A New Plan for A New Year

Introduction

*Open Your Bibles to Philippians 3

As you find your place, you will remember that I’m not big on resolutions

Making a promise in the sand without a plan to accomplish that plan is a worthless endeavor

As the old saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail

This is what resolutions tend to be

We know things that we need to change about ourselves

better diets

better exercise habits

better financial plans

We just don’t really do anything about it

Planning takes a lot of work and effort

Success takes diligence, hard work, and sacrifice

We also have to follow the plan that we make to be successful

My concern, as we start this New Year, though is that we might dump becoming better followers of Jesus in with our resolutions

I’m afraid that for most of us, we know

It’s something that I should do

It will benefit me more than anything else

I really do need it because I am a follower of Jesus

AND, if we’re honest

I’m not really going to do it

This morning, it is my prayer that today we’re going to change that starting today

In Philippians 3, we find a game plan for growth in Christ. We’re going to pick up in verse 13:

Philippians 3:13–21 NASB95

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Pray, invited the church to sit

*LISTENING GUIDES OUT

As we pick up in today’s text, Paul is encouraging the believers not to become complacent

The Jew can’t sit back and rest in the fact that he is among the circumcised-because true circumcision is of the heart

Your family won’t get you into heaven

That you walked an aisle and said a prayer won’t get you into heaven

The only thing that can save you is faith in Jesus Christ

Faith, our belief put into the action of following Jesus is the only door to salvation

You works can’t save you, though if you are saved you will have works

We don’t do works to earn our salvation, we do them because we are saved

The good you do doesn’t undo the sins you have committed: only the blood of Christ can cleanse you of sins

But, the center of what Paul is getting at in chapter 13 comes in verse 8, just before our passage

Philippians 3:8 NASB95

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

Nothing that we have or give up, nothing that we have done or earned, nothing compares to the greatness of knowing Jesus

And if we believe that nothing is more valuable in all of the world than our relationship with Jesus Christ, then our pursuit of that relationship needs to be the most important thing in our lives

Simply put, we cannot afford to get lazy in knowing Jesus and making Him known

Knowing Jesus and making Him known isn’t a priority: it is the priority

And with that in mind, we find four things in our passage today that can help us to do exactly that. Let’s look at them one by one:

Philippians 3:13 NASB95

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

The first key for us to be successful in our growth in Christ is this:

Let go of the past to chase after the future

I don’t want you to miss-hear me when I say this:

I am not saying that you need to forget the past

we learn from our past and gain wisdom through it

In our past we’ve seen God move, which helps us to grow in faithful following today

But, we have to remember that we haven’t arrived yet!

You are not yet the finished product that God is making you to be

That means that you still have a journey ahead of you

things to learn

ways to change and to be grown

challenges that will call you to faithful obedience

opportunities to serve others and to see His hand move

All of these things are good things and important for your growth

but all of them are in front of you

FACT: You can’t look backward & forward at the same time

When I was a kid, my sister and I were riding our bikes in town.

She was behind me, and we had just crossed an intersection

All of a sudden, I heard screeching car tires

I looked backward to make sure she was ok

When I looked forward, I was 6 inches away from hitting my face into a telephone pole

I didn’t get hurt that day, but I did learn something important

Looking backwards while moving forwards is dangerous- We have to let go of what’s behind us

Let go of the bad

All of us face loss, grief, pain, injury, anger, suffering, and frustration

All of us have bad things that happen in our lives

We have bad things that happen to us as a church

We have people do bad things to us in the church

All of us have failures

Choices we would change if given an opportunity

Mistakes that ended up costing us time, money, and opportunities

Shortfalls AND Shortcomings that ended up hurting others\

NO GOOD HAS EVER COME TO ANYONE FROM HOLDING ONTO THESE THINGS

Instead they fill you with bitterness

Instead, they freeze you in the place where you are

Instead, they blind you to the wonderful things God has for you now

YES, you need to work through your problems-but work through them

travel through the valley of grief, but don’t build your house there

Apologize and mend relationships you have broken

Find new sources of joy that will take the place of your sorrows

We also need to let go of the good

College Football Champions celebrate a week or two:

THEN THEY START ON NEXT SEASON

FOCUSING ON THE GLORY DAYS AND PAST ACHIEVEMENTS BLINDS US TO NEW DANGERS

The calling to be different than we are

The challenges and opportunities in front of us

The need to grow

We can’t let the good of yesterday make us complacent

If you live like you’ve arrived, you never will

As a people and as individuals, our eyes must stay fixed on what lies ahead of us. With that in mind, let’s continue

Philippians 3:14–16 NASB95

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

The second key for us to be successful in our growth in Christ is this:

Focus on knowing Jesus and Making Him known

A friend recently shared with me an incident with his daughter

He was teaching her to ride her bike

She was worried about running into the tree on the side of the road

In and empty street, with one tree, she ran smack into it as soon as he let go

WHY? Because you will drive toward what you focus on

It’s true on a bike, it is true in your life

Regardless of how long you have known Jesus, the only way to become more Like Him is to fix your eyes on Him

When you are trying to lose weight, you become aware of things you eat that are getting in the way of that

When you are trying to save money, you intentionally change your spending habits to make it happen

When you focus on Jesus, the things that are not like Him in your life will become evident!

This is what Paul is saying-Even mature Christians will find ways to grow when they focus on Jesus

If you are feeling prideful in your walk, LOOK AT JESUS-He’ll bring you back to humility

BE CAREFUL NOT TO LET MATURITY BREED COMPLACENCY

If you are still breathing on this side of eternity, you still have room to grow-This leads to our next point: verse 17

Philippians 3:17–19 NASB95

Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

The third key for us to be successful in our growth in Christ is this:

Be Accountable to avoid backsliding

When you fail to move forward, you will move backward

A runner that doesn’t push to get faster and go farther will begin getting out of shape

A weightlifter that never pushes to increase their max will gain fat and lose muscle tone

Following someone and leading someone will ensure that you and others are growing

We are always on the chain of Christ followers-following someone and leading someone

The best way for us to stay on the path is to help each other

When you are teaching others, you are more careful as to where you step

When you are following someone, you are focused on going where they go

If you take your eyes off of Jesus, you will find something else to focus on

All of us know people that once burned brightly for Christ that now live for other things

All of us have temptations around us that are waiting to trap us if we lose our focus

Who in your life holds you accountable

For your time with the Lord?

For your efforts in praying for and sharing with the lost?

For your growth in your areas of sin struggle?

For the challenges God is calling you to pursue in faith!

NONE OF US CAN WALK THIS ROAD ALONE-THIS IS WHY THE BODY IS SO IMPORTANT

Let’s continue, verse 20

Philippians 3:20–21 NASB95

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

The last key for us to be successful in our growth in Christ we will look at today is this:

Remember the Prize we wait for

What lies ahead of us is better than anything else

When you know you’re going to Disney World, it’s easier to say no to the fair!

REMEMBER: This life is so short and eternity is so long!

If we really believe that our eternity will be better than this life, then we need to spend this life getting ready

It takes discipline to focus on the future hope instead of the instant pleasure of a moment

Focusing on the prize of heaven and the glory of God will pail these fleeting things

INVITATION: ONE DAY, we will be transformed, so today, don’t be conformed

You have two choices with the time God has given you (however much that is)

you can spend it on all the things behind you and around you, focused on that which is perishing

OR

You can fix your eyes on JESUS, Knowing Him and Making Him Known, focused on the future and seeking accountability because you know that what is ahead is better than everything else

THIS MORNING, won’t you make Jesus more than just another resolution

PRAY