"Pressing" into a New Season of Spiritual Momentum

A NEW PERSPECTIVE FOR A NEW YEAR

WHAT DO I WANT THE PEOPLE TO KNOW? – INFORMATION

- THAT A DEEPER LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO CHRIST IS A POSSIBILITY.

WHAT DO I WANT THEM TO FEEL? – EMOTION

- THAT A DEEPER LEVEL OF COMMITENT TO CHRIST IS NECESSARY.

WHAT DO I WANT THEM TO DO? – APPLICATION (DEFINE THE EXPECTATION)

- TO MAKE AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO BE MORE COMMITTED TO CHRIST IN 2019 AND BEYOND.

o TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THEIR LIVES BECAUSE THEY HAVE BECOME MORE COMMITTED TO THEIR PROFESSED FAITH.

INTRODUCTION:

ART TUROCK – THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTEREST AND COMMITMENT; WHEN YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING SOMETHING, YOU DO IT WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT. WHEN YOU ARE COMMITTED TO SOMETHING, YOU ACCEPT NO EXCUSES, ONLY PROGRESS...YOU ACT IN SPITE OF RESISTANCE – FROM THE ART OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP.

WE WITNESS THIS PRINCIPLE IN ACTION ALL THE TIME…

WATCH ANY SPORTING EVENT, AND YOU WITNESS A STRUGGLE AGAINST RESISTANCE…

LOOK AT THE LIVES OF MOST PEOPLE, AND YOU WITNESS A STRUGGLE, SOMETIMES A LIFE-LONG STRUGGLE, AGAINST RESISTANCE…

BUT FOR SOME REASON, THERE IS A DISCONNECT THAT TAKES PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO MATTERS OF FAITH…

- QUITE OFTEN, IF ONE’S FAITH IS MET WITH RESISTANCE, IT IS ALL TOO EASY TO REDUCE ONE’S LEVEL OF COMMITMENT...

- AND WHEN WE ALLOW THIS TO BECOME A REALITY IN OUR LIVES, WE DISHONOR THE LORD WHO SAVED US…

- BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY…

- BELIEVERS ARE FACED WITH A CONSTANT STREAM OF RESISTORS AS WE LIVE IN AND MOVE THROUGH THE CURRENT CULTURE?

- PAUL’S LETTER TO THESE PHILIPPIAN BELIEVERS CAN HELP US DEVELOP A SENSE OF WHAT GOD EXPECTS OF THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM.

- AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS THAT LIKE THE LOCAL CHURCH, INDIVIDUALS DO NOT PLATEAU IN RESPECT TO THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.

o YOU ARE EITHER MOVING INTO A DEEPER, MORE MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP OR YOU ARE MOVING INTO A SHALLOWER AND LESS EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.

o THERE IS NO PLATEAU, YOU’RE EITHER DRAWING CLOSER OR DRIFTING AWAY.

- PAUL’S ENCOURAGEMENT TO THESE BELIEVERS IS TO CONTINUE TO DRAW CLOSER AND CLOSER TO GOD.

- AND IN THIS ENCOURAGEMENT, HE POINTS OUT SOME THINGS TO GIVE REAL CONSIDERATION TO AS YOU WORK OUT YOUR FAITH.

o THESE CONSIDERATIONS ARE WHAT I WANT YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS MORNING.

- AND SO LET ME POINT OUT JUST A FEW THINGS THAT EVERY BELIEVER NEEDS TO CONSIDER AS HE OR SHE WRESTLES WITH THIS RESISTANCE.

o AND BEFORE I BEGIN, LET ME SAY THIS…

§ WE REALLY LIKE TO POINT AT SPECIFIC THINGS IN THE CULTURE, AND PAINT A BIG TARGET ON THOSE THINGS AND BELIEVE THAT IF WE COULD JUST ELIMINATE THIS ONE EVIL, THE WORLD WOULD TURN TO JESUS AND EMBRACE THE GOSPEL.

· AND THAT ONE EVIL IS DIFFERENT, DEPENDING UPON HOW YOU PERCEIVE THE EFFECT OF THAT EVIL ON YOUR OWN LIFE.

· FOR EXAMPLE, PASTORS WOULD PROBABLY POINT TO DIFFERENT FACTORS THAN LAYPERSONS WOULD.

· WOMEN WOULD LIKELY POINT TO DIFFERENT FACTORS THAN MEN.

· OLDER PEOPLE WOULD LIKELY POINT TO DIFFERENT FACTORS THAN YOUNGER PEOPLE.

· TEENS WOULD DIFFER FROM THEIR PARENTS IN WHAT THEY CONSIDER TO BE THE EVILS OF THE WORLD.

- BUT NO MATTER WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE GREATEST EVIL WE FACE TODAY, NO ONE CAN ARGUE THAT A DEEPER LEVEL OF COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF GOD’S PEOPLE WILL BE HELPFUL IN ADDRESSING WHATEVER THE EVILS MAY BE…

- SO HOW DO WE GET THERE?

- WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO TO DRIVE A STAKE IN THE GROUND AND SAY “THIS IS THE MOMENT THAT THINGS CHANGE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.”?

- PAUL GIVES US A FEW THINGS TO THINK ABOUT HERE IN THIS PASSAGE.

1. INITIATE OR MAINTAIN SPIRITUAL MOMENTUM.

a. – 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.

b. DR. MARTYN LLOYD-JONES – “WHEN THE CHURCH IS IN TROUBLE, AND IS DESOLATE AND FORSAKEN, IT IS ALWAYS BECAUSE OF HER OWN REBELLION, HER OWN GRIEVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD. THAT IS THE ONLY EXPLANATION.”

c. ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS ATTITUDES A CHRIST-FOLLOWER CAN HAVE IS THAT THEY HAVE ARRIVED AND ARE SOMEHOW WORTHY OF PREFERRED STATUS.

i. NOTICE PAUL’S STATEMENT IN VERSE 12.

1. NOT THAT I HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED IT OR AM ALREADY PERFECT…

2. PAUL POINTS OUT THAT HE STILL HAS MORE GROWING TO DO.

a. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT AS LONG AS HE WAS ON THIS EARTH, HE STILL NEEDED TO STRIVE TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS.

b. THE FACT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THAT THE MORE YOU MATURE THE MORE YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH FURTHER YOU HAVE TO GO TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST.

d. WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, SO DO NOT ALLOW THE EVILS OF THIS WORLD TO SLOW YOUR SPIRITUAL MOMENTUM.

i. TWICE IN THIS PASSAGE, PAUL USES THE PHRASE “I PRESS ON” TO DESCRIBE HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS WALK WITH CHRIST.

ii. AND WE NEED TO DO THE SAME THING.

e. WHAT IF, THIS YEAR, INSTEAD OF MAKING EXCUSES AS TO WHY YOU CANNOT DO THINGS THAT IMPACT YOUR WALK WITH CHRIST, YOU DECIDED THAT YOU WERE GOING TO LOOK FOR REASON WHY YOU CAN INVOLVE YOURSELF IN SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES AND GROW IN YOUR FAITH?

f. DO NOT LOSE SPIRITUAL MOMENTUM.

2. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH.

a. – 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.

b. THIS IS NOT A COMMAND TO ISOLATE ONESELF FROM THE CULTURE.

i. IT IS A CAUTION TO WISELY MANAGE THOSE WITH WHOM YOU ARE WALKING.

1. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WALKING WITH SOMEONE AND ENCOUNTERING SOMEONE.

2. WALKING WITH SOMEONE COMMUNICATES INTENT.

a. AS IN, I WANT TO WALK WITH THIS PERSON OR THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE.

3. ENCOUNTERING SOMEONE OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE IS NOT NECESSARILY INTENTIONAL.

a. AND GOD WANTS TO WORK IN BOTH OUR INTENTIONAL WALK AND OUR ENCOUNTERS WITH OTHERS.

4. BUT THE CAUTION IS THIS…

a. YOU CHOOSE WHO YOU WALK WITH…

b. THEREFORE, IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, YOU MUST CONSIDER THE IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE AND TESTIMONY OF THE COMPANY YOU KEEP.

c. WHAT IF, THIS YEAR, YOU MADE THE DECISION TO WALK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING THEIR BEST TO HONOR THE LORD WITH THEIR LIVES.

i. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH.

d. AND THEN FINALLY…

3. REMEMBER TO WHOM YOU BELONG.

a. – 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. 4:1 THEREFORE, MY BROTHERS, WHOM I LOVE AND LONG FOR, MY JOY AND CROWN, STAND FIRM THUS IN THE LORD, MY BELOVED.

i. OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN.

ii. FOR THE MATURE BELIEVER, EARTHLY GOALS AND SELF-CENTERED DESIRES HAVE FADE IN IMPORTANCE.

iii. MATURE, GODLY BELIEVERS ARE TO LIVE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE WORLD TO COME, NOT IN PARTICIPATION WITH THE WORLD THAT EXISTS NOW.

iv. AND WHILE WE WAIT FOR HIS RETURN, WE ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN KINGDOM ACTIVITIES, NOT WORLDLY ACTIVITIES.

b. SO WE MUST REMEMBER TO WHOM WE BELONG.

CONCLUSION:

WHAT DO I WANT THE PEOPLE TO KNOW? – INFORMATION

- THAT A DEEPER LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO CHRIST IS A POSSIBILITY.

WHAT DO I WANT THEM TO FEEL? – EMOTION

- THAT A DEEPER LEVEL OF COMMITENT TO CHRIST IS NECESSARY.

WHAT DO I WANT THEM TO DO? – APPLICATION (DEFINE THE EXPECTATION)

- TO MAKE AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO BE MORE COMMITTED TO CHRIST IN 2019 AND BEYOND.

o TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THEIR LIVES BECAUSE THEY HAVE BECOME MORE COMMITTED TO THEIR PROFESSED FAITH.