Don't Look Back
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 5/19/2023Luke 9:58-62
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29:15
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges believers to maintain a relentless focus on Jesus, warning that making excuses based on Earthly responsibilities is equivalent to looking back while at the plow. Using the encounter in Luke 9, he encourages the congregation to stop returning to past hurts and instead fix their eyes forward on the Kingdom of God.
Key points
- •A relentless focus on Jesus is required to resist the daily distractions designed to pull believers away from their spiritual commitment.
- •Comparing Earthly responsibilities to spiritual ones acts as a 'rearview mirror' that slows down spiritual progress.
- •True kingdom citizenship involves an 'uncomfortable' posture in the world, recognizing that we are in it but not of it.
- •Going 'back home' to past environments often means returning to places of hurt or stagnation that God has already called you to leave.
Scripture
Discipleship
Purpose
Faith
Obedience
Perseverance
Life application
This week, identify one Earthly responsibility you have used as an excuse to neglect your spiritual growth and consciously choose to prioritize your time with God (Scripture or prayer) before addressing that task.
Reflection questions
- What are the 'rearview mirrors' in your life that keep you looking at your past instead of your future in Christ?
- In what ways have you let 'good' responsibilities like family or work become excuses for not being 'fit for the kingdom'?
- Are you trying to fix problems that haven't happened yet instead of trusting God for today's journey?
- What is the 'home' or comfort zone God is asking you to leave so that you can reach a higher spiritual place?
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Full transcript
0:00all right send everybody extend
0:01everybody
0:03father thank you
0:05that
0:06you've already spoken so therefore I'm
0:09going to seal this with the word
0:13bless what I have to say to your people
0:15now
0:17because somebody's going to leave here
0:21transformed equipped
0:24empowered
0:26and we give you all the praise for it in
0:29the mighty name of Jesus Amen remain
0:32standing
0:35Luke 6 Luke 9 I should say Luke chapter
0:399 beginning at verse 58.
0:43Luke 9 begin at verse 58 they'll put it
0:47on the screen
0:49and Jesus said to him foxes
0:52have holes and the birds of the air have
0:56nest
0:57but the son of man
1:00has nowhere to lay his head
1:03to another he said follow me
1:08but he said Lord
1:11let me first go and bury my father
1:14and then Jesus said to him leave the
1:16dead to bury their own dead
1:19but as for you go and proclaim the
1:23kingdom of God
1:25yet another said I Will Follow You Lord
1:32but let me first say farewell to those
1:35at home and Jesus said to him no one who
1:40puts his hands to the plow
1:43and looks back
1:45is fit
1:48for the kingdom
1:49of God I want you to look at your
1:52neighbor on your left and your right and
1:54just simply say these words to them
1:56please Don ate don't look back
2:02Please Don't Look Back
2:04be seated be seated
2:08this is perhaps one of the quickest
2:10messages I'm going to preach this
2:12morning
2:16we must understand that the word of God
2:19has addressed every event
2:22that has
2:24or currently or will ever take place
2:28anywhere in the world
2:31the Bible has already addressed
2:34everything
2:38you're going through right now and will
2:41ever go through will ever take God by
2:45surprise
2:47and the word of God is very detailed and
2:50specific
2:52to how we Christians should conduct
2:55ourselves during these events
2:58regardless
3:00of what dispensation you live in
3:04I don't care
3:06if you are
3:08in the 50s the 60s or if you were in the
3:1150s and 60s and the 70s I don't care if
3:14you're in 2023 or you're being 20 30 or
3:182050.
3:20the word of God has specific answers
3:23catch this specific answers on how to
3:28solve those problems especially when we
3:31have declared that we are committed to
3:34following Jesus Christ for the rest of
3:36our days
3:38so let's face it every day we are being
3:41inundated with various distractions that
3:45are designed to pull us away from the
3:49commitment to following Jesus Christ
3:51every day
3:54this past week we were inundated with
3:58all kinds of distractions
4:00should we really be committed to God or
4:04should we not because of maybe it's
4:07family issues or maybe it's your job
4:09maybe it's your place of business we all
4:12get preoccupied and if we're honest
4:15we have been in situations that have
4:19tested our faith in God and our
4:22commitment to our passion to serve him
4:25in the kingdom of God
4:28we've been tested
4:30right now we've been tested every single
4:32day
4:34about our commitment to God should we
4:36really serve him should we really be
4:39loyal to him should we really be
4:41committed to him
4:43if you're not committed to your faith
4:45Journey with watch this with Relentless
4:48Focus
4:50and costly commitment then you will be
4:54an easy target for the devil
4:58to get you to prioritize everything else
5:02above God
5:04in Matthew 6 33 the Bible tells us seek
5:08first the kingdom of God and his
5:10righteousness and all things shall be
5:12added unto you put God first simple
5:15that's all it's saying
5:16put God first let God be number one in
5:20your life
5:21let him be a priority that's in all area
5:24of your life
5:26let him be the center of attraction
5:30let him be the one that you want to talk
5:33to perhaps the first thing you get up
5:36when you get up off your bed every
5:38morning
5:40let him be the first of your week
5:43like most of you you're making him a
5:46priority whether you're streaming and
5:48especially those of you are physically
5:50here
5:51you have devoted
5:54a few hours before the Lord
5:57at the beginning of the week
6:00because if you follow the uh the the the
6:04the the times and the days of the week
6:07in the Bible today really is the first
6:09day of the week we say Monday but today
6:11really is
6:13the first day of the week
6:15that you have tithe your time to God
6:18that you're saying God I'm giving you
6:21this time I'm making you a priority
6:24because after all all this week we have
6:27done a whole lot of stuff we've given
6:29time to our boss we're giving time to a
6:31place of business our employees
6:33employers we have given time to our
6:36family and our friends our spouse our
6:38children I mean we've given time to
6:40everybody else
6:42but when you see first the kingdom of
6:44God and his righteousness That's the Law
6:47of the Kingdom that's the things of God
6:50then God says the things that you need
6:53I'll give them to you
6:56anytime you start comparing your Earth
6:58or responsibilities to your spiritual
7:00responsibilities you have turned your
7:04eyes on the rear view mirror of your
7:07faith Journey
7:09follow me here quickly now
7:11because I'm almost through believe or
7:13not
7:15I told you it was going to be the quick
7:17message today
7:23your physical life your Earthly
7:27responsibilities with your spiritual
7:29responsibilities
7:32well you know Lord I
7:34I can't do this I can't read my Bible
7:36because then I got to get up I got to go
7:37cook for the kids I got to do this I got
7:39to do that I got to do anytime you start
7:41doing that
7:43you're giving room for the devil
7:47to make you look back
7:51anytime you are driving in your faith
7:54Journey picture this anytime you're on
7:57your faith journey and you are driving
8:01you have got to stay focused on where
8:04you're going
8:07when I was teaching my son how to drive
8:09the the oldest one see on
8:12when I was teaching him how to drive I
8:15would constantly tell him I said son
8:17when you get to an intersection
8:19and even when you're driving it's very
8:22important that you look at the side
8:25mirror making sure and you look at the
8:28the rear view mirror and making sure
8:31that yes objects or cars
8:37are going to make a right or a left turn
8:39or if you need to slow down it's always
8:41good to pay attention however
8:46it's a quick glance
8:50you cannot be driving and keep your eye
8:54on the rear view mirror looking back and
8:58not what's in front of you
9:01and I wonder how many of us in this room
9:03today
9:04are on your faith journey and you're
9:08driving and you're believing that you
9:10are going to be fully committed to God
9:12but every now and then you keep looking
9:15back
9:18you keep looking back at the things that
9:21you used to do how it used to be
9:25maybe what you've missed
9:28or maybe what's pulling you back
9:31you're constantly having a glimpse of
9:33what you see in your past
9:37and I think you have to make a decision
9:39today whether or not you're going to
9:42look back because there's a lot of
9:45distractions around
9:48there are a lot of things that are going
9:50to bump into you and cause damage to
9:53your faith life
9:56and you got to make sure that you're
9:59insured when it comes to your spiritual
10:02life you've got to make sure that your
10:05faith is anchored in Jesus Christ
10:07especially in this generation that we're
10:10living in
10:12you've got to make sure that you're
10:14anchored in God because we're living in
10:16a time now where of course we should
10:18question you know our faith we should
10:20question you know our journey we should
10:23question God you know and so forth there
10:25are many people who have questioned
10:26Jesus when he was on the Earth but
10:29what's the purpose for your question is
10:31your question on your faith journey to
10:34find out more about God and how you can
10:38serve him better are are your question
10:41to discredit God with a motive not to
10:44serve him
10:50and as long as you keep looking back
10:52into your past as long as you keep
10:56coming up with excuses and reasons why
10:58you can't do certain things
11:00you will never ever fully
11:05be committed to God
11:09recently I was driving my car I have a
11:11little sports car a little it's a little
11:13one it's a little one you know it's just
11:15two-seater
11:17and
11:18I'm driving to officiate a funeral in
11:21Miami
11:24and as I was driving
11:27I exited off the highway
11:31and I'm going straight to pass an
11:35intersection
11:36and a guy in a big
11:39F-150 truck
11:43was in the lane his Lane waiting for his
11:48light to turn green
11:50for the other traffic in front of him
11:52cars in front of him to go so he can go
11:56that way so he's in this Lane to go this
12:00way I'm coming this way
12:03and I'm sitting in this it's a low carb
12:08F-150
12:09truck big wheels suspensions are big
12:14and I'm driving and as I'm driving
12:19all of a sudden he pulled out
12:23when he pulled out his wheels are so big
12:27the top of his wheel
12:30reached the top of my little car
12:33he turned out
12:36and bumped right into my little bar
12:40put tilted my car
12:43and when I finally stopped
12:48I got out my car
12:51and he got out of his truck
12:54and quickly I looked and I because I I
12:58swear that the the the the driver's seat
13:00was completely I I thought my whole car
13:03is wrecked now
13:05and he got out and the first thing came
13:08out of his mouth he looked and he's a
13:10Spanish guy and he looked and said it's
13:12okay it's okay it's okay okay okay okay
13:17[Applause]
13:21and for a moment
13:24I thought
13:26my car was okay
13:29I did not see because I was looking
13:32door
13:34to see the dent
13:36but all of a sudden when I looked I
13:39noticed the backside of the door or the
13:43the further to the back uh tires of my
13:46car I noticed there's a dent there
13:52significant debt
13:54and I thought for a moment because
13:56everything is spiritual to me
13:59he came out saying
14:01nothing is wrong
14:04I'm on my journey to preach a funeral
14:08wherever he was going
14:10he came out of his Lane
14:13bumped into me and Dent my car
14:18to this day this happened uh two months
14:21ago I'm still fighting with this
14:23insurance company
14:25how many of you
14:28are traveling on your faith Journey
14:32trust in God and believe in God
14:35and you've been focused on where you are
14:38going and all of a sudden
14:40the enemy comes with something that is
14:43bigger
14:46than you
14:47bumped into you and even want to trick
14:51you
14:52ain't nothing wrong
14:57you know there's something wrong each of
15:00you can honestly tell when there's a
15:02dent in your life
15:04I don't care how you try to sugarcoat
15:07this
15:07you know when the enemy has bumped into
15:10you and created damage in your life and
15:14you've got to make a decision not to
15:17walk away and pretend as if it's not
15:19there you have to stand up and say no
15:21something is wrong in my life something
15:24has hit my life and I am not going to
15:27fall for it I want my life fixed
15:30somebody shout I want my life fixed
15:35I wasn't the one at fault but his excuse
15:40was
15:41he said he didn't see me
15:46he didn't see me
15:50could it be the reason why he didn't see
15:53me
15:54is because he wasn't paying attention to
15:56the rules
15:58of the road
16:01that sometimes you're elevated listen to
16:03me you're elevated
16:06and just because you're elevated
16:09sometimes it's not just looking back at
16:11your rearview mirror because if honestly
16:13I believed him if he looked at his rear
16:15view mirror he probably wouldn't see my
16:17little car
16:19but like I always tell my son
16:21not just look at the mirror
16:24but tilt your head
16:30the life that you're living as a
16:32believer
16:34you have to be so alert
16:41that you have got to constantly watch
16:44this it's not about looking back
16:47it's it's about recognizing your
16:50surrounding knowing that there's a
16:52Prowler the devil who's trying to devour
16:55you come on now
16:58so ladies and gentlemen as I try to
17:00close this one of the things we need to
17:02understand here the scripture is I go
17:03back to the scripture here in uh Luke 9
17:07Jesus having a discussion now
17:11with two people
17:12let's go there
17:14and in verse 58 I close it with this
17:17because this this is really what messed
17:19me up
17:20in verse 58
17:23Jesus said
17:25to these people that he was talking to
17:27he says
17:28foxes have holes
17:31he's talking about animals now
17:34have holes
17:36he says birds of the air have nest
17:41but the son of man he's talking about
17:44himself
17:46the son of man
17:48have nowhere to lay his head
17:52first thing he's trying to tell us that
17:54when you're a kingdom citizen
17:56be careful how you get comfortable in
17:59this world
18:02you can get so comfortable
18:05that what you want
18:07is to fit into the world
18:09you're in this world
18:12but you're what
18:15he said the son of man have nowhere to
18:17lay his head and then to a one to
18:20another he said follow me
18:24if you read the text he's kind of
18:26talking to three people first he said to
18:29one
18:30son of man don't have anywhere to lay
18:32his head he turned to another guy and he
18:35said
18:36um
18:38follow me
18:41immediately
18:43when the same person said to him
18:46I can't follow you because
18:49I have to go and bear my father
18:52when you research it
18:54you will find that the father that this
18:58person was referring to
19:00was not yet dead
19:06that's why Jesus said
19:08Let the dead in other words
19:10the person who's about to die
19:13should make their Arrangements
19:17to bury themselves if I had time I would
19:19teach on that you need to get your own
19:20life insurance
19:27but I'm not going to touch that
19:30but the Man's father had not died yet
19:34but he came up with excuses
19:37he started looking back
19:40on how he's going to fix a problem that
19:45has not yet happened
19:47how many of you are sitting down
19:51on your faith Journey trying to fix
19:54problems that have not yet happened
19:57because it's all here
20:00I'm gonna go feed my kids
20:02I'm going to do this I'm going to do
20:04this I'm going to do that and Jesus said
20:07to him Let the dead
20:10in other words don't worry about
20:12tomorrow tomorrow has enough problems of
20:15its own
20:19and then the Bible says Jesus said to
20:22him leave the dead go to the next verse
20:24please 61.
20:26he said yet another
20:28speaking to another person now
20:31he says I Will Follow You Lord so the
20:34person says but let me first say
20:36farewell to those at home
20:41let me go back home
20:44and this is it
20:46God sent me to tell some of you
20:49the reason why you're not making
20:50progress
20:52you're going back
20:54home
20:57you are like Abraham
21:01when he said to you leave home
21:04leave the place where you're comfortable
21:07leave the place that you've spent your
21:10life with people that you love your
21:13siblings whatever get this in spiritual
21:15context now
21:18God told Abraham leave it
21:21I'm taking you to a different place a
21:24higher place a new place
21:27this man said I want to go back home
21:32can I suggest to you that some of you do
21:34not need to go back home
21:37because home was where you got hurt
21:44home was what broke you
21:49you want to go back home
21:53why would you want to go back home when
21:54you're fully mature
21:58think about that
22:00I have two boys
22:02and I keep rehearsing to them I said
22:07at a certain age
22:09you need to leave my house
22:12no seriously
22:13[Applause]
22:16and I'm not trying to be mean I'm not
22:18trying to be mean
22:20if they were girls
22:22if I had a girl she can stay in my house
22:24until she did
22:27maybe it's just something about us men
22:30but my boys
22:33I tell them at a certain age you gotta
22:35leave
22:36and do not come back
22:39to live
22:41you can sleep a few nights but you
22:43cannot live there
22:46because I just feel maybe I'm old school
22:49I just feel as a father
22:53if I have my 40 and 50 year old son
22:58living in my house
23:02don't have a job
23:05don't pay bills
23:07and living off me
23:09I have somehow failed
23:12that's just me
23:14so if you're in here as a man you're 50
23:16and you're 60 and you're still living in
23:18your mind please don't attack me for
23:20that I am just saying for my sons
23:26do not go back home
23:29Jesus said to him no one who puts his
23:33hands to the plot if you start working
23:37if you're on a journey
23:40if you are working something out for
23:43your future I don't know who this is for
23:45some of you ladies can understand what
23:47I'm talking about you're on this path of
23:50creed and a better life for yourself
23:53and God has put you on this path
23:57do not go back
24:00to things
24:02that the enemy
24:04used to destroy you
24:09anybody who puts his hands to the plow
24:12and look back
24:14why are you working your faith where can
24:17you faith and believe in and digging
24:19into the soul of the word of God and
24:22believe in God for great things and
24:23singing hymns and reading your Bible and
24:26going to church and and trying to live a
24:29good life why would you constantly do
24:32that and still looking back to see
24:36if you can go back to him
24:39if you can go back to her
24:41if you can go back to the life that you
24:44used to live why would you want to do
24:45that Jesus says nobody as a kingdom
24:48citizen who does that
24:51is fit
24:53to be
24:54in the Kingdom
24:58are you looking
25:00back
25:03and using the excuse of your
25:05responsibilities
25:08I gotta take care of this gotta take
25:10care of that
25:12the day you start doing that
25:15is the day Jesus is no longer first
25:21I can tell you my own personal life
25:25I take care of my family there's no
25:27doubt about that
25:29no one can ever accuse me of not taking
25:31care of my family
25:34when I leave church if there's a light
25:36bulb need to change whatever needs to I
25:39am not I'm not a pastor home
25:42I'm a man
25:50I make sure my kids are not in want for
25:52the important things in life
25:56I do that
25:58but when it comes to the kingdom of God
26:01I'm focused
26:03I'm focused
26:05I'm Not Looking Back
26:09because the moment I look back I lose
26:12sight
26:14of what you had of me
26:16by your heads with me
26:19[Music]
26:21this may not be for everybody usually I
26:24wouldn't even preach after God moved the
26:26way he moved this morning
26:29but I'm sensitive to not enough to know
26:31that God told me still deliver the word
26:36I don't know who this message is for
26:39do not look
26:41back
26:43do not come up with excuses
26:46I know you got to take care of your
26:47family
26:49I know you have responsibilities but the
26:52day you start comparing your Earthly
26:53responsibilities with spiritual
26:55responsibilities that's the day the
26:57enemy will trick you
26:59so father I thank you
27:02for the word that was that was released
27:04in this house thank you for the way you
27:05move this morning
27:08I'm so grateful that I obeyed you in
27:10still preaching this message
27:14I thank you
27:16that there's a few people online
27:19in this building who have received it
27:22and you've challenged us
27:25not to look back
27:28but to keep our eyes forward
27:32not to come up with excuses on why we
27:35can't do what you've called us to do
27:37because we've got things to take care of
27:40but to be focused on serving you
27:44[Music]
27:46that we ought to know our
27:47responsibilities when it comes to this
27:50Faith Journey
27:51bless these people I pray
27:54thank you that you've declared
27:57that we are walking miracles
27:59[Music]
28:01that everything that you have ordained
28:03for us
28:04it is already ours
28:07I thank you for the anointing that was
28:09in this room
28:11those who were streaming wherever they
28:14are thank you that the spirit was upon
28:17them also and father as your people rise
28:20from their seed everyone would you rise
28:22as they rise from their seat
28:26I thank you
28:28that as they exit these doors
28:32they're going to begin
28:34to keep their eyes focused David said I
28:36would look to the Hills
28:38from when it's cometh my help
28:40my help doesn't come from behind me
28:44comes from the Lord make of Heaven and
28:47Earth
28:48so bless your people now strengthen them
28:51anoint them I pray
28:53and I give you all the praise the honor
28:55and the glory as we meet again this week
28:59father released them to prosper
29:01and I declare that faith in their God
29:05will always move mountains out of their
29:09lives in Jesus name God bless you God
29:13bless you thank you so much for your
29:14time today