Untitled Sermon (4)phillipians 3:12-21

INTRO

Philippians 3:12–14 ESV

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

so we need to look back at verse 11

to see what paul is talking about

Philippians 3:11 NKJV

if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

in the last few verses paul has been putting to death

any notion that we can gain

righteousness

through our good works

He counted all things as loss

compared to knowing Christ ,

for through faith in Christ alone

comes righteousness..…

this is how we attain the resurrection of the dead

to eternal life with Him

and now paul is saying I have not already obtained this

its not like I am already perfect

but I am pressing on

I am going forward into maturity

I am drawing closer to Christ

because Christ has made me his own

1 John 4:19 ESV

We love because he first loved us.

Jesus has made you His own

He has drawn you to Himself

and regenerated you into a child of God

the response to this grace is a desire to press

into maturity .… to see this salvation come to the finish line

againin verse 13

I do not consider that I have made it my own

I am still not very close

and in this we see humility

you know the closer you get to Jesus

the more sinful you realize you are

and the more needy for grace that you are..…

as we draw near to the throne

we realize we are still far from perfect

yet it propels us

just like paul

to forget what was behind

and strain forward to what is ahead

now to forget means to forget

i need to apply this to a lot of things in my life

its bad that one of the first things that popped up in my head

was the double doink

when the chicago bears missed a playoff fieldgoal by hitting the post twice

unfortunately the Lord is not giving me the strength

to forget that one

but what are we supposed be forgetting

that is behind us ?

well there is a lot

for starters it is anything that distracts us from pursuing Christ

q. what is distracting you from having a full and joyful relationship with Christ?

lets look at a 2 major things we ought to forget and leave behind us

lets start with the

shame from our sin —

this is hard for all of us

driving and all of a sudden you remember sin in your past

make amends for your sin and leave it in the past ....

paul a few verses earlier mentioned how he persecuted the church

——past sin

leave it in the past

you have it as a refrence , but thats not who you are anymore

now what if it happened yesterday

repent ,

today is a new day

lets look at another one

leave behind who you were before Christ

What did you believe in that didnt match with the bible

What type of person where you?

leave the old person behind,

for your a new creation.…

I remember people telling me

they didnt like who I became

and they wanted me to come out and party with them

and what did you think I did…

I preached them the gospel..

I am a new person

I forget what was behind me

and strain forward to what is ahead

we are to pree on toward the goal for the upward call of God in Christ JEsus

we forget what is behind

so that we could pursue what is ahead

Pursue the Goal

in order to pursue

we first drop off that which is distracting us from the goal

we get focused on the prize

then we press on towards the goal and prize

now let us identify the Goal

it is maturity in Christ and reaching the prize

2 Corinthians 4:17 NKJV

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

in this life we have trials

but it is a light affliction

and training for something better

we are looking forward to a ressurection

where we will be with Jesus forever

this eternal weight of Glory is prepared

for all of those who believe

1 Peter 5:10 NKJV

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Gods call for you is eternal glory

and this is the prize

God in all His glory

ohhh what a worthy prize

What a prize and goal worth striving for

if we knew the value of the prize

it would determine the effort at which you pursue

in Christ you have been called to something great

brothers and sisters understand your calling

1 John 3:1 NKJV

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

you have been called to be the children of God

check out

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

you have been called to this

this is amazing

and when we grasp just how amazing it is

it is all we want to pursue.…

God becomes the main reason for living

and the chief purpouse of your existence

to know Him and enjoy Him

for he is responsible for all of our blessings.

He is the fountain of grace that never runs dry

and in order to pursue this prize

we must get our minds on Him

as we continue

Philippians 3:15–16 NKJV

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.

get your mind on the prize

What is the prize

being with

God in all of His Glory