Collierville First Baptist Church

00;00;00;00 - 00;00;35;25
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Don't you praise God for what he's done? Just stop. Just a moment and think of all that he's done in your life. Think about it. From the moment you were born until this moment. Think of all that he's done in your life. I tell you, it's staggering. Stunning to see all the the wonder and the grace, the power of God, his activity in our lives.

00;00;35;27 - 00;01;06;15
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Let's have a word of prayer. Father, in the name of Jesus. I thank you so much for the privilege of baptizing little Mandy. Father, I pray that you would be with Keith and Angie and Mandy. I pray that you would bless them. I pray. Heavenly father, that you would be honored and glorified in and through their lives. And Lord, I thank you for all you've done.

00;01;06;18 - 00;01;32;15
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I thank you that you would send your son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins, and you would raise him from the dead so that we might be justified before you. Thank you, Heavenly Father. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all you've done. May you be honored and glorified as we observe the Lord's Supper today in your honor.

00;01;32;17 - 00;02;12;15
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In Jesus precious name. Amen. So I want to speak to you today, the last Sunday of 2024. I want to speak to you on this subject. A new Year's resolution. It's that time of year we can almost kiss 2024 goodbye. And at the same time, we anticipate the arrival of a new year 2025. Have you made any New Year's resolutions yet?

00;02;12;18 - 00;02;58;26
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Life is measured in time. The passing of time is the passing of life. Time is temporary. Life is eternal. The Bible goes to great lengths in emphasizing the proper use of time. In Psalm chapter nine, verse 12, the Bible says, so teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom. In Ephesians chapter five, verse 16 and 17, the Bible says, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

00;02;58;28 - 00;03;25;17
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So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And then James chapter four, verses 13 and 14. Come now you say, today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.

00;03;25;20 - 00;03;55;06
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You're just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. So here's a question. Where can we get our best advice? As we begin to think through what's coming in the new year and what our New Year's resolutions might be, I did something I don't think I've ever done this before. I jumped on the computer this morning and I went to.

00;03;55;06 - 00;04;29;25
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I asked of facial intelligence and I said, can you help me with New Year's resolutions? And here's what I artificial intelligence suggested in the way of New Year's resolutions. Spend quality time. Strengthen communication with loved ones. Plan date night. Join clubs with shared interests. Number two set achievable goals. Choose a specific goal that you can realistically work towards.

00;04;29;28 - 00;04;55;27
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Number three learn a new hobby. A hobby can be a great way to give your mind a break from work or family. Number four improve your diet. But they all say that, right? Improve your diet. Small steps like eating breakfast every morning or adding more grains to your diet can help. Now, I love turnip greens. That's not hard for me.

00;04;55;29 - 00;05;28;25
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Number five save money. Set a goal to put a certain amount of money in your savings account each month. And finally, extra size outside. Instead of going to the gym, try exercising outdoors with a friend or spouse. Now that's pretty common resolutions that I suggest for us, right? But let me ask you, do you see anything that's notably missing in their advice?

00;05;28;27 - 00;06;02;20
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What about spiritual things? There's not one spiritual thing. And as advice about resolutions for the new year, can I suggest that if you want real advice for your New Year's resolutions, turn to God. Seek God's advice. Well, what do you mean, pastor? Well, let me give you some scriptures. Proverbs chapter eight, verses 34 and 35 says this. Blessed is the man who listens to me.

00;06;02;21 - 00;06;35;04
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This is God who listens to God watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts. For he who finds me. God finds life and obtains favor from God. Proverbs chapter 16, verse three. Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16 verse nine. The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

00;06;35;06 - 00;07;00;09
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Having studied the Bible and seeking to understand the connection between time and life, I want to suggest a New Year's resolution for every person in this room and every person watching live stream. I promise you, my advice is better than God's advice, because my advice is not only good for this life, it's also good for the next life.

00;07;00;16 - 00;07;25;02
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You do realize that when God created you and place you in your mother's womb, he gave you an immortal soul. Your soul is going to live forever. Either in heaven with God or in hell separated from God. Your soul is immortal. So what I'm about to suggest to you as your new number one New Year's resolution is important.

00;07;25;03 - 00;07;59;28
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Here it is. Are you ready? I will glorify the Lord Jesus in 2025. Now that's a novel resolution, you say. Well, I would expect you to say that since you're a pastor. It doesn't matter whether you're a pastor, a coach, a girls basketball player, a football player, a student, a plumber, an electrician. I don't care who you are or what you do, that is good advice for anybody and everybody within the sound of my voice.

00;08;00;02 - 00;08;32;28
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I will glorify the Lord Jesus. In 2025. So as this year draws to a close and the new year approaches, what better way to glorify the Lord Jesus? And by honoring him through the observance of the Lord's Supper in the final hours of his earthly life? The Lord Jesus gathered his disciples in the upper room and he he said many things to them there in the upper room.

00;08;32;28 - 00;09;07;29
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It was a compact, pivotal moment for the future of those disciples. But Jesus said, this in Luke chapter 22, verse 19. He said, do this in remembrance of me. And he offered them the bread which symbolized the body of Jesus, which would be sacrificed on the cross for them. And he gave them the wine which symbolized the blood of Christ, that would redeem them from their sins.

00;09;08;01 - 00;09;46;00
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You see, memory does some things for us. Our memory anchors us to the past. It interprets the present, and it charts a course for the future to glorify the Lord Jesus. In 2025. We must number one. Number one. Remember who he is. Take your Bible. Look at revelation chapter one. Revelation chapter one. I'm going to begin reading in verse one.

00;09;46;02 - 00;10;13;26
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The Bible says the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his to his bond servants the things which must soon take place. And he sent and communicated it by his angel to his bond servant John. Now I want you to remember this. This was a very difficult time for Christians. It was the first century, toward the end of the first century.

00;10;13;28 - 00;10;50;00
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The mission. The Roman Emperor had proclaimed that he was God, and he demanded that everybody bow the knee and worship him. As God committed, Christians could not do that. So they were severely persecuted. That's why John had been exiled to the Isle of Patmos. And the Bible goes on to say in verse two, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

00;10;50;03 - 00;11;34;21
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Blessed is he who reads in those who hear the words of the prophecy, and he the things which are written in it for the time is near. And then verse four, John, to the seven churches that are in Asia. Grace to you, and peace from him who he is and who was and who is to come. And from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth, to him who loves us and released us from our sins by his blood.

00;11;34;24 - 00;12;03;05
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And he has made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father. To him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. So John would agree with the resolution that we're presenting today, and that is that in two 2025, we glorify the Lord Jesus. Now, I want you to notice what he said in these early verses.

00;12;03;07 - 00;12;34;11
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He said, Grace to you in peace. I tell you, the Triune God provides grace and peace in our most difficult circumstances. Maybe you're going through a difficult time in your life. Maybe you're going through a difficult time as a family. I tell you, the Triune God, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, all of whom are co-equal, provides the grace and peace you need at the most needful pivotal times in your life.

00;12;34;13 - 00;12;57;04
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And then from him who is, who was, and who is to come. That's God the Father. God the father is such sovereign over the present, the past, and the future. And from the seven spirits who are before his throne, this speaks of the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God. If you're a born again believer, you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

00;12;57;05 - 00;13;23;20
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The Holy Spirit of God resides in you. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit has made your body his temple, and the Bible says we are to glorify God in our bodies. And then the Bible goes on to say in verse five, and from Jesus Christ. The name Jesus means Savior. Can I tell you there's only one Savior for the entire world?

00;13;23;22 - 00;13;51;10
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There's only one Savior that can save us from our sins. I don't care if we live in America. I don't care if we live in in Australia. I don't care where we live on the face of this planet. There's only one Savior and his name is the Lord Jesus Christ. And the word Christ means Messiah. The long awaited Jewish Messiah had come, and he calls him the faithful witness.

00;13;51;12 - 00;14;14;29
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You see, Jesus was what the Bible prophesied to be the prophet. He's the prophet, and then he's the firstborn of the dead. He is the priest who offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins, and he's been resurrected from the dead so that we might be justified before God the Father. And he's the ruler of the kings of the earth.

00;14;14;29 - 00;14;45;15
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He is the King of kings. I want you to understand Jesus fulfills many Old Testament prophecies, but I want you to understand he fulfills three primary ones. That is, he is prophet. He is priest, and he is King, King of kings and Lord of lords. So if we're going to glorify the Lord Jesus in 2025, we must remember who he is.

00;14;45;18 - 00;15;14;20
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Secondly, we must remember what he's done. We just sang about that, right? Remember what he's done. The Bible says in verse five to him who loves us, can I tell you this? The Lord Jesus Christ loves you. You may have made a mess out of your life. You may. You may have failed so many times. But I tell you on the authority of God's Word, he loves you.

00;15;14;22 - 00;15;43;26
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God loves you. He cares about you. He wants to help you. He wants to give you a new start and a new life in Christ. To him who loves us and released us from our sins by his blood. Here John points his readers back to the cross of Calvary. True forgiveness rests solely on the sacrifice of God's Son on the cross.

00;15;43;29 - 00;16;08;01
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I want you to understand there's nothing you can do to earn forgiveness for your sin. Nothing I you can go to church so you're blue in the face. I can tell you this. Going to church is not going to win you forgiveness for your sins. Only Jesus, a Son of God who went to the cross of Calvary and spilled his royal blood on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins.

00;16;08;04 - 00;16;43;10
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Only he can forgive your sins and release you from your sins. I tell you, it is a wonderful thing to lay your head on a pillow at night and know that the God of heaven has forgiven all of your sins, all of past, present, and give this even the ones that you will commit in the future. They're all forgiven, not because of who you are or what you've done, but because of who Jesus is and because of what he has done for you.

00;16;43;13 - 00;17;11;23
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In revelation chapter one, verse six, the Bible says, And he has made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. So understand this. And if you're a born again believer in this room, if you have truly repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord, you are a part of his kingdom.

00;17;11;25 - 00;17;43;01
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And the Bible said, not only you're a part of his kingdom, but you are his priest. You're his priest. The church is a kingdom, a priest. God's people exercise spiritual authority, serving him in this broken world. Now imagine what this meant to these first Christians who would receive revelation. The book of revelation, the letter of revelation from John.

00;17;43;03 - 00;18;20;02
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You're going to understand that this particular time in the first century, these Christians were considered garbage by the Roman Empire. Garbage. Hey, we've been called garbage to. But I tell you on the authority of God's Word that from heaven's perspective, God loves you. He is released you from your sins. He's made you a part of his kingdom, and he is anointed you and dubbed you one of this priest.

00;18;20;04 - 00;18;57;20
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You're special to him and he cares about you. Now look at this. The Bible says to him, be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. So John burst into praise and adoration as he rehashes what God has done in his life. Listen, if you're a born again believer in this room, do not sink beneath the dignity of your calling.

00;18;57;23 - 00;19;29;00
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You are called by God to be a part of the kingdom of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You are called by God to be a priest, to live a holy and pure life, to honor him, to glorify him. The word glory speaks of the intrinsic value of the Lord Jesus Christ. He deserves to have dominion over our lives, over this church and over the world.

00;19;29;03 - 00;19;49;07
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Oh church, here's a worthy resolution for us in this new year. I will glorify the Lord Jesus in 2025. Now we can do that. If we remember who he is, we remember what he's done, and we remember how he's exalted.

00;19;49;09 - 00;20;16;08
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We start every year thinking, this is the year I'm going to turn over a new leaf. I'm going to cut out some stuff I shouldn't be doing and want to start doing some stuff I should be doing. But you know, if you go out in your yard and you pick up a leaf and you turn it over, guess what it says dirty on the backside as it is on the front side.

00;20;16;10 - 00;20;39;09
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Turning over a new leaf is not going to cut it with God. It's not going to cut it with God. We promise ourselves over and over that we're going to do some things and quit some things. And then about 12 months later, we look in the mirror and we realize that somewhere around the last of January or the middle of February, we just blew it all together.

00;20;39;11 - 00;21;03;25
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By the way, statistics say New Year's resolutions last until about the end of January or the middle of February, turning over a new leaf, making a resolution that has no spiritual teeth to it is not going to cut it with God. It's not going to make a difference in your life. It's not going to put a spring in your step.

00;21;03;28 - 00;21;15;18
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Now listen. Jesus never fails. He never fails. You can say, well, I'm going to I'm going to eat better this year.

00;21;15;20 - 00;21;36;12
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You can say, well, I'm going to exercise more this year. You can do all this stuff that artificial intelligence says you should do. And at the end of the year, you've not moved the ball down the field in your spiritual life at all. At all.

00;21;36;14 - 00;22;11;21
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A Christian is not someone who just joins a church without having their life transformed by the power of the gospel. A Christian is someone who has been deeply convicted of their sins. A Christian is someone who has has godly sorrow over the sin in their lives, and as a result, they turn to Jesus and receive him by faith as their Savior and their Lord.

00;22;11;21 - 00;22;44;00
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Let me ask you a question. Are you ready to believe in Jesus? I tell you what. I wish you could have been up there a few minutes ago. I asked little Mandy. I say Mandy, have you believed in Jesus? Say yes sir. I said, Mandy, I'm going to ask you a question when I baptize you. I'm going to ask you what?

00;22;44;00 - 00;23;21;13
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Your relationship with Jesus. I said, what are you going to say? Well, Mandy said, Jesus is my savior and Lord. I'll tell you what. I wish all of us had the faith of a child, that pure faith of a little child. Do you have it? Is Jesus your saving your Lord? Are you playing some kind of game? Now, look, I don't have X-ray vision.

00;23;21;14 - 00;23;51;04
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I can't look in your heart and soul and tell if you're for real or not. I can't do it. But I tell you, who knows? Jesus knows if it's for real or not. And I want to invite you today before we step over into 2025. I want to invite you today to receive Jesus by faith as your Savior and your Lord.

00;23;51;07 - 00;24;25;24
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Let me tell you what Jesus said about that in John 647. Jesus said this. He said, truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. He who believes has eternal life. Well, what's the opposite of that? What if you don't believe? What do you mean? It is a game. What have you just playing the religious card.

00;24;25;26 - 00;24;51;11
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What do you get if he who believes has eternal life. He who does not believe what does not have eternal life. You're not saved. You're not forgiven of your sins. And we can all change today. If you're willing to turn from your sin and place your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord. And I want to invite you to do that.

00;24;51;11 - 00;25;14;02
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I'm going to ask our staff to come, our worship team to come. We're going to give you an opportunity right here, right now to make the most important decision in your entire life. It's a decision that will define your eternity. So if you would like to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord, come to one of our staff members.

00;25;14;04 - 00;25;44;25
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Just tell him that today I want to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. We'll help you with that decision. I encourage you to come. Don't. Don't wait another day. Don't wait until 2025. Knock it out in 2024. You know why? You're not even guaranteed you're going to live into 2025. Neither am I. Give your heart to Jesus today.

00;25;44;27 - 00;26;21;09
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But many of you in this room, many of you watching live stream, you are Christians. You've received Jesus as Savior and your Lord. Let me ask you a question. Do you desire to be a better Christian in 2025 than you were in 2024? You know, I've set some goals for myself. In fact, when I finish preaching through the Gospel of John, my quiet time I was reading through John once awake gospel John once a week, once a week.

00;26;21;11 - 00;26;49;22
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And when I finished I said, Lord, what do you want me to do next? And it was like the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart that he wanted me to read the Bible through again. I've read through many times, and so I've started about midway in November, and I started reading in Genesis one one and Psalm one, verse one, and I'm reading through the Old Testament, and I'll move over to the New Testament at some point.

00;26;49;24 - 00;27;25;06
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I'm doing that not because I have to. It's because I love the Lord and I want to glorify him. In 2025, how could I possibly glorify him if I don't desire to read the Bible, if I don't desire to pray? So maybe you're a believer in this room and the Spirit of God has touched your heart. Maybe you want to come to the altar and just make a commitment that you're going to do some things, and it's going to make an eternal difference in your life this year and spiritual growth.

00;27;25;09 - 00;27;53;00
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You come to the altar and you pray, and you made that commitment to Jesus. Let me pray. Heavenly father, thank you so much for our time together this morning. I pray. Heavenly father, that the Spirit of God would work in our hearts. I pray that believers would have a desire to glorify Jesus in 2025. I pray that unbelievers would come to faith in Christ this morning.

00;27;53;02 - 00;28;04;16
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Lord, be glorified as we seek to honor you with our response today. In Jesus name, Amen. Let's stand in worship and you come as God leads you.