Thank you. January 1 is a natural time for both reflection and anticipation. Janus was
a pagan god of the Romans. Janus was depicted as having two faces, one looking forward,
the other back. Thus we have the month of January named after him. Because as the beginning
of the year, it's a time when we both look forward and look back. I suppose partly as
a result of this tendency, we make resolutions during this time. And those are not necessarily
wrong, are they? They are attempts to renew action in our lives that we know we should
take. They are not necessarily bad. But tonight, rather than talking about New Year's resolutions,
I would like to talk about New Year reminders. In the New Testament, the Greek word reminder
is used only three times as a noun. The context of each of these occurrences tells us something
that should be a reminder for the New Year as we look at 1984. The first occasion is
found in 2 Timothy chapter 1, and I invite you to take your Bible and turn there with
me. 2 Timothy chapter 1. As the apostle Paul writes the last of his inspired letters, he
writes to his dear son in the faith, Timothy. As he begins the epistle in verse 5, he says
to him, For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother
Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that is in you as well. In that very first
phrase, we have the word reminder. Literally, the apostle says, taking recollection or taking
reminder of the sincere faith within you. The apostle Paul could have begun this letter
by speaking of Timothy's timidity, for Timothy apparently was that kind of person. But instead
of speaking about a negative trait in this young man, he rather points to something on
a positive note, and that is his sincere faith. He encourages Timothy as one who had a sincere
genuine faith. I see here the principle of encouragement, and I believe the apostle tells
us as we face 1984, we should encourage people. This is a reminder to encourage. I think of
the early church and what they did for Apollos. Apollos was a mighty and eloquent speaker
who was being used of God to the extent that he knew what to preach. But he knew only about
the baptism of John, it tells us in Acts 18. Therefore Aquila and Priscilla, two of God's
choice servants, a husband-wife team, took him aside and instructed him more thoroughly
in the things of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says furthermore that the believers there
took him in and encouraged him, particularly as he desired to go to Achaia and serve the
Lord there. Not only did they encourage him, but they sent letters before him commending
him to the brothers there. What did they do for Apollos at a very critical point in his
life when they could have put him down because he wasn't preaching the whole message? He
hadn't heard it to that point apparently. Instead of putting him down, they rather encouraged
him and helped him along the way. Encouragement in its definition in the dictionary means
to inspire with courage, spirit, or strength of mind, to give confidence to, to give support
to. George M. Adams said, encouragement is oxygen to the soul. Do you realize that around
us every day there are people who are in critical need for soul CPR? They need to be encouraged
and they are suffering under soul asphyxiation. They need some of this soul oxygen that we
are talking about. You say, well why should I be an encourager? Let me give you three
quick reasons. Number one, because in doing so you will imitate God. God himself is named
the God of all encouragement who encourages us. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 3 and 4.
God himself is an encourager. Furthermore, in sending the Holy Spirit, Jesus named him
the Paraclete, the one who would comfort, who would encourage, who would come along
the side of the Lord's people and help them. A second reason as to why to be an encourager
is because in doing so you will obey God. God says that we are to encourage one another.
He says encourage the faint-hearted. A third reason to be an encourager is that you will
be appreciated by your friend whom you encourage. In Philippians chapter 1 the apostle writes
to that dear church and he says to them, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.
Then he goes right on to explain why, because they have been partners with him in his ministry.
So that's why you should be an encourager. You will imitate God, you will obey God, and
you will be appreciated by those you do encourage. May I talk to you a moment, husband? Could
it be that you are living with a person who needs your encouragement, your spouse? When
was the last time you said a word of encouragement or did an encouraging deed to help her? Don't
ask her, she may tell you. I remember at the birth of our first child, that was an event
for which I was nearly totally unprepared in a lot of ways. But I did not know what
to expect in the hospital for sure. I hadn't been through any of the classes you see. In
those days they didn't allow the husbands, not that it was that long ago either, but
in those days just a few days ago they didn't allow husbands in the delivery room, but I
could be in the labor room with my wife. I remember that in the process of her travail,
the nurse who was in the room at that point looked up at me and said to me, as only she
could, tell her she's doing good. I took one look at the nurse and I obeyed. So I began
to encourage my wife and I said, honey, you're doing great. You know what made a lot of difference
to her, she tells me. Encourage your wife, encourage your husband, encourage your children.
When was the last time you really took one of your children aside and said some things
that would build that esteem in your child? Have you ever written a letter to your child?
Child lives at home with you. Have you ever taken time to pen a few thoughts in a letter
and say, honey, here are some reasons I love you, here are my goals for your life, here
are some things I appreciate about you? Have you thought about your co-workers who need
encouragement? Or about your boss? You say, wait a minute, I'm the one who needs the encouragement,
I'm the employee. Sometimes a boss needs encouragement. What about those who work with you or below
you? What about your teachers? You see, it's a lot easier for us to be negative and critical.
That's more human. But what is more godly is to encourage. Now in doing that, we need
to avoid flattery. We've got to be honest. But somehow we should look for something good
and genuine for which to praise and encourage that individual. Only the things that I have
done to help me is to start an encouragement file. Every now and then someone will send
me a nice note which I appreciate and I stick it in that encouragement file. And on a blue
Monday or Thursday or whatever it happens to be, occasionally I'll open up that file
and pull out those reminders from days or months or even years past when someone wrote
a note to encourage me. Maybe you want to start an encouragement file too. As you face
1984, let me remind you, be an encourager. And then turn with me to 2 Peter chapter 1.
You see the second use of the noun reminder in the New Testament. Peter says, and I consider
it right as long as I am in this earthly dwelling that is in his body, as long as he's alive,
to stir you up by way of reminder. To stir up means to wake up, literally, to wake up
from one's sleep. He says, I want to awaken you by way of this reminder. I want to put
this into your mind. And what he is reminding us here is that we are to increase. We are
to grow. We are to mature in the Lord. In the previous verses, he suggests that there
are two ways for us to enter heaven, abundantly or barely. In other words, we as believers
can enter heaven with great reward or we can enter heaven without reward. May I again distinguish
tonight the difference between salvation and rewards. The lack of making that distinction
has led a lot of people into error regarding especially the security of the believer. Salvation
is a gift. Rewards are our earnings. Salvation we receive by grace through faith. Rewards
we earn by our faithfulness and works. Peter here is talking about our entering into heaven
with great reward. How do we do that? We must back up even further into the chapter and
notice what he begins to say in verse 5. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence.
In your faith, supply moral excellence. And in your moral excellence, knowledge. And in
your knowledge, self-control. And in your self-control, perseverance. And in your perseverance,
godliness. And in your godliness, brotherly kindness. And in your brotherly kindness,
love. Here he tells us how we are to increase. It is in our character. Or to put it another
way, in our Christ likeness. We are to increase, to grow, to mature. How are we to do this?
He tells us what our responsibility is. He says we are to supply generously for. We are
to apply our diligence in doing this. And then he mentions eight characteristics. He
begins with faith. That is the attitude of trust and dependence upon god. That is what
saves us in the first place. And then he says out of our faith, we are to supply moral excellence.
Now the picture here is of a telescope. Do you remember those telescopes that children
used to be able to buy? They'd be compacted about this long and then you'd pull them out.
All the sections fit inside of the bigger section. And then you'd pull them out one
section at a time until you had the telescope. That's the picture he uses here. He says now
faith brings you the whole piece. But out of that faith, your first extension, he says,
should be moral excellence. That is uprightness. It means a courageous stand. Out of your basic
faith, go on to increase in moral excellence in your life. Let me suggest a project as
to how that could be done. The next time you see an opportunity to stand up for Jesus Christ,
do that. Whatever the cost may be, whether people will mock you or scoff you, don't even
think about it. But stand up for Jesus Christ and let that experience build courage in you
to stand. Out of moral excellence, he says, we are to go on to supply knowledge. The idea
is here a deepening understanding and perception of God. To come to know him in a deeper way.
God is holy, therefore, he says, moral excellence comes first. And once holiness has begun to
be worked into our lives, then we can come to know God in a deeper way. A project? Well,
perhaps reading the Bible through in 1984, using one of the plans that we have available
for you out there in the lobby. Or memorizing a certain passage of scripture. Maybe you
want to take Romans 8 or John 14. One of the significant chapters of the Bible and spend
time memorizing a verse a week at least. How about majoring on a book a month? Perhaps
you would want to take the book of Ephesians, spend the month of January studying that.
Then in February you may want to take an Old Testament book and study that. Maybe just
one Psalm. But major on a portion of God's word and come to know God through a deepening
understanding of his word. And then he says, from that deepening, knowledge of God provide
for self-control. And very frankly, the thought here is self-control of sensual appetites.
As you come to know God, bring your appetites under his control and dominion. Let me suggest
a project. Perhaps you need to bring under control your eating. I don't know why I start
there. Holidays are over, I guess. We're all ready to start a diet. Maybe that's the reason.
How about setting down the principle that you will limit yourself to one helping of
food at a meal? You're not going to take seconds for the month of January or for a period of
time. Perhaps you'll want to say, I'm going to set on the alarm clock. Perhaps you'll
want to say, I'm going to turn the television off. Maybe for a whole week you'll say, I'm
not even going to watch television. Not even the Christian station. Maybe that's what should
happen. Well, he says, we are to supply self-control. Then perseverance. The idea of perseverance
is patience. We're to supply for a control of our reactions. Maybe one way to do that
is to imagine Jesus Christ sitting in the car seat with you as you drive down the express
way and somebody pulls over in front of you. Maybe it'll be involved in choosing to ignore
a snubbing from someone. Perseverance. Then he says godliness should come out of that.
That is a reverence for God, a respect for spiritual things. Perhaps a project here would
be to listen to the news and read the newspaper and as you do that, to try to gain God's perspective.
What does God say about this? What is God's view of this event? A respect for spiritual
things. Godlikeness. Then he says brotherly kindness. Here we come to family care, family
loyalty. Perhaps a project would be to have an open house for your small church, to send
a note to a shut-in or to a family member, to prepare a dinner for a needy family. Brotherly
kindness. Then he gives the final extension. He says increase in love. He begins with faith
and he says love is the natural sign of maturity, of a full extension of character. The love
here is sacrificial love. A deed of love and kindness for one who is even ungrateful and
undeserving. He tells us that if we increase like this, there are several things that will
happen. In verses 8 and 9 he says we'll be spiritually useful and fruitful. In verse
10 he says it will confirm our profession of faith. He says therefore brethren be the
more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing you. The idea is that as you
grow and mature that will give you assurance. It will confirm your profession of faith in
Christ. He says furthermore that it will keep us from stumbling in verse 10 if we increase.
And then finally he says in verse 11 we'll have great reward in heaven. As a reminder
for 1984 will you increase? Will you mature? How are you going to do it then? What will
you do on your part to see that you do increase? What project of yours that we've mentioned
will you focus on? What one will you create for yourself? You say well spiritual growth
that comes from God doesn't it? Yes, there is an aspect that comes from God but there
is another aspect just as vital that comes from us in which we have responsibility as
he says here in all diligence to supply for these character traits in our lives. Now the
third time the word reminder is used is in chapter 3 and verse 1 where he says this is
now beloved the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere
mind by way of reminder. He goes on to remind them of the words of the apostles and prophets
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Words regarding the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he
says that despite the fact that we are living in difficult days and the last days we are
to endure. We are to endure knowing that God will keep his promise and even though there
will be those who say well where is the promise of his coming? We believe that Jesus is coming.
Of course it could be that 1984 will be the year, the year of his return. It could be
that in the next 12 months that trumpet will sound that people have talked about for the
last 2000 years and we will be caught up to be with the Lord in the air ever to be with
him. As we face 1984 and the frankly difficult days I believe that are ahead for our nation
let this be a reminder to us as it was a reminder to Peter's readers that we are to endure.
We are not to allow ourselves to be discouraged and drowned down by the age around us and
even though it gets very dark even though there will be those who say he is not coming.
We are to be faithful and steadfast and enduring knowing that what God has promised he will
do. Who is it that needs your word or your deed of encouragement? Who is it? How will
you do it? When will you do it? What steps do you need to take so that you will spiritually
increase in 1984? So that if the Lord tarries and you are here for 1985 to be born you can
look back over the preceding 12 months and say yes here are areas of my life where I
have increased. Maybe you are at the point tonight of readying to give up on some project
that you are involved in or some ministry or some relationship and you say I have had
it. May I encourage you to endure, to hang in there. God hasn't failed in one word of
any of his promises. He will strengthen you, he will be with you. Jesus is coming, endure,
hang in there, be faithful and God will bless you. Let's pray. Father in heaven, however
this brief challenge from your word may strike us tonight individually, I pray that we may
have the insights as well as the obedience to follow through. And I pray that we as individual
believers in 1984 will follow the counsel of your word as we have been reminded tonight.
Father we are appreciative of life and health which most of us enjoy. May we be good stewards
of it as we walk with you through each day that you give us in this world. In Jesus name,
Amen.