Pressing Toward The Goal

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

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.

Introduction: Background of Paul

this is the man that before Christ

Persecuted the church.

who had christians Murdered like Stephen.

who sent women and children to jail.

After christ!!

The man who wrote 13 letters of the new Testament

who established a number ministries in different locations of the world.

The bags, the crown, and the bible. illustration

This morning i come to tell you that he has qualified you to run!!!!

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

12 Not that I have already attained

1. Dissatisfied**** in order to press toward the goal we must be DISSATISFIED

The man who wrote 13 letters of the new testament.

The man who planted church’s

The man who built leaders

He was called by God

He was anointed to preach the Gospel

He was one of the greatest Missionaries to walk the earth.

While he was an educated man with so many spiritual accomplishments he says “NOT THAT I HAVE ALREADY ATTAINED”

this is a statement of the great christian who never permitted himself to be satisfied spiritually.

How is your spiritual condition this morning?

Many christians are satisfied because they compare their running with other christians, usually those who are not making much progress. WE ARE NOT COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER

what’s interesting here is that Paul is not competing with other believers… he could have been tempted to bost!!

Paul is doing a spiritual evaluation of his… a checklist

SELF EVALUATION WITH JESUS

when was the last time you did an evaluation of your spiritual condition?

two this happen

Get better, you improve.

stay the same, and get worse.

The New King James Version Psalm 42

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

don’t be satisfied BE dissatisfied

satisfied with jesus

dissatisfied with your spiritual condition.

Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplish spiritually but by what you haven’t accomplished.

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

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,

but one thing I do...

2. DEVOTION****

The phrase one thing is important to the christian life.

Only one thing matters.

One thing thou lack said Jesus to the self-righteous rich young ruler (mark 10:21)

One thing is needful he explained to busy Martha when she criticised her sister (Luke 10:42)

One thing I know exclaimed the man who have received his sight by the power of Jesus Christ (John 9:25)

One thing I have desired of the Lord and that I will seek (psalms 27:4)

Too many Christians are too involved in many things, when the secret of progress is to concentrate on “one thing”

The believer must devote himself to running the Christian race no athlete succeeds by doing everything he succeeds by specializing in one thing

The winners are those who concentrate who keep their eyes on the goal and let nothing distract let nothing distract them.

When people came to distract Nehemiah

I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down (Neh 6:3)

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

second part of verse 13

forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

Direction****

You don't have a clear sense of direction if you're traveling forward but looking backwards.

Please keep in mind that in Bible terminology “to forget” does not mean to fail to remember.

We may wish that we could erase certain bad memories but we cannot “to forget” in the Bible means “no longer To be influenced by or affected by”

It simply means that we break the power of the past by living for the future. We cannot change the past but we can change the meaning of the past.

There were things in Paul’s past that could have been weights to hold him back... but they became inspiration to speed him ahead. The events did not change but his understanding of them changed.

A good example of this principle is Joseph when he met his brothers the second time and reveal himself to them . To be sure they had mistreated him but he saw the pass from God's point of view.

Joseph KNEW that God had a plan for his life. A race for him to run and in fulfilling that plan and looking ahead he broke the power of the past.

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

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

Determination *****

I press.. The same verb is translated “I follow after”

A man does not become a winning athlete by listening to lectures watching movies reading books or cheering at the games.

He becomes a win athlete by getting into the game and determining to win.

The Christian runner with the spiritual mind realizes that God must work in him if he is going to win the race.

Without me you can do nothing (John 15:5)

God works in us that he might work through us.!!!

As we apply ourselves to the things of the spiritual life God is able to mature us and strength from us for the race.

1st Tim Ch 4:7,8 NKJV

7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

1st corinthians (Chapter 9) 24-27 NKJV

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified

1st Corinthians (Chapter 9) 24-27 NLT

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

I want to tell you this morning that God has qualified you!!

Run the race!!

Run even if people don't believe in you.

Run even when people say it's not possible

Run when everything seems well

Run when all hell has broken loose

Run with a dissatisfied spirit knowing that the better version of you is ahead.

Run with a heart devoted to him who has called you.

Run with clarity and direction.

Run with determination that no matter what comes your way you won't look back

English Standard Version HEBREWS (Chapter 10)

39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.