Forgetting the Past - Part 1 of 1

The Baptist Bible lowered no gums to you under the direction of Elder Lucero Bradley Junior will and this is ready Junior inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign plan to have you with us for the program today and we pray that the message will be a blessing to you. If it is, we'd like to hear from our mailing address is Baptist Bible hour box 17/37, Cincinnati, OH 45217 as we enter the summer months. It's always a time of particular challenge on keeping up with our obligations. So if you can help us now will certainly be thankful.

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If this is more convenient for you, but I'm going to our website@baptistbiblehour.org when you visit their material. Simply trust would be of interest to you as well. Look at Philippians chapter 3 verse 13 whether not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth under those things which are both press toward the mark prior to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and apostle Paul, a man of unique and remarkable experience says I don't claim that I reach my goal count not myself to have apprehended.

I'm still on the job I'm still person found, but this one thing I do know this is key. If we're ever going to make progress in overcoming the difficulties in the past. We gotta have this go, this one thing I do, I'm focused on honoring Christ. I want to reach the Gulf that catch my most and deepest concern in all of life. How many of us can say that when it comes to the matter of trying to serve God. Whether were talking about overcoming the past dealing with the challenges of the present overcoming worry about the future. Can we say this one thing I do, but everything else I want to honor and please my Savior, Jesus Christ. That's what I focus on.

I think about that part about that read God's words can be strengthened.

In my pursuit of serving him this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are, how then do you forget the things that are behind I can see that there is no magic button you can push on the one verse that you can read all of the sudden the memory of every pass difficulty is removed. That's not possible, but you can overcome the slavery under which you might labor when you're constantly fretting over worrying over things that happened in the past have reached the point that resentment, bitterness has set in to such a degree that your miserable and Hebrews tells us that bitterness is a route that springs up in the files. Many so if a person is perpetually bitter. It not only affects it affects them spiritually and fix them physically, but against affect everybody else around it files. So how do we deal with that.

How do you overcome bitterness get the place that you're not thinking about those things in the very next chapter, chapter 4, Philippians, verse eight Paul says. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.

What you think about Psalm 19.

The 14th verse says let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in my sight is God pleased with your thought life the things that you give yourself to think about to meditate now. I acknowledge there can be thought coming any of our minds, which we are unhappy in some cases thoughts that we did text thoughts that we cannot imagine what it would this come from anyway. I didn't want to but the difference is, do we allow them to stay there. If it's a lustful thought to be some pleasure in rolling over in your mind and thinking about what the consummation of that might be targeting interesting thought and you continue to think about it. Think about how things should abandon how things ought to be how you have been treated unfairly how it's been so difficult for you and you mull a better were in the more you think about it the worse it gets. What we instructed to do here when those evil faults, those thoughts come that are not for God's glory.

And we have to pray for Lord, whatsoever things are true is what you told me to think about it and think about the truth of God's word.

Think about Jesus Christ who is the way the truth and the life.

Often some of the things that drag people down. Things are not true. They get a distorted view of the past as they carried resentment over the years things and gotten blown out of proportion of counseling situations where that came to light. Here's a person thing, but what I have suffered how I've been treated look at this with that and then you bring in another party's weight happened, and finally had to be an acknowledgment know it wasn't that way so you begin to build the resentment. The self-pity all these things that are displeasing to God, he would have you think about which is true, the things which are honest, the things which are just Jesus Christ is the true one, the honest one. The just one of the pure one, the lovely one is a good report so every category here so I can think of some things you can think of Jesus as he qualified for all.

Now there are two categories really the trouble people about the past. One of them is what was already addressed concern about what's happened to me how people have treated me, Mr. come back to that moment. But there's another facet of this long look at as we go along the side of it is that which pertains to your own fighting your own sin that people say to me over and over. I confess my sin, but it still bothers confess my sin. But I don't feel forgiven and keeps coming up. The more you read God's word and the more the spirit applies it to your heart the more detestable sin, you made to hate whatever sin you committed last week you made to hate whatever sinful and has welled up with an as you grow in love for God and a desire for holiness in progressive sanctification, that there may be a memory of something that takes back five years, 10 years or more and all of a sudden you cringe. I can't believe that I said I can't believe that I did what you may have excused at the time. At the time, you may have just prayed Lord, I have the same forgiven and the side of the was no real deep jarring conviction, but as you have grown and sin becomes exceedingly sinful troubled by well let's look at David's prayer in Psalm 51 he was saying was great that you know it took Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, and then had the arrival on the front lines of battle where he was killed just have mercy upon real God.

According to my lovingkindness. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. That's wonderful way to approach the Lord Lord according to the multitude you have many, many mercies.

They are tender mercies. I'm in desperate need of verse I want to be dealt with according what I deserve. Not I'm not asking for fairness such as people raise until I died. I just want what's fair if you see yourself as a sinner you want to be dealt with fairly that manger condemned you're looking for mercy. Tender mercies blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from iniquity in Clinton's rifamycin for acknowledge my transgression of my sin is ever before me this in was so great, had such an impact.

When David was a finally awakened how terrible the magnitude of the sin was there was a period of time that he felt like his tracks would cover Iraq died so nothing was going to become of all this, but even in those days, he acknowledges in another. How deeply troubled he was on the inside but now he's talking about the fact that sin is always in front of whatever else I'm trying to do wherever I go, whatever the time of day and just leave me.

I keep thinking about it ever before me against leave the only have I seen and then there's evil in thy sight that I might just be justified when thou speakers to be clear when the subject. What what are the main against leave the only by sin. Obviously he had sinned against Bathsheba and it sinned against Uriah. It sinned against his nation, of whom he was the leader.

Many people were affected by sin, but David knew it's not a questionably forgiven myself and father of people who must make acknowledgment and ask forgiveness.

The central problem here is I have sin against God.

I have violated his law.

I am guilty and am acknowledging that that that modestly justify could Las Vegas be clear without judges, Lord I'm saying you have a right to judge and not try to make any excuses. How many times have you done to make excuses you send you justify this I did wrong but if it had been what he did or she did or what they stand, or some other circumstance with his and is not really me the images for acknowledge sin and when you speak when you judge your in the clear, complaining about. I deserve nothing to hold. I was shaken and iniquity.

Then send my mother conceived me acknowledging that nature about birth on center. The whole lot desires truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me and actually quite why do you suppose that terminology is used here elsewhere that we need cleansing we need washing because the something dirty about sin. Sin is black. It's against the holy, righteous, God eventually praise the Lord I need cleansing partially with hyssop about to be clean, wash me be whiter than snow is not what you desire. When you have a deep sense of sin you're struggling with old took the snow that have no spot no blemish. Sometimes you may think about that happy day when ultimately you will be with the Lord, and there be no more struggle with sin and imagine a more wonderful life have no sin in my mind no cinema heart no inclination to sin be sending nobody around me will be sending so there will be no effective sin. It'll be a land of perfection because I'm at home with the pointer like Medicare joy and gladness that the bones would stop thinking sense of guilt in his deep grief over this horrible sin was of such a degree that is all. How painful a broken bone in this is how he described his condition hired typeface for my sins. All my iniquities created me a clean heart of God to renew a right spirit within me or not I want to have a clean heart for it. It's from the heart that sin's from the people seem to comprehend that the problem is down in the heart, so is praying Lord deal with the source of my trouble. Create a clean heart. Renew a right spirit. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from that point in your journey to follow a wondrous godforsaken. I failed so many times have come back confessing the same sin, surely he must be disgusted with me. Maybe I've never been his to start overcomes the sprayer Lord don't cast me away. I must have you no matter what else I might lose live without knowing I have a relationship with God and Enders for the future. Think of going out of this life slipping into eternity. Not having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ the same for fall. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and to hold me with thy free spirit of Joe when CM carcasses when they been disobedient, rebellious, lustful, full of doubt, fear that whatever the sin. The conferences, the joy of salvation is lost. Lord restore that and hears them. The result then will I teach transgressors by waves and sinners shall be converted under the Lord when I had this experience of being restored. When you have forgiven me when I feel that I had been planned, but I feel that things are right now in my fellowship with you then I will be telling other people about your grace your goodness your mercy. I'm going to teach transgressors thy ways sinners are going to be converted, and that's indeed the experience of the child of God who is gone through dark trouble this time but has found that restoration has found the spiritual awakening revival so often in counseling. I'm greatly encouraged when we reach the point that someone will say, or do you think that I now could help somebody else that's had the same problem though there are well on their way their head where they need to be there now concern about helping somebody else and I'm always happy to say absolutely you can you can share with somebody and what God has done for you, delivering you from this sin, or from this perpetual review of past experiences a drag you down. You can't be a help to others. God uses our trials and our experiences in teaching us teaching us more of our weakness.

Teaching us more of his greatness. Teaching us more of how the word is applied and you get excited about the Bible when you see if it works is not just a book of historical information, not just a book of practical suggestions.

It's a book that comes alive when the Holy Spirit enlightens our minds convicts a heart blesses us to receive the benefit reality of it all. So somebody will save us initial great. I just don't know if God will forgive me God put this 51st Psalm in the Bible to help people who might struggle with that. So here's a man who committed adultery and essentially had committed murder and headings, crying out to God for help. And God help God for gave God even used him to write this and many others of the saw. Yes no matter how terrible the sand of the past. It can be forgiven, it can be overcome. Joy tells us in first John chapter 1 verse nine if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all on if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in, but he's promising to forgive what a wonderful, wonderful place.

I would spend money, big money if I could some of my sins, past no way money can put them away if I could just go back and relive it if I could change. I could do something different came go back to worrying about worrying. Never fix anything when you're worrying about the past or worrying about the present or worry about the future. Worry is a sin. Worry means I'm not trusting, so the good news of the gospel is Jesus Christ died for sinners and there's hope for us, doesn't mean that we asked for forgiveness and then returned to the same wallowing in the mire remain for the grace of God we genuinely would. We turn in the new direction and receipt serve and honor then what about the other side of this. We've already addressed.

Here's the individual that says I just can't get over the past I press toward the mark is one thing I do. This is my focus on forgetting those things.

Paul had a lot to forget he was a proud Pharisee Pharisee and the Pharisees. He was zealous in his religion so zealous that he thought he was doing God a favor by persecuting the church having Christians put to death the Lord spoke to them solves all my persecutors silently that they follow in his life was dramatically changed. This man who had been the chief enemy of the church became its greatest offender preaching the gospel, suffering persecution, enduring the hardship, establishing churches, writing the pistols, the greater portion of the New Testament.

What I want to change and forget those things. Obviously, when the thought crossed his mind that he had persecuted the church it it it still troubling as he said this is a faithful saying Lord of all expectation that Christ Jesus came in the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. But he recalled that he had actually consented to the death of Christians. Trouble but putting that behind. He is frozen in place, say, considering how great my sand is been considering what a self-righteous hypocrite. I was Jewish religion. Considering how terribly I have failed much of my life. I think I'm done for. I can't do anything worthwhile messed up terribly.

So he forgetting those things that are behind even if they cross his mind. He wasn't going to let them control him because one thing I do. I'm pressing toward the mark on moving forward. I know to serve God no matter what the past has been can't change that but I tend the grace of God, so it doesn't control. It doesn't depress me. It doesn't change my attitude. I don't go around with a chip on my shoulder. I don't go around feeling sorry for myself. People that fall into that ditch of self-pity.

Some of the most miserable people going and generally they have a way of trying to make everybody around the when we think about how great is the mercy of God that left to ourselves.

We woodland loss under his wrath suffering in hell forever, but that he has touched our hearts convicted us of sin blesses us to understand the truth of the gospel that there is hope. Only in Jesus Christ given us the faith for faith itself is the gift of God were back then we have believe on Jesus Christ and we can say our father which art in heaven, and say look toward that happy day what ultimately will be with, then we have reason to press forward, never allowing ourselves to just five effective discouragement.

The fact that we've had such a difficult time in the past. The think I'm justified to do nothing I can't do anything worthwhile because I have already messed up the packs will simply note. Yes, I have messed up the past and then there destroying the present because all I can think about the past about what needs to be done with Ecclesiastes and whatnot hand find the dude dude with all my might. What needs to be done. We press forward. We knew that not because we feel, sufficient not because we were the but by the grace of God, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore as many as be perfect B+ mind and if anything EB otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this now. If an individual and as a believer in Jesus Christ, that something that has just occurred on the been a believer for a long time. In any event, we can go back to Ephesians chapter 4, and it takes on a new meaning. The kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven.

Sometimes a person say I just can't forgive I don't even think about it if you just understood preacher what I have suffered what I have endured you. Would you have to agree with me that I cannot forget though what ever the offense that someone has committed against you, it is insignificant compared to your sin against God.

If God then has forgiven you. It's not impossible for you to forgive others. In fact the forgiven person will find joy to forgive others, we forgiveness is the basis of semi-says I can't do it. But if you're one of his you forgive even as God for Christ's sake forgiven you. You can forgive others for Christ's. We apply these practical teaching in our lives from day-to-day. He will see the apostle Paul said he was forgetting the things behind, turning his back on some of the pharisaical religion in which he been so deeply involved in pressing forward, looking unto Jesus Christ. I hope that this message forgetting the past has been a help to you. Take time to write us next week.

At the same time with the Lord richly bless you and the Baptist Bible hour is going to you under the direction of Elder Lucero Bradley Junior address all mailed to the Baptist Bible lower Cincinnati, OH 45217. That's the Baptist Bible, lower Cincinnati, OH 45217