A New Beginning

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Illustration
Jason—at a young age he was taken by social services out of his home, where his mother was addicted to heroin, cocaine, and alcohol.
Tossed from one foster care house to another, he finally found a home—a Christian home. He went to church to please his new parents, but never had a genuine change of heart.
Due to his own addictions with drugs, he left home at age 18, and focused on drugs, dinking, and parties—searching for something to numb the pain in his life.
Eventually he lost everything—becoming homeless—and living on the streets of Portland, Oregon. Arrested multiple time, it seemed that he would never overcome his heroin addiction—he had nothing—no hope, no peace, nothing!
One day he was arrested—but the arresting officer did not just read him his rights—he told him about Jesus. And, in his jail cell, he cried out to Jesus—and everything changed.
He called his adopted parents, who rejoiced with him. Jason experienced a NEW BEGINNING! A fresh start! A transformation—all because of Jesus!
Jesus—the One who defeated death and hell—is the only one who can change our lives as well!
Transition
Maybe your life is not about addiction or growing up in a foster care home. And, then again, maybe you can identify with Jason.
Maybe though, there are things in your life that has brought confusion, pain, and doubt.
You try to do everything right—but your life is a little messy—you wish you could start over. You wish you could have a new beginning.
The Bible says:
1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT
30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.
1 Corinthians 1:30 The Message
30 Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.
Through Christ (His death, His resurrection—explain) we are live becomes a clean slate and a fresh start.
Most of the world knows that Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God came to earth in human form, became a man, lived a perfect life so we could see what life was all about, died on the cross so all of our sins could be forgiven, and He said, “I’m going to let these people kill Me and prove I am who I say I am – I am God – by raising Myself back to life three days later.”
That’s exactly what He did on Easter Sunday. Three days later He comes back to life. He’s walking around Jerusalem. Hundreds of people see Him. They write accounts down.
If we would believe in Jesus, He gives us a New Beginning—and this New Beginning has a powerful effect in our life.
Point 1

I Get a New Clarity about Life

What happens when a person believes in Jesus Christ and experiences God’s grace. Your life changes!
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
A new beginning is a new life—a new way of seeing things.
You get a clearer picture of your life—a clearer picture of your relationships—you start seeing your problems differently. You see God differently.
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone! Jesus said:
John 8:12 NLT
12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
Have you ever felt like life was attempting to move forward in the dark—just stumbling through life?
How do you know when you are stumbling through life? Three things:
You’re not really sure where you are. You’re in the dark.
You are not really sure where you’re headed.
You run into a lot of things—a lot of bumps and bruises.
Most people are living “in the dark”—often confused and trying the figure it out without success.
I see so much pain and frustration—people who want to understand, want to move in the right direction—but it seems an impossible task.
When Christ changes our life—when we choose to believe and trust in Him—life become clearer.
Like the sone “Amazing Grace”—says “I once was blind but now I see.”
At the end of this service I am going to give you opportunity to make that choice. Some of you have been wondering—and you want to see clearly—and understand what life is all about as you follow Christ.
Transition
That is the first benefit of getting a New Beginning with God. But there is a whole lot more.
The second benefit (You not only get a new clarity about life…)

I Get a New Confidence about My Future

People are worried about the future! Will I have a job? Will I be able to pay the bills? Will our country hold it together, or will it fall a part?
People are living with insecurity. Doubt and fear are the prevailing emotions.
Most have become good at hiding these insecurities. And, one way is to find something, anything, and can help with some kind of assurance.
If I get a good job.
If I work out and maintain my health.
If I can find myself a relationship that will meet my needs.
If I can accomplish something, achieve something, acquire something,...
But the solution is to let God give you confidence.
What does God offer that will exchange your insecurities for confidence and assurance?

God offers to forgive everything I’ve ever done wrong

Romans 8:1 NLT
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
The greatest destroyer of confidence is guilt and shame.
Today, it seems that we live in a would looking for something in our lives to guilt us and shame us.
But God wants to give you a New Beginning—a fresh start. God want to wipe the slate clean and give you a clear conscience. He want you to live life without condemnation.
Listen to what God promises:
1 John 1:9 NLT
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
When you can just start over—close the door on your past—experience the forgiveness of God—that, my friend, will give you confidence!

I can trust God to work out all the details of my life.

The Bible says:
Romans 8:28 NLT
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Obviously, not everything is good. But God says that He will work out all the details in your life.
He knows your problems—and, if we let Him, He can handle them.
The things that are beyond your control and not beyond God’s control and when you know God’s going to handle them—that gives you confidence.
One of the reasons why so many people are stressed out is instead of letting God work it all out, you’re trying to work it all out in your own life.
God says that He will work it out FOR MY GOOD!

I can know that God will give me strength for whatever I face.

Philippians 4:13 NLT
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
People are stressed out and emotionally exhausted.
One of the reasons why is that we are trying to do life in our own strength.
Maybe this describes you. You are overwhelmed and completely emotionally, spiritually, socially tired. Maybe you have felt like giving up.
Maybe your here today on Easter because you feel like throwing in the towel.
You want to give up on your job.
You want to give up on your marriage, give up on your kids.
You are just DONE!
God brought you here so He could say this to you: Don’t give up—I will help you. I will give you the strength you need.
There is a fourth source of confidence that God gives us.

I can know that God has a purpose for my life and a future for me in heaven.

The Bible says:
1 Peter 1:3–4 NLT
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
1 Peter 1:3–4 The Message
3 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, 4 including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!
Wow! A past forgiven—a purpose for living—and ultimately a home in heaven. Talk about confidence!
God has given us a purpose for living—a living live WITH God—where God personally works in our live.
But THIS life goes beyond the here and now. One day we will be in heaven—where our faith will become sight—where there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more death!
Transition
This is confidence! Forgiveness! My life guided by God! Strength! Purpose! Heaven!
But the best thing:

I Get a New Connection with God

A NEW BEGINNING with God is WITH GOD! All of a sudden I get to know God personally.
Romans 5:11 NLT
11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
This is the most amazing truth: the God of the universe wants me for a friend.
You were made so God could love you!
He made you to love you!
See, that is the purpose of life: to know and love God!
You were not put in this world to:
Grow up
Go to school
Make a lot of money
retire and die and that’s it!
You were put on this earth because God created you to love you!
He knows everything about you and He want you to love Him back.
NOTICE: He does not say that He wants you to have a wonderful new religion.
See, religion is humanity’s attempt to get to God.
God wants friendship! He wants a relationship, not religion.
Conclusion
I know a lot of people who have gone to church their entire life and still don’t have a relationship with God.
Do you remember Jason—his story that I gave at the beginning of this message? When he was adopted as a child, his new family attended church. He did too. He went to church every time the doors were open. He sang the songs, he listen to the messages, he helped out when there was a need. But he still did not have a relationship with God.
It was in the jail cell that Jason accepted the truth of Jesus, and received Him into his life. But that was not the end of the story.
Jason called his parents, and they told him about Teen Challenge. He spent a year learning to live the overcoming life through discipleship, Bible study, and encouragement from the staff, friends, and family.
Jason had a fresh start, a NEW BEGINNING. Experiencing Real Love, Real Change, and Real Life.
Today Jason serves as a full-time counselor at a Teen Challenge Center for men in Oregon.
That, my friends, is the Power of Christ’s Resurrection—transforming our lives into friendship with God.
This message is for you! God extends to you an invitation for a New Beginning!
He invites you today to accept that invitation! Are you willing?
Placing your trust with God will change your life.
Prayer
Acts 4:12 NLT
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Romans 10:9 NLT
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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