INTRODUCTION:

       A. "The Civil War left a tragic aftermath of bitterness, hatred, and resentment in 
            America.  The wounds inflicted by the war were deep and painful.  Though the 
            guns fell silent, the angry recriminations went on.  Many could not forget or 
            forgive what had been done.  Exchanges between former enemies rarely
            rose above the level of angry accusations and scornful denunciations.

            One man who refused to participate in or condone this terrible harvest of 
            bitterness was General Robert E. Lee.  In word and deed, Lee urged 
            reconciliation between the North and South.  He knew that the war was over
            and that the future of the nation demanded a new attitude for a new day.  To
            the day of his death, the "Gray Knight" was never heard to speak an unkind
            word about those who had formerly been his enemies.  Lee even opposed
            the erection of Confederate monuments because he thought they would only
            serve to keep wartime passions alive.

            On one occasion a lady in Lexington, Virginia showed him the scarred
            remains of a tree in her yard.  During a raid all the limbs had been shot off by
            Federal artillery.  Thinking the General would share her sense of outrage, she
            waited expectantly for him to comment.  Finally, Lee spoke, "Cut it down, my
            dear Madam, and forget it."  In many ways that is good advice for us." 

       B.  We are often guilty of living in the past as a body or as individuals.

      C.   In this lesson, let's learn to cut down and forget some  things.

   I.   PAST SLIGHTS, HURTS AND WRONGS.

       A.   Jesus taught that His forgiveness is conditioned on ours.

              1.   Matt. 18:35; 6:12 - "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you 
                    unless you forgive your brother from your heart." MATTHEW 18:35 (NIV)

                    Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. MATTHEW 
                    6:12 (NIV)

       B.   Brooding does us no good at all.

  II.   PAST LOSSES, DEFEATS AND FAILURES.

       A.   Regrets can "chain" us to the past. 

             1.   "If only things had been different..."

       B.   Phil. 3:13; 4:6 - "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold
              of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward
              what is ahead, PHILIPPIANS 3:13 (NIV)

              Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
              with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. PHILIPPIANS 4:6 (NIV)

 III.   PAST SORROWS, GRIEFS AND HEARTACHES.

       A.  Ps. 51:8 - David prayed that the bones that had been  broken might rejoice 
             again.

             Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 
             Psalm 51:8 (NIV)

        B.   Eccl. 3:4 - there is a time to weep.

        C. We can never let these things get the best of us.

  IV.   PAST MISTAKES AND SINS.

       A.   I Tim. 1:15 - Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

       B.   Ps. 51:2 - God is willing to wash us thoroughly.

              " Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin."  Psalm 51:2 (NIV)

          C.   Romans 6:17-18 - we can be free by obeying the form...

                 (17) "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you 
                 wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.
                 (18)  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to
                 righteousness."

   CONCLUSION:

        A.   Phil. 3:13-14 - Paul knew the value of "cutting down" some things in his
               past. 

               (13) "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one 
               thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
               (14) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me 
               heavenward in Christ Jesus."

       B.   Whatever stands between you and God or between you and your brother,
              "cut it down and forget it."