Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
December 30, 2001 A.M.
A Time For Fresh Starts & New Beginnings
Reading - John 8.1-11
This is the time of the year that our thoughts turn to fresh starts and new beginnings.
A time when we can put the past behind us... Regardless of how ugly it may have been.
A time for confession and forgiveness...
A time to seize and secure new opportunities to serve the Jesus in others...
A time for looking forward in faith and hope to a new and better future...
New Years is a time of transition... A time to wipe the slate clean... A time to start over. What I want us to know first and foremost this morning is this...
The God that we love...
The God that we come here to worship...
The God we serve daily...
Is a God of fresh starts and new beginnings... He created the possibilities for us. Our reading in John eight is just one example of the kind of fresh start that can be ours.
So... Access a worship bulletin and let's see what we can learn this morning about fresh starts and new beginnings as we approach this new year.
First... We learn that we must have the desire... We must want a new beginning.
Notice here that...
-The Jewish religious officials...
-The scribes...
-The teachers of the law...
-And the Pharisees...
All needed this fresh start... This new beginning... This forgiveness as much as this woman. They stood under the same condemnation as she did... They were sinners also... We all are!! But... In their own self-righteousness... They walked away from the possibilities. You see... Jesus would have gladly said the same sweet words to them, as He said to the women--Neither do I condemn you... Go your way and sin no more.
Church... What kept these religious leaders from seeking a fresh start and a new beginning? It was their pride of course... Will any of us not start the New Year with a clean slate, with forgiveness and a new start because of...
Our pride...
Our judgmental heart...
Our own self-righteous attitude?
They missed the opportunity to have a new beginning because they thought themselves to be better than others... Thus without the need of Divine Pardon. Their attitude takes us back to the Pharisee and the Publican praying in the Temple. The Pharisee said... God... I thank you that I am not like other men... Like this sinner beside me. Scripture tells us that... The sinner... The Publican went home forgiven... Justified. That day was his fresh start... His new beginning... Because he desired it enough to humble himself before God and man.
Questions!!!...
-Do we understand that we need forgiveness?
-Are we willing to humbly acknowledge our sins before God and others?
-Do we really want a fresh start?... A new beginning??
I pray that we do.
Secondly... We must be willing to make the effort.
It is so easy to JUST let this New Year come and go... While we just maintain the status-quo. You see... It takes a real effort to make a fresh start and a new beginning. Have you ever met anybody who said...
-Man... I am really committed to staying in this rut??...
-I am giving it my best effort to stay in this rut??...
-It takes everything I can do to maintain this comfort zone lifestyle?
That's not what ruts... and comfort zones are... RIGHT?
You see... When the wheel is in the rut... Living in a rut means that you can just put life on auto-pilot... Let it go and not fret the outcome. There is no time... energy... or effort necessary to follow the rut... To stay in our comfort zone.
I am convinced that there are a lot of us here this morning that will not make any meaningful New Years resolutions and resolves... Simply because we are too lazy to make the effort... TOO LAZY to have a fresh start... a new beginning... to experience God's blessings... His forgiveness.
*We'll just maintain the status quo...
*Keep the same old habits...
*Hang on to the same old sins...
*We'll just stay in our little comfort zones...
*Maintain our same old customs...
*Practice our same old traditions.
And, as a result, miss out on the blessings that God has in store for those who will make the effort.
Thirdly... We must focus on self.
These religious leaders were more interested in condemning this woman... And in trapping Jesus... Than in their own condition before God.
Two thoughts here...
1. It's much easier to see and point out the faults of others... than to change our own lives.
2. It's easier to be more concerned about somebody else's salvation than our own.
Philippians 2.12 comes to mind here... My dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-- continue to work out... (WHAT??)... your own salvation with fear and trembling,
In the Sermon on the Mount... Jesus said... You must cast out the beam from your own eye... Before you try to work on a new beginning for a neighbor or brother. The idea here is to focus on our own salvation... Making sure we are within God's will. We all know those who are always critical of others, but are never able to see their own faults.
Listen to me church... It is so important that we understand this... We cannot change anyone... But (WHOM?)... SELF!! This has frustrated many preachers... elders... teachers... and serious minded church members. We try to change...
-Our children...
-The lost...
-The erring child of God...
But we must understand that our duty is to communicate truth to them... Then it becomes their responsibility to change. Folk... Regardless of how much we might want to, we cannot force others to a fresh start and a new beginning... ONLY OURSELVES!!
Number Four... We can't mix the old and new.
Jesus maintained that one doesn't place new wine in old wine skins... We don't mend an old garment with a piece of new cloth. Church... Know this morning that a fresh start... A new beginning is not a patch job.
Genuine New Testament conversion means we are a new person... We are raised from the waters of baptism to walk in a new life... Old things have passed away... Behold all things become new. Note... ALL things... New Testament conversion touches ALL of life... Not just select portions of it.
And for those of us who are children of God... We must know this morning that He is never pleased for us to walk with one foot in this world... And one foot in His world. Jesus said... You are either for Me or against Me... You cannot serve two masters.
---We must overcome evil with good...
---We must make a clean break with our sinful past... Our old sinful habits.
Oh... Yes... We will fail... stumble... and fall... But God wants us to make an effort... To commit to walking in the light... Versus walking in our old favorite sins and sinful ways. And when we fall... We must be committed to get up and try again.
This is why John wrote... If we confess our sins... If we acknowledge our faults... He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Good news!! Good news we can use... RIGHT??
Praise God...
-For His understanding...
-For His patience...
-For His grace...
-For His continual forgiveness...
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance... For if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Question... What sin do you and your preacher need to turn loose of today... In order to enjoy a new beginning?
Next... We must keep our eyes on the goal.
Listen to Paul... again from Philippians... Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
Fresh starts and new beginnings are an ongoing war... A never ending effort. We will never become those that God wants us to be until we take Paul's three points seriously....
- We must never think that we have arrived... That we are as good as we need to be...
- We must forget the past...
- We must press on to the goal... We must never lose focus of what God has called us to become.
As children of God, our future is not in our past... But in our present relationship with God. We've all made mistakes in 2001... Some serious... But we must not allow our past mistakes to take our focus off the goal of our heavenward calling... RIGHT??
Listen to these words of encouragement from Hebrews 12... Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men... So that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
The Hebrews writer says... The reason some of us grow weary and lose heart... Is because...
- We take our eyes of the goal...
- We take our eyes off our Mentor and Savior.
You see the real purpose of our worship and service is to become like the one we worship and serve. No wonder this same writer said... Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.
Indeed... It is here in these assemblies that we see our goal and our Savior more clearly. It is here that we gain strength and encouragement from one another... RIGHT??
Number six... Satan is always opposed to fresh starts and new beginnings.
Just a few verses from our reading... Jesus will say... When Satan lies, he speaks his native tongue... For he is a liar and the father of lies.
Know for sure this morning that when any of us decide to make a fresh start and a new beginning... Satan will come into our heart and lie to us. Listen to some of the things he will say to you....
Fresh beginnings are for losers!!...
--You've tried this before...
--In fact you've tried it every year...
--Why frustrate yourself with something you know you will fail in?
I know some people that do not make any New Years resolutions anymore... Because they have listened to Satan's reasoning... Don't do that... Be all you can be... Try again.
Another lie is... You have plenty of time to effect a fresh start and a new beginning.
- You have plenty of time to obey the Gospel...
- To find your ministry in the church...
- To forsake that sin that so easily besets us...
Why worry about it today??... Eat... Drink... Be merry... You can effect a fresh start tomorrow. There are those in this audience, that when the invitation song is sung, will listen to Satan say... There'll be a better time to make things right.
Here is his favorite lie... It's too late for you.
God has given up on you...
Other people have given up on you...
You can never live up to your commitment...
You can never be good enough...
So why start... Why even consider this new beginning?... People will just be disappointed in you again...It's too late for you to try. Folk... Don't listen to these or another of Satan's lies... Claim the promise... Start over today!!
One more... Accountability and discipline are the keys to success.
Jesus said... Go your way and sin no more.
No... Fresh starts and new beginnings are never easy... Nothing worthwhile in life is.
- We will have to discipline ourselves...
- We will have to talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk.
- We will have to say no to sin.
- We'll have to say yes to some things that we can and should be doing... Perhaps... Like coming to Sunday night or Wednesday evening services... Concordia this afternoon... The Village House tomorrow.
- We will have to be accountable to God and to one another... By acknowledging our sins... Confessing our faults and shortcomings... Requesting prayers of forgiveness and for encouragement.
You see... Georgia holds me accountable for being a faithful and good husband... She expects it of me.
-Elders... Hold me accountable.
-Church... Hold me accountable.
-You who really love me... Hold me accountable.
I need your pressure on me to become... be... and maintain my status as God's faithful child.
Make no mistake about it... Fresh Starts and New Beginnings are not easy... They are tough. They take discipline and accountability... But Jesus promises the reward for...
- Those who will overcome...
- Those who will fight the fight...
- Those who will run the race...
- Those who will keep the faith.
Genuine Biblical renewal... Fresh starts... New beginnings are a lot like remolding our house...
- It always takes longer than we expected...
- It always cost more than we thought...
- And it makes a bigger mess than we ever imagined...
But know this... God will help... The song we sing says...
God will make a way... Where there seems to be no way,
He works in ways we cannot see,
He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide... Hold me closely to His side.
With love and strength for each day
He will make a way... He will make a way.
God will make a way for me.
Well... Our lesson this morning has two applications... Individually and corporately as a church.
1. We all have come to a place in the road where we need a fresh start and a new beginning.
2. As a church... We have been here at this point in our history long enough...
It's time for a fresh start... Time for a new beginning. We are reminded of Israel of old at Mt. Sinai... God said... You have been at this mountain long enough... Break camp at once and advance.
It is time for us... As a church... To move forward with new excitement and discipline to greater service to Him and others... Amen??... Amen!!
Here is the bottom line... Church renewal is nothing more... nothing less... than personal renewal... Fresh Starts... and New Beginnings. It is a commitment which says... Let it begin with me.
I am saying to you this morning... Let me begin with ME!!...
Will you join me?... I pray that you will.
We must know this... That throughout history... God has always blessed obedience to Him with a fresh start and a new beginning....
- Abraham got a fresh start and a new beginning when he obeyed... And left Ur of the Caldeans.
- Jacob got a new name... And a fresh start.
- David got a new occupation... From shepherd boy to King of Israel.
- Saul got a new name... And a new direction for his life as he obeyed the voice on the Damascus Road.
- Those on Pentecost received the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit... In
exchange for their obedience... faith... repentance and New Testament baptism.
- The churches that John wrote to were promised a fresh start and a new beginning... as they walked in the light... And as they acknowledged their sins.
God's promise for a fresh start... and a new beginning is our invitation... As we stand and sing this song together... Will you come!!
