THINGS WE NEED TO FORGET

THINGS WE NEED TO FORGET

Sun am; 1/6/2019

The beginning of a new year is always a good time to think about new things and new beginnings, of leaving old things and moving on to something new. Our verse for the beginning of this year is Philippians 3:13–14. Tony and I both picked it to read last week!

Philippians 3:13–14 (NKJV) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Three key words: forgetting, reaching, pressing… For the next few weeks we will be applying these words to our lives.

Today: forgetting. My title this morning, “Things We Need to Forget”.  PRAYER

TEXT Isaiah 43:18–19 (NKJV) Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

These two verses have the same message: forgetting those things which are behind… do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old…

What are some things we need to forget? There are two major areas in my life that I deal with.

1.     Past failures

These could be sins, bad choices, family breakdowns, or business/ministry failures. Our memory of these things makes us feel unworthy, uncertain, and fearful. These memories can cripple our effectiveness and stunt our usefulness.

Many times we have longed for a do over. Can I tell you this morning that Jesus is the ultimate do over. He will restore unto all all that the enemy has stolen, al that we have surrendered.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) If any man be in Christ, he is a brand new creation; old things are passed away and all things have become new!

Psalm 103 deals with all these areas…

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,

4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

You all need to listen to Dr. Ralph Douglas West, pastor of Broadway Baptist Church, the Church Without Walls, in Houston, Texas, professor of preaching at Truitt Seminary at Baylor, preach from this passage.

Courtroom, hospital room, slave quarters, throne room, banquet room, eagle’s nest…

6 The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed.

7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

15  As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.a

17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children,

18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.

21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.

22 Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

2.     Past hurts

Dwelling on the pain of the past produces bitterness.

Hebrews 12:15 (NKJV) looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

Larry Lea, founder of Church on the Rock, spoke about overcoming bitterness and gave these steps…

1.     Don’t nurse it!

2.     Don’t rehearse it!

3.     Don’t curse it!

4.     Disperse it!

5.     God will reverse it!

Let’s go back and look at today’s portion of the text one more time…

Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old…

As a preacher I must be honest with the text. What is the text really saying? We do that by looking at the context of the passage. There is an old saying that “A text without a context is a pretext!”

The context of this verse is a remembering of everything God has done for Israel: His love, His deliverance, His provision. That is what the people are talking about, not the bad things, but the good things that God has done. In that context is this statement:

Isaiah 43:18 (NLT) But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.

Jeremiah picks up the theme…

Jeremiah 16:14–15 (NKJV) Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.

We often talk about the ’good old days’. God says he is about to do something in our midst that is so great, it will make the blessings of the ’good old days’ seem like nothing!

God is about to move in ways we have never seen before.

We have lots of good memories of God’s miracles in the past; nothing wrong with that. We are told to keep a book of remembrance. But… God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. God is about the future!

Illustration: God worked a miracle to allow us to get into this property. He provided $135,000 in less than a month for our security deposit. It was a miracle! God wants to do a greater miracle today! Could it be that God wants to pay off the mortgage in the same miraculous way he provided the security deposit on the property.

Illustration: In the history of our church not a single man has died of prostrate cancer; and we have had a bunch! That’s glorious! But what if our testimony from here on out would be that no one in our church from 2019 until Jesus comes has died of cancer! Oh we of little faith!

Right now we are known around the city as a beautiful church with a beautiful courtyard; we are known as a friendly church, a welcoming church , a family church; we are known as having a great school; we are known for great worship and good Biblical  preaching! Nothing wrong with these and we need to keep it up.

But wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were known around the city as the church where no one ever dies from cancer; no families are ever broken up; there is financial provision for the down and destitute; addicts are set free; hearts are mended.

I’ll tell you right now, I’d trade all of this for an army tent in the middle of Album Park if the glory and power of God was there!

God gave us a prophetic word about the impact of this ministry:

Zechariah 8:23 (NKJV) Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a (RF) man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

We have had people visit this church because someone not from our church told them to come to RF because they could get help!

Yes, we celebrate the miracles of the past but where are the miracles of today and tomorrow! Elisha cried, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” and struck the water with Elijah’s mantle and the Jordan river split in two. The prophets gathered by the river shouted, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha!”

Where is the Lord God of Elijah now? When was the last time God moved in your life?

Demonstration of the power and the Spirit…

God is able…

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Ephesians 3:20–21 (NKJV) Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Let’s bring our testimony up to date!