"PRESSWORD"
Notes
Transcript
“PRESSWORD”
“PRESSWORD”
Key Verse:
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Intro:
Maybe in the beginning of 2020 you probably had a ton of goals that you wanted to accomplish, but they came to a screeching halt, probably due to the pandemic or whatever the case may have been.
Maybe you had plans to:
Travel
change in career path
Health
Finances
Go watch your favorite team live
Finding your boo at MOP Youth convention or youth advance
Family gatherings
be able to fellowship with friends, family or church family
Go to your favorite theme park
Spirit growth (maybe through ministry
ETC
Whatever plans you may have had was put on hold due to COVID 19
You may have experienced disappointment because maybe you felt that a year was waisted or lost and you could not
get ahead or move forward this year in reaching your goal.
Well,
can i tell you that you are not alone, and you have good company that can relate with you, such as the Apostle Paul.
The Apostle was a man who did much for the kingdom of God:
Wrote 13 books in the N.T.
He was a mentor to many
He was a missionary
Church planter
he had all the educational accolades
He spoke several languages
he almost won over a king, King Agrippa
So many accomplishments, but yet he felt like he was not finished!
If you wanted to model anyone in the bible or someone to look up to, it would probably be the Apostle Paul. If you had to chance to speak to him and ask him, “what was the key to your thriving success”? I am most certain he would probably quote this verse,“THIS ONE THING I DO/DID”
The phrase used “ONE THING” was the key to his success.
If you notice the Apostle Paul uses to bring his point across, by using examples of sports
He writes with the athletic analogy on many occasion to describe the christian life.
Example:
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
In other words not shadow boxing “beating the air”. But i am in the ring.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Here he is referring the wrestling
By far his favorite analogy is the foot race, and for the sake of time you can see for yourself in scriptures several verse about running the race (such as this verse).
I too have several quotes of sports athletes about being focused
“You wanna know which ring is my favorite? The next one.” – Tom Brady
“I don’t care about three years ago… I don’t care about two years ago. I don’t care about last year. The only things I care about is this week.” - Tom Bray
“The only thing I ever wanted to be was a professional football player.” – Tom Brady
“I would tell players to relax and never think about what's at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you've lost your focus." - Michael Jordan
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
The picture is "over and over" she was listening. Jesus would say a word and like a "baby bird" she would "gobble" it up and be ready for His next word. Also the phrase "seated at His feet" presents a precious picture - the verb is parakathizo from para = beside + kathizo = sit down, settle, meaning to sit beside [para] and the entire phrase [pros tous podas ton Kurion] pictures Mary right in front of the feet of Jesus. A good place for all of to abide [compare Paul's "one thing"].
Also
It is actually three things that the apostle Paul does to help him reach his mark/goal. There are three parts to this one thing. You have to do these three things in order to reach your goal/mark. Today i want to share with you those three things that are to help you. Whatever the goal or mark may be, wether it is,
Drawing closer to God more (i hope that is all of our goals)
Getting out of debt
Becoming a better parent
reaching your family for the lord
Finding that special someone in your life (you know who you are)
Starting a family
Getting your education
Etc.
What ever it may been here are three things the Apostle Paul shares with us to help reach the mark/goal.
1.PUT AWAY
1.PUT AWAY
The first thing scriptures says is,
“Forgetting those things which are behind”
In the bible the word “forget” does not mean to lose your memory. Does not mean a failure to recall, it actually means, do not let it influence you to the point where it affects your future.
The things which are behind = means backwards referring to a place and time.
To forget the bad things. The sins the failures, the disasters. Why? Because it has nothing to do with our glorious future!
To forget all the small accolades and push for the things which are ahead. strive for more and greater things!
Do not let the past influence your present
I know this year you may experienced the loss of someone dear to do you, due to the pandemic, or you have experienced a heavy weight of depression, anxiety, or discouragement. Maybe you did not have the best year financially. Maybe you gave up on your dreams and hopes, due to heavy failures you experienced this year. Maybe there are things that you did that you may have been with so much regret. Maybe your ending this year with a great disappointment. You maybe have found it very difficult to find faith in the midst of seemingly impossible or hopeless situations you found yourself in this year.
Our past failures, sins or bad experiences sometime have a way of weighing us down.
The bible says:
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Weight = mass, anything that is hindering the christian from moving forward. You Past can weight you down and not allow you to move forward.
Sin = Missing the mark. Sin will not allow you to reach your goals that God has placed before you!
If we are going to give any weight to anything, we gotta give it to God, just as Abraham did!
Abraham experienced a lot of disappointment, and set backs, God had promised Abraham to be the father of many nations and he promised him a son. Abraham was a 100 years old and his wife was too old to conceive. Nothing was happening.
Abraham mocked God and begin to reflect on the past and the reality of life.
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
“Strong in faith” Yes, but there were moments (like in genesis 15) where he laughed at God.
The Hebrew word for Glory literally means = WEIGHT!
He gave more weight to God promises and his word
Can i tell you today, that if God gave you a promise, he will fulfill it!
Do not allow the past to weight you down, but give more glory (weight) to God!
Trust in him that he that begin the work within you he shall finish it
He SHALL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU
He loves you and is a God of forgiveness and mercy
God will provide for you
I feel like i need to tell someone today that Gods plan is perfect
That he holds the word in his Hands!
He is in control
GIVE MORE GLORY (WEIGHT) TO GOD!
GIVE MORE GLORY (WEIGHT) TO GOD!
The Apostle Paul experienced many setbacks and failures. He could have easily allowed his past stop him from fulfilling all that God had set before him.
His biggest regret in the past was that he a lot to do with the first martyr in the bible. The stoning of Stephen!
However he did not allow his past failures stop him for fulfilling Gods divine plan for his life!
God uses your past failures and moments of great agony for his GLORY!
God wants to use you! May i remind someone today all that you went through this year was to use for his glory and to tell the world and the devil, look i am still standing! I am stronger that ever! I am going to reach the mark! I am going to fulfill my calling in God!
little did Paul know that his greatest regret turned into the greatest revival in the bible! We see that when the church was being persecuted that is when revival broke out throughout the entire world! Which eventually led to his conversion as well.
Someone say i’ve got to
PUT AWAY
PUT AWAY
i cannot dwell in the past and allow it to weight me down, but to use it as a stepping stone to PUT AWAY THE PAST and move forward.
(optional)
(optional)
There's a story about a man who was slowly losing his memory. After an examination, the doctor said that an operation on his brain might reverse his condition and restore his memory. However, the surgery would be so delicate that a nerve might be severed, causing total blindness.
"What would you rather have," asked the surgeon, "your sight or your memory?"
The man pondered the question for a few moments and then replied,
"My sight, because I would rather see where I am going than remember where I have been."
Do not lose focus of where you are going,
next point
2.PROCEED
2.PROCEED
“and reaching forth unto those things which are before”
Reaching forth = Reaching forward to extend, stretch out, to stretch) means literally to overextend oneself. Only found only here in all of Scripture means to stretch one's muscles to their limit, attempting energetically to attain a state or condition.
Does he not here give us the picture of a runner? He reaches forth. The man, as he speeds, throws himself forward, almost out of the perpendicular. His eye is at the goal already. His hand is far in advance of his feet, the whole body is leaning forward; he runs as though he would project himself to the end of the journey before his legs can carry him there. That is how the Christian should be; always throwing himself forward alter something more than he has yet reached
A great painter once had finished a picture, and he said to his wife with tears in his eyes, "It is all over with me, I shall never paint again, I am a ruined man." She enquired, "Why?" "Because," he says, "that painting contents and satisfies me; it realises my idea of what painting ought to be, and therefore I am sure my power is gone, for that power lies in having ideals which I cannot reach, something yet beyond me which I am striving after."
May none of us ever say, "I have reached my ideal, now I am what I ought to be, there is nothing beyond me."
May be never lose passion to be that great man or woman of God that God has called you to be!
Perfection! absolute perfection, may God help us to strive after it! That is the model, "Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Church may be never be satisfied or stagnant
But always striving and aiming for perfection!
Aiming to be the best:
Aiming to be the best:
Follower of Christ
Father
mother
model to your children
Student
coworker
sibling
etc
9. (Share my personal experience of being a better father, husband, health)
The normal Bible direction is not backward, it is always forward.
Jacob returned to the altar, but in doing so he did not go back, he went forward.
The Prodigal Son did not say, "I will go back"; he said, "I will arise and go to my father."
From where he was, going to his father's house was a forward step in his moral activities. It represented no retreat, but a distinct advance over his previous past or conduct.
The will of God is always the proper goal for every one of us. Where God is must be the place of desire. Any motion toward God is a forward motion. Even repentance is not a retreat toward the past but a decided march into a more glorious future.
Psalms :139 (favorite verse)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
LET THERE BE A CONSTANT DESIRE FORE MORE, TO STRETCH OUT FURTHER
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
12 = perfection or authority
blood = life “the life of the flesh is in the blood”
She said to herself, if i could only reach (stretch) out and touch his garments, i know i will be made whole (complete once again)
She stretched out your hand, she extended herself reach forward and not looking back but only ahead!
She said to herself,
“i’ve got to proceed forward”
“i’ve got to proceed forward”
So that i can be made whole, once again to reach her perfect estate!
Receive once again POWER
Receive once again AUTHORITY
PRESS
PRESS
“ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Press = "to press violently" or "force one's way into”.
An instrument or machine by which any body is squeezed, crushed or forced into a more compact form; as a wine-press, cider-press or cheese-press.
To urge with force or weight; (exprimir) a word of extensive use, denoting the application of any power, physical or moral, to something that is to be moved or affected. We press the ground with the feet when we walk; we press the couch on which we repose; we press substances with the hands, fingers or arms.
To squeeze; to crush; as, to press grapes.
To pursue to stretch
the burst (from pressure)
44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
We see that Jesus is in the last moments of his life, where he is about to be delivered to the romans and be hung on a cross, to suffer.
In all ways Jesus was human, he we see that he is in agony and somewhat in fear you could say. Questioning somewhat what he is called to do. He had come this far and so close to reaching his calling/goal. But if you have done anytime type of sport you know that last stretch is the HARDEST of all.
Agony /Anguish
contest; wrestling; severe struggling with pain and suffering. Anguish is the reflection on evil that is already past, while agony is a struggle with evil at the time present
it was intensifying, to the point where Jesus Christ begin to sweats great drops of blood
Drop of blood caused by hematidrosis. hematidrosis is a rare, but very real, medical condition that causes one’s sweat to contain blood. The sweat glands are surrounded by tiny blood vessels that can constrict and then dilate to the point of rupture, causing blood to effuse into the sweat glands. The cause of hematidrosis is extreme anguish.
He was experiencing alot of pain and in agony
We also see that Jesus is at the garden of Gethsemane which means = olive press
There he prayed on a stone
This image of the Gethsemane on the slope of the Mount of Olives where Jesus went the night before his crucifixion provides a vivid picture of Jesus' suffering. The weight of the sins of the world pressed down upon him like a heavy slab of rock pressed down on olives in their baskets.
His sweat, "like drops of blood falling from to the ground"
flowed from him like olive oil as it was squeezed out and flowed into the pit of an olive press.
( share the pressing of olives they pressed the baskets three times[ Jesus prayed three times)
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Can i tell you today church! To press towards the mark, i know its the final hour (for the church) i know you have been
through so much but if you can stretch out once more!
You are almost there, the coming of the lord is so close, the reason why God has not taken you if because he is not finished with you!
The pressing of oil produces the anointing IN YOUR LIFE!
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Isaiah 10:27
It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke [satanic bondage] will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
CONCLUSION:
CONCLUSION:
Story of my father!
IF MY FATHER CAN HAVE REVIVAL IN THE FINAL HOUR, HOW MUCH MORE NOT US!
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
This is the last stretch we are in the last hour!
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
FIRST STEPS/LOSS OF MARIA BETTANCOURT!
35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.