Forward Moving

Travis Wilson

A Joyful Life • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Philippians 3:12–16

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A short series through Philippians for the Nursing Home.

Notes

Transcript

Tony Evans Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking Holy Spirit, Role Of

WHAT’S the difference between a rowboat and a speedboat? A rowboat requires human effort; a speedboat moves based on another power source. A rowboat represents my determination to get there. A speedboat represents the Christian who relies on the power of the Holy Spirit to propel him forward into his Christian life and get him where he needs to go.464

Philippians 3:12–16 NKJV

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

MANY airports have moving sidewalks. They allow travelers to get around the airports a little faster than they would walking around on their own power. The travelers can still walk but now are able to do so with ease because of the force underneath them propelling them forward. Walking in the Spirit implies that the Christian is still on the move. They are not sitting down or being passive. They walk but with the Spirit’s help guiding them, governing them, and getting them to their destination.

Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 295.

Philippians 3:12–16 NKJV

Transition Statement:

In our church, we spent the first 3 weeks of the year looking at our church in the past, present, and future.

It’s amazing what happens when you do a little self-examination.

God enlightens, God directs, and God moves!

How do I keep moving forward?

Point 1

I recognize my imperfections (vv. 12-13a)

We all have room for growth!

None of us is perfect!

Paul still had to fight his flesh.

Paul recognized that Jesus’ call to follow Him was more than a call to just keep on living however he wanted to

Jesus’ call required continual transformation

The more you mature as a Christian, the more you realize how much further you have to go in order to become like Jesus.

The gap just seems to continue to grow between who I recognize myself to be and who Jesus is.

I keep going despite my past (vv. 13b-14)

Paul recognizes that he has not arrived yet, and thus does the only thing that he has any control over: Forgetting what’s behind and reaching forward.

i.e. He keeps going, he keeps pressing on, he doesn’t quite, he doesn’t give up, he doesn’t let the devil win

Paul knew that the past was now the past and the only control he had was over what choices he would make in the future.

Paul chose to not allow the past to paralyze him but to fuel him instead.

Runners don’t stop until they cross the finish line.

A runners energy, focus, and reward are on winning the race.

The principle for followers of Christ is an active commitment to the call of Christ is required.

I walk with other mature believers (vv. 15-16)

We are to become mature, not perfect in this life.

Mature means to think and live rightly as a result of your commitment to Christ.

We need to grow in maturity and walk with others to do the same.

We live dependent on each other in order to live God-honoring lives.

We act like sandpaper for each other to smooth out the rough edges of our character.