Philippians 3:12-21 Almost Home (Not there, yet)

Sing songs about heaven. Sing Higher Ground and Turn your eyes upon Jesus

End with I would be like Jesus

Press on!

Philippians 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.

I have to tell you As I prepared for this message I think about running. I must tell you I love to run. I started running over ten years ago. I have been very consistent with running. I hit a snag around 2020 but everyone hit a snag in everything around 2020 but it took me that long to train to be able to run my first half marathon that I did on my birthday, just before I wrote this sermon. The day I actually ran my first half marathon was easy. But don’t think that means that I’m up hear saying I ran a marathon and it was a piece of cake. NO, the reason it was easy is for YEARS I got up early in the morning, Made my feet hit the floor get my nose in the bible and then hit the pavement. I PRESSED ON TOWARDS THE GOAL. This message has nothing to do with running Paul just uses running a race as a metaphor for the Christian life. This is about the journey to heaven. You can run that race from a wheel chair in a walker or with two good feet. Their

Christians are not perfect, yet!

James 1:2–4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

The word perfect is interesting. I have to tell you I think that in Philippians 3.15 we are going to find the word mature, which probably fits better than the word perfect because the word means complete finished done. It like that song He’s still working on me.… It also could be like making brownies with my daughter. We break open an egg I say you can’t eat it yet it’s raw egg, we add the oil, ewe gross can’t eat that yet. I’m a guy so we add the box mix next. It’s getting better, but not done yet. We throw it in the oven and set the timer. Finally the timer buzzes can’t eat it yet, but it looks so good and smells so good can’t you smell them now taste them, but not done yet. After it sits finally finally I say PERFECT! Are those brownies perfect! No they are done. That is the way we intended to make them. You want to know when we will finally arrive, in heaven!!!!! COMPLETELY WHO GOD INTENDED US TO BE!!!!

We should reach for the prize!

Philippians 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,

NOT THERE YET! Who here is in heaven with Jesus, nope! You haven’t been given a tour of your heavenly home your running shoes haven’t tread the streets of gold, you haven’t been given the keys to your mansion in glory, you haven’t eaten from the tree of life, swam in the river of life, had Jesus name tattooed on your forehead (the first thing I intend to have permanantely placed on my body is the name of Jesus in heaven, you haven’t recieved your white robes, your new name, the secret stone that God gives you walk through the pearly gates and most importantly been right at the throne of Jesus seen the nail scared hands that are forever there to remind me of my Savior! NOPE!!!! Me either! So I reach for them each and every day I reach for them! He’s still working on me. If you are still hear you should still be reaching for heaven. You know that song and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace!

The Christians prize is HEAVEN WITH JESUS!

Revelation 21:22–23 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

Not reaching for anything else one thing we are reaching for HEAVEN!!! I have reached for goals, driver’s license, graduation, marriage, retirement, running a half marathon, you name it. Paul says be single minded! HEAVEN!!!!

Christians should forget everything else.

Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

God forgot your sins, you should too. Don’t dwell on those things.

Christians aren’t attached to the world.

1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The things of this world will grow strangely dim. Your career doesn’t matter. Heaven does. Your car doesn’t matter, heaven does. Your home doesn’t matter, heaven does! The world doesn’t matter, the news doesn’t matter, heaven does!

That doesn’t mean that any of those things are terrible bad or unimportant that God doesn’t care about, it means that whne you get up in the morning you forget everything when you think about heaven. THAT IS THE PRIZE! Is that your prize.

PRESS ON!

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Keep going, you want to know what it takes to run just keep going. I have participated in a couple of races with kids. They all start fast, but you want to know what happens they get a mile, they run 10 minutes and they run fast a lot faster than me, but they peter out.… You have to press on.… The Christian life is a marathon. You have to keep on! I on the upward way new heights I am reaching every day I am pressing on to higher ground.

“He is not a fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Jim Elliot

1 Corinthians 9:25 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.

What is more important than heaven? I don’t know why you come to church on Sunday, but I hope it is because your singular focus is heaven with Jesus the upward calling it is the driving force of your day. When you mow the lawn it is because you are God’s child an ambassador of Jesus Christ. When you care for your animals same reason. When you spend time and love your children same thing. When you enjoy life and take time to find the peace of God, it is because you are heaven bound. When you fix are car when you work your job when you love your wife. You are heaven bound!

Drop the weights, we are almost at the finish line.

Hebrews 12:1–2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We need to run (walk) to heaven together.

Philippians 3:15–16 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. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

I don’t need you to go running with me tomorrow morning, let’s walk this journey together. That word mature is the same as perfect. Paul is saying you who are lot more done like freshly baked brownies, you already have your shoes laced to run on the streets of gold you have already been sized for that new white robe, your mouth is salivating to eat of the tree of life, help us who are still in the process we are still the egg that hasn’t been mixed with the brownie mix. Help us have a single one goal HEAVEN!!!!!!

None of us are perfect but those who are more complete more mature help us think straight, not earthly but heavenly.

We need to train with good walkers.

Philippians 3:17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.

I am never going to win a race because I am stubborn. I run by myself. I don’t train with winners. i am never going to be great at anything because I am not great at learning from people. I am not good at asking for help with my form. I have sat down and tried to be discipled and learn from those who would teach me Christ. Men like Harold Comings, Dan Baker, Gilbert Parker, Bob Bowker, and Charlie Kark. Those men taught me to be solely focus on Jesus! Nothing else just Jesus! You need to follow people who will be a pattern of what it looks like to follow Jesus. My wife is meeting with a lady who is doing the same thing I know that some of you women have accountability partners in this church. I could list them but I won’t. That is following the pattern

We should not train with distracted walkers. (They are enemies of the cross)

Philippians 3:18–19 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 set their mind on earthly things.

Paul is crying because Christians are following bad examples they are people who have their minds on earthly things. They look to the two extremes evil like sexual pleasures and addiction. The world today and this is nothing new glories in their shame. Remember Adam and Eve hiding their nudity, the devil wants you to do nothing more than to glory in things that you should be ashamed of. They are also people that make things of this world more important than heaven. Their are too politically minded that they don’t think about heaven. Don’t think I am talking about men like Tom Stiles. God gave Tom a mission to influence churches and Albany as an ambassador of heaven. His mission is heaven. But others are too obssesed with earthly and evil things that they woah hear this they become the enemy of the CROSS!

We should not love the world.

1 John 2:15–16 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

You are either heavenly minded or earthly minded. I have heard this statement you are too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. I don’t get that. It is when you are single minded on heaven and Jesus that you really become a great servant of the LORD here and now.

The believer has a secure citizenship.

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

The Christian life isn’t about winning the race faster than the other guy it is about completing the journey and if you know Jesus Christ your citizenship is in heaven. How about you? Are you a proud citizen of HEAVEN!!!!

It’s only a matter of time, soon, we are going home.

1 Corinthians 15:51–54 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Again we press on keep on keeping on our mind every day together as a church is that we are almost home. Remember those brownies. I am telling you I feel heaven getting closer every day. The oven is on an the batter is baking. I am pressing on. I can hear the trumpets getting ready. Heaven is just a moment away the rapture of the church will happen in the twinkling of an eye. I could be one step away from heaven

At the end of the road, Perfection is coming.

Philippians 3:21 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.

We are going to be like our resurrected lord, no more pain no more tears, no more sorrow, old things will pass away all things will become new!

We will be like Jesus!

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Jesus is the prize. Eternity with HIM is the goal. If you are saved your ticket is punched. The price is paid on the cross. Are you on the journey home. Christian maybe you have become distracted. And you need to get your GPS back on track. You need to recenter your life with your sights set on heaven. CLOSE your eyes picture heaven. I have talked about it already. Can’t you hear the keys jingle as God gives you the keys to mansion. I don’t think that we will need keys really Can’t you look forward to the pearly gates that’s not a metaphor, Can’t you see through the streets of gold man I can’t wait to see what is under them. Can you picture the THE THRONE THE THRONE!

If you don’t KNOW KNOW KNOW That you are going to heaven know that Jesus is the way. Only people whose name is in the lamb’s book of life are citizens of heaven. Is your name written in the book sealed by the blood. It is by Jesus grace alone Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”