Jesus and a Fresh Start

Well, after the teaching of Jesus on divorce and marriage, in the opening verses of Matthew chapter 9, we now have a very tender scene where our Lord Jesus lays His hands on children. So I ask that you open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 19.

For those of you who are visiting, it's our joy to have you join us for worship. We're going through the book of Matthew, and we find ourselves in Matthew chapter 19. And this, in a sense, also concludes a series within the series as we've been thinking of Jesus' teaching on marriage and gender. Matthew 19 then, verse 13, then children were brought to Him that He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.

And He laid His hands on them and went away. Did you notice the reference to the kingdom of heaven in verse 14? To such belongs the kingdom of heaven. This thought of the kingdom of heaven is a constant theme in Matthew's Bible. In fact, our Lord Jesus began His public ministry, as we see in chapter 4, verse 17, as He came. This was His preaching, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In chapter 18, verse 1, we read that the disciples came to Jesus and saying, who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? What a question. Jesus tells them in verse 3, truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Do you get that? This is the very opposite of the prevalent philosophy in our society, isn't it?

Our prevalent philosophy, as we've seen during our series, is this expressive individualism. If it feels good, do it. Everything is permissible as long as it doesn't harm anyone else, and as long as it makes me happy.

No one is going to tell me what to do. Have you noticed increasingly, and Rob was praying for our nation how we need to pray, life is more and more about me. My rights, my freedoms, my happiness, the very opposite of the teaching of Jesus. Jesus is saying, as we read in Matthew chapter 19, that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those like little children, verse 14. So, it is essential that we understand how we can enter the kingdom of heaven. And here is a wonderful truth, that whoever you are and whatever you've done, you can enter the kingdom of heaven. Sometimes it's called the kingdom of God. So today, I want you to think of the kingdom of God. I want you to think of the kingdom of heaven. I want you to look up to God. I want you to understand the wonder of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Over this past few weeks, we've dealt with some very difficult subjects on marriage, divorce, the gay debate, LGBTQ plus, transgenderism. And you think, well, in God's grace I'm not part of that community, although some of you are. But let me say to all of us, every single one of you sitting here have struggles, don't you? Every single one of you, including your pastor standing here, have sinful desires, don't we? We are fallen, broken men and women. That fallenness and that brokenness manifests itself in many different ways, but with all of this in common, that we all have sinned and become short of the glory of God. And here is our magnificent Lord Jesus Christ telling us how, although we are sinful people, these disciples were men characterized by ego, by a competitive spirit, by selfishness, and by sin.

And here is the good news. Whoever you are, yes, whoever you are, and whatever you have done, there is a new beginning in the Gospel that is offered for you and for me, a fresh start. I've called this message Jesus and a Fresh Start. We turn in your Bibles to John chapter 3 because we're going to read the words of Jesus that to enter the kingdom of heaven, and who here doesn't want to enter the kingdom of heaven?

To enter the kingdom of heaven, you must be born again. Here is one of the most brilliant passages in Scripture, isn't it? John 3, verse 1, now there's a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said, Rabbi, we know that you're a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Impressed? Jesus answered him, truly, truly, I was brought up in the old King James, verily, verily.

I still like that, don't you? Verily, verily, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he's old?

Can he enter a second time in his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going, so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Bottom line, to enter the kingdom of God, to see the kingdom of God, you must be born again.

Nicodemus is faced with the most important issue of human existence. Is he or is he not in the kingdom of God? Is he right with God? Does he have the assurance of eternal life that when he stands before God, he will enter the kingdom of God? He's a sincere man.

We admire him. He's a ruler. He knows the Old Testament scripture. We might call him a seeker and he comes to Jesus by night, perhaps because he wants to keep it secret.

We don't know the important thing is he came to Jesus with a very important question. And Jesus tells him, sincere, although he is, ruler although he is, impressive pedigree that he has, wonderful that he is seeking truth. Nicodemus, you must be born again.

That shook the man. Did you know this? Verse 3, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Verse 5, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Verse 7, you must be born again.

And I have to say to you, whoever you are, whether you consider yourself religious or irreligious, whether you consider yourself the best person sitting here or the worst person, it really doesn't matter. You must be born again. Unless you're born again, you will not enter the kingdom of God. George Whitefield, the famous preacher, it said of him that rarely, if ever, did he preach without at some point saying, you must be born again. And a woman came to him and said, Mr. Whitefield, why is it when you preach you always say you must be born again?

You know the answer. Whitefield says, because you must be born again. Isn't that what Jesus is saying? And notice what he says in verse 6, that which is born of the flesh is flesh. Physical life cannot produce spiritual life. The physical and the spiritual are two entirely different dimensions of life. That's why Jesus is teaching us something which we must grasp that it is essential to be humble like a child, to be utterly dependent on the grace of God. Unless you are like the child in the sense of humility, in the sense of being utterly dependent, you will not enter the kingdom of God.

That is, you will never, never on your own reach the kingdom of God. Your best efforts, your religion, your sincerity, your goodness, your wonderful pedigree that you have, your impressive resume, all of that can never, ever produce spiritual life. God gave you physical life, which we enjoy. We take it as a gift from God.

Today in this beautiful morning as we get up with a beautiful temperature, wasn't it? We say, thank you Lord. He's given us physical life. Only God can give you physical life. And only God can give you spiritual life. And the message of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ came into our world and died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and He arose from the dead.

Why is that so significant? It is utterly essential to the Gospel message that He has conquered death, He has conquered darkness, He has conquered sin. You cannot conquer your own sin. You cannot by yourself get rid of the sin in your own life.

Utterly impossible. Our Lord Jesus Christ, our magnificent Savior, the Lord from heaven, rises that third day and is eternally alive. And this risen Christ is the only one who can give you spiritual life, who can give you eternal life. His very life becomes ours. I say that it is the life of God in the soul of man that you and I, in the miracle of conversion, can receive the very life of our Lord Jesus Christ as you place your trust in Him.

Listen to Jesus. My Bible is open, still at John 3. John 5, verse 24, another verily, verily, verily, verily, truly, truly, I say to you, Jesus is speaking, whoever hears my Word, are you hearing the Word of God today?

That is hearing it with humility. Hearing it not as a critic, but as a humble person listening to the Word of God, says Jesus, whoever hears my Word and believes Him who sent me, has, present tense, eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. In my sin, I'm in a condemned cell under the judgment of God. I am condemned because of my sin. I cannot extricate myself from the condemned cell. I cannot get rid of the sin in my life by myself. I can clean up my act.

I can appear to others to be a nice person, but I have a dark, dark heart as you have. And Jesus is saying, I come to you, and if you hear my Word and believe Him who sent me, you will have eternal life. You see, this new birth, this fresh start, if you like, is a birth from above. It is from heaven.

If I'm going to enter the kingdom of heaven, the answer comes not from myself, not from within, but from without, from God Himself. All of us have had a physical birth, but to be spiritually alive, we need a spiritual birth. A spiritual birth must have a beginning. Your physical birth had a beginning. You can tell me the date of your birth.

Your birth certificate will have the exact time of your birth. Your birth had a beginning, your physical birth. And your spiritual birth needs to have a beginning. You don't just get this by osmosis by being in a church.

You don't just pick it up because you have godly parents. No, for each one of us, there needs to be a specific beginning. It comes not from inside us, but from without. Here's John in his prologue, John 1 verse 12, to all who did receive Him, that's our Savior, who believed in His name. He gave the right to become children of God.

You say, how did that come about? Who were born not of blood, you don't inherit it, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It's not wonderful, it's not wonderful. This gives us hope, doesn't it? That this new birth is not a result of my changing my life and cleaning myself up, and you say, well, I've come to church and I've really got some struggles in certain areas of my life, and as I heard your messages over the last five weeks, I was very convicted, and I really need to do something about it, and I'm going to get rid of some of the bad aspects of my life.

Well you may or may not be successful at that, but one thing I can tell you is this. That's not the gospel. It's the very opposite of the gospel. That is the flesh trying to produce the flesh.

No, this, the message of the gospel is it's a gift of God. It comes from above. It is a radical change from the inside out. It begins in your heart. It begins in your soul.

It begins in the very depth of your being, and then is lived out in every aspect of your life. This is why our Savior came. John 3.15, whoever, says Jesus, believes in him may have eternal life. You're dying from sin. The wages of sin is death. Left to your own devices, you will never enter the kingdom of God in fact. Rather than entering the kingdom of God, you will experience forever the darkness of blackness and the judgment of God. No human cure?

Absolutely none. Here is a divine cure. You need new life. You need a new birth. This is a wonderful picture that Jesus is presenting of the new birth. A birth from above, and I say to you today, whoever you are today, look to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why He came in love, died on the cross for your sins and is alive. And today, if you receive Him, if you look to Christ, you will in a miracle of conversion enter the kingdom of God.

Let me say it another way. To enter the kingdom of God, you must have a fresh start. A new birth.

You must begin again. Turn with me your Bibles there to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Here is how Paul puts it. We've heard how our Lord Jesus puts it in John 3.

Here is another picture, as it were, by the Apostle Paul. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Not everyone is going into the kingdom of God. There is the righteous and the unrighteous. Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who practice homosexuality nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. You say, well, that's pretty tough, isn't it? Anyone say, well, none of this applies to me?

I don't think so. But notice verse 11. If you underline your Bible, here's one to underline. But, says Paul, but such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Everyone, Paul is saying, does not enter the kingdom of God. He gives examples of the unrighteous who will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ancient Corinth was a moral cesspool, something like modern America. And Paul is referring to people who are characterized by these sins. He's not saying that a person who commits one of these sins, he's talking about those who are characterized by it, and pointing out, as we need to be reminded over and over again, that sin has consequences.

You know that, don't you? But sin has eternal consequences. The wages of sin is death. Notice in verse 9 the first sin that Paul mentions. It is sexual immorality. Sex outside of marriage, we've talked about that in the series. He's saying that fornicators and adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who engage in sexual activity outside of marriage, whether they are married or unmarried, will not inherit the kingdom of God. Adultery is sexual intercourse with someone other than your spouse. Fornication is sexual intercourse with someone when you're not married. Then he says, verse 9, "'Nor men who practice homosexuality, they will not inherit the kingdom of God.' These words translate to Greek words, which in some translations are translated as the effeminate and homosexual." The footnote in my Bible, the English Standard Version, has a footnote saying, this phrase, which they translate, men who practice homosexuality, refers to the passive and active partners in consensual homosexual acts. You say, but John, it's legal in our country. Yes, it is legal, but it is a sinful act. And Paul is saying very clearly that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit the kingdom of God. Now, as we saw in the series, having same-sex temptations is not sin, but Paul is referring in these sins to the continuing practice of these sins, that God holds you and me responsible for our actions and our choices. You say, well, I'm OK. I don't think I'm sexually immoral. Let's look at verse 10. Some of you are a little self-righteous here this morning.

Here's the other list. Nor thieves. Any thieves here?

Any cheats? Anyone here who would cheat the government out of your taxes and then boast about it? Anyone not paying their bills? Any shoplifters? Thieves. Anyone stealing from your employers?

Thieves. Nor the greedy. Wow, greedy. Anyone greedy here? You're never satisfied. You make money and you still want more. Your boss gives you a raise that's never quite enough.

Instead of saying thanks, you're complaining. You're a greedy individual. Anyone greedy that comes to Calvary? Drunkards? We call them today alcoholics. Drunkards? You say, well, it's not wrong to have a glass of wine.

No. But the drunkard's not just drinking a glass of wine. It's he or she.

Anyone? Your drinking is out of control. Oh, you don't say you're an alcoholic, but you can't get through a day without a drink.

And it's not just one drink, isn't it? And it's taking over your life. Nor revilers. This is more and more common in our society, isn't it? Revilers, no media. The nasty, mean things that people say. They stir up trouble, even in the church. Revilers. Abusive.

Never happy unless they're in a fight. Revilers. Nor swindlers. Any of you been swindled? It's a terrible thing to be swindled, isn't it? Some of you have been in business and somebody has swindled you.

Anyone swindled someone? You've been in business. You were dishonorable. None of them will inherit the kingdom of God. Why do I take a little time to go over verse 10? Because when we approach this subject, we tend to think, oh, I'm not a homosexual.

I'm not an adulterer. I'm OK. No, you're not OK because Paul lists other sins there. And they're all in the same list. They're all classed as unrighteous, and that those who practice these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Isn't that what the text is saying? But aren't you glad there's verse 11? Because these verses make us squirm a bit, don't they?

I don't think any of us would stand up and say, oh, none of this has ever applied to me. But notice, Paul says, but such were some of you. That in the church at Corinth, from that moral cesspool, God had called men and women and boys and girls. And some of them were sexually immoral, and some of them were swindlers, and some of them were drunkards, and some of them were homosexuals. But now, he says, such were some of you. And in the grace of God, there were Corinthians who were free from these sins, and they're no longer numbered with such people. Because with our Lord Jesus Christ, how we need to learn this, how important it is that we grasp this, that when God in His grace saves you, there is a monumental change.

Here are these lists of these terrible people. In actual fact, let's face it, it's probably pretty like Calvary Church, isn't it? So that we can hide our sins. Such were some of you. I'm talking to those of you who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.

Has there been a difference? I'm very, very thankful that when I came to Christ as a boy of 12, we sang a little chorus which I've never forgot, and I understood it at a certain level, and it impacted me, and it continues to impact me. Some of you may know it. In my mind, I go back to that camp, boys only. And here, these boys, I was one of the oldest, I was 12.

It was from 9 to 12. And we sang, things are different now. Something happened to me when I gave my heart to Jesus. Things I loved before have passed away. Things I loved far more have come to stay. Things are different now. Something happened to me when I gave my heart to Jesus.

Have you grasped that? That the Christian life is not just saying, I believe, and repeating a little prayer. It is a fundamental, radical change by God Himself.

Notice what Paul says. This happened in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. Up to that time, you know what the idol was in my life?

A football, a soccer ball. And from that moment, I understood this, that my life was to focus not on a soccer ball, praise God, because it wasn't really all that good. But things were different.

There's a different orientation. I understood that as a boy of 12. I understood that when I had received Christ, that something monumental had happened, that John Monroe was never the same again. Have I lived a perfect life since then?

Absolutely not. I failed over and over again. But I understood that with Jesus Christ, there's a fresh start. And there's a fresh start for a little boy, and there's a fresh start for you, whatever your sin is. Notice how beautifully Paul describes it here in verse 11. He says, you were washed.

Oh, isn't that good? Washed thoroughly is the point. Completely, spiritually clean. Paul is emphasizing with his word the washing off, the defilement of our sin. Sin dirty, he says, doesn't it? We feel sleazy. We feel bad. There's guilt and there's shame.

And now we come to Jesus Christ, and He washes us thoroughly. You feel dirty? You feel unclean? You feel soiled?

You feel bruised? Scarred because of your sin? You think, I wish I hadn't done that. I wish I could begin again. That's the gospel, you can begin again. If you come to the Lord Jesus Christ humbly like a little child, you will experience this spiritual washing.

It is a total washing. That when Jesus Christ died on the cross, the price of all of my sins were paid. And that John the apostle can say so wonderfully in 1 John 1, the blood of Jesus, His Son cleanses us from all our sin. One or two of you know your Bible. Praise God.

Don't you love that little word, all? He doesn't say He just cleanses us from our sin. He cleanses us from all our sin. This is what Paul is saying. He is the beautiful, perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

How does He do that? Through His cross, as we're going to celebrate in a minute in communion. And this washing, verse 11, is connected to two other actions. They are, you were sanctified. First you're washed, you're sanctified. What does sanctified mean? It means set apart as holy. Here is this drunkard in Corinth and he's saved, he's set apart as holy.

Here is this businessman who's known as a sleazy swindler in Corinth. He's saved, washed, set apart. Here is this adulterer, nasty individual. He's saved, he's sanctified, he's set apart.

What is this homosexual? He's saved, he's washed totally and he's sanctified. He's set apart as a clean vessel of God to begin a new life, a fresh start in our Lord Jesus Christ. They're washed, they're sanctified, they're justified. What's justification? It has been declared righteous by God. Here we are with our sin and our brokenness and our ego. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes, washes us, sets us apart, ah, but He does something else. We're justified.

What does that mean? It means that the Lord Jesus takes our sin and we receive His righteousness. It's not just that my sins are forgiven, it's more than that. The righteousness and the sinlessness of my beautiful Lord Jesus Christ is paid to our account, justified.

Such were some of you. See, those in the kingdom of God have a new identity, have a fresh start. This washing, this sanctification, this justification are the foundation of the Corinthians' identity as Christians. They are no longer to regard themselves and others are no longer to regard themselves, guard them as sexually immoral. No longer are they going to say here in the church at Corinth, oh, you see, you see, you see Brother Bob? Oh, he was the adulterer. You see Sister Jeannie, she had a real drink problem. Remember that?

No, no. Their identity has totally changed. No longer are they to regard themselves as sexually immoral or drunkards or homosexuals or swindlers. Their identity is not, our identity is no longer in these sins. Can I say to you Brother Sister, do not allow your past to define who you are.

That's the device of the enemy. He wants to take you back to these sins and you need to remind him, I was like that but I am no longer. Things are different now. Something happened to me when I gave my heart to Jesus. You are now in Christ.

Are you grasping this? We have a new identity. No wonder many alcoholics or homosexuals or drug addicts or lesbians disappear. They've bought into the lie that their sin is their identity. That it is an inborn characteristic to which there is no answer, they can't change, and they have no hope.

Do not buy into that mindset. Our identity is not based on our sexuality or our conduct or our drinking or our drug addiction or our marital status or our nationality. Our identity is in Christ. It is rooted and grounded in the gospel of the grace of God. I think today in evangelicalism we've lost the fact that Christ comes and makes this radical change. The wonder of being washed and sanctified and justified. These three verbs in verse 11 all refer, I think, to a decisive break with the past and the beginning of a new, fresh, pure life. That's symbolized by baptism, isn't it? A new beginning.

I think it's wonderful. It's only in the gospel. You can have this fresh start so Paul says if anyone is in Christ, He's a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. What's the old?

My sin, my drinking, my immorality, my swindling, my stealing. It's in the past. It's gone. And the new has come.

Fresh start. Are you ready to humble yourself like a little child? Matthew 19, 14, let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. Will you repent today and receive Christ as your Savior and to be washed and to leave Calvary Church and to walk into that parking lot that you're washed and you're sanctified and you're justified. Empowered by the Holy Spirit who now resides inside of us to live a life of purity. Oh yes, we're drawn to our past sins. Our flesh is never converted.

It's always there. The devil will harass you. The devil will try to draw you back. But we now have a new life. A life in the risen Christ. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. So when you look at someone, some of you know people's past sins.

Don't think of them like that. You're in a new family. A new community is called the church.

A new identity. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I'm now in the kingdom of God and in the kingdom of God forever. So if you come in humble repentance, whatever your sin is today, I'm asking you to do that. He'll save you. He'll cleanse you.

He'll forgive you. He'll fill you with His Spirit. Give you the power to live a holy life. The power to be a fresh start.

Don't despair whoever you are. Christ comes in love to save you, to redeem you, to help you, to rescue you from your sin. There's an old hymn that says, the vilest offender who truly believes. That moment from Jesus, a pardon receives.

That moment, that very moment, you'll be washed and washed completely. Messed up, struggles, regrets, sins and failures. Here at the cross of Christ, as we celebrate with communion, here at the cross, there's hope for us. There's grace. There's forgiveness. There's a fresh start. There is salvation.

As you come in this morning, into this sanctuary, just think of someone put a label on you. Just one sin. One of your really bad, nasty sins. Some of us know what these are, but some of you have hidden them. And there it is. You come in and you look down. There it is, adulterer, swindler, cheat, reviler, homosexual.

You come and sit down. You say, well, it would be interesting to see everyone's sins. You wouldn't be looking at them. You'd be so ashamed and think, yes, that is me. This is John Monroe. And that's only one sin.

One of the big ones. But think of all of the sins you've committed. And you sit there in despair, and the shame and the guilt of all of it overwhelms you. But just think, our Lord Jesus says, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And our Lord Jesus Christ comes to you, and He says your name, Jim, Susie. And you look up. He sees the sin. And He looks at you, and it's love, and it's compassion.

And He takes that label off you and puts it on Himself. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Could you imagine all of the sin in this century? And our Lord Jesus Christ is totally covered with the sin. Paul says that He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He takes all of that sin, and He pays the price for it on Calvary. Rising from the dead, He's justified. Conquering sin and the devil, and now offers you if you come, salvation. Because God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We're going to sing that hymn as we prepare our hearts for communion.

You say, what am I to do? If you've never yet come to Christ, I, I, I plead with you, I beg you to cry out to Christ to save you. And He'll cleanse you as you receive Him and believe that He's the Son of God risen from the dead. Some of you are followers of Christ and you've, these sins of the past have crowded in, and you need to repent of them.

There needs to be a decisive break, doesn't there? And ask God, once again, to forgive that sin, and ask Him with His help that you will live a life for the glory of God. We ask that, Father, in our Son's name. We thank you that only in Christ there's a fresh start.

All of us need that. A new beginning. Some have not yet been born again, but not in the kingdom of God. And they never will be unless they repent and become like little children and cry to Christ for salvation. May they look to the Savior and live. And Father, we want to come with clean hands and a pure heart to the Lord's table. We turn from our sin. You know our hearts. Cleanse us. And we thank you that this simple feast reminds us that our salvation is all of grace. It's all of your love, of your compassion to broken sinners like us. Work in our hearts through your Spirit now, we pray in Christ's name. Amen.