We Have Come Too Far To Turn Back Now
Scripture: Hebrews 11:13-16
Introduction:
My message this morning is a simple one and it is titled: “We’ve Come Too Far To Turn Back Now.” Last week Jackie told us that we must look forward and that we cannot look back on where we were. Her statement has stayed in my spirit because it is the absolute truth. Someone else told me this week that it matters how we come in here and it does. We must come with the right understanding and the right attitude. We must understand that God sent us here and our attitude should be one of service. We must move forward without looking back – except for the memories. We have all experienced times when we have left one place to go to another place. Whether that was to move to another city; purchasing a new home; or just leaving your home to go out to the store and we have all experienced what happens when you depart from one place and you end up at another place. The journey from the starting place to the destination place can be hard but if you stay the course (especially if you’re driving and using a GPS device) you will arrive at your destination. This morning I want you to know that we have arrived at our first destination; God continues to be our GPS; and we have come too far to turn back now.
My Scriptural reference for this message comes from Hebrews 11:13-16 and I will be reading from the NAS version of the Bible. It read as follows: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
I. The Opportunity To Look Back
I want to share a personal example with you before we examine more fully the Scripture we just read. In 1989 I went to work for a pharmaceutical company shortly after being discharged from the Air Force. This company was not the first company of my choice, but I needed a job so I jumped at the opportunity. After working for that company for three years I received a phone call from my first choice company – the one I really wanted to work for. After going through all of the negotiations, they offered me $100 less than what I was currently making. Although this was a shock to my ego I truly believed that this is where God wanted me to be so I resigned from my job to take the new one. When my manager came and checked me out, he asked me why I was leaving and I told him that I thought I would have better opportunities at the new job. He told it was his plans to eventually help me get into management but it was too late and I left and went to my new company.
I wish that was the end of the story but alas it is not. Three weeks after I was with my new company, I received a phone call from my former partner at my old company. He said that there was a manager position open and my former director wanted to know if I was interested. I called a friend to check on it and the friend told me not to look back but continue forward with my new company. Well the opportunity sounded too good for me not to check into it. Even though I believed that God had led me to my new job, I kept looking back and asking “what if” instead of closing that door and focusing on my new opportunity. I decided that I would check into it so I called the director. He told me that yes there was an opening, however, they only hired manager from with in and I was no longer “with in” meaning that I was not eligible for consideration. The director had never really considered me for the position he just wanted to rub it in my face of what I could have had if I had stayed with them. My point is this, I knew what God had given me and yet I kept looking backward and almost walked away from what God had given me.
We have come too far to turn back now and if you think about my mistake you will understand that once God moves you from one place you must walk away from what was. Sometimes it means walking away from friends; away from a place; job; family or whatever/whoever is holding you back from where God is taking you. When God begins to move us to where He wants us to be, we must go without looking back and asking “what if”. We must go anticipating a move of God as we are obedient to what His will is for our lives. That being said, look at the Scripture that we read at the beginning.
II. Walking Blindly By Focusing On The Promise
Verse thirteen says that “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” Who were these that died without receiving the promises? If you begin reading from the first verse, you will recognize names like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They died without receiving the promise of the Lord but they knew He was coming. They knew that one day they would see and experience more than just what they were experiencing. Because of this understanding they considered themselves strangers and exiles in a foreign land, that this earth was not their home; that they had another place in heaven.
When this Church was started in 2002 we saw from afar that one day we would have a building. We did not see this building, this city, this location or this county, but we saw a building, a place where God would plant us. Well He has planted us and yet we must continue to look forward. We cannot look back at what was as if to say “if we would have….” but we must focus forward and say “now that we have….” This is what kept those of the Old Testament going forward. Even though they were receiving some answers to prayers and seeing God work miracles on their behalf, they never took their eyes off the goal that one day they would see and witness something much greater than what they currently were seeing. Look at verse fourteen.
Verse fourteen says “For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.” Those who say what things? Those who confess that they are strangers and exiles in a strange land – they do not acknowledge where they are is theirs without God taking them there. They do not accept where they are as they look for a place to call their own. But the search started internally with a confession that the land in which they lived was not theirs. By rejecting where they were they opened themselves up to be moved by God, both physically and spiritually. We could have continued meeting in the school for years, always hauling what we needed for service, but we made the decision that it was not our home and we were searching for a place that would be. When that decision was made, we opened ourselves up to be moved by God from Johnson County to Wyandotte County. Now look at verse fifteen.
Verse fifteen says “And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.” Those individuals that we read about and count as faithful, if they had been thinking about where they had come from they would have had opportunity to have turned from walking with God and going back to where they came from. Remember when God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and how many times they complained about the wilderness and how much better they had it back in Egypt? Well while they were in Egypt they complained and moaned and groaned about their life there and prayed for deliverance. When God delivered them they complained because they left their comfort zone for something that they did not know and it was not comfortable. They experienced stress and hardships and they did not like it. At least they knew the stress and hardships in Egypt and could handle them, but this was new. For the adults who constantly complained it cost them their earthly promise of seeing the Promised Land. Why is this important?
It was about their attitude once God brought them to where He wanted to take them. Remember, they did not have to roam the wilderness for 40 years; they were out there because they refused to go in when God brought them to the Promised Land. What if we had not acted on this place? How long would we have waited for another place? Would God have blessed our decision if we chose not to come here? I do not think so because I believe God sent us here. I believe in this place we are where He wants us. It does not matter about the neighborhood or the reputation of the area as we are where God wants us. But it is important to understand that how we come in here is as important as how we got here. Our attitudes must be right. We must welcome this opportunity with open arms so that God can fill our arms. Think of it this way, how easy is it to go up to someone who has their arms folded across their chest and hug them versus someone facing you with their arms held wide open? It is the arms (and attitude) that are held wide open that will draw people into this place and make God continue to take ownership of us. Now let’s look at the last verse, verse fifteen.
Verse fifteen says “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” When all was said and done, everything they did was motivated by their knowledge of heaven. This is why what they experienced here on earth could not compare to what they would receive. This is why people were willing to die for their faith because they knew it did not stop here with the God we serve. But what is so wonderful about all of this is God’s response. God’s response is that He is not ashamed to be called the God of the one who walks where He leads because He truly has prepared a place for them. When you sell out; refuse to accept what the world offers; go where you do not wish to go as God leads you; go without looking back and wishing for what was; then at this point because you are turning your backs on what was to walk towards what shall be that God is proud be associated with you. We all have family members who embarrassed us or we are ashamed to admit that they are kin to us. Well God is not ashamed to be known as your God for you are walking with Him.
Conclusion
We have come this far by faith and we cannot turn back now. Everything is still being prepared as we are only seeing that we have our own place. But if you will join me in opening your arms to receive God will fill our arms. Let our reputation in the community be that this is a Church that will love you, hug you and treat you like family. If you want to know what the love of God feels like, let them describe our Church.
We have come into this place to worship Him. We will worship God in truth and in spirit. We will demonstrate to God that we believe and accept that He has sent us here, the author and finisher of our faith. I thank God for this day and for all that each of you have done to help us reach this point as a Church. Next week we will open our doors to whomever will come; let us do so in a spirit of love and fellowship.
May God forever bless and keep you is my prayer.
