Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
December 30, 2001 PM
More Fresh Starts & New Beginnings
Reading - Acts 9.1-31
There have been times that I have made a real mess of my life. I've made a lot of mistakes... Some serious ones... How about you? From time to time all of us have a desperate need for...
- A new beginning,
- A fresh start,
- A clean slate,
- A chance to start over.
I believe this is one of the real joys of Christianity. A life in Christ gives us the opportunity for a fresh start... And a new beginning any time we desire to have it... Not just once a year on New Years.
You see... As children of God... We have the privilege of bringing our sin mistakes to the cross and laying them at the feet of Jesus.. To be covered by His blood. In Christ there is no guilt... No regret... No condemnation. Paul says... IN CHRIST there is now therefore no condemnation... Old things have passed away, behold all things are become new.
Church...Wouldn't this NEW YEAR be a great time for us to have a fresh start, a new beginning?... I believe it would.
Listen to these scriptures which promote such a possibility...
In 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.
That sounds like a fresh start to me... Doesn't it you?
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 serve sin no longer....
2 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 within.
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 has provided us a way for this new beginning. In fact God specializes in changing lives... Giving us a fresh start... A new beginning. Glenn Ludwick spoke to us of this last Sunday evening from 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 within us.
I think that we will all agree that Paul is a great example in new beginnings and fresh starts... RIGHT?
Acts chapter nine is about Saul... Later to be Paul's Conversion... His is new beginning... His fresh start... His new life.
- A stanch Jew becomes a Christian.
- A murderer becomes a new life advocate.
- One dead in sin becomes dead to sin.
- A persecutor becomes a proclaimer.
Wow what a change!
Audience, if this Saul the persecutor can become Paul the Apostle... Then any one of us can have a new beginning... A fresh start... RIGHT? In fact... Paul wrote Timothy saying... I believe God demonstrated His grace on me, so that others might know that they too can have a fresh start... A new beginning. If God can and will forgive and save me, the chief of sinners... He can and will save all those who believe on Him.
Perhaps there some here tonight that need to be converted... That need to have their sins forgiven by Jesus in obedience to the Gospel message... Have a fresh start... A new beginning. Maybe you are out of duty... You need to come home... Start over with a clean slate. Still others of us just need to exclude that sin that so easily besets us... So easily entangles us. 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.
Question!!...
Would you like to experience a new beginning... A fresh start? Let's scan this narrative and see if we can learn HOW!! We will do this acrostically using the word START.
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. In verse 3... God interrupted his life so he could see things in their true light.
Church...
- What traditions,
- What old ways,
- What sins,
- What harmful habits... and traditions...
Are we holding on to?
Must God interrupt our lives in some unusual way to get our attention? More to the point... Is He interrupting our lives right now for this very purpose? If so... Are we learning anything... Or are we resisting Him?
We will not... We cannot... become that which we will or cannot see in our hearts. We can't become what we cannot visualize. If coming here each Sunday is just a church thing without any vision of what we should be... and could be... Then our coming to church will never change our lives.
But for those who really want to conform into the image of Jesus... This is a time of visualizing... understanding... Of seeing just what changes we need to make in order to be more like Him. This is why we have Bible classes and sermons...
- We can't become what we do not know...
- We can't become what we do not see... What we do not understand.
Know this tonight... That if God can change Saul of Tarsus... He can change us... RIGHT? 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.
Secondly... Change and Godliness... Becoming God's person takes time.
In the case of Paul... It took three days from the blinding light until his baptism. This time was 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... 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... It's called hurry sickness. We are driven to do more & more & more things in less & less & less time.
-We don't have time to be good fathers.
-We don't have time to be loving mothers.
-Marriages take time.
-Family love and togetherness take time.
-Becoming God's person... Conforming to the image of Jesus... Takes time.
Folk... Always being in a hurry is of the Devil. Are you willing to admit with me tonight that you suffer from this illness of our culture?
The Psalmist David has the answer... 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...
Developing a relationship with God and His people takes time.
And it will not happen... And it will not happen...
*Running through church buildings...
*Hurrying through worship service.
*Racing through family activities.
Thirdly... New beginnings are sustained by associating with other Christians.
Verse 19 tells us that Paul maintained his fresh start by doing WHAT?... By joining himself with the Christians... The disciples in Damascus. Then in verses 26-27... When he came to Jerusalem... (He went where?)... To the church. Some were afraid of him and Barnabas intervened on Paul's behalf.
Folk... We must know tonight that new beginnings... Fresh starts are almost impossible when we continue to run with the wrong crowd.
Alcoholics have no business around liquor... Those trying to stop smoking should not keep cigarettes in the glove box of their pickup or car. I never understood why a divorcee would go to a bar to look for a good husband or wife.
--You don't grow oranges in Alaska.
--You 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 pot... Sipping on a Tom Collins... and lustfully watching the opposite sex.
Scripture tells us that...
- Evil companions,
- Evil communications,
- Evil associations
Corrupt good morals... Stunts Christian growth... Inhibits godliness.
Fresh starts & new beginnings must begin and be maintained by joining ourselves to good Christian people, and by avoiding relationships that do no promote Godly attitudes and behavior. R... Stands for REPENTANCE. Verse 9 tells us that Paul spent three days in repentance and prayer.
Church... We cannot have a new beginning & a fresh start without becoming changed people. We are fooling ourselves when we think we can be born again and go on living like we have always lived.
We must experience genuine New Testament conversion...
- 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 be willing to conform to the likeness of Jesus.
- Paul tells us that we must develop the heart... the Mind... the attitude of Jesus.
- His agenda must become our agenda.
Look at verse 20... At once... Immediately... Paul began 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 chiefest among the apostles.
This is genuine New Testament conversion... This is Biblical repentance.
- A change of heart that is so strong that it results in a change in our behavior.
- Repentance is a change in principles that results in a change of practice.
And church... Without such repentance we cannot effect a new beginning... A fresh start. Church... If we think fresh starts and new beginnings are easy... And can be taken for granted... We are on a collision course with God. Genuine New Testament conversion is tough stuff...
--It is a discipline...
--It is work...
--It is not for the lazy.
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... Trying to walk on neutral ground. Listen to this... 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 them, running them off. There is no middle ground. Folk... Christianity cannot be live anonymously... We must stand up and say... I belong to God.
Well... quickly now... note with me what happens... in the church... when we continue to have Fresh Starts & New Beginnings. Note 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?
Well... The good news is that God has providentially provided each of us here tonight WITH one more opportunity to start over...
If you need to become a child of God, you can do that by faith, repentance and baptism.... immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins.
If... As a child of God, we have sin in our life that needs to be dealt with, now is the time to do it! John tells us how... If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If you have something in your life that needs correcting tonight... Don't put it off any longer.
Folk... We must not let this year close without making sure of our salvation.
Experience a new beginning... A fresh start:
Tonight...
Right now?
As we stand and sing this invitation song together.
Will you come!!
