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Do you know what a "mulligan" is?...

"Getting Right with God, Right From the Start" Cicero United Methodist Church

            John 1: 29-42            Jack Keating   September 2, 2007.

            Do you know what a "mulligan" is? I'll give you a clue .... I use it whenever I play golf! It means "Do over". When a golfer makes a bad shot and wants to redo it without adding an additional stroke to their score, they .just call a mulligan and take the shot again. This is a great rule.  I'm convinced it makes golf a better game - especially for "duffers" like me, since the greens keeper tends not to cut the grass where I usually end up playing.

            The idea of a "mulligan" is useful in life, too. There are certainly times when we need a second chance, a new start. And one of the basic tenets of the gospel is that we get a second chance. There's certainly no question that we often need one.

            What makes our lives as Christians so wonderful is that Jesus makes it so. So today we'll look at a big reason why this life in Christ is so wonderful: the second chance.

            In the late 1990's quarterback Kerry Collins enraged Carolina Panther management and fans when he asked to be removed as the starting quarterback. Carolina didn't waste any time in getting rid of him. Then he disgraced the league when he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Most sports people believed that his career in the NFL was over. Except for Mike Ditka. Mike's attitude was different. He said, "We all make mistakes; this kid deserves a second chance". To the surprise of many fans (and probably the dismay of some) Kerry Collins was given the opportunity to play for the New Orleans Saints and then a couple of other NFL teams. He seems to have recovered from his earlier mistakes and rebuilt his career. He's now with the Tennessee Titans and seems to be proof that at one time or another, everyone needs a fresh start.              

            When Jesus came into the world, he came offering a fresh start. But he does much more than just giving us a "do over". He makes sure that we have everything we need to make our second chance work, right from the start. If you find yourself today needing a "do over", let's look at four things Jesus does to help you do it right from the start. First of all, I hope you'll realize that ...

            1.         Jesus Removes Your Sin

(V. 29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

            Jesus is the Lamb of God. What does that mean, you ask? In the temple in Jerusalem, a lamb was sacrificed for the sins of the people every morning and every evening (Exodus 29: 38-42). This daily sacrifice was continued until the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70. John was saying, "A lamb is offered every day and night for the sins of the people; here is the lamb who will once and for all deliver us from all our sins."

            The death of Jesus is more than just a historical event; it's more of a tragedy. The death of Jesus made possible the salvation of the whole world. When he died on the cross the price for your sin and my sin was paid. The Bible says:

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

            A man once asked me in all sincerity, "Why do you have to talk about salvation through the blood? I understand that Jesus forgives, but isn't all this talk about blood sacrifices kind of barbaric?"

            And I think that's a legitimate question. Some of the images in scripture aren't easily understood by the modern mind. But, this is a crucial point.

            Jesus doesn't just overlook your sins; he has eliminated them, because he paid the price for them.  Sin deserves punishment, and Jesus paid the price. They are gone. Once you put your faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior, the problem of sin is settled once and for all. There is nothing you can do to pay for the sins you have committed because Christ has already paid for them through his death~ you've heard the aid hymn ...

            Jesus paid it all; all to him I owe

            Sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow.

That is what is so "outrageous" about the gospel. That is why they call it Amazing Grace."  Even though you are guilty of sin, through God's wonderful love and mercy you can be acquitted and declared not guilty. The Bible says...

We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. (Romans 3: 24-25)

            Toward the end of the movie Bonnie and Clyde, when they had become weary of living on the run, Faye Dunaway says to Warren Beatty, "Wouldn't it be great of we could walk out of here today clean, with no record and no arrest warrants against us, and start our lives over?"

            God offers us this chance. No matter what has happened to us in the past, you can be forgiven. We can't always escape the human results of our actions, but God offers a complete acquittal in heaven. He wipes the slate clean and leaves US whiter than snow.

            A second way that God helps you right from the new start....

            2. Jesus Gives You Power To Live

(v. 32) It is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

            What does that phrase mean - "baptize with the Holy Spirit"?

            The Greek word that is translated "baptize" means to dip or to submerge. In ancient Greece it was used to describe clothes being dipped in dye. It was also used to describe a person who is so drunk that he is completely under the influence of alcohol. When John says that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit, he is saying that Jesus fills us with God's Spirit is such a way that it takes control of our lives.

            We need more than forgiveness. We need more than a clean slate and a second chance. We need the power to live right, right from the start. And the Holy Spirit is our source of the power. He gives us the strength to live holy lives. Jesus said ...

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. (Acts 1 :8)

            Author Hugh Cullman once said, "Power is the ability to make changes." This is the power that God gives us - the ability to make lasting changes in our lives. We may struggle with sin and failure from time to time, but if we rely on him with all our strength, he will respond to our faith with all of his strength, and give us the power to live a holy life.

            Another way God helps you make a new start...

3. Jesus Is With You Always

(v.35-39) The next day John was there with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and said, "What do you want?  They said, "Rabbi," (which means "teacher")  "Where are you staying?" "Come," he replied, and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him.

            Imagine for a moment that your goal is to become physically fit, but instead of reading about fitness, you decide to learn about health from someone who has experienced it first hand ... say Arnold Schwarzenegger. So instead of having Arnold tell you how to get in shape, what if you could just follow him around all day? You would eat when he eats and what he eats. When he works out, you work out. He may bench press 300 pounds and you may bench press 110 pounds, but you still work out alongside him. When he rests, you rest. If he does it, you do it; if he doesn't do it, you don't do it either. How long do you think it would be before this "round-the-clock" therapy began to take effect and you found yourself getting in great physical shape? Maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months, but eventually you would see some pretty good results.

            Well, folks, Jesus offers us that same opportunity. We can live round the clock in his presence. The gospel offers us an "around the clock" portrait of Christ. We see him beginning each day with prayer (Mark 1:35); eating with friends (Luke 19:5); attending synagogue on the Sabbath (Mark 6:2); traveling from place to place (Luke 8:22); visiting Peter's home (Matthew 8:14); attending the wedding of a friend (John 2:2); and on and on. In each of these events Jesus brought the touch of God to everyday life. He will do the same for you. Jesus taught his disciples - and he teaches us - that you don't just visit God on Sundays, you can live in his presence 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He is with you always. In fact, before he ascended into heaven, the last statement Jesus made to his disciples was... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

            Another way God helps you make a new start, ..

            4.         Jesus Calls You by a New Name

            One day a smelly, flea-bitten beagle showed up on the doorstep of a friend of mine and his kids fell in love with the dog. They fed him, they bathed him, they played with him all day. They even taught him a trick: when they opened the back door they taught him to run through the house knocking things over. And, of course, they begged to keep him. My friend wasn't crazy about the idea since they already had a dog and a cat, but he just couldn't say no. So they ended up taking the dog to the vet to get his shots. The vet knew them well, and their history for adopting strays. While the vet was giving the dog a check­up, she asked, "What are you going to name him?" My friend said, "We're going to let him choose his own name." The vat scratched the dog's ear and said, "Well fella, if you knew who had adopted you, you would name yourself 'Lucky.''' When my friend's son heard her he said, "That's it! We'll name him, 'Lucky.'" Lucky lived up to his name. He went from being malnourished to eating like a king; from roaming the streets to having his own yard; from sleeping in the cold to sleeping at the foot of my friend's bed. He had a new name and a new life.

            This is what Jesus does - he gives his followers a new name and a new life. The Bible says that Jesus looked at Peter and said...

(v. 42) You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas (which, when translated, is Peter.)

            Before he met Jesus he was just Simon, the fisherman. After he met Jesus he became Peter, the rock.  Before, he was just a businessman.  After, he was a world changer.  Peter went from being impulsive, hot-headed and prejudiced to becoming a strong, dynamic spiritual leader. The transformation didn't take place overnight - you see Peter's mistakes throughout the gospels and the Book of Acts - but the important thing was the transformation did take place. Peter became a new man. And Jesus gave him a new name long before Peter did anything to deserve it.

            I don't know what name you have been calling yourself, but God has given you a new name. You may have labeled yourself "sinner," or "failure," or "Ioser"... but God has given you a new name. He knows what your potential is and 'he knows you can live up to it. His expectations for you aren't foolish or unrealistic. He knows what you can be, and he has the power to help you become it. Paul said,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ. he is a new creation; the old had gone. the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

            A teacher was asking her students what they wanted to be when they grew up. Some said "Baseball player," some said, "Ballerina," some said, "Policeman" --- you know, the typical answers. When she got to this one little fella he said, "I want to be possible." The teacher asked, ·What do you mean by 'possible'?" He said, ·Well, my Mom always tells me I'm impossible. When I grow up I want to become possible."

Well guess what? You can become possible. You may have been impossible in the past. You may have sinned; you mat have messed up your Iife... but God will give you a new start. And he gives you everything you need to succeed in life: a new name, a new nature, a clean slate, and the power to live a new life. When you need a second chance, God offers you one. And he will give you everything you need to make it right from the start.