The Hope Of A New Beginning

Bunbury

Sun am

2/01/11

“The hope of a new beginning”

Intro: *** Statement made by one of the bros on Friday am that struck me as being both sad & lacking in u/s.

Asked if he was going to come to New Year’s eve Bar-B-Q & he said “I have never celebrated New Year’s eve I don’t see the sense in it!”

I couldn’t help thinking how his thinking lacked insight.

God gives us new beginnings in seasons / times / days / years b/c it is necessary in life to be able to bring an end some things & a beginning to others!

Genesis 1:14 (NKJV) 14Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;

Certainly if nothing else mentally it helps us to be able to close chapters of our lives & say ..... that’s the end & be able to look forward to a new beginning.

Think about what God says heaven & eternal life is really all about .....

Revelation 21:5 (NKJV) 5Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” .....

Heaven / eternity is going to be about a new beginning ...... beginning new things & leaving behind old things.

If there is one spiritual significance about New Year it’s this ...... I believe we enter the new year w/ the hope of a new beginning.

That’s also the title of my message t/m ‘The hope of a new beginning’.

Text: Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) 7For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

# 1. New beginnings.

A. There is something about new beginnings that is essential to every one of us.

a. As we’ve already seen in my introduction t/m new beginnings are not man’s idea – it’s God’s idea.

i. Let’s focus our minds on this whole idea of new beginnings & think about where it originated from.

ii. To do this we have to go all the way back to the garden of Eden ....... the new beginning of creation i/s.

iii. Here is God busily putting together the master blueprint of creation making everything a reality.

iv. He begins by creating worlds & then bringing about divisions .... night / day / horizon & sky / water / land / division of different types of vegetation.

v. Then we find God creating stars ... lights of heaven / sun etc & w/ this He brings about the division of time itself.

vi. Right here God recognises / identifies the need for there to be a beginning & end of various times / seasons.

b. Now the question that begs to asked is why did God do this ..... why did God think it necessary to divide up time?

i. Day / night / months / years / seasons / times?

ii. Part of the reason is b/c of the natural cycles of creation sowing / growing / harvesting all happens in timeframes.

iii. God has also programmed into animal creation, including humans a need for times / seasons.

iv. But I think that one of the primary reasons is that mentally / emotionally / spiritually we all need the possibility of a fresh & new beginning.

v. Think about the ultimate promise that God gives to those that love Him ...... it’s the promise of a new beginning.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 (NKJV) 51Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

vi. Here is the last trumpet that will sound out a new beginning for the redeemed people of God.

B. But if new beginnings only come at the end of life then we are all going to be in trouble.

a. We are all prone to mistakes / bad judgments / errors in decision that we will have to carry our entire lives w/o a new beginning.

*** The other day we were pulled over by the police. I wasn’t driving & we had been clocked @ 21 km/h over the speed limit. But the worst thing was that the driver had a clean record w/ no demerit points against him. But b/c of double demerits @ Christmas he lost 4 in one hit! Ouch!!! But even our beloved govt sees fit to wipe the slate clean every three years & give every driver a new beginning!