Have you ever thought about all the sin in the world and wondered how you could survive in so much temptation?
Let’s take that a bit further. Let’s examine our transgressions. AMEN
• Have you ever done something in your life and you regretted it the moment you did?
• Have you ever let sin creep in and seduce you to rationalizing something that would hurt a friend or loved one?
• Have you ever gone down that dark path of doing something illegal even though you knew it was wrong?
• Have you ever lied to get something you thought you wanted?
• Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours and told yourself that somehow you deserved it?
• Have you hid a dark secret that could have prevented others from being hurt?
• Have you ever ignored the warnings of your parents or friends and hung out or did what they said you shouldn't do?
• Have you ever let peer pressure lead you down a winding road of destruction?
• Have you ever taken advantage of someone because of their love, or situation, or good heart, for your gain, and convinced yourself that you were more justified than their loss?
• Have you ever watched a friend commit adultery and, because you were afraid of losing that person as a friend, you said nothing?
• Have you ever tried to make things right?
• Have you ever asked for forgiveness of those transgressions?
• Have you, have you ever?
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Brothers and sisters, the Bible has countless stories of men and women that made mistakes just like us. Some of them are the same mistakes we continue to make right now. AMEN
Just like us, they couldn’t take those wrongs back. The cycle of events that took place afterwards, were partly because they may have stood silent, or manipulated events though greed or vain glory, or whatever reason. Then they somehow self-justified their wrongdoing, only to have to face the realization of needed forgiveness. Those men and women, and we here today, play a part in our future. AMEN
If you really think about it, the signs of our past wrongs, our past transgressions, are all around us. They’re on the television, in the movies, on the internet, in the classrooms, at parties, at social events, and even in the church. AMEN
They’re in how we speak, how we dress, how we treat one another, how we love, how we work, and how we study God’s word? AMEN AMEN
Just like us, those men and women, who were only human, couldn’t take back the wrong that they “helped” happen or “let” happen. They could only ask God for forgiveness and learn from their mistakes.
Psalms 86:5 states: For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
My message today is “There’s no do-over in life”
Brothers and sisters, while you, can’t take it back, as “kids might say”, but you can ask for forgiveness and move towards righteousness. AMEN
So how do we learn, we learn from books written, lessons taught, and the book that has the greatest stories ever told, and the most powerful movies ever written. We can and should learn from others that made those mistakes in the past. We don’t have to repeat them.
Today I’ll discuss a few mistakes that were made by a good men in the bible days. These mistakes were visualized and told for your edification. They were written so that we, as God’s children would learn from their mistakes. AMEN
Let’s first look a Moses. Yeah Moses.
God felt pity for his children. He saw just how they were being oppressed by the Egyptians.
Exodus 3:9, God tell Moses: Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
He told Moses, that he would be the one that would liberate the children of Israel out of the turmoil of Egyption bondage.
Exodus 3:10, God said, “Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.”
God confronted Moses with a call, but Moses made the mistake of disbelief.
Exodus 3:11 states: And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Most of us have done the same thing in so many ways. We hesitate and doubt and don’t believe that we could make a difference.
It’s hard to grasp the fact, that when we speak, nobody is gonna listen. It’s hard to go on speaking when you feel no one is gonna believe you. But sometimes when you think no one is listening, someone is.
We may feel that everything is set in stone. But the truth of the matter is, things change. People change. We change. AMEN
That’s what we remember about Moses. But did you know that Moses struck and killed an Egyptian because he was beating a Hebrew. Not only did he kill him, he hid his transgression.
Exodus 2:11-12 states: And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
Yet God would forgive him, and he would lead the children of Israel out of the land of bondage. AMEN
Now, let’s talk about King David. King David was a great man. He battled a lion, a bear, and the 10ft Giant. He was a man after God’s own heart. But he too made mistakes. One in particular was his fornication with another man’s wife. AMEN
God had a great plan for King David’s life. The Prophet Samuel and others were meant to be a force in David’s life to help bring about the plan to its fullest. But David chose to exercise his free will, and he sinned with Bathsheba, who was Uriah’s wife.
2 Samuel 12:24 states: And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
David acted with the lustful seed inspired by the Devil himself. David knew Bathsheba was married. Maybe he convinced himself just this once wouldn’t hurt. That’s just one of Satan’s tools to fool you. But did he stop there. No…No…
David knew his secret would come out when Bathsheba becomes pregnant. So what’s the next thing he does? You got it…. He sins again. This time he has her husband placed on the front line and he is surely killed. MY LORD!
Not only that, he used those who were willing to die for him to kill one who was willing to die for him. For what? He had the lustful desire of pleasure with one that was surely not his. MY LORD
That sin, that moment of pleasure, would bring pain and death to others. There’s no taking that back….. AMEN
Have you ever been there? Covering up one sin with another, covering up one lie with another? If you read your Bible, it was done before, it was written for your edification and understanding.
David would repent, and in so much sorrow, ask for forgiveness.
Psalms 51:1-4 states: (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.) Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. AMEN
Now let’s talk about Judas. He was the man that sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver.
Matthew 26:15 states :And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
The “Judas”, the traitor. Yet to Jesus, Judas was more like a brother, or child. He saw and knew all of his frailties, and yet had him sit beside him in his quest.
Brothers and sisters, sometimes the one’s we love are the ones that hurt us the most. Yet Jesus didn’t use his power to stop Judas from doing what he did. He allowed him to do it. He allowed him to go down that path of destruction because it was what was to be. But did Judas know this? I would like to think that somehow in his heart he regretted his decision the moment he took those pieces of silver. He had to have known that there is no amount of money, silver, or gold that could take the place of the love of a true friend or loved one. AMEN
Matthew 27:3 states: Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Brothers and sisters, just like the rest of the disciples, Judas left everything he had to follow Jesus. Judas was actively involved in ministry, and he was given remarkable spiritual gifts. He was given the power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal”
Luke 9:1–3 states: Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
But Judas did just that… He was deceived by the Devils advocates and they knew it.
Matthew 27:5-6 states: And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. MY LORD!
Brothers and sisters, people sell out there friends and family every day, for what?
• For a moment of pleasure.
• For a moment of fame.
• For multiple “likes” on Facebook
• For that great number of followers.
• And, for money, cars and other things that are just that…. Things.
But those things don’t have to define us:
• The things we did as a kid or teen don’t have to define us.
• The things we did with our friends shouldn’t have to define us.
• The things we did in our workplace don’t have to define us
• And, the things we did in the past don’t have to keep on haunting us.
We may not be able to take them back, but we may be able to make things right. God gave us a way out, his son died for our sins so that we would enjoy the fullness of life. AMEN
That brings us to Pontius Pilate. That brings us to "overwhelming pressure" to do that which we know in our heart and soul, is wrong. AMEN
Whatever the case: persuasion, influence, intimidation or harassment, and even temptation can sometimes make it hard to “just say no”. It’s hard now, and it was hard back then. Why, because we lack understanding. There have been many tempted, and twisted, and confused, under this thing called pressure. AMEN
Mark 15: 1 says: and straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
The Elders, the Chief priest, the Scribes and the whole Sanhedrin council would deliver a bound Jesus to one man, Pilate. Quite frankly, this force of leaders would say to Pilate, “Hey, you need to get this done”. The handwriting was literally on the wall. If that wasn’t pressure, I don’t know what is. AMEN
Pilate knew that the chief Priest wanted to destroy Jesus. He was a threat to them. A confused Pilate asked, but what do we do with Jesus?
He knew that Jesus was just an avenue for love. His gut, his wife, and all that he was, told him, “This is wrong”. The governor asked what he had done. He knew Jesus was not an evil person but the pressure from the Chief Priest would make him falter at a job he normally did well.
Mark 15:3 says: And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
But instead of Pontius Pilate standing up to deceitful pressure, he tried to make Jesus do his job for him. He wanted Jesus to tell them why they were wrong, but Jesus couldn’t help him. AMEN
Mark 15: 2 says: And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayestit.
Pilate had one more thing that he was sure would relieve him of having to go against the Chief Priest, the Elders, and the entire council. He was sure the crowd would choose the right person. But little did he know, the seed of deceit was already fed to the crowd. My Lord!
The crowd had already been manipulated. They agreed with the Chief priest and elders and would say crucify him. Pilate in his emotions would ask time and time again that they do the right thing, the thing that he knew was right, but he would be overruled and pressured by the crowd.
Mark 15:12-15 states: And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
Brothers and sisters, have you ever done something that you knew was wrong and you did it anyway? It eats at your soul in some way form or fashion. If it doesn’t' you have another problem. AMEN.
That’s why we repent and ask for forgiveness. God knows that we’re not perfect and we’re subject to the temptations of the devil. Through his wisdom, he forgives.
Matthew 27:24 states: When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
In this instance, It would be Jesus himself that would ask for forgiveness:
Luke 23:34 states: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
And last but not least, let’s talk about Jonah. Remember Jonah and the whale? Well Jonah was just like a bunch of us, he was hard headed and just didn’t want to listen to what he was told. He wanted to do things his way.
Jonah 4:1 states But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
The bible tell us that God spoke to Jonah, He told him to go and preach repentance to the city of Nineveh, but he was so stubborn and hard headed, that he believed preaching couldn’t save them. You see, Nineveh was full of sickness and Jonah was supposed to preach the word.
Jonah 1:2 states: Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
So, instead of going to do what God had told him, Jonah decided that there was no need, and he would go instead to Tarshish.
Jonah 1:3 states: But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Brothers and sisters, we are not called to preach to only to those that know the lord, we are called to preach to the unrighteous. It’s not our call to be hardheaded and feel like we don’t have to help save the loss.
Jonah was called to preach the Gospel of repentance to the Gentiles. He had to overcome the same prejudices and self-belief, that grace was only for the Jews and not for the Gentiles. Jonah was disobedient and took off in exactly the opposite direction from where he was supposed to be. AMEN
He had to learn the hard way, just like some of us, what it means to disobey what is right. Anyway, while Jonah was out at sea, the ship that Jonah was on, ran into a storm and it looked as if the ship would go down. God had sent this storm for Jonah, and just when Jonah was thrown overboard, the sea was calm.
Jonah 1:14-15 states: Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
Instead of drowning, Jonah was swallowed by a whale that God placed in his path. While in the belly of the whale, Jonah repented and asked God to save him. Sometimes we have to get tossed around to realize our wrong. Sometimes we have to reach our lowest point to realize our transgressions.
Jonah 4:2-3 states: And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
Jonah went on to spread the gospel to the Ninevites, and they also repented and wasn’t destroyed. AMEN
And as I bring this message to a close:
Brothers and sisters, there are no do-overs in life, and yet it’s no mistake, that we make mistakes. The lessons learned from our mistakes bring about the changes that God set in place for our salvation.
The act of making mistakes is common, so common, even the great men of faith speak about this human short coming. Everyone makes mistakes! In fact, making mistakes is so ordinary, so basically human, some of us eventually start to just overlook mistakes without batting an eye. We place them in our backlog of wrong doings, and hope that they won’t creep out of our closet of sin. Sometimes we even look over our mistakes and just accept our mistakes, and never move forward towards change. AMEN
Brothers and sisters, the truth of the matter is, man has been making mistakes since creation. As you listened to this sermon, you may have said, My Lord, if they couldn’t get it right, how could you possibly expect me, a mere human, to get things right.
But that’s just it. We are supposed to learn from ours and others mistakes. Do you remember when you were kids and one of your other siblings did something wrong and got punished. Well, you didn’t make that same mistake. You learned.
In the beginning of my sermon, I asked a few questions. And, if you are human, you probably could answer yes to some, if not most of those questions.
You see, there are people who are so eager for results that they ignore the warning signs. As a result of their eagerness they fail and make mistakes. They ignore all the things they cause or do wrong, trying to get to what they believe they want.
On the other hand, there are those who do nothing but watch in silence, which is just as much a mistake as plunging ahead not caring about transgressions.
Then there are people that hold strongly to old beliefs or behavior patterns, or prejudices, even though there are bold signs that these things were, and are wrong.
Brothers and sisters, as you have heard, mistakes will happen to the best of us. Some of them can be avoided if we follow His directions. But yes we will still make mistakes at times. The important point here is to admit your mistake repent and ask for forgiveness.
How do we not make the same mistakes of our forefathers? How do we learn about forgiveness? We read, we study, and we ask questions. Brothers and sisters, even today there are those that don’t want you to learn, and they know that there are those that are capable of teaching you right, but they are afraid that:
• If you learn, then you may understand.
• If you understand, you might change.
• If you change, they might not be able to have that hold on you.
• And, if you continue to lack understanding, they, who are the Devil’s advocate, can keep that hold on you. AMEN
Brothers and sisters, what God has called each of us to be, is the standard by which we are measured.
For us to adopt anybody else’s standard of behavior, whether co-workers or classmates or friends, or, whoever it is, is wrong.
For us to adopt anybody else’s pattern of life, just because they’re more or less a mess is to drift into denial and neglect the prize that God has placed in front of us. God wants to bring each of us to glory, to triumph, to maturity and to perfection. God wants to use us to do exactly what each of us was designed to do.
Yes, my brothers and sisters, there are no do-overs in life. Those things happened.
• They may slow down our path, as with Moses
• They may hurt someone, as with David
• They may disappoint someone, as with Judas
• They may allow a wrong doing to someone, as with Pilate,
• And, in each case, they would all have to learn a powerful lesson, as with Jonah.
Brothers and sisters, as you have heard, mistakes tend to happen. They can happen to me, and they can happen to you, and although you can’t take them back, you can make amends and ask God to forgive you. Your past transgressions don’t have to define you. So, today, right here, right now, ask God to forgive you. Our God is a good God, and he hears our sincere prayer and will forgive us, if only we believe. AMEN
Someone once said: There are things in life you can’t take back, a stone once thrown, a word once said, an occasion once missed, an action once done, or a time once passed. But you can get back on track once forgiven.
References:
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