Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
January 14, 2001 a.m.
Fresh Starts and New Beginnings
Reading - Acts 9.1-31
I've made a lot of mistakes, some serious ones... How about you? From time to time all of us:
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Have a need for new beginnings.
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A chance to start over.
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To begin again with a clean slate.
January is a time for FRESH STARTS & NEW BEGINNINGS. A time when old things pass away and all things can become new. Wouldn’t this be a good time for each of us to make an effort to make some changes in life? Listen to these scriptures which promote the possibility of FRESH STARTS & NEW BEGINNINGS...
John 3.3 & 5: Jesus speaks of being born again. I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God... No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Romans 6.4: We were buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if the old self was crucified, we should no longer be slaves to sin, because we have been freed from sin.
Second Corinthians 5.17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Galatians 6.15: Circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation... A new life.
Ephesians 4.24 speaks of taking off the old man and putting on the new self that is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
You see... The good news is that God will help us in our desire to have A FRESH START... A new beginning. In fact... God specializes in changing lives... Giving us a new start... And a new heart. Listen to Ezekiel 11.19 & 36.26: I will give you an undivided heart, and I will put a new spirit in you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.. So, rid yourselves of all the offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.
With these scriptures in mind, let’s look at a New Testament example of God’s power to change lives... God’s power to create a new heart at work. I think that we will all agree that Paul is a great example in new beginnings and fresh starts... RIGHT? Perhaps Paul was the greatest opponent of Christ and Christianity. But... Acts chapter nine is about Saul, later to be Paul’s Conversion... His new beginning... His fresh start... His LIFE CHANGE.
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A stanch Jew becomes a Christian.
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A murderer becomes a new life advocate.
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One dead IN sin becomes dead TO sin.
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A persecutor becomes a proclaimer.
Wow, what a change!
Audience, if this Saul of Tarsus can become Paul the Apostle, then any one of us can have a new beginning.. . A fresh start. Paul wrote Timothy saying as much in 1 Timothy 1.15 & 16... He says:... I believe God demonstrated His grace on me so that others might know that they too can have a new beginning, a fresh start. If God will and can forgive and save me, the chief of sinners, He will and can save all those who believe on Him.
We have some here this morning that need to be converted, that need to have their sins forgiven by Jesus in the act of New Testament baptism. You need to experience a fresh start, a new beginning, a new life, be born again.
Some in this audience are out of duty... And you know it... RIGHT??? Like Paul, you were once zealous for Jesus, but have compromised His first place status in your life. You need to come home, start over, have a new beginning.
Others of us just need to exclude that sin that so easily besets us... That entangles us... It might be Lustful Thoughts... Gossip... Hate... Envy.... A Spirit of Unforgiveness... etc.
Perhaps we need to find our place in the church... This church---and put our Time... Talents... Treasure... & Energy to work in the Kingdom of Christ according to His truth. I am surprised that at a time in our lives when we ought to be saying... Lord help me do more for you... We want to do less. At a time when we ought to want our name on more lists... We asked it to be removed.
Church... When will we give ourselves totally to Jesus? OK... Let’s see what we can learn from Paul about A Fresh Start & New Beginnings...
We will do this acrostically using the word START. You see... Start is an important word... Unless we start... We will never do it. Scripture tells us that... Today is the day... Now is the accepted time. God help us to see the opportunity to have a fresh start and a new beginning this very day.
First, if we will experience a new beginning we must SEE things differently. On the Damascus road, God blinded Paul so that he could see things as they really were. God interrupted his life so he could see things in their true light, so he could see God and His will in the light of Christ. Church: What traditions, What old ways, What old sins, What harmful old habits, are we holding on to? Must God interrupt our lives to get our attention this morning? Is He interrupting our lives right now for this very purpose? If so... Are we learning anything or are we resisting Him? Sobering thoughts... Sobering thoughts... RIGHT?
Folk... It scares me for some of you. God has providentially intervened in your life recently to get your attention, and still you will not ear His voice, See His hand, Respond to His will. We will not, we cannot become that which we cannot or will not see in our hearts. We can’t become what we cannot visualize... Right? If coming here on Sunday morning is just a church thing without any vision of what we could be... OR should be... then our coming will not ever change our lives.
But for those who really want to conform into the image of Jesus, this is a time of visualizing... Of seeing just what changes we need to make in order to be more like Him. You see, if God can change Saul of Tarsus, think what He can do for us. Visualize for a moment what God can do: for, with, by, and through us, if we will just allow Him to mold and reshape us through His word. If we will submit and yield to new beginnings and a fresh start.
Here is my challenge for this New Year... Give your life to Jesus... To God... And live the adventure He has in store for you.
Second, T stands for TIME. Change and Godliness take time. In the case of Paul, it takes three days from the blinding light until his baptism. This time is spent in soul searching, repentance, and prayer. After his conversion, God takes him to Arabia for what Galatians says is three years.
Folk, Godliness takes time... Becoming God’s people & person is not instantaneous. Look around this auditorium this morning. The most Godly people you know in this church, did not become spiritual giants over night... It has taken years.
We have a disease in America today, its called hurry sickness. The idea is that we want to do more and more things in less and less time. We don’t have time to be good fathers. We don’t have time to be loving mothers. We will not take time to love our spouses. Great marriages take time. Family takes time. Anything worthwhile takes time. Becoming Godly... Conforming into the image of Jesus, takes time... A life time. Are we willing?
I was intrigued that on the flights to and from Cape Town that as soon as the engines were turned off... 400 people stood up and crowded into an isle that would only hold one at a time. The stewardess would have to ask them each flight: “Please be seated until the engines are off.” In every airport, people were running on escalators and mechanical walks. Everybody was in a hurry to get to where they were going... So they could stand in line again!
The Psalmist David has God saying, Be still and know that I am God. Patience... Not being in a hurry, is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Godliness... Righteousness... Conforming to the image of Jesus... New Beginnings... Developing a relationship with God and His people takes time. It will not happen running through the church building, hurrying through worship services, and racing through family activities. It takes time... Time... Time.
Thirdly, we must ASSOCIATE with other Christians... Strong Christians. I want you to notice verse 19... Paul started his new beginning by joining himself with the Christians... The disciples in Damascus. Then in verses 26-27... When he came to Jerusalem, he went to the disciples.
Folk, we must know this morning that fresh starts... New beginnings are almost impossible when we continue to run with the wrong crowd. Why is it that we insist on keeping company with those who are scrambling for the things of this world? Why do we have such a driving desire to be like those of the world, when we have it all? We are the children of God... Brothers and sisters to the KING OF KINGS & LORD OF LORDS. Why is it that we are more intrigued with those of this world than with those of His world?
You don’t grow oranges in Alaska. We don’t study democracy in the University of Leningrad. And you can’t conform to the image of Jesus sitting on a bar stool, smoking marijuana and sipping on a Tom Collins. Scripture tells us that... Evil companions... Evil communications... Evil associations... corrupt good morals. New beginnings, fresh starts must begin and be maintained by avoiding relationships that do not promote Godliness.
Folk, I need you... I need you to stand beside me. I need you to take me by the hand and lead me into the paths of righteousness. I need you to love me and help me get to heaven.
Fourth, R... Stands for REPENTANCE. Paul spent three days in repentance and prayer. We cannot have a new beginning and a fresh start without becoming changed people. God must become first in our lives. We must be willing to conform to His will through the word. We must have an attitude of, speak Lord, your servant hears and responds. We must live, as well as sing, the song... Have Thine Own Way With Me. We must be willing to conform to the likeness of Jesus.
Paul tells us in Philippians that the heart... The mind... The disposition... The attitude that was in Jesus must be in us. His agenda must become our agenda. Look at (Acts 9) verse 20... At once... Immediately... Paul begin to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. At once Paul exhibits a changed life:
A persecutor becomes a proclaimer...
An opposer becomes a proponent...
A murder of Christians becomes a maker of Christians...
One dead in sin becomes one dead to sin...
The chief of sinners becomes the chief of apostles...
You see, repentance is a change of heart that is so strong that it results in a change in our behavior... Repentance is a change in principle which results in a change in practice. Based upon this definition, how many of us here this morning are willing to effect a fresh start... A new beginning through genuine New Testament REPENTANCE?
Folk... Make no mistake about it... Genuine New Testament conversion is a painful process. If we think fresh starts and new beginnings are easy... and can be taken for granted, we are on a collision course with God.
The last point is... TAKE a stand for Jesus... Tell others the good news. Verse 20 tells us Paul began immediately to take a stand for Jesus... Preaching Jesus! Too many of us are riding the fence... Walking on neutral ground. Too many of us do not want others to know that we are Bible believing children of God. We are ashamed of who and what we are to be.
QUESTION!! If we were brought into a court tomorrow for being a Christian, a disciple of Jesus, a baptized believer--would there be enough evidence to convict us? Jesus said, you are either for me or against me, you are either drawing men, women and teens into the kingdom or you are scattering there, running them off. There is no middle ground. Folk... Christianity cannot be lived anonymously... We must stand up and say, I am God’s.
Let me challenge our thoughts this morning with this question... As we begin this New Year, Can our family ... this church ... our working companions ... our friends and neighbors ... tell that we have made a new commitment? A fresh start? A new beginning?
Because we are now talking more about Jesus?
Because we are taking a proactive stand for Christ?
Because we are spending more time with Him and His people?
Because we are cleaning up our lives?
Because we are working more and more in His kingdom?
Because we are becoming instruments of righteousness... Living sacrifices?
Like Paul... ARE WE letting the world see Jesus in us?
Well, quickly note with me what happens in our churches when we continually have Fresh Starts & New Beginnings... Note (Acts 9) verse 31. Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. Unity was the rule rather than the exception. They were strengthened in the faith. Members were encouraged by the Holy Spirit. They grew in numbers. They lived in fear, awe and reverence toward the Lord.
I believe God desires Fresh Starts & New Beginnings today... Don’t you? The good news this morning is that, if God can change PAUL, He can change you and me. Will you experience a new beginning... A fresh start this morning... Right now?
You can become a child of God by faith, repentance, confession, and New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins. If you need to give up some specific sin... Do so this morning.
If you need to make something right with God or others... Don’t hesitate.
If you need to find your place in the church... This church... Tell one of the Elders today... That you are available in service to the Master.
I think most of us just need to recommit our passions and desires to Jesus for a fresh start and a new beginning. Today is the day of salvation... Now is the time for new beginning and fresh starts.
Come as we stand and sing this invitation song. Will you come?
