A Fresh Start

We've heard that many times, we've heard that along with them.

Please, can we start again?

In some ways it's a cry of desperation,

as they realise that because of a wrong move or a wrong choice,

that they're out of the game or that they've lost.

And sometimes, if I'm feeling very generous,

we will start again, we'll have another go.

We'll gather up all the pieces and we'll put them all back into their places

and we'll begin and start all over again.

Another opportunity to make better choices,

another chance to do things differently.

Now, the truth be told, we can probably feel exactly the same

when it comes to the big game of life.

We often may say to ourselves, can we please start again?

It may be a cry of regret,

a cry of unrealised expectations or a cry of self-pity.

As we review the things that have happened in the past year

or even further back, choices that we have made,

things that we've said, the actions that we have taken,

we probably all wish from time to time

that we could just start again.

And in many ways, people say the new year provides

the opportunity that we need to start again.

A fresh start to make new promises

as we set goals for the coming year.

But I think, if we're honest with ourselves,

we all know that by January the 7th or the 9th,

we'll look back and we'll already be saying,

I wish we could start again.

And things are just the same.

We all long at different times for a new beginning

and certainly the new year provides that opportunity

to refocus our minds and to think about a new beginning.

Well, for our encouragement,

the God of the Bible specialises in new beginnings.

If we just take a quick scan through

from Genesis right up to Isaiah 55,

we see that he is a God of beginnings.

He created a good and beautiful world.

That was a new beginning.

But not too long into that new creation,

we see mankind making their own actions and choices

that actually break God's beautiful world.

But no sooner is it broken that God comes to Noah.

He promises that he's going to destroy the world,

but that he's going to start again,

this time with a family of eight.

And then as we read through,

we get to Genesis chapter 11,

Genesis 11 · chapter mention

and we see the world descending into disorder and chaos again

as they seek to build a great big building up to the sky,

up to heaven itself.

They want to rule the world.

And in response,

God comes to a man called Abraham.

And he promises to start again.

As all the nations were scattered,

as there was a new,

all different kinds of languages,

people were spread across the world.

God promises to start again.

And he says to Abraham,

I'm going to build a new nation.

I'm going to build a new people

who will enjoy the blessing of God forever.

But as we read on,

this new nation,

Israel,

ends up in slavery in Egypt,

oppressed and on the brink of destruction.

But God intervenes again,

this time through Moses.

They're rescued.

And there's another opportunity to start again,

a new beginning,

a fresh start in the promised land.

And as we follow through the history of Israel,

God continually provides new kings,

new leaders to replace those that were corrupt

and that were bad.

God always bringing a new beginning

and a fresh start.

But the rebellion and the rejection

becomes so great

that God sends them off into exile.

And that's where we come to in Isaiah 55,

where God is promising another new beginning,

another fresh start for his people.

And in Isaiah 55, verse 1,

Isaiah 55:1

it says,

Come,

all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters.

Verse 3,

Come,

give ear,

come to me,

hear me,

that your soul may live.

So it was an invitation

for the people

to start again,

to come back to God,

to get back to their roots,

to get things right.

In fact,

God had promised them

a complete transformation.

in this new beginning.

In verse 5,

he says,

Surely you will summon nations you know not,

and nations that do not know you

will run to you.

So here is a nation presently in exile,

but he's telling them

that they are going to have

such a transformation,

it'll be such a new beginning

and a fresh start,

that not only are they going to come back

to their own land,

but that they are going to become a nation

that is so attractive

that other nations are going to run to them

and find the salvation

that they could have

from God as well.

So it seems that this God

who specialises in new beginnings

is determined

to put things right.

But I think we should know

that when we read through Isaiah,

and indeed anywhere through the Old Testament,

that as Isaiah spoke of this fresh start,

he was looking forward

to the ultimate new beginning.

Because as we saw in verses 1-5

the other week,

it all pictured,

it all pointed forward

to the coming of the Messiah,

God's chosen and appointed king

who would give the greatest fresh start.

The king, the Lord Jesus,

who invited people to come to him,

those who were thirsty,

those who were hungry,

said,

Come to me,

you will never thirst,

you will never hunger again.

Come to me and receive life,

receive eternal life,

receive that new beginning,

that fresh start

that only I can give.

So, here's God

coming to his people,

summoning them to say,

Come to me

for a fresh start

and a new beginning.

And we want to ask the question,

Well, how can we experience

this new beginning?

Well, as we start into the new year,

I want to give us

three things

that will help us

to experience

the new beginning.

And the first is this,

it is something

we can have.

Something we can have,

a new life.

God promised a fresh start

to his people,

but to experience it

for themselves,

it needed a response.

And if we want a fresh start

and a new beginning,

this is the kind of response

we need.

It must start

with urgent repentance.

Look at verse 7.

He says there,

Let the wicked

forsake his way

and the evil person

his thoughts.

Now, they're not words

that we would readily

use to describe ourselves.

We think of other people

as being wicked.

We think of murderers

and paedophiles

as being evil.

But here is God's description,

God's collective description

for all mankind

because it's very clear

that we've all turned away

from God.

We try to give ourselves

the fresh start.

We try to live without him.

We try to rule and run

our own lives without him.

And so the invitation

at the very beginning

is to come

and to repent.

It says to forsake

his way.

Literally,

it's to turn our backs

on trying to run

our own life.

And in turning back

from that,

we are to turn

to the Lord.

We are to accept

God's rule

over our life.

Not only are we

to turn away

from something,

to stop trying

to run our own life

and be in control

of our own lives,

but we are to turn

to the one

who is the ruler

over our lives.

And so as we start

into 2011,

this is the path

that we ought to take.

One that turns

from trying to run

and rule our own ways

and do our own thing

and to submit

our lives completely

to his rule.

But please note

that this is something

that we can't put off.

Look at verse 6.

It says,

Seek the Lord

while he may be found.

Call on him

while he's near.

So it's implying

that God will not

always be found.

He's not always

going to be near.

Presently he is.

Christmas has reminded us

that God came close

to us in Jesus Christ.

He did come near.

But there will come

a time where people

will look for him

and they won't find him.

People will call

but there will be

no answer.

And so there's something

of an urgency here

that we get our lives

sorted out quickly

while there is time,

while Christ

is here for us.

And it goes the same

not just for us

but for those

that we know.

It's no good

putting off

this invitation.

We must seek the Lord

while he may be found

and to call on him

while he's near.

It's a little bit

like the January sales

if any of you

have ventured into town.

The invitation

is here today.

Sale now on.

Come while the offer

is still available.

If you put it off

and wait until February

then it will be too late.

Everything will be gone.

And so God offers

this new beginning today.

He says,

don't wait until

it's too late.

Get it now

while it's available.

And for all of those

who avail of this offer

they won't be disappointed.

Look at the rest

of verse 7.

He says,

turn to the Lord

he will have mercy.

Turn to our God

and he will freely forgive.

So anybody who turns

at any time

will never be disappointed.

we receive the greatest

of fresh starts

because the slate

is wiped clean.

We are given

a brand new beginning.

And in many ways

this is just a sign

of God's amazing grace

towards us

because the way

in which God deals

with us

is beyond

our wildest dreams

and expectations.

Look at verse 8.

He says,

for my thoughts

are not your thoughts

neither are your ways

my ways

declares the Lord.

He doesn't give us

what we do deserve.

We deserve

to be punished.

We deserve

to be dealt with.

But instead

he gives us

what we don't deserve.

And we operate

as people

on the basis

that we must

earn everything

that we get.

we're judged

according to

our good performance.

Even our children

are brought up

because they're told

you won't get anything

unless you're good.

But God

doesn't deal

with us

in that way.

He deals

with us

with grace.

He says

in verse 7

as the heavens

are higher

than the earth

so are my ways

higher than your ways

and my thoughts

than your thoughts.

We are

completely different

to God.

We don't act

the same way

that God acts.

He deals

with us

so differently

than the way

in which we

deal with each other.

There's no way

that we can ever

get to God

through our own efforts.

There's no way

that we can enjoy

Him by the good

things that we do.

But yet God

is the one

who reaches down

into our lives.

My thoughts

are not your thoughts.

My ways

are not your ways.

I don't work

the way in which

the way you work.

I work differently.

I work by grace.

I intervene

into people's lives.

I give them

a new beginning

and a fresh start.

So he offers them

something to have.

A brand new life.

That is a brand new life

that we can have now.

But this is a life

that we can continue with

as we live a life

of repentance

and live a life

in God's grace

each and every day.

So that is something

for us all

to have.

A brand new life.

But the second thing

is that we have

something to share.

We have a new story

to share.

God's promise

of salvation

and a new beginning

was not just for Israel.

As verse 5

implied,

it would be

for all nations,

for all people.

So it seems

that this

new beginning

that God

has on offer

for his people

is something

that is to be shared.

Other people

are to be told

about it.

And it's the same

with our new life.

With our salvation.

Our story

is also

to be told

to other people.

And what's so amazing

about it,

when we do

tell our story,

it can have

an effect

on people's lives

that their lives

are also changed

and that they also

receive a brand

new beginning.

And the reason is

because of two things.

God's power

and God's promise.

Look at verse 10

at God's power.

It says,

As the rain

and the snow

come down from heaven

and do not return

to it without

watering the earth

and making it

blood and flourish

so that it yields

seed for the sower

and bread

for the eater,

so is my word

that goes out

from my mouth.

Now I think

we've all had

our fair share

of rain

over the year

and in recent weeks

we've had

our fair share

of snow

and everything else,

other forms

of precipitation

that have fallen.

And it's caused

a lot of chaos.

Some of us

have been without water.

Thankfully it's

back on.

But it's

very soon

we are going

to see the true effects

of all the water

and all the snow

that's fallen.

Seeds that fell

to the ground

earlier in the year

will begin

to germinate.

We'll see

small shoots

will appear

in the ground

and then they'll

grow into plants

and then we'll see

buds appearing

on the plants

and then they will

turn to blossom

and then the blossom

will turn to flowers,

the flowers will fall

and then we'll see

fruits

which will produce

more seeds

and more plants

and more fruit

for more people.

And all of these

effects,

it all happens

so naturally

that we don't

really take notice

of what happens.

But it's all

a result,

as we see in verse 10,

of the rain

and the snow

that falls.

Without the rain

there would be

no life.

And so,

verse 11,

so it is,

God says,

with my word

that goes out

from my mouth.

He's saying that

as the story

of God's salvation

is told,

it's like the effect

of rain

on the earth.

Now we might

think that

some seeds

look a bit dead

and rotten

and not up to much

and we can see

people as being

a little bit

unresponsive

and a little bit

dead and we think

that they can't

really respond

to God

and how are they

ever going to

experience the new life?

But when God's word

is spoken,

when his story,

when his salvation

is spoken

into people's life,

something powerful

happens,

a brand new life

begins to appear

and begins to take shape.

So God's power

in God's story

and his salvation

is powerful

but this power

also comes with

a promise.

Look at the rest

of verse 11.

It says,

it will not return

to me empty

but will accomplish

what I desire

and achieve

the purpose

for which I sent it.

So just as the rain

and the snow

falls

and has an impact

and the impact

is undeniable

because we see

brand new shoots

and new plants

coming up.

So it is exactly

the same

with God's word.

Look at the emphasis

in verse 11.

It says,

it will not return

to me empty.

It will accomplish

what I desire.

It will achieve

the purpose

for which I sent it.

You see,

when we receive

God's offer

of new life

we have been

given a story.

God's salvation

is also our story.

It's a story

that is to be told

because our life

has been changed.

Our life

has been transformed.

We now have

a story of hope

and of salvation

of forgiveness

of mercy

of grace.

And so when we

begin to speak

our story

to others

we can be assured

that God will do

his promised work.

And I want to

encourage us

over this coming year

and I want you

to think right now

of people

that you're going

to meet

and people

that you're going

to see

over this year

who you know

are not yet Christians.

People who

haven't yet experienced

God's new beginning

and new life.

And I want you

to be encouraged

not because of you

or because of

your words

but because of

God's power

and God's promise.

Because as you

begin to speak

your story

as you begin

to speak

that salvation

into other

people's life

there will be

effects.

That's God's promise.

It's not my

making it up.

This is God's

promise to us.

We mightn't see

the effects

immediately

just as the seeds

don't sprout

immediately

just as when

the rain falls

we don't see

immediate growth

but over time

in the coming

year

maybe even

next year

maybe in a

couple of years

God has promised

look at the promise

read it for yourselves

again in verse 11

it will not

return to me

empty

it will accomplish

what I desire

and achieve

the purpose

for which I sent

it.

As God's

story

as our story

of new life

is told

it will penetrate

deep into

people's lives

his spirit

will water

that word

hardened hearts

will be softened

and new shoots

will begin

and there will be

the beginnings

of new life.

Over the Christmas

we gave out

calendars

over the coming

year we'll be

giving out

the prodigal

son leaflets

that we've

put together

and we may

think what's

the point

in doing that

is anybody

going to read

it

will anybody

be changed

it's God's

words

it's powerful

and it comes

with a promise

and so here

is something

secondly

that we have

to share

we have a new

story

we've been given

a new beginning

a fresh start

and that new

beginning

and fresh start

is to be told

it's a story

for others

that they can

have

but the third

thing

that I want

to give us

this morning

is that we

have something

to enjoy

not only

have we been

given something

a new life

not only

have we

something to

share a new

story

but we

have something

to enjoy

a new

world

the bible

clearly

introduces us

to a God

who specialises

in new

beginnings

and one

day God

is going

to bring

about the

last

of his

new

beginnings

the new

heavens

and the

new earth

in all

its fullness

and this

new beginning

will be a

great celebration

look at verse

12

it says

you will

go out

in joy

and be led

forth in peace

the mountains

and the hills

will burst

into song

before you

the trees

of the field

will clap

their hands

it's pointing

forward to

the new

heaven

and the new

earth

and it's

like all

God's

people

and all

of nature

will be

joining

in this

great

celebration

it will

be a new

lease of

life

it's like

nature

becomes

everything

that it

was intended

to be

we see

so much

that is

broken

so much

that is

corrupt

things don't

work the way

it is

but here

in this

picture

it's almost

like the

hills

and the

mountains

are rolling

in excitement

the branches

of the trees

begin swaying

as they

clap their

their branches

together

creating

an enormous

sound

and it's

as if

God is

the conductor

conducting

this world

of nature

and his

people

bringing out

a wonderful

symphony of

praise and

celebration

as they

all come

together

now while

this is all

celebrations

to come

it is

something that

we can

begin to

celebrate

now

because it

was prompt

because it

has been

promised

it is

guaranteed

just as

God's

word

is promised

to have

an effect

it's

guaranteed

to do

a work

so God's

promise of

the new

heaven and

the new

earth is

promised

it's

guaranteed

so we

can

celebrate

today

what we

know

we are

going to

have

tomorrow

it's a

little bit

like

celebrating

the new

year

if any

of you

are at

a new

year

celebration

this year

you'll know

that the

party starts

well before

midnight

nobody turns

up at

twelve o'clock

we all

turn up

before twelve

o'clock

because we're

celebrating

in anticipation

of what's

to come

and then when

it strikes

midnight

everybody

celebrates

the poppers

go

the fireworks

go

the lanterns

go

or whatever

else you

saw on

new year's

eve

everything

happens

the party

begins

but the

celebration

begins

before that

in anticipation

of what's

to come

and it's

the same

way what

god has

promised

we can

begin to

celebrate

today

because

it is

guaranteed

but the

reason why

we can

celebrate

is because

the curse

has been

removed

the bad

is replaced

and the good

is restored

look at

verse 13

instead of

the thorn bush

will grow

the pine

tree

instead of

the briars

the myrtle

will grow

it's telling

us that the

curse is going

to be broken

there will be

no more

thorns

or briars

in life

no more

sharp

stings

no more

the sting

of death

no more

the sting

of anything

there will be

no more

pain

no more

sickness

no more

suffering

no more

death

and no

more disease

no more

disappointment

and no

more heartache

instead of

the curse

blessings are

going to

flow

across the

world

it says that

there will be

instead of the

briar

the myrtle

will grow

instead of the

thorn bush

the pine tree

will grow

the pine

and the

myrtle

were the

great

evergreens

symbolising

the fullness

and the

continuation

of life

it will be

beauty

upon beauty

the world

restored

to absolute

perfection

this is what

God is going

to do

and this is

what we can

celebrate today

it's already

ours

I don't know

if any of you

went to

the cinema

to see the

new

Narnia

the voyage

of the

dawn

treader

has anybody

seen it

yep

do you enjoy

it

yep

very good

recommend you

to go to

all Narnia

films and

read the

stories

full of

symbolism

it's wonderful

let me just

read to you

the books are

better than

the films

by the way

there's a lot

more in them

but at the

end of the

dawn

treader

they're seeking

to deal

with the

curse

there's been

a curse

and the

three lords

are sleeping

and they

want to

undo this

curse

and they've

got to

go to

the end

of the

world

to make

sure that

the curse

is lifted

and they're

setting off

across the

sea

and as they

go across

the sea

they're going

across a

sea full

of white

lilies

and they're

coming towards

the end

of the

world

and in the

book the

chapter is

called the

very end

of the

world

there was

no need

to row

for the

current

drifted them

steadily to

the east

none of them

slept or ate

all that night

and all next

day they

glided eastward

and when the

third day

dawned

with a

brightness

you or I

could not

even bear

even if we

had dark

glasses on

they saw

a wonder

ahead

it was

as if

a wall

stood up

between

them

and the

sky

a greyish

green

trembling

shimmering

wall

then up

came the

sun

and at

its first

rising

they saw

it through

the wall

and it

turned into

wonderful

rainbow

colours

then they

knew that

the wall

was really

a long

tall

wave

a wave

endlessly

fixed

in one

place

as you

may often

see at

the edge

of the

waterfall

they could

not have

even seen

even if

the sun

sorry

they could

not have

seen

even if

the sun

their eyes

had been

strengthened

by the

water

of the

last

sea

but now

they could

look at

the rising

sun

and see

it clearly

and see

things

beyond it

what they

saw

eastward

beyond the

sun

was a

range

of

mountains

it was

so high

that neither

they never

saw the

top of it

nor ever

forgot it

none of

them

remembered

seeing any

sky in

that direction

and the

mountains

must really

have been

outside the

world

for any

mountains

even a

quarter of

a twentieth

of that

height

ought to

have had

ice and

snow in

them

but these

were warm

and green

and full

of forest

and waterfalls

however high

you looked

no one

in that

boat

doubted

that they

were seen

beyond the

end of the

world

into

Aslan's

country

Isaiah the

prophet

who's been

writing for

us here

has also

been given

a bird's

eye view

into

Aslan's

country

we can

read of it

in Isaiah

65

if you want

to turn to

it there

Isaiah 65

As he

pictures

what is

to come

it's as if

he has

been given

a glimpse

beyond the

sun to be

able to look

beyond to the

sun to see

the new

creation

verse 17

behold I

will create

a new

heavens and

a new

earth

the former

things will

not be

remembered

nor will

they come

to mind

verse 20

never again

will there

be in it

an infant

who lives

but a few

days

or an old

man who

does not

live out

his years

he who

dies at

a hundred

will be

thought a

mere youth

he who

fails to

reach a

hundred

will be

considered

accursed

they will

build houses

and dwell

in them

they will

plant vineyards

and eat

their fruit

no longer

will they

build houses

and others

live in them

or plant

and others

eat

for as the

days of a

tree so

will the

days of

my people

my chosen

ones will

long enjoy

the works

of their

hands

they will

not toil

in vain

or bear

children doomed

to misfortune

for they

will be a

people blessed

by the

Lord they

and their

descendants

with them

verse 25

the wolf

and the

lamb

will feed

together

the lion

will eat

straw

like the

ox

but dust

will be

the

servants

food

they will

neither

harm

nor destroy

on all

my holy

mountain

says the

Lord

so this

is a

wonderful

new world

something

that we

have been

given

something

to enjoy

and this

new world

will be

God's

eternal

sign

back in

chapter 5

verse 13

at the

very end

says that

this will be

for the

Lord's

renown

for an

everlasting

sign

which will

not be

destroyed

the new

heaven

and the

new

earth

will be

God's

sign

that this

will never

be

there will

never be

a new

beginning

again

this will

be it

for all

eternity

never again

will we

have to

say

please

can we

start

again

because this

is a new

world

which we

have to

enjoy

so these

are three

things that

we have

been given

something

we've been

given a

new life

something to

share

a new

story

something to

enjoy

a new

world

and I just

want us to

think how

this very

briefly how

this affects

our past

our present

in the

future

if we

have a

new

life

the past

is forgiven

our sins

are forgotten

they are all

dealt with

at the

cross

each day

we can

find his

forgiveness

afresh

each day

is a fresh

start

each moment

is a fresh

start with

him

and it

affects the

present because

we have a

new story

this week

whatever your

situation

whether you're

employed or

unemployed

whatever may

come

we have the

greatest story

to tell

salvation

the new

beginning

the new

life

and we have

God's promise

of his word

that he will

do his work

in people's

lives

but we also

find that this

affects our

future

we don't

know what

the future

holds

a lot of

it is going

to be bleak

I can assure

you that as

we come into

a new year

with the way

the economy

is

all kinds

of things

will happen

to us

there may

be sickness

there may

even be

death

but we have

been given

the promise

of a new

world

a new

future

where everything

is taken

care of

where we

will rest

and celebrate

forever

in the new

heaven

and the new

earth

a day will

come

where we

will never

ever have

to say

please

can we

start again

because it

will all

be over

and we

will be

with the

Lord

so if you

are looking

for a

fresh start

Isaiah 55

is the place

to go to

and I

encourage you

to keep

turning to

that in

the year

that's ahead

let's pray

together

we'll just

take a

moment or

two

if anybody

would like

to pray

in response

to what

we've

heard

then please

feel free

to do

with

and if

I

will

close

to

B

or

see