Do you have a past? If you are alive, then you do have a past.
I know you all have lived through many things in your life. You cannot hide your past, whether it’s good or bad. Each one of us has a story to tell.
You have a past, but you cannot live there. You are in the present now. Aren’t you?
The bible says: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”
Isaiah 43:18
Let me explain something about the past to you.
Did you ever go to a Museum? If you have, you know it can be full of relics and old things. There you can find historic artefacts from different countries, from different centuries and civilisations…you can learn a lot from what happened many years ago. There are many things to learn from The past. But let me tell you something: the Museum is a place to visit, not a place to live in. Do you understand it? Museum is a place to visit, not a place to live in.
There is a saying that goes, The one who lives in the past is a museum!
Did you ever hear this saying? It’s a saying from South America.
It is used for people who always talk about their past wishing they could relive that time again. But, we know that the things that have passed will never be again.
Remembering things can be nice, having many good memories to recount is very good, but keeping your mind in the past only can be dangerous!
Today I’d like to deliver a message to your heart.
The title of this message is: Cry or Rejoice? Make your choice!
In the past, the people from Israel sinned against God. They sinned a lot and God told they would be taken as captives. And it happened.
The Babylonians came, they took them into captivity and they were held captives for 70 years. Like prisoners. The enemy destroyed the temple that Salomon had built. It became ruins…
But the people cried out to God, they asked for mercy and God heard their voices, because God always hears our voice, we have to pray only. He is a God of deliverance. After 70 years in captivity, the people from Israel could return to their land. When they arrived there, they saw that the Temple had been destroyed. They received an order from God to rebuild the temple again. God was there, helping them rebuild it.
The temple had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar.
When the people returned from Babylon, they started to rebuild the place of worship.But look what happened when they finished the construction:
“When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.”
Ezra 3:10-13
So, after the deliverance from God, people were allowed to rebuild the temple. And they did it.
The temple was in ruins, so the builders laid the foundation of the temple, The priests were using their vestments, the Levite’s were playing their trumpets and all the people began to praise and worship God.
They sang to the Lord: He is good; his love towards Israel endures forever. Many people there gave great shouts of praise to the Lord because the foundation Of the temple was laid. If the story ended here, it would be great. Everybody was happy…but no..no…not everybody was happy….look at how interesting this is:
The bible says …many of the older priests, Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy… It was a time of confusion… Some people wept aloud because they remembered the first temple but others shouted for joy…
Cry or Rejoice? Make your choice!
Some of the ones who wept looked back and realised that the first temple had more glory than the new temple. The Temple Of the past was better in their memories. Old families cried out but the youth rejoiced in God’s presence!
Cry or rejoice? Make your choice!
The old People wanted their lives back, they wanted to live what they lived in the past …but it’s impossible. God is The Lord of times. He gives us seasons, and whatever season we are living we have to rejoice in his presence.
The Old people were stuck in the Past. They didn’t accept to live and worship God in the new temple!
1st lesson: Do not let your past imprison you!
I’d like to ask you….Look to yourself. Is there something from your past that is holding you back?
Are you stuck in your past?
Many people are depressed because they committed mistakes in the past and they can’t forgive themselves…
Many people won’t try something new because they tried before and didn’t succeed…
Many people are alone, because they were betrayed in the past and now they cannot move on…
Some brothers and sisters don’t dream anymore because their dreams were once failed…. they have no strength to try again…
Let me tell you:
If you don’t leave your past in the past, it will destroy your future. Live for what today has to offer not for what yesterday has taken away.
Don’t let your past keep you stuck. Let it go!
The bible says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
Do not let your past hold you back. The old things have passed away. The new is here!
-2nd The Past can blind you about the future!
People from Israel were blinded by their past.
Look, People from Israel were freed from captivity… They received freedom from God, they came back to their own country… They were there again, in Israel… They could work again, they could be with their families, they could start again… They were no longer slaves… But their past blinded them… All that they could see was that the first temple had been better… At that time they could not see the goodness of God, who set them free…
How is your vision about the present? How is your vision about the future? Coronavirus brings us anxieties. Where is your faith in God right now? What are you expecting for your present, your future? Were you stopped by the virus? What are you thinking about your present?
Maybe your thoughts are in the past, and you are wasting time thinking too much about what you once lived and you cannot dream with your present…
Today we are living a new time as a Church. Of course, if we look back we will see the glory of the temple we had in the past… Shalom total…remember all the food? Hummm… I loved that… If you are in the youth group, remember our time in YWCA, our youth parties… Summer Camps… worshiping together.
Many old people are in the past. They say: Oh, how great was that time when we worshiped God…we preached the gospel… the church was full…The Holy Spirit was there speaking to the Church. Yes, I know it was a great time… I was there too… I remember a lot of times I lived supernatural experiences with Jesus… They were amazing… But I know I can live better things than that….because God is the same, yesterday, today and forever…and He is creative. He will make things new in different ways because He is wonderful!
And now, now everything has changed, and it is time to live every moment we have here on earth… enjoying day by day what is given to us, while we are breathing…
Listen me: The longer you live in the past the less future you have to enjoy.
Now, as Church, it’s time to use our creativity. God has given us a precious gift, he has poured out His anointing and knowledge so we can accomplish what we have to do… So, let’s do it!
Don’t wait for a better time to do something… Do it now…
Don’t wait for things to be like they used to be again. The present is the best time to do something for Jesus. The best was not yesterday, nor will it be tomorrow… The best time to do something is Today!
Do not be blinded by your past! Open your eyes, and do something for Jesus!
Jesus said: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.””
Luke 9:62
Be fit for service in the kingdom of God.
But, Pastor… I don’t know what to do… Send me a message, or call me… I will tell you what you can do… We have a lot of opportunities here in Ireland and the best time is Now.
Do not be blinded by your past!
3rd Make your choice and rejoice
People from Israel could make up their minds on the day the temple was rebuilt. Some of them choose to cry… Others rejoiced before God.
Look at what God is doing among the nations…what God is doing among us…
God is making a new temple in each house of every family in our Church. We have the opportunity to look inside our home, to be closer to our family, to have worship meetings, gathering with our family… We have time to invest our own time on God and others.
If it is this temple that God has given us, if it’s this temple we have today to worship God in, let us say as Israel said before: God you are good and your love last forever.
Make you choice.
The bible says:
“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Psalms 30:5
The weeping may stay for the night… You can cry… You can miss the past… You have feelings… But this time has a beginning and an end… Weeping may stay for the night… Just over night, because rejoicing comes in the morning…
People from Israel were living their night period. If you are living Your night now, ask help from God, and make your choice. Choose happiness and overcome the past.
Remember: The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.
The bible says:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 NIV
All things. Including the past, the present, and the future that will come…
All things works for the good of those who love God…
Let’s live what God is giving us!
Cry or rejoice? Make your choice!
Decide to rejoice in God, even in bad times like that, find joy to live. Find joy in this time… Do not get discouraged over all the bad news.
If we do not find joy in this time, we will be tempted to give up, be discouraged, tiredness will dominate us and we will lose what God has planned for our lives.
So, today make your choice.
Look what the bible says about rejoice:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4 NIV
“Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.””
Isaiah 12:6
“But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.”
Psalms 68:3
Cry or rejoice? I hope you choose to rejoice in God presence. Look at what he has done in your life, your family, your health….your salvation….you have enough to live… You can wake up, seek God, take care of your family, work in Jesus’ church, do your job here in the present and look ahead with hope!
People from Israel were in time of Confusion… While some people rejoiced, others cried out…
In time of troubles, choose to rejoice in Jesus Christ!
Let’s Pray….