Philippians 3:13-17

Verse 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,

Paul writes that he has not yet “apprehended”, what has he not yet apprehended?

Well look back at verses 11-12, here we see that Paul longs to see the fulfillment of his salvation in the resurrection of his flesh and the glorious perfection it will bring to him.

he is saved, born again, but he is yet in his flesh and living out the christian life, he has not yet cashed the check given to him in faith by the first bank of heaven.

This is true for all of us today, if you are saved, you have had heaven touch your heart and soul, but you are still in the flesh and you have not yet “attained or been made perfect” yet.

you still fall short of Gods glory, you still struggle with sin just as the Israelites possessed the promise land yet still fought the remnants of the Canaanite nations.

we have been brought into a heavenly country and we still fight the remnants of Sin that threaten to bring us into bondage, just like Isreal in the old testament.

But when the rapture and first resurrection occurs, we shall all be changed, we shall all be glorified

and we will be made perfect even as Christ is perfect. “then we shall have attained or apprehended” salvation in its fullest expression.

but, we have a long time till then and we are called of God to live the obedient christian life, be faithful in church, faithful in prayer, faithful in evangelism and reading the Word.

So now in verse 13, we see the prescription, we see the charge, we see the commandment given for you and for me....we are too be......

Vs13-14) “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.

Paul says essentially, you need to forget your past of sin, your vain life apart from Christ, THE VAIN THINGS OF THIS EARTH. and reach forth unto those heavenly things that are before or ahead of you.

Notice the nation of Isreal in Numbers 11:2-6, 10, 31-33..........

Why did Isreal “fall a lusting” after the foods of Egypt?

they would not forget the memory of sin, they would not stop ”remembering” the good old days of being slaves to sin and pharaoh.

If we want to be “Christlike” you have to be continually in the process of forgetting the past.

You need to forget your sinful past and “reach forth” to a godly future!

“reaching forth” Read Baptist New Testament Commentary Page 92-93 This means (like Paul) you need to be living your christian life with intensity, purpose and commitment.

Notice he says “I press toward the mark for the prize "Read Baptist New Testament Commentary Page 93.

“press” in Greek means to “pursue, chase, hunt”

but notice in English, “press” carries the idea of

“To urge with force or weight; a word of extensive use, denoting the application of any power, physical or moral, (definition 2) to squeeze; to crush; as, to press grape”

So this is what came to me as I was at my desk..

People all the time will say things like “i never have understood the Bible,

the preachers sermons are just over my head, or i would like to know more about Gods word but i just never find time.

notice the reason you can not understand the Bible, the reason preachers preach over your head, the reason you want to get closer to Gods word but you never do.

......is because you are not laboring in the word day by day....you are not “chasing, hunting and pursuing”

Many of you treat the Bible study like a hunter who just expect to walk in the woods and a deer walk up to them and when the deer doesn't the hunter just gives up.

Many of you treat church and Bible reading like a wine maker who expects fine aged wine be made instantly, but wine is made and refined over time!!!!!

You have to cultivate the grapes, crush the grapes with your feet, then you have to age the grape juice until it is fine and aged wine.

with the same labor of the athlete, the hunter and the wine maker, you must labor in the word of God.

You need to take your Bible in your hands, open the pages and “squeeze, crush and press” every meaning you can from the words,

reading your Bible over and over cultivating the words in your heart, fermenting them over time in your mind, and drink the sweet wine of revival.

And the reason, Christians cant find time, to commit to Bible study, faithful Church attendance 3 times a week..

.is because they are being diverted and distracted by earthly things unlike Paul who focused and prioritized spiritual things.

If we are consistently skipping church for sports, work, vain excuses, anything else under the sun,

we are “MISSING THE MARK” we are “losing sight of the finish line” “we are taking our eyes off the prize”

if we continue to be distracted by earthly things so much we cant commit to deep Bible study....

the result will be apathy, lukewarmness and shallowness in our christian life.

A climate that sin loves to thrive in. (Read verses 15-16)

Verse 17)  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

As Christians we are not to follow the vain men of the world rather we are to mark godly men and walk after their example.

We have a problem in churches in America, we have to many Christians obsessed with rockstars, popstars, Hollywood actors, politicians, football players.

we need to honor godly men and women, we need to teach our children to idolize the great men and women of faith who came before us and who currently live among us,

not Taylor swift, Beyonce, Lainey Wilson and Brantley gilbert and jelly roll and any other ungodly celebrities.

For example.....Why is there such heartache and sorrow in the African American communities on average in our nation?

because young African American men on average grow up idolizing gangster rappers who teach a godless message of abuse of women, rejection for marriage and lawlessness and pride.

Why do we have a immodesty issue among young women in our culture?

Why do women dress so bad in our culture? (if your not aware of the dress code crises among American women, you are asleep and you need to wake up)

Well maybe its the music and celebrities they are following that are influencing them to dress like the world. maybe, just maybe they are “marking” the wrong examples to follow!!!

We need to “mark” or “target” what is good examples, good influence and good entertainment in our culture and forsake what is not good and teach our youth to do the same.

Notice Paul uses the term “mark” in reverse in Romans 16:17-20) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

We need to mark false teachers in the church and broader culture,

we need to mark or take notice of people in our culture who teach messages “contrary to Jesus”

and avoid, and withdraw ourselves from them. we need to be wise to what is good and dumb towards evil.

These bleeds over into every part of our lives........

down to the hero's we look up to and the entertainment, music and movies we consume!

How can you ever bruise the head of satan under your feet,

if satan is living in your heart through the movies and music and entertainment we consume.........

every hero we worship, every movie we watch or song we listen too every book we read...is teaching a message.

is it a message that draws closer to Jesus? or drives him from us?