Can I Start Over?

Intro

Whats Up Inverted Youth?

what does it mean to restart in something?

ever play a game and you just keep restarting a level?

ever practice a skill you keep messing up, so you reset?

ever had a awkward conversation, and you asked to “start over”?

ever failed a test, and you asked to restart it?

ever fail a dap up, so you ask to reset to make it better?

I think this is a recurring theme in a lot of our lives, maybe most of us in here.

I know I’ve been there before (story: song i made about pendulum).

The reason i bring up all these examples up are for a reason.

I think theres been a time where all of us have been in a place in life where we just want to “start over”.

sometimes we get frustrated in those moments because we wish we can start completely over but we dont have time travel yet so those moments can be really dissappointing

so unfortunately if its not anything besides a game or video, we can never truly start over anything… or can we?

what if i told you thats not true?

what if i told you that there was a way for you to start over in life?

what if there was a way you can free yourself from your past and start over?

would you believe me if i said that?

most of you would disagree with me but for these next few minutes i just ask you guys to hear me out. I just need you to listen and trust me in this moment and i promise you i can show you that its possible to start over.

Whats actually crazy is that the bible makes an extraordinary claim.

The Bible says that you actually can start over.

Not go backwards.

Not erase your memory.

Not pretend like nothing ever happened.

But actually become new.

And thats a huge claim, so I dont just want you guys to take my word for it.

I want to show you what the Bible actually says.

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 CSB

From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.

lets stop there real quick, we are going to be chopping up this passage and really digging into this guys

but look; in this first section Paul was addressing the Corinthian church. one of the first churches to have been established.

how many of us know that church is full of broken people that make mistakes but are seeking after God?

So the Corinthian church had a problem with judging people inside and outside of the church based on the worlds standard of status and dignity. they valued someone's background so much that they will treat and interact with you different depending on that background.

the irony is Paul started this church

crazy background

But Pauls story is what makes this first whole section of scripture amazing, he used to pass judgment based on belief in an instant, and here he is telling the church not to do this.

he does this because he was once a persecutor but became an apostle

lets continue:

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 CSB

Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way.

Paul is writing this to the church in Corinth, and hes basically saying

we dont look at people the same way anymore.

We dont define somebody only by what we see on the outside. Their reputation, their background, who they used to be, or even what theyve done.

And whats crazy is look at the person writing this.

Paul.

Before Paulwas one of the biggest leaders in the early church, Paul had a CRAZY past.

This man literally persecuted Christians, He hated what they believed.

He was responsible for Christians being arrested and he was involved in persecutig the same people that he would eventually call his brothers and sisters.

So when Paul starts talking about not defining somebody by their past, hes not speaking theoretically, Paul KNOWS what its like to have a crazy past.

He knows what its like to be somebody that people could look at and say

“yeah... I know what you did.”

And then he writes this:

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 CSB

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

Now THIS is where I want us to really pay attention because notice what Paul doesnt say:

He doesnt say if anyoe is in Christ, they become a slightly improved version of themselves.

He doest say Jesus takes the old you and makes you a little better behaved.

He says you become a NEW CREATION.

The old has passed away.

The new has come.

See when we talk about starting over, usually were thinking about going backwards.

I wish I could go back before I said that.

I wish I could go back before I did that.

I wish I could go back before I became this person.

But Jesus doesnt offer you a time machine.

He offers you something better.

Jesus doesnt send you backwards to fix the old you.

He makes you new.

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 CSB

Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

“reconciled” is a word in there that we probably dont use very often.

Basically, reconciliation means a relationship that was broken being restored.

Imagine two people who were once close, something happened between them, and now theres separation.

Reconcilation is when that broken relationship gets brought back together.

And the Bible says thats what Jesus came to do between us and God.

Our sin separated us from him, but instead of God saying, “figure out how to get back to Me”, God came after us.

Jesus came to reconcile us back to God.

And then listen to this next part because this might be one of the most important things you hear tonight.

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 CSB

That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them,

Guys, thats the restart.

Because I think when some people think about God, they imagine God with this massive list.

Everything youve ever done, every lie, every mistake, every bad decision, every secret, every moment youre ashamed of.

And you might think that if God is real, thats all He sees when He looks at you.

But Paul says when you come to Christ, God is not standing there counting everything youve done against you.

Jesus took the punishment for our sin.

Thats why Paul finishes this whole section by saying:

2 Corinthians 5:16–21 CSB

He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus was completely innocent, he didnt have a past that needed forgiveness, he didnt have sins he needed to cover up.

But He willingly took ours.

Jesus took our sin upon Himself so that we could receive something we never could have earned on our own.

Forgiveness, Reconciliation, A new life, A new identity, A new beginning.

And guys this is what I want you to understand before we finish tonight.

It doesnt matter if youve been in church your whole life or this is literally your first time stepping inside one.

It doesnt matter what your age or grade, every single one of us needs the same thing. We need Jesus.

And no matter what your past looks like, God offers you something that the world really cant offer you.

A genuine new beginning.

People might remember what you did.

You might still remember what you did.

There may even be consequences from decisions youve made.

Following Jesus doesnt magically erase history.

But your history no longer has the authority to define you.

Your worst decision doesnt get the final word on who you are.

Your biggest failure doesnt get the final word.

What somebody said about you doesnt get the final word.

What you used to be doesnt get the final word.

Jesus does.

And when you put your faith in Him, Scripture says your sins are forgiven.

Your past is forgiven.

And because Jesus paid completely for our sin, you dont have to spend the rest of your life wondering whether youve finally done enough to make God accept you.

You come to Him because of what Jesus already did.

Thats why I said earlier that I believe theres actually a way to start over.

Not because Christianity teaches that your past never happened.

But because Christianity teaches that your past doesnt have to own you anymore.

Jesus can forgive it.

Jesus can redeem it.

And Jesus can make you new.

So maybe tonight you walked in here just because somebody invited you.

Maybe you came because there was pizza.

Maybe you dont even know what you think about God yet. Thats okay.

But I at least want you to leave knowing what Jesus is offering you.

You dont have to clean up your entire life before coming to Him.

You dont have to somehow undo everything youve done.

You dont have to become “good enough” first.

You come to Jesus.

And He makes you new.

Thats the restart button.