New Beginnings

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• Have you ever heard someone say they just wish they could start over again?

• Have you ever felt that way?

• When I played Golf, well, what I played was really called Hack, there were times you could take a Mulligan.

• Let’s say you hit a terrible tee-shot, usually you could take a mulligan, which meant you got to tee off again as if the first slice into the woods never happened. Usually you could get one per round.

• A couple of weeks ago I began this mini-series exploring why your soul could be struggling with inner peace; the conclusion was that your soul was waiting for you to do something.

• In the last message I shared, I suggested the soul is waiting for you to truly follow Jesus.

• Now this week, we will finish this series by examining the blessing of indulging our soul’s desire to follow Jesus, NEW BEGINNINGS!

• When you follow Jesus, when you develop a relationship with Jesus, you can experience New Beginnings.

• SLIDE #2

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (HCSB) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.

• I want you to let this verse sink in for a moment……

• How much of your current struggles are built on the foundation of past issues that STILL to this day haunt you.

• Maybe it was something that you did, maybe it was something that was done to you; nonetheless, you are still haunted.

• Jesus has a GREAT gift He wants to give to you as well as eternal life! NEW BEGINNINGS!

• These New Beginning will allow you to FINALLY rid yourself of the past and to fully embrace an AWESOME FUTURE with Jesus!

• LET’S LOOK AT OUR TEXT TOGETHER TODAY! Let’s start with verse 13 in the book of Philippians.

• SLIDE #3

• Philippians 3:13 (HCSB) Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,

• SLIDE #4

SERMON

In order to be able to experience New Beginnings…

I. Recognize your need for a New Beginning.

• In the previous verses in chapter Paul talks about his previous life achievements in his past. Paul had quite the resume.

• Paul was near the top of his filed in achievements, he sure had a lot of past accomplishments to hang his hat on.

• Take some time to read the earlier part of the chapter.

• For Paul life was good. He was educated, envied, and held a high position in life.

• Paul could have lived out his days persecuting the church.

• Paul was not one of those who was a drug addict, or an alcoholic, he was an important person, the envy of all around him.

• Something happened to Paul.

• Paul was religious as they came, he was blameless concerning the Law (Philippians 3:6). Paul was a confident man! (Philippians 3:4)

• Something happened to Paul.

• Paul, or Saul as he was known then, was zealously persecuting the church. (Philippians 3:6). He was so religious, he could not stand this NEW faith, it had to be destroyed!

• Something happened to Paul!

• SLIDE #5

• Acts 9:1–6 (HCSB) — 1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 “Who are You, Lord?” he said. “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,” He replied. 6 “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

• PAUL MET JESUS CHRIST ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS!

• Something happened to Paul!

• Paul did go from being RELIGIOUS TO MORE RELIGIOUS, Paul transferred his life from that of being based on religion to one built on a RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST!

• Once this happened, Paul realized he needed some NEW BEGINNINGS!

• SLIDE #6

• Philippians 3:7 (HCSB) But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.

• Paul realized it was time for some New BEGINNINGS!

• When Paul speaks of Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it., Paul did not regard himself as having obtained the final knowledge of Christ and the fullest conformity to him.