The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge

1. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • It is rare when you get a chance to start over in something that matters.

2. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • It is rare when you get a chance to start over in something that matters. • In my golf game I often award myself “mulligans.”

3. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • It is rare when you get a chance to start over in something that matters. • In my golf game I often award myself “mulligans.” • There were teachers who gave a test over when the class did poorly.

4. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • It is rare when you get a chance to start over in something that matters. • In my golf game I often award myself “mulligans.” • There were teachers who gave a test over when the class did poorly. • I had ball games that were rained out and had to be replayed.

5. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • There are things that cannot be changed.

6. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • There are things that cannot be changed. • Esau learned this through bitter experience. (Heb 12:16-17)

7. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • Hebrews 12:16-17- lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

8. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • Starting over will only involve things that can be changed and things that are under the control of your will!

9. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • Starting over will only involve things that can be changed and things that are under the control of your will! • Sadly, there are Christian parents who look back with great regret. (Ex. “The twig has been bent.”)

10. The opportunity to start over is both a great blessing and a frightening challenge • Starting over will only involve things that can be changed and things that are under the control of your will! • Sadly, there are Christian parents who look back with great regret. (Ex. “The twig has been bent.”) • Time can make a huge difference. Will you carefully consider these things today?

11. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • What God offers us in forgiveness is beyond description!

12. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • What God offers us in forgiveness is beyond description! • We are blind men given sight and prisoners freed from darkness. (Isa 42:7)

13. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Isaiah 42:7 (NKJV) - To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

14. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • We are given a new life as a child of God. (Rom 6:3-4; 2 Cor 5:17)

15. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Romans 6:3-4 - Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

16. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

17. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • We can “start over” at any time. (Rev 22:17)

18. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Revelation 22:17 (NKJV) - And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

19. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Many find this hard to believe. (Mt 20:3-16)

20. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Many find this hard to believe. (Mt 20:3-16) • Remember that our God has emphasized this aspect of His nature. (Ex 34:6-7)

21. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Exodus 34:6-7 - And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

22. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • The example of Zacchaeus and Jesus. (Luke 19:1-4)

23. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Luke 19:1-4 - Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.

24. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Zacchaeus never expected that this day was to be one in which he would “start over”.

25. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Zacchaeus never expected that this day was to be one in which he would “start over”. • It probably shocked Zacchaeus that Jesus was even interested in him. (Luke 19:5-6)

26. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Luke 19:5-6 - And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

27. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • The world’s thinking about God and sinners was expressed by the critics of Jesus. Maybe Zacchaeushad accepted this falsehood. (Luke 19:7)

28. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Luke 19:7 (NKJV) - But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

29. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • God’s way to start over always involves repentance. (Luke 19:8)

30. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Luke 19:8 (NKJV) - Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

31. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • When God offers you a chance to start over, you can do it!

32. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • When God offers you a chance to start over, you can do it! • Still, the call of repentance causes most to turn away.

33. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Do you really trust God?

34. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Do you really trust God? • Jesus wants you to know that He is seeing you as well! (Luke 19:9-10)

35. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Luke 19:9-10 (NKJV) - And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

36. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Some possible excuses Satan would offer Zacchaeus.

37. The forgiveness of God is an opportunity to start over • Some possible excuses Satan would offer Zacchaeus. • “I am too evil.” “I just can not live the Christian life.” “I have gone too far into sin.”

38. Christians have opportunities to start over • We can start well but drift to a point where we must “start over.”

39. Christians have opportunities to start over • We can start well but drift to a point where we must “start over.” • The church at Ephesus had a great start but they lost something essential. (Rev 2:2-5)

40. Christians have opportunities to start over • Revelation 2:2-5 (NKJV) - “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.

41. Christians have opportunities to start over • Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

42. Christians have opportunities to start over • In many ways this kind of “starting over” can be more difficult than becoming a Christian. (Ex. How many fallen Christians in Charlottesville?)

43. Christians have opportunities to start over • You must renew your conscience, overcome pride, and have the courage to change if you are to start over. (Ex. Eldership that cannot admit mistakes)

44. Christians have opportunities to start over • You must renew your conscience, overcome pride, and have the courage to change if you are to start over. (Ex. Eldership that cannot admit mistakes) • It takes a great faith to leave the familiar!

45. Christians have opportunities to start over • Israel left Egypt, but most of them had no faith. (Heb 4:1-2)

46. Christians have opportunities to start over • Hebrews 4:1-2 - Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

47. Christians have opportunities to start over • Look at the trivial things they complained about! (Num 11:4-6)

48. Christians have opportunities to start over • Numbers 11:4-6 (NKJV) - Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

49. Christians have opportunities to start over • Most Christians who will be lost will let things like this defeat them.

50. Christians have opportunities to start over • Most Christians who will be lost will let things like this defeat them. • Where are you right now? What is holding you back from fully serving the Lord?