Sunday Service Philippians 3:12-16 (Mike Kelly)

Philippians 3:12 316 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 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 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ. Let those of us who are mature think this way and if anything you think otherwise God will reveal that also to you only let us hold true to what we have attained. We pray with me. the word of God for the people of God

God is weed dive into this. Text this morning and we try to understand what you meant. When you spoke through your Apostle Paul. I pray that you would give us Clarity and that you would give us wisdom and understanding that we would understand what is in this text. God help it to a plot help us to apply it to our lives today as we leave here and not just be empty things. We were reading or learning the things that will make a change in our lives. Your son's name. I pray. Amen, please please be seated.

So I'm doing a I'm preaching now every month Bobby and I talked and he had give me a a

assignment of one once a month preaching something that I like to do. I love the Bible. I love the word of God Has Changed me and so many around me and I want you guys to know more about it and I want to know more about it. And when I study during the weeks leading up to the two preaching I know so much more about the Bible in the word and I love that. So it's good for me to be disciplined to have one day a month to preach. It's good for Bobby to take a break one day a month and relax. And so that's what's going to go on for the next however long. So this is my time to the last Sunday of the month is my time.

So how many of us here know about VE Day? What it is vide vide is what it's called in Europe. So it is Victory in Europe day. So and where were the day that the war was over was called in states is called VE day, but in Europe is just called vide because they're already in Europe. They don't need to explain that this victory in Europe. They're already there was victory in Europe day. So this is the day that that you probably seen documentaries or on television of the tanks going through the middle of cities of the soldiers all the Allied troops together celebrating all the girls hugging and kissing all the troops and flowers everywhere, you know champagne bottles pop and everything. This was a celebration of the end of World War II in Europe is still going on in Japan with Japan, but it was it was finished completely in Europe. Surrender, they had surrendered the German Army had surrendered against Allied Forces. So we look at that we say well that's that's the end of the war there but there with the scholars the people who study looking back on World War so that that's really not win. The war was won. The war was not really one. On vide it was one they say looking back at on D-Day. And so if anybody knows by DJ it was it was a little over a year before the day was D-Day happened and everybody has seen the movies, you know Saving Private Ryan. I think it starts off on D-Day and some of the Band of Brothers those kind of films they start off on when the Allied troops land in in France. And so that's when they said that the war's really the battle was won on that. There's some other battles afterwards Battle of the Bulge of some other things but the battle was won in Hitler had no more chance after that happened because it was such a big wave of of troops coming in the battle was coming to him that that pretty much the war was one then Now if we think about that we look at that we can use that illustration to our text this morning because if we just look at our texts this morning start off cold, it's pretty confusing. So it's it's it starts off in 12. We need to figure out what verse 12 is. It says not that I've already obtained this or I'm already perfect. But I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. So if we just look at that, we're thinking what does that even mean? What what is he talking about here? We need to look at at what this is. So he says not that I've already attained this. So what is Paul talking about by this? Well, let's look at 12 here in verse 12 will look at verse 11 will go back one the first 11. That by any means possible. I may attain the resurrection from the dead. This is a disc that he's talking about. He's talking about the resurrection from the dead.

So Paul is saying here that he is not yet.

Perfect. He has not yet obtained his perfect body Resurrection from the dead is what we were promised that we will be resurrected from the dead and Paul has not obviously. I mean, he's there talking to the people. So it's like yeah, of course Paul you haven't been resurrect from the dead. I see your body right now and it's the same as it's always been it's not a new body. But Paul is saying this for a specific reason. He's saying that his body is not been glorified yet. This is a term that that in Christianity. And in in theology that is used for when we are perfected when we are done with the work when we are with Jesus. We're be glorified glorified glorification of what happens when we we become perfect. This is like the final stage is like a cup of our Salvation is lick his when we all have his glorified body. We were Jesus. So Paul is making a point here that he's not yet there. It's a not yet situation. So he's he's talked about not being glorified yet. It is making this point because it's obvious that he's not because he's standing in front of it or he's not staying in front of the flip and he's writing a letter but but he's still the same same Paul. and you saying that because he also uses in Ephesians the language of being dead the dead in dead in sin and being made alive in Christ. So that's like wow. Okay. Well that's a resurrection there, you know you're dead and now you're alive that's a resurrection of spiritual resurrection that happens during justification it and so he is at the not yet of of being glorified.

He hasn't reached his goal yet. I mean he hasn't reached the Finish Line what he's striving for. He has a recent that he knows that he's not glorified yet. He hasn't had his VE day if you will.

Paul that is important to share the status of the with the with the flip and let me why why would it matter that Paul says I'm not glorified yet. But why would he say that cuz I think that Paul wants them to understand where they are also in there salvation in the stages of salvation Salvation is not just something we say. Okay. Well, you know I'm saying that's it. You know, that's fine. You know, it's not it's not a simple that it is a simple as that but there is a lot that goes on with salvation. There's it has been happening to you before the beginning of time before the Earth was created God started this process salvation in our lives. He goes on in verse 12 to say. But I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own so. We looked at the not yet of where Paul is not yet at he's not yet in his glorified body. So we can you know, we are one in Christ. We are in Christ just like the Philippians. He's writing this letter to the Philippians. But if we are in Christ ourselves. He is speaking to us also because just like thousands years ago. Just like the Philippians. We have the same Spirit. We have the same Holy Spirit in us and we are saved by the same God and so we can apply the Starlight. So right now he's saying I press on to make up my own because Christ Jesus had made has made me his own. So now he's going to talk about the already. It we talked about the not yet. He's talking about the already here and this sums up pretty much the whole text that I've been reading that I read already and that we've been studying is its it sums up this whole thing. I press on I'm making my own because Christ has made me his own it's a because it's a reaction and that's what he's coming up here. He's saying and you know, it is not staying I press on so that Jesus will make me his own that's not why I'm pressing on I'm not striving. I'm not pressing on in order for Christ to make me his own. It's not a work thing. He sang I press on because Christ has made me as on it done. That is a that is a finish work right there price. He has made us his own if we are in Christ. He he is made of his own.

And because of that because Christ has made him his own he presses on.

He's compelled to press on heat that he wants to he's he's got something that has happened in his life because Christ has made him his own he now has no other option but depressed son because he knows how good it is. He knows he has tasted it. He is truly Justified fully justified in Christ. He's not yet Sanctified or he's not yet glorified, but he is fully Justified he can rest in the knowledge that Christ has done all the work and paid for salvation. Justified is what we are in Christ Jesus trades arson. That we have everyone has it. Everyone is enemy of God. We we have we are riddled with sin what God does Jesus did on the cross? Is he traded our sin for his righteousness. Jesus was perfect know he had done nothing wrong. He was perfect yet fulfilled the whole lot and being justified means that Jesus. We don't not only have our sins forgiven. Jesus gives us righteousness on top of that. He does just take away our sins. He gives us his righteousness. That's what Justified means and this is the already of Salvation. If you are a Believer this morning, you already have this If you have called in the name of the Lord than you have this transfer of sin and righteousness you have righteousness. And so when we look at this not yet, let's not be discouraged we have We have Assurance in Christ and to Apollo's doing here and this in this verse is saying I press on to make a my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own and so he's reacting. He's reacting to Grace you sang. God has made me his own so I'm going to press on. I'm pressing on because I have like I said it is no other option. He is so good. It has made such a big change in his life that he has no other option. But to the press on it like a crude illustrations is like when you're go eat at a restaurant. I mean you have this incredible meal. And you eat it. It's amazing. You love it. It's the most amazing thing in the world. And what are you going to do afterwards when somebody ask you about it? What are you going to be like Nazarite fried catfish meal I've ever had it at Bubba's catfish Cafe. Like that was the most amazing thing. I'm going to go tell everybody to go there instead of the place down the street. That's what we do. We do that if we love something we find it we find it amazing. So what we do is we tell everybody we go on Facebook and we'd like it and we can we tell everybody why they should like it also and why they're wrong if they don't like it, you know, that's what we do. That's what we do as people That's what this grace is. Apollo's doing he's been changed. She's tasted this grace and he's he's telling people about it. His life has changed. He's striving because of the grace of as shown. So we can ask her yourself that question this morning is is how often do we look at what we have been shown and what the grace is we've been showing what we the kind of sagada shown as how often do we look at what we have and how often we do we share that with others just because we have it just because we're so excited about it. Are you excited about the grace of you've been shown are you excited about what God has done your life. Do you see a change in your life because of the Holy Spirit and because what Jesus had it on the edge on the cross Social Challenges challenges if we feel that way because we feel that way because we've been changed by Grace we should press on we should share the good news with other people that don't have the good news. And so it's a challenge does this morning as a challenge to me when I was reading this do I do that? I don't sometimes I don't I don't express my joy for the gospel as I should.

now we should be careful also because everybody is different and we shouldn't dress are benchmarks are human benchmarks on others whether or not they're they're going out and sharing the gospel in the streets. Like you are, you know, we should compare ourselves, but I think that we should challenge our mindsets. I think that we should Challenge and say, where are we at in our minds? It's not in the actual work that we're doing for the gospel and for the kingdom not like saying will I showed up for hours this week and you should have 2 hours. That's not what we're talking about. You're not talking about a legalistic that we're talking about a mindset towards the kingdom. and so when he is saying that Paul is specifically saying that we should we should press on because of what has been shown to us. And so that's the mindset we should have is we have been shown Grace. So now we should Press On

Sunburst 13 says 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 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. So Paul's repeating hear that. He should. He does not consider that I have made it my own that's the same thing. I'm he's that hasn't considered that he's he's achieved Perfection yet. He's repeating at Paul's very humble. Like Paul is amazing. He he probably has more right to not be humble and everybody but he is very humbly says I haven't achieved this yet. How do you talk about some practical use here one thing I do he gives us some life-changing advice. For those who have been saved because I forget. What lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead?

So he's saying he's saying he's remember to forget.

Does Summit use remember like remember to forget?

And that's what he's doing. Of course. He's not erasing his memories. And so what is Paul have to forget it? Let's look back about a few versus earlier. In verse 5. This is what Paul is forgetting. He's talking about who he was before Christ. He said circumcised on the 8th day of the people of Israel of The Tribe of Benjamin the Hebrew of Hebrews as to the law Pharisee asked is Ela persecutor of the church after righteousness under the law blameless, but whatever gain I had I count as loss for the sake of Christ indeed. I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for his sake. I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ. So when Paul is saying that he forgets He says he does one thing. He says forgetting what lies behind and so that's where he is. He's forgetting what lies behind his life and what lies behind Is who he was all the stuff that we read was who he was?

And so that's the advice that he gives us. He says when I'm running the race, I'm not looking back at who I was.

We're not forgetting we're not erasing from our memories. We are forgetting exactly why we were working towards all those things who we were before Christ and we all had We all had a identity outside of Christ. Identity was an enemy of Christ all of us before we were saved before. We are Justified. We were enemies of Christ whether or not we like to think that we were not we were and so when he saying I forget what lies behind he's saying that everything that I was I'm no longer because of what Christ has done in my life. So we no longer. Have those Idols we no longer.

Where the enemy uniform no longer take orders from the enemy. Cuz we were fighting we were at a war against God and so we are on the side of the devil and a war against God. Romans 5:10 says for if while we were enemies were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more now that we are reconciled. Shall we be saved by his life is his right there. We were enemies of God before we were reconciled and you can't leave God out of it. You can't be on at one side or the other you are on one side of the other you have to be on one side of the other you can't be. Well, you know, I didn't really think about God and I was wasn't his enemy. I wasn't bad. I wasn't doing all the kind of things that other people were doing. I wasn't that bad. I was young sure did some bad things but before God you are enemies of him. And so we no longer enemies and we're no longer take orders from the enemy. We are bought and paid for by Christ. And so what we do is we don't look back at what we decide to do. We don't look back at who we were we don't look back at the war that we are fighting waging against God by our sin. We don't look back at that the things that fulfilled us. We look for we press forward. Bruce 14 pulses I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of Christ God in Christ Jesus.

So he's saying he presses on and he's saying let those of us who are mature think this way and if anything you think otherwise God will reveal that also to you. I think it's funny that Paul says that the one thing he does here, but then he says two things. So he's saying the one thing I do then he says two things which is kind of funny, but he can do that cuz he's Paulino. is a presses on and the pressing on part is as the sanctification that we are going through. The battle is the right now battle. So we've had the the God has already done the work on the cross. That is the already of our Salvation. We have the sanctification now, which is right now overseeing of our Salvation. It's the already done right now future past present future. We are being Sanctified right now as we speak. We are being saved. right now

Sanctification is the process of being made perfect.

So we are being made perfect. We are not yet. Perfect, but we are being made perfect because of God. It's the right now the bad and it's easier for us. If you think education is kind of our work. You know, what we have to do these things in order to be Sanctified know we got to pray a lot. We've got to read the Bible and stuff and there are a lot of things that are very helpful for us to do to be Sanctified in in the work that is done. But it is God that is doing the work in our lives. So just as God did the work in our lives as justifying us. By Christ Alone through faith alone. God is also doing the work by sanctifying us. Philippians 1:6 said and I am sure of this that he who began a good work. Justified in you will bring it to completion glorified completion. So God is doing the sanctifying work in your life.

And God will finish the work that you started and so we would like to thank the Geisha sometimes I get a little overwhelmed like I'm not doing very well like I'm not very I don't feel like I'm being sick and if I don't feel like I'm being made more perfect than I was at suck sometimes I feel like I'm just failing even more and I'm just so you know the sin in our lives. It's sometimes I think while I'm done with this and then five minutes later, there it is again, you know, sometimes I get down on myself for not being a good sanctifier and I'm not a good sanctifier Christ is a good sanctifier and he's doing that work in s

So God has all that we need to be perfect. He has what we we require he he has a strength. God has the ammunition ammunition for our battle that were waging right now and I think this is one of the reasons why Paul is saying going through this he says I'm not yet here and I'm already here. We're right here. And I think it's good for this morning to to realize that we are here and to know where we stand in our salvation.

No part of Salvation happens because of Our Own Strength. Let's just let's underline that. so when we are struggling with

Battling with sin which we all do. We battle with sin over and over and over again. We will continue to battle Us in until we are perfect. We are no longer have sand will just continue to battle but let's not be discouraged because God is doing the work in our life. He is making us perfect. We're not there yet, though.

So when Paul is saying that we press on that's obviously something when you press on it something that takes work is not just something you're like what I'm saying. We're just going to pull this like God do the work will just sit here and do nothing. Now that takes a lot of effort and work and I'm pressing on

it's uncomfortable.

And it takes time and effort. I take stepping out of our comfort zone. And if we are continuous if we are. Comfortable all the time in our Christianity and our faith. That means that we're not doing it, right. We're not being.

We're not striving enough. We're not pressing on if if what Paul says here is right that we need to press and we need to strain. That is something that takes work. It takes a lot of effort to press.

Press I mean put up the definition of Jonathan is to move or cause to move into a position of contact with something by exerting continuous physical Force. Soros what Paul was saying that's what he does. He's doing that. He's using physical Force like he is really pressing into this to his faith. He is pressing is pressing toward the goal. And straining the same same kind of thing strain is a force a part of one's body or itself oneself to make a strenuous or unusually great effort effort. And and so Paul is saying here that we do not need to be relaxed. We cannot be relaxed. Obviously Christ has done the work and we don't need to take on all the work of what Christ has already done because he's already done on the cross. So if we're trying to atone for our sins, we cannot do that. There's not there's not amount of strength and strain and anything that can make that happen on our own that is already done. It's finished that has been done in your life. If you're a Believer you do not need to do that anymore. You do not need to atone for something that is already been paid for.

LOL, Paul says it's too he's he says it because this is what we do. If you're back in verse says so let those of us who are mature think this way. He's just like us grown-ups. This is what we do. I know you kids do a different way. If I like those of us who are make sure this is what we do and it he can only talk and say that if somebody was like well, yeah if you're not a little kid like if you're grown up this what you do What does the way you do if you're mature? You work you strive? Hard you press on toward the goal. You don't let

you don't give up.

And he says if you don't if you don't do this guy's going to show you that you're wrong. I love that also about Paul. He's like if you don't do what we do as grown-ups pretty much God's going to show you that you're wrong. And that's the thing. God will show you what you're doing. And so when we were young we think that were further along that we are obviously that whole thing of when you're young, you know at all, you know, everything there's a quote by Aristotle that says the more you know, the more you know, you don't know. And so that's kind of how I think of this section is it's like when we think that we have everything we're new Believers and where we have bat we have we have completed a battle against sin you like man. I just like I beat that thing right now. I'm doing good. Like I'm I'm getting pretty perfect in my life. That's kind of how we act obviously I act that way. I don't have to know everything but God it is is telling us to Paul that that is not the case, you know, the more you know, the more you don't know and Paul saying also like I've I know a lot Paul knew a lot when he wrote this, I mean he had been revealed a lot you've been through a lot he had been through so much he was in prison when he wrote this and he's talking about if you think that you are perfect and you think that you were done with the battle you are wrong.

And so we need to think that way.

And we tend to think that we have everything going on. You know, we would tell everybody exactly what we think about masks and all this thing of professionals about this and that, you know will go on Facebook and just we've got it perfected. We're all perfect people and nobody else is you know, everybody else is wrong with only right people. Paula saying do not act like that. So you're still in a battle you are not perfect yet. We need to stay on guard need to press on we can't be complacent in our faith in our Christianity in our in our moving toward perfection in our in our reading in our in our praying in our studying in our talking to others in our community being a part of a community with people and in sharing with them the hope that you have we need to be pressing into that. You want to stay on on guard? He doesn't want us to get cocky there. Like we know it. All Paul is Paul knows he knew so much more than we'll ever know here. And he's saying I'm not perfect. I don't know it, you know, so we don't need to be there yet. We're not there until we're glorified with him offencive.

So why is this so important to understand where we are in our Salvation you could we could just ask a question. Well, like yeah, I've said the prayer and I'm saved and so that's pretty much right. I'm just waiting to go to heaven, you know. We need to know where we are in the fight because we need to fight we don't need to be complacent. We need to know that there is a battle going on right now. And just like the troops after they had won the war on D-Day just like they had done they had gone for over a year. And so many people have died. So many big battles were were were waged. The war was not over yet. Even though scholar said that it was at the time he was still going on until VE Day. The battle is not over with us either. We as Believers need to stand guard.

And we need to arm ourselves with the proper equipment which is God's word and the reading of God's word.

if we believe the false gospel of prosperity than

we will be caught off guard.

We're just fight through Christ. We are not promised health and wealth.

The battle is not over when you accept Christ. In fact, the battle is just beginning. This whole text Paul is telling the church is to be on guard. Be alert be on the offense. We're not there yet. We're not glorified yet. We need to stand strong. until one day we are glorified but

We're still find the fight, but just you know, like the Allies in World War II when they were going from D-Day to VE day. They had no idea that they were going to win. I mean they thought they were going to win they were pressing on they were battling like they were going to win looking back we can say that so we have some news that they didn't have in the battle. We have a A Bible that tells us exactly what's going to happen. They didn't know exactly they didn't know that Hillary was going to commit suicide they were going to that he was going to that the they were going to surrender. They didn't know that they were fighting hard because they wanted that to happen. That's how we need to be but we need to also be assured that during this battle. Yes, we do fight hard and we do keep going toward our Perfection when we see Jesus. But that's going to happen. God said he's going to finish the work in you that he started and so we have that Assurance unlike the Allies did that they were going to win the war we have insurance that we're on the right side. We're on the winning team. And we are just pressing on but the war is not over and we will be victorious we fight knowing what the end result is.

yes, there is a lot of work to be done and there's going to be a lot of casualties until we are perfected and it's going to be a lot of heartache and there's give me a lot of deaf people falling away The weenie stand Victorious until we are there on the ultimate vide which is when we are in the presence of Jesus Christ. Let's pray. God give us strength. Give us ammunition. Give us everything. We need to keep fighting.

God help us not to become complacent with where we are help us not to think that we are more than we are God. Yes, you have finished the work God, but we are still being perfected. And I pray that for us. That you would give us Assurance everyday that you are doing the work of perfecting us.

That one day we will be perfect with you. We will be celebrating in the streets. with you because of the battle that you have won on the cross. The right now we're in this. For we need to fight and we need to fight hard and we need you to give us everything we need for the battle. God help us in every aspect of our life when we talked to people when we are at the grocery store when we are are communicating with our loved ones God help us to fight. Were you and not to lay over and not? Become complacent God give us the strength. To fight the battle for you. You pray this in your son's name who has done the work. Jesus Christ amen