Memories Can Separate You From Your Life

We’re going to begin in Philippians. Worship is very important in developing our relationship with the Lord. God wants us to understand that if you’re going to mature from Point A to Point B, worship is going to be a very important part of that. And if you want to mature from Point B to Point C, worship is going to be an important part of that.

God’s heart has always been to give us as much of Him as He could possible give us and part of His ability to do is our willingness to worship, not just here corporately but when we’re at home. Worship conditions our spirits to hear and receive from God.

I believe the Lord is starting to give us more of the mind of Christ because of our worship. There are some very specific things He wants to share with us because we’ve come to the place where He can do that and we’ll be able to receive it. It’s not an accident that God is doing what He’s doing in this church.

Normally when I share the Word, I prepare notes. He didn’t let me do that this time. He didn’t let me share them because of the way they have been delivered to me.

The title of the message is “Memories can separate you from your life.” And the life that memories can separate you from is the life that God has given you, that new man, that born again nature.

Now don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying memories can cause you to lose your salvation. That’s not what I’m talking about at all. Memories can cause you to miss out on the inheritance that God has given you because you are so focused on the past that you are not living today.

In Philippians 3, look at verse 13.

(13) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

(14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

When Paul says “I count not myself to have apprehended,” he’s saying I have not fulfilled everything Jesus has called me to do.

The next thing Paul says is he’s “forgetting those things that are behind.” He’s not saying that he has completely forgotten about the things that have happened in the past. What he’s saying is that those things in his past are not an anchor to him. He’s saying they don’t hold the same place of importance in his life that they used to.

We read this place and think Paul has arrived, that he’s at a place where he doesn’t let his past affect him. Now remember, Paul was circumcised on the 8th day. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, which today would be the men you’d want when you about to face your most difficult foe. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews. In other words, Paul was a Jewish scholar!. And, and, he was a Pharisee.

You have to know that when Paul was on his faith walk the enemy of soul said something along the lines “Do you remember Paul when you were on the fast track to being a Pharisee? Do you remember Paul when all of you were studying Ezekiel 23 and you had insight on verse 13 and Gamaliel said well done, well done? Remember that Paul?

We know that Paul gave up what the world considers important so he could serve Christ. But when you know how your enemy works, you know he’s going to bring up your past to try to get you to remember all of the stuff that you did, all the good things, all the things that held you in high esteem – the jobs that you had that you no longer have, the relationships that you had that you no longer have, the people that you knew that are no longer part of your life.

He will have you thinking about those things and longing for those times again. And when he does this, you will not be focused on the present and doing the things that God wants you to do.

So Paul says “I know I have not reached the point in my life where Jesus wants me. But this one things I do know: I refuse, I refuse to let my past, to let memories cause me to forget who I am what my job is.

You see, memories, good and bad, have a way of checking you. For example, if I had done this, this would not have happened. I remember when I had this job and I made that decision – God I wish I could go back and make a different decision and my life would be completely different.