Just One Thing

There are only a few people ... that are proficient ....in doing more than one thing ... at a time.

And It is a proven fact ... that women ... are far better at multi-tasking...... then those ....in that other group.

In fact, ... most people ....... never become proficient ......in more than one trade ......or occupation.

They may be a ..."Jack of all" ... but usually... only a ... "master of one." (Pause)

In the movie .... City Slickers ... the actor Billy Crystal ... and a group of his executive friends from the city...... decide it is time to take ...... an adventure vacation.

The character Mitch ... played by Billy Crystal ...has problems at work ....... problems in his marriage ...... he is having ...... a crisis of the mid-life.

Now...This adventure, ...was a cattle drive... out in the ...wild west.

The guide for this adventure ... is an old cowhand named Curly.

Near the end of the movie, ...... having gone to the edge of death ....... The old Cowhand Curly shares with Mitch this insight: (Get out cowboy hat move page to left)

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [holds up one finger]

Curly: This.

Mitch: Your finger?

Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that, and the rest don't mean squat.

Mitch: That's Great .... But, what is the ... "one thing?"

Curly: Curly smiles ...That's what You've ... got to figure out.

And .... That's what I want to speak on today: ........(1 Finger) "One thing." (Put down cowboy hat)

Now you would think .... "One Thing" ... shouldn't take .... too long ...to speak about!

Hear Paul's words .... from his letter to the Philippians: BIBLE "Beloved, ...I do not consider that I have made it my own; ......but this one thing I do: ...forgetting what lies behind ...and straining forward ...to what lies ahead, 14........ I press on.... toward the goal .... for the prize of the heavenly call of God ...... in Christ Jesus." END (Philippians 3:12-14)

(Slow) This One Thing I Do ... "Forgetting what lies behind.... I strain ...to what lies ... ahead."

In essence ... Paul is telling us .... Forget the Past ... Overcome the Past.

And strain on... strain toward that... which lies ahead.

Beloved when the past comes knocking at your door ... don't answer ... It has nothing new to say.

The past has passed, .... so, we must ...... get past it. REPEAT

Paul is convinced... that his past ...is not worth ...taking time away from the ... present .... or from the future.

God's word is clear: When you accept Jesus as Savior and Lord ... You are a New Creation ... Hear me on this ... "You are a new Creation ... in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away, ...behold, ... all things... are become ... new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Defeat and discouragement ......come from what? ......Dwelling on ... the past.

It may be a distant Past or a recent past ... But defeat and discouragement come from the past.

You cannot .... (Slow) You cannot ... No matter how hard you try... live yesterday .... over again.

The author ... Peter Marshall put it this way, ... "Never let the past be so dear ......as to limit .... the future."

Beloved ... The past has passed, .... so, ... we must ...... get past it.

The Question... you may be asking is: ... How?

How does one ......overcome the Past?

Paul put it this way, " Forgetting what lies behind.

Did you hear that?...... Forgetting ...what lies behind...and straining forward ...to what ...... lies ...ahead"

You must forget .... You must bury the old self ...... the old life... You must forget .... what lies behind.

You can learn from it ... and become stronger from it ... but in the end we must bury it.

Remember our Lord's words, ......No one, ......having put their hand to the plow, ...and looking back, ....is fit... for the kingdom ...of God. (Pause). (Luke 9:62)

We see this phrase ... "One Thing" ...again in the in the Scriptures.

The Jewish leaders were speaking with ... the young man ...whom Jesus ... healed from blindness:

They questioned him ... about this Nazarene .... called Jesus.

Hear God's word. BIBLE " The healed man answered, ... "I do not know whether he (Jesus) is a sinner. One thing I .... know, ...... that though I was blind, .... now I see." END (John 9:25)

Every Person individually ... must settle: On This .... "One Thing."

Beloved ... Doubt ....is a hindrance.

And Doubt... is one of the primary reasons .... for Christian failure.

And Doubt ... can come from 2 sources:

(1 Finger) From God......To provoke the salvation ...of the lost.