1. With the new year upon us often this is looked at as a “fresh start” or a “new beginning.”
Many of you, if not all of you, have heard of the basketball player LeBron James. When asked if he had any “New Year Resolutions” he said this, “No, for what? I don’t need a fresh start. If you got things in order and you got your priorities straight, I don’t need a reset. I’m all good.”1
Sometimes as children of God we can get caught up in this idea can’t we. “I’m all good, I don’t need a fresh start.”
Today, with this new year upon us, I want us to examine ourselves to see if we need a fresh start or if we need to keep on keeping on.
There is no doubt that, as humans, we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) we can find comfort in knowing that there is a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
That peace only comes if we are secure in our walk with God however.
So how do we access this peace of God that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus? (SLIDE)
1 Quote taken from:

2. The Three Of Christianity
By making sure we have “The Three S’s Of Christianity” that will make us superhuman or as the Bible just called it spiritually guarded again evil.
The three S’s we will be discussing today will make the child of God “Christ-like i.e. superhuman” and help us to never fall (1 Peter 1:10).
With this in mind let us look at our first “S.”

3. lavery
Many people in the world today consider Jesus their Savior but do they consider themselves His slaves?
The word slave is so taboo in our society that we often try and use any synonym other than slave, but the truth of the matter is we ought not run from this word but rather embrace it as far as our relationship with God is concerned.
It’s not like the Bible says nothing on the topic, it does!!!
Romans 6:15-23

4. Romans 6:15-23 “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness…

5. …17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness…

6. …19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations
…19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification…

7. …20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life…

8. …23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Brothers and sisters we are slaves no matter how you slice it.
We are either slaves to sin with hell as our inheritance or we are slaves of God with heaven as our inheritance.
“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” if we walk with God as His slave!
To be a slave to our Master we must provide Him with our (SLIDE)

9. ervice
When we consider ourselves as slaves and then servants I’m reminded of the “urge” Paul gave our Corinthian brethren…
1 Corinthians 16:15-16

10. 1 Corinthians 16:15-16 “Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— 16 be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.”
Notice that serving the saints takes “devotion.”
In fact I would even say it takes total dedication to accomplish the type of service that is expected of us towards one another.
Why, because not everyone wants the type of service we are to be providing.
Sure people like it when we help them physically.
This isn’t just finances, sometimes it involves your time and even other resources.
Not everyone is going to like you serving their spiritual needs however.
When you have to point out their soul is in danger our service can be turned down and sometimes angrily.
This is why our service to others does not have a foundation in man but in God.
Ephesians 6:5-8

11. Ephesians 6:5-8 “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart…

12. …7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.”
We are to render our service based on God’s will not man’s praise.
“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” if we walk with God as His servants.
As we noticed serving God means serving others.
That brings us to our third “S” which is (SLIDE)

13. preading
The first thing that comes to mind here I’m sure is evangelism.
There can be no doubt that evangelism is a vital part of walking with God.
However this morning I want us to focus on another “vital” part of being Christ-like and that spreading the Word with the saints.
2 Timothy 2:2

14. 2 Timothy 2:2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
The word “men” is the Greek word “anthropas” and means human thus male and female.
The LEB has…(SLIDE)

15. 2 Timothy 2:2 “and the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these things to faithful people who will be competent to teach others also.”
We need to be a people that rely on each others knowledge and wisdom of God’s Word.
I’m not talking about teaching Bible class here I’m talking about discussing our personal studies with each other.
I’m talking about being that “…aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved…” (2 Corinthians 2:15).
“the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus” if we spread God’s Word amongst ourselves so that we all “speak the same things, have the same mind, and have the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). (SLIDE)

16. The Three Of Christianity
Brothers and sisters we will truly be “superhuman” in Christ Jesus if we have these “3 S’s” in our walk with God.
Question: Are you “working out your own salvation “ (Php 2:2) by being slaves and servants of God while spreading His Word?

17. God’s Plan of Salvation
Study God’s Word Have Faith In Jesus Repent/Turn To God Confess Jesus As Lord Obey The Gospel Live A Faithful Life
Romans 10:17 Hebrews 11:6 Acts 17:30 Matthew 10:32 Romans 6:3-5 1 John 1:7