Untitled Sermon (132)

KEEPING YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE

INTRODUCTION:

TOO MANY CHRISTIANS GET CAUGHT UP IN THINGS “ AND LOSE THE JOY AND PEACE THEY OUGHT TO HAVE IN CHRIST.

OUR HEARTS AND MINDS SHOULD BE CENTERED ON THINGS THAT ONLY PERTAIN TO THE THINGS OF GOD.

IN ORDER FOR US TO MAINTAIN OUR FOCUS, WE MUST TREMOVE ANYTHING OUT OF OUR LIVES THAT WOULD CAUSE US TO LOSE SIGHT OF CHRIST.

PAUL LOOKED AT THREE THINGS IN HIS LIFE THAT CAUSED HIM TO KEEP HIS EYES ON THE PRIZE.

HIS PAST ( PHILIPPIANS 3:1-11)

HIS PRESENT (PHILIPPIANS 3:12-16)

HIS FUTURE (PHILIPPIANS 3:17-21)

A, HIS PAST

Philippians 3:4–11 “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection…”

PAUL VIEWED HIS LIFE BEFORE CHRIST AS RELIGIOUS. HE HAD THE LETTER BUT NOT THE SPIRIT. PAUL HAD TO LOSE HIS RELIGION IN ORDER FOR HIM TO SEEK ETERNAL LIFE. HOW MANY OF US IF WE DID NOT HAVE A PAST WOULD NOT KNOWN THAT WE NEEDED JESUS.

IT TOOK DISGRACE IN ORDER FOR US TO FIND GRACE. PAUL SEEN HIS PAST AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAN A SETBACK.

PAUL WARNED THE SAINTS IN PHILIPPI IT IS A DANGER TO WORSHIP MAN OVER WORSHIPING GOD IN THE SPIRIT.

PAUL USED HIS PAST AS A EXAMPLE , THAT IT IS NEVER TO LATE TO TURN BACK TO GOD NO MATTER HOW BAD YOUR PAST LOOK. HOW MANY OF US LOOK AT OUR PAST, AND SEE THAT GOD’S GRACE EXTEND WAY BEYOND OUR PAST.

GOD HAS ENOUGH GRACE FOR ANYONE WHO IS WILLING TO GIVE UP THERE OWN SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. PAUL PAST SHOWED HIM JUST HOW FAR HE WAS DISTANT FROM GOD. IF GOD HAD NOT REVEALED HIMSELF TO PAUL, PAUL WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THE CONDITION HE WAS IN.

MANY OF US IF GOD HAD NOT SHOWN UP WHEN HE DID , WE WOULD HAVE SELF DESTRUCT. YOUR PAST CAN EITHER TAKE YOU FROWARD OR KEEP YOU STUCK IN YOUR PAST.

John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

B. HIS PRESENT

Philippians 3:12–16 “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”

IN PAUL PRESENT WALK WITH GOD, PAUL WAS HONEST WITH HIMSELF WHERE HE WAS IN CHRIST. PAUL DID NOT CLAIM TO KNOW IT ALL. WHEN YOU GET HONEST WITH GOD, YOU LEAVE ROOM FOR YOURSELF TO GROW. BUT WHEN YOU CLAIM TO KNOW IT ALL, YOU ARE SETTING YOURSELF UP TO FALL.

PAUL STAYED IN HIS PRESENT, SO THAT ANYTHING IN HIS PAST WOULD NOT HINDER HIM FROM GOING AFTER THE PRIZE AND THAT PRIZE WAS CHRIST JESUS.

PAUL DESIRED A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD, SO THAT HIS LIFE AND SERVICE TO GOD WOULD BE A REFLECTION TO OTHER’S HOW HE LIVES OUT HIS CHRISTIAN LIFE.

THE FIRST STEP FOR A CHRISTIAN TO STEP INTO HIS PRESENT, HE MUST FORGET ABOUT HIS PAST FAILURES AND PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS SO THAT GOD CAN WORK THROUGH HIS LIFE IN THE NOW.

WHEN GOD HAS SET YOU FREE, NOTHING WILL GET IN YOUR WAY OF PURSUING HIM. YOU WILL PRESS FORTH EVEN IF YOU’RE BEING PERSECUTED. GOD HAS CALLED US TO A HIGHER CALLING IN HEAVENLY PLACES, WHERE WE CANNOT LOVE THE THINGS OF THE WORLD. IF WE DO , WE WILL LOSE OUT ON THE PRIZE THAT GOES WITH OUR HEAVENLY CALLING.

1 Corinthians 9:25–27 “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

C. HIS FUTURE

Philippians 3:17–21 “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (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: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

PAUL FUTURE WAS LOOKING BRIGHT BECAUSE ALL HE WANTED TO KNOW CHRIST JESUS IN THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS, BEING MADE CONFORMABLE UN TO HIS DEATH; PAUL WAS ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT ONE THING AND IT WAS LIVING RIGHT BEFORE GOD.

THE PROBLEM WITH MANY CHRISTIANS THEY ARE MORE PREOCCUPIED WITH THINGS IN THE WORLD, WERE THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHO HOLDS THERE FUTURE. WHEN YOU KNOW WHO HOLDS YOUR FUTURE , YOU CAN HAVE JOY AND REST IN THE LORD. WE WHO LOVE THE LORD AND LIVE FOR HIM, HAVE CITIZENSHIP IN HEAVEN. SO WHEN CHRIST JESUS COME BACK HE WILL GIVE US OUR REWARDS ACCORDING TO HOW WE LIVE BEFORE HIM AND SERVE HIM.

IN MY CLOSING JESUS SAID IN THE WORLD YE SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION: BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.