Here's Something Worth Forgetting, Part 3

Hi this is Dave Speicher reminding you that tomorrow on New Year's Eve insight for living closers. The books on another ministry year to give your special year-end donation right now, go to insight.org or if you're listening in the United States.

Call 1-800-772-8888 after the kind of year. We've been through, it would be very tempting to drug her painful memories about 2020 into the new year today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll urges us to refrain from doing so. His conviction is based on Paul's letter to the Philippians when third chapter of his letter, the apostle wrote, forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on. As we listen today. Let's accept God's invitation to leave the unpleasant memories of yesteryear behind Chuck titled today's message here something worth forgetting. As you move from an old year. Turn the page to a new year you stop by their fingers that no longer have any business taking your time draining your energy on getting your attention. If you are not careful you will bring them right with you into the new year and you will live as miserably as you have ended this past year and the apostle is saying is a way to stop that your parcel offers what I see is five guidelines in the words that follow little for us as well. Here's the first of five God's plan is progress not perfection. Leave all of your perfectionism for last year for this old you is not about perfection. The apostle is not pushing for perfection.

The only perfection he has is the kind of perfection he has in the righteousness of Christ.

That's a perfect righteousness and it's come as a gift is not earning so it's not about perfection is about progress through the second. The past is over leave it behind, forgetting the past is the way things were not the way God has been for you in the future try to relive what was is you press on into the new year, you couldn't. If you try press on in Christ. In this new calling he has for you. The past is over. So leave it is the third the future offers threshold look forward to it.

That's how we puts it press on to reach the end of the race to receive the heavenly prize. Here's the fourth. The secret is a determined attitude maintain that I will. I'm determined to do that how easy it would be for me to rest on my laurels.

I do a lot of laurels to rest on believe after all these years how easy it would be for me to just hang onto that no thanks no thanks the future gives me and you an opportunity to press on into Newbridge. New directions new surprises, new opportunities, and for some of you new careers new places to live new challenges that you embrace.

Forgive me if this is too harsh, but perhaps in this old here. You have lost your mate can imagine the grief that accompanies that.

But to live in that loss does you no favors in your future, you must get past and get through that grief in order to press on into a future that has a purpose and meaning you can do it. Others have done it. I spoke to Juan this morning who spoke of her losing her husband. After a brief bout with cancer that was a few years ago. She presses on. She lives her life.

She sits among us today. You would not be able to partner out as one who was lost in grief, she's work through it you can to perhaps the old here was a year of depression, despondency for your loss many things.

Maybe you are watching the one that's meant the most to you in your life slowly die.

That is the past that is the way they were in God's providence, who knows his plan obviously for your loved one. It is for that one ultimately to be taken home to be with him in his time to use you to encourage until then and then once that's done you press on. You don't live in the memory of the way it was. If you do, your future is doomed. You have no future.

You only have the past to relive some wise man is written that the past is prologue to the future this the is the introduction to the rest of your life. How exciting is that and it takes that kind of determination and maintaining it for that to happen, which is why out took her time to hear the story of Demosthenes. Finally, the commitment is ongoing. Stay at it. I promise you I will, I promise you in this future that's upon us. I step into it with great delight. I look forward to doing a section out of the letter to the Romans as it relates to living the Christian life.

In this culture in which we live will talk about how we do that in the process involved in it.

New study new truths new ways to live in ways to put our lives together so that they count, they mean something. There's excitement.

And that, future.

So let's together press on starting today. Don't even wait until the new year comes start today before it has arrived and press on to reach the end of the race receive the heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us this this past year is been quite an experience for Cynthia and me. You will pardon the personal illustration fact I'll give it with you pardon it or not, will she withdraw arthroscopic surgery. We thought that would fix the knee and because of arthritis.

There's nothing in arthroscopic surgery that removes arthritis.

I thought of it is arthritis surgery. Maybe take that out.told me afterwards.

Actually, that the joint is filled with arthritis.

I want to say, why come you didn't start with but I didn't do that I I kept my cool suit so what's next.

Well we look at a brand-new knee. Okay, that's fine. NRA's let's take on new knee. He said don't worry about a patient is 87 years old. She's doing great as it seemed that your young chick we can do this together so she goes under the knife again.

She gets a brand-new knee walk around with far more expensive metal than we've ever owned. Well, we actually own this titanium she's got a brand-new joint and removing all and if the good thing is he got rid of all the arthritis from the only sober got a new beginning and you know what I've had a lot of time to sit and think she's a lot of time to eat my cooking. That's why her time is been more miserable than mine because she said to be there is up in her caregiver, but you know what we determined were not going to sit here and have a pity party is not about that.

In fact, it isn't about us. None of this is surprising to God.

God is a new heaven going to have a job I had no idea you'd be going all you kidding he planned it way back years ago this year will be the year of surgeries. We counted 30. Along with that neck surgery. That was fun.

We went through that all of this and were ready for the what the next may bring. I hope that's it for the surgeries I really do. But I don't know.

I don't know people have the idea that we live this charmed life resort aflutter around from from one meal to another, from one home to another matter-of-fact our life is exactly like you challenging surprising at times disappointing to the point of tears. Other times, so thrilling. We can hardly believe we are who we are to pinch ourselves to think we have the privilege of leading ministries like we do, that's our future God has for us. You have yours. You can't live someone else's future. You live yours, Paul lives. He is and what I future he made of it never once again today long for the days when he was a Pharisee never once in a long for the days he could shine those trophies and get the applause, the matter fact, when you read his record of later years. Second Corinthians 11. You will read a litany of one heartbreaking experience after another and not one complaint, not one. Why is he suppressing all personal that's your calling. That's my challenge. That's what I'm saying you have an opportunity today that you haven't had all year long. Turn the page of the calendar. Moving to the new year with fresh new hope knowing that God is full of surprises and changes on its way.

Years ago I met a wonderful man who's now died's name was Bob Benson.

Bob lived a wonderful life. I met him through my publishing world and as a result of mutual friends we got to know each other in.

I really came to love Bob and his simple way of thinking and living. Very gifted man. He left his legacy of peace.

I want to read. It's called laughter in the walls. Listen carefully. I pass a lot of houses on the way home some pretty some expensive, some inviting but my heart always skips a beat when I turned down the road and see my house, nestled against the hill. I guess I'm especially proud of the house and the way it looks, because I drew the plans myself is started out large enough for the two of us. I even had a study to teenage boys now reside in that study had a guest room our girl and nine dollars are now permanent guests in that guest room and have a small room peg. I had hoped would be her sewing room.

Two boys swinging on the Dutch door to clean this room as their own. So it really doesn't look right now is if I'm much of an architect, but it will get larger again. One by one they will go away to work to college to the military service to their own houses and then there will be room for just the two of us, but it won't be empty every corner every room, every Nick in the coffee table will be crowded with memories. Memories of picnics, parties, Christmases, bedside vigils, summers fire winters going barefoot leaving for vacation tax conversations black eyes, graduations, first dates, ballgames, arguments, washing dishes, bicycles, dogs, boat rides, getting home from vacation meals, rabbits, and thousand other things that fill our lives, the lives of those who have raised five in peg and I will sit quietly by the fire and listen to the laughter in the wall's I want that for you.

Everyone of us, regardless of your marital estate, regardless of where you may live. I want you to have that kind of mentality. As you step into tomorrow and rather than a and long for and drag the anchor from the past, trying to make it real live itself, leaving Leavitt let it go and press on with new hope into a new future.

God's plan for you and by the way the last time I checked the he didn't bother to tell us what it would be you won't know until it's happening and then in that new year and maybe in a year or two that follows that new year. You'll realize what he had in mind and you will discover it wasn't the same as your past. It's a new beginning new changes, new adjustments, new ways to adapt. But let me make certain that you stop on your own. Damascus Road you stop long enough to push those past accomplishments away set them aside. That was then this is now like the poet who wrote five more watts away with an easy tread hi Trevor pleasures and comfort led until one day in the quiet police.

I met the master face-to-face. I built my classes and reared them high till their tolerance appears the blue of the sky. I entered to win this life's mad race when I met the master face-to-face I met him and I knew him and I blushed to see that his eyes full of sorrow or fixed upon me.

I faltered and fell at his feet.

That day while I melted and vanished away. Nothing else can I see, but the master my thoughts are not for the souls of men. I've lost my life to find it again. Ever since the day in a quiet place.

When I met the master face-to-face.

Make sure you have done that. You're not ready for a new year until you're there and it taking care of the bow with me please disclosure eyes build your own Damascus road right there in your lap is here were the Lord to stop you. Your journey is now going to turn going to move in a whole new direction.

It may not look anything like it used to look that's good because it's what he wants for you. He says to you, I'm Jesus you been fighting against me stop the fight. Open your heart, let me in. I'm waiting I'm willing to come into your life by a simple prayer of invitation you can turn your life over to Christ. By that I mean give him first place. Take yourself off the throne and thrown him, and saying, in effect, Lord Jesus Christ. I take you now my believing you now from this moment on, I'm yours for your glory for your purposes, whatever they may be. Thank you for coming into my life. Thank you father for Jesus who loved us and gave himself for us. Thank you for a man vulnerable enough to admit that all of those great accomplishments were worthless compared to his relationship with you and your son Jesus, thank you for stopping all of us in our tracks on this Sunday pulling us aside, getting our attention, allowing us to hear the truth and receive your son is our Savior now to him who is able to guard you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God, our senior glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever and ever and ever. Through Jesus Christ. I pray that all God's people said Amen amen for three days now Chuck Swindoll has presented a message titled, here's something worth forgetting tomorrow and insight for living will shift her attention to the future messages calling here something worth remembering to learn more about this ministry.

Visit us online@insightworld.org what we set aside. Several minutes later a personal comment from Chuck, but first we'd like to give you a glimpse of Chuck's teaching schedule in the new year on January 13. Chuck will begin a comprehensive study through the magnificent gospel according to Matthew.

This first book in the New Testament tells the story of our King from his arrival in Bethlehem to his call for the great commission in order to get ready for this brand-new series, you may want to secure Swindoll's living insights commentary for Matthew becomes into hardbound volumes and it's written in a style that's easy to understand and the format is simple to navigate. These are excellent reference books that belong in the library of anyone who is a student of the Bible to purchase Swindoll's living insights commentary for Matthew go to insight.org/store if you prefer you can call us if you're listening in the United States. Style 1-800-772-8888 one Chuck 2020 has presented all sorts of unexpected moments and one of the surprises concluded the tragic loss of your sister every brother in this vast world would be fortunate to have a big sister like mine whose name was Lucy, just a few years my senior, and one in enormous inspiration. She was to me.

Gratefully, most of my memories about my sis or filled with hilarious laughter. One spontaneous story after another. Lucy would have our entire family doubled over laughing so hard. Our eyelids flipped out and the memory of those lighthearted moments helps us right now because as most of you know we lost Lucy just a few weeks ago.

Her three year decline and ended on 20 October when she left us and stepped into the gates of glory. I share this personal sorrow with you because I know that you have suffered some losses in 2020 as well. It may not of been the death of your sister, but perhaps you went through financial setback. Maybe a layoff from your job or even the loss of your health.

I want you to know that I see you I hear you and I share your sadness.

More importantly, God does the prophet Isaiah described Jesus as a man of sorrows and acquainted with our deepest grief and so this month as we close the books on one of the most challenging years in human history we do so not in defeat, but in the anticipated joy of heaven's promise, and as we finished the last chapter of 2020 and open a brand-new page 2 2021, I invite you to join us in our all out effort to bring this joy, hope and comfort to a global audience of men and women just like you and me. Many are confused by year of profound losses. With all my heart. I've never felt stronger about bringing joy to the joyless hope to the hopeless and great comfort to you who heard and you could do that with me by financially supporting insight for living. You know, Lucy inherited a Swindoll trait, like me, she was, well, loud. She attended the church I pastor every Sunday morning and I knew exactly where she was sitting because of her booming contralto voice when we would sing those hymns and songs of praises.

There was such beauty and fullness in the music because of her voice as her brother and the preacher, I'll admit to you I found Solis and great delight in hearing Lucy take the harmony as I would usually take the melody and now it's your turn. This is your time of the year to harmonize with us. We need your voice to insight for living is never missed a day of broadcasting in 2020 as long as God gives me breath. I'll be right here for you every single day of 2021. Please follow God's lead.

Let us hear from you. Give whatever amount he is placed on your heart, but do so soon. Together, let's tell the world you're not alone. God hears your voice yes please take this occasion to let your voice be heard someone is here right now to receive your call listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888. You can also use our convenient mobile app or go directly to our website@insight.org for nonprofit ministries like insight for living there's no more important week in the calendar year than this one coming down to the wire.

The deadline is Thursday night at midnight, so giving your intonation by calling us listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 four. Give online@insight.went all present another time sensitive message.

Listen Thursday to insight for living. The preceding message here something worth forgetting was copyrighted in 2019 and 2020 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2020 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited