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Living Hope SDA Church

Christian Martin

From Resolution to Redemption

The news revealed to us that we're living in very, very unique times, A time when the need is greatest to go and light our world.

You know, and the countdown clock is slowly ticking as we approach the end of the year.

You know, and for many, New Year resolutions mean an opportunity for a fresh and new start.

It's an opportunity to be able to achieve goals and dreams.

For many, it's a time of reflection, a reflection of the past.

What lessons can be learned from what we experienced?

You know, And making new resolutions can be a sense of, can give us a sense of focus, a sense of where do I want to be at the end of this next year?

And over the years, you know, I've made some personal resolutions myself that have ranged from sticking to an ultra-vegan, 100% plant-based diet for the year, which I pulled off, believe it or not, to saying, I love you to everyone in my family every day of the year.

From drinking a gallon of water every day to running at least a mile every day, to reading through the entire Bible and the Conflict of the Ages series together.

Everyone has their own dream, their own goals.

And it's also an opportunity for a shared experience with friends and family and even a community of faith.

And so what if, what if, what if 2024, 2024 was the year when you experience the joy of knowing that you were influential.

Yes, you, in the hands of God, being useful for the Master, you played a key role in adding your friend's name to the Book of Life.

What if 2024 was the year when you, useful in the hands of the Master, gave glory to God by increasing His Kingdom?

My message today is entitled, From Resolution to Redemption, Finding Joy in Leading 1 to Jesus.

Would you bow your heads with me as we pray.

Father in Heaven, your goodness has been so amazing.

You've given us countless blessings, many that we have not even recalled.

And Lord, we know that as we prepare for a new year, that you have precious, precious thoughts towards us.

So many that the sand of the sea cannot outnumber them.

And today, Lord, as we meditate on your word, we pray, Lord, that you would reveal to us the resolution that will ultimately give us the greatest joy.

And we thank you Lord in Jesus name, amen.

In her book entitled Daring to Ask for More, highly recommended, written by Melody Mason, she writes a story that at the start of chapter 3, I wanna share with you.

She wrote, John Hyde, also known as Prane Hyde, was a missionary to India in the early 1900s and had such an all-consuming burden for the salvation of souls that he would not stop praying until God brought another soul, and then another soul to the truth.

At 1 time, he was convicted that he needed to pray for at least 1 soul a day.

For the following year, it was an extraordinary prayer challenge, and some even mocked him, saying it was unreasonable and presumptuous.

However, he had peace from God, and he pressed forward in prayer, and God answered.

It certainly wasn't easy praying through those so many long nights and fasting in agony through those long days, but he persisted and God gave him the victory.

At the end of that year, more than 400 souls had come to know Jesus directly through his efforts.

Reflecting on this year, his friend Francis McCaw wrote, Was he satisfied after seeing 1 soul a day come to Christ?

How could he possibly be so long as his Lord was not?

How could our Lord be satisfied so long as 1 single sheep was yet outside of his fold?

The next year Hyde pleaded with the Lord for greater blessings.

God answered again, and more than 800 souls were converted.

Still not satisfied, his burden and cry for souls grew heavier and heavier.

Knowing that Christ deserves the lives of those he died to save.

The following year, he again laid hold of God with the holy desperation, pleading for 4 souls a day.

It took weeks of praying, weeks of weeping, weeks of wrestling with the Lord before he once again had the confident assurance that God had heard and would answer, And God did.

And his prayer, Oh God, Give me souls or I die.

That would become 1 of his most famous prayers.

And for that reason, Prane Hyde had 19 fruitful years in India.

And his last words before dying in 1912 were, shout the victory of Jesus Christ.

And with those words, he breathed his last.

You know, he led many to the water of life.

And consequently, his own thirst was satisfied.

You know, true are the words of wisdom found in Proverbs 11.25.

I'd like to invite you to open your Bibles to that proverb.

It's a proverb that I want us to really meditate on in Proverbs 11.

Proverbs chapter 11, chapter 11, verse 25.

There King Solomon wrote the words, Proverbs chapter 11, verse 25, the generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself." John Hyde was able to live a fruitful life.

He was able to say on his deathbed, shout a victory to Jesus Christ.

And Proverbs also says in verse 30, just in that same chapter, in verse 30, as we read just earlier, the psalmist says, or the wise psalman wrote in Proverbs there in verse 30, the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he who wins souls is wise, is wise.

That is to say that the New Year's resolution to win souls to lead 1 person to Christ is wise.

A perfect acronym for us to recognize that there's wisdom in saving souls.

The spirit-infused Challenge is for you to play an instrumental role in leading someone to accept Jesus in 2024.

And you and God have 12 months, 365 days, 52 weeks to meet the challenge.

And I can guarantee you, you will rejoice with heaven when that person is baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and becomes an active, modern-day disciple of Christ.

You will see with your eyes, it's gonna be measurable, And you'll rejoice with heaven when that day comes.

It's the will of God for you to achieve this goal.

It's in this chapter that we see the revealed will of God.

And when God says, This is what I want to see happen.

You better believe that when you engage with him, when you participate with God, great things will happen.

And there in 1st Timothy 2, 4, it says this, it is God who desires that all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.

It's his will that everyone in your workplace come to know him as their Savior and come to knowledge of the truth.

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From Resolution to Redemption

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