Stop Letting Your Past Control Your Future | Lisa Osteen Comes

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 Welcome to the Lakewood Church Wednesday night service. We are always so thrilled that you join us to worship the Lord. And I just pray God's blessings all over you. I pray that he will speak to you tonight. That you will be strengthened and encouraged as we study God's word.

I I want to talk to you about three decisions that will change your life. three decisions that you can make today that will absolutely change your life for the better, for the best. They will bring blessings into your life, peace and rewards into your life. What we're going to do is we're going to read the words of wisdom ad and advice from three great people in the Bible.

Jesus, King David, and the Apostle Paul. Jesus said this, "One thing is necessary." And we're going to talk about what that one thing is. King David said,"One thing I desire." We're going to find out what he desired. The Apostle Paul said this, "One thing I do." What did Paul do that transformed his life?

That's what we will look at tonight because these are words that will change your life. Each of these men, they were passionate about what they said. after all they've gone through and learned on this earth, they are leaving us a legacy to follow. Words to live by that will make a difference in our lives.

So, let's get started first with the words of Jesus. Jesus said this, "One thing is necessary." And his words are recorded in Luke 10:38-42. And I want to read that passage to you. And if you'd like to turn in your Bible with me wherever you are and always know that I have an outline that's available online, Lakewood uh at Lakewood's website or my personal website.

You can download that outline. So you'll have all the scriptures and all the points. This is what it says. Luke 10:38. And now it happened as they went that Jesus entered a certain village and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word.

But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she approached him and said,"Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her,"Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary, and Mary has chosen that good part which will not be taken away from her."

So, here we have Martha who is troubled and distracted by all the little details of serving Jesus. It she seems to me like she was more concerned about impressing Jesus than spending time with him. Think about this. greatness was in her home and she didn't seize the opportunity to be in his presence.

But then on the other hand, we have Mary who is simply sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to his words. So what is the one thing that is necessary to stay close to Jesus like Mary did to make him the priority in your life to sit at the feet of Jesus on a daily basis and learn from him?

This is a decision that will transform your life in every way. It's the choice that Mary made. And you know what? Jesus commended her for making that right choice. It's the right choice. In fact, one version says that Mary has chosen this good portion which is to her advantage.

Spending time with Jesus is to your good is for your good and it's to your advantage. Sometimes we think, well, this is just a spiritual religious ritual that I have to do to please God. No, it's something that is lifech changing. It will change your life. It will make your life better to sit at the feet of the sit at the feet of Jesus daily reading his word.

And you know the result of Mary and Martha's choices was so evident. Martha was agitated. She was worried, troubled, and distracted from the presence of Jesus. But Mary, she was at peace. She was content listening to and learning from Jesus. You see, our decisions affect our lives either in a negative or positive way.

I can tell you from experience that your day and your life will go better when you spend time with Jesus. When you choose to just pull away from the busyiness of your life and and say no to the things that are unnecessary. Sometimes we find ourselves doing good things, but they're unnecessary.

And we have to pull away from the things that are distracting us so that we can spend time with Jesus. The distractions, they're stealing your peace. They're stealing your joy. And like Martha, you are fredding the small stuff and and missing the fact that Jesus wants to spend time with you in your own home.

One thing is necessary, Jesus said. He echoes this point in Matthew 6:33 when he said this. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things will be given to you. What are all those things? He was talking about meeting all of your needs.

When you put God first, your needs will be will be met. You know, I think most of us have good intentions. We want to spend time with God, but we put our schedule first. It's not that we don't love God. We just think that we're too busy. And can I tell you that if you're too busy for God, then you're just too busy.

Maybe we wouldn't be so anxious and troubled if we got into the presence of God every day and allowed him to minister to us, to speak to us. There's no greater way to start your day right than with Jesus. Listen to what the psalmist said in Psalm 53.

It says, "In the morning, you hear my voice, oh Lord. In the morning, I prepare a prayer, a sacrifice for you, and I watch and I wait for you, Lord. I wait for you to speak to my heart. See, it's necessary to take time to hear from God, to receive from him on a daily basis.

And I I don't have to tell you this, but we know that this world, our culture is addicted to speed, to noise, to constant activity, to scrolling, to entertainment. and and it has really lost the art of being still and quiet and peaceful. And because we have bought into and adopted this busy lifestyle that our culture has created, sometimes it's difficult to be still.

Have you ever just tried to be still and pray for five minutes and you can hardly sit still for a minute? But Jesus is calling you back into this place of quiet and peace. It's in stillness that we can receive from God. It is necessary. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God."

Isaiah 30:15, it says this. This is what the sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says, "Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength, but you would have none of it." He was talking to people who would not spend time with him.

Strength comes to us as we daily return to the feet of Jesus in quietness. That means we don't have to do all the talking. We don't have to try to impress Jesus like Martha. We simply get quiet in his presence and allow him to speak to us. It's in it's in this position that we can learn from here him and hear him speak to us as we read the Bible.

At the feet of Jesus, we can express our gratitude and our love and our gratefulness. gratefulness to him. We can worship him. We can talk to him out of our heart and release our burdens to him. We can pray about anything and everything because Jesus invites us to release our cares to him.

See, actually, it's in the stillness that we can catch our breath and gain new perspective. It's where we find rest and refreshment to our spiritual, mental, and emotional life. Did you know that there are seven different kinds of rest that each of us need? Sometimes we think of rest as sleep only, taking a nap, sleeping good at night.

And yet when we do sleep, we are still exhausted or overwhelmed or mentally and emotionally spent. Have you ever been there? Experts say that we not only need physical rest, but we need mental rest, spiritual rest, emotional rest, social rest, sensory rest, and creative rest. I learned that from Dr.

Sandre Dalton Smith's book called Sacred Rest. It really helped me so much because there was a time when I was getting enough sleep, but I was so exhausted and I found out that I needed to have different types of rest. See, Jesus created us and he knows exactly what we need and and why this one thing is important to our whole health.

It's necessary to find this place of rest and refreshing in him to learn to be quiet and still in his presence. There there's really this is not optional. It's vital to your spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Remember that Jesus said in John 15:5 and 6, he said,"I am the vine, you are the branches.

Those who remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers." You see, apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. And we just wither up spiritually.

We become drained and exhausted because we are not allowing Jesus to be our daily bread. He is our daily bread. He is the one who sustains us as we remain connected to him. As that scripture says, we return to him. We rest in him. We receive that refreshing.

And you know, this means that we're going to have to find or even create a quiet place where we can meet with Jesus daily. My quiet place has changed over the years. You know, when you're a busy mom with smaller kids, you almost have to hide from your kids to get alone with God.

It's more challenging, but it's necessary. Even if you don't have all the time you desire, you still have to pull away during those little pockets of time that you have in order to be with Jesus. Right now, my quiet place is in our family room in front of our fireplace.

Our little Boston Terrier, Hershey, she likes to sit with me. I told my husband Kevin that she is so used to hearing me pray in tongues and worship God and none of that even bothers her. She's just used to it. She's a spiritual dog. But this is my time with Jesus and I love it.

I need it and I look forward to it every day. It's the number one habit that has brought stability into my life. Reading the Bible has helped me know what God's will is and has helped me to recognize the voice of God in my life. And this is how you grow and mature as a believer.

It's how also how you just set your attitude and your atmosphere for the day. Your day will go better when you spend time with Jesus. Jesus said in Revelations 3:20, "Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.

I will eat with him and he with me." Think about that. Jesus wants to have a personal relationship with you. He is waiting to talk to you, to help you, to give you wisdom. He's saying, "I'm knocking at your door." He's given you the open invitation. The Bible says that he is longing to be good to you.

He rewards those who diligently seek him. So, I encourage you today, choose the one thing that is necessary. And when you do, just like Mary, your life will be more peaceful. Let's look at the second one. The second decision that will change your life comes from what King David said.

And he said this, "One thing I desire." And I want to read that in his own words from Psalm 27:4. David said, "One thing I have desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple."

David's advice and wis advice and wisdom to us is this. Choose to dwell in God's house. This is David who who the Bible says was a man after God's own heart. He loved God. He served him well. He's not he was not perfect, but he had a heart for God and the things of God.

And this is his legacy. This is what he wants to convey to us. Dwell in the house of the Lord. Make church a priority. Make it your home. You see, we as believers, we make up the church. We are the body of Christ, but God's plan is for us to meet together, to pray together, to do the work of ministry together.

The Bible teaches us in Hebrews, let's read it. Hebrews 10:24-25 says this, "And let us consider thoughtfully how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds. Don't forsake meeting together as as believers for worship and instruction, as in the habit of some." Some some were in the habit of not being in church, but encouraging one another and all the more faithfully as you see the day of Christ's return approaching.

David said, "It's in the church that you pray together, that you have fellowship, that you get instructions, that you are encouraged, and don't get out of the habit of meeting together." There is a reason we meet together in our local churches. It's to encourage one another, to worship God together, to hear the teaching of the Bible.

We gain strength. We gain strength from one another. And each of us need to have a pastoral shepherd watching over us and teaching us. Do you have a pastor? You need one. If you don't have a good local church, I believe God is going to help you get connected to one because you need a local church where you can serve and a pastor watching over you.

God set the pastors in the body of Christ as a shepherd. Just like every shepherd needs a sheep, every believer needs a pastor. The Bible says that the pastor is your overseer and your shepherd. In 1 Peter 5:2, God is speaking to the pastors. And he says this.

He says, "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, watching over them, not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be, not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve. You are God's flock. And Joel and Victoria take that serious. Our whole family and pastoral staff take that seriously.

And we are to care for you. We are to teach you the word of God. And we are to pray for you. And we do that. Every believer needs a local church and a pastor. I read where Rick Wil uh Rick Warren said this, "A believer without a church is an orphan."

See, when you're not in church, we can become isolated, discouraged, and really spiritually depleted. And as a believer, you need to hang out with his people. This is how you grow spiritually. You don't want to just remain a baby Christian for the rest of your life. You should grow up in the things of God, mature, so that you can turn around and help others, serve others, and become a mentor to other believers, and then you can do what God has called you to do.

It's in Jesus that you find your real purpose. You know, over and over, David talks about the importance of church in the book of Psalms. He shows us something that happens when we gather together. And uh the scriptures are all on my outline, but one thing he says is that God's power and glory are in his sanctuary.

He said, "Understanding comes to you when you're in church. God speaks to you when you're gathered together. Strength and beauty are is in his sanctuary." And then lastly, David said, "Lift up your hands and praise God in the sanctuary." So many things happen when we come to church.

When we come together as a body of believers. There's power in unity. There's power in prayer. I've come to church many times even though I'm one of the pastors discouraged and going through tough times. In fact, it was hard to get myself dressed to come because I just didn't feel like coming.

But I never follow those feelings. I always come to church. When I come, I never leave the same way. See, that's why I get up and do it. Even though I don't feel like it, I always leave encouraged, empowered, knowing that I can make it. My faith grows when we worship God.

The anointing breaks every yoke and bondage over my life. I receive healing and freedom. When we agree together, there's power in prayer. When we give our tithes and offerings to the to the to the Lord in the spirit realm, the windows of heaven are open for financial blessings to come into our life.

When we hear the word of God, we are encouraged and filled with revelation. We're strengthened in our faith. We're empowered to move forward instead of getting stuck in our circumstances. And most of all, in the church, in the house of God, that's where people find Jesus. I think about Charlotte and Ralph.

They are longtime members of Lakewood. And Ralph was a wonderful man who just recently went to heaven. and he and Charlotte have been faithful members and volunteers for over 30 years. But Charlotte first came to Lakewood years ago when her husband wasn't serving God and he was drinking and in trouble with the police and it didn't look like their marriage was ever going to make it.

Well, Ralph got so bad he was uh living on the streets. But all this time Charlotte kept coming to church and she would set her faith for the salvation of her husband, for the restoration of her marriage. She kept coming for prayer. She stayed strong in faith and and uh believing for her husband and her family.

Well, one night Ralph got so drunk that he climbed up a telephone pole and slipped off and he tore his leg apart. And he was so drunk that he didn't even feel the pain and he tried to sew his leg up with a needle and a thread. I mean, he got bad.

But a friend ended up taking him to the hospital and he couldn't drink for one month when he was in the hospital. And Charlotte said she had a captive audience with with Ralph while he was laying in that hospital bed. And she finally had his full attention and she preached to him and she read the word of God to him and she prayed for him day after day and God healed his leg and Ralph accepted Jesus and was completely transformed in his life.

He was the kindest man. He served Jesus faithfully in this house. He was a vital part of what God is doing through Lakewood. And Charlotte still is a woman of faith, full of faith, doing God's will. This is what happens when you belong to a good church. David said, "One thing I desire is to dwell in the house of the Lord."

You cannot be a lone ranger Christian. We need each other. When you are planted in the house of the Lord, you know you will flourish. Now, let's look at the third decision that will change your life. And it's found in Philippians 3. The Apostle Paul said this, "One thing I do."

One thing I do, and his words are written in Philippians 3:13 and 14. Let me read them to you. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have yet taken hold of it. But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

What is the one thing? To let go and move forward. I'm going to say that again. The one thing is to let go and to move forward. Paul chose to let go of his sorted past, his life of sin, his mistakes in order to move forward into his purpose and destiny.

And this is advice coming from uh Paul is it's monumental because if anyone had skeletons in his closet, he did. He was an enemy of the church. He was persecuting and even killing Christians. But one day Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus and said, "Why are you persecuting me?

I have a plan for your life. you're my chosen instrument to preach to the Gentiles. Paul's answer to him was, "Who are you, Lord?" And Jesus said, "I am Jesus. I'm the one that you're persecuting." You know, just a side note, when people make fun of you and persecute you, they're for being a believer, they're really persecuting Jesus.

But that day, Paul accepted Jesus and his life turned around. He ended up writing a large portion of the New Testament. We're talking about him today. God used him greatly in the ministry. And he saw great miracles in your li in his life. And I think the key to Paul fulfilling his God-given destiny is found in this one truth.

Forget your past and strive for what is ahead of you. Paul could have done what so many believers do. They don't receive God's forgiveness. They wallow in their guilt and shame thinking God can't do anything with their life. They never let go of their failures. They don't let go of their past.

So they are not able to move forward into the greatness God had for them has for them. Paul said this, you've got to forget what is behind and now strive for what is ahead. See, don't focus on your past. Focus on your purpose. Focus on your future. I want to talk to you.

Possibly you're you yourself are not moving forward in your life because you're having a hard time letting go of your past and the guilt and the shame and the disappointments and the regrets all that comes with it. You're holding on to these things and because you do it keeps you in this cycle of living the same old same old kind of life.

Nothing ever changes. But I just declare to you today, today is the day to break that cycle. You are made for more than that. Like the Apostle Paul, God has a plan and a purpose for you. None of his past disqualified Paul from the great future that God had for him.

Naturally, we think that we can never forget our past. But I like what the NIV Study Bible says about this passage, this word forgetting in this particular passage. It says this, forgetting is not necessarily losing all memory, but it's leaving it behind. It's leaving it behind as done with and settled.

You see, we can't change the past, but we can leave it behind. We can let go of it and recognize it in God's eyes. It is done with and settled. I tell you, that's revelation right now. God is not holding your past against you. If it's done and settled in God's eyes, it should be done and settled in your heart and mind.

It's time to forgive yourself. God said in Isaiah 43:25, he says, "I even I am the one who blotss out your transgressions for my own sake, and I remember your sins no more." 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here."

If God forgives you and does not remember your past, then why are you? I want to encourage you to start acting like God told you the truth. The fact is, Satan is the one who wants you to remain in that same cycle. So, it's time to rise up and believe God over Satan's lies.

Paul said, "This one thing I do, I forget the past so I can move forward." And I say to you today, this one thing you need to do, you need to forget the past. You need to let it go. Realize it's done with and settle in God's eyes. and you need to move forward into your purpose, into your greatness, into the things that God has called you to do.

Hey, stop living below your potential. This one decision will catapult you into the next level and into your purpose. Amen. And amen. That's good preaching. Three powerful decisions that will transform your life for the best. One thing is necessary. Sit at the feet of Jesus daily and your life will be more peaceful.

One thing I desire, dwell in the house of the Lord and you will flourish. One thing I do, let go of your past and you will move forward into your purpose in Jesus name. Such powerful words of wisdom and advice from these great men of God from from Jesus our savior.

And before I have an a salvation call, I want to seal this in prayer with you because I believe that I'm talking to people right now and you are having a hard time letting go of your past, letting go of the hurt, letting go of what people have done to you, letting go of all the disappointment you've been through.

And and God is speaking to you and saying, "It's time. It's time to let go. You may not be able to do it on your own, but you see, you have God to help you. You have the Holy Spirit in you, to help you and strengthen you, and to let this go.

Let all of it go so that you can be healed. Let all of it go so you can be free in your mind, body, and spirit. Let all of it go so you can move forward. And here's something else. Some of you have believed the lie that God cannot use me.

God, you may be thinking this, God is punishing me for what I did. I will never um move forward because of what I did. Those are lies of Satan. God is a good God. He sent Jesus to this earth to die for you so that you could be saved, so that you could be washed in his blood, forgiven of all your sins, and do what he's called you to do.

You see how Satan lies to you? You've got to shake yourself with those lies today. And you've got to start believing God over the lies of the enemy. Start believing God over your own doubts. Quit talking to yourself in a negative way and start saying what God says about you.

I am forgiven. I am healed. I am free. And God wants to use me. Can you imagine the Apostle Paul? He's killing Christians. He's persecuting Christians. He's traveling from city to city hunting down Christians so that he can imprison them. And Jesus appears to him. Why would Jesus want to save the Apostle Paul?

He was an enemy of the church. But God loves every person. God knows your potential. God has a plan for every person. No matter who you are, he brought you into this world and he has a plan and a purpose for your life. And so, can you imagine the Apostle Paul when Jesus touched him and said, "I'm the one you're persecuting, and not only that, I have a plan for your life.

I'm going to use you to take my message to the Gentiles." What a revelation. This Jesus wasn't mad at him. This Jesus wasn't going to punish him. This Jesus was going to transform his life to from an enemy of the church to an apostle in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If God can do that for Paul, he can do it for you. In fact, that's what he wants to do for you. So right now, wherever you are, I just want you to say boldly, I let go of the past. I let go of my sins. I let go of the hurt.

I let go of the unforgiveness. I am not going to believe the lies of the enemy. I let it go. And on this day, I am moving forward in Jesus Christ. On this day, write it down if you need to. I believe that my past is forgiven. I believe that God has a plan for my life and I will walk in it in the name of Jesus.

Amen. I'm serious about writing that down. This is the day those thoughts, those lies start coming back to you. You just go get that piece of paper and say, "No, no, Satan. I'm not going to believe your lies. On this day, I chose to make a difference. I chose to make a decision that will change my life forever."

Amen. And amen. I believe I believe you're free in the name of Jesus. Father, I thank you for touching every person right now. I thank you for healing them in their hearts. I thank you for helping them to let go of all the sin, all the hurts, all the disappointments in their lives, all the trauma in their lives.

And I thank you, Father, that you are healing them. That your anointing is present right now wherever they are. And Father, every yoke, every bondage, every addiction is broken over their lives. Every lie is broken over their lives in the mighty name of Jesus. And Father, I call them mighty men and women of God with purpose, with destiny.

And Father, I thank you that you're going to use them greatly for your kingdom in Jesus name. Amen. And amen. I want to give every person that is watching or listening an opportunity to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ today. If you've never asked him to come into your life as your Lord and Savior, you can do that today.

I'm going to help you. And I invite you to pray this prayer with me wherever you are. I'll do it slow so that you can you can repeat after me. Say, "God, I admit that I'm a sinner. I am in need of a savior. I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins.

Jesus, I invite you to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you all the days of my life. I choose to put you first. I choose to let go of my past and I choose to dwell in the house of the Lord. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, first of all, I just want to say congratulations to you.

The Bible says that you just got born again on the inside. Jesus forgave all of your sins. He cleansed you with his righteousness and now you are a child of God and he is your heavenly father and he's going to help you navigate your life better than you could ever do on your own.

God has given you a new heart, a new start with a new heart. So I want to encourage you if you pray that prayer, maybe let us know in the chat or or email us through the website. And I also want to encourage you to get online because we have a new beginning uh online class that I think it's four teachings.

One my brother Paul does, different people teach this and it helps you get started on your Christian walk. And so I encourage you to do that. It will help you. It will bless you and help it will help you grow in the Lord. So let me thank you so much again for tuning in.

Uh we love you all. We're praying for you. And I'm going to close with a blessing. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his peace in Jesus name.

God bless you. We love you. 
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