No Looking Back

No Looking Back

Luke 9:57-62

(57) Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow you wherever you go."

(58) And Jesus Said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

(59) Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, Lord, let me first go bury my father."

(60) Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."

(61) And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."

(62) But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Introduction

There were large crowds that gathered from far and near just to hear the teaching, preaching and to see the mighty miracles of Jesus. The people saw the blind see, the lame walk and the deaf hear. After hearing the word and seeing such wonderous signs many wanted to follow, but did not count up the cost before hand; Furthermore, did not fully understand that decision to follow Jesus would require a committment to give him first priority in our lives.

Priority Over Our:

1) Wives

2) Kids

3) Parents

4) Even ourselves

No Looking Back

It is implied that when one makes a commitment to do the will of the Lord that we do not have the time nor opportunity to look back, it is ideally appropriate that we keep our eyes on our purpose and that is to ultimately see the "kingdom of Heaven".

If one desires to look back it is very possible that they are longing for evil things especially when they have set their face on doing right. Lot’s wife looked back at sodom and because her heart was yet there in sodom she turned into a pillar of salt.

No Looking Back

Question

Can a person properly do the work of the ministry who is engaged in wordly employments?

Scenario

A farmer and a minister of the Gospel are incompatible characters. As a person who holds the plow cannot keep on a straight line if he look behind himself; so he who is employed in the works of the ministry cannot do the work of an evangelist, if he turn his desires to worldly profits.

A good man has said: "He who thinks it necessary to cultivate the favour of the world is not far from betraying the interests of God and his church." Such a person is not fit,because his mind would not be properly focused on his heavenly inheritance properly disposed, has not his mind properly directed toward the heavenly inheritance, and would have a very tough time showing the way to others. is not fit to show the way to others.

No Looking Back

We ourself seem to be doing spiritual things but our heart is far from the things that we are doing.

That’s to say that our hands are to the plow but we are looking back.

When we are looking back our spiritual fitness for the Kingdom lies in limbo or better yet lies dormant and we are, therefore, unfit for the kingdom.

No Looking Back

the three men Jesus had encountered were willing to follow them but as Jesus Said: "No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Every one of them were looking back at their circumstances.

1) Wanted to bury his father

2) Wanted to bid his family farewell

If we are going to be disciples for Christ we can’t look back; for the past held destruction and the future in Jesus holds eternity. We are only fit for the Kingdom of God when we keep our hands to the plow never looking back.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: Old things are passed away; Behold all things are become new.

No Looking Back