Yield to Regret
From Following God's Signals
by Pastor Nave on January 04, 2015
“Yield to Regret” is the first segment in the Following God’s Signals series. This message helps us remember that God still shows His people signs. God is not just interested, but infatuated with giving direction to His children. He wants to put His Word in our life, put us on the right road―at the right time―and to get us to the right place.
Scripture tells us in Matthew 11:15, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (KJV). God wants to speak to our hearts and give us direction as to the next step we should take in our lives.
Our focus story is found in John 8:2–11: a woman is caught in the act of adultery and is brought before Jesus by her accusers. This is an amazing story about God’s grace as well as two simple signals: “go, and sin no more” (John 8:11, KJV).
In this story, Jesus provided the yellow light (sign) of caution to this woman after she was caught in the act of adultery. Being caught is not a good feeling; however, if the woman wasn’t caught, she wouldn’t have found her way to the feet of Jesus. And, it was at the feet of Jesus where she received the greatest direction in her life.
It was at the moment of regret, she heard the clear voice of Jesus telling her she was going the wrong way. Many people don’t hear that voice too much anymore―the voice that leads to regret. While we try to avoid regret in our life, it still has its place. Regret is meant for us to feel sad, to be repentant, or to be disappointed over a missed opportunity or missed mark. God will use regret in our life as a big, yellow light (a sign) that tells us to slow down, change direction, or to be careful.
In today’s culture, we think being right and/or wrong as “relative”―we each have our own definitions. But, we cannot experience grace from God until we realize our wrong and get to a place of regret. If we don’t realize the need for grace, we cannot realize the power of grace. The worst diseases do not have any symptoms. Sin is this way. We ignore the warning signs, and wake up one day realizing we’re on the wrong road, headed in the wrong direction. We need to be shaken from our complacency and realize there is a God in heaven that wants to “catch us” so we can be made whole and right in Him again.
Paul warned Timothy “that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (I Timothy 4:1–2, KJV). People will get to a point when they can’t feel and hear God anymore, and they will turn away from the true faith because their conscience is dead. When we keep making excuses for our behavior, and don’t listen to the still small voice of God, we stop hearing it anymore―we stop feeing convicted. God provides a warning light from heaven to let us know that something isn’t right in our life, and we need to stop, look, and listen!
II Timothy 4:3–4 states, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (KJV). People will no longer listen to sound doctrine and teaching, and will look for teachers who tell them what they want to hear. Surgery doesn’t feel good, but the disease of sin will only be eradicated if God cuts open our hearts and removes everything that isn’t like Him. We need to desire for God to speak to us and pay attention to the yellow, flashing light!
We need to allow Jesus to point out any sin in our life, and via any method He chooses: prayer, sermon, or even another person! Let Him use whatever avenue to communicate, and when He does, listen! Jesus didn’t tell us that we can’t point out the wrong in others, but we need to make sure that we clean ourselves up first so we can be a light and spiritual help to others (Matthew 7:1–5).
We need to allow Jesus to identify the sin so we can yield to the regret and repent. Paul told the church in II Corinthians 7:10, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (KJV). Godly sorrow leads us away from sin and to salvation. Worldly sorrow lacks repentance that turns us around and sets us in the right direction. Worldly sorrow blurs the line of actual truth and causes us to compare ourselves to other people instead of the Word of God. Godly sorrow brings conviction; therefore, we need to look to Jesus.
When Jesus identifies a sin, He will deal with us in love. In the story found in John 8, Jesus didn’t condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery; He wanted to help fix her. It is here we learn what Jesus was to be for all of mankind. II Corinthians 5:21 notes, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (KJV). Jesus was to become our sin―every mistake we would ever make. God doesn’t bring up our sin for us to carry it with us for the rest of our days. Once we recognize the sin, He’s ready and willing to blot out that sin with His precious blood that was shed on Calvary.
While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God tries to bring His children to watershed moments of guilt and regret, all to give the pain purpose, which leads to a new direction in our life. If we stop and hear the preacher, listen to the still small voice of God, or abide by His Word, we will see what regret will produce in our life. God cares for His children, and He’s willing to stop us and change our direction. We just need to yield to Him.
