The Importance of Letting Go

Philippians 3:12–13 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,

State: The key word here is “Forgetting”.

Means: To dismiss from the mind / stop remembering

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” ~ C. S. Lewis

picture of Monkey Bars

Story from Southland ( Set Free Conference) about woman who forgave her sister (let go)

Richard’s Story:

God asked if he wanted to be healed

God said he would need to let go of some things

He saw a shelf full of containers in a row that contained hurts, grudges, unforgiveness, how people had wronged him

He willingly let go of them

As he let go of each of them, they would fly off the shelf and explode and disappear.

The healing took time....but he KNEW he was healed.

What do you need to let go of from 2021

After we have let go of 2021....just like in the Monkey bars.....

What are we called to do?

Philippians 3:14 NLT

14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

State: We press on.....what does “press on” mean

Paul uses the picture of an athlete to describe it in Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:25 NLT

25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

State: Paul speaks of discipline

State: They do things that push their bodies past their normal comforts and limits

State: We are called to push ourselves past our normal “Christian Disciplines”

Hebrews shows us a little of what that involves

Hebrews 12:1–2 NLT

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

1) Strip off the weight that slows us down (our own sin & stuff put on us by others)

2) Keep our eyes on Jesus

Who he is

What he has done for us

What he has prepared for us in heaven

3) Endure the cross ( that you may be called to carry)

4) Disregard the shame

Or as Paul puts it:

Philippians 3:10 NLT

10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,

The goal is to know Jesus better......