New Beginnings

Justin Oden

Football Breakfasts • Sermon • Submitted 9 months ago • Presented 9 months ago

Philippians 3:12–16

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New Beginnings

New Season- New Coach- New Year- New stuff all around

First thing to know is that God is all about New Beginnings! And we should thank Him for that fact. If He wasn’t we would have no hope. No future. Ultimately nothing to live for. We would just stay in our ignorance, selfishness, and rotteness.

I know what you are thinking, ‘wow, very encouraging, very inspirational’

But I want you to listen and hear me when I say

RIGHT NOW IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW YOU FINISH.

Not just the season, the school year, or life. But your eternity.

Building something great starts with a great foundation. With one brick, one stone. And that takes removing what was old (either the dirt or building) and making it new.

Saul to Paul

One Such instance is a Man named Saul.

A man who thought he was doing life right. But found out he was actually persecuting God Himself.

Acts 8:1–3 ESV

1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

this man became Paul. Because God revealed Himself to him, and offered him a NEW BEGINNING

Acts 9:1–6 ESV

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

to this

Acts 9:19–20 ESV

19 and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

Paul was something NEW. Something had changed and it was his view and belief in Jesus.

These coaches, teachers, and parents want you to suceed on the field, in the classroom, in life. But most of all we all want to see you suceed in eternity. And the only way to do that is when you believe in Jesus for who He is

LORD of ALL. That includes your life and everything in it.

Football. GIve it to Jesus.

Cheering. GIve it to Jesus.

Classwork. GIve it to Jesus.

Coaching. GIve it to Jesus.

Teaching. GIve it to Jesus.

Your everyday. GIve it to Jesus.

True life is found in Him.

Paul had his new beginning and he finished well. The same man who killed Christians said things like this:

Philippians 3:12–16 ESV

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Ecclesiastes 7:8 ESV

8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

There is a great song by ‘For King and Country’ that is called Burn the Ships.

Its based in the story from history about Cortes when he came to conquer the new world in search of riches. To motivate his men, he cut off any hope of returning to their old lives. They had to push forward. It was what was in front of them now.

The authors of that song put it this way:

Your past doesn’t have to define your future. That’s really what this song, Burn the Ships, is about. It is about leaving the past behind and understanding that God has a much brighter future ahead.

I encourage you to find out whatever it is in your life that is holding you back, and the thing I would say to you is this. Go and burn the ships.

What is holding you back? What’s holding you back from that New Beginning with God?

Do you realize what He has in store for you? For those who forsake everything for the glory of Jesus!

It won’t just affect what happens on the field or the classroom, but it shapes your very existence in eternity.