Dont give up on the prize)Forward Progress

Honor God

Pastor Dr. ALA Faye Nelson-Vickers

Elder Green

Sis. Tina Fisher

Everyone in their respectable places

Sermon: (Forward Progress)

Don’t Give up on the Prize

Philippians 3: 13-14

Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:13-14 ASV

My Brothers and my sisters. Many of us can agree that this last year every day has not been Sunday as a matter of fact the last two years many of us can say it’s been difficult dealing with the many challenges of adjusting to the reality of our society. Even to this day we look at what we have had to adjust to, we went through an entire pandemic. We had to distance ourselves from one another, many suffered losing loved ones, many relationships were broken because of the pandemic, many people were stressed. Depressed. And suppressed, and the truth of the matter is that some of those things are hard to forget. It’s the same way in our Christian journey most of us can agree that there have been times on this journey where we may have gotten a little weak and tired. Many of us had to experience some hurt. Many of us has had hardship. Many of us has had to deal with somethings within the last year that most people didn’t have to in their life. You can testify to the point that if it had not been for the Lord who was on your side. You wouldn’t know were you would be.

There have been times when it seems as though I have more bills than money there have been times when it seems as if kj

The more I press my way to church the more issues I have to face. Some us feel like Paul that the more I tried to do right, evil was always present. But nobody how hard the enemy tried to convince you to turn around you kept pressing your way. Don't feel bad because you’re not the only one.

That’s why the Bible says in Galations 6:9 And let us not be wearying in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.. Hang in there. God’s in the process of shifting your seasons.

My brothers and sisters there comes season in all of our life that we just have to make up in our mind that no matter how much Ive faced, that no matter what my past has presented, Ive made up in my mind Im not going to let my past determine my present or my purpose..

All of us in her have what I call the three P’s we all have a Past, We all have a present, and we all have a purpose. I come to encourage that your past may have determined your present, but it doesn’t have to determine your purpose. Paul was forgetting about the past , sure my brothers there are some things from our past that we must remember, but there are some things in our past that if we don’t forget we will never reach our full potential and our purpose. There was a saying that the graveyard is full of potential. In other words some people let their past stop them from moving forward.

I refuse to Die without living, God has a purpose for your life and you can not allow your past or the people from your past to stop you from fulfilling you purpose.

Is there anyone in here that can say sometimes you have to re-introduce yourself to some people, because people will put you in a box and keep you there. They know your past but they don’t know your purpose…. Truth of the matter is Im not the same person I was 10 years ago and as a matter of fact some of those things that people are still holding against you you are like Paul. You hav forgotten about.

I’ve learned that forgetting the former things not only speaks of negative things but there are some positive things we need to forget as well. Someone may say well look at all that I have accomplish preacher, you want me to forget about all of this, Yes you heard right. Because if we are not careful our past accomplishments will hold us hostage to what God has for us in our future. We will look back and smile and say look what all I have accomplished and forget what God has in store.

God didn’t bring you this far, just to bring you this far. All that you have accomplished is not all that you are going to accomplish. There is more that God has for your. Somebody open up your moth and say more.

So We find in Phillipans Paul righting a letter to the phillipian church…Paul writes about all that he had gain while persecuting the church. He counted as lost once he experienced the excellency of Christ. All the things that he once celebrated couldn’t be compared to the experience he had with Christ.

He threw it all away that he may know God…..

If we really want to know God in the power of his resurrection…

Although Paul explains that he has done and forsake his past to gain where he is…. We approach the 13th verse when Paul says in Laymen terms” Im not saying that I have it all together. Im not saying that I have made it and arrived. But Im on way to pursue and search out christ. He says in lay terms I know where I came from and I can’t go back there I must press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in christ Jesus.

It is difficult to overestimate the influence of the apostle Paul. He is known worldwide as one of the greatest Christian missionaries. His inspired writings cover a large portion of the New Testament, and it is safe to say that he remains one of the most read authors in human history. His abrupt turnaround from zealous persecutor of Christians to one of Christianity’s greatest proponents surely shaped the history of the early Christian church. But who was Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul? What do we know about his life prior to meeting Christ on the Damascus Road?

While on his way to Damascus to arrest and extradite Christians back to Jerusalem, Saul was confronted by the very One whom he was persecuting (Acts 9:3–9; 22:6–11; 26:12–18). What followed was one of the most dramatic conversions in church history. Saul of Tarsus became the apostle Paul, an ardent missionary to an unbelieving world and a fine example of faithful service in the face of fierce persecution (Acts 14:19; 16:22–24; 2 Corinthians 11:25–26). Saul’s education, his background as a Pharisee, his Roman citizenship, and his unflagging zeal all contributed to his success as a missionary.

So Paul experience as Saul allowed him to be a successful Paul. Why, because he was once one of the ones he was witnessing too.

There are three word that stood out to me in this text that I will focus on before Im out of your way.

Forget ………Press ……Mark

A.Forget...

to cease or fail to remember; be unable to recall: to forget someone's name.

We sometimes look at the word forgetful and we when use it we use it in a negative light. But Paul changes our view in forgetting Something's in order for us to move on we have to forget. Because the enemy will sometimes remind us of our past and it becomes difficult for us to move forward...

But sometimes it Good to forget. That way when the enemy try to throw it in your face we remind him that that's the old me When the enemy try to get us to act out of character. You Remind him that's the old me. I have forgotten about that. In other words there are some things that I may not forget in my mind but I don’t let the recognize it in my spirit. Some things you may can still remember. But my spirit has forgotten about. Thats why you can still speak to people who mistreated you. Thats why you can still smile when others have you done you wrong. Its not that I think Im better. Its not in my spiritual memory bank anymore..

Football short memory

Press

The definition as defined in the dictionary is

Press- 1. to act upon with steadily applied weight or force.

to move by weight or force in a certain direction or into a certain position: The crowd pressed him into a corner.

I’ am going to start moving in the direction in were God is taking me.With great force. We have to understand that many times in this Christian journey we have to press.We have to press through the storm. We have to press through the hurt. We have to press through sickness. We have to press through pain. No matter where you do Don't lose your press.....

The last but not least

The mark- a symbol used in rating conduct, proficiency, attainment.a goal

A mark is also used in a race as well..

Paul uses an analogy comparing the Christian walk with a race…that we must continue to run the race until we get to the prize..

We must understand that although I wasn’t a long distance runner, I’ve learned that during long distance running there are times during the race when the runner gets tired, There are times when the runner wants to give up. However if he wants to win he has to keep pressing his way to the mark.

My brothers and sisters life will sometimes through things our way that will make us want to withdraw from the race. Can I encourage you that God is getting ready to give you a second wind, as the song would say I believe I will run on and and see what the end is going to be.

the ultimate mark is to get To heaven.

We must obtain our mark For we know that Ecclesiastes 9:11 states the race is not giving to the swift nor the battle to the strong but he that endures to the end Shall be saved.

There was a story of a young man and his grandfather that decided to take a fishing trip, and as they were going on the trip the rain and a storm begin to fall. As the rain 🌧 begin to fall harder to when begin to blow, the lightning flash, and the people begin to pull over, the grandson looked at the grandfather and asked if he think they should pull over, However, the grandfather kept driving, after a few times asking. The grandfather looked up and saw the sun shine. He looked at the son and stated that if we would have stopped when the rain was coming we would be able to see the sun shinning.

Can I encourage you to

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Hebrews 10:36

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

James 1:2-4

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Jesus himself had to forget about the past and press toward the mark ahead…That mark was the cross.

Moments of encouragement:

Alter Call-

They whipped him but he kept pressing

They put a crown of throwns on his head but he kept pressing.

They pierced him in his side but he kept pressing..

He was wounded for our transgression bruised for our iniquities. The chestaisment of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed.

Living he lives us dieing he saved us, buried he carried our sins far away rising he justified freed us forever one day he is coming back glorious day.

They took him to a borrowed tomb.

One day

Two

Third day he got up with all power in his hands!’🙌🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽