WHERE HAVE YOU COME FROM...

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

TEXT- GENESIS 16:1-9

INTRODUCTION

SINCE TODAY IS THE LAST SUNDAY OF 1996 AND THE NEW YEAR OF 1997 WILL BEGIN NEXT WEDNESDAY, MY MESSAGE IS GOING TO FOCUS ON BOTH THE PAST AND THE FUTURE.

A WOMAN WENT TO SEE HER PSYCHIATRIST CONCERNING A VERY TROUBLING DREAM SHE HAD THE NIGHT BEFORE.  AS THE WOMAN LAID ON THE DOCTOR’S COUCH HE SAID TO HER, "NOW TELL ME ABOUT THIS DREAM YOU HAD."  SHYLY, THE WOMAN TOLD HIM, "WELL, I DREAMED I WAS WALKING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF MAIN STREET WITH NOTHING ON BUT A HAT."  SEEING HOW DIFFICULT THIS WAS FOR THE WOMAN THE DOCTOR ADDED, “AND YOU  WERE EMBARRASSED, CORRECT?"  TO WHICH THE WOMAN PATIENT REPLIED, "I CERTAINLY WAS.  IT WAS LAST YEAR'S HAT."

AS EMBARRASSING AND UNFASHIONABLE AS IT WAS FOR THIS WOMAN TO WALK DOWN THE MIDDLE OF MAIN STREET NAKED WITH LAST YEAR’S HAT ON, IT SHOULD CAUSE US TO BE EMBARRASSED WHEN WE AS CHRISTIANS AND MEMBERS OF THE LORD’S CHURCH FAIL TO PROGRESS OR MOVE FORWARD IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.

THIS MORNING OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN GENESIS 16:1-9 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, “WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM... WHERE ARE YOU GOING?”

HUDSON TAYLOR FOUNDER OF CHINA INLAND MISSION) USED TO HANG IN HIS HOME A PLAQUE WITH TWO HEBREW WORDS ON IT: EBENEZER & JEHOVAH JIREH. THE FIRST WORD MEANS ‘HITHERTO HATH THE LORD HELPED US’ AND THE SECOND, ‘THE LORD WILL SEE TO IT OR PROVIDE.’ ONE LOOKED BACK WHILE THE OTHER LOOKED FORWARD. ONE REMINDED HIM OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS AND THE OTHER OF GOD’S ASSURANCES.

IN COMING TO THE END OF 1996 WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM AND IN LOOKING FORWARD TO 1997 WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES WHERE WE ARE GOING.