All right, we're in lamentations chapter number three look down at your bibles at verse number 21
It says this I recall to my mind
Therefore have I hope it is of the lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassion's fail not
They are new every morning great is thy faithfulness. The lord is my portion saith my soul
Therefore will I hope in him the lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation
Of the lord and the title of the sermon this morning is turning over a new leaf
Turning over a new leaf now
What does that term mean because we often hear that phrase use that metaphor?
Used, uh very often especially today. What does that mean?
Well, it's a phrase that is basically an idiom to describe a person who's decided to change their ways, right?
When someone decides to change something that they're doing and they make a 180 degree turn to something else
They're turning over a new leaf. That is a common phrase that people will use today. They're choosing to change
Their behavior and their direction in life some would even say well, you know, it's not necessarily they're changing
You know their behavior. They're just starting afresh. Okay, they're hitting a reset button on something. That's exactly what they're doing now
What this actually means though those are good definitions it really just means that someone is moving on
Okay, though they're changing directions. Yes, they're renewing their commitments. They're changing their behavior
Really what it means is that they've chosen to move on
Now why is why does that mean that well, I don't know about you
But when I used to hear this phrase, I literally thought of a literal leaf
Am I the only one or does anybody else think that I literally thought well, it's just a metaphor
I don't know where they get it from but maybe you know the leaf and you know
The different color on the other I don't know what it is
It's a leaf but when it talks about leaves or turning over a new leaf the leaf it's referring to is a page in a book
Okay, and in fact even in the bible the bible is known in certain parts as the leaves of a book. Okay
In fact, I have a a king james 16 11
Uh leaf is what they call it that I have framed in my at my house, but they're referring to leaves
So when someone says that they're turning over a new leaf what they're basically saying is they're turning the page of their life
It's not necessarily that they're changing their behavior though. That could be a part of it
It's not necessarily that they're renewing their commitments that could be a part of it. It simply means that they're
Moving on to the next chapter. That makes sense
So this phrase is a great phrase to use when we think about our lives just in general
And in fact the bible even tells us in second corinthians ye are our epistles
Known and read of all men ye are our epistles written in our hearts known and read of all men
So the bible actually compares us to books and the reason for that is because our lives are filled with chapters
They're filled with content. They're filled with good parts of the stories bad parts of the stories
There's antagonists found within these books, but there's also protagonists and if you're saved, you know, you have a good ending. Amen
You may have a bad start you may even have some bad chapters in the middle
But at the end of the day the very end of the book is always good if you're saved, okay
But here's the thing is as christians we have to constantly be turning over a new leaf
We have to constantly be flipping through the pages. We cannot stay in the same chapter
Now this is a biblical concept that in fact lamentations
We just read three verse 22
It says it is of the lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not
Now this is a common verse that a lot of independent baptists will use
And just talk about the compassion of god the grace of god
But they completely just skim over why that's actually being written in the book of lamentations
Lamentations means sorrow. So the nation of israel has just been judged
very severely
Okay, read through the book of jeremiah you see that god has punished israel for their idolatrous practices because their leaders are wicked
Because of their covetousness because they've strayed from god. They back slim. They've gotten away from god
They started serving other gods and so god in his anger and in his wrath has punished the nation of israel for these things
And this punishment was fleshed out through
a foreign nation coming in and just decimating
Israel, okay, just destroying them pillaging them bringing them into slavery taking their children to babylon
Just completely ruining their lives, okay
So this book of lamentations are the lamentations of jeremiah
weeping
For the wrath weeping for the punishment weeping for the chastisement that god has brought upon his people
But in the midst of this lamentation, he says that his compassion is referring to god. They don't fail
And verse 23 says they are new
every
morning
now look
That's that says a lot about jeremiah to be able to have that perspective there
Because he's walking around people are dead
Families are gone
Buildings are destroyed
You know, he's just walking around and he's saying hey the mercies of god are new every day
Right
You know, this is a guy with a very good disposition a very good perspective, right?
But what he's saying here is this is that every morning?
There's a new chapter. There's a new page
Today's page could have judgment wrath sorrow lamentation
But you know what tomorrow
Is different why because tomorrow is a completely different day where often the slate has been wiped clean
And we can actually turn over a new leaf
To a new page now do tomorrow's
You know the day tomorrow that isn't it affected by today's actions. Absolutely
You know today's actions are influenced by our bad decisions that we made last week
By the bad decisions that we made that we make today or or yesterday. They're always effective. But the reality is it is a new leaf
The bible tells us and is that you don't have to turn that is that 43 says remember ye the former things or excuse me
Remember ye not the former things neither consider the things of old, you know
God is always about us turning over a new leaf and just moving on. Okay. Why because he doesn't want us to live in the past
Why because the past can't be changed
So why worry about the things that you can't change?
Why why become bitter and sorrowful and lamentable over the things that are in the past that happened?
10 20 years ago yesterday it can't change you might as well just turn over a new leaf
You might as well just turn the page
Why focus on the failures of yesterday the sins that you've done in times past?
You know the way you grew up and all the bad stuff to happen to you. Why not just turn over a new leaf?
You see a book is meant to be written from left to right
Right except for like in hebrew where it's just like they read backwards. Okay
Well, we're speaking english here, okay
Most languages go from left to right
You don't read a book backwards. Some people do some people start at the very end. That's not the way you do it
We're supposed to read it from left to right and you know what it requires for us to constantly turn over a new leaf
Constantly switch the page now
There is a false doctrine that has attached itself and linked itself to this idiom
You know people will say well in order for you to be saved you have to turn over a new leaf
What does that mean well if you want to be saved yeah, you have to trust jesus as your personal savior
But you also have to change your life
You also have to repent of your sins. You also have to follow god's commandments
You also have to and the list goes on and on and on but the bible never talks about us ever having to change
our lives to be saved
Because salvation is not based upon the actions that we do. It's based upon our faith in christ
Why is that well the bible uses a term called righteousness, okay
And the bible says that our righteousness our good are as filthy rags in the eyes of god
Therefore we need the righteousness of jesus christ to be given to us in order for god to exonerate us of the past sins
That we've done yet. Even the sins that we're going to do in the future
Okay, we don't have to turn over a new leaf and look there's plenty examples in the bible of people who got saved
And they didn't turn over anything
I mean, how about the thief on the cross? How do we know him as the thief?
on the cross
And what did jesus say today thou shalt be with me in paradise?
Well, you know what? He didn't get baptized because he had a little hard time getting down from the cross
He wasn't able to change his life
He wasn't able to start following jesus
He didn't know how to go. He couldn't even win his friend to christ who was in the same situation as he was
right
He said well, oh he did turn over new at least he was willing to it doesn't say he was willing to
He just believed on jesus christ and jesus said today thou shalt be with me in paradise
There's plenty of people who actually even finished their book so to speak in a bad way and guess what they were still saved
King, saul is a perfect example of that
He did not turn over a new leaf
Okay, and in fact he committed suicide
He killed himself he went to witches for council
Okay, he forsook the lord, but you know what because he was saved the lord did not forsake him
And he was still a saved man, even though he finished his life off miserably, okay
How about samson?
Samson was a man who the spirit of god would come upon
He had incredible strength when the spirit of god would come upon him. He did great exploits, but what happened?
He got involved in fornication
He the bible says that the lord departed from the power departed from him
But yet the bible even tells us that the lord assisted him filled him with the power to be able to not only destroy himself
But the philistines as well and doing so he actually liberated the children of israel. That's not turning over a new leaf
He finished his life wrong and in fact these guys are used as examples in parables for us what not to do
How not to live how not to finish off our lives these people did not turn over a new leaf
So you say well, what's the point of that?
What i'm saying is this is our church does not believe that you have to change your life in order to be saved
Okay, and why because the bible doesn't teach that
So if anybody's ever told you yeah, but you got to stop drinking
Well, yeah, if you don't want cirrhosis of the liver, yeah, stop drinking
You need to stop smoking marijuana. Yeah. Well if you don't want to be an idiot
Yeah, and forget things every five minutes
You know
Then yeah, stop smoking marijuana, but you know, you don't have to stop these things in order to be saved
Because turning over a new leaf though essential is not essential for salvation
Okay, the bible says therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law
It says not by works of righteousness, which we have done but according to his mercy. He saved it
You know the mercies that are new every day
You know the bible says for by grace are you saved through faith
And that not of yourself you see turning over a new leaf is of yourselves
Is it not but here it says that that's not salvation is not of yourself
It is the gift of god not of works list any man should boast, you know when you turn over a new leaf in life
You you get the credit for that. Don't you do not you put in the effort you put in the the work?
You abstain from certain things you add certain things in your life you do the work to actually turn over that new leaf, right?
whereas
What salvation it's not of works list any man should boast why because jesus christ did all the work for you
Okay, so a change of behavior is never necessary for salvation and there's plenty of scriptures in the bible to teach that
That's not the sermon for today
But the reason I want to preach the sermon is because you say man this you should have preached this like for december 31st
When i'm trying to make my new year's resolution to lose weight and start working out and you know
Whatever other goals you might have. Yeah, but here's the thing
Okay is we need a sermon like this right now so that you can make the change now
So that when you go into january 1st
You know, you've already made the change. You've already got momentum
Going into january you understand because let's be honest
How many people actually make new year's resolutions for december 31st come january 1st all the way through the month of january
They they keep it for like five days
You know go to the gym for five days
They abstain from cookies for five days
They abstain from whatever for five days and then come february. It's just like all right 2021 for sure
You know once 2021 comes we'll do it. No, let's just do it today
So
That you're already in that mode
You've already turned over a new leaf january comes you got the momentum and you have a successful 2020. Okay
So
It is time to turn over a new leaf. It is time to move on
It's time to move forward and the reality is is that some people choose not to
Some people christians they just choose not to move on with their lives now go with me if you would
Go to philippians chapter number three
You understand that some people wait for something big to happen to them
Don't people wait for success to come to them
Don't people wait for like a reward to come to them
Don't people wait for a change to just happen in their lives
Like god's just going to drop it on their lap, but you know what it never comes
People wait for someone to just turn the page for them, right?
Doesn't happen that way
You have to turn it yourselves
Waiting for the lead to turn on itself rather than turning the page is a waste of time being idle
And i'm going to give you just a couple things here real basic sermon, okay?
But I think it's important for us to understand this concept that is it is a biblical concept
Let me give you some some principles in regards to turning over a new leaf. And again, i'm not referring to salvation
Okay, i'm referring to if you're saved you're christian and you need to turn you need to change
Then it needs to happen first and foremost, let me say this we need to finish today's chapter on
previous setbacks
Okay
You know when you're reading the book this happens a lot when like, um
You know when you're reading your bible, for example
And you're reading through a really difficult book maybe like leviticus
And it's just like you're or you're you're going through some book that emphasizes prophecy
You're just stuck on that on that book or how about you're reading the bible for the first time and you're only reading the book
of proverbs
You know, you haven't moved on to like genesis you haven't moved on to deuteronomy
You haven't moved on to more difficult books and you you're just like well, I just got to finish this
I just got to finish this. Well, you know what once you finish that book
It's time once you finish proverbs 31 proverbs. It's time to move on
And you want in life
People are like this all the time when it comes to just failures and setbacks. Okay. What do I mean by that?
What I mean is this is that
People don't move forward in life because they failed in the past
Right
It's like well, I can't do anything of significance. I cannot be successful because I failed this year
Because I failed last month. I screwed up. I messed up
I did what I wasn't supposed to do and because they have those setbacks and those failures they refuse to turn the page
Or they feel like because they've had those failures. I shouldn't turn the page
You understand what i'm saying, but the reality is this is that you can't act like a victim all the time
Don't be like a victim of your circumstances
Or it's just like well, I didn't grow up with mom and dad. I didn't have the money
My my dad never bought me the nike air force shoes
I never had x y and z, you know, we used to buy our shoes at paless
Yes
I used to get my hair cut at the five dollar college practicing place
My mom fed me with the slingshot whatever
And you look at all these things in your circumstances in your past and that's what you use as an excuse
Why not to turn the page?
It's like forget about it move on
Don't have this victim mentality
Whereas oh, it's just me. I just can't because of you know
I didn't grow up with my dad or because I just don't have a good work ethic then get a good work ethic
You know, oh I can't because of the color of my skin
Don't even give me that
That's nonsense. That's foolishness and folly
Okay, whatever excuses you can have
The excuses are in the previous page. All you got to do is turn the page
Turn over the new leaf
Look at philippians chapter 3 verse 4
He says though this is the apostle paul speaking here says though I might also have confidence in the flesh
If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh. I more
Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of israel of the tribe of benjamin and hebrew of the hebrews as touching the law
A pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness, uh righteousness, which is of the law blameless
So what is he saying? He's giving all his qualifications
Qualifications he spent the vast majority of his life in the wrong religion
Think about that
He spent the majority of his life in the wrong religion, which is judaism
So he's telling us he's like man I I will circumcise the eighth day i'm of the stock of israel the tribe of benjamin
I'm a pharisee. I even persecuted the church
Look what it goes on to say verse 7, but what things were gained to me those I counted loss for christ
skip down to verse number 12
Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect
But I follow after if that I may apprehend for that for which also I am apprehended of christ. Jesus
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended
But this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god in christ
Jesus so look he could have looked at him being a pharisee and being involved in the wrong religion and say well i'm not like peter
I'm, not like john
I'm, not like the other apostles who were literally there when jesus christ was there
But instead what did he do? He's like i'm gonna forget those things which are behind
I'm gonna press forward to the things which are before and in fact, was he not the apostle who actually did more
Than all the other apostles even though they came before him
Was it not the apostle that actually accomplished more?
Because of it, you know why because he turned the leaf
He turned the new page
He decided to move on
Whereas other people was like, well, you know, I didn't go to bible college. Well for some of you like, yeah
I'm glad I didn't go to bible college, you know
You know, I didn't grow up in a christian home
My parents are not christian they're drug addicts or whatever I used to be a drug addict and
Excuses wine wine wine why you can't turn the page just turn the page
You know, well i'm not the most refined christian and you know, I I struggle okay, then just turn the page
Stop making excuses. Stop being a victim
You know victim for me equals laziness
That's what that is
Being a victim is not really a victim. It's just being lazy
Why lazy because you choose not to move on even though his compassion is they fail not and the mercies of god are new every day
And if they're new every day, guess what? We have a clean slate tomorrow
We can flip the page and just deal with whatever we got to deal with tomorrow
We can move on
The apostle paul did it
You know and man, he was in deep water like he did a lot of bad stuff
But yet he did more than all the other apostles
He did great exploits and let me say this is that if you got saved later on in life
If you became a christian later on in life
You actually have more of a potential to actually love jesus more than someone who would grow up in a christian home
Now people who grew up in christian homes have the potential to love god a lot
But you know what the bible even specifically tells us that those who are forgiven much often love much
You know
Why because they understand?
What they've been forgiven of they understand what they've been saved from they understand they they had a bad past and they recognize man
God is good. I want to serve him now. I want to be able to love the lord my god with all my heart
Soul mind and strength i'm not gonna allow this to set me back and look
Don't be the kind of christian that's always bringing up your past
Right what you used to be. Oh, man. Yeah back in the day. I used to be this and that and you know, let's move forward
Right, that's like it's in the past
Why live in the past? It's like churches
that
Were successful in times past but now they put the church in cruise control and all they can talk about is the successes of the past
You know like oh, yeah. I remember we used to do all kinds of sony used to do all kinds of so many
What kind of so many you're doing now then?
I remember when we used to used to used to forget what you're used to
Let's talk about the things that we're going to do
Hey 2019. I said this last year was great like 2018 was great, but 2020 is gonna be better
We're gonna see more people save add more people to the church
Grow the church do great exploits for the church
All right, but don't you miss the the good old days the the good new days are actually better though
Good old days are good. But you know what the new days are better
And we need to make sure that even as a church we're constantly turning over a new leaf
Closing a chapter starting a new one. Okay?
Go with me if you would to Deuteronomy chapter number one
So don't let your past kind of keep you from the future don't don't get traumatized by your past you know what I mean?
Don't don't believe don't be a flincher. Okay?
Or it's just like I just can't trust anybody
I just can't move on just turn over a new leaf. Just forget about that. It's time to move on
You can trust the Lord
Right and you can't go through life not trusting anybody
But what if they do me wrong then they do you wrong?
And here's the thing haven't you done people wrong to?
Haven't you failed people to haven't you let people down as well?
Haven't you let people down as well
And don't you want the people who you've let down also be compassionate?
And help you to move forward as well
You know, we need to make sure that we don't become a victim of our circumstances, but we become overcomers. Amen
Or we're just like, you know, what was done is done. I'm done with this chapter chapter two is way better
Chapter three will be better than chapter two chapter four better than all the other chapters previous to that
But you know some people just get stuck on chapter one
When they can't stop talking about what happened 50 years ago
10 years ago, you know
Move on, okay
Number two, let me say this regards to turning over a new leaf. Don't get stuck on today's chapter for too long
Now there's certain things that we that in our lives where hey people try to get out of that chapter too soon
You ever read a book and then he's like this chapter is boring
And you just want to skip ahead. Anybody ever done something like that? Nobody does anything. Does anybody read?
Anybody read okay, does anybody know how to read i'm just kidding
Sometimes you read a book and it's like the chapter is not necessarily all that interesting
And it's just like I kind of want to just skip this chapter
But here's the thing you're not going to be able to understand the next chapter unless you finish this chapter
Because there's elements
Principles concepts that are within this chapter of your life that you need in order to understand other chapters
You know, it's like this and obviously this would be backwards but you know, you have old and new testament
Well in order for you to grasp
Everything all the symbolism and the pictures of the old testament. You need to have a good understanding of the new testament
You know, hey in order for you to understand the book of daniel you need to really understand the book of revelation
Why because the book of revelation reveals to us all the deep truths of the book of daniel?
You know the new testament is a revelation
Of all the symbolism the pictures of christ in the old testament so you can't just stick to one or the other
You need both to get the full understanding don't skip around
and in life
There are certain things that happen to us in life where they're unpleasant. We don't like it, but we need to go through it
We need to experience it. We need to read through it
We need to learn as much as we can from it and not try to skip ahead
But let me say this is that we shouldn't stay in that chapter for too long. Okay, look at deuteronomy one
In verse number three it says and it came to pass in the 40th year in the 11th month on the first day of the
Month that moses spake unto the children of israel according unto all that the lord hath given him in a commandment unto them
After he had slain saihan the king of the amorites
Uh, which dwelt in heshbon og the king of beishen which dwelt at ashtoreth and andrei
On the side jordan in the land of moab began moses to declare this law saying the lord our god spake unto us in horrib
Saying ye have dwelt long enough in this mount
Turn you and take your journey and go to the mountain of the amorites and into all the places
nigh there unto in the plain in the hills and in the vale and in the south and by the seaside to the land of
The cananites and unto lebanon unto the great river the river you're afraid. So what is he saying?
You guys been in this wilderness because remember the children of israel came out of egypt
They're supposed to go into the promised land, but because of their disobedience
They actually wandered around for 40 years
In the wilderness in the desert right and god comes to him and says hey you guys been here long enough
It's time to go fight the amorites
It's time to actually go
Get down
It's time to go to war. It's time to go to battle. You've been here long enough 40 years is long enough, right?
You've been here long enough verse say behold. I have set the land before you go in and possess the land
Which the lord swore unto your fathers abraham isaac and jacob to give unto them and to their seed after him
What is he saying? It's time to turn over a new leaf
Are you gonna die in the wilderness like your forefathers it's time to move on
And look some people in the children of israel decided to stay on the other side of the jordan
Right when they're supposed to go to war it's like they finally get there like actually we like it here better
I think our children and our cattle they're gonna dwell here instead
That that's what they wanted to do
So they literally wasted
40 years of their lives
Just to go to jordan and stay on the other side
It's like you're reading through an entire book
And then you're on the last chapter and you're like nah, I think i'm just gonna finish right there
He's like you're you're almost done
Just finish the chapter
But you know what it is is some people get complacent and they like staying where they're at
You know why people don't want to turn over a new leaf sometimes it's because they're comfortable in the chapters that they're in
You know, but let me say this is that you've been there long enough
Hey, if you come only sunday morning you've been there long enough
You've been here long enough
Well, you know, I just I gotta do things like what like sleep
Catch a football game or a show or go eat tacos or you know
You've been there long enough
Don't you think it's time to move on?
To turn over that leaf and come sunday night
Right
Been there long enough. It's you know, it's time to go fight some battles
And how about this well, yeah, and then those of you are like hey man good pastor, you know sunday morning sunday night
Okay, what about you?
Is it a time for you to come thursday night?
To the bible study
Well, you know, I just
I think you've been there long enough
That's good that you come sunday morning sunday night. Amen
Well, you showed me in the bible where i'm supposed to be here all three times. Well
You you know, obviously there's not a verse that says come to church three times a day
But there is a bible verse that says that we shouldn't forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is
And so much the more
As you see the day approaching so there's your three first. There's your three services right there
So much the more that means as as much as the doors are open you should be here
Well, you just don't understand. I just have all these. Yeah, but you've been there long enough
Am I you've given those excuses long enough too, yeah
right
That mount isn't it boring just being there and look let me say this no christian will grow as much just coming to just one service
I'll be honest with you
You will not grow as much because of the fact that yes, you can listen to the sermons online
Yes, you can go to youtube
But the reality is that fellowship and being physically in the church is an element that every christian needs in order
To be able to glean as much as they can and grow
Okay, and look there's some people that they're choosing just to stay in jordan
I can preach this and tell them about you know, show these verses and preach and rip and all these things and they're like
Yeah, but we like the other side of jordan still though. I think we're just going to stay right here
It's like don't you want to go to the promised land?
Don't you want to come listen to the book of galatians tonight?
chapter three amen
Don't you want to learn some more bible? Don't you want to get more fellowship?
Don't you want to turn over the new leaf?
And he's like no we're content over here on this side of jordan, you know, but you've been there long enough
Okay
Hey, you know, how about reading the bible?
Excuse me, how about not reading by is this off or what?
How about not reading the bible, right?
You've been there long enough
Where you don't where you choose not to go through the bible
You know
2019, you know the beginning i'm going to read through the entire bible
genesis through revelation
I'm going to read it through twice. I'm going to read it through three times and then you're we're like in october and like you're
barely even past like exodus
And then like midway a little past midway through you go
Well, i'm just going to read through the new testament like five times instead, you know, try to compensate for that
long enough
You've been there too long
It's time to discipline yourself and actually read the bible like 10 chapters a day five chapters a day
Three chapters a day so you can get through it in a year
Hey, how long have you been a christian? Have you read through the bible yet?
Right, have you read through the bible yet? How about this here? Here's a big one
Soul winning
You know
How long have you known of the gospel?
How long have you been in a church where they tell you to preach the gospel?
But you have not wanted to go soul winning
You've been there long enough
It's time to get up and do some preaching. Amen
Time to go out and do some soul winning. Well, how about this those of you who are on teams?
And you're learning how to preach the gospel, but you don't want to step out and actually do it
You know, well, I just need to observe for another seven months
You've been observing for like six months already
How about let's just get past the introductory stage?
Well, I don't think i'm ready for that you've been there long enough
You probably hear the introduction more than 20 times every week or something
It's time
to introduce you in the church
It's time to give an invite introduce yourself
But more than that, it's just time to learn the verses and start preaching the gospel and seeing people saved
Because you've been in that stage long enough
You know, these are things this is the mount of people where they've been there long enough
They've been in that mount long enough. It's time to go fight some amorites
It's time to go possess some land. It's time to grow and say all right, i'm bored of being here
It's time to turn over a new leaf in life
And actually step out give my introduction preach the gospel see people save bear my own fruit
right
Hey
If you've been inconsistent
You've been there long enough
Just inconsistent in the christian life, okay, it's been long enough
Being uninvolved long enough. It's time to go fight
And it's time to go take care of business go to joshua chapter seven if you would joshua chapter seven
But how about not just in regards to spiritual disciplines, how about this
Allowing unresolved conflict to go on
Whether in your family with your husband with your wife with your children with the church
I don't think there's unresolved conflict here. We try to resolve conflict as fast as possible. But let's say this
You have beef with someone, okay
You're having problems with your spouse or with your children and you just let it you just prolong that problem long
And you don't ever resolve it
It's long enough
You know when you chastise your child, it should be resolved right then and there
Okay parents should never let's talk about child re parents should never just
Spank their child and not talk to them for like an entire week or something
That sounds funny, but you know a lot of a lot of parents do that
Where it's just like they get into this thing and they get spanked and it's like they just don't talk
And the way they end up talking is they just break the silence by just bringing something else up and they never resolve the conflict
Parents or wives and husbands. Hey resolve conflicts
Get it resolved, how do you do that by apologizing
Hey children who are or should I say sons and daughters resolve conflicts with your parents
Resolve it if you have an issue with your parents resolve it
Don't allow it to go unresolved and look if you're in that stage where it's been unresolved you've been there for too long
You've been in that mountain for too long. You've been in the gall of bitterness for too long
For too long it's time to resolve the conflict
look, it's better to just
You know growing up my brother and I
This is how we resolve conflicts by punching each other
You just duke it out
And then you get your anger out and then we just like hug and then we go eat or something
And we just just get it out of the way
Other people just like they just remain bitter. They remain angry and they don't want to talk. Hey
Hey
Daughters-in-law
Time to resolve some conflicts with some mother-in-laws
You're like that's impossible
That's not even in the chapter
That's not in the book
I want to tear off that leaf
No, you got to resolve it
Okay, son-in-laws resolving conflict with their mother-in-laws why only the mother-in-laws
I'm just kidding
It's time to resolve it because you've been there for too long you've been mad for too long
It's time to just get over it
Turn over the new leaf forgive forget and move on and let me say this. Here's a good
Incentive or a motive to resolve conflict. Here's the motive because if you have children they're going to be just like you
You
If you're always in the gall of bitterness
That's exactly what your children are going to be
And you know what by the time you see it, it's already too late
You know, once you see you're like, oh man, he's doing that because of me. Well at that point it's too late
Because they learn from you
And i'm not talking about the words that you say i'm talking about the manner in which you conduct yourself
Don't think that doesn't rub off on your children
Your children will be who you are times ten
Does that scare you?
You know if you are a bitter
angry
Unresolved conflict type of a person that's exactly where your children are going to be
And by the time you see it, it's too late
You said what should I do turn over the new leaf now?
Turn it over
And start a new look at joshua seven in joshua chapter seven we see that god has told the children of israel
Hey go conquer the land and they go to ai and because of man one man's disobedience
What happens is that?
Many thousands of men die
God allows them them to be conquered instead
and
People are dying. Look what it says in verse number eight. Oh lord. This is joshua
What shall I say when israel turn at their backs from their enemies?
For the caninites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it and shall environ us about
Environ us round and cut off our name from the earth and what will thou do unto thy great name?
So he's saying what are we gonna do?
They're just killing us all and I thought we're supposed to come in and possess the land and what's going on here?
Verse 10 and the lord said unto joshua get thee up
Wherefore lies thou thus upon thy face israel sinned
And they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them for they have even
Taken of the accursed thing and have also stolen and dissembled also and they have put it even among their own stuff
I love the way god talks sometimes
It's like okay drama queen
You mean drama just get up go fix it. This is this guy who sinned over there. His name is aiken
Go destroy him and it'll be all goody get up stop being drama
Verse 12 therefore the children of israel could not stand before their enemies
But turn their backs before their enemies because they were accursed neither
Will I be with you anymore?
Except you destroy the accursed from among you up sanctify the people and say sanctify yourselves against tomorrow
For thus saith the lord god of israel. There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee
Oh israel thou canst not stand before that enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you
So what is he saying? Look, here's the conflict you have a conflict with me
Because you sin against me but it's that guy right over there go handle it and then you can overcome these other cities
It's sin
Some people in their lives. They're like, you know, why are all this bad stuff happening to me?
It's probably maybe I mean have you checked to see if it's in?
Oh, no, I just i'm just I don't understand up stop being a drama queen
And just fix the situation
God is real obviously god is real but i'm saying he's being real
He's like up sanctify someone's in sin
Just take care of it and you can I can give you the rest of the land resolve the conflict get rid of the sin
I just don't know what's wrong with me. And my life is just being so destroyed and tossed to and fro and all that
Oh, okay. It's sin
Have you been in church? Have you been reading your bible? Are you involved in sin?
This is why these bad things are coming upon you because god is chastising you
This is what you do up
Sanctify yourself get it right. Okay
And look on this point of unresolved conflict. This is important because we need to dwell in unity. Amen
That's why in church if you ever have conflict with someone else in church, don't go around gossiping about them
You go to them and you resolve it with them say hey brother frank you offended me
You know
I heard that comment. You said how I i'm I look fat
I
Don't appreciate that i've been working on my way for months now and you offended me, okay
I'm, sorry. I'm just telling the truth
It's just like that's fine. But you know, just don't say it in public. No, i'm just kidding
Go to someone and just resolve it
Don't create clicks don't get with your buddies and criticize other people
Go to them
And resolve it with them
Okay
You know you guys remember absalom which is david's son
You know, he kills um amnon who's david's son also and he flees from the face of his father
Joab who is uh, david's general basically convinces him to come back years afterwards
Absalom comes back but and and the king says all right, but just have him dwell over there
And I don't want to see his face. He doesn't see his face for a full two years
So absolutely comes back to the kingdom
Because the king allowed him to but the king doesn't want to see his face
Now, how do you think absalom feels for two entire years?
Like is he bringing me back to kill me?
Is he did he forgive me? Are we good or not?
And it finally blows up and he basically sets on fire the fields of joab to get his attention so he can see the king's
face
You know two whole years of unresolved conflict because david
Didn't want to see his son's face instead of just saying hey son all is forgiven come back to the kingdom
It's okay, but two full years and look david has uh, uh, he has the propensity to do that. Does he not?
You know, he was involved in sin for an entire year before
The seer came and basically confronted him to his face. All right, go with me if you would to go to jeremiah chapter 7
So what we're talking about we're talking about turning over a new leaf, okay
Turning over a new leaf moving on making sure that our setbacks in the past
Don't hold us back. We got to make sure that we finish today's chapter on setbacks and don't act like a victim all the time, okay
But not only that let me say this is that
Don't repeat bad chapters
Okay, what do I mean by that
You know learn from your previous chapter and don't go back to that
Don't regress now. Who's is anybody into speed reading here?
Anybody into speed reading
Okay, does anybody know what speed reading is? It's pretty easy by the by the term, right?
Reading speedily, okay
So I don't really encourage speed reading. It's profitable only if you want to finish content very quickly
But speed reading basically teaches you not to not to sound out the words as you're reading which I believe you should okay
And what it does is basically it's helping you to train your your your your throat as well as your mind
to view
Blocks of sentences at at once and basically trust in what you're already taking in to be able to move on you understand
And what they do because when you read you may not know this
But when you read you actually sound out words
Even with your tongue inside your mouth like when you read you actually like kind of sounding them out very quietly, okay
And what speed reading tries to get you to do is just trust in you what you're visualizing already
Like for example when people speed read all the time
If you're going down the street and you glance over at something you look back you actually know what you just read
Now you may you may not be paying attention. But if you were to say hey, what was that sign saying?
Oh, it said, you know, whatever
Because you see it visually and you know what it says and therefore it helps now
I don't encourage people to speed read only because people who learn how to speed read if you ask ask them to read out loud
They actually butcher all the words because they're just kind of like seeing everything in blocks
And what they what they tell you is that when you do speed reading eventually you want to get to a point
Where you read everything in four blocks like block here block here block here block here. So you just go like this
And literally there's people who read so fast. They can just turn over page
Turn over page and intake everything that they're learning. But one of
The principles that they tell you when it comes to speed reading is this
Don't regress
Because sometimes when you start out and you start learning how to speed read you're like, oh man, I don't know if I got that
And your temptation is actually to go back and reread it
Whereas what they tell you is this just trust that you got the content. Okay and move on you understand what i'm saying?
so obviously
Speed reading in its practical practical sense when you read books
I I wouldn't recommend it but it does hold a certain good principle where it's like hey
Just trust that that that part of your life has already moved on. It can't be changed and move on
Trust that you've learned whatever you need to learn and move on with your life, you know
Some people say well, you know in order to be successful in life. You got to have experience but that's not necessarily true
You have to have evaluated experience
So whatever situation you went through is an experience
But it will never help you in the future unless you evaluate that experience that you went through
And actually make decisions in the future based off of that experience
Because everyone's had bad experiences, but you know, the only people who actually overcome and become successful are those who actually learned
From those experiences and you know what happens when you don't learn from an experience you repeat that chapter
So when god allows a specific bad circumstance to come upon you
And you become bitter you don't learn from it. God allows that same bad problem to come back around again
So you can learn it again, you know why because pain is a valuable teacher. That's why
Pain teaches us
And it's what gets our attention
But you know what? I don't want to repeat a lesson of pain
So when the pain comes learn from it
Learn don't regress
The bible says in proverbs 26 11 as a dog returned to his vomit. So a fool
returneth to his folly
Only a fool is a person who repeats the same mistakes over and over again
Why is he a fool because he's not learning from his mistakes
Move forward look at jeremiah 7 verse 23
But this thing commanded I them saying obey my voice and I will be your god and ye shall be my people
And walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you
But they hearken not nor incline their ear
But walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart and went backward and not forward
Obviously the christian life is two steps forward one step back
But you know, some people just constantly are stepping back. They just get worse and worse and worse. Why because they're not learning
From their failures, they're not learning from their circumstances. They're regressing in their christian life
Okay, this is how it ought not to be go to second corinthians chapter two
I got two more points and i'm done. Okay, second corinthians chapter two
We're talking about turning over a new leaf not for salvation, but we're talking about turning over a new leaf
As far as moving on is concerned
Now here's my second to last point, okay
When it comes to turning over a new leaf, you know, what we need to do
Is we need to allow
And help others to turn over a new leaf
Okay, obviously we need to turn over that lead but you know what we need to do we need to help others do that too
Right if someone's trying to change in our church don't hold don't like mock them don't try to push them
Don't try to rush them. Don't condemn them if someone has been
Excommunicated from our church because of sin and they come back. We need to help that person turn over a new leaf
We need to help that person in their repentance
We need to help that person
Grow and be nurtured in the admonition of the lord
Lord
Let me give you an example of this in first corinthians the book of first corinthians you have a guy who was involved in fornication
Okay with his stepmom
pretty bad
pretty nasty, okay
And what's even worse than that is that the leaders of that church were not excommunicating them out of the church for that
And the apostle paul writes in first corinthians chapter five. He's talking about, you know that they're allowing them there
They're glorying in that and he's explaining these people
You should even have a meal with them if they're involved in this fornication if they're involved in sin
And they were just kind of like being like liberal about this and like, oh, you know, you know
Just basically let them stay they're glorying in the fact that they made that decision
Well, the apostle paul just rips their faces off through first corinthians the book of first corinthians. I mean rips them to shreds
To the point where they ended up
Excommunicating this fellow who's involved in this sin
And then the apostle paul decides to write a second letter
And part of that second letter was because of the fact that now that guy wanted to get right with god
He wanted to repent and in fact, he did repent
He got his life right and he wanted to come back to church and guess what they were not willing to forgive him
So now the letter turned from hey, you need to chastise this guy to hey, you need to forgive that guy
And let him back in
two crazy extremes
No balance
Look at second corinthians 2 verse 5
But if any have caused grief he hath not grieved me but in part that I may not overcharge you all
Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many so the entire church was for this. They're like get him out
So that contrary wise ye ought rather to forgive him
And not just forgive them look what it says
Comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with over much sorrow
You know what the bible's saying here? Hey when someone wrongs us or someone wrongs the church
And they repent they're gonna be forgiven but not just forgiven
Because aren't we second when we're supposed to be second mile christians, right? He says you're supposed to comfort him as well
When they come in you put your arm over his shoulder and you say come on brother
Let's go have a keto cheesecake
Let's go have you know
Let's go have a protein style in and out burger
Okay
You know, hey, we love you and you don't bring up the past you begin to comfort that person
So he says not only forgive them, but you're supposed to comfort them as well
Lest he be swallowed up with over much sorrow
What does that mean? In other words? It's like they've forgiven me, but do they really like me anymore?
Because look we want to be forgiven but we want to be liked too
You know if we sin we get excommunicated and we come back. Yes, we want the forgiveness of the church
But you know what? We also want we want them to be our friends again
right
We want to be able to get along with them. We want to be able to be welcomed back into the fold
Okay
And that's why it says that or if not, they'll be overcome over much sorrow verse eight
Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him
For to this end also did I write that I might know the proof of you whether you be obedient in all things
For to whom you forgive anything I forgive also for if I forgave anything to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave
I in the person of christ less satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices
So what he's saying if you don't do this, you're going to allow the device of satan to take root in the church
Because just as much as excommunicating someone out of the church is important
Welcome welcoming them back when they repent and forgiving them is important as well
But guess what not just in church settings just in general period
You got to learn to be able to forgive people you got to help people turn over that new leaf
If they want to get right if they want your your friendship your fellowship if they want fellowship with god
We need to be able to forgive them and help them to move on now look
Uh
We don't welcome back heretics
We don't welcome back false prophets and false teachers
Once they're exposed once they're exposed they're out of here and they're never never welcome to come back
I'm talking about people who teach damnable heresies, okay?
But how about just people who were just in sin?
How about people who were just being maybe?
A little you know punk or something and they're causing a little bit of division
Maybe because they're little babes in christ and they want to come back. They're like, hey, I was immature. I'm, sorry
You know, we're not like no we make it out of here, you know
You're never welcome to come back here. You said I was fat or you know, you said this and that
We need to be able to welcome back and then guess what help them to
Turn over that new leaf and move on with their lives, okay?
We need to be able to help them to live it down and to help them to do so
now here's my last point is this is that
Because the sermon is talking about turning over a new leaf moving on. All right
Moving on this is what i'm basically saying here is all of us need to move on to the next page the next chapter not regress
But let me say this is that the leaves that you turn mean nothing
If you are not written in the leaves of the book of life
Right
So obviously you could turn over a new leaf and all these things but you know all that means nothing
If you're actually not written within the pages of the book of life
Right
Why because what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul
What if you do stop drinking alcohol great if you stop smoking marijuana great if you stop fornicating great
If you actually go to church great, but you know what that means nothing
If you're actually not even saved
If you're not written within the leaves of the book of life
Okay
So in order for the these principles to make a significant difference in your life where you could actually turn the page
Turn the leaf you actually have to be saved
and it's what I originally talked about in the beginning which is you need to believe on the lord jesus christ and only
on jesus christ
Add nothing subtract nothing
Only on the lord jesus christ. Well, I do believe in jesus, but I also believe you got to clean up your life
No, then it's not really believing on jesus
Doesn't work that way
It's only by faith in christ alone
That we could actually
Keep our names actually in the book of life. You understand so your names would not be blotted out
So I wanted to share that and just talk about that because today's the first day of the fall program. Amen
And you said what's the point of the fall program is to help you turn over a new leaf?
To be able to stay in to do more church
To actually go soul winning
All right to start reading your bible and made those disciplines
Actually influence other parts of your life where you're like, you know what I do need to read the bible all the way through
You know, I go so many once but maybe I need to go twice
Maybe I do need to start doing my introduction today
Maybe I need to go to my team leader and say hey
Uh, i'm ready to do my intro today. I want to introduce myself
Or you know what? I've been here long enough
I need to go ahead and just start memorizing the verses or I want to just
Attempt to knock on the door and attempt to preach the gospel and team leader if I get stuck
Can you can you help me with it? You know, i've been here long enough. It's time to move on
You know what? There's no time like the present to make that decision today
Amen
No time like the present to forgive someone
No time like the present for you to turn over that new leaf and say, you know
I'm not going to be bitter towards this person anymore. I'm going to forgive i'm going to forget i'm going to move on
I'm going to start with this new chapter. Amen. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer father
We thank you so much for your word
And thank you for the fact that your compassions your mercies are new every day
And that is that should be sufficient enough even to help us to help others turn over a new leaf
Because of the fact that you forgave us
And we've done so much so much worse to you than what people have done to us
And god, I pray that you'd help us to continue to move on move forward to turn over that new leaf
and
To start a new chapter start a new page and embrace that the challenges ahead
And understand that regardless of what happens in this the the turning of the leaf
we understand if we're saved the byproduct the end product of our story our book is that
You know, it's a happy ending because we have eternal life and I pray god that god that you'd help us to to
Practice these principles and flesh these out in our personal lives and help us not to wait to tomorrow to do it
Help us to take advantage and to make those steps today in jesus name. We pray. Amen