Your Past Does Not Have to Define Your Future

Introduction

God was still at work in Samson’s Life despite his poor choices. Samson had an opportunity to turn things around and make better choices so that God could use him in a greater way and he could have made the decision to refuse to allow his past mistakes to define his future.

This evening I want to preach to you on this idea: Your Past Does not Have to Define Your Future.

Let us look at two men that both made poor choices and see what happened after they made them.

Lot

His Departure from Abraham -

His Capture in Sodom -

His Rescue from Sodom -

His Immorality with his Daughters -

Lot made poor choices in deciding to leave Abraham and pitch his tent toward Sodom and then move to Sodom. He could have changed his outcome in life if he had made different choices after his capture, but he didn’t. He could have made different choices when he was rescued from Sodom, but he didn’t. Instead he bought into the lies that his failures of the past defined his future and he chose to repeat his mistakes rather than learn from them and to live better.

He was deceived into believing that God could no longer work in his life and at the end of his life he became a very immoral man. What a waste of God’s work in his life. Despite Lot being taken with Abraham to escape the godlessness of Ur of the Chaldees he continued to make choices that led him to the godlessness of Sodom and ultimately made godless choices of his own with his daughters.

What a sad waste of God’s working in the life of a man that could have been greatly used of God.

David

His Choice to Stay Home -

His Choice to Commit Lust -

His Choice to Commit Adultery -

His Choice to Commit Murder -

His Choice to Cover Up His Sin -

His Choice to Repent -

David made some very poor choices in . He should have been at the battle with his men as Kings were expected to be. He should not have been back in Jerusalem. He should not have looked upon Bathsheba with lust. He should not have acted upon his lust and committed adultery with Bathsheba. He should not have attempted to cover up his sin through murder. In the end, he was caught. God sent a prophet to confront him for his sin. Now, David was king. He could have continued with his poor choices, committed Nathan to prison or had him killed as well. He could have denied the whole thing and told his men and his people that it wasn’t true. David was a great king. They would have probably followed him.

David could have allowed the poor choices of his past to keep him from making right choices going forward, but he didn’t. He owned up to his sin and sought the forgiveness of the Lord. The Lord forgave him and continued to use David. David continued to live for God in spite of his poor choices in the past.

He did not get deceived that because of his choices with Bathsheba and Uriah that he could not be used of God. He realized that God could continue to work in his life if he just allowed him to. His past did not define his future.

Conclusion

Two different men that both made poor choices. Their futures were completely different because of how they viewed their past. Lot allowed his future to be defined by his past mistakes. David allowed God to continue working in him despite his past mistakes. The ends of their lives could not be more different. Lot’s death is not even recorded in Scripture. His story ends with the recording of his immorality with his daughters. David repented of his sin and turned back to God. God forgave him and continued to use him. David was used by God after his sin with Bathsheba by allowing him to choose the place of the Temple and allowing him to gather the supplies needed to build the Temple. God allowed David’s son, Solomon to become king and build the Temple. And God used the lineage of David to bring the Messiah, Jesus Christ, into the world.

What a stark difference between these two men. One allowed his past choices to define his future and one chose to repent and turn back to the Lord and as a result God continued his work in him.

Will you allow your past to define your future? Will you continue making poor choices because you believe you are beyond God working in your life. Please know that your past failures do not have to keep you from making better choices going forward. Please do not be deceived that God will not work through you because of your past.

Don’t allow your past to define your future. Turn to God. Ask him to work in your life despite any poor choices that you have made and HE WILL!