PP0810 DATE
HANGING ON TO THE PAST!
Exodus 16:22-31; Luke 9:62.
Ex 16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.(KJV)
INTRODUCTION: All of us have eaten warmed over meals. Having just passed the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays we have had warmed over turkey, warmed over dressing, warmed over everything. I don’t mind having warmed-overs. Usually they are pretty good.
I’m sure there are people here who are sentimental about certain things or experiences. I can look back on certain things that happened in the past and enjoy living that experience over again. Some of them I don’t want to relive. However, for the most part, too many people live in the past. They are living on what transpired yesterday. It seems the older I get, the more I look back. That is because most of my life is behind me. Peter Marshall, who twice served as Chaplin of the US Senate said, “Never let the past be so dear as to limit the future.” That’s good advice. If we are walking forward toward tomorrow and looking backward to yesterday, we will stumble and fall.
During the wilderness journeys of the Israelites God provided manna or bread for them to eat. They were to gather just enough for each day and not store or put it away for tomorrow. If they did gather two days supply, the excess would spoil and was not edible. However, on the 6th day, they were to gather enough for the sabbath and the extra or excess would not spoil.
As I look around Christianity today, I see most Christians are trying to live on the bread they gathered yesterday. Many are not aware that it has spoiled.
I want to deal with some of the areas that we may be living in or hanging on to the past.
I. HANGING ON TO PAST BLESSINGS
The blessings of God are sufficient for each day. Each of us could stand and attest that truth. There is not a person here who could not give a testimonial of the blessings of God. We have a time in each service where we have a time for each of you to share some blessing that God has given you the past week. Wouldn’t it be strange for someone to begin telling us what a blessing a certain thing was that happened 10 years ago.
We are still in the early part of 2007. We have just had a great year. God has been very good to us and, we have seen many and great things done by His hand and through His grace and mercy. We have all been blessed by those things, but we cannot face 2007 looking back to those things that we have accomplished and seen God do in 2006. If we settle down on the past, we will become stagnated.
A. Blessings Of The Past May Have Been Good, But They Will Not Suffice For Today.
1. When I finished High School I started to work for $1.05 an hour in Tulsa. That was pretty good wages then for an unskilled teenager. But that wouldn’t be very good now.
2. When I was in Bible School I was required to read the O.T. through in one semester. That was one of the greatest four months of my life. I learned more about the Bible during that time, but I can’t live on that today.
3. We had a great Christmas Dinner several weeks ago, but how many of you have eaten since then?
(Luke 9:62) "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
We must not allow yesterday to determine our goal for tomorrow.
B. Blessings Of The Past Will Not Suffice For Tomorrow..
1. God has blessed me and my family greatly, but those blessings will not bring us through the need for this year.
2. Tomorrow will come and go on its own merits.
I’m a melancholy person. I like to go back to my old home place and dream of the days gone by. Those days are gone. I cannot survive by looking back.
3. Living on yesterday’s happenings will only bring disappointments.
II. HANGING ON TO PAST PRAYERS.
A. Each Of Us Have Had A Highlight Of The Past Where God Answered A Certain Prayer.
It was very evident that God was present in the matter. When you look at it, you could just see God’s signature.
Looking back to prayers of the past will cause you to stumble.
I have been in several all night prayer meetings. I have prayed for two or three hours at a time before, but those past prayer experiences will not bring me through the hard times this coming year.
B. Elijah Had Prayers Answered, Yet He Had To Pray And Pray Again.
C. What Kind Of Prayer Life Do You Have?
Do you pray about everything. Don’t try to go through this year on last years prayers. (Phil 4:6) "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
(Phil 4:7) "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
III. HANGING ON TO PAST WITNESSING
Several years ago I invited one or our men to go visiting with me and his reply was, “I’ve been there and done that.” I started to ask him where his T-shirt was.
We are commanded to go into all the world and witness.
That is a continual command. It doesn’t end with a certain date or term of service.
A. There Are Many Ways That You Can Witness.
1. Use the telephone.
a. Wrong numbers. Tell them about Christ.
b. The carpet cleaning people calling. Witness to them.
c. The handicap services calling wanting a donation. Give them the Gospel.
B. Put Tracts In Your Bills That You Mail.
1. The telephone company clerk.
2. The ONG people.
3. The OG&E people.
4. Cable TV.
C. Person To Person.
1. The grocery clerk.
2. The waitress at the restaurant.
Missionary Mark Lawrence – Missionary to Germany – witnessed to everyone in the restaurant. He gave out at least a dozen tracts while we were eating there.
D. Door To Door.
Just go up and down your street and tell people about Christ.
If you are living on what witnessing you did in the past, then you will help send the present generation to hell.
IV. HANING ON TO PAST GIVING
A. Is Your Giving Relevant For Today?
Would there be any that give like their income was .50 cents an hour.
B. What If God Changed Your Income To Match Your Giving?
C. I heard A Church Member Talking Once In Regards To Their Offering And IRS Returns.. They said, “Wow! I didn’t know I gave so much.” It isn’t what you gave in 2006, but what will you do in 2007?
D. Are You Giving By The Same Measure That You Were 20 Or 30 Years Ago.
You cannot live on yesterday’s tithes and offerings. What will you do today?
V. HANGING ON TO PAST PLANS
A. (Prov 24:27) "Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house."
B. (1 Cor 14:40) "Let all things be done decently and in order."
C. God Has A Certain Plan For Your Life. Are You Following That Plan?
D. So Many Christians Have No Plans At All. They just let the circumstances of the day determine what they will do for the Lord. If it rains they change their plans. If someone calls on the phone with another suggestion, they follow that.
E. Are You Living According To What Happened Yesterday?
History is a good teacher, but don’t be limited by yesterday’s failures.
F. (Rom 12:1) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
(Rom 12:2) "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
G. You Need Some Sort Of Plan Book. Maybe a Personal Organizer, something to help guide you through the day.
Without some sort of goal you will accomplish nothing.
Write down the most important things and work on them first.
I know some who begin everyday where they started the day before, rather than beginning where they left off the day before.
VI. HANGING ON TO PAST FAITH
A. Faith Of The Past Prepared You For Today.
B. Today’s Faith Will Prepare You For Tomorrow.
C. (Rom 10:17) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Little faith grows into big faith.
D. Faith Is Not A Gift.
E. Faith Does Not Come From Surrender Or Sacrifice.
The only way you get faith is from the Word of God. Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (KJV)
VII. HANGING ON TO PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS
A. Most Every Christian Has Done Something For God That Was Pleasing Within Ourselves. You felt good about it. You knew that God was pleased.
I had 145 riders off my bus route one Sunday.
23 riders were saved one day on my bus route.
B. Do Not Attempt To Live On That One Event As Sufficient For All Future.
1. You used to drive a bus.
2. You used to teach a class.
3. You used to go into the rest homes and visit.
4. You used to come to the church and mow the grass.
5. You used to be concerned about the sick and shut-ins.
Now you don’t do that anymore. What happened? Did those needs disappear?
What you have done in the past is commendable, and God was pleased with it I am sure, but we still need people doing the same things day after day and year after year.
Find something to do and then get busy and do it until the Lord comes.
What are you doing for God today?
Don’t live in the past. Don’t be satisfied with the spoiled and distasteful bread from yesterday.
INVITATION
BETH HAVEN BAPTIST CHURCH
PO BOX 891523
OKLAHOMA CITY OKLAHOMA 73189-1523
405-691-8701
www.bhbc.net
