Battling Toward Christ

INTRO:

Unleashed Weekend

$50 - all inclusive

Weekend looking to Unleash our lives for Christ

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What is Perfection? What are some things people seek perfection in?

The Gospel tells us we don’t have to be perfect to receive His grace

We won’t be perfect after we receive it - Still work to be done

Progress not Perfection

The Gospel is about you becoming more like Christ through His redeeming work

in every aspect Christ is changing you

your thoughts

your attitude

your passions

your view of worldly things (possessions, relationships, etc.)

Philippians 3:10–12 ESV

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 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.

Philippians 3:10-

Paul’s goal:

To know Christ

The power of His resurrection

share in His sufferings

become like Him in His death

He hasn’t attained this yet - but he presses on to grow in his relationship with Christ - Why?

vs. 12 - Because Christ made him His own, Jesus ransomed his life (reflecting on his conversion)

I haven’t obtained yet what I am suppose to be, but I continue to strive for it because Jesus bought me.

Press on Towards the Goal

Philippians 3:13–14 ESV

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.

How many of us struggle with something that leads us away from Christ?

:13-14

Call up guy volunteers to wear signs and have one run to the door

if you get to the door you get $100, $1,000, $1,000,000...

Start adding our baggage onto volunteer

Does the weight of our burdens mean we give up in our pursuit of Christ?

Then why do we let it?

We don’t see Jesus as the prize

Paul tells us its worth it!

last week everything is counted as rubbish compared to knowing Christ

You have to see the beauty that He is, that He died for you, that was all done in His mercy and goodness

We need to see Jesus as the goal of all that we do, not the two day a week thing we do

Paul tells us this is how we aught to view Christ

Philippians 3:15 ESV

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.

This mindset leads us to Praise Christ

Praise to Christ

When we see that nothing else will compare to knowing Christ our hearts burst with love and adoration for Him

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With Jesus as the focus we are able to overcome those things in our lives

doesn’t mean they won’t come back - but we can overcome them through Christ

doesn’t mean we won’t face hard choices or difficult seasons - but we have the One who has faced all of those for us, He gives us direction

doesn’t mean our hearts won’t be tempted to the things of this world - but we have Christ who is greater and more wonderful than anything those could offer

because of this - WE PRAISE HIM!

We SERVE Him

We OBEY Him

We FOLLOW Him

We BATTLE toward Him

He is worth our fighting, He is worth our struggle, He is worth our strain

We press on

Isaiah 40:30–31 ESV

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

For the ones pressing on remember

1 Peter 1:6 ESV

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

1 Peter 1:6–7 ESV

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

For the ones who have grown weary

Isaiah 40:30–31 ESV

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

For the one who is tired of fighting on your own strength

Matthew 11:28 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Will you trust in the Lord today? Will you stop relying on yourself and hear the call of Christ to come to Him?

STOP

Is our relationship with God based on our perfection? What is it based on (Christ perfection and atonement on the cross)? From the passage tonight, what is our expectation (Progress not perfection, pressing on towards Jesus)?

What are the things that weigh you down and make it hard to follow Christ? How does the Gospel speak into these things?

Why do you lack trust in Christ in areas of your life? Is it ok to have this lack of trust? How does the Gospel correct our lack of trust in Christ? What steps will you take to fight for your relationship with Christ?