August 10 , 2007

Your Past Is Not Your Future – Angela's Trial Sermon

In the New Living Translation 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 says, 16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

These are the words of Paul, known for being a persecutor of the Church of Jesus Christ until he had a conversion experience on the road to Damascus. That is when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and everything turned around, everything was changed, he was recreated and began to walk in the purpose that God had called him from the beginning of time. Paul went from Persecutor to Disciple and Preacher of God’s Word. His Damascus Road experience drew him into a relationship with Jesus Christ that caused him to be known for using the same intensity he used to persecute the church to convert individuals to Christ. He did it with Paul and He can do it with you, but it starts with you making the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to walk in relationship with Him. You won’t be perfect, but I promise you will be recreated.

Point 1-We all—like Paul—have a past
At age 15 I found myself pregnant, because I thought I knew what love was based on a Danielle Steel novel. I know I—like Paul—am not the only one that has a past that does not hold the most glowing and wonderful experiences or memories. The various books that populate the shelves of our Christian book stores make it clear that most of us have a past that may not be the greatest by human standards.

Maybe you come from a broken home with one parent that you never knew.

Maybe you were addicted to crack, weed, alcohol, food or gossip.

Maybe you come from an addicted parent.

Maybe you—like the woman at the well—have been married multiple times before and the one that you are with right now is not yours.

Maybe you decided to try out fornication-in case you don’t know what it means, It’s a big word that means you are having sex without being married. Or from the Angela version it means test driving somebody else’s car. You are not sure you want to buy it but you are willing to drive it for a while.

Maybe you married the wrong partner and now you find yourself divorced, lonely and unsure of your future.

Maybe you were molested, sexually or verbally abused as a child and some of that is still going on either with you or with other members of your family.

Maybe you were the abuser.

Maybe you were the parent that walked away and went on with your life leaving your former spouse or lover to handle it.

Maybe you neglected your family and family responsibilities in search of other things, something newer, better or easier. The grass that looked greener on the other side.

Maybe you were labeled as easy because you could be counted on to give up the funk. This is not for ladies only.

Maybe your bad choices resulted in your children being taken away from you to be raised by the system.

Maybe you have an addiction to pornography through magazines, books, TV or the internet.

Maybe none of the things I have identified is your issue, maybe you just have a nasty attitude or a mean spirit.

Maybe you just have a member that will not come under the submission of The Holy Spirit.

Maybe it’s hurt, insecurity or rejection that you just can’t seem to let go of.

Maybe it is the loss of that relationship that you knew was the one for you, but he died early and left you alone and it hurts.

Maybe you were the one that everyone said was just like your daddy and you would never amount to anything and you can still hear those words.

Maybe you were the one everyone labeled as dumb and stupid.

Maybe it’s bad choices in relationships.

Maybe it’s loneliness.

Maybe it’s a financial situation.

Maybe it’s a past failure.

Maybe it’s fear.

Whatever your issue, whatever your situation the bible assures us that once we accept Christ we are not to be seen any longer from a worldly point of view. You are not your issue. Does that mean that the temptation will immediately cease for whatever that thing is? Will I stop wanting to chase the crack pipe or wanting to have my physical needs met? I wish I could tell you that it would but I would be lying. You may need some help to get past it completely, but God is more than able to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond all we could ever ask or think. There is nothing to hard for God. The power is in you.

Point 2 We can all be recreated-
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, if any man/woman/boy/girl is in Christ he or she is a new creature, old things have passed away. That means if you accept Christ it’s over. The only way it can hold you is if you hold it. God knew you would be in the place you are in today before you were born, and He already knew how He was going to use it for His glory. Psalm 139:13-14 says, 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Get that in your spirit. God made you and He values you. He knew you would have a past. He knew you would have some issues and He is not waiting for you to get it all together before you bring it to Him. The awesome thing about God is that while He knows all, He is a gentleman and He will not force you to give in to His will, He stands at the door of your heart knocking and waiting for you to respond. It is time to take off the mask, be honest with yourself, be honest with God and let Him deliver you and your situation. Whatever you do don’t allow your issue to cause you to give up, back up or be re-routed.

After everything that you have been through if you are still standing you are an overcomer. In Romans 8:28 the bible says, 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

What does that mean as it relates to your past and my past? What does it mean as it relates to the lies the devil has tried to tell us? It means that if we love God, if we have been called according to His purpose we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Not on our own, but through Him. You cannot do it on your own. You can’t do what you want to do and then invite Him in. If that is your plan you are in essence asking God to come in as the clean up man to clean up your mess.

The scripture goes on to say in Romans 8:38-39, 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Remember that the enemy has a job and his job is to get us off track. To make us believe the lie that God does not love us. To get us to believe the lie that our pasts are too bad for God to use us. The bible is clear that the enemy is a thief and he came to steal, kill and destroy our purpose and our futures, but God finishes the scripture by telling us that He has come that we might have life and have it more abundantly. The abuse, the unplanned pregnancy, the crack addiction, the relationship that did not work out, they are all tricks the enemy is using to try to throw us off track. He wants us to stay in our mess, to stay in our issue.

Remember at the beginning I told you I was 15 and pregnant. That pregnancy that was unplanned by me, but a result of my sin, has been turned around for my good. That unplanned pregnancy has become a young man of 30 with a double masters. A young man of wisdom that I can call my friend and confidant, we encourage each other. The devil intended it for evil, but God. He was supposed to be a statistic, but God. His father provided no support mentally, physically or spiritually. According to the enemy's calculations, I should have been broken, angry and wallowing in unforgiveness.

If I am honest with you, I was that person, but God delivered me from the unforgiveness and the anger so that He could use it as part of my testimony to bring Him glory. I can stand here today and tell you that in spite of everything that happened or did not happen, there is a special place in my heart for his father. If it were not for him there would have been no Bryan. God has given me a godly love for him even though things did not work out the best in my eyes, they worked out for my best in God’s eyes.

Remember I told you that bible says, He works all things out for our good for those who love Him. I did not say it would be good, but that He works it together for the good and that is what He did. The awesome thing about God is that it’s not about me, He is willing to do the same for you. I was not supposed to be a Sunday School Teacher, Youth Worker, Trustee, Prayer Director or the President of New Beginnings Holistic Fitness Ministries, Inc., let alone a preacher intending to do everything in my power to tear the devil’s kingdom down and rebuild what God wants. I was supposed to be 47 lonely, broken and unhappy.

I was supposed to lose my focus on God and His purpose and plan so that I could and would miss the move of God. Paul in the book of 2 Corinthians was challenged regarding his authority. Who was he to tell anyone anything after all that he had done. He was just supposed to shut up and go away. I—like Paul—was supposed to go away quietly, because of some of the sins I committed, mistakes I made, disappointments and rejection I have experienced. I was supposed to lose focus on the ministry God called me to.

The enemy wants the same discouragement and disappointment to overtake you. In Jeremiah 29:11-14 the bible says, 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

He cannot give you your childhood back and there are consequences that must be paid for some of our actions, but the promise in Jeremiah 29 is real. It does not say if you pray, it says when you pray, He will listen If you look for Him wholeheartedly you will find Him. He will bring you out of your issue and restore what you have lost. God’s plan for Paul from the beginning was that he would be a preacher of the gospel. God’s plan for me was to allow God to use my life and His Word to set some people free. The plan God has for your life can only be stopped if you back up, if you give up and lose sight of the goal. No matter what is happening in your life stay focused on God.

Keep Matthew 6:33, in your spirit and in your heart. It says, 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. The promise is contingent upon your seeking God and seeking His righteousness. Live in obedience. Live like God tells you to live, through His Word, through Prayer and through the Holy Spirit. You cannot live any kind of way and expect God’s promise to be fulfilled. God’s promises are contingent upon first having a relationship with Him.

Point 3 We can all Walk into our future purpose
Paul was on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christians, but God had another plan. What are you on your way to? If you have accepted Christ, if you are walking in relationship with Him, God’s plan over your life has been spoken. Isaiah 14:27 says, 27 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken—who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?”

Paul-Church Persecutor to Disciple and Preacher of the Word

Angela-Unwed Teenage mother to Preacher and President of New Beginnings Holistic Fitness Ministries, Inc.

Bryan-Unplanned Pregnancy to 30 year old School Teacher with a double masters

David-Adulterer and Murderer to Man after God’s Own Heart

Moses-Murderer and Stutterer to Spokesman for God

Shawn-Crack addict to Preacher

Crack baby to the Chec Republic

Steve Harvey-Comedian with a bad mouth to a comedy show without a curse word that ends with an introduction of Jesus Christ

These look like newspaper headlines. Who can stop God? I don’t know where you find yourself today, but I do know that you are still here so you have not gone so far that His grace cannot still cover you. I encourage you not to abort the plan and purpose God has for you. Somebody is depending on you to get it right to walk them through. Let God use your past as preparation for your future and your testimony for His glory. The past is anything that happened before the moment we find ourselves in right now. The past is anything that happened before this instant.

The past is anything that happened before you walked into this worship center today. The past is anything that happened before you heard me tell you if it already happened it is the past. It is past so declare it and pick up your dreams, ask God to change your appetite and your desires to be the appetite and desires that He has for you. Pastor Fairley preached Desire leads to Decision and Decision leads to Destiny. If your Desires have been wrong, You desired, money, food, sex, drugs, alcohol, somebody else’s job, spouse or house, God can change that. He can change your lustful spirit into a spirit that is obedient and submitted to His will for you. Ask Him to change your desire, which will lead you to making the decisions that will lead you to your destiny. Not the destiny the enemy has for you. Not the destiny your parents proposed. Not the destiny that leads to plan B living when God has a perfect plan A for you.

Don’t settle for anything less than that. I believe that if Paul was here to testify he would tell you that it may not look the way you want it to, it may not have all the glitz and glamour that you would like, but if you let go of your past, let go of your own desire and hook up with God you will get what is best for you, His best for you. I am here to testify and I will tell you it has not always looked the way I wanted it to and often times it hurt. Some of my personal desires have, had to be put on delay, because what God desired for me to accomplish was more important, and God knows me well enough to know that if He delivered what I wanted to soon,

I might have gotten comfortable and missed what He wanted me to do. What you desire might be on delay because God is waiting for you. If you have never accepted Jesus as your friend and confidante if you have never put yourself in position to walk in relationship with Him being purposed, having old things passed away starts there.

Let me read 2 Corinthians 5:16-20, from the Message Version of the Bible, it might make it clearer:
 16 -20Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.

 You can do nothing without first getting the relationship piece right. Let Him start moving, changing and recreating you from the inside out. Don’ let your destiny be blocked by your past whatever it was any longer. You need to know that God does not waste our time. Your past like Paul’s and like mine was your training ground, your preparation for your future. Use your past don’t let your past use you. Let go of the past and any power that it has over you and let today, let this minute be the beginning of something new.

For further discussion contact angela@mynewtemple.org or write to us on the message board