Pressing Into The New Year

Philippians 3:12-14

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Introduction

I am so thankful God has brought us to a close of one year and the start of a new one.

Many of us have been through a lot in 2022.

Many of us are making or have made resolutions to do better.

I pray that you have made being in full fellowship with God your number one resolution.

It’s okay to want to do better financially, obtain wealth and material things. If it’s God’s will, you can have the things you desire.

It’s okay to want to lose weight and exercise more. It’s okay to set goals of new careers, higher education, and so forth.

But be reminded that if we meet every resolution we’ve made, it doesn’t mean anything without a deeper relationship with Christ.

It is written in Mark 8:36 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

Paul tells us what he thinks of his gains compared to what he gained in Christ. In Philippians 3:7-8 he says “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish ( or count them as dung in KJV), that I may gain Christ” .

Pressing On

You may not be satisfied with your relationship with Christ and that’s a good thing. It is godly to want more of our Lord.

It’s okay to desire a deeper relationship with Christ. I remember a secular song back in the 60’s titled “I’m A Greedy Man.” It’s alright to want a double portion of God’s blessings and favors.

But don’t let thoughts and guilt of falling this past year discourage you from pressing on in 2023!

KEEP ON PRESSING!!!

Be Careful and Don’t Be Over-Confident

Paul wasn’t over confident. He confessed that he wasn’t there yet. He said; “not that I have already attained, or am already perfected but I press on.”

Satan will send us a spirit of pride and superiority to make us think we’ve already completed the race in the middle of the race.

You remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. The hare thought he had the race all sewed up, so the hare took naps, became complacent and let that spirit of pride lure him to take a nap, and the tortoise won the race.

Satan is working on us trying to get us to think it don’t take all of what the saints used to do and we wind up in a state of complacency. Carnality has crept in because of this complacency.

He’s trying to make us like that hare. Puffed up with pride and taking spiritual naps.

Paul was a prominent man who had everything he needed until Jesus changed his life on the road to Damascus. Ever since that encounter, Paul began to press toward the upward call, but he didn’t ever think he had arrived and had it made.

We Have To Forget The Past Reaching Towards The Future

Press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

When we’re pressing toward the upward call of God we can’t keep looking back.

When a runner looks back, it decreases his speed.

When we keep looking in our rearview mirror, we stop looking at what’s in front of us and could wind up in a wreck.

Our adversary is always busy laying stumbling blocks in our way. If we keep looking back, we’re sure to trip and fall.

There was a video of a man who was running a race and it looked as though he was going to win, but he fell. The other runners ran past him. He got up and completed the race. The point is, he completed the race. We might fall, but we must get up and complete the race! It doesn’t matter who comes in first in this race, as long as we finish the course!

Conclusion

When we press, Jesus is pressing with us! If we face tough times, try knowing Jesus better through those tough times. Going through a tough season allows us to know Him better. When we come out on the other side of the trial, we will be better than we were before the trial even showed up because Jesus was right there with us.

There was another video of a young man named Derek running a race in the 1992 Olympics. He tore his hamstring. Derek suffering from excruciating pain tried to finish the race. He kept pressing toward the finish line. His father Jim Redmond came out of the stands and helped him finish the race. He didn’t win a medal, but he finished the race.

We may have missed the mark in some things.

Maybe someone allowed anger to dominate the past year and you think you’re out of the race.

Maybe someone allowed an addiction to dominate the past year and you think you’re out of the race.

Maybe someone let doubt and fear dominate the past year.

Maybe someone let gossip and complaining dominate the past year.

Maybe someone let procrastination or apathy dominate.

Maybe someone let their flesh get in the way.

Maybe we didn’t love God and our neighbor the way we were commanded to do.

Maybe someone let sin dominate their past year.

There are some things we have to deal with going into the new year but know this.

Just like Derek Redmond’s father came showed up and helped his son finish the race through all of the pain he suffered, can’t you see Jesus showing up in your painful situation, pick you up and carry you to the finish line?

Jesus left a promise to His disciples and His disciples today; “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”