that the Church would …

Ephesians 3:18-21 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Did you read that prayer of the Apostle rightly? He prayed that we might be able to comprehend the magnitude of God’s love – even as he said “which PASSETH KNOWLEDGE”. The love – the breadth of the love that God has for we who are his Children is INCOMPREHENSIBLE. God’s love is not cheap. His love required the death of His Son on a terrible Cross. Jesus did not die for His friends. He did not die for His family. Jesus died for His enemies. He died for slaves of sin. The Apostle writes:

Romans 5:6-9 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Dying for our sins, the Lord has promised “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus did not say “I will never leave thee except for ____”. Some people view the love of God conditionally. It is unconditional. He has promised to stay with us to the the end of the world.

Matthew 28:20 … lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

My imperfections condemn me daily, but not so my Heavenly Father, my blessed Elder Brother, and my ever Present Holy Spirit. The Lord your God is with you no matter where you go (Joshua 1:9).

Psalm 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help,

God is my Help, my Love, my Heart, my Sustenance. As the great commentator Matthew Henry said:

“Happy are those who have the Lord for their God, for they have a God that they cannot be robbed of. Enemies may steal our goods, but not our God.”

We who are Christ’s by faith have a wonderful, Almighty God Who has promised:

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Our God is able!

The God Who Is Our Savior And Lord
Is Sovereign Over All

Psalm 146:5-6 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: 6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is …

Life has it’s ups and downs, it frightening moments and happinesses. The Christian should be the happiest person on earth because nothing happens by chance that happens to us. Our God is in control of all things. King David said:

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 … David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. 11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

It is the same God Who made all things that has saved us. God is in control. God is the power that moves our planet, controls our sun, makes our heart beat. There is nothing that escapes God’s intention. I myself do not know how many hairs are on my head – nor do I really care. To me, hair is inconsequential. But the God Who saved us said:

Matthew 10:28-31 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

God did the most for you at the Cross of Calvary. Shall He now abandon His work that He purchased with His own Blood (Acts 20:28)? The Apostle Paul was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. He was also condemned by others who were preachers themselves. You would think that being condemned for doing good would discourage the Apostle, but he wrote:

Philippians 1:12-18 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; 13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; 14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: 17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

God left us on this earth to represent Him, and to share the glorious Gospel of Christ. We are not imprisoned because God is impotent. We are imprisoned so that God can give us an opportunity to preach to the prisoners. We are hospitalized so that God can use us to bring the light of the glorious Gospel into the hospitals and nursing homes. We are living lights, Christ’s “light of the world, a city that cannot be hid” (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14-16). We are to reflect Christ’s light where ever we go. Our God is in control. He is in control. Let us trust Him and glorify Him no matter what may come.

One Day We Who Are Christ’s
Shall Be In The Happiest Place Of All

I have heard it said that “Disneyland is the Happiest Place on earth”. That may be true … but only if you have a lot of money. A one day ticket to Disneyland costs between $97 to $135, depending on the time of the year. That’s a one day ticket. For one person. Motels at Disney cost between $191 to $4705 per day.

I don’t think that’s a very happy place!

But there is a place that costs an infinite price, a place reserved for God’s Children. This place is called “Heaven”. Heaven is God’s Promise to us who love Him.

Though “Heaven” doesn’t have the rides that Disneyland has, it has something better. Much better. The Christian has a wonderful testimony, as King David praised God:

Psalm 21:4-6 He asked life of thee, and Thou {O Lord} gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. 5 His glory is great in Thy salvation: honor and majesty hast Thou laid upon him. 6 For Thou hast made him most blessed for ever: Thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

One day each Christian shall be received into glory. “The redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” (Isaiah 51:11). We who love Jesus are not living beings headed toward death. We are eternally living beings headed toward eternal life. The great Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards wrote of the believer in his sermon The Pure In Heart Blessed:

“After they have had the pleasure of beholding the face of God millions of ages, it will not grow a dull story; the relish of this delight will be as exquisite as ever.”

We are headed toward the greatest happiness of all! Oh, what a joy it will be to see my Jesus face to face! Oh, what a joy to be eternal bliss, ever in His presence, my sin all gone! Oh what joy that will be. If you are in Christ then I bid you:

“”Happy New Year”

But if not, I beg you to come to Him Who gave Himself for you. This is all that will bring you a Happy New Year. May God touch your hearts with his Word!