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. (Pause)

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 that they decided to take, ...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: (Put on the cowboy hat move page to left)

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?

Curly: [holds up one finger] 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!

Paul speaks to this ... one thing in his letter to the Philippians: Hear God's Word. 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.

As my Grandmother would say: ... The past has passed, .... so, you 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 ... what has already occurred ... dwelling on the past..

It may be a distant Past ... or a recent past ... But defeat and discouragement come from ... dwelling on ... 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, ... you 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.

Straining forward ... to what ...... to what ... lies ...ahead"

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 ... you and I ... must bury it.

Remember our Lord's strong words, BIBLE No one, ......having put their hand to the plough, ...and looking back, ....is fit... for the kingdom ...of God. (Pause). END (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)