NEW YEARS EVE2006 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: New Years Eve

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2006.

This morning there's a special message that's on my heart and that's what I'll be sharing this morning. It's something related to this day, New Year's Eve. Now, you know what usually takes place this time of year. Everyone is talking about their New Year's resolutions, right?

And there's all these plans and goals and hopes that we can look forward and have for the next year. And I do think that it's good to stop and consider, what was 2006 like for me? How did I live? Was I faithful in the things that God called me to? And was I obedient in those things? Was I eating right? You know, the things that we can look at our lives and examine ourselves about. And what...

going into the new year do I want to change and how do I want to live differently this coming year? But here's the thing with New Year's resolutions. We all know it. It's a big joke amongst all of us. What always happens with New Year's resolutions? We break them. We don't keep them. We forget about them. They somehow move to the back of our mind and maybe

maybe a couple weeks or a couple months or maybe a few days for some of us that it just it doesn't last it's not something that really affects any lasting change or impact on the entire year so we make them and then we break them and then of course we feel guilty for doing so and then we try to forget that we made them anyways and then we convince ourselves that we weren't so serious when we made it in the first place and so on and so forth you know we played games with our minds and

But this morning I want to encourage you with something, and that is this. God has never asked us to make a New Year's resolution. He hasn't asked us to take this year and make it the best year ever. He hasn't asked you to take this year and make it the year of growth for you, and you have to accomplish everything that He's wanted for you for so long in this year. He doesn't lay those type of burdens upon us.

Instead, he looks at the present, right now, this day, and he asks us, will you live this day for me? Forget about the burden of trying to live the year for God. This day, will you live this day for me?

And I began to meditate on these things and the Lord was speaking to my heart. After I was thinking about a saying that I heard, and I don't remember who it was that quoted this, but they were quoting someone else. And so we'll just say that this is a famous saying. But it goes like this. The way that you live today is the way that you live your life.

The way that you live today is the way that you live your life. Now, think about that just for a minute. Let that sink in to your heart. The way that you live today is the way that you live your life. There's so much truth in that saying. Now, of course, every day is different and there's all kinds of exceptions. But if you take an average day, a normal day in your week, that day represents something

The way that you live your life. Now, this will break through much of our denial. In the areas where we're not doing so well, but we think we are, or we pretend that we are, or we are convinced that we need to convince everybody else that we're doing well. It breaks through all of those things, but it also empowers us

To live today to the utmost for what God has called us to do. Because I don't have to focus on the long term and all the things that I want to do and eventually and all the things I hope God wants to do in my life. But I just need to take today and live today for God. And I can do that. I can walk with God today and make the choice.

Now, I'm sure that you've experienced it. Those times of denial, where you think you're doing all right, or you're convinced you're doing all right, but everybody else around you knows, hey, something's out of place here. When you're in denial, of course, you have excuses for all types of behavior, right? You'll say, I don't drive crazy.

And someone else will say, what about the other day when I saw you on the freeway and you were going like 85 and cutting people off and swerving in and out of traffic? And of course our response is, no, see that was different. I was really in a hurry and some things happened and I had to change my clothes and there wasn't stuff in the washer and we have our reasons for why that day. But the reality is, that's probably the way that we drive very frequently all the time.

Or you could say, I don't treat you that bad. What are you whining about? What are you crying about? The person responds, what about what you just said to me a few minutes ago? Or the way that you handled this situation?

And our response is, but you were mean to me though, or you said this and it made me say that. I was responding to what? I had a bad day at work or on and on. We have all the excuses for why we behave the way that we do, but really we're in denial because that probably represents the way that we live our life. What Jerry says, I don't eat too much. And you say, well, what's that spare tire that you're always carrying around then, right around the middle there?

Well, see, no. I got older, my metabolism changed, I got married, you know. I have all the excuses, right? Denial. We explain away the behavior that we do

And yet we think that we're not involved in that on a regular basis. The reality is the way that you live today is the way that you're living your life. Now, primarily, of course, we're concerned not with the way that you eat or the way that you drive so much, but the way that you are in your relationship with God. This morning, that's what we want to look at. The way that you live today in your relationship with God represents the way that you live your life in relationship with God.

And it's important for us to examine this because usually we think pretty highly of ourselves. I would say that I am a good Christian, that I do walk with God, that I have relationship with Him. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. I do not live in sin.

We would have these expectations or these hopes and dreams about ourselves as Christians. We have these kind of what we want to be as Christians one day. But the reality is, and what we need to examine is, okay, that's nice to have those thoughts about yourself and to have those hopes and dreams of what you want to be as a Christian one day. But what about today? If you take an average day, how serious are you in your relationship with God?

What is your walk with God like? Not on a Sunday or not just on a Wednesday or not just when you have to teach a Bible study or be involved in something, but on a daily basis. What is your walk with God like? As I've been meditating on these things, I've been challenged by the Lord and that's what I pass on to you this morning. If you take an average day, what is your walk with God like?

Oh yes, we have great dreams and hopes. We have wonderful goals and intentions. But what are we doing today? How do we arrive at those things? How do we live today in our relationship with God? To try to change a year at a time just doesn't work. We know that. It's too big. We can't change a year at a time.

But God doesn't ask us to. He doesn't ask us to make New Year's resolutions. Instead, He says, I want you to live for me today. This day. That's all you need to be concerned about. Remember Jesus said, hey, today has enough worries of its own. Don't worry about tomorrow and the things ahead. Don't even be concerned about the long-term goals and things as Christians. Just live today what God is speaking to your heart. Live today in relationship with Him.

You live your life for God by living today for Him. Again, because the way that you live today is the way that you live your life. And so this morning, there's seven points that God has placed upon my heart, all drawn from commands given in the scriptures by God regarding today, this day. And so you were given a handout as you came in this morning, and I don't usually do this, and I

Don't know that I'll be doing that in the future unless the Lord prompts my heart. But the Lord, I believe, He spoke to my heart about this so clearly. And so I encourage you, please take the time, give the effort to track with me and write down the points. Because I believe God wants to use these things to minister to you even beyond this morning. As you go on to this coming week.

Review these things and meditate and allow God to speak to your heart in these areas because we'll be looking at seven things that are essential for us as believers to do each day. Not just on a particular day of the week, but today of being obedient to the commands that God has given. These seven things are what we are to do every day as believers in Jesus Christ.

And so we start with the first one, and it's found in Deuteronomy chapter 4, verse 39. It says this, Here, Moses is speaking to the children of Israel. And he says, here's the command. Here's what you need to do. This day.

Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year, but this day, today. Know and consider in your heart that the Lord himself is God in heaven. And so the first point this morning. Today, know and consider that the Lord is God. This is what we need to do today. Know and consider that the Lord is God.

This word consider literally means to turn back. The idea is that you are to know and to turn back and remember and to keep on remembering, to think about again and again, to contemplate and meditate on the fact that the Lord is God and that there is no other. This is the first thing that you and I ought to do each day.

We need to remember that the Lord is God. We need to take time and acknowledge the fact that He is God and that there is no other, which means that we're not God and all those other things that we could potentially become worshiping or involved in, they're not God. He alone is God and there is no other. Now, you're here this morning. It's a Sunday morning. You're in church and

And you could very easily think, well, I don't need to think that. I already know that there's a God. Why would I need to be obedient to this command when it's just...

It takes place automatically. It just happens because I'm already a Christian. I know that He is God. But take note of the audience of this portion of Scripture. Moses is speaking to the children of Israel. They had seen the miracles in the wilderness, the parting of the Red Sea. They had seen the wonders of God providing for them day in and day out, leading them a cloud by day and a fire by night. They knew that God is God.

And yet they needed to be commanded, they needed to be reminded, they needed to be told, know and consider, think about, meditate on the fact that the Lord is God. You and I, we need the same. We need to be reminded. We need to make the choice and remember God.

Remember that He is God each and every day. It needs to be the first thing upon our hearts as I wake up, as I get out of bed, or as you go to get your cup of coffee, or get the newspaper, or take the shower, whatever your routine is, this needs to be the first thing that I know and I consider that He is God. Because our hearts are prone to wander, and we quickly forget this day.

Take time to consider. He is God. There is no other. The God of the Bible, Jehovah, the Creator, God Almighty, Jesus Christ, He is God. Now it seems simple, but how much of your life did you live before you acknowledged that He is God? How much of your life did you live without even thinking about the fact that He is God or even considering it?

How many other people wake up every day and do not acknowledge that He is God? It's the vast majority. We need to remember who it is that we worship. We need to remember who it is that we serve. Each day, we need to start the day. It needs to begin with this command, with obedience to this command.

that we would know and consider that the Lord is God. It's the first step towards a relationship with Him. And I know it's a simple point, but it's important because it leads us now to the second point, which we find in Joshua chapter 24. So would you please turn there with me? A couple books to the right. Joshua, well, it's actually the next book to the right. Joshua chapter 24 at the end of the book. Joshua chapter 24, we're looking at verse 15.

Joshua 24, 15. And it says this, And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Here's the situation. Moses has died. Joshua now has taken the children of Israel into the promised land and he is about to die and he calls all of Israel together to challenge them.

Because they have been hard-hearted and rebellious the entire time. Ever since God brought them out of Egypt, they've been hard-hearted and rebellious. God gave them the promised land, but they were still holding on to some of the gods from the land of Egypt and some of the gods from the wandering in the wilderness. They're holding on to gods that were from the land of the...

that they inherited, the promised land, the things that they worshipped there, the people that they drove out, they incorporated their gods as well and began to worship those things. So there was a variety of gods that they had and different gods that they would worship. And Joshua calls them all together and basically draws a line in the sand and says, Hey, who are you going to worship? Are you going to worship these other gods from before, these new gods from the land that we're in? Or are you going to worship the Lord God?

And the second point this morning that we need to follow, that needs to be important for us today, is today, choose whom you will serve. Today choose whom you will serve. Joshua is saying, I'm about to die. I'm not going to be able to lead you or hold you accountable anymore or help you stay on the right track. So what are you going to do? Who are you going to serve?

You need to choose and make a choice. You can't serve both. And we find ourselves much in the same situation in our society today. Oh, there's so much for us to get caught up into. We can get caught up into materialism, which is so prevalent around us in this world. And get caught up in the things. Things.

acquiring and keeping and obtaining and succeeding. We can get caught up and that becomes our idol as it takes priority of our relationship with God. We can get caught up in our work, our career. We can even get caught up in our family or popularity or TV or there's a multitude of things. The list goes on. An idol is anything that is more important to you than God is.

And there's a wondrous variety of things that we can consume our lives with apart from God. And so we're in the same situation as the children of Israel and we need the same type of scenario. Let's draw a line in the sand. But not for tomorrow. Not for next week or next month or not for next year. Not when the kids get out of school or when the soccer season ends. Not when things are more convenient.

It needs to be drawn now. Joshua, the Lord would say to us, today, choose. Who are you going to serve? Don't worry about tomorrow and the rest of everything else. Today, who are you going to serve? Who will you live for this day? Will you follow God? Will you be obedient to Him? Will you keep Him the passion and priority of your life? We cannot change yesterday and we cannot choose for tomorrow.

But you can choose today who you will worship, who you will serve. And so each day we need to begin by knowing and considering that the Lord is God. Each day, choose whom you will serve. And number three, we find back in Deuteronomy, this time chapter 30. So turn there with me. Back one book to the left, towards the end of the book. Deuteronomy chapter 31.

And we'll be looking at verses 15 and 16. Deuteronomy 30, verses 15 and 16. Verse 15 says this, See, I have set before you today life and good.

death and evil. Verse 16, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes and his judgments, that you may live and multiply and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. Moses here is continuing to talk to the children of Israel.

He has just recounted to them in chapters 28 and 29 all of the law, the blessings of keeping the law and the curses of disregarding it if they do not keep it. He lays before them all the things that God commands and he says, look, you'll be blessed if you do this. God intends for you to have a wonderful and joyous and full abundant life. And so keep these things and you'll receive all that God has in store for you.

But if you disregard these things, if you disobey these things, then, well, he says, see, I've set before you today life and good. If you want life and you want good, then be obedient and follow the principles that God has given. But if you want death and evil, then disregard what God has said. Live your own life. That's fine. He allows you that opportunity. You have the choice, but the consequences are great.

And so Moses, as he's talking to the children of Israel, he challenges them. He says, I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways. This is the next thing that we need to do. Number three, today, love the Lord and keep his commands. Love the Lord and keep his commands. Now, as Christians...

We often say, and you might be saying this right now, but, you know, we're not under the law. And so these commands really don't apply to us. But saying that, you need to understand it's not entirely true. It is true that our salvation is not determined by how well we keep the law. And praise God for that. Our salvation is determined by our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

That's it. He did it all on the cross. He said it is finished and we believe in him and we are saved. However, just like we've been studying through Proverbs on Wednesday evenings, the law is still God's principles for living. It's not the basis for salvation, but if you want to be blessed, if you want to experience the fullness of what God has for you, obey him.

He doesn't command us to do things and command us to stay away from things just for the pleasure of punishing us if we mess up. He tells us, do these things because these things are what is best for you. These things will bless you. These things are good for you. And don't do these things because they're harmful to you and they hurt you. And so the commands that He gives and the principles that He's given to us in His Word are

are not our basis for salvation, but if we want to be blessed and receive all that God has for us, there are principles for life. Because he says, here's the way to go. Here's the way to be blessed. Here's the way to have a wonderful life that I will provide to you.

It's God's principles for living. So today, the command is to love God. It's what's best for you. The best thing in the world for you is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And that's why it's the first and greatest commandment. Now, love is commanded because it's a choice.

It's not a feeling or an emotion. It doesn't depend on which side of the bed you woke up on today or the type of day you've had at work or the amount of traffic on the freeway. Love is a choice. And God commands you, love the Lord your God. You've taken a moment to acknowledge Him and realize He is God. You've chosen, I'm going to serve Him. And so the way to do that, the first thing you must do is love Him with all of your heart.

Today, I choose to love God. And I would encourage you to tell Him so. Tell Him so. You know, love, it's an interesting thing to be able to say I love you to someone. And if you remember going back a ways, the times where you were new in a relationship,

And you haven't said that yet. It's kind of a big deal, right? It's kind of a breaking point to be able to tell someone else that you love them outside of your family or maybe even within your family. You know, as guys, it's just always difficult or awkward, you know, to tell another guy you love and try to get two guys in here to tell him. It's very difficult, right? It's hard to bring yourself to that point for us as guys, right?

Even though it may be true and we do have a love for one another and I want you to know, hey, I love all you guys and girls. Yes, thank you. But it's difficult to get to that point and so I encourage you. Love the Lord your God and tell Him so. Come to the place where you're not ashamed to tell God, I love you, Lord.

To be passionate in your relationship with Him. Come to the place where you're not ashamed or embarrassed to express to others that you love God.

You know, there's also that stage going back, early relationships, right? When you're young and you get to the point where you tell each other, I love you, but you know, you don't want other people to hear. Tell God you love him and let other people hear. Let everybody know. You need to get to the point to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

The third thing we see here is, today, love the Lord, but also keep His commands. They go hand in hand. If you love the Lord, you're going to keep His commands. Your love is proven by how obedient to Him you are. Jesus told us so. In John chapter 14, verse 15, He says, If you love Me, guess what? Keep My commandments.

The way that you prove your love, the way that you know that you love God, is if you keep His commandments. The way that others know if you love God is if you keep His commandments. So this day, today, love God and prove it by living according to His commands. We all sin. We all do. But look to God for help. Look to Him for strength. And do your best to follow Him

Because you love Him. You know, the scripture says His commands are not burdensome. And they're not burdensome because they're done in response to His love for us. They're done out of love for Him. And so they're not a burden. They're not a heavy thing that you have to hold over your head. Oh, I've got to keep all these rules. But no, it's different. See, when you're involved in a loving relationship with God, when you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,

His commands are not burdensome, but they're blessing. They're the instructions that God has given. A loving God and Father who desires the best for you. And so it's not a burden to walk in His ways. Also understand that God will give you each day what you need to obey Him. If you continue on in disobedience, you simply prove that you have not chosen to love God today.

You just haven't chosen to love God today. And oftentimes it's where we find ourselves. Today, don't let that be you. Each day, choose to love God. Each day, know and consider that the Lord is God. Each day, choose who are you going to serve. And each day, love the Lord and keep His commands. Number four, we find now in the New Testament, the book of Hebrews. Please turn with me to Hebrews chapter 4.

Hebrews chapter 4. It's right after Titus and Philemon, right before the book of James. Chapter 4 is between chapters 3 and 5. We're looking at Hebrews chapter 4 verses 6 and 7. Verse 6 says this, "...since therefore it remains that some must enter it," that is the rest, "...and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience."

Again, he designates a certain day, saying in David, Today, after such a long time it has been said, Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Now, as we begin for point number four and the following four points, we're kind of beginning a new section of this morning's message. These first three things are,

are things that we need to do that are a must, a priority for every morning when we wake up, every morning when we start our day. We need to do these things. We need to know and consider that the Lord is God. We need to choose who are we going to serve and we need to love Him and keep His commands. It needs to be the beginning of our day. It needs to be the start of our morning with the Lord.

And as we look at these last four things, point four, five, six, and seven, there are four things that you're probably familiar with. In fact, if you've ever done the on-field counseling or decision follow-up after the Harvest Crusade, you're familiar with the four things that we encourage new believers to do.

Remember what they are? Number one, what we encourage a new believer to do in continuing their walk with God is to read the Bible, to spend time in the Word of God, to read through it on a regular and daily basis.

The second thing we encourage a new believer to do is to spend time in prayer and to talk to God just as a friend and like you would talk to someone that you know and are familiar with, but to spend time in prayer with God. The third thing we would encourage a new believer to do is to be involved in fellowship, to get plugged into a church that teaches the Word of God and spend time with other believers that they would be encouraged and built up.

And the fourth thing that we encourage a new believer to do is to share what God has done for them with others, with friends and family, with others that God brings into their life. And the four points that are remaining for this morning are those same things that

Because those are the things that are necessary. They're essential for us to continue our walk with God. We need to continue on in these things each day that we might grow in our relationship with God. Here in the book of Hebrews...

The author is dealing with the subject of rest. The rest that was promised by God to Israel for those who would enter into the promised land. But as the author of Hebrews is discussing, they didn't enter in because of unbelief. They disobeyed God because they didn't believe that he would fight for them, that he would protect them. They didn't believe that he would go before them. And so they ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.

Well, then the next generation comes by leading of Joshua, and they are led into the promised land. And yet the point of Hebrews 3 and 4 is that there still remains the promise because after they inherited the promised land, there's still this rest that is promised. And he quotes David, Israel had God's instruction to go.

They had God's command to go and they had God's promise of victory, but they did not believe him. And so they hardened their hearts. God spoke and gave specific instructions to them. But this morning, I want you to know he wants to do the same to you. He wants to give specific instructions to

For you. For your life. He wants to lead you personally and be intimately involved in your decisions. Not just in church things, but in your life and at your work and in your education and wherever you go. God, He wants to be a part. He wants to speak to you and give you specific personal direction and instruction. Relationship goes two ways.

You speak to him and he listens. And we'll be talking about that next. But also, he speaks to you and you listen. It's a two-way street where you communicate with God, but he desires earnestly and greatly to communicate with you, to draw close to you, to speak to you. And how is it that God speaks to us? Well, he does so primarily through his word.

And that's why I always encourage you to spend time daily in the Word of God. Read your Bible and ask God to speak to you. He is able and He desires to. We just need to let Him. Look again what we see there at the end of verse 7. He says, It's a conditional thing. If you will hear His voice. The issue is not God's willingness to speak.

but our willingness to receive. And notice we don't have to earn it. He doesn't say, if you will hear His voice, then fast for two days. If you will hear His voice, then... No, He doesn't give some thing that you have to accomplish in order to hear His voice. The only thing that you have to do is don't harden your heart.

Don't soften your heart. Listen, if you want to hear God's voice, then keep your heart soft. Be open. Be receptive. Be looking expectantly at God for Him to speak to you. Israel did not enter because they did not believe God at His word. And so as you open your heart, as you are looking for God to speak to you, God will speak, but then you need to respond. And you need to be obedient to what He has put upon your heart.

You need to believe Him at His Word. And oftentimes, that's what happens to us as believers. We hear something along these lines, and we know God wants to speak to us, and so we're reading His Word, and we're being open, and we're asking God to speak, and then He speaks to us, and, but I didn't want to deal with that. I wanted you to speak to me about this thing, or this other, I wanted you to give me a spouse. You know, I wanted you to tell me who I'm supposed to marry, or what job I'm supposed to do. I didn't want to deal with the sin. I didn't want to deal with the sin.

Well, I didn't want to take that step of faith. And oftentimes what happens, God speaks to us, but we just don't like what we hear, just like the children of Israel. And so we wander around 40 years, you know, until we finally get it through our heads. Oh, God wants to take us in. He promises to go before us. He promises to give us victory. I would encourage you, you know, if you've been looking for, but it just doesn't seem like God's speaking to you, maybe you need to go back and remember, what was the last thing that you spoke to me, Lord?

Because when I stop listening because I don't want to hear it, when I stop listening because I don't want to change that or deal with that or take that step, I'm hardening my heart. And maybe I don't hear sometimes because I've hardened my heart because I'm not willing to hear from God because I don't want to do what He's telling me to do.

And if you haven't heard from God for a while, if God hasn't been speaking to you, that may be. He wants you to go back. And if you can't remember, then just dig into His Word. Continue to read and ask Him to reveal to you. He's gracious. He gives us multiple upon multiple chances. He's not going to cut you off. Ah, you forgot one time. That's it. Never again. No. He'll speak to you. But don't harden your heart. Look for God to speak, but be open and receptive and be willing to obey.

This morning I encourage you to open your Bible. Ask God to speak to you as you read his word and he will. And so each day we begin by knowing and considering that the Lord is God. Each day choose whom you will serve. Each day love the Lord and keep his commands. Each day hear God's voice and respond.

Hear God's voice and respond. I'm not sure if I gave you that one to write it down, but that's point number four. Hear God's voice and respond. Number five, we find in Matthew chapter six. Matthew chapter six, first book of the New Testament. And we want to look together at verses nine through 13. Matthew chapter six, verse nine says this.

In this manner, therefore, pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us not our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Please make sure you pray that prayer right. Don't say, forgive us not our debts. That's not a good one.

This is what is known as the Lord's Prayer. Now it should be noted it's not the magic prayer that you have to say it this specific way and you have to use the King James Version to really be heard. No, it's the model prayer.

Jesus says at the beginning, in this manner, therefore, pray. This is the model to follow after. And of course, there's so much here that we could go into and study in regards to prayer and the power of it, the importance of it, the necessity of it, the different types of prayer. Oh, there's so much we could go into. But I just want to point out one thing in this prayer, and that is this. How often did Jesus expect us to pray?

Look at verse 11. He says, Give us this day our daily bread. This day our daily bread. Again, relationship goes both ways. God wants to speak to you and will speak to you through His Word, but He also wants to hear from you daily on a regular basis.

Oh, it's so important for us. We need to spend time in prayer, sharing our hearts with God, interceding on behalf of others, presenting requests, asking for forgiveness. But here Jesus points out that the thing we must pray for daily is God's provision. He says you must learn to rely on Him in prayer. He's looking to God for provision. God, give me this day my daily bread.

We're not to rely upon our bank account for provision. We're not to rely upon our job to meet the bills. We're not to rely upon our 401k or our retirement to provide for us and take care of us. We're not to rely upon our parents. Our provision comes from God. He uses different channels, different means, but our provision, the one that we look to, the one that we rely upon is God.

And so Jesus expects us, in following the model, to pray daily, to spend time in prayer daily, presenting our needs and looking to God for provision, looking to Him for all that is necessary in our lives. So each day, know and consider that the Lord is God. Each day, choose whom you will serve.

Each day, love the Lord and keep His commands. Each day, hear God's voice and respond. And number five, each day or today, spend time in prayer. Today, each day, you and I need to spend time in prayer, relying upon God, looking to Him, letting our hope and trust and faith for provision be in Him. Number six,

We turn now back to Hebrews, this time chapter 3. Hebrews chapter 3. I don't hear enough pages turning. Are you there? Hebrews chapter 3. On your handout, there's also a place for the scripture reference. And I encourage you, please write these things down. Because I know that God has put this message upon my heart to share with you.

Not just to speak to you this morning, but to continue on. And I pray that you would take this seriously and look at these things this coming week and spend time each day remembering these things and meditating on what God is speaking to your heart. Because it's not about next week or next year or next month, but it's about today, but it's about each day.

Each day is a new day and we need to start out right in relationship with God. Walking with Him, choosing to follow Him, to love Him, to keep His commands. Spending time with Him in His Word on a daily basis. Spending time with Him in prayer on a daily basis. And here, number 6, we find in Hebrews chapter 3, verses 12 and 13, it says this,

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Here back in Hebrews, it's the same situation as before. Chapters 3 and 4 deal with the subject of the unbelief of the children of Israel in not entering into the promised land. The author of Hebrews is dealing with the issue of unbelief. Of what? Of God at His word.

Again, so important. We need to believe God at His Word and be obedient as He speaks to our hearts. But He says something specific here for us. Something that we're to be obedient in. And it's in regard to fellowship. In fact, here we see the importance of fellowship with one another. And so number six on your handout. Today, exhort one another. Today, this day.

exhorts one another. As a believer in Jesus Christ,

You are part of the body of Christ. None of us can survive without each other. We need each other. God has designed it that way and bound us together and made us different parts of the body of Christ so that we would rely upon one another and we need one another, Ephesians 4 tells us, so that we would be able to grow. We grow by what all the rest of the joints supply.

Now again, being a part of the body of Christ, there's so many areas that this affects, but here specifically, we see one issue, one command, one thing that we need to do, and that is that we need to encourage each other. You know how it is if you're a believer in Jesus Christ.

To be a believer, to be a Christian, is to be in a war. This is not an easy thing. It's not easy stuff that we're dealing with. We have Satan against us. The world is on his side and our flesh jumps in eagerly. There's a great danger of us departing from the living God, as Hebrews says. There's a danger of us falling away and we see it happen to Christians all the time.

And so God gives us this charge, us, the body of Christ, not a specific few, not a specific elite, not a specific role. Every believer as a part of the body of Christ, here's what we're called to do, encourage one another. You're charged with this task. Each day, every day, today, exhort one another.

That is, each date, find some way to encourage a fellow believer. Be it at work or at church, within your family or a neighbor. Somewhere, someone, find a person. Whether it be face-to-face or by a phone call with an email. However you can, encourage another believer. Verse 13 again says, exhort one another, how often? Daily.

As long as it's called today. It'll still be called today for a long time to come. There's not going to be a today when it's not called today. Every day. This day specifically. This day most importantly. Encourage another believer. Exhort another believer. Now the awesome thing about God is when you exhort someone else, when you encourage someone else, guess what? It also exhorts and encourages you.

Now specifically, the writer says, "...lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

Lest any of you depart from the living God, we need to encourage and exhort so that people are protected from sin and encouraged to stay away from sin, to walk with God and to draw close to Him. But as we encourage others to do that, we are also encouraged by the Lord to do the same. And we're encouraged to stay away from sin. We're encouraged to draw close to God and not fall away. We're encouraged to stay with Him in intimacy and fellowship.

It's important for you. It's important for me as the body of Christ each day to encourage another believer. Today, exhort one another. And so each day, know and consider that the Lord is God. Each day, choose whom you will serve. Each day, love the Lord and keep His commands. Each day, hear God's voice and respond.

Each day, spend time in prayer. Each day, exhort one another. The final portion for number seven, 2 Corinthians chapter 6. A couple books back to the left. I don't hear enough pages turning. 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Stay with me here. In 2 Corinthians chapter 6, let me give you the context very quickly.

At the end of chapter 5, we have a powerful passage where Paul explains that you and I have been given the ministry of reconciliation. We have been given the privilege, the responsibility of bringing others into right relationship with God.

And as he goes on in chapter 6, he says this in verses 1 and 2, We then, as workers together with him, also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

When is the day of salvation? Now. Today. This day is the day of salvation. And so number seven, what we are called to do. Number seven, what we need to do each day is today share as God gives you opportunity. Today share as God gives you opportunity.

Because now is the day of salvation. Now is the time that people need to hear the gospel message. Now is the time for us to partake in the ministry of reconciliation. Now is the time for us to share with others about the love of God. Not all of us are called to be evangelists. Not all of us have the gift of evangelism.

And so God is not necessarily expecting you to quit work and go hand out tracts and witness every day, though I would encourage you to be open to that. He might want to speak that to your heart. But God is expecting you. He's asking you to share as He gives you opportunity. As your co-worker is asking questions, as your neighbor is hurting, as your family is around for the holidays, as you have opportunity, share the gospel message.

determined to know nothing else but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Make it all about Jesus as you talk with people and have conversations. Make sure that you share, that you take opportunity to share the gospel message because today is the day of salvation. As you have opportunity, share the love of God. Share the good news of what He has done.

And so these seven things we find are the things that God wants us to do today. And we can determine, well, next week I'm going to do that. Or when things lighten up, you know, I'm really going to start to serve the Lord. Or once I get this deal or finish this or finish that, accomplish this, accomplish that. And we have all these great hopes and goals and intentions. But what God's really concerned about is today. Today. Today.

Know and consider that the Lord is God. Today, this day, choose whom will you serve. Today, love the Lord and keep His commands. Today, hear His voice and respond. Yesterday doesn't count. Yesterday is gone. Today, hear God's voice and respond. Today, spend time in prayer. Today, exhort one another. And today,

Share as God gives you opportunity. Again, the saying, the way that you live today is the way that you live your life. It's generally true. And if you will live today for the Lord, you will be living your life for the Lord.

But if you're waiting until some other time, if you're waiting until something else is accomplished, saying, one day I will serve the Lord, one day I will stop this sin, one day I'll get serious about reading the Bible, one day I'll have this prayer life, one day I'll serve in the body of Christ, what are you doing today?

No, it needs to be, today I will serve the Lord. Today I'm going to deal with this sin and this situation in my life. Today I'm going to get serious about spending time in the Word of God and prayer. Today I'm going to serve the body of Christ. We don't have to be overwhelmed with the burden of changing our life, making the New Year's resolution. Instead, we just need to look at today and decide today.

Choose in the strength of God to walk with Him that day. Now, some of you here might be dealing with or might be playing with sin. You might be involved in things that you know are wrong, that are not of God. And let me just share with you briefly that there's a big problem with that. No, you're not under the law. You are under grace. But the problem with playing with sin is that sin is...

deceptive. It's deceitful. That's what Hebrews chapter 4 told us, or chapter 3, that we're to exhort one another lest we be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, lest we fall away from God. If you're here, if you're playing with sin in your life, if you're allowing sin in your life and excusing it in your life,

You need to understand that the more you continue to play with sin, to live in sin, to be involved in sin, the more deceived you become and the harder your heart gets. Each time. Each time you continue in sin, you become more deceived.

Your heart becomes more hard. And so the problem is, the issue is, there's no guarantee that tomorrow you're going to repent. There's no guarantee that tomorrow you're going to come back and give that thing up because it gets harder as time goes on. As you continue to allow it, you become more deceived and more hard and you're not open and not willing to do the things that God is calling you to do.

The issue is not if you sin, you lose your salvation. No, the issue is if you sin, your heart gets hard, you get deceived, and you're going to wind up walking away from God because you allow sin to continue in your life. That's the danger of sin. It's not that God's out to get you because you've sinned. No, it's because it turns you away from Him and you don't even see it. You're blinded by it because sin is deceitful. You need to be warned. Tomorrow is not the day to deal with sin.

Next week, you know, we always feel, well, I have control of it. I know it's wrong and I can stop anytime I want to. Well, good, then stop today. Because you don't know if you'll even be willing to tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to deal with sin. Today is the day to walk with God. This morning there might be some who are listening and you do not have a relationship with God. Let me encourage you. Today is the day of salvation.

If you've not experienced a relationship with God, or if you have, but you've walked away, God says, today's your day. This is your day. This is your opportunity. This is your moment. God says, I offer to you eternal life, forgiveness, joy, inexplicable. Right now, today. Tomorrow isn't the day. It wasn't yesterday. You didn't miss it. It's today, right now.

God says, I want to free you from the bondage of sin and death. I want to set you free and forgive you. I want to give you the hope of eternity if you'll just receive the work that my son accomplished for you on the cross. You can try good works. You can make New Year's resolutions. But the only way to spend eternity with God is by receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

And if you do not have a relationship with God, if you're not in right standing with Him, that's what you need. If you don't have hope and you don't have peace, that's what you need. If you're burdened with guilt, if you're looking for forgiveness, it's Jesus Christ that you need in a relationship with Him. And today is your day. Now is the time He offers to you this precious gift.

for all of us. We need to not be consumed with next week, next month, this year, but instead today. Where do I stand in my relationship with God? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you that you haven't overwhelmed us and burdened us, Lord, with the task of perfecting everything overnight and being perfect in your sight.

Lord, we thank you that you already accomplished the work of perfection upon the cross. And now you simply ask us to live today for you, to walk with you today. And God, trust you to do the rest. So, Lord, I pray for all those who are here, Lord, that you would help us. God, we need your strength. We need your help. We need you to remind us, Lord, of these things. Lord, I pray that we would begin each day remembering these.

that you are God and that there is no other. Lord, that we would choose to serve you, Lord, and we would do so by loving you with all of our hearts and keeping your commands, listening to what you have to say and being obedient to it. God, I pray that you would give us a thirst and a desire to spend time in your word to hear from you. But Lord, help us not to have hardened hearts, but to be receptive and open. Help us to be looking to you to speak to us

about the situation that we're in, about the guidance that we need and the direction that we're lacking. God, help us to look to you to speak to us. Help us to allow you to minister personally to our hearts. God, I pray that you would help us to pray. Lord, to look to you for our needs, for our necessities, that we would rely upon you and spend time in prayer.

crying out and calling out to you, expressing our heart and expressing our fears, expressing the things that we're going through and looking to you to meet those needs and supply all that we lack. God, I pray that you would help us. Give us a great passion and love for one another. Lord, that we would exhort one another daily. God, that whatever means you put upon our hearts, we would reach out to another believer each day

and minister to them, encourage them in their walk with the Lord. And God, I pray that you would help us, give us a burden for the lost. Lord, that as often as we have opportunity, we would share your great news that through your Son, Jesus Christ, we have eternal life. By believing in him, we can be forgiven and be set free from guilt, from bondage to sin. Lord, thank you. Lord, I pray for any who are here that have

Never made a commitment to you, Jesus. Lord, I pray for those who are listening to this and they haven't received you as their Lord and Savior. God, speak to their hearts that today is the day of salvation. Lord, you love them so dearly. Draw them to yourself that they might experience the fullness of what you have, of who you are, of how amazing you are to us. We thank you, God, that though you are great and mighty,

You have humbled yourself to become Emmanuel, God with us. And Lord, may that be our hearts this year as we step out today and tomorrow. Lord, that we would dwell with you and be serious about our relationship with you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.