Watchfulness against looking back.

Watchfulness against looking back.

John  21:1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.  21:2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.  21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

Remember you are to learn from all that are written.

Romans  15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

1 Corinthians  10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.  10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Watchfulness is imperative if you think you are standing.

Prior to what Peter did, our resurrected Lord had appeared to them and commissioned them.

John  20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.  20:20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD.  20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.  20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:  20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Yet Peter for any reason and perhaps discouragement went to pick, what he had forsaken before.

Matthew  19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

There are many people today in the church world, building again what they once destroyed.

Galatians  2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Many others looked back and perished.

Lots wife.

Genesis  19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Luke  17:32 Remember Lot’s wife.

Judas

Matthew  26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,  26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.  26:16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

Demas.

2 Timothy  4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Colossians  4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

Philemon  1:23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;  1:24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

The church of Ephesus.

Revelation  2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;  2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:  2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.  2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

The church of Sardis.

Revelation  3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.  3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.  3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

The Laodiceans church.

Revelation  3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;  3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

King Solomon.

Nehemiah  13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

1 Kings  11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.  11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.  11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.  11:6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.  11:7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.  11:8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

The blessed Holy Spirit had already informed the church about falling away and departing from the faith.

2 Thessalonians  2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  

2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:  2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

1 Timothy  4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;  4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

2 Timothy  3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Our Lord Jesus Christ and the blessed Holy Spirit said, you should be watchful.

Jesus 

Luke  21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.  21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.  21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Mark  13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:  13:36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.  13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Blessed Holy Spirit.

Hebrews  3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.  3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Hebrews  10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

James  5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;  5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Remember many things will happen to separate you from Christ, but you must resist and endure.

John  16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Philippians  1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Revelation  2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

You must ensure nothing separate you from Christ.

Acts  11:23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

Romans  8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Revelation  14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.  14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

The good Lord shall help you to the end in Jesus name.

His grace will always be sufficient for you.

2 Corinthians  9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Let us pray.