Today has been a wonderful Lord’s day – the last Sunday of the year.  Some Sunday will be our last Sunday on earth.  The dawn of a new year will be nothing in comparison with the dawn of a new age.  Jesus is coming!

Pastor Sexton unveiled the new year’s emphasis for Temple Baptist Church and Crown College to our people today.  Hudson Taylor was famous for saying, “God is always advancing.”  This is our motto for 2013.  God’s people are not to “hold the fort”, they are to charge “the gates of hell” with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

While it is easy to bemoan the sad decay of society and the moral cliff our own nation has gone over, we must remember that God is still advancing His cause!  Jesus came while immoral Herod was ruling the nation of Israel.  The Kingdom of God flourished while wicked Caesar reigned.  The New Testament church multiplied while Nero unleashed his most terrible persecution.  God is always advancing.  And we must advance with Him.

In Pastor’s words, “We are standing on the threshold of a new year, make the right choices!”  Faith.  Family.  Freedom.  Friendship.  These are the areas where we must advance.

The mark of a new year brings many commitments.  Most of which are quickly broken (especially the ones about diet and exercise!).  The key to God’s blessing is not a one time commitment but daily choices.  By God’s grace let’s choose to advance with the Lord this year.