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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!

NEW BEGINNINGS

Introduction

Every time I read this story, I stand amazed at the great grace of God.

I see the Lord take this man Saul, save him by His grace, and transform him into the great Apostle to the Gentiles–the Apostle Paul. As we read this story and see what became of Paul we realize that there is hope for people like us to be used of the Lord.

The truth is, Saul was a very unlikely candidate for the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a man who brought great persecution to Christians and literally wreaked havoc in the Church. (Acts 8:1-4)

He did everything in his power to destroy the name of Christ and those who named the name of Christ. Yet, God used his very actions against the Church prior to his conversion to multiply the number of believers by scattering the believers to places that did not know Christ. These scattered believers went every where preaching Christ. So in his attempt to put the fire out, he spread the fire!

Yet, in spite of all that Saul did, God reached down in grace and took this man from where he was and gave him a new beginning and used him to change the world.

God used him in such a great manner that Paul's ministry is still reaping fruit today. Just the fact that we are talking about his life and the impact he had on the world is a testimony to the way that God used him then and is using him now.

You may feel today that there is no possible way that the Lord could use you like He did Paul, or that God could even use you at all.

I suppose that we all feel inferior and unworthy to be used of the Lord in His work, but I am here today to tell you that Jesus can and will use us if we will surrender ourselves to Him and make ourselves available to Him.

Could I tell you that the Lord has great things He would like to do with each and every one of us. God loves us! Christ gave his life for us! Christ can change us from what we are and make us into a vessel unto honor for Him!

I.            OUR PAST CONDITION IS NO OBSTACLE TO THE LORD!

               (Vs 1)

               Sometimes we have trouble getting over our past, but not God!

               A.         Saul’s Past Life Was Not An Obstacle To The Lord.

                            1.          Saul Was A Murderer.

                                         Luke is the writer of the book of Acts and records this.

But Paul said it was true according to his own testimony.

Acts 22:4–“And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.”

Acts 26:10–“Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.”

He was guilty of doing every thing in his power to put Christians and Christianity to death.

                            2.          Saul Was A Rebel Against The Lord Jesus.

1 Timothy 1:12-13– “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”

Religiously, he was a man to be envied, but internally, he was as wicked as any man who had ever walked the face of the earth.

In Acts 7:58, the Bible recounts how Saul gave his approval to the murder of Stephen.

Saul was a wicked man, but this proved to be no obstacle to the grace and saving power of the Lord.

When Paul surrendered his life to Christ, he was changed forever by the grace of God!

               B.         Our Past Life Doesn’t Prevent Us From Being Used By God.

Regardless of what we may have done before we received Jesus as our Savior, it matters no longer.

                            When Jesus saves our soul, He washes our past away forever!

Those who place their trust in Christ get a brand new start–A New Beginning–at the precise moment of their salvation!

                            In fact, the Bible refers to that event as a "new birth,” as being

                            born again!

                            We saw a few weeks back how that Jesus told Nicodemus in

John 3:7– “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

               C.         There Are 3 Records Of Our Past Deeds In The World Today.

                            1.          There is the record we carry in our mind.

                            2.          There is the record carried by all those who knew what we were before.

                            3.          There is the record carried around by Satan.

                                         And he’ll throw our past up to us all the time.

               D.         But, may I remind you today that even though I may remember my past, my friends and family may remember my past and even though Satan surely remembers my past, God in Heaven has forgotten my past and it is no obstacle to Him using me now or into the future!

Psalm 103:12–“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

Isaiah 38:17– “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.”

Isaiah 43:25–“I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”

               E.         Throughout the Bible, God used people in spite of, and after some of their greatest of failures.

                            1.          Simon Peter preached his greatest message and had his greatest ministry after he denied the Lord.

                            2.          God used Moses for his glory in spite of the fact that he was a murderer.

                            3.          Samson sinned against God, yet he slew more of the wicked Philistines at the end of his life than he had during his entire life.

                            4.          Abraham lied about his wife, yet he was used greatly of the Lord.

                            5.          Jacob was a deceiver, yet the Lord transformed him and then used him greatly.

                            6.          There are many others that could be named among these, but these are sufficient to show that the Lord can take those who have failed in the past and that He can still use them for His glory today, and into the future!

OUR PAST CONDITION IS NO OBSTACLE FOR THE LORD!

II.           OUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NO OBSTACLE FOR THE LORD! (Vs 2)

               A.         Look At The example of Paul.

Paul was on his way to Damascus to find Christians to arrest and to take them to their deaths.

He was filled with hatred and wanted nothing more than to completely destroy anyone or anything connected with the name of Jesus Christ.

Yet, in spite of all this, the Lord was able to change this man and to use him for the glory of God.

               B.         God Can Do The Same Thing In Your Life.

He can take us, with all the baggage that we carry, and He can use us for His glory.

                            We all bring certain liabilities to the table.

Some are uneducated, others have few resources; some are weak in faith, while others are arrogant and filled with pride.

However, the Lord is able to take us exactly where we are, change what needs to be changed in us and then use us greatly for His honor and glory!

               C.         Again, the Bible is filled examples of this truth:

                            1.          Moses was 80 years old when the Lord called him into the ministry.

                                         He had other problems as well:

                                         a.          He was not very eloquent.

                                         b.          He was filed with fear.

                                         c.          He was opposed to the Lord's plan for his life.

                                         d.          Yet, despite all this baggage, God was able to use this man for His glory.

                            2.          The Gadarene Demoniac.

                                         a.          He was a man feared by everyone.

                                         b.          He was a demon possessed mad man.

                                         c.          But, the Lord was able to take this man, who had caused has caused so much trouble and He was able to use him as a witness for the glory of God.

                                         d.          God took him where he was, changed him, and then used him for God's glory.

               D.         What I want you to see this morning is that your present circumstances, whatever they may be, haven’t caught the Lord by surprise!

                            1.          He knows everything there is to know about us.

                            2.          He knows where we are spiritually, and He knows what is going on in our lives right now.

                            3.          But He can still use our life if it is yielded to him for His glory.

               OUR PAST CONDITION IS NO OBSTACLE FOR THE LORD!

OUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NO OBSTACLE FOR THE LORD!

III.         OUR PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS ARE NO OBSTACLE TO THE LORD! (Vs 11-16)

               A.         Paul Was Feared By The Followers Of The Lord Jesus.

His conversion was seen by many to be nothing more than some sort of a trap designed to find them and their leaders.

In fact, when he went to Jerusalem to meet the Apostles, Barnabas had to go with him and introduce him.

Yet, God was able to overcome this hurdle and still used Paul in a great fashion.

If you take the time to look at Paul's life, you will find that he was a man with many personal characteristics that seemed to be unfavorable to his success.

2 Corinthians 10:10–“For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

2 Corinthians 11:6–“But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.”

Galatians 4:13-14–“Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. {14} And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.”

Paul had many personal hurdles to get over to be used by the Lord, but God was able to use him in spite of what was wrong with him physically.

               B.         If we get into the business of comparing ourselves with others, then we are in for a rough ride!

Many of us have personal characteristics that may make us feel that we cannot be used of God effectively.

However, God can take that thing that we consider to be a weakness and can use us anyway.

He excels in taking the weak and foolish things of this world and using them in a great way.

1 Corinthians 1:27–“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty”

               C.         Let’s look at some other examples in Scripture of this great truth:

                            1.          We have already mentioned Moses before, but understand that God took an old man who had a speech impediment and used him as his representative.

                            2.          God used a young Jewish lady named Esther to save His people from slaughter.

                            3.          God used a young, unknown boy named David to be the greatest king to ever sit on the throne of Israel.

                            4.          God used a beggar named Lazarus to preach a daily sermon to a rich man.

                            5.          God used 12 unknown men, many who were uneducated, some who were social outcasts, all from various walks of life to set the world on fire for God.

Acts 4:13–“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

               D.         You See, It Doesn't Really Matter…

Who you are. . .Where you came from. . .What problems you have or think you might have. . .What personality quirks you might have. . .What your level of education is. . .Or even what your level of acceptance by others is.

God can and will use you if you let Him give you a new beginning and make yourself available to Him and His work!

Conclusion

We may look at ourselves and wonder how someone like us could be used to do anything for the cause of Christ.

But the truth of the matter is that God doesn't need us to be strong or even to able to stand up on our own two feet.

He needs us to be weak and to be totally dependent upon Him and His power.

God isn't only looking for spiritual powerhouses; He is looking for people who have nothing more than simple faith in Him and a desire to cling to the Lord.

The secret lies in one word - Surrender!

Are you totally surrendered to the Lord and to His will for your life?

Can God use your life? Yes He can!

But, let me close with a few spiritual questions.

Are you really saved?

I’m not asking if you are good, or if you’ve been baptized, or if you are a Church member, but are you truly born again? Have you accepted the new beginning and the fresh start that comes by placing your faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross?

If you are saved, are you fully surrendered?

Is you absolute all on the altar for Jesus? Are you holding anything back? Everything you have must be His!

Are you available for Him to use?

Or is your life so cluttered with everything that you do that there is nowhere for the Lord to get in an use you?

Are you willing to be used by the Lord?

He won't force you to serve Him. He may make you wish you had, but He will never force you into anything. You must come to the place where you are willing for the Lord to use you.

If the answer to any of these question is "no", then the Lord cannot use you until those things are taken care of by His grace.

I challenge every person in this room to examine your hearts and do that thing that you need to do right now.

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!