Forgetting What Is Behind
Or take your word and like living bread feed us with it. Encouraged us Lord show us the truth about ourselves the truth about you the place where those trues meet Lord that Redemptive place that Healing Place that place where Lord Whoever we are, whatever we've done whatever our need Lord your your grace is more than sufficient to meet us there and provide for us Lord. There is an internal plan and purpose you have in mind and you are even now working it out in and through US Lord through your word feed us that we might lay hold of our part that reveal to us a better understanding of what is required of us Lord father. The old Left Behind the Embrace of the new guy that your kingdom come your will be done. Even now on Earth as it is in Heaven Matt be so we pray in Jesus name. enough
no more than 36 hours. 2018 will be no more. We're going to cost him to this year. What year is it is 2018. What we write on our checks. Do any of you still write checks?
I'm encouraged. I'm not quite as archaic as I thought I was alright, that's great. That its 2018 but not much longer. It's all it's all said and done. I realize it's it's possible that some of us here might be sorry to see it go. Maybe for you 2018
Year of good success growth progress blessing abundance things considered 2018. I think there are probably others. More than happy to see 2018 come to an end. For some the year has been hard-pressed even hurtful. It's been a season. Then what you'll gladly move on and hope some something better to come but the thing is good bad indifferent.
2018 is coming to an end for all of us. and so is I'm sure some of us are inclined to do this time of year will contemplate a bit contemplate this this year that has been to the year that lies before us. Perhaps. Some of us will contemplate the very nature of time that the very nature of X passing itself. We got in mind hear the word of the Lord clip-ins chapter 3 will be getting reimbursed him.
I want to know Christ. I don't know the power of his resurrection. I want to know the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings becoming like him in his death. It's wholesome how to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I've already obtained all this room already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus Took hold of me. Brothers and sisters. I don't consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Now if you're from around these parts, you know that many Sundays Doug Ackman will share with us a testimony. of his longing for eternity stop the alarm fraternity. We will hear Doug say things like this world is not my home. I'm hungry for heaven.
We've heard Doug share these sentiments many times. amiss dog and whoever else share those sentiments we share something in common with the Apostle Paul with his letter to the Philippians. So many people talk about the letter of Philippians being the letter of joy is there's a lot of joy in Philippians, but you know, this is a letter permeated with longing. Eli fan to finally enter into the the fullness of heavenly life really that's the broader context of today's Tech. But in the midst of this text is one line in particular forgetting. What is behind forgetting what is behind? That's what we're going to focus our attention this morning in the season where we are more keenly aware of times passage. It's a message we will to hear. What was it that Paul was willing to forget for 5 and 6.
process Philippians my brothers and sisters people whom I love dearly you've been as good friends to me as anybody has ever been you've stood with me through good times and bad that you're my faithful companions people who shared fellowship with me. I want you to know I used to think I had a lot to be proud of. A lot of things that made me a big man that made me a standout citizen. Crazy Jewish custom. I was circumcised on the Eighth Day following my birth because I Was Born Into The Tribe of Benjamin the Jews Jewish Hebrew to the core in Heritage in blood in my schooling my training in my field logic conviction in in Silas legalistic life and behavior. I was pretty much perfect. Even to the extent of persecuting people who didn't agree with me. That's how right I was convinced. I was that I knew the truth and that I had it together. but now look at what Paul says in Philippians 3 verses 7 and 8. Now I consider all of that a great big loss. It's a giant thousand-pound zero it's worthless. It's it's nothing compared to the incomparable greatness and Glory of knowing Jesus is savior Lord. My life is no longer found back. There is in who I used to be in one I used to do. I'm forgetting what is behind supposed to press on in my pursuit of knowing Jesus better. pole dancing explicitly But it's here for anybody who's willing to look carefully. Paul understood something Paul understood that the past can be dangerous
Paul understood the past has power to capture and consume us. understood
past Glory can become an idol. Understood past shame can become a prison. Paul understood that both Past Glory past shame the past it has power to Define our a present identity if we allow the past to do so and so his determination. I'm forgetting what is behind. I'm not going to live in the past. I don't want to live back there anymore.
Experience these fleeting hours of 2018. Let's be aware of allowing past glories to become an idol. Do you know that person who who still worships the idol of past Lori?
He was the homecoming King. She was his Queen. Scholarship to college she was the swimming champion. It is early thirties. He was sales person of the year 3 years in a row. He has two plaques hanging on his wall to prove it and he'll gladly show them to you. She was the youngest regional manager in corporate history. There's a picture of her shaking the CEO and hangs prominently on her. She'll tell you the story. She willing to listen.
He spent the summer backpacking across Europe. She spent a summer teaching third world kids how to read whatever it is that perfect Christmas celebration. She orchestrated 12 years ago, and she still trying to recreate it to this day could be that perfect childhood. He supposedly had that he still trying to recreate for his kids.
It's all his stuff in the past all the stuff in the past. We were meant to size and we glorified we blow it up until it's bigger than life. And then we use it as a way of trying to Define ourselves now. And we do that most often because who we are now. Is a little disappointing. if I was a little short of the glory we thought we had coming that we thought life was was going to be reality Here and Now Really here now is Never As Good As that so-called reality? We from the remnants of memory? the good old days That's who I was at least that's who I tell people I was.
That's why I was in the good old days. That's the way it used to be in the good old days. If I could only get the good old days back rehearsed That Glory restore That Glory. I'd still be the person I could still pay my reality today.
Paul said Philippians. I want to be honest with you. I want to be really transparent with you. I have this what some people consider to be a really impressive resume of of who I used to be and what I used to do. I'm forgetting it all. 3 intentionally forgetting it. Just letting it go because it's worth was in terms of who I am now. What I'm doing now the who it is. I hope to be in Future Days of what it is. I want to be doing in Future Days. God help us. God help us not to make an idol of our past to not take certain aspects of our past certain experiences from our past and glorify them ship them regaining them would somehow restore us to a state of perfection. God help us instead to embrace Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord here and now in the present moment and allow Jesus. By his word by his grace by his calling to Define who we are the Define for it for us what it is that it gives life. real substance
friends at the pass can be an idol. How much more so can it be a prison I can't say for certain because I look out this morning as I consider my own life if I had to choose between the two which we struggle with more. It's not idolize in the past floors when we may struggle with that here or there, but for most of us the real issue, is that prison of passion. As 2018 Fades are allowing the past to become a prison. Do you know? Do you know people enslaved in the prison of passion? Do you know some of those people? Are you one of those people?
He committed a felonious crime. She was the victim.
He flunked out of college. She graduated from college, but couldn't get a job. He hasn't held the same job for more than 24 months at a time. She's been fired three times in the last 5 years.
He cheated on his girlfriend.
She's Divorced with two preschool children. Who knows? Maybe it's that thing. He said or did 12 years ago. It still haunts him every night as he puts his head on his pillow. Maybe it's the trauma that she experienced as a child. Then haunts her even now as an adult. Who knows what it is? But it's all that stuff in the past. It's all that stuff in the past that produces mountains of Shame bigger than life. all of it serving to Define us loser failure ugly rotten worthless garbage
I swear.
Turn must be who I am. That's probably who will always be. This is me. This is the prison where I live. Stop with the the horrors of my past what I've done what I've said, what's been done? What's been said to me? That's why reality?
Paul said Philippians I love you people. I know you love me. I've been transparent. I've been honest with you about my my successes my glories, but I want you to know something. to my past might seem pretty impressive if you're impressed with all sorts of things, but some of my past did you people know I used to go around arresting people. I have people beaten up by people thrown into prison executed. Did you people know I have blood on my hands a lot of innocent people on my hands. I'm responsible. I did that do know the screams. I've heard, you know, the agony. I've caused, you know, the lies that I've left destitute. It's awful.
Sometimes I close my eyes and that's all I can see. Sometimes I open them and it still won't go away. It feels my nightmares the long days out on the road traveling from City to City. Sometimes that's what the enemy is whispering in my ear.
I'm going to forget all of that. I'm out. I'm just I'm leaving it behind and forgetting all of that because it's worthless in terms of who I am now. I'm no longer that person. There's nothing to do with what I'm doing. Now. There's nothing to do with my hopes my plans my Visions for the future as to who I'm going to be what I'm going to do. Please folks. Don't forget in his first letter to Timothy Paul described himself as the worst of Sinners nothing I'm saying here's an exaggeration. One of the reasons the Paul spends so much time stressing and explaining the grace of God in his letters to the churches. Listen what we know about Grace not experientially, but objectively Grace as As a concept but 95% of that we know because of what Paul wrote in his letters to the churches. There is perhaps no more prominent feve. In Paul's letters in the esteem of Grace. We have been saved by grace. It's all Grace. Paul spend so much time talking about Grace because Paul felt so keenly his desperate need for grace in the light of all the horrific things. He had said and done in his years as Saul the persecutor.
God help us God help us not to be trapped in the prison of our past. God help us not to buy into this this live at the past somehow determines or even defines who we are now and forever. God help us in His Grace by his Spirit to embrace Jesus as Savior and Lord Here and Now right now this present moment.
God help us to invite Jesus to Define Who We Are by his word by his call Upon Our Lives for Jesus to Define what it is our lives will become from this point forward.
Prince with getting this pasta
a pretty tough time this morning, but I understand that the past does have some value the past has value in terms of what it can teach us. What are the good memories in the bad and sometimes when there's lessons to be learned when we look to the past and yes, there are coupons because they are in fact times and places when God was doing something in us and through us to to mold and shape us into the people. We are today and those things are worth remembering. living in the past Living in the past. What? Is it? The Glory Days are the seasons of Shame? Living in the past that and that's nothing but I've Shadow Imitation of Life and living. For past glories give thanks.
Mike Lowrie doesn't Define you. Her passion cry out for grace and mercy and when God gives it receive it, but then move on that passion doesn't Define you.
Scriptures tell us that his followers of Jesus you and me where recreated we are New Creations in Christ Jesus. That's what we're told and 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 O God spirit continues to recreate us. We are being renewed in Christ every day. So is to be the person Jesus has called us to be like Jesus is called us to do on and on and on it goes as we press on toward the mark of the High Calling. Go to be remade and ultimately to be remade in perfection. Our Lives the very image of the life of Jesus Christ and soda be with Jesus forever I know it's when Joy the presence of the Lord forever in a way in which we've only caught glimpses in this Earthly life.
Please please hear me now, whatever whatever past Glory enthralls you whatever past shame and slaves you in Jesus name forget what is behind? Forget what is behind and be made free be made whole. for the glory of God clear all notification
She might find your place truly find your place in God's family in God's Kingdom. I feel like his plan his purpose for your life God.
You've created time and you set us as creatures in this framework of time. And so we live in this. This strange strange passage of of time and Lord even now we can reflect what the end of the sermon not the beginning of time has passed. It's a strange thing God. We we don't even really know what to do with it. But what it it has a way of I'm laying hold of us. The enemy uses it against this sometimes God we get caught up in the past and caught up in the past week we fail to to see the value of the present moment in which we live in entry we fail to two. Have any ambition any vision for the future? God heal us of that. Help us save us Deliver Us in Jesus name help us to understand what it is. Paul is talking about here forgetting what is behind? To let it all go. Ord Help us. Help us to live with a balanced understanding of what the past has to offer. But Lord with far far more energy far more ambition for the present for the days to come God teaches to lift our vision a little higher to see something a little better than whatever it was. It's gone before Lord draw Souderton operating in Jesus name I pray amen faster worship team come to the platform and I'm going to invite you.