Clean Slate 2017
1) The apostle
Paul uses an example of an athlete running a race to encourage the believer
2) Philippians
3:13-14 Brethren I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it YET
but ONE THING I do FORGETTING what lies behind and reaching
forward to what lies ahead I PRESS ON toward the GOAL for the Prize of
the upward call of God in Christ Jesus
a) YET = we have
not arrived spiritually yet BUT
b) Philippians
1:6 Being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it
on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus
c)
ONE THING = specialize in and be single minded
about running the race
d) FORGETTING what lies
behind = no longer be affected by or influenced by the past
e)
2017 represents a clean slate: Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the
west so far has He removed our transgressions from us
f)
Don’t be a victim take responsibility for you
i)
The victim mentality: a victim allows the past to
dictate the future the victim is characterized by anger sadness and fear the
victim expects bad things to happen puts God in a box does not accept
responsibility his or her own actions blames everyone else for their issues if
you combine this with an entitlement mentality meaning privileges are
considered rights it is a recipe for a wasted life
ii) Galatians
6:5 Each person must be responsible for himself
g)
We should not live in the past even if it was good
h) PRESS ON = Like a runner leaning in toward the finish
line of a race
i)
Jeremiah 29:11 for I know the plans I have for you
declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you a
hope and a future
j)
GOAL and PRIZE of the Christian = the finish line is
the goal and heaven is our prize
k) God has good
things for you here and now. Without
Jesus life is empty
l)
You can not change the past but you can invent a new
future with Jesus
3) (Turn to 2nd
Chronicles 7:14 read it)
a) 2nd
Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are CALLED by my name will HUMB LE
THEMSELVES and PRAY and SEEK MY FACE and TURN from their
wicked ways then WILL I HEAR from heaven and will forgive their sin and
will heal their land
b) Four things
that will propel you forward in 2017
c)
Realize you are CALLED to: salvation & to
fulfill His purpose for your life To Fulfill His purpose for your life you must
start to serve. If you are not serving
start 1-1-17
d) Ecclesiastes
11:4 If you wait for perfect conditions you will never get anything done: The
most important this is to START
e)
HUMBLE YOURSELF
= admit you need a savior and make Him Lord & yield
f)
SEEK HIS FACE AND PRAY = James 4:8 draw near to God and he will draw
near to you
g)
TURN
= repent from self-centeredness and live a lifestyle of holiness
4) Four things
that can keep us from moving forward in our lives
a) LACK OF
FAITH. A lack of faith comes from a lack of serving it is
the result of loose association with God
b) A loose
association with God leads to being consumed with the things of this world
c)
Worldly things only bring temporary satisfaction
d) NOT
FORGIVING YOURSELF for past failures. God brings conviction not
condemnation
e)
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus
f)
NOT FORGIVING OTHERS. Forgive
friends & family that may have wronged you
g)
Forgive church people that may have wronged you
h) Forgiveness
releases you from your responsibility before God and allows healing to take
place within you and enables you to move on
i)
The opposite of forgiveness is hatred and bitterness.
You can get better or you can get bitter.
j)
A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE in God’s word
k) We need to
be open to what God is doing in our lives allowing Him to bring teaching
correction and healing to in our lives
l)
God will often use a person to teach us about our
weaknesses
5) No Turning
Back
a) During Times
of pressure we are tempted to return to familiar settings
b) Exodus 16:3
The Israelites said to them, If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt!
There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have
brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death
c) PRESS ON
toward the GOAL for the Prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus