Introduction: The old year is behind. Its record is made and cannot be changed. Doubtless there is much in it we would like to change, some things we wish we had done different, some thing left undone, some regret and hopefully some good too.

Our church has come a long way. I think we all are pleased and know that God has blessed us. We have seen our attendance and our church family grow and almost double. We too have lost one of our charter members Aunt Mammie. Our lost is heavens gain. And even in this we feel regret at her passing and rejoice that she is with the Lord.

We have almost paid off the $32,000.00 for the land and are making plans to build hopefully in the summer.

I am sure that each of us are grateful to the Lord for what He has done, and letting us be a part of it. We too, I am sure are thankful and also must admit that all our expectations we wanted to see were not completely met and although we have come far there is long way yet to go.

Each of us must admit that each of us could have done better and every man ought to do better than he is doing. We all fall very short of what is God's expectation for us. Although we are all in the same boat, it is no excuse for our failure, because we are promised that "we can do all things through Jesus Christ, who strengthens us."

I. THE CHALLENGE AND CALLING OF EVERY BELIEVER.

       A. This chapter begins with an IF. If you have been redeemed, accepted God's gift of salvation..."be risen with Christ."

              1. To be risen with Christ is to be risen to eternal life.

              2. It means we have true life. It points us to the Lord Jesus in Heaven and our waiting for the appointed day when He will come for us.

              3. Note that Christ is standing by the right hand of God. It focuses on the fact of Christ watching inventively at what we are doing, not sitting, but standing in anticipation. Standing to guide and direct and empower us with all the power of God Himself.

B. Paul here is making a straight forward appeal. To those who have been saved and experienced the power of God in Salvation, become in life and experience what God has made you by His Grace.

              1. What a passage this is to challenge us in this new year. Live as God would have us too.

              2. Accomplish that which He desires for us. Be found in his pure will.

C. To end up straight we must start straight and keep straight until the end. We have that opportunity before us.

              1. We have a new day before us. God is the God of new beginnings.

              2. Let us resolve to do better, and do our best for the Lord in this new year He has given us.

              3. Let's commit ourselves, to with God's help, be what He wants us to be. Let us turn from our sin and turn rather to God

              4. We must all admit we failed in many ways last year, but that is no reason not to strive and move forward this year. We learn from our trials.

               It is a fact that if we attempt nothing, we will be very successful and will accomplish nothing.

              God has always used the man or woman who would have a vision of what God can do and believing that, strive to be victorious in the Lord.

ILLUS: Some would make little of resolutions and speak ill of making them. Remember, to end up straight you must start straight and keep straight. The start is vital to the ending. What athlete ever won the race by starting with an attitude of conceding to failure in the end? God’s will is clearly stated for all Christian men and women to keep on trying, and who never give up! Those that continue they win, the finish and they do so because of their resolve. I feel sorry for the man or woman who giving in to failure, or far worse the man who trudges on with his head down. I like a man who will shake his fist as trouble and keep on. The Christian however, sets his jaw and declares that God says “we are more than conquerors.” (Rom. 8::37) Therefore he admits he cannot win in his own strength so he makes the resolve to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct him and accomplish what he could not. Remember it God’s work. We are His servants and He will supply the need.

D. Set your affections on things above. God has given us the direction to go, He has set the course.

              1. Thank God for the man or woman who is not satisfied with what they are and wants to be better for the Lord. To be a great tool used by the Lord.

              2. Thank God for the Child of God who says, I hate every sin in my life, God forgive and help me to overcome every one. I despise my shabby habits, unfaithfulness, and apathy. Lord, help me to shake off my bad habits, cleanse me of lust, convict me of sin, remove it shackles from my heart and give me a pure and clean heart.

              3. I thank God for every child of God that makes the commitment to be faithful to the Lord’s local church. Money, family, friends, inconvenience or apathy are not reckoned to be a reason to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. (Heb. 10:25)

E. Don't fail to start! It takes more power to start a car and get it moving than it does to keep it running.

ILLUS: When Carolyn and I first came to Utah we were driving an 81 Ford Escort. The alternator burned up somewhere pass Vernal and we were running on the battery. We almost panicked because there were no towns with a shop to fix it. We finally found a store that had a battery charger which was east of Dushane and with a charged batter we went on to Salt Lake. The car made it to Salt Lake City but the battery was so drained it would not start the car. We got it charged again and off we went to Wyoming to visit a friend. The point was clear it took little current to run the engine but a lot to start it.

A car uses less power running than starting. Cars too must start in low gear, after they start you change to a higher gear because the motion helps to keep it going. The car would not pull off in high gear.

               1. A life in motion helps itself. If it is started right it is easier to go right.

              2. For the lost man or woman, the start begins with believing and accepting God's only begotten Son as your personal Savior. That is not only the right start, it is the only right start. . . all others fail, and hell reaps the ruin that will always result.

II. The Living Dead. Col. 3:3-4.

       A. God says the believer is dead and his life is hid with Christ in God. V3

ILLUS: There is an ungodly rock group called the "Grateful Dead." But if you think about it, a Christian can truly say he too is gratefully dead." That is Dead to Sin, Dead to death and eternal separation from God. In the death of Jesus Christ there is life. Eternal life, life everlasting, assured victory and an eternity to rejoice in it.

              1. Note we are hid with Christ in God. Christ is hid and we with Him. That is the fact of our position in Christ.

              2. This is what God does for those who believe and put their trust in Him. They become hidden in Christ. It means becoming one in all things with Christ.

B. God put the believing on the right road, and equips him for the task,and promises success.

ILLUS: When I was running the security systems company one thing I tried to do....I tried to equip my men to do the job. That was my part and responsibility. It was their job and obligation to use what we gave them and do the job. God has equipped the saints for His work, our obligation is use what God has given us.

              1. First we must know what God has done for us and second train and become familiar with our tools.

              "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

              2. That is why we must study the word of God. It is the true we live by. It give all instruction.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

              3. We must know that we only fail if we give into sin.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

              4. We must know that we have the Spirit of God always with us.

              "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Romans 5:5)

              "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9)

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Corinthians 6:19)

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2:27)

What a thrilling truth...God in us, always His abiding presence.

IV. THE VICTORY IS ASSURED! Col. 3:4.

       A. When Christ, who is our life, SHALL appear, they you also appear with Him in Glory.

              1. What an ending is promised to the Child of God, to the man or woman, boy or girl who will believe and receive the gift of eternal life.

              2. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)

              3. This is not a hope that is in question! There is nothing subjunctive about this word. It is an assured anticipation. There is no doubt that it will happen...the only thing in question is when? Will He return today, or maybe tomorrow or the next day or the next. What IF Jesus returns in 2002? It would mean the redeemed in Christ would spend next New Years in heaven with the Lord!

B. We are reminded even as we hope of what should be the result of our hope.

"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3:3)

C. Set your affections on things above.

              The word means, "an affection of the mind, a passionate desire.

              Passionately desire heaven, and God in Christ will give it!!!

              Passionately desire God's will be done, and He will grant it.

              Passionately desire to overcome sin, confess it and overcome it.

              Passionately desire to be all that God would want you to be and GOD will accomplish that in your life.

              Passionately desire see souls saved and God will use you to win the lost.

              Passionately desire to see the church grow and be used of God to win the lost and grow the Saints of God.. and we will grow as God gives the increase.

CONCLUSION:

 The question this morning is do you passionately desire the things of God?

              Too many half heartedly, mentally consent to challenge of God, but fail to put feet to the task at hand. The worst situation is to desire the blessing of God, yet be to lazy or uncommitted and thus prevent God from blessing us. God does not bless unfaithfulness or apathy or even good intentions. He blesses a life of faith and hope. He blesses even the failures of those who are trying and truly love Him.

              Always, the right beginning with God is the truthful confession of sin and failure. God loves a repentant heart. He graciously pours out a bounty of Grace to the soul that turns to Him in repentance.

              If you have trifled as a Christian with God's will for your life, now, right now is the time to get the matter settled and let God start blessing you and using you.

              Many try to bluff there way along...but you can not bluff God, "Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart."

              Many are gambling and toying with the mercy and grace of God. And what does that accomplish? You lose the blessing of God’s guidance and purpose for you life if you are a Christian. If you are not saved and have not put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as you Savior you stand in danger of an eternity in hell. The Bible says God's long suffering has an end. His spirit will not always strive with men.

              It is no gamble to refuse to obey God. A gamble is doing something than can go either way. The outcome is of rejecting God is already known. It is no gamble to try to win with loaded dice.

              "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)

              Millions in hell, horribly regret their playing with God, gambling with His good favor. He love you and I enough to go to that old rugged Cross and their in His own body, die for yours and my sin. What is gained by refusing that truth and letting Him save us.

              Millions in Heaven, deeply regret the wasted years of opportunity. Toying with sin, playing the game of the hypocrite. Many now see Christ face to face...they now know too late to change the great consequence of their unfaithfulness.