Don't Look Back

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

1. Don’t look back at forgiven sins; you’ve been set free

If you are running, don’t look back, you may trip and fall

The Bible also calls for not looking back

Lot’s wife looked back and stayed back

Looking back Hinders Forward Progress

Looking back may be making you depressed

Looking back may be bringing you defeat

Don’t look back at Sins that have been Forgiven

1 John 1:7–9 “7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

This Scripture guarantees forgiveness of all sins

God really does put our sins away

Psalm 103 “1 Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for 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 has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him…”

Perhaps you believe this for others, but not for yourself

But God has put away all sin, even your most serious ones

2. Don’t look back at failures; you’re an overcomer

All people have some defeats in their past

Only those who never attempt anything are free from failing

You have overcome every failure you have experienced…you’re still here

But see Psalm 37:23–24 “23 If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”

God lifts up those who fall

Don’t allow failing to make you feel you are a failure

You are not your failure

You are more than a conqueror

Champions are not champions because they don’t have bad days, they are champions because they don’t give up

They don’t allow past failures to determine their future

If God is for you, He is more than the world against you

3. Don’t look back at the Past it wasn’t as good as you think

Eccl. 7:10 “10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.”

Israel looking back to Egypt

Num. 11:18 “18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it.”

Distance lends enchantment

Nostalgia is never quite honest

Someone said, “The present is never as good as it used to be”

Don’t look back, you’re not going in that direction

Whatever you look at, you attract

Not because it comes to you but because to go to it

A great future beats a great past every time

4. Don’t look back at conflicts focus on the good

If you rehearse old conflicts the hurt returns

Rehashing the conflicts opens old wounds

Even those where forgiveness has taken place will become dangerous again if you keep going over them

Forget the past and get on with profitable living

1 Peter 2:1–2 “1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,”

Don’t look back at old Victories that may cause you to think you have Arrived

Phil 3:13–14 “13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Here is the primary message

I served the Lord with all my heart … once

I was a soul winner … once

I was sold out to Christ … once

What about today?

Use to bees don’t make honey

Look to Jesus

Heb. 12:1–2 “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”