Sermon Central
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What Are You Looking At !
Contributed by Joann Ables on Jul 10, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: Don’t look back something may be gaining on you.
Don’t Look Back
Did you ever hear the saying “don’t look back something may be gaining on you”?
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Looking back can only hinder our progress in God.
Looking back can only bring defeat.
Looking back can be deceiving.
What becomes of looking back anyway? How can we go forward in God if we are constantly looking back? How can we see where we are going if we are constantly looking behind us?
DON’T LOOK BACK AT SINS THAT HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another *, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are guaranteed forgiveness for all our sin. All we need to do is repent. That means be sorry for your sin, not be sorry because you were caught. God forgives them and God forgets them. Sometimes we have trouble forgiving and forgetting. It’s the people around us who will make sure that we don’t forget. It’s the people around us that don’t forgive. Sometimes we can’t even forgive ourself. Don’t let the devil bring up your past to you over and over again. He’ll remind you just to make you feel bad and make him feel good. When God has put away all sin, He forgets it. Just like the song says, ‘They’re underneath the blood of the cross of Calvary, as far removed from darkness is from dawn, in the sea of God’s forgetfulness that’s good enough for me, Praise God my sins are gone.
If you were to ask God “Hey God, do you remember how sinful I used to be, all those sins that I committed?” He would say “What sin?”
It doesn’t matter what you did. It’s not God who puts a grade or a color on sin. There is no such thing as little white lies. No matter what nice name you call it, sin is sin in the eyes of God. He forgives and forgets them. So don’t look back at the sins that have been forgiven. You only waste time. It hinders your progress. How do you know where you are going if you’re always looking back anyway?
DON’T LOOK BACK AT DEFEATS THAT GET YOU DOWN
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
Don’t look back at past defeats. We’ve all failed at one time or another. There is no sense on dwelling on them. Thinking about them doesn’t change anything either. It just makes you feel like a failure.
When I think of the story of Peter waking on water, People only remembered the sinking in the water, not walking on it. I say, at least he tried! No one else in the boat got out, only Peter. Don’t fear trying anything because you’re afraid of failure. You’ll never do anything then. Only those who never attempt anything are free from failure. There is a song that says; “Failure isn’t final with the Father”. Thank God because we would be doomed. We are not thrown away because we fall. God sees our effort. He sees the good in every one of us. I may look at an empty pop can or pop bottle and see garbage. A person that recycles can look at it and see 2 or 3 cents. People concentrate on our failures more than our accomplishments. Failing doesn’t make you a failure. Never trying does. With God you be confident in saying, sure I failed but I’m not finished. This is something that I can learn from. Failing opens doors to start again. Yeah falling hurts but only for a season. That’s why God lifts us up and out. Looking back at your past failures can make you feel defeated. Don’t look back but look ahead.
DON’T LOOK BACK AT THE PAST AND SEE IT BETTER THAT IT WAS
Ecc 7:10
Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
Some tend to look back at the past when they are going through a battle today. They tend to remember it better than it was. “Those were the good old days” It reminds me of the children of Israel. When they were in the wilderness they remembered their past better than it was. They remembered the leeks and beans and home etc. How could they forget the beatings and the bondage? How could they forget that they were slaves? If it was so good back then why did they pray and cry to leave? The devil will want you to just remember the good times and not the bad. He comes and whispers in your ear, “Remember all the fun you had with your friends?” “Remember the good old days?” He doesn’t remind you of waking up sick and holding your head. He doesn’t remind you of waking up in jail. He doesn’t remind you of the cost you paid. He wants you to have SELECTIVE MEMORY. Don’t look back but look to the future. Lot’s wife looked back. God had just saved her life but she couldn’t resist. She just had to look back one more time. God was giving then a new future but she still wanted to hold onto the past.
