I'm New

The New Revised Standard Version The Ministry of Reconciliation

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

How many times in your life have you wished you could have a do over? Something you wish you would've said or done so things would’ve turned out differently, so things would’ve turn out better. Perhaps you said something you wish you hadn’t said, and thought, if I had just held my peace we wouldn’t be here today.

I believe jails are filled with people who often think, If I had just walked away, I wouldn’t be here now. How many drug addicts wish they had just said no the first time, instead, they’re dealing with the change in the chemical make up of their body which now craves that first unachievable high, which in some cases leads to overdose and death.

I believe jails are filled with people who often think, If I had just walked away, I wouldn’t be here now. How many drug addicts wish they had just said no the first time, instead, they’re dealing with the change in the chemical makeup of their body which now craves that first unachievable high, which in some cases leads to overdose and death.

How many have ever wished you could just start over? Well I have good news for you, you can? And I have even better news than that, you can do it more than once. You’ve heard me say the difference between success and failure is you stopped. But what you need to know today is you can begin again.

For a title this morning, I’m New.

For our message title this morning, I’m New.

Just think had we known in our youth, some of the things we know now, had we heeded some things, like eating a good diet, lifting with our legs and not our back, stretching before we started playing a sport or exercising, not eating and going to sleep, knowing what a circadian rhythm is and adhering to it, knowing the damage processed foods can do to your body. Oh if we had only known.

Just think, had we known in our youth, some of the things we know now, had we heeded some things, like eating a good diet, lifting with our legs and not our back, stretching before we started playing a sport or exercising, not eating and going to sleep, knowing what a circadian rhythm is and adhering to it, knowing the damage processed foods can do to your body. Oh if we had only known.

Had you known that boy only wanted one thing from you, don’t leave the party you asked for permission to go to, don’t drink that alcohol, keep your mental faculties about you. How many times have you said, I wish I would’ve known and in some cases, I wish my mother or father would have told me, so I could be prepared, so I would know how to handle this, whatever this may be.

Had you known that boy only wanted one thing from you, don’t leave the party you asked for permission to go to, don’t drink that alcohol, keep your mental faculties about you. How many times have you said, I wish I would’ve known and, in some cases, I wish my mother or father would have told me, so I could be prepared, so I would know how to handle this, whatever this may be.

In my maturity, there are some things I am convinced of, our parents can’t know everything, they did the best they could, not everyone is for you nor do they want the best for you, and not everyone is your friend. But here’s what I also know with certainty, God loves you, He sent His Son Jesus to die for you and because of that, here’s what else I know…

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, not because of who I am, but because of who He is.

• I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, not because of who I am, but because of who He is.

I know God has a plan for my life, to give me a future and a hope.

• I know God has a plan for my life, to give me a future and a hope.

I know that God is greater than Satan

• I know that God is greater than Satan

I know that God is a healer

• I know that God is a healer

And a reconciler

• And a reconciler

And a redeemer

• And a redeemer

I know He’s faithful

• I know He’s faithful

and merciful

• and merciful

and kind

• and kind

and just

and loving

· and just

and just

and gracious

• and loving

and that He is more adjectives than we have to describe Him.

• and gracious

He simply said, I Am, that I Am

• and that He is more adjectives than we have to describe Him.

And another thing, when you get to know the Lord God of heaven for yourself, when you establish and build and nurture a relationship with Him for yourself…the possibilities are endless. You will truly know that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.

• He simply said, I Am, that I Am

And when you know that, you can see God’s people in a whole new and different way. Our Scripture text is talking about being reconciled to God.

And another thing, when you get to know the Lord God of heaven for yourself, when you establish and build and nurture a relationship with Him for yourself…the possibilities are endless. You will truly know that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. And when you know that, you can see God’s people in a whole new and different way. Our Scripture text is talking about being reconciled to God.

Way back, in the beginning Adam introduced sin through his disobedience, through his failure to follow God’s instructions and because of that we were born in sin and shaped in iniquity. What does that mean? It means when a child is born no one has to teach them to be disobedient or selfish. They are born knowing how to manipulate and demand their own way.

Way back, in the beginning Adam introduced sin through disobedience, through his failure to follow God’s instructions and because of that we were born in sin and shaped in iniquity. What does that mean? It means when a child is born no one has to teach them to be disobedient or selfish. They are born knowing how to manipulate and demand their own way.

Think about it. Did you ever teach your children to say, “mine”, or to take a toy that may or may not have belonged to them? They saw it, they wanted it, so they took it. They learned to say no, because that’s often what they heard, but then they started using it in ways you didn’t like, for instance, when you told them to do something and they responded with… “no” uh huh, you got it.

You didn’t have to teach your kids how to lie, they learned by the consequences they experienced when they did certain things. And in some cases it doesn’t change when we get older. Some people don’t change, some people to continue to lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate others all to get the advantage in some way, shape or form, all for selfish gain.

You didn’t have to teach your kids how to lie, they learned by the consequences they experienced when they did certain things. And in some cases, it didn’t change when they get older. Some people don’t change, some people to continue to lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate others all to get the advantage in some way, shape or form, all for selfish gain.

But for those who are the born again believers of Christ - that is not our testimony. We are different, because now we are no longer worried about this world and what we can get from it. When you know that your heavenly Father owns everything and that you are an heir, you don’t have to manipulate to get ahead, you’re already above and not beneath, you’re already the head and not the tail, you’re the lender and not the borrower. You who were once separated, you who were once lost in your trespasses and sin, you who were bound for hell, has now been reconciled to the Father, through the blood of the lamb, the blood of Jesus Christ.

But for those who are the born-again believers of Christ – that’s not our testimony. We are different, because now we are no longer worried about this world and what we can get from it. When you know that your heavenly Father owns everything and that you are an heir, you don’t have to manipulate to get ahead, you’re already above and not beneath, you’re already the head and not the tail, you’re already the lender and not the borrower. You who were once separated, you who were once lost in your trespasses and sins, you who were bound for hell, have now been reconciled to the Father, through the blood of the lamb, the blood of Jesus Christ.

What is reconciliation? To reconcile something means to restore to friendship or harmony. We were once enemies with God, not because of him, but because of us, but when Jesus came and gave his life on the cross, he restored us back to the Father. He created harmony in our lives and dispelled the chaos that threatens to take our lives.

What is reconciliation? To reconcile something means to restore to friendship or harmony. We were once enemies with God, not because of him, but because of us, but when Jesus came and gave his life on the cross, he restored us back to the Father. He created harmony in our lives and dispelled the chaos that threatens to take our lives. Because of what Jesus did, we can boldly and confidently say, I am a friend of God’s, He calls me friend.

So knowing this, knowing that we are safe and secure and that no one can take what God has given us, we should make it our goal in life to please God rather than man. So when we look at people, we should be able to look at them differently, because here’s the thing…God loves them and gave His Son for them too, we all have an appointment to keep…it is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgement and what will you say on that day?

So knowing this, knowing that we are safe and secure and that no one can take what God has given us, we should make it our goal in life to please God rather than man. So when we look at people, we should be able to look at them differently, because here’s the thing…God loves them and gave His Son for them too.

When God asked you, “What did you do for me, what did you do with your life”? What will you say? And know this, not everyone who cried Lord, Lord is going to see heaven, because God is looking for a pure heart, it’s not about your works. You can’t work your way into heaven. You work because you are saved, not to get saved.

We’re called to be reconcilers, the command we have to go ye therefore and make disciples, is a ministry of reconciliation. We witness to reconnect sinner man to Christ.

If we look back at verse 11 of our scripture we see that because we know the fear of the Lord, this word fear, means reverence, respect or honor, and because of that, we tell others about the goodness of the Lord and why they should give their lives to Him. Our witness is not about us, yes we can share what Jesus did for us, but there is nothing we now do, have done or will ever do so great and wonderful in and of ourselves that warrants us getting into heaven. Everything we accomplish, is because God allowed it, what we do, we do through the power of God. He knows us, and he knows all about us, our hurts, our shortcomings, our faults our strengths and more importantly our weaknesses. Why do I say more importantly our weaknesses? Because His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

We all have an appointment to keep…it is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgement and what will you say on that day? When God asked you, “What did you do for me, what did you do with your life”? What will you say? And know this, not everyone who cried Lord, Lord is going to see heaven, because God is looking for a pure heart, it’s not about your works. You can’t work your way into heaven. You work because you’re saved, not to get saved.

God knows what He put in us, the gifts and talents He gave us, for the edification of the saints, to enhance His Kingdom, to draw others to Him, to help others find and use their gifts for His good. God knows the good, the bad and the ugly about us and He still loves us. Now who wouldn’t serve a God like that?

Before we came to know Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we looked at him from a human point of view. One that tried to reason and evaluate who Jesus was based on our finite knowledge. The problem with that thinking is he’s bigger than anything we can ask or think or know. Jekalyn Carr says, He’s bigger than the universe, bigger than the sun and the stars, bigger than things that could tear me apart, she goes on to say, you’re bigger than the problems I’ve faced, bigger than the disasters I’ve see, so much bigger, than what this life may bring so when we recognize that, we no longer try to figure Him out. We no longer try to reason away the virgin birth, the Crucifixion, the death, burial and Resurrection of Christ.

We do what we do all because of the love of Christ. It is His love that makes us able to bear all things, believe all things and hope all things and that includes all people. We can love the unlovable because in Christ there are no unlovable people, we don’t look at them through human eyes, we look at them as people who have value and worth.

Here’s the best news, here’s where we get the do over, verse 17 tells us if any man, and that is human, be in Christ which means - if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, when you do that, it means you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior, and that is when he becomes the Lord of your life and you will want to please God, but you become a new creation, you are born again, you get to start all over again.

You’re not the person the people knew in the old neighborhood, you’ve moved away from there. Some of you have physically moved out of the old neighborhood, some of you stopped going to the places you used to go, hanging out with the people you used to hang with, you no longer have a desire to go those places or do those things. The new you doesn’t forget where you came from but, the new you can glance back and take the lessons from that time and use them to do better now. When you know better, you do better. You throw away the insanity of doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome.

You look at challenges differently, because now with Jesus on your side, things will work out fine, you’re going to make it. You’re going to make through things that last year, last month, yesterday would’ve taken you out. Things that would’ve destroyed you, left you sitting in a corner in tears, left you laying in your bed, under the covers with the shades drawn and the lights out. Instead you can take up your cross and follow Jesus, you take the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, put on all your armor and go to war. You can march for Jesus knowing you have the victory in His Precious and Mighty and Glorious name. Knowing that you are an overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony.

You no longer carry the sin stain of your past, because you have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and now you’re whiter than snow; knowing that you’ve been tried in the fire, and you’ve come through as pure gold. You don’t have to hang your head because Jesus hung His on the cross and died for your sins, He died for my sins, ALL OF THEM. Hold your head up, stick your chest out, not in pride, but in the confidence that you are redeemed, you are reconciled and you are a child of the Most High God You’ve been called to greatness, you’ve been called for such a time as this. There’s much work to do and it’s not just pastors leaving churches, there are professed Christians walking away from the church, from the mission we’ve been called to do. Add to that those who profess Christianity, yet have never told anyone about their faith, let alone led someone to Christ.

We are to make disciples, not just invite people to church, although we encourage you to do that also. But what if they don’t live in this area? Are you not going to witness to them? Do you know how to pray a prayer of salvation with someone who wants to be saved? Can you give them the same blessed hope that you have. Can you give them the opportunity to be new creatures, to know old things have passed away and all things are new. Can you help them to get a new walk, a new talk, a new name, a new home over in glory.

We’re called to be reconcilers, the command we have to go ye therefore and make disciples, is a ministry of reconciliation. We witness to reconnect sinner man to Christ.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

If we look back at verse 11 of our scripture we see that because we know the fear of the Lord, this word fear, means reverence, respect or honor, and because of that, we tell others about the goodness of the Lord and why they should give their lives to Him. Our witness is not about us, yes, we can share what Jesus did for us, but there is nothing we now do, have done or will ever do so great and wonderful in and of ourselves that warrants us getting into heaven. Everything we accomplish, is because God allowed it, what we do, we do through the power of the Holy Spirit. He knows us, and he knows all about us, our hurts, our shortcomings, our faults our strengths and more importantly our weaknesses. Why do I say more importantly our weaknesses? Because His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

God knows what He put in us, the gifts and talents He gave us, for the edification of the saints, to enhance His Kingdom, to draw others to Him, to help others find and use their gifts for His good. God knows the good, the bad and the ugly about us and He still loves us. Now who wouldn’t serve a God like that?

Before we came to know Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we looked at him from a human point of view. One that tried to reason and evaluate who Jesus was based on our finite knowledge. The problem with that thinking is he’s bigger than anything we can ask or think or know. Jekalyn Carr says, He’s bigger than the universe, bigger than the sun and the stars, bigger than things that could tear me apart, she goes on to say, He’s bigger than the problems I’ve faced, bigger than the disasters I’ve see, so much bigger, than what this life may bring so when we recognize that, we no longer try to figure Him out. We no longer try to reason away the virgin birth, the Crucifixion, the death, burial and Resurrection of Christ.

We do what we do all because of the love of Christ. It is His love that makes us able to bear all things, believe all things and hope all things and that includes all people. We can love the unlovable because in Christ there are no unlovable people, we don’t look at them through human eyes, we look at them as people who have value and worth.

Here’s the best news, here’s where we get the do over, verse 17 tells us if any man, and that is human, be in Christ which means - if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, when you do that, it means you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior, and that is when he becomes the Lord of your life and you will want to please God, but praise be to God, you also become a new creation, you are born again, you get to start all over again.

You’re not the person the people knew in the old neighborhood, you’ve moved away from there. Some of you have physically moved out of the old neighborhood, some of you just stopped going to the places you used to go, hanging out with the people you used to hang with, you no longer have a desire to go those places or do those things. The new you doesn’t forget where you came from but, the new you can glance back and take the lessons from that time and use them to do better now. When you know better, you do better. You throw away the insanity of doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome.

You look at challenges differently, because now with Jesus on your side, things will work out fine, you’re going to make it. You’re going to make it through things that last year, last month, last night would’ve taken you out. Things that would’ve destroyed you, left you sitting in a corner in tears, left you laying in your bed, under the covers with the shades drawn and the lights out. Instead you can take up your cross and follow Jesus, you can take the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, put on all your armor and go to war. You can march for Jesus knowing you have the victory in His Precious and Mighty and Glorious name. Knowing that you are an overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony.

You no longer carry the sin stain of your past, because you have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and now you’re whiter than snow; knowing that you’ve been tried in the fire, and you’ve come through as pure gold. You don’t have to hang your head because Jesus hung His on the cross and died for your sins, He died for my sins, ALL OF THEM. Hold your head up, stick your chest out, not in pride, but in the confidence that you are redeemed, you are reconciled and you are a child of the Most High God. You’ve been called to greatness, you’ve been called for such a time as this. There’s much work to do and it’s not just pastors leaving churches, there are professed Christians walking away from the church, from the mission we’ve been called to do. Add to that those who profess Christianity, yet have never told anyone about their faith, let alone led someone to Christ.

We are to make disciples, not just invite people to church, although we encourage you to do that also. But what if they don’t live in this area? Are you not going to witness to them? Do you know how to pray a prayer of salvation with someone who wants to be saved? Can you give them the same blessed hope that you have? Can you give them the opportunity to be a new creature, to know that old things, old sins, old habits, old desires, old attitudes have passed away and all things are new? Can you help them to get a new walk, a new talk, a new name, a new home over in glory? Can you help them to know that God loved them so much that He gave His only begotten Son, so that if they believe in Him they too can have everlasting life?

If you can’t do those things, get in your Word, join us for Bible study on Wed nights, that’s where we teach you to do that. You see coming to church is wonderful, but this atmosphere is not conducive to you asking questions. Come on out to Bible study where you can practice leading someone to Christ. What? You don’t live in the Douglasville area, contact us and we can help you find a church in your area.

Maybe you’re here this morning or you’ve joined us online and you’ve never accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, today is a good day to change that. If you’ve never accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior I invite you to pray this prayer with me. Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner, I believe you are the Son of God, that you died for my sins and that you rose again and ascended back to heaven where you now sit at the right hand of the Father. I ask you now to come into my heart, I receive you as Lord of my life, in Jesus name I pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer for the first time, congratulations, now find a Bible believing, Bible teaching church where you can learn and grow in the knowledge of Christ.

Perhaps you’re here this morning and you’ve already professed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but you don’t have a church home; the doors of the church are open for church membership.

Maybe you left the area and now you’re back and would like to rededicate your life or recommit to this ministry, we’d love to receive you now.

I'm New

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! NRSV

17 KJV - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I'm New

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From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! NRSV

17 KJV - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.