Things Don't Have to Be as They Were
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
13 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, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
It is said that the Apostle Paul had been saved for 25 years when he wrote the book of Philippians
Saved and still hadn’t “made it”…
Don’t be satisified where you are…
New Years resolutions are typically about improving on something...
I want to improve my health, so I’ll go to the gym
I want to improve my finances, so I’ll create a budget
I want to improve my relationships, so I’ll focus on the people in my life
I want to improve my knowledge, so I’ll read more books
Paul’s instruction is this: “Don’t pretend like you’ve made it and achieved perfection to where you need to stop growing and pushing for more… Forget the things of your past and what used to be, so you can reach for the things in front of you.”
In other words: “Things Don’t Have to be as they were”
if you weren’t as faithful in 2025 to church services and activities as you know you should… things don’t have to be as they were
If you weren’t as obedient to the Lord as you know you should be… things don’t have to be as they were
If you didn’t read your Bible and pray every day like you know you should… things don’t have to be as they were
If you didn’t win as many souls in 2025 as you wish you did, things don’t have to be as they were
I would love to start seeing people fulfill resolutions by going soul winning more rather than going to the gym...
I would love to see people start reading their Bible more rather than fiction books...
“You just don’t know my past”
Things don’t have to be as they were!
This is because of the gracious, transformative, growth-desiring nature of our God...
I don’t know a single competitive athlete who strives to perform exactly as they did before...
Quarterbacks are always looking to throw more yards and more touchdowns next season...
Running backs want to run for more yards and more touchdowns...
Runners want to run their heat faster than they did, doing everything they can to just shave off a few milliseconds in a race...
What should we attempt in 2026?
1. Abound in Pleasing God
1. Abound in Pleasing God
1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
Paul writes a wonderful letter to the Thessalonians…
A good church…
But with all the good they have done, Paul says, “There’s a lot more to do.”
We should take the time to be concerned about pleasing God more than man…
2. Abound in Love Toward Each Other and All Men
2. Abound in Love Toward Each Other and All Men
12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
3. Abound in Grace
3. Abound in Grace
7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
4. Abound in Love, Knowledge and Judgement
4. Abound in Love, Knowledge and Judgement
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Why?
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
15 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.
Go ON to perfection!
Jesus said, “Follow me”, because He needs us to apply forward momentum in order to use us...
We know that there is a lot lacking in our faith…
One step at a time
One decision at a time
One victory at a time
One day at a time
Illustration: Chasing Hundredths
Illustration: Chasing Hundredths
In the world of elite sprinting, Michael Johnson was already a legend. He had Olympic gold medals, world records, and nothing left to prove in the eyes of the public. Yet after one season where he won every major race, he sat down with his coach and asked a surprising question:
“Where did I lose time?”
Not why he lost — where.
Using slow-motion video, biomechanical analysis, and pressure sensors in his shoes, his team discovered that over the course of a 200-meter race, Johnson was losing less than one-tenth of a second in the transition out of the curve. To the average person, that time was invisible. To him, it was unacceptable.
So he rebuilt everything:
He changed his running stride, even though it felt unnatural.
He adjusted his arm swing by inches.
He trained to hold his form under extreme lactic acid pain.
He ran hundreds of repetitions just to gain a few milliseconds.
There was no applause for that training. No medals for the work. Just pain, discipline, and a refusal to live off yesterday’s success.
Those microscopic improvements became historic results. Johnson went on to run a 19.32 in the 200 meters — a world record that stood for nearly 12 years. He didn’t get faster by doing something new. He got faster by refusing to be satisfied with what once made him great.
Paul didn’t say, “I’ve done enough, now it’s your turn.”
Paul said, “I’m forgetting what the past was and reaching to what’s in front of me.”
You say:
I really struggled keeping my mind and eyes pure this year… guess what? Things don’t have to be as they were...
I really struggled keeping my mouth clean… Things don’t have to be as they were...
I really struggled with having either an angry or critical spirit… Things don’t have to be as they were...
I find that:
Paul used to persecute the church… but they didn’t stay that way
And David used to commit adultery and murder… but he didn’t stay that way
Peter publicly denied Christ three times… but he didn’t stay that way
The Prodigal Son wasted his life on riotous, foolish and sinful living… but he didn’t stay that way
The thief on the cross was unsaved and headed for hell… but it didn’t end that way
God says it this way:
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Conclusion:
I look back on 2025...
We had a lot of visitors, some saved, some baptized, some joined in membership, some discipled...
But my goals for 2026, are not based on what we did in 2025… That’s in the past...
We are studying, praying, researching, seeking counsel and figuring out what can we do to get the next hundredth of a second in our race shaved off...
There’s going to be a lot of behind-the-scenes pain, discomfort and effort that no one but God will ever see...
But were not looking to finish the race only, but we want to set records while we do it!
Why can’t 2026 be the year with the largest attendance ever at VBC? or why can’t this be the year the most people trust Christ as their Savior? or the year the most people get baptized? Or the year the most amount of people make it through our discipleship program? or the year there is the most spiritual growth in our church?
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