Philippians 3:15-21 - The Mind, Walk, & Rule
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I titled today’s message:
“The mind, walk, & rule”
based off verse 16
each of these things is speaking towards the same thing:
The way in which we live
how we are living our life.
Everyone has a mindset
A mindset is a person's established
set of attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions
Everyone has a walk
the direction they are heading in life
how they live they’re life.
Everyone has rules
they live by
you hear people say
I live by these set of rule …
Our passage today leads us to
what kind of a
what kind of a mindset walk, and rule,
followers of Jesus have.
This is a massive
important
section.
because it deals with
the way we live our life.
Pray
lets read
Philippians 3:15 (NKJV)
15 Therefore....
What is it there for?
12 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. 13 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, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Pastor Dale taught on this section last week.
to be a one thing people.
forgetting those things which are behind.
as pastor Dale pointed out -
not an amnesia forget, but not letting the past define who you are.
not letting the past control who you are.
being a pressing on people
laying hold of that which Jesus laid hold of me.
so that is what is being talked about in this therefore
as a result of pressing toward the goal, the upward call of God
knowing this lets see what Paul says in verses 15-16
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
So here is the mind, walk, & rule:
the thinking, and way of living.
In way are we thinking, in what way are we living?
To be pressing on.
laying hold of what God has for you,
forgetting the past
pressing on to the upward call in Christ Jesus
this is later contrasted with how most of the world
walks
following the appetites of the flesh,
it says
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
In Jesus is an upward call!
there is purpose
a direction thats moving up
not to destruction
and also not stuck in the past
with it failures, mistakes, and heart aches
but hope, healing, growing, meaning , purpose
in Jesus, His upward call of God in Jesus
connected with our previous section of gaining Jesus
of ginosko Jesus
experientially knowing Him
Because He leads us!
its a pressing on
to lay hold of that which He laid hold of us
Its following Jesus!
What does He have for me?
What does He want to work on?
What He want me to do?
So much better than
being a slave to sin,
and to the flesh
When Jesus laid hold of me
Everything I need is in Christ
I can go to Him for everything
He leads me on where i should go!
THats the point i want to now press to the upward call
Ps 23 says the Lord is my shepherd!
I once a sheep with no shepherd!
Now i am cared for, loved, protected,
I am led to where to go!
Paul so badly wants the church to grasp this.
its why he is exhorting in
in verse 15
MIND:
those who are spiritually mature
to have this mind
the gk word mind isnt anything wild here
its your thinking
so thinking of these things
thinking of pressing on
thinking of that upward call
thinking
I want to gain Jesus
all of what He wants for me
all He has for me I want.
I want go where He wants me to go
I want to grow in what He wants me to grow!
this brings us to an opportunity to think about our thoughts
do we have this mind?
are my thoughts dealing with my upward call of God?
What do we set our mind on?
verse 18 says many set their mind on earthly things.
Whats the first things we think of?
What kind of thoughts do we have
when were driving in the car,
taking a walk.
Are thinking of
Pressing on toward whats ahead?
if not, whats keeping us back
from what God has for each of us?
if not then Paul points out in the
the end of verse 15 says
“if in anything you think otherwise God will reveal even this to you.
Pauls like I dont need to convince you
to think like this
God will show you
He will teach you to think like this.
Which shows us such an important part to all this is !
He reveals.
because we are His work
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
If we are not pressing on,
if we are hanging on to your past letting it control our lives.
The Lord will reveal it to You!
to desire what He has for you
because this has to do with our maturing
our growing
which takes us to
Philippians 3:16 (NKJV)
16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
“to the degree we have already attained”
so first the Lord reveals it,
then we attain it.
He began the work in us
we attained
and we press on
Then He will reveal what we need to grow in or do
we attain
and we press on. to whats ahead
reveal, attain, press on
it shows how we grow but also
shows us we are at different points in this process
we are at different maturity level.
of pressing on
of growing in the Lord.
but no matter where we are in that process
no matter to what you have attained..
the command is press on…
keep going forward.
of forgetting whats behind and pressing on
No where we are at in the process
We are doing the same thing
just were at different places, and stages
in that process.
So we may be in different stages
but it is the same rule
it is the same walk
it is the same mind
and it doesn't matter where we are at in the process
what matters is that we are in that process
of the Lord growing us.
The important point Paul is making here is
that we are walking, by the same rule
having the same mind
pressing on, forgetting, laying hold.
so be walking in that.
Walk
which walk just means a way of living
the way you are living your life
the direction of your life
This shows us a putting to action
of what is in the mind.
Dont just think it
Do it
Put it in motion
it reminds me of ginosko that we been talking about
to experientially know
I am not just going to intellectually know but
know by experience to lay hold of what Jesus has for you
know by experience not letting the past have its power.
know experience pressing toward that upward call in Christ Jesus.
What kind of walk are we living?
Are we walking backwards stuck in the past?
Are walking in circles, moments when we are moving forward then
we start going backwards, then forwards again.
Are we pacing back and forth (this subject pulls at your heart, but you keep going back to what is holding you from what Jesus has for you
Where ever you are at in this process He will reveal to you
and He will do the work
for us to attain and then press on.
In what direction is our life going?
May it be pressing toward that upward call
and not like verse 18, walking like the world.
but
laying hold of that which He laid hold of us.
sharing in the words of David in
Psalm 119:133 (NKJV)
133 Direct my steps by Your word....
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.
in verse 16 it says walk by the same rule
Rule
its our rule.
not a rule for salvation
that gk word for rule is
sometimes translated to mean assignment.
Here is your assignment
Jesus has a call for each one of us,
He as an assignment
of growing & doing
a purpose a plan
Your assignment is to press on
to that upward call in Jesus
its the mind, walk, and rule
think it
move toward it
live for it.
and this is not just individually and
I dont think Paul was a vegetarian either
but he said let us
a few times here:
Let us - have this mind
Let us - walk by the same rule
Let us - be of the same mind
Us.... this is all believers.
Its a message for us to be unified in this
in seeking all the Christ has for us
we are united in not giving past its power
we are united together in pressing on.
to what God has for us
because this is so important
Paul wants to make sure
the church
gets this
and He is trusting the Lord will reveal it to them
if they dont get it
but Paul also says in verse 17
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.
Paul here encourages to follow His example
as he lives this way
note others who live this way
as they give us a pattern to follow.
I just thought how beautiful this is.
These people who are an example of living this way
it means they have a past they had to let go of
it means they have been pressing on to what Jesus has for them
Paul gives himself as an example
This guy has been persecuted, imprisoned, beaten stoned, ship wrecked, hungry thirsty, in danger, battled health issues
and despite these hard ships he pressed on.
He didn't let his past self righteousness have any power
He didn't let his hardships stop him
There was no well.... i have done enough. I have done a lot already
so ill stop, or slow down.
Paul is like God what is next, I want to lay hold of what you have laid hold of me
I want it all!
maybe you have gone through hardships
you been pressing on
God will use it!
Even in being an example to those around you.
Dont hide that example
you may be to someone
I know the Lord used an awesome brother in the Lord
who had a hardship i related to
and when I saw his example
of pressing on.
I knew I could do the same.
and the Lord had given me the desire
to be the same to others.
It helps when you see others doing it
seeing others living it
because while the past can have some strong
reasons to be held back.
these people who have gone through similair.
or have gone through worse
and they are pressing on
encourages us to forget whats behind and
press forward to what Jesus has for us!
So if you are a pressing on person
dont hide your example
let it be known!
Share your testimony
And lets note the pressing on people around us
and follow that pattern!
because that is walk to live!
doing the call Jesus has for us!
laying hold of that which He had lay hold of us.
their is purpose in that walk.
which is contrasted in verses 18-19
that is the bad example to not follow
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
So there is many people who walk in a way
that they are enemies of the cross
and its heart breaking
because their god is their belly
they are living according to the cravings of flesh
the appetite of sin.
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
thats the way many walk
thats rule of this world.
thats the way of the world.
but not for us
because as verse 20 says
that Paul shares in verses 20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Church our home is in Heaven.
The Philippians church would have well understood
this reference to citizenship
because
they were foreigners in a Roman city given a roman citizenship
they understood that your citzienship effected the way you live.
our citzenship is in heaven.
we can live like that
pressing on to that upward call of God in Jesus
i dont think there was one time when i was in disney land
that i thought of the traffic getting there.
or all the planning, and prepaation to make it there.
all the annoyances, didnt matter.
doesnt even cross your mind
The hardships, the hurts, the mistakes, and failures
isnt going to be something your think of there
or held back by..
citizens of heaven have a certain
walk, rule, and mind
they are about following Jesus.
an upward call of God.
The walk Jesus has for us is just so much better!
being freed from the pasts self righteousness
or past failures, or past hurts,
and living for Jesus, gaining Jesus, knowing Jesus
getting to know Him
pressing on to the upward call.
its so much bettrer
The past wants to control you
the flesh wants to control you
the world wants to influence you
the enemy wants harm you
may we share mind, walk, and rule
to be led by the Lord.
thinking, living, to the upward call.