PRESS ON

Philippians 3:10-14

My brothers and sisters, my prayer today is that you do not allow your familiarity with this particular passage to cloud your receptivity to the clear and concise message that God wants to convey through this country preacher. That message is very simple. It is not nestled behind big words expressed through a string of complicated conjectures, you won't need a Doctorate in theology, or a Masters in divinity. You simply need the understanding of a little small child today the message that I want you to get from this sermon today is simply this, PRESS ON!

These two simple words spoken by the apostle Paul should serve today as an exhortation to us, that no matter what you face, no matter the obstacle, no matter the failure, press on. Paul was not merely speaking, he was living what he was speaking. When Paul writes this letter to the church at Philippi, he was writing from jail. Again, this was not Paul's first time facing the adversity of jail and after the first arrest, he simply could have given up and stopped pressing forward.

The first time he was arrested, he and Silas were going to the place of prayer when a slave girl with a spirit of divination came upon them and followed them yelling out, “these men are servants of God who proclaim the way of salvation” and this little girl continued to do this for several days and when Paul had become annoyed, he commanded the spirit out of her in the name of Jesus Christ. The people whipped Paul and Silas good because the little girl made them a lot of money and Paul had cut off their income stream.

Paul here could have given up, yet he pressed on. Watch, here it is, because he pressed on, the jailer in the place that he was imprisoned was converted after the prayer meeting that Paul and Silas held at midnight. The Bible records that Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns at midnight when all of a sudden the earth quaked and the jail shook and the doors of the jail swung open and all of those who were bound inside the prison were set free and the jailer came in seeing that all the men had been loosed, drew his sword and was going to kill himself, but Paul looks at the jailer and says to him, do not harm yourself, we are all here. Right then and there, the jailer said, “What must I do to be saved? Now watch, here it is, somebody’s exposure to God is dependent on your decision to Press On.

On three other occasions, Paul was thrown into prison, but he never stopped pressing on. I'm here today to serve notice to you, that although there may be some things that have stood in your way, some things that have hindered you, some things that have discouraged you along the way. You've probably gone through some experiences in life that have made you want to throw in the towel. You've probably had moments like Asaph in the 73rd Psalm. Asaph said, “As for me my feet almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. Looking at a people the wicked who seemed to have no struggles, but Asaph felt like he, himself was going through hell and high water and all he wanted to do was God's will. You may have felt like Elijah when he fled from Jezebel who was trying to kill him simply for delivering God’s word. He ran and hid from Jezebel and the bible says that he sat down under a juniper tree and said to God, take my life away but here today, my brothers and sisters you're still here, and that signifies that God still has promise and purpose for you and your life, and all I'm trying to tell you here today is that no matter what it looks like right now PRESS ON.

We have too many Christians sitting at home, and some that are sitting in the pews that have stopped pressing on, because of setbacks in their past, because of something that was done in the past, because they're holding on to the past, but the reality of the enemies design is to bring division and he wants that division to start right here in God's house.

Watch, here it is, so many that were a part of the body of Christ have stopped pressing on because of…. This might mess with you…..

1. They're holding on to the past.

2. The church is holding on to the past.

But can I suggest to you today, look at your neighbor and say neighbor, the past is just that, the past. deliver me from folks that have a “I remember when” type of spirit. Well I come to serve notice to those I remember when folks, yes I remember when, but I no longer live at that address. I've relocated and I've torn that old building down. I'm working on a new house not made with man's hands. And so, if you want to be stuck there at that old residence, looking at a place of emptiness, go right on ahead, but As for me I'm pressing on, the upward way, new heights I'm gaining, every day, no higher plane, that I have found, Lord plant my feet on solid ground.

Side view mirror analogy – Side view mirrors are convex (bulging or curved surface) and give a distorted distance, so things look nearer. This bulging-out surface reflects light outwards and is not used to focus light.

My brothers and sisters I stopped by to serve notice to you today just to let somebody know here it is let me help you that your yesterday has no power over your today.

1st thing in the text that the Lord dropped in my spirit, 1st point, Point number 1, IT'S OK TO NOT BE “THERE” YET.

You see it there in the text, Paul says in verse #12 not that I have already attained it or have already become perfect. That word perfect there means mature. I'm just going to drop a pin right there some of us have been coming to church for 20 years plus and have not yet matured but, I stopped by to tell you that today is the first day that you ought to say to yourself I'm pressing on I'm pressing on I'm moving toward the mark oh a high call in Christ Jesus.

If you back up a few verses to verses 4 through 6 Paul has given his resume of all his qualifications of why he could really say that he had made it:

· he was circumcised on the 8th day

· he was of the nation of Israel

· he was of the tribe of Benjamin

· he was a pharisee

· he was an early persecutor of the church

· as to righteousness in the law he considered himself blameless

but he says I count all of that as lost for the sake of Christ my God

y'all won't like me for this one, we've got too many people looking for a degree upon degree, and year after year of school, seminary after seminary, searching for a title, using words that need and encyclopedia just to understand, but all the people really need is a word that helps them through the trials and tough times of life and sometimes a word that will help them through some tough times trials and tribulations.

Paul says all those accolades I have gained or counted as loss for the sake of Christ. He says I've got all these things but yet I still have not attained it.

My God, can I stop by real quick just to help somebody out here today. Somebody in here has put yourself on this unrealistic time clock that you have got to achieve this or achieve that by a certain age, but because you haven't achieved it yet, you think that's failure., but can I suggest to you today that where you are is right where God wants you to be. It's OK if it takes you six years to get a four year degree. When they print the degree on the piece of paper, it doesn't say Bachelor of Science in six years, it just says Bachelor of Science degree. Your degree will say the same thing after six years as the person's degree who got it in four. I stopped by to tell you today PRESS ON

It's OK that you didn't get the promotion on the job the first time you went for the interview. God had some more grooming to do before you stepped into the role. But when they promote you, they don't introduce you as the supervisor who got promoted after two tries, the supervisor who got promoted after three tries, they just say I'd like to introduce you to the new supervisor and all I'm trying to tell you my brothers and sisters if you are where you want to be if you hadn't got it when you want it to get it if it doesn't look like you want it to look KEEP PRESSING ON

Second and last point. Not only must you understand that it's OK not to be there yet, second thing I want you to understand is, once you accept that you're not there yet, PRESS ON

You see it there in the text. He says it in verse 12 and he repeats it again in verse 14. I PRESS I PRESS I PRESS FORWARD

My brothers and sisters, this word here, press, Paul assimilates (that's just a big word for compares it to) a runner/sprinter in a race. This word here press is not just for a jogger out for a leisurely run. This press forward Paul uses here is likened to a runner who's an Olympic athlete that's trying to win a gold medal. pause not only says you've got to press, but you've got to press forward.

my brothers and sisters today I want you to understand that what's behind you can't hurt what's in front of you, you're yesterday has no real power over your today.

Scripture declares that his mercies are renewed each morning limitations, the book of grief and sorrow simply tells us in Chapter 3:22-23. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. I stopped by to tell you that your grief and sorrow is yesterday's news today's headlines read PRESS AND PRESS FORWARD.

You've had disappointments and discouragements, but PRESS ON.

You've had some trials and some tribulations, but PRESS ON.

You’ve had some weary days and sleepless nights but PRESS ON.

You’ve cried some tears late in the midnight hour but I come to serve notice that joy comes in the morning weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning just PRESS ON.

Now, I skipped over verse #10 because I wanted to come back and close with verse #10. Is it alright if I close with verse #10 today?

Paul says all my accolades and pedigree is worthless what I really want to know is Christ and the power of his resurrection, that I might become like him in his death.

My brothers and sisters, when I know who he is and the power of his resurrection, that is what gives me the power to PRESS ON.

And my brothers and sisters the reason that I can press down here today is because of what my grandma told me when I was sitting on the mourning bench as a little boy at 13 years old, she said son I can't get it for you, some things you just gotta get for yourself. I can't know who God he is for you you've got to know who he is for yourself.

That's why the Psalmist in Psalms 34:8 penned the words, “O taste and see that the Lord is good. You can’t taste it for me, I’ve got to taste it for myself.

And my brothers and sisters because I've tasted it for myself I can press on because I've realized that from genesis to revelations he's been right there. He'll never leave me nor will he forsake me. He was there from the foundations of the world.

The Psalmist in Psalms 90:2, said Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

And so since he's been here from everlasting and everlasting he shall be I can press on I've seen evidence of him in every book that I've visited in the Bible.

• In Genesis, Jesus Christ is the Seed of the woman

• In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.

• In Leviticus, He is our High Priest.

• In Numbers, He is the Pillar of cloud by day and the Pillar of fire by night

• In Deuteronomy, He is the Prophet like unto Moses.

• In Joshua, He is the Commander of the Lord’s army.

· In Ruth, He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

• In Job, He is our ever-living Redeemer.

• In Psalms, He is our Shepherd.

• In Proverbs, He is our Wisdom.

• In Jeremiah and Lamentations, He is our weeping Prophet.

• In Ezekiel, Wheel in The Middle of A Wheel

• In Habakkuk, he is the Watchman

• In Haggai, He is the Restorer

• In Malachi, He is the Son of Righteousness

• In Matthew, He is King of the Jews. the Messiah. the Christ, the Son of the

living God.

• In Mark, He is the Servant. Miracle Worker

• In Luke, The Son of Man.

• In John, the way, truth and life

• In Romans, He is the Justifier.

• In Philippians, He is our Joy.

• In I, II Peter, He is the Chief Cornerstone

• In I, II, III John, He is our Truth and Everlasting Life

• In Revelation, He is The King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

◦ The world didn’t understand him,

◦ The armies couldn’t defeat Him,

◦ The schools can't explain Him, and

◦ The leaders can't ignore Him.

◦ Herod couldn't kill Him,

◦ The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and

◦ The grave couldn't hold Him!