Don't Look Back

These are the notes/transcript from a great sermon that our pastor gave. It really makes you think. I hope you take time to read it.

Don’t Look Back
Pastor Jason Yancey
Living Water Ministries
6-21-09

Ezekiel 3:20 “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.”

If you know the truth you’re not apt to fall for a lie.

Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

It is easy to start right in your Christian walk, but it is hard to end right, and the ending is what is going to make the difference. Only few will go to heaven.

Luke 13:23-24 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
2 Tim. 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

People fail because they take their eyes of the ending.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the lord delivered them out of them all.
Through much tribulation we shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
If you live in this world you’re going to suffer persecution.

“Saved.” Many Christians are fond of this word. The truth is that no one is ultimately saved until you hear the gates of heaven click behind your heels. You may be in a saved condition at any time in your life, but we have not obtained eternal salvation yet. We merely have the promise of receiving eternal salvation if we continue to live in accordance with God’s word. We have a godly walk to walk. You cannot become a Christian and live like a heathen.
John 1:10-12 “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes (commit or embrace to his teachings) in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
The perishing doesn’t happen immediately, but after natural death, so the same way with our salvation, it doesn’t happen immediately, we have to continue to walk in Godly ways.
Matt. 24:13 “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

If we have truly made Jesus our Lord and Savior then we have made him Lord over our life.
Now God is first in our life, we are second.

Definition of grace:
Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people zealous for good works.”

Hebrews 12:14 “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

If you have sin in your life that you have not repented of, you cannot expect to go to heaven, because sin cannot enter into heaven. That ought to make you want to run to the altars.
If we continue to live an ungodly lifestyle after knowing the saving grace of god we are living with sin in our lives.

Hebrews 6:1-6 “Therefore leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance form dead works and of faith toward God of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God and put Him to an open shame.” 9 – “But beloved we are confident of better things concerning you, yes things that accompany salvation though we speak in this manner.”

Luke 17:32 “Remember Lot’s wife.” She was headed out, was being saved, but she looked back, and perished.
1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
Luke 9:62 “Jesus said to him no one having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
2 Peter 2:20-22 “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them that the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn form the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb. A dog returns to his own vomit and a sow, having washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

The 10 virgins were all ready at one point, but when the bridegroom came, only half were ready.
Live every single day watching for his coming, because he is coming back for those who are watching.
If God is not first in your life, then there’s sin in your life. Sin does not enter into heaven.

God has created us as self-willed creature and he’s given us the freedom of choice. We must make sure our will is his will. We must make sure his plan is our plan, we must make sure his choice is our choice, we must not look back. We must finish the race that is set before us. We must strive to enter in to the straight gate. We must strive to get the checkered flag. You will never take the checkered flag if you’re looking at what’s behind you. Forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forth unto those things which are before you. If you can’t let go of those things that are behind you, you’ll never be able to move forward to what’s in front of you. Keep your eyes on Christ. Don’t look back.

The Believer's Walk

The Believer’s Walk

Walk Hebrew (halak – haw-lak) to go, walk, come or manner of life
Greek (peripateo – per ee pat eh o) make one’s way, make due use of opportunities
or (stoicheo – stoy icheh o) to proceed in a row as a soldier under command, to live

Walk Google def. - the act of traveling by foot; to live or behave in a specified manner

Scripture gives us many examples of what our “walk” should be like as a Christian.

• walk with God (Gen. 5:22, 24, 6:9)
• walk before god and be blameless (Gen 17:1)
• need to be shown how to walk (Ex. 18:20)
• walk in all the ways the Lord God has commanded you (Deut. 5:33)
• walk faithfully before God with all our heart and soul (1 Kings 2:4)
• (Hezekiah) walked before God faithfully with wholehearted devotion (1 Kings 20:3)
• walk through the darkness by His light (Job 29:3)
• walk not in the counsel of the ungodly (Ps. 1:1)
• walk uprightly (Ps. 15:2)
• walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps. 23:4)
• walk in His ways (Ps. 81:13)
• walk within my house with a perfect heart (Ps. 101:2)
• walk in a perfect way (Ps. 101:6)
• though we walk in the midst of trouble, He will revive us (Ps. 138:7)
• walk with integrity so you may walk securely (Prov. 10:9)
• walk with the wise and you will be wise (Prov. 13:20)
• walk blamelessly and you will be saved (Prov. 28:18)
• walk wisely and you will be delivered (Prov. 28:26)
• walk prudently when you go into the house of God (Eccl. 5:1)
• walk in the ways of your heart, but know you will be judged (Eccl. 11:9)
• you will hear, this is the way, walk in it (as opposed to turning aside) (Is. 30:21)
• walk the road (Highway of Holiness) (Is. 35:8)
• wait on the Lord … walk and not faint (Is. 40:31)
• not to be rebellious and walk in a way that is not good (Is. 65:2)
• not to walk in lies (Jer. 23:14)
• walk in the ways of the Lord (Hos. 14:9)
• walk uprightly (Mic. 2:7)
• walk humbly with your God (Mic. 6:8)
• walk with God in peace and equity and turn many away from iniquity (Mal. 2:6)

• walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord (Luke 1:6)
• walk while you have the light (John 5:8)
• walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31)
• walk in the footsteps of faith (Rom. 4:12)
• walk in the newness of life (Rom. 6:4)
• walk properly (Rom 13:13)
• walk by manifestation of the truth (2 Cor. 4:2)
• walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7)
• walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:16)
• walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:25)
• walk in good works (Eph. 2:10)
• walk in love (Eph. 5:2)
• walk as children of the light (Eph. 5:8)
• walk by the same rule, be of the same mind – note those who so walk (Phil. 3:16, 17)
• walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him, being fruitful, increasing in knowledge (Col. 1:10)
• walk in Him (Col. 2:6)
• walk just as He walked (1 John 2:6)
• walk in truth (2 John 4)
• walk in the truth (3 John 1:3)
• we shall walk with Him in white, for we are worthy (Rev. 3:4)