We Believe in New Beginnings

Chapter three. Lamentations three in a few minutes. We will be in Genesis chapter four but first, Lamentations chapter three. I'll give you a minute to find that. It's sandwiched in between Jeremiah and Ezekiel in your Old Testament and we're going to read twenty two and twenty three again here in just a minute.

We serve a god of new beginnings. We serve the God of the the second chance Our God is eternal and he doesn't change. Praise the Lord. He is ever faithful and trustworthy. He doesn't need any new beginnings but sometimes we do.

He doesn't need second chances. But sometimes we do. And praise the Lord we serve a merciful savior. Who indeed is the God of the second chance. A god of mercy and grace.

I would would if you could look up here at the screen and I want to read a couple verses from the screen before we get back to Lamentations three. The first one, you might recognize if you were in Sunday school at second Peter three and verse nine. The Lord is not the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long suffering to us were not willing that any should perish but that all should come to what? Repentance. Their repentance is synonymous with salvation.

It is a turning faith to Jesus Christ to believe and trust in him as Lord and savior that we might be saved from eternal death and hell in the lake of fire and receive eternal what? Eternal life through Jesus Christ. God is not willing. That is God isn't desirous that anybody spend eternity separated from him in the lake of fire. God desires for every human being to come to him in faith and be saved.

He offers that opportunity for repentance for all, for whosoever shall call in the name of the Lord shall be saved. Sadly, not all repent, do they? But God desire is desirous of that and God is long suffering. We're talking in Sunday school about Christ return and why is it that he waits so long? Well, long has to do with your perspective thousand years, two thousand years isn't all that long to God As Doris point out in Sunday school was two thousand years at least between creation, the flood.

It was another at least two thousand years between the flood and the cross. Who knows? It maybe two thousand years or three thousand or four thousand. We don't know but to God a thousand years a day and a day is what? A thousand years.

God doesn't see time as as we do who live down here in it but praise God. He is merciful and what? Long suffering. It's because of his mercy and long suffering to humanity that he does what? That he waits.

Waits for that final soul to be saved. Thank God for his long suffering toward us. Another verse I want you to look at as we start this morning. Consider is Titus chapter three verse five. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his what?

His mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration renewing of the Holy Ghost. Two things from that verse. First of all, we're not saved by works. We're only by the what? The mercy of God.

There's nothing we can do, nothing we have to give God that could we could trade in or earn salvation. There's nothing of value that we have to give him. We are sinners. Tainted by my sin. Like our good works, it says in Isaacs, Isaiah sixty four six, are as filthy rags.

We have nothing to offer but praise God, he had something to offer us. His son, in our place. And only by his mercy can we enter in to the Holy of Holies. Can we enter into a relationship with God? Can we receive eternal life?

It is only because of his mercy that he has shown toward us. And then that last phrase, renewing of the Holy Spirit, renewing. That's what we need. We need renewal. Our lives are marred by sin.

Only one who can save us. Only one who can renew our what? Our heart and forgive our sins and change us forever. And that is Jesus Christ. Praise God.

We serve a god of mercy and long suffering and of new beginnings. I won't ask for a raise of hands this morning but how many of you got saved the first time you heard the gospel? Now, undoubtedly, if I ask you raise your hand, some of you would say, yes. I got saved the first time I heard the gospel but for many of us, it wasn't the first time and it wasn't the second time and it wasn't the third time and it wasn't the fourth time. I grew up in church but I got saved when I was nine years old.

I heard the gospel many times. Before I came to Jesus Christ and in faith was saved. There's a fellow in our church comes on Sunday nights regularly. His name is Kosan. Kosan came to me about three years ago.

He was struggling with a a particular issue in his life but he didn't know the Lord Jesus Christ as savior but he got saved. Praise the Lord and and God changed his heart and God changed him and God changed his eternity. And it was a joy to see that but you know, Khosan came over here from Thailand when he was about 20 years old and when he first came over here from Thailand, he stayed in a home. He he was a Buddhist at the time and he stayed in the home of somebody who was a Christian and he heard the gospel for the first time at the age of 20. He got saved at the age of 60 or thereabouts.

Forty years, God suffered long and he got saved and that's usually the case. That's the case with many people. Praise God for his what? His long suffering. Have you ever been backslidden in your Christian life?

Ever been stagnant in your Christian life ever not taking time to spend time with your Lord and his word allowed something in your life to get between you and your savior? Praise God even though we're not always faithful He is. In my relationship and my eternity is based on his faithfulness. And I thank him for hanging with me through some of those times. Ever struggled with a sin several times?

Particular weakness of the flesh. Praise God for his what? For his mercy and grace. Lamentations three twenty two and twenty three. If you're there, let's read those again.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithful It is of the Lord's mercies that are were not consumed. If we got what we just deserved it would all be what? It would all already be over.

There would be no hope for us. A matter of fact, I I doubt this world would even be here or humanity would be here anymore. If humanity got what humanity deserved. God paints a picture of humanity in Romans chapter three. There is none righteous, no not one.

They are deceitful, liars, corrupt, murderous, if not in their actions in their heart but God is what? Long suffering. And chooses to give us opportunity after our opportunity to come to him. And it is of his mercies that we do not already have not already received what we are do but instead because his love, his compassions fail not, we who have faith in Christ and what he did for us on the cross. The love that he showed there.

We have hope, a certain hope, a definite hope for eternity. Praise the Lord. And for his mercies and his compassions. They are new what? New every morning.

Every day we get up is a gift from who? Every day is a gift from God. Every day is a new opportunity. To draw closer to our savior. A new opportunity to get victory over that sin.

A new opportunity to be a testimony and a light for Jesus Christ in this world. Every day is a new opportunity in Jesus. His mercies are new what? Every morning because of his great what? Because of his great faithfulness.

Because he is faithful. I can get up this morning with a hope and a joy. I have a new day that God has given me and his mercy is for today and I have a new start today and I can serve him today and I can get victory today. Because his mercies are new every morning. We have embarked on a new year and as we look into God's words, we see that new beginnings are very much a part of his message.

For instance, John chapter three and verse three, Jesus answered and said unto him, Nicodemus, verily verily I say unto you, except a man be what? Born again, he shall not see the kingdom of God. Unless a man be born again, that can also be translated born anew. We are born physically but you also must be born what? Spiritually.

Spiritually. Into the family of God through faith and by the power of the spirit. John three three, Jesus said to Nicodemus, you must be born anew. You must be born again. And if we will come to Jesus by faith, believe in him.

We will not perish but we will be born again and for most of us, we have been praise God, born again. Thank the Lord and praise him for that mercy that has been shown us and for that new beginning in Christ Jesus. It says in first Corinthians, I mean, second Corinthians five seventeen, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a what? A new creature, a new person, all things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.

You have a new beginning. We have a new beginning in Christ Jesus. That old life before we're saved. That's gone. It's under the blood of who?

Jesus Christ. We have a new beginning. We have a new life in Christ with Christ, eternal life in him. Praise the Lord. We are new creatures in Christ Jesus.

We see a new beginning when God washed the earth clean of wicked humanity Praise God showed grace unto Noah and his family and gave humanity a new what? A new start after the flood. They didn't do very good sadly. They were told to scatter across the earth. They didn't.

They stayed in one big city. They built a tower for whose name? Their own. And so Jesus came down and confused their languages at the Tower Of Babel and we started again, okay? Spread out as God told them to.

God gave the Israelites a new beginning at the Passover and when he delivered them from slavery in Egypt, that Passover lamb symbolizing the blood of Jesus Christ. Through whom we are also delivered from sin and by whom the judgment of God will also pass over us. The day of atonement every year in Israel was a day of what? Of new, a new beginnings, a new start. As the nation confessed their sin to God.

Our Bible is so full of new starts and second chances. Just think, first of all, Adam and Eve. God said, in the day you eat of that tree, you shall surely what? Die. You shall surely die.

Did they die? Yes, they died. Did they die right that moment? No, they didn't. Not physically, yes, spiritually, they were separated from God by their sin but physically, they did not die that moment.

God gave them a second chance. He promised them before they left the garden, he promised them he would send the seed of the woman to defeat the plans of Satan, the serpent, who had deceived them and redeemed humanity. He he slew a lamb or he slew an animal and he used the skins of that animal to clothe them and to cover their nakedness symbolic of their sin. Already, we see the shedding of blood for the covering or remission of sins. God is the God of a second chance.

Praise God. He is one of mercy. Abraham found that out on many occasions. We think of Abraham as the great man of faith, Abraham. Yes, he was a great man of faith but he was also a man.

And he failed on more than one occasion. One of those occasions, God had promised to give him and Sarah a son but he was getting up in years and she was long past childbearing years already. So, he thought to himself, well, you know, maybe God's going to do this different way, you know, and Sarah said, well, here, take my handmaid Hagar and have a child by her and it'll sort of be mine by proxy and and so we did and they had a son, he and Hagar named Ishmael. It wasn't it didn't turn out so good. Doesn't turn out so good when we take matters into what?

Our own hands. There's a way that seems right unto a man. The end thereof are the ways of death. It's better to leave it to who? To leave it to God.

Trust in Lord with all thine heart, lean not into thine own understanding and all thy ways acknowledge him. He shall direct thy paths and he won't lead you wrong but Abraham got ahead of God. He sinned. He did, he did wrong. Caused troubles.

But God is a god of what? Mercy and grace. God gave him another chance to do it right with Sarah several years later. Because he is the God of new beginnings and the God of the second chance and so when we think of Abraham, we don't think of a man who failed. We think of a faithful God.

And we see a man of faith When we look at Lot, we see a little bit different thing, don't we? Lot, Abraham's nephew left with him to follow the Lord of the promised land. When when they got there after time, they decided their flocks were too big that the area couldn't sustain them if they stayed together. There was infighting among the servants. Well, we want the best grass.

We want the best grass and and so, Abraham said, Lot, we we just we just need to separate our flocks from one another. You go this way. You choose this way. I'll go the other so forth and so on. Lot looked down to the Plain Of Jordan.

It looked good to his eyes but he didn't look at the cities of what? Sodom and Gomorrah. He didn't consider how close he was going to be putting his family towards temptation and sin and he moved into the Jordan Valley and eventually, he ended up in the city of what? Sodom. And kings came against Sodom in battle and they defeated Sodom and they took spoil from the city and among the spoil that they took were Lot and his family.

You know what God did? God got word to who? Abraham. Abraham gathered together a small army. He went out and by God's grace and help, he defeated those kings that took Lot.

He retrieved Lot and his family and all the spoil that had been taken. But sadly, Lot went right back where? He went right back into Sodom. God gave Lot a second chance. He is a god of new beginnings but Lot, Lot didn't take it.

He went right back into Sodom again and then you know of how God destroyed Sodom and how the angels came and basically almost drug lot out of the city. He lost his wife. He lost the purity of his daughters. It's a sad story. Man does not always take God's second chance.

Lot had many of them. And faced some very difficult was a of God. He took matters into his own hands and killed an Egyptian He bringing Pharaoh's wrath down upon him. But after forty years of being a shepherd in the desert, God humbled him and God gave him a what? A second chance.

This time, to do it whose way, to do it God's way and to deliver his people out of Egypt. God told Jonah, go warn the Ninevites. The judgment is coming. And Jonah in his mind thought, I don't want those. I'm not gonna go tell them.

I don't want them to what? I don't want them to repent. I want God to blast them because Ninevites were wicked people and they were the enemies of who? Of Israel and so Jonah ran the other direction. Got on a ship, went the other direction.

What did God do? Did God say, oh well, no, God sent a whale or a big fish and he swallowed up Jonah. He brought him back to land. He spit him up around about the same area where he started and he said, okay, Jonah, let's try this what? Again, I'm the God of the second chance.

You got a second chance. You go to Nine you preach the gospel. You do what I tell you The second time, Jonah did what he was supposed to do and he went and he told the people that judgement was coming and yeah in fulfillment of his fear, they repented. But praise God they did. Israel, as a nation, Israel, in unbelief refused to enter the land of Canaan and they wandered in the wilderness for forty years but to the next generation, God gave a what?

A second chance and they went in and took it. As a nation, Israel departed many times into idolatry. During the time of the judges, several times, God showed mercy and gave them another chance. As a nation, Israel departed from God years later. God said, that's enough and sent them into captivity for seventy years but after seventy years, God gave them what?

A second chance. As a nation, Israel rejected their Messiah. They hung him on a cross but weeks later, Peter stood up in Jerusalem and he preached the gospel and God gave them what? A second chance. As a nation Israel today continues to deny their Messiah but during the tribulation, God will give them what?

A second chance. That is who our God is. He is a god of mercy. He is long suffering to usward. Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

He is the God of the second chance. His mercies are new what? Every morning. I would like to take a few minutes to look at kind of a sad illustration here from Genesis chapter four and then briefly at a good one from Luke and John. Genesis chapter four, if you turn to me, We're going to look at the illustration of Cain.

Cain. We're going to begin reading in verses one through five from Genesis chapter four. And Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bear Cain and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. She again bear his brother Abel and Abel was a keeper of the sheep but Cain was a tiller of the ground and in process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground and offering unto the Lord and Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect and Abel to his offering but unto Cain and his offering, he had not respect and Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell. So, here we have two brothers, sons of Adam and Eve and they bring offerings, sacrifices to the Lord, one of blood sacrifice, one a vegetable sacrifice, one given in faith, one I believe given in pride.

The one was received, the other was rejected by the Lord. Hebrews eleven four, we're told this, by faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. By which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice. One of the most important aspects of the sacrifice was faith.

A sacrifice not given in faith was not what? Was not received. Second of all, there's the issue of the type of sacrifice. If it was a sacrifice given to cover or to atone for sins, it had to be what kind of sacrifice? It had to be a blood sacrifice.

In Hebrews nine twenty two, it says, without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sins. Would seem that Cain brought the wrong sacrifice for sin. It wasn't a blood sacrifice. Cain brought the wrong sacrifice because he brought of his good works and not a sacrifice of faith. And he brought it not in humility but evidently in what?

In pride. Look what, look what I have done. Lord, accept my my good works. And God did not. The Bible says in Psalm 5,117, the sacrifice of God are what?

A broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, oh God, thou wilt not despise. James four and verse six, but he give it more grace wherefore he say it God resisted the what? The proud but he give it grace unto the the humble. Who was the humble? Abel.

He brought it in faith. He brought it in humility. He brought the right sacrifice. His was accepted. Cain's was not.

The fact is, we all fail. We are all sinners and God only receives to those who come humbly with a repentant heart before God. In faith to receive Jesus Christ alone as the only offering for sin. For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Adam and Eve, David, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Judah, Jacob, Peter, Lot, Saul, on and on and on.

They all failed. In some respect as we even as Christians sometimes still do. Praise God. He is the God of the second chance. And if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just what?

To forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteous. Willing willing to humble ourselves and come to him, God will make it all right. Sometimes, we give in to temptation too. Sometimes, we fail to do what we tell God we will. We fail in our commitments.

We fail. Due to the temptation of the flesh. We don't walk in the spirit. Praise God. He will never leave us nor what?

Forsake his children. He is a faithful God and his mercies are what? New every morning. However, God gave Cain a second chance as we'll see But he did not take it. Look in verses six and seven.

The Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth? Why are you angry? Why is thy countenance fallen? Why are you dejected? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door and unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him. God said to Cain, why are you mad? And why are you so dejected walking around so depressed and sullen and pitiful? Why? Just go back and do the what?

Do the right thing. You know, God showed mercy, gave Cain a second chance. Cain didn't get it right the first time. God said, that's okay. Go back and get it right this time.

Come to me the right way. I will receive you. I will receive you. That is our God He corrected Cain. Correction is not bad.

Correction is what? Correction is good. And we often need it. Proverbs three eleven and twelve, my son not despise not the chastening or correction of the Lord neither be wary of his correction. For whom the Lord loveth he want?

Correct it. Even as a father, the son, and whom he delighted. Proverbs 15 and verse 10. Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way. That would be Cain and he that hateth reproof shall what?

Die. Correction is a good thing if we will what? Receive it and God is a merciful God who when we do wrong, he corrects us that we might receive the correction and that we might humble ourselves and fix it. That is the God we serve. When you go to school and you take a test and you get answers wrong, the teacher takes a red marker and they what?

They put an X or a line through it. Say, this answer is wrong and maybe over the side, they write in the correct answer. So, when you get the test back, you'll know for the final exam later in the year what the correct answer is so you don't get it wrong next time. That is not a bad thing. That is a good thing.

It's a good thing that God loves us so much. That he's willing to be merciful and long suffering and to correct us and give us a second chance. God warned Cain. He not only corrected him, he warned him. He said, don't be angry.

Humble yourself. If you don't, then sin is going to master you. First Peter five eight says, be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Satan wants to destroy you. He wants to destroy those who hear the gospel and are not yet saved and grab away that seed before it takes root and they're saved.

But he also wants to destroy the joy and the testimony of each and every child of God. God warns us. Stay away from this. Don't do that. Instead, do this.

God tells us, he warns us. He warns the world that there is a place called hell in the lake of fire where they will spend eternity if they don't get their name written where? In the lamb's book of life. Through faith in Christ. But he also warns us as Christians.

We need to stay away from sin. We need to see sin as the enemy that it is. We need to be willing to confess it. Else, it will destroy our testimony. It will rob us of our joy.

And even our assurance. The sign that they put up on the highway that says, danger, watch out. The road is out ahead. That is for our what? That's for our good.

So that we'll see the danger coming. The wise man sees the danger coming and he hides himself, okay? The foolish pass on and are punished. That's from Proverbs as well. Colossians one twenty eight whom we preach, Paul says, that is Jesus, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in who?

In Christ Jesus said, Paul's message wasn't always well received, was it? But he was preaching it for the good of those to whom he brought it. And then we see instruction, warning, and then opportunity. God said, I will give you another chance. He gave Abraham another chance.

Lot another chance. Peter another chance. Israel another chance. The woman caught in adultery. He said, go and what?

Sin no more. And he gave Cain a second chance but we see from scripture Cain didn't take it. Instead, what did Cain do? He killed his brother. He let anger and jealousy and hatred well up in his soul.

God warned him that sin would take over and he would face the consequences. He didn't listen. He didn't take the second chance. And he killed his brother and the sin that began in the Garden of Eden blossomed into murder in just the next generation and we see murder all throughout history and even today, teens killing teens, schoolmates, teachers, even parents. This world is fraught with sin and there's only one solution Jesus Christ.

If we'll come to him. God because he is long suffering is still giving people the opportunity. To turn at his reproof and to receive his forgiveness. Cain sadly refused. He lied to God.

He refused to accept even the consequences of his sin. How about you? Let's to finish this morning contrast Cain's reaction with another and that would be Peter's. God told Peter, Jesus told Peter, before the croc, the rooster crows twice, you will deny me what? Three times.

Three times. And Peter in his pride said, what? No god, no Jesus, I will never do that and yet out of fear, when he was discovered near the place of the trial, Three times people said, well, I think you're with Jesus and Peter said, what? No, I don't know him. No, I'm not with him.

Finally, he swore and said, I have nothing to do with the man. And Peter denied the Lord. Three times, just as Christ said he would but God gave him a what? A second chance. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembered the word of the Lord how he had said unto him before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice and Peter went out and what?

He wept bitterly. Now, weeping isn't always a sign of true repentance but in this case, I do believe it was. The moment Peter heard that cock crew and Jesus looked at him, it smote him to his to his core, to his soul. And immediately he began to weep because he had what? He had failed his God.

He had failed his savior. He had denied his Lord. Out of his own personal fear. And he went away weeping but God gave him what? A second chance and later when Jesus came to meet his disciples on the shores of the Sea Of Galilee, they were out in the boat fishing but the minute Peter recognized it was Jesus on the shore, it says here in John 21, therefore, that disciple whom Jesus loved said unto Peter, it is the Lord.

Now, when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he gird his fisher's coat unto him for he was naked and he did cast himself into the sea. Immediately, when Peter realized it was the Lord, he didn't run from him. He ran what? He ran to him. Because he realized that his God is a god of mercy and that he had given him a second chance and he jumped in the water and he didn't wait for the other disciples to came to come.

He swam to shore his savior and the savior restored him and renewed his commission there in John 21. Because he is the God of the second chance. Don't be think, don't think because you've messed up, it's over. We've all messed up. We've all messed up.

If you're still on this Earth and you are in this service today, my friend, it is by no means over. This is a new day, A new year. A new opportunity. You can be saved from sin and hell if you've not yet done so. Today is the day of what?

Salvation. Don't put it off to tomorrow. God has given you a second chance. You can be forgiven. Christian, you can be restored and you can still be used of the Lord.

Don't listen to the lies of the devil that it's over and you can't get victory and you're useless. If you're still here, God can still use you. God can still use you. He's giving you a second chance. His mercies are new every morning but you must stop running.

From God and instead run what? To God. You must stop making excuses for your sin and instead confess it. You must stop blaming God and others. You must acknowledge and take responsibility for your own failures.

And lay them before him. Humbly in faith. If you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. If you will embrace him today, if you will run to him, if you will trust in him, he is the God of the second chance. Christian, thank God for his mercy and that his mercy is new every morning.

Christian running from God turn and accept God's opportunity to repent before the consequences come. Unsaved person accept God's merciful opportunity for salvation before it is eternally too late. There will come a day when it will be too late. It is appointed on demand once to die but after this the what? The judgment.

Then, it will be too late but today, it is not too late. Today is the opportunity to repent and trust Christ. Today is the opportunity Christian to get something right with the Lord. His mercy is new today. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord that your mercies are new every morning. Thank you. For the wonderful, positive example of Peter and how you used him just weeks later on the day of Pentecost to bring 3,000 souls to Christ who had just weeks earlier denied you. Lord, thank you that you are God of mercy. Thank you that you are God of grace.

Lord, use us. Forgive us of our sin. Help us to be honest with you and embrace you instead of running from you and allow you to change us. Make us more like you. Use us, Lord.

Lord, if there's something between us and you today, may we take care of that this morning and Lord, if there's one here that's never trusted Christ as savior, your arms are open wide, Lord. You invite them to come today. May they come as we sing this hymn of invitation. May they walk this aisle and give us an opportunity to share with Christ with with them, Jesus Christ and how they can be saved today. In Jesus name, we pray.

Amen.