To Look Back Or Not To Look Back, That is the Question.
Gen 19:17; And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
1 Chron 16:11-12; Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Ps 42:4-6; “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
To be, or not to be: that is the question: This much quoted line from the third act of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet continues with….
“Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?” PROMPTS THE THOUGHT OF TODAY’S SERMON; To Look Back Or Not To Look Back, That is the Question.
The following an interesting if not enlightening indicator of our national thinking as gleaned from the Nations most used internet search engine GOOGLE:
Popular Queries 2004
1. britney spears
2. paris hilton
3. christina aguilera
4. pamela anderson
Popular Men 2004
1. orlando bloom
2. eminem
3. usher
4. johnny depp
Popular Women 2004
1. britney spears
2. paris hilton
3. christina aguilera
4. pamela anderson
Popular Television Shows 2004
1. the simpsons
2. pokemon
3. south park
4. charmed
5. spongebob
Popular Tech Stuff 2004
1. wallpaper
2. kazaa
3. mp3
4. spybot
5. linux
Popular Consumer Brand Names - 2004
1. ebay
2. walmart
3. mapquest
4. amazon
5. home depot
On a more serious note; at every year end there are magazines published, news paper articles written, and television programs aired whose sole content involves looking back on the events of the year 2004.
The thrust of today’s sermon is to give us insight into what we should and should not be looking back at how doing so can in some cases be discouraging at best and destructive at the worst.
In other cases looking back can serve as a worthwhile and beneficial activity.
I want to consider first of all…
1. When not to look back…
Gen 19:17; And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
a. Lot and his family were living in Sodom. Went there after being given first choice by uncle Abraham.
1. There Lot had raised his family, married off at least two of his daughter and prospered there materially and socially.
2. Although Lot is called "just" in Hebrews 11, his spiritual life had not prospered in Sodom.
1. When the sodomites were pounding on his door after the men of God who had come to the city to deliver Lot and his family; he offered him his virgin daughters in their stead!
2. Further evidence of Lot’s spiritual decline and lack of credibility as a believer to his own family is seen in the response of when he warned them of God’s judgment; Gen 19:14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
b. Lot finally choose to allow God to deliver him and his wife and children.
1. Lot and His family were so reluctant to leave their worldly life behind that the angels God had sent to deliver them had literally take them by the hand and drag them from their worldly life style to save their lives!
Gen 19:16 "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city."
2. The angels warned them in verse 17 not to look back and to linger in the no-man’s land!
Genesis 19:17
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
3. For those whom God chooses to deliver from the destructiveness of a worldly life there is a NO-Man’s Land in which he must not linger.
1. That is trying to find and live out God’s will and trying to hang on to what is perceived as the benefits of the worldly life!
2. It is a no-man’s land because Jesus said you cannot succeed there:
Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
4. Why is this so? Why did the angels of God tell Lot and his family not to look back?
1. Because until we actually and wholly and completely commit to God and Christ and forsake everything that the world has to offer; we are in danger of being drawn back into its destructive influence!
c. Lot’s wife had been so enamored by the world that she willfully ignored God’s warning about looking back.
1. She just had to have one more look! I believe when she looked back, that the draw was too much for her and in her heart she purposed to go back and would have not been happy until she got Lot to ignore God’s will and take her back.
2. Beloved it only takes one member of a family who is unwilling to forsake the worldly life style to put that whole family in danger of destruction.
3. So in order to prevent this from happening, I believe that God turned her onto a pillar of salt so she could lead her entire family back into destruction.
d. Even tough I believe God took care of Lot’s worldly wife to protect his family; the damage of her worldly bent did not die with her! Turn to Gen 19:30-36
30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our Father. 35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
1. There is in this passage an indication to me that the life style Lot’s wife and perhaps Lot himself had led there children to conclude that sex was the most important thing to having a happy life!
2. Notice verse 31; “And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:”
3. Can you not see from this beloved that worldly thinking has not changed in 6,000 years of progressing civilization.
4. Can you not see that in our television programming, in our educational system, in our advertising, and in the lifestyles of our Hollywood and sports celebrities!
e. Preacher are you saying there is something wrong with enjoying sex? No!
1. But it like any other thing you build your life around beside God is both destructive and unfulfilling if you make that the only source of happiness and fulfillment.
2. Had not Lot’s wife looked back longingly into a worldly lifestyle that was destructive she would have accompanied the family to Zor.
3. Had Mrs. Lot been in the home the sin or incest would have not occurred!
f. We must not look back when we have set out to live for God!
Luke 9:62; And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
We must not look back at the world we are to leave when we give our lives to Christ, but there are times….
1. To Look Back;
1 Chron 16:11-12; Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
a. The contents of a godly memory.
1. "Remember,” recall the records of God’s dealings; looking back on God’s dealing with you in your personal experiences will freshen the memories of His goodness and mercy.
1. There is a far greater if not so personal source upon which we can look back on to see His Mercy and Grace as it has been poured out on His peoples for thousands of years!
2. To look back on the spiritual experiences of God’s people throughout all the ages enlightens us as to what one may count on in similar situations.
a. When Adam and Eve became naked through sin in the garden because of sin God clothed them.
b. When the world around Noah was wicked and condemned, God saved Noah and His family by grace.
c. When David the adulterer finally confessed; God created in him a clean heart and renewed in him a right spirit. Ps 51:10
d. When rebellious Jonah ended up in the fishes belly by running from God cried out in prayer; “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. Jonah 2:9-10
e. When Saul of Tarsus with his misguided zeal for God was persecuting the followers of Christ, Christ struck him down and saved his soul and redirected his zeal!
3. Really to know God’s dealings with any one people is to know his dealings with all peoples. AND WITH YOU!
Ps 42:4-6; “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
CONCLUSION:
To Look Back Or Not To Look Back, That is the Question.
We must resist looking back when doing so would expose us to the destructive forces Satan has running rampant in our world.
Although not mentioned in the sermon for the sake of time is looking back at the pain, heartache, disappointment, and destructive things that we have experienced in the past year!
1. We are not to look back on them because the memories are painful.
2. We are not to look back on them because we cannot change the destruction they brought.
a. I do not want to look back at the hurricanes that destroyed homes and lives.
b. I do not want to look back at the physical struggles we endured this past year.
c. I must not dwell on the bad news about our Grandson!
d. I must not dwell on the reversals we experienced as a church!
3. We can look back on God’s blessings and deliverances and victories!
Look back on what God left and what He gave us; not what He allowed to be taken, and not what could have been!
a. God gave us another year to serve Him and lay up rewards in heaven.
b. God gave us children, grandchildren, and great grand children to enjoy and nurture for God!
c. God gave us victories in Vacation Bible School, and in the Awana program! He put souls in our care.
d. He spared our building, built our choir, gave us souls, new families, and new opportunities to make a difference for Him!
Look back on what He has done and boldly say GOD DOETH ALL THINGS WELL!
Invitation:
Lost, unsaved friend look back on the grace of God that let you live when you deserved to die!
1. Look now to the great salvation He is offering you right now to have your sin forgiven, to have your life moved from the road to destruction to the path of eternal life.
2. You will be able to look forward to a new life of purpose, peace, and fulfillment if you will trust Christ today!
My Christian Brothers and sisters; you cannot change the past but you can see what God will do for you and with you if you will look back on what he has done for you and for others like you, and know that a great, secure, and profitable future lies ahead for those who will trust him and be faithful.
1. Would it not be a testimony to His past goodness for you to come to thank for what He has done.
2. And re-pledge your faithfulness to Him here at the alter?
