Sermon Central
-
Don't Look Back Series
Contributed by David Dunn on Apr 4, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: Life can sometimes feel like we are trapped in the past, weighed down by painful memories or regrets. We often find ourselves unable to move forward from past hurts. The Good News is that God offers us a new beginning in Christ.
In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens paints the picture of a woman, Miss Havisham, whose life was shattered on her wedding day. Left at the altar, jilted, humiliated, and heartbroken, Miss Havisham’s life stopped. The clocks in her house ceased ticking, the wedding cake became covered in cobwebs, and she remained trapped in the past, unable to move forward from that painful day.
Memories, like the ones Miss Havisham could not escape, can trap us too. Whether it’s an unhappy childhood, a love lost, or a tragic event, painful memories can keep us chained to the past. Yet, while healing takes time, the good news is that healing is possible. The Bible gives us hope of a fresh start, a new beginning.
Today, let’s explore how we can move forward, how we can let go of the past, and embrace the new things that God has prepared for us.
I. Forgetting the Past
We all have memories—some of them are painful. Memories, illuminating the corners of our minds; misty memories, colored with regret. It’s easy to fall into the trap of longing for days gone by. As the lyrics of the song, "Misty water-colored memories of the way we were."
But we can't just live in the past. We cannot stay stuck in the hurt. Isaiah 43:18-19 reminds us: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing.” God is telling us that the past is past, and He is doing something new.
In the Old Testament, God asked the prophet Samuel a profound question. Samuel had been mourning the loss of King Saul, whom God had rejected. In 1 Samuel 16:1, the Lord asks, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way.” God had a new plan in mind, but Samuel was still stuck in the past.
God is saying to us today, “How long will you mourn over what is gone?” Perhaps you’re mourning a lost relationship, a job, or a season of life that is over. While grief is natural, too much mourning can keep us from moving forward into the new opportunities God has for us.
II. Moving Beyond the Past
Letting go of the past is hard, no doubt. It's a struggle. Like the song Yesterday says, "All my troubles seemed so far away," yet in reality, those troubles are often right here with us, holding us back.
We know we need to move forward, but our hearts pull us back, like Lot’s wife who, when fleeing Sodom, looked back and became a pillar of salt.
Jesus reminds us in Luke 17:32, “Remember Lot’s wife.” It’s a powerful warning: don’t let your longing for the past destroy your future.
It’s easy to let the past hold you in its grip. The memories and regrets demand attention. But God calls us to arise above those memories and look forward. Philippians 3:13-14 urges us to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
When you let go of the old, God can make something new in you. And that new thing is not just in the future—it starts now.
III. God’s Promise: A New Beginning
God is always at work, preparing a future for us that is filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
This is God’s heart for you: He wants you to experience peace, joy, and fulfillment. But in order to embrace the future He has for you, you must first release the past.
Consider what God told Joshua after Moses died. In Joshua 1:2, the Lord says, “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them.” Moses was a great leader, and his death marked the end of an era. But God was ready to do something new. “Now therefore, arise,” He commands Joshua.
It’s time to rise. God has a new beginning for you. He is calling you to cross over into the promised land He has set before you. Don’t let the past keep you from your new beginning.
Sometimes, we are reluctant to embrace the new because the old is familiar, even if it’s stale. We become comfortable with the way things were, even if that way was full of pain. But just as we wouldn’t eat stale bread, we shouldn’t settle for a life that’s stagnant and stuck in the past.
