When God Changes Your Plans (6)
When God Changes Your Plana • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 12 viewsNotes
Transcript
When God Changes Your Plans
When God Changes Your Plans
Good morning. Welcome I am so excited to see you all.
I also want to welcome everyone watching online and invite you to join us in person. So much great stuff happening we don’t want you to miss it. Please like, subscribe, and share today’s message.
I received some really great feedback from last week’s message. My only issue is a few of you said I should take flu medicine and muscle relaxants more often.
I am not sure how to take that.
Well, today is drug free and we will see how it goes.
Please turn your Bibles, open your apps, un-scroll your scrolls to Philippians 3.
Anyone here do a lot of running or hiking?
I was forced to do it in the Army.
We would have a 12 mile forced march, with 50 lbs on your back, and you had to do it in like 3 hours every 4 months.
You always start out strong. Going fast, have a great pace, no pain, felling strong.
Then about mile 2 or 3 you notice how heavy your load is.
Mile 5 or 6 things start hurting that you didn’t know could hurt.
By the time your Mile 10 you are questioning all your life choices and telling yourself this country can defend itself fine without you.
Then you cross that line, you finish, amazed you were able to accomplish this feat.
You think after years of that I would stay away from anything like that, but no!
I thought I would run half marathons. I ran 3.
I became a firm believer anything over 13.1 miles is why God created Uber.
I would like to believe that we all want to finish strong.
We are continuing our series on When God Changes Your Plans.
This morning I want to talk about
Finishing Strong
Finishing Strong
Please stand with me as we read the only word that matter and the only ones that can change us.
12 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.
13 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, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Let’s pray.
Finishing Strong
Finishing Strong
As we coming to the end of Philippians, Paul is giving final challenges and encouragements.
Paul has a very deep understanding of the Christian life as it exist between “the already” and “the not yet”
As followers of Christ we live in a tension between our present knowledge of Christ and our future hope of resurrection.
At time things don’t make sense, it is hard to see what is coming. It is in then times we must press forward.
The question is how?
Last week Paul spoke to us as an accountant - counting the worth of everything in comparison to Christ.
This week we are athletes - in the race of our lives.
So how do we finish strong
Never be satisfied with your spiritual health
12 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.
Never be satisfied with your spiritual health
The issue is we often compare ourselves with others.
The goal is not to be like anyone else. We are being conformed to the Image of Christ.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Never be satisfied with your spiritual health
Knowing you haven't made it is a good sign you are growing
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.
Never be satisfied with your spiritual health
I did ask you to audit your faith last week, but you need to be careful
Sometimes we make ourself out better than we are or make ourselves out worse than we really are.
No matter what we must always seek progress and growth.
Letting go what is behind - reaching for what is ahead
13 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, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Letting go what is behind - reaching for what is ahead
I want you to notice somethings about the way we are being called to run
Single purposed - “But one thing” - our goal is to be like Christ in word, deed, thought, life
We allow so many other purposes and voices in our lives - In the army as a Scout we were called jack of all trades, master of none.
I would rather do one thing with excellence than whole bunch of things mediocrely .
Letting go of what is behind - you can’t run forward if you looking behind
Ever try to run backwards
Not only the sin but also the triumphs or glory days - Guy who won State Champion in HS
This not to say forget where we have come from - we celebrate and honor our past, but we keep moving forward.
Reaching and straining for for what is ahead - I shape my life by worship, service and growth
Stretching as in a race -
Staying determined - the goal of Christ is always in front.
Keep going and stay firm
15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Even if we don't understand, and cannot see - God will reveal it when He and we are ready.
Paul knows this a big ask.
Total surrender, sacrifice all, share in suffering.
Everyone of us is at a different place.
“Hope in God, who is not the God of the perfect only, but of the becoming.” — George MacDonald
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Keep going and stay firm
This takes discipline.
God has laid down the rules and directions - we can know them because they are in your hands
So many in scripture started great and ended poorly - they disregarded God’s standards.
Paul said this again to the church in Corinth
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Trust your leaders, but still verify
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Trust your leaders, but still verify
Find the people who are striving ahead and growing in their faith - and surround your self with them.
Jesus’ model of leadership was - watch what I do, let’s do it together, you go do it.
Who are you investing in and who is investing in you?
We all need people that speak truth into us and someone needs you to do the same.
It’s that whole go make disciples thing.
Don’t be random and don't take anyone at face value, including your pastor.
Study, look things up, make sure they line up with scripture.
Now don’t be a jerk. Always approach in love and humility,.
God will deal with them in His time
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
Finishing Strong
Finishing Strong
Now please hear me, this has nothing to do earning your salvation.
You could not participate in Roman games unless you were a Roman citizen
It is the same for us.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Finishing Strong
Finishing Strong
To run this race you must run with Christ.
When I ran those 1/2 marathons this is all I got.
Did you see waht ir sais
21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
It is not always easy.
Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen.- Oswald Chambers
Paul put it this way
1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Finishing Strong
Finishing Strong
It is time to start running
Let’s do it together.
Let’s pray
