A New Year's Eve Service
[Editor's Note: A great idea for a Watch-Night service on New's Year Eve.]
Introduction
Every year New York, London, Paris, and most cities have thousands of people who gather and celebrate as the old year fades away and the New Year become a reality. Those people “watch and party” almost the entire night. The Bible reminds us that we, too, need to watch. The idea is to see, to view, to be careful.
I. Watch Our Eyes
We need to watch our eyes. Everyone needs to be careful what he or she sees, what we look upon. The story in Genesis chapter 3 about Adam and Eve is an interesting one. Eve looked upon the forbidden fruit. She was not careful about “controlling her eyes.”
Lot “looked upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.” Genesis 19 tells that story. He didn’t see the evil that would eventually bring destruction to some of his family. We need to watch what we are seeing, what we are doing.
II. Watch Our Feet
We need to watch our feet. Proverbs 4:26 states, “Ponder the path of your feet.” The word “ponder” means “to think about, to consider, to study.” We need to take care where we walk. The child who begins to walk has to watch out for shoes or books on the floor. At night we have to be careful how we move through the dark. In daily life, we need to ponder where we go. Let’s give serious consideration to where our feet take us.
III. Watch Our Words
We need to watch our words. Psalms 141:3 states, “Set a watch upon my mouth.” Most of us need “mufflers” on our mouths, just as automobiles need mufflers to silence the motors. Most every one of us speaks too often.
The story about Saul’s death in the Old Testament is interesting. One fellow rushed to David and said, “I killed Saul, your enemy.” David said, “You have killed the Lord’s anointed. Someone grab that fellow and kill him.” And that man lost his mouth because he didn’t keep his mouth shut.
The Bible states, “Where no wood is the fire goes out, and where no tale bearer is the strife ceases” Proverbs 26:29. A lot of “bad stuff” that goes on would not happen if all of us wouldn’t talk about some matters.
We need to think about the words of Psalms 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”
IV. Watch Our Thoughts
We need to watch our thoughts. Martin Luther quoted another person when he said, “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building nests in your hair.”
Thoughts come and go, but we can control them. We need to guard our thought life. Proverbs 23:7 states that as a man thinks in his heart so is he. Paul wrote Timothy, saying for him to “meditate upon these things.” We are to have the right thought life. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8, “Think on these things.” Our thoughts determine who we are and where we are going. Therefore, watch the thought life.
V. Watch Our Time
We need to watch our time. The Bible states, “Redeeming the time because the days are evil” Ephesians 5:16. Again, the Bible states, “Our time is in the hands of the Lord” Proverbs 31:15. We are responsible for the use of our time. Are we good stewards?
VI. Watch our Enemy
We need to watch for the enemy. 1 Peter 5:8 states that the devil is out to get God’s people. He wants to destroy us. Be careful about the enemy. After Paul’s conversion, certain Jews “watched the gates of the city of Damascus,” hoping to catch him and kill him (Acts 9:24). See also Nehemiah 4:9.
VII. Watch our Work
We need to watch the work we have to do. When Jesus was born, we read of the Shepherds who “were keeping watch over their flocks by night.” The ones who had been faithful on the job became blessed by the Lord. Watch the work you have to do, whether in the home, office, school, or in any place.
VIII. Watch Our Temptations
We need to watch out for temptations. Jesus said to the disciples in Mark 13:33 “Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation.” We also read a great word of help about temptations in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Be careful with temptations.
IX. Watch Our Diet
We need to watch what we eat. Oops! This is a word that makes us uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Especially do we want to forget how much and how continuously we eat at some party time. The Bible states, “Put a knife to your throat if you are a person given to appetite” Proverbs 23:2. Many people die early deaths because of over-eating. We need to know that we would become totally exhausted if we carried a 25 or 50 pounds around on our shoulders every day. Some people take too much weight on their physical bodies.
This is not a way to win friends and influence people, is it?
X. Watch Our Faith
We need to watch our faith. Proverbs 3:5-6 states that we are to trust the Lord with our entire being and not go with our own understanding. In this way, God will direct us.
XI. Watch our Souls
We are to watch for souls. Hebrews 13:7 and Acts 20:31 state that Christians are to look after one another. Ezekiel chapter three has great words about watching and warning others. We don’t “meddle” into the lives of others, but we are to have compassion and watch for their well being. We can do this, can’t we?
XII. Watch for Death or the Coming of Christ
We need to watch for death or the return of Jesus. A mother saw her five-year old son looking up into the sky one day with a hand cupped over his eyes. She asked, “What are you doing, my son?” He said, “My Sunday School teacher said that Jesus is coming back again, and I was looking up to see if I could see Him.” The return of Jesus is a real event as well as our physical death. Both events are in the future for everyone. The Bible says for us to watch and be ready for Jesus when He returns and we are to be ready for death which could take place any time. Are you ready for that grand reunion with the Savior? Just as important in one sense of the word, are you and I ready to live in the right way today? Let’s watch!
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