Opener:
Good Morning Church! We are so happy that you have joined us this morning. We are beginning the new year right and so I want to talk to you this morning about new beginnings.
So many of you know that I enjoy hitting the golf course now and again. I am not saying that I am really good at golf, but I do enjoy it. It gets me out of the house and into nature. If you have ever golfed, then you know that there are a lot of rules with golfing and different points of etiquette. Now I must say that when I go golfing, I have created my own rule system. They call them Pastor rules. One of these rules at times, is that it is o.k to take a second chance at a shot. It called a Mulligan.
This mulligan goes something like this, you step up to the tee box to hit the ball. After you hit the ball it begins to curve way right and goes into the pond. Since, I did not bring my snorkel gear, and cannot hit a golf ball from underwater, I have not learned that skill yet, we say well take a mulligan. Basically, you are getting a do over, or a second chance.
I. God gives new beginnings
A. Salvation
a. God has a way of giving people a new beginning. How exciting is that! He gives people a mulligan, a do over and that starts salvation.
b. Salvation is a tremendous gift that comes to us from God.
c. This give is given to us even though we really don’t deserve it.
d. We were sinners that didn’t deserve a second chance at life.
B. God’s love
a. But God’s love reaches right through what we deserve and He shows us mercy and He shows us grace.
b. The bible tells us in John 3:17 NKJV 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
c. God did not send His Son to condemn people, He sent His Son to provide a way for a new beginning.
d. By accepting Jesus in your life, God forgives you of your sins and gives a wonderful gift of a new life in Him.
C. All things become new
a. The bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17(NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
b. That means that the old has gone and the new has come.
c. Your sins are no longer held against you in heaven’s court on judgment day. Truly, It is a New Beginning for Life.
D. Wonderful reality
a. Salvation is wonderful reality, but there are some people who are still living in discouragement.
b. They have been saved from there sins, they have been given the gift of eternal life, but they remain discouraged.
c. This is not good because discouragement robs people of a future that God created them for.
d. Discouragement forces people to live in yesterday, constantly worrying about what may or may not happen tomorrow.
e. The discouraged person finds it difficult to accept encouragement or good things from anybody.
II. People of Discouragement
A. Living in Babylon
a. The Israelites were a people that were living in discouragement. They were living in captivity in the land of Babylon, taken from the Promised Land because of their many sins against God.
b. They were at the lowest point that a nation could go. It felt as if the control had been taken from them, another King gave them their orders, another culture was forced on them.
c. And the Israelites were living in discouragement.
B. God speaks
a. God spoke to His people through the prophet Isaiah. He said: Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV 18 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
b. Prayer – God help us to hear from you, speak and we will listen.
C. Children of Israel
a. It is why he said to the children of Israel, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.”
b. They were stuck in there past, reliving there mistakes, reminding themselves of the misery that they went through, and they were so busy reliving yesterday, that they missed out on the life that God offers today.
c. Here is the truth for you today, God is still saying, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.”
d. He is saying, Don’t let your past stunt your future growth.
D. New life, new hope
a. This is what salvation is all about, it’s a new life, it’s a new hope, and it’s a new beginning.
b. We can’t keep replaying yesterday’s disappointments; we’ve got to open our eyes to what God wants to do today.
c. Ask yourself the question, What is more important, my past or my future? And you will find your answer in what you are living for at this moment.
d. You can look at how you act daily, at the thought processes that go through your mind, and you will know if you are living for your past or your future.
E. Living in the past
a. The Israelites were living for their past. They were so caught up reminiscing about the good old days. I am not saying that is a bad thing at all but they were still living in those days.
b. The past is wonderful to think about and seeing God work is awesome but those things are in the past.
c. It is easy to for us to fall into the same trap in many different areas of our own life.
d. In the area of finances, Warren Buffet says, “The investor of today, does not profit from yesterday’s growth.”
III. Do not remember the former things
A. Perspective
a. And with the perspective of eternity, God says, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” -Isaiah 43:18-19 (NRSV)
b. And God said that to the Israelites and He is saying it to you because we all need to understand that Yesterday’s Victories wont save us Today.
c. You see, Israel had an amazing history of God’s victories.
d. There was the time that He brought about 10 plagues against Egypt in order to get the Israelites free from bondage.
B. Red sea opened
a. As the Egyptian army went to recapture the Israelites God opened up the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross through on dry land.
b. When the Egyptians gave chase God closed the sea on them and the Israelites were free.
c. There was the battle against the Amalakites led by Joshua.
d. When Moses held his hands up to God they won and when Moses put his hands down they lost. So two men held Moses hands up for him and the Isrealite army had another victory.
C. Jericho
a. There was the time that they entered the city of Jericho which was heavily fortified.
b. God told the Israelites to march around it for 7 days, and then God caused the walls to crumble and fall.
c. Israel had many victories to recall, and relive, but none of those victories were going to help them today.
d. In the Bible, God encourages His people to have faith for each day. In the famous “Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus tells us to pray for Daily Bread.
e. That reminds me of the Israelites when they were fully relying on God for their food as they traveled through the desert to the Promised Land.
f. He would send them food called manna each morning from Heaven. God’s instruction was to only take what they needed for that particular day. Any manna that was left over at night would go moldy and bad.
i. See Charity, I knew there was a reason why I don’t like leftovers!
g. The truth is that they still had to get out there and take each day, they couldn’t rely on yesterday’s faith, they had to act in faith every single day.
D. Gift from God
a. Let me say this, “Every single day that we get to live, truly is a gift from God. Every single day! We are only deceiving ourselves if we think that we can live off the success of yesterday. We live looking forward, not looking back.
b. This is the way that the Apostle Paul lived his life, looking forward and not looking back. And it is a good thing because Paul had a pretty nasty history to look back on, he had made some really horrible mistakes.
c. He stood there and held the coats of the men who were stoning Stephen to death.
d. He was persecutor of the Church, so much so that Christians scattered all over the area to get away from Paul and his bad behavior.
E. Road Damascus
a. But one day on the road to Damascus, Paul had an encounter with God that would change his life.
b. The blinding light came down from heaven and Paul fell down to the ground.
c. God spoke to him and Paul repented of his sins. And in that moment he received the gift of salvation, in that moment all of his sins were removed from the sight of God.
F. Forgiven
a. Paul used to be a Christian killer, but now because of the gift of Salvation God called him righteous. God said, “I forgive you,” and Paul became a new man.
b. God does this miracle in Paul’s life and Paul goes on to become a missionary and write half of the New Testament.
c. Paul experienced a new found freedom and purpose in his life as a result of being forgiven.
IV. The past
A. Paul changed
a. But do you think that Paul could have done all of that if he was focused on all the terrible things that he had done before he was saved?
b. Do you think that he could have accomplished any of this if he focused on his past mistakes?
c. The bible says in Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV -12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
B. More
a. Paul understood that there was more to being a Christian than being forgiven of your sins. Is it important to realize that God has taken away all of your iniquities? Absolutely.
b. We too are also running a race. And no runner wins a race by looking back all of the time.
c. As a former cross country runner, stop laughing people. I was. I can tell you that it was imperative that you always looked forward because the terrain was rough and you never knew what was ahead of you.
C. The prize
a. What is the prize that we are running after then. It is the prize of hearing God say to you “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord”
b. You see, when all is said and done, when your life is over, you will stand before God and give Him an account of how you lived your life. Your going to have to explain yourself.
c. And wouldn’t it be great if you could stand before God and say, “I was obedient. I loved you and served you with all of my heart, with all of my mind and with all of my strength.”
d. Wouldn’t it be great if your actions stood up before God as righteous and honorable?
e. That is the prize that Paul is running after, because being a Christian is more than having your sins forgiven, it is living your life for the glory of God.
D. Sense of Entitlement
a. We live in a world today, that people feel that they are owed something. They have a sense of entitlement which leads their lives into a serving self, instead of a life serving the Lord and others.
b. Those that live life in this way are always depressed, always complaining about one thing or another, always playing the victim card.
c. We need to put our own needs aside and serve others.
d. In fact, the bible say Acts 20:35 NKJV35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
E. Run the race
a. But think of how a race is run. When you are coming into the last turn and the race is drawing to the end, I would dig deep. Very deep and would run even faster than what I was cause I wanted to finish the race well.
b. God is calling us to this morning to put the past behind us. Forget about all your past failures. You cant change them anyway.
c. So move forward in your life in a positive way. Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.
Closing:
As we close up here this morning, God is calling us to a higher level. In order to experience that, we need to begin to think like Jesus thinks, to act like Jesus, to talk like Jesus. To give Jesus full control of our lives. We have to stop reliving our past disappointments, our past failures. We have believe God when He says…Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV- 18 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
It is the enemy of your souls, the Devil, who wants you to believe that you cannot start over. That you are stuck in a desert and that you will never succeed. He wants for you to constantly be watching replays of your mistakes and reminding you of your faults and failures. He wants for you to focus on yesterday and he wants to convince you that today is hopeless.
Just know this, the devil is a liar. Say that with me, the devil is a liar. In fact, he is the father lies, he is the prince of darkness and we serve somebody who is much much greater than him. We serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!
Our God not only tells us the truth, for He cannot lie. He shows us the way that leads to life eternal. He tells us that yesterday is over and that a new thing is happening right now.
And I believe that God wants to see you encouraged here today. He wants to see you full of life, full of His hope and full of promise. You were not created to be a failure, you were created by God to worship Him and to prosper in all that you do.
