Overcome the Past with Christ

End the year strong!

Watch the video or read the blog below.

No one likes to deal with pain. If you knew you were going to hurt your back picking up something you would avoid it and you would be wise in avoiding it. But what if I told you that pain is a gift from God. 

I read an article about a little girl who had Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (CIP). It's a rare genetic disorder where you are unable to sense pain. For some that sounds like great news. No more pain. But this little girl thought she was a super hero. She would bet all her friends in the school yard with odd challenges. She would let people cut her or break her finger and she wouldn't cry. This little girl made a lot of money at school but this was a nightmare for her parents. They had inspected her daily from head to toe. She could cut a major artery and bleed to death and she wouldn't address it in time because there is no pain to indicate something is wrong. Pain is important. 

Pain is a warning sign that something is wrong. Why do I share this with you? Because when we speak upon overcoming the past, most people will think of a painful past. Maybe it's something that victimized you or maybe a shameful past that you would rather forget happened. But if the memory still hurts you, that is a sign that something is wrong and it needs healing. 

Whatever is happening in your heart right now with whatever memory has surfaced bringing pain is what we are going to address today. Because you can overcome the past with Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit today we are going to end the year strong. 

• Maybe you're struggling with the pain of unfair loss. 

• Maybe the loss came due to someone else's choices

• Maybe you lost your family or a spouse walked out on you. 

• Maybe you lost your career due to a coworker who lied about you

• Maybe you lost your community because of someone's gossip

• Maybe you lacked moral judgement and made the mess you're living in yourself. 

When such things happen we demand justice. If you're the victim you want the person who did you wrong to pay for what they did. You want them to feel the pain of what they caused you. You want them to grovel at your feet and beg for forgiveness. You want them to say, "I'm sorry" The problem is that you can get justice, you can get revenge but none of it will heal you. None of it will help you move on. And waiting for an apology is a daily decision to let them hurt you everyday. 

So today I want to talk about two people in the bible. One who was hurt, the other who betrayed. 

Let's open our Bibles to Luke 22: 31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

33But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

34Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Imagine being in Simon's aka Peter's shoes. It must have been painful to face the fact that you denied Jesus after promising you would go anywhere he was, even prison and death. As you know Peter does deny him three times. But there are three lessons we can pull away from Peter. I want you to take a moment to reflect on these three points. 

1. Peter's first mistake was he overestimated his strength. 

   1. Are you overestimating your strength? Do you really think you can handle that pain that you have buried deep inside. Or the shameful secret that is making you sick. What about Trauma? Trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience causing lasting emotional, psychological, or physical harm, stemming from a shocking event (like abuse, disaster, accident) or ongoing stress that overwhelms coping abilities, leading to issues with safety, self-perception, and emotional regulation, often with symptoms like flashbacks, anxiety, or severe shock long after the event. Its a pain, a warning sign that needs to be addressed. Are you trying to handle it in your strength? Let me tell you right now, you can't. But Jesus can. 

2. Peters second mistake was he Feared the disapproval of others

   1. When Jesus was arrested, Peter followed Jesus from a distance but he was recognized. At first it was a little servant girl by the fire and Peter denied it. Then an hour later someone recognized his accent for being a Galilean and again Peter denied it. 

   2. Has that ever happened to you? You don't want to be known as one of those people so you try to look more worldly than holy so you can fit in. 

   3. Maybe you fear what people will think of your past. What will they say if they know the truth, how will they treat you? Do you fear losing friends or respect? 

3. Peter speaks without thinking- TRIGGERS

   1. In Matthew 26: 74 when Peter is questioned yet again it says, "Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, "I don't know the man" 

   2. Peter's reaction at this point is intense and emotional, reflecting his fear and desperation. Some may say he felt "triggered" Satan knew the questions were bothering him so he kept poking with the same strategy. Satan is gonna keep pulling the triggers till you decide to heal. 

Then in verse 75, Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times" An he went outside and wept bitterly. 

We learned Peter's mistakes now let's talk about his journey to healing. 

1. Wept Bitterly

Believe it or not this is the point where Peter realizes his strength would not pull him through, nor his fear of others disapproval or his irrational outburst, none can save him and he is left with pain of failure. But he wept. 

It's okay to grieve. A lot of church people treat pain like a to do list, some type of formula but if you don't grieve it you can't receive the promise that Jesus gave us on Mount Sanai. 

2. Received the Promise:Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn,for they will be comforted.

Allow me to say, I'm sorry for what happened to you. It's ok to grieve, you don't have to pretend that nothing is wrong, or try to be strong. You can't heal what you hide. Some of you are grieving a failed marriage, a broken relationship within the family, a betrayal or a moral failure on your part. Grieve it and get ready for the comforter. 

3. Small Groups

4. You know what brought Peter over the top, a small group. 

   1. In John 20:20 it says that he was in a locked room because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders and suddenly Jesus appeared saying, "Peace be with you" 

   2. When you're face to face with your pain you will have to fight every urge to isolate. Go congregate with believers. I love small groups cause Jesus always shows up. And as you know from that day forth it was a journey but Peter strengthened his brothers. 

32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

I share this because like Peter I struggled with the same. Most of you know my story but for those who don't I had a rough childhood. My father did some horrible things to me and my family. For a long time I really thought I could handle it with my own strength. It was a painful past that was bleeding into the present and my future and I lived from one trigger to the next having irrational outburst after outburst hurting others around me till I felt like a failure and worried about what people would think of me. Then one day God asked me for something that was too much for me to bear at the time. He asked me to forgive my dad for everything he did. My dad wasn't asking for forgiveness, God was asking me to give forgiveness. 

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.- Ephesians 4:32 

One day I was doing the dishes and I couldn't get past what Jesus did for me on the cross, how could I hold back forgiveness. He bore my sins and forgave me. So I got in my car, drove to the house where my dad was and opened the front door. And I felt like all of hell heard about what was happening because the lump in my throat started to choke me, my feet felt heavy and I had to physically pull myself up the stairs. It felt like I had a dozen demons' hands all trying to grip, choke and stop me, but once I did it, I was free. Life was different, everything was different and I needed help so I joined a small group called Purity and Peace and I sat with women like me. Do you see why I can't stop telling the world around me about what He did for me. A decade later I'm leading the small group sessions and training the Leaders of Purity and Peace. If you surrender it to Christ, he can build on it. 

32But I have prayed for you, Zaibel, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your sisters.”

Take that scripture and plug in your name. Where is Jesus today, at the right hand of the father interceding for you. Pain and Failure is not the end with Jesus. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Now let's talk about Jesus. His sole purpose was to bring forgiveness, to bridge the gap that was created by sin separating us from the FATHER. When Jesus comes back to talk to Peter, notice Peter doesn't apologize, but Jesus isn't asking for an apology. Jesus asked him, "do you love me" not once but three times saying but feed my sheep. We are called to be imitators of Christ, but when it comes to forgiveness for the pain wronged against us we play God. 

Allow me to explain. Jesus' sole purpose was to die for the sins of the world. So when you refuse to forgive you are undoing the work of the cross. Think about it. Instead of being Christ like, you're behaving like a tool of the enemy making yourselves enemies of God. 

What side are you on? 

Peter returning to Jesus was an act of Faith and Jesus forgave him and took that pain and built upon it. At the end of Peter's life, he spoke boldly of Jesus, he no longer cared what people thought, he evangelised and brought others to Jesus. Peter, the one who denied Jesus, became the man willing to die for him like he initially said. He truly loved Jesus, the question is do you. Because if you did, you would face this pain you are trying to hide and forgive. 

Forgive them, Forgive yourself, and Receive God's forgiveness. Let's move into 2026 free from the past. Let's overcome it with Jesus.