Philippians 3:12-4:1: Finish Well

Introduction

Many funerals in 20 years of ministry. One sticks out: engineer, husband, author, wildlife advocate, etc. Great guy - diagnosed with cancer - went home from hospital to die. Ambulance ride - knew it would be the last time he would ever be outside his home - wrote about the experience - reflecting on his life - “I wish I would have done more for Jesus.” Sobering to hear at a funeral - he was convinced that he had not finished well.

The Christian life is a marathon. This man crossed the finish lined, and is in heaven - but somewhere along the way, stopped running with intensity.

What about you? If you knew your life was ending, would you look back over your life and say with confidence, “I finished well.” Or, will you look back and say, “I wish… I wish I would have been more devoted, done more, etc.” I want you to finish well.

Imprisoned in Rome, Paul doesn’t know how much time he has left. Will he get out of prison? Will he be executed because of his faith? Paul could see the finish line. It was coming into plain view. He wanted to finish well.

This morning, three ways to finish well.

Don’t slow down.

Paul laid out his accomplishments and said, “I count it all loss to know Jesus.” In verse 10, “I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection...”

Paul’s confession: “I’m not there yet… I’m not already perfect...” For Paul in the present - there’s more of Jesus to know and experience - For Paul in his future - there’s more of Jesus to come when I am perfected… Not there yet.

Judaizers thought they had arrived. They had all their bases covered - circumcision, religious rituals, and Jesus. Paul, “I’m not like them. I don’t think I have arrived. I don’t think I have all the answers. I know I am not yet who Jesus wants me to be.” You feel the same way.

After walking with Jesus for years, Paul says, “I press on.” (Says it 2xs) Paul - “I’m not taking my foot off of the gas. I’m not slowing down. I’m going to continue to pursue Jesus.”

Newsflash: If the Apostle Paul needed to continue to grow in his relationship with Jesus, so do you. You may be a mature follower of Jesus: read the Bible every day, pray, serve tirelessly, share the Gospel faithfully, give generously, but you still have a long way to go.

There’s more for you right now. YET, we constantly settle for less than what God has for us. There’s always more to learn about Jesus, more of the love of Christ to experience, more of the majesty of Christ to behold, AND more sin to put off, more ways to grow in the character of Jesus, more opportunities to live on mission, etc. AND There’s much more for you yet to come. (Hudson’s Moped…there’s always next year...)

You never arrive. You never know it all. You never experience all God wants for you. There’s always more.

So… don’t slow down. Press on. Jesus has more for you. Problem: Some of us have slowed down. The race is not over - there’s much more for us - but mid-race, we’ve stopped.

How do you know if you’ve slowed down or stopped mid-race?

Lack of discipline. You don’t pray often. You don’t study the Word. You don’t put sin to death.

Lack of desire. You don’t want more in your walk with Jesus. You’re satisfied with where you are. You’re ok not growing. You’re ok not praying. You just don’t care. You’re complacent.

Don’t lose your focus.

The reason why you slow down is because you lose your focus.

For Paul - he can see it - he’s like a runner looking toward the finish line. He know there’s more for him right now, and he’s knows there more for him in the future. He’s focused on attaining everything that Jesus has for him. He doesn’t want to miss it - if he’s going to attain all that Jesus has for him, it’s going to require intense focus.

What causes you to lose focus? What causes you to slow down? For Paul: Your past…

Your past accomplishments. Maybe thinking about his past accomplishments. Paul’s spiritual resume - all he accomplished as a Jew OR all he accomplished as a Christian. For Paul - would have been easy to coast - Hadn’t he done enough? Planted churches, etc. Now in jail - still with a passion. Wants to go back to Philippi - wants to go to Spain, etc. Hadn’t he done enough?

Tempting to look back at past accomplishments and say, “Haven’t I done enough?” I’ve led a lot of people to Jesus. I’ve studied the Bible a lot. I’ve grown a lot. I’ve come a long way in my Christian journey, isn’t that enough? Nope. Because you know like Paul does… There’s more.

Your past failures. Some of us look back and say, “Haven’t I done enough?” Others look back, “I’ll never be able to do enough.” We carry around the weight of the failures of our past. Paul had failures. Rom. 7 - sin that he struggled with. Could have thrown hands up. “There will never be more for me!” Or, think about before Paul became a Christian. He persecuted Christians! He had them imprisoned! He was there when Stephen was stoned to death because of his faith in Jesus. He watched approvingly. He did nothing to stop it. Talk about failure! But, Jesus changed him. He didn’t dwell on his failures.

Nor should you. Easy for you to get tangled up in your past and say, “I can never be because...” Or, “I can never be used by God because...” Look at all the people God has used in spite of their past. Moses was a murderer. David was an adulterer. Abraham worshipped idols. Rahab was a prostitute. Jesus disciples: Matthew was a tax collector.

(Losing to Dondi… Focus on that or the task at hand…)

Your past does not disqualify you from a relationship with God, nor does your past disqualify you from being used by God. Your past is what it is - it’s past.

Satan will bring up your past - subtle attack of the enemy. You’re making progress, then you remember what you did. You remember who you were. The lie: You’re no good. You’re worthless. You’re unlovable. BUT, God doesn’t bring up your past. He treats you as if it never happened. (Hebrews 8:12)

Paul’s encouragement to us: Live in the now…Yesterday is gone. It’s good to learn from our past failures, and good to celebrate our past accomplishments, but the past is a terrible place to live. Your past will keep you from focusing on what God wants to do in your life right now.

Straining - INTENSITY (Nothing like seeing the clock at the end of a race…) I know the end is coming whether it’s today or fifty years from now - I see the finish line - I’m straining - I’m giving it all I have. vs. 15 - Those of us who are mature think this way.

Are you straining towards the goal today? Are you pressing on today? What are you doing today to grow in Christ? What are you doing today that is of eternal significance? What choices are you making today that will help you become the man or woman God wants you to be? Don’t lose your focus. Set your eyes on the prize and press on.

Don’t forget who’s watching.

Paul: Imitate me. Paul has been pointing to examples of how life should be lived. He pointed to Jesus - the example of humility and counting others as more significant than yourselves. He pointed to Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples of regular men who walked worthy of the Gospel. Now he points to himself. Is Paul egotistical? No - he knows we need examples to follow, and he knows that he needs to be an example.

Many will imitate the enemies of the cross. Perhaps Paul has people in mind who have abandoned the faith and turned back to ungodliness. Their mind is on earthly things. They are self-indulgent. Paul is worried about believers in Philippi imitating their ways.

But… your mind is on heavenly things because you know you are citizens of a better city than Philippi or Rome. You know what God has for you is better than what this world offers. And you know you have a Savior who is going to give you the resurrection.

Paul: imitate me because we’re together pursuing the victory we have in Jesus…

Paul knows the church at Philippi is watching him. And, people are watching you as well.

Your life is having a profound affect on someone. If you’re a parent, your kids. If a teacher, your students. If a friend, your friends. We all have influence.

If those you are influencing imitate your life, what will their lives look like? If your kids faith looks like your faith, what will it look like? What will they prioritize? Jesus? Sports? Education? If your friends who look to you for support and encouragement imitate your faith, what will their faith look like?

Can you say, “Imitate me, because if you do, you will walk more faithfully with Jesus?” Your faith is never lived in isolation. Your faith, or lack of faith, will leave a lasting impact on the lives of others. What changes do you need to make in your life so you can confidently say, “Imitate me?”

Will others see you finish well, and will it encourage them to finish well?

Gospel: Big Question: Why should you want to finish well? vs. 12 - because Christ Jesus has made you his own. BOOM!

This is why Paul couldn’t take his eyes off the prize… Paul was on his way to an eternal hell because of his past. BUT, Jesus saved him. Because on the cross, just years before Paul met Jesus on the Damascus Rd., Jesus died for Paul. He died for the very one who persecuted the church. He took Paul’s sins upon Himself and paid the penalty for those sins. He rose from the dead for Paul. Paul was completely forgiven and set free of his sins because Jesus took His place on the cross. Now, Paul enjoyed every spiritual blessing and the promise of citizenship in the new heavens and new earth because Jesus had made Paul his own.

And, if you’ve never experienced what Paul did, Jesus will do the same for you if you believe in His death and resurrection and turn to Him in faith.

Believer, for you, get back in the race. Don’t lose your focus. Today… What do you need to do to grow in Christ?