If we are honest, all of us have things we could look back upon with regret. I’m sure if you are like me it doesn’t take long for certain things to flood your mind when you consider things you have regretted. However, regret is nothing new and when you go back through the Bible you will find different people who had regrets. Time and space will not permit us to examine all, but a few examples will suffice.

(i)Lot's Regret (Gen.19). Lot had chosen to take his family to live in the city of Sodom. This city was ungodly and God’s wrath burned hot against the city. God decided to destroy Sodom and warned righteous Lot (2 Pet.2:6-8) to get out of the city. Lot lost family members due to their love for the city. No doubt this man Lot regretted ever moving his family into Sodom and then Sodom moving into his family.

(ii)David’s Regret (Psa.51). Here is a man who committed the sin of adultery. In a moment of weakness David allowed him to be tempted and did something he would spend the rest of his life regretting. No doubt if he could go back in time and undo this action he would. David regretted his decision, action, and the consequence of his sin.

(iii)Peter’s Regret (Lk.22). This man was an apostle of Jesus Christ. He had many great memories of his time with Christ. However, one thing he never would have forgotten would be the rooster’s crow. The time he denied the Lord three times and then the rooster crowed calling to his mind what the Lord said He would do. After he sinned the Bible says he went out and wept bitterly. Tears of repentance flowed from his eyes. No doubt he regretted that night of weakness when he denied the Lord.

(iv)Judas regret (Matt.27). In Matt.27:3 the Bible says, “he was remorseful” in other words he regretted his actions of betraying the Lord. However, instead of regret and remorse leading to repentance, Judas took matters into his own hands and took his own life.

(v)Applications: How do we deal with regrets? (1) Face your mistake. We need to face the fact we sinned, blundered, fell short, etc. Will never correct what is wrong if we don’t first admit and confess our sin. (2) Confess it to the Lord. If we have already been baptized into Christ we need to confess our sins (I Jno.1:9) so they will be blotted out. God will blot the sin out of His book and remember it no more. (3) As much as possible; make it right. This will help your conscience and bring about reconciliation with the one you sinned against. (4) Don’t dwell on the past. We all have “cringe moments”, but we should not dwell on the past. If we stay focused on our past blunders it keeps us from living in the here and now. It is sad so many live in regret and not in grace.

There is a tendency to spread out and leave vacant pews in the front of the building. I have come to the conclusion that you will never be motivated to sit towards the front until you convince yourself of the value. Here are some reasons for sitting up front that you might want to consider:

1. BECAUSE IT IS CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS. People who come in late, especially visitors, want to be seated as quickly as possible. If they have to walk to the front of the auditorium to find a seat, it is quite embarrassing.

2. THERE ARE FEWER DISTRACTIONS DURING WORSHIP. By sitting towards the front, I avoid a lot of the distractions that disrupt my concentration during worship. I don’t see the latecomers filling in, nor the darling baby perched on mother’s shoulder. My mind is clear to marvel at the cross of Christ during the Lord’s Supper and to sing with understanding.

3. THE SINGING IS MORE ENJOYABLE. Sitting up front means all of the voices are pointed in your direction. You are surrounded by the sound of harmonious voices singing praises to God. I am stirred to sing more enthusiastically myself.

4. THE PREACHING IS BETTER. I’m serious. You miss a lot in the back of the auditorium. The expression of the face of the speaker (and the song leader) adds depth to the message being communicated. I feel more a part of the message, as if the speaker was talking directly to me.

5. IT MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT MY INTEREST AND INVOLVEMENT IN WHAT IS HAPPENING. Question: When you buy a ticket to a concert, the theater, or a sporting event, do you ask for the seat farthest away? When visitors see rows of empty pews at the front, what impression does that make on them about our involvement in worship and our excitement about the Lord? Okay, you’re still not convinced right? Hard to break old habits? Then let me challenge you with this one thought. Move to the front just one time and see if you can tell a difference in the meaning of worship. I believe some of you might be surprised at how much more you get out of (and put into) worship. The best seats in the house are at the front. There are still dome good seats available! Will you lead the way?