In 2010 a group of students at Trinity University in San Antonio petitioned to have the phrase “Year of the Lord” removed from the University’s diploma. The students wrote: “A diploma is a very personal item, and people want to proudly display it in their offices and homes. . . . By having the phrase ‘in the year of our Lord,’ it is directly referencing Jesus Christ, and not everyone believes in Jesus Christ.” This is not an isolated incident. One social commentator notes, “Thus, even when modern secularists try to change the language and dating customs from “A.D.” to “C.E.,” for “common era,” the date itself remains fixed with reference to the birth of Jesus Christ. Instead of “B.C.” for “before Christ,” these new agents of “tolerance” prefer “B.C.E.,” for “before common era.” But, once again, this does nothing to remove the fact that the number of the year points directly to the assumed date of the birth of Christ.” 

I want to challenge you to do two things: 1st, to make every year “the year of your Lord”; and 2nd, “make it a very personal thing”. Instead of sitting in neutral while God is taken out of the public square and out of the public life of Christians, let us let our light shine brightly before all people so that they may glorify God.

Jesus worked hard to make the faith and ministry of his disciples personal. He spoke with them personally and personally trained them. Jesus worked with Peter to encourage him specifically in John 21.15-19. Do you remember he asked, “Do you love me?”? Peter said, “You know I love you.” It was very personal.

Because of this personal dedication, the disciples were steadfast in preaching throughout the book of Acts. They were also faithful to their Lord in the face of persecution. They decided “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

Our lives can be described as being made up of years and days given to our Lord. Will you dedicate your minutes, days, months, and years to your Lord? Eternity will be reward.