Moving Beyond Regrets Series

But the story that matters most to you isn’t Peter’s, or Paul’s, or even Charles Colson’s. It’s yours. And what I want to say to you this morning is that the story of your life has not been ruined, not by your sin or anyone else’s. God’s good plan for your life is not buried under the mistakes of the past. God has a plan for your life, a good plan, a wise plan, a loving plan, a sovereign plan, and that plan is still in effect. You haven’t missed it. He is working out that plan in your life right now, today. Will you believe that? And will you renew your commitment this morning to seeking God, and following Him, and serving Him with your whole heart; free of the past, no longer weighed down by regret?

(SOURCE: Alan Perkins in "Getting Past Your Past." www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=34927&ContributorID=5916 ; Contributed to Sermon Central by SermonCentral)

I think we need to be reminded that none of us can avoid regrets. All of us have made bad choices. All of us have disobeyed God. All of us have the taint of sin in our lives. All of us are influenced by Satan’s attacks. The important thing is to deal with our past, ask God’s forgiveness and move on with our lives as we seek to serve the Lord Jesus.

B. We should forget our past but also forget our failures. Our failures are in the past, so there is a sense in which dealing with the past deals with our failures. However, failure is a unique breed (all its own). Failure is something that tends to track us like a vicious animal. Failure can be both good and bad. John Maxwell has written a book entitled “Failing Forward.” This book emphasizes that failure can be positive. When we fail we must fail forward. We must be careful to avoid failing backwards. To fail backward is to fall into destructive failure. In the Bible we see many saints who failed.

- After coming off of the ark Noah got drunk.

- After founding the Israelite nation Abraham lied.

- After being chosen as the king of Israel David committed adultery.

- After building the temple in Jerusalem Soloman married foreign wives.

- After accepting the call of discipleship Peter denied the Lord.

Illustration: I read somewhere about the occasion when Thomas Edison’s experimental laboratory was destroyed by fire. It has been told that Edison responded to that tragedy by saying “Thank God! Twenty thousand mistakes have been burned up!”

3. The third and final lesson we learn from Paul about moving beyond regrets is to Focus. Paul said he was “reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” (vs. 13 NKJV)

A. Paul was focused on his purpose. In chapter 1 of Philippians Paul says “But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor.” Paul’s purpose in life was to live and serve Jesus Christ.

Illustration: William H. Hinson tells us why animal trainers carry a stool when they go into a cage of lions. They have their whips, of course, and their pistols are at their sides. But invariably they also carry a stool. Hinson says it is the most important tool of the trainer. He holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. Those who know about lion training maintain that the animal tries to focus on all four legs at once. In the attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame, weak, and disabled because its attention is fragmented. (quoted in Autoillustrator.com, PRIORITIES /FOCUS/ PURPOSE/ PERSPECTIVE, from Developing the Leader Within You, by John Maxwell) (Contributed to Sermon Central by Darren Ethier)