FINISH IN CHRIST

Finish In Christ

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Over the past five weeks we have been walking with Jesus through some powerful “In Christ” statements found in the God’s Word. It is my hope and my prayer that we all will come to know who we are in Christ. We learned that we are found in Christ! We have faith in Christ! We are forgiven and forgiving in Christ! We have peace in Christ and we have riches in Christ! Found, faith, forgiven, forgiving, peace and riches in Christ. What more could we want!!!

Today we turn our attention to Paul’s letter to the Philippians chapter 3. Last week, we were in chapter four and we received peace and riches. Today we turn back a few pages and find that we are called to finish in Christ.

So What? What would it be like to finish in Christ? How do you want to finish?

Before we come to God’s living Words let come to our living Lord in prayer. God of grace, give us the grace to finish well. Give us the strength to finish well. Give us the hope and joy to finish well. Amen

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.[i]

Paul says twice in these seven verses that he wants to be intentional about knowing Christ. In verse eight he says, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…” Paul considers everything to be rubbish in comparison to knowing Christ. Then in verses ten and eleven he says, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Nothing compares to “knowing the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord! I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection!” Paul is intentional about knowing Christ. Paul wants to finish in Christ. How does he do that? How does Paul become deliberate or intentional about knowing Christ? Paul gives us his three-point message in verses thirteen and fourteen. I will forget what lies behind, I will look forward to lies ahead and I press on toward the goal. If you are taking notes today, here are your three points: 1) Forget what lies behind! 2) Look forward to what lies ahead! 3) Press on towards the goal.

FORGET WHAT LIES BEHIND

What are the things we are to forget? Paul didn’t forget his experience with Christ on the Damascus road. Paul didn’t forget his knowledge of the Bible and the grace he received from Jesus. So, what are we supposed to forget? I believe we are called to forget the things from the past that overshadow how we view God. We are to bring those things that affect us negatively and bring them to God, laying them down at the foot of the cross, always asking that in God’s time God will help us.

One of the best illustrations of forgetting what lies behind is found in the book of Exodus. The story of the Exodus is a story of how God delivers the people from slavery in Egypt. God had promised to take His people to a Promise land flowing with milk and honey. A land where they would be safe and secure and they would grow in their knowledge and love for God. Sounds great and quite exciting but what happens next? God brought them out into the wilderness. Why? So, they would learn to trust God alone. Forget the fact that God sent all those plagues while they were enslaved by the Egyptians. God also delivered them from their enemies at the Red Sea. All of Pharaoh’s army was swallowed up. God led them by day with a cloud and by night with a pillar of fire. When the cloud moved, they would move and when the fire moved, they would move. But when the cloud or fire stayed still, they did not move. God fed them each day with manna from heaven. They complained they needed meat and God rained down more quail than they could eat. God provided water for over a million people from a rock when they were thirsty. But a time came when they forgot to look forward to the goal of the promise land, instead they kept looking back. Listen to what is recorded in : In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

The Israelites’ problem: they were consumed with looking back instead of looking forward.

How many of us are stuck looking back instead of looking forward?

Paul gives us an illustration of a runner when he uses this language. If you’ve ever run, you know that you cannot look back and run very well. Jesus would say “whoever puts their hand to plow--should not look back.” ()

The same is true for us. In our Christian life, we are called to be intentional about forgetting the things that hold us back. I’m going to take a quiet minute now. Ask yourself, ask God—what is it that is holding me back? Friends, this isn’t going to happen in a minute but it is a great question! I want you to know that I do tons of pastoral counseling…and if you need an ear…I am hear to listen. If you don’t want to talk with me…I know many trained, qualified therapists who I can refer you to. I want all of us to be free from what holds us back from being all we are in Christ.

LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT LIES AHEAD

Someone asked David Livingstone when he traveled back to England for a brief time, after spending many years in Africa as a missionary, “Well, Dr. Livingstone, where are you ready to go now?” Livingstone responded, “I am ready to go anywhere, provided it be forward.”

This is exactly what Paul is saying here in his letter to the church in Philippi! From the moment Paul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus…he lived his life with a forward focus. One example of this is that even in prison; Paul had thoughts of going to Spain.

In verse thirteen when Paul says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…”

Straining…the Greek verb that Paul uses is ἐπεκτείνομαι (epekteinomai) which literally means to stretch a muscle to its limit. I am reminded of the some of the Olympic runners who stretched their muscles to the limits…all the way to finish line. Do you remember Usain Bolt’s winning the Olympic Gold for the 100-meter dash? His neck muscles were bulging and his leg and arm muscles were flexing to the limits—and he made it all look so easy! That is what Paul is describing here when he writes…be intentional about looking forward.

When Stanley found Livingstone, the great missionary who spent thirty years in darkest Africa, he wanted Livingstone to come back to England with him, but Livingstone refused to go. Two days later Livingstone wrote in his diary, “March 19, my birthday. My Jesus, my King, my Life, my all, I again dedicate my whole self to Thee. Accept me, and grant, O gracious Father, that ere the year is gone I may finish my work. In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.” A year later his servants found him on his knees dead.[ii]

What a great example of a person living their life…forgetting what lies behind…but straining with every ounce of life itself…focused on what lies ahead. This morning, we again take just a minute to sit before our powerful and mighty God asking for the strength to look forward to what lies ahead for each one of us.

v Forget what lies behind

v Focus on what lies ahead

v Press on to the goal

PRESS ON TO THE GOAL

When I think of Paul straining towards the goal, I think back through the many lives recorded in Bible. In Exodus we are told of Moses who had an experience with God at a burning bush yet in we are told a story of how Moses had a conversation with God and asked to see God’s glory. Listen to , Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Moses had been with God yet he still wanted to see God’s glory. Moses: press on to the goal!

David the shepherd boy killed the giant Goliath and conquered nations as one of the greatest kings of Israel and yet we hear his thoughts expressed in : One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. David: press on to the goal!

Ruth, the Moabite and foreigner, presses on to the goal when she says to Naomi, her mother-in-law, these powerful words, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” () Ruth: press on to the goal.

How about the story of Daniel in the lion’s den? This is the same story that our children have been learning in Jesus Class. Daniel was in Babylon in captivity for 70 years. An order is given that no one will pray to any other God. The King has a statue built for the people to bow down and worship. When Daniel hears of this decree, it doesn’t stop him. Three times a day he bows and prays to God with his windows open. He could have covered his windows or prayed in secret. Do you know Daniel was about 80 when he was tossed into the lions’ den? Daniel was intentional about worshiping God. Daniel: press on to the goal.

I love the story of Martha and Mary, Lazarus’s sisters. When Jesus came to visit Martha was busy, busy, busy -- getting everything ready for Jesus. When Jesus finally arrived, Martha’s sister, Mary, stopped working and sat at his feet. Martha got quite upset and demanded that Jesus told her sister to do some work. Remember how Jesus responded? “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” () Martha and Mary: press on to the goal.

Moses, David, Ruth, Daniel, Mary all pressed on to the goal. How about us? Can we live an intentional life for God?

So What

So what? What do all these people--Paul, the Israelites, David Livingstone, Moses, King David, Ruth the Moabite, Daniel, and Mary--have to do with us today? How do we forget what lies behind? How do we strain forward and look ahead? How do we press on?

In 1904 William Borden graduated from a Chicago high school. As heir to the Borden Dairy estate, he was already a millionaire. For his high school graduation present, his parents gave him a trip around the world. As the young man traveled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, he felt a growing burden for the world's hurting people. Finally, Borden wrote home to say, "I'm going to give my life to prepare for the mission field." At the same time, he wrote two words in the back of his Bible: "No reserves."

Indeed, Borden held nothing back. During his college years at Yale University, he became a pillar in the Christian community. One entry in his personal journal that defined the source of his spiritual strength simply said: "Say no to self and yes to Jesus every time."

During his first semester at Yale, Borden started a small prayer group that would transform campus life. This little group gave birth to a movement that spread across the campus. By the end of his first year, 150 freshmen were meeting for weekly Bible study and prayer. By the time Bill Borden was a senior, 1,000 of Yale's 1,300 students were meeting in such groups.

Borden also strategized with his fellow Christians to make sure every student on campus heard the gospel, and he was often seen ministering to the downtrodden in the streets of New Haven. But his real passion was missions. Once he narrowed his missionary call to the Kansu people in China, Borden never wavered.

Upon graduation from Yale, Borden wrote two more words in the back of his Bible: "No retreats." In keeping with that commitment, Borden turned down several high-paying job offers, instead enrolling in seminary. After graduating, he immediately went to Egypt to learn Arabic because of his intent to work with Muslims in China. While in Egypt, he contracted spinal meningitis. Within a month, 25-year-old William Borden was dead.

Prior to his death, Borden had written two more words in his Bible. Underneath the words "No reserves" and "No retreats," he had written: "No regrets."[iii]

But what lies ahead for you, me and The Seed? We will look at the mystery and the majesty of the Holy Spirit and come into the season of Advent…the coming of the Christ child.

Let us pray…Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of all life…of my life…may our lives agree with William Borden’s words: no reserves, no retreats, no regrets. Whatever it is that takes our focus off of You, reset it. You’ve done this for all the heroes of the faith. Do it again…for us … for me. Amen

The Seed Christian Fellowship

Rancho Cucamonga, California 91701

www.theseedchristianfellowship.com

October 15, 2017

Pastor Dave Peters

[i] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[ii] Tan, P. L. . Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. 1996,Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

[iii] Bill White, Paramount, California; sources: Daily Bread (12-31-1988); The Yale Standard (Fall 1970); Mrs. Howard Taylor, Borden of Yale (Bethany House, 1988)