Pressing on Phil. 3:12-17

Pressing on Phil. 3:12-17 Intro- I m a big fan of history. I know that makes me a bit of a geek, but I love it. I especially like this time of the year because I can read or watch TV programs about the top stories of the year. Here are the top national stories of 2013, in case you missed them. (AP) 10. Missing women found in Cleveland Ohio 9. Syrian Civil War 8. Typhoon in the Philippines 7. Death of Nelson Mandela 6. Supreme Court/Gay Marriage 5. NSA Spying (Edward Snowden) 4. Divided Congress (sequester) 3. Vatican changeover (Benedict the 16 th resigns and Francis the1 st is elected) 2. Boston Marathon bombing 1. Healthcare overhaul Edgewood s top six, in no particular order New Church sign installed Edgewood participation with other local churches to raise over $250K for Calvary International Revival Church Pastor John heads to California to start LifeCity Church Pastor Ed s leadership through the pastoral transition Unanimous approval to invite pastor Brian Bill to be our next pastor 70+ prayed to receive Christ or were baptized at Edgewood this past year This is also the time of the year when we look back and reflect on the goals/resolutions that we set for ourselves. Some of us, did not set any goals, and that s fine, because 2014 is coming! For those who did, perhaps you reached some of them, while others never quite happened for us. (SHARE) Run a half marathon- YES, twice! Run a half marathon in under 1:50- No (1:50:52 seconds) Be a better father/husband still working on that one Stain my deck- YES Get to know all of my neighbors- still working on that one No matter what kind of a year we have had, good or bad there is always room for growth in the coming year. That was the mindset of the Apostle Paul. 1

Turn in your Bibles to Philippians 3:12-17. The Apostle Paul had a great pedigree and had accomplished much in his life. Listen to his philosophy of life. 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, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. In these six verses, Paul lays out a great game plan, that will help us to become all that God wants us to be, if we would just put them into practice, so that we can equip people to reach their full potential in Jesus Christ. 1. We should never be satisfied (12-13b) 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 It would have been very easy for Paul to say, I have made it to the top, and it is wonderful here. Now I can just sit back and revel in my success. But Paul does not say that. Instead he does some self-introspection and here is what he discovered, he still had more to do. In verse 12 he says Not that I have already attained or am already perfected. Paul is acknowledging that he still has things to do and ways to grow. Sure he had had some great success, but he realized that there was more for him to do. He knew that he was not perfect. He knew that he was not everything that God wanted him to be. Paul had the same attitude that a lot of top athletes have. Even when they seem to be at the top of their game, even when they have just won the championship, the top athletes know that there is still much to do in order to stay on top. Top athletes don t stay on top by taking it easy in the off-season. They work hard all year round. (Peyton Manning) The 4 time NFL MVP and 12 time pro bowler, rarely takes a day off from training. He is constantly studying film to see how he can defeat his next opponent. Even after sitting out the 2011 season, because of a neck surgery, he never gave up or thought about 2

quitting. He kept at, even after being traded to Denver Broncos. This year he set the record for the most touchdown passes thrown in a season. Manning is at the top of his game. He hasn t settled for past glory. Paul goes on to say ; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Paul was consumed with living for God. He had been redeemed by God so that He could mold Paul into the vessel that He wanted Paul to become. The phrase lay hold of in verse 12 and the word apprehended in verse 13, has the idea of seizing with eagerness or to comprehend. Paul lived everyday, so that he could be more like Jesus. He eagerly grabbed on to his Savior and his plan for his life so that he knew what Christ wanted from his life. The word press on has the idea of pursing like a hunter. Paul relentlessly went in pursuit of becoming more like Jesus, in the same way that a hunter would relentlessly pursue an 18 point, albino buck! (illegal to hunt in WI) Rumor has it that Marty Mills has a tree stand on our new property since they allow hunting in the city limits of Rock Island now. Then Paul goes on to say Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind The word forgetting means to forget and therefore choose to neglect or nurture that which was forgotten. It means that Paul was not going to live in the past in the Glory Days of old. Some people are so stuck in the past, that they cant move forward. It s not wrong to remember the things of the past, but it is wrong to live there. Even when Paul was succeeding, he did not rest on his accomplishments. Paul kept pressing on. One success does not automatically guarantee more success. Paul had the mindset that he would not let his past successes affect his future. He was going to press on no matter the cost. He was not going to take it easy. On the other side of the coin, Paul was not going to let the past failures or setbacks get him down. In other words, Paul was not going to be defined by the past. Your past does not disqualify you. I like what George Sweeting, former president of Moody Bible Institute said, The Christian life is a series of new beginnings Illustration- Winning a medal I have had the privilege of receiving a few medals, this past year, for competing in a few races, as part of our Run For God program. I manage to receive two, second place awards and one, third place award. That may sound great, but these awards are based on my age division (40-44 or 40-49). The goal is to win a first place medal in my division. The second goal is to finish ahead of Pastor Jeff or Terry Hartley. The next goal is to be the overall top finisher. 3

So to sum up the first point We should never be satisfied because We can all improve and grow We will never reach perfection We can t live in the past (positive or negative) The second thing that Paul mentions is that. 2. We need to focus on the goal (13c-14) and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Not only should we not look back, but we need to reach forward and give our undivided attention to the goal, even when we have had failures or setbacks in the past. Thomas Edison, the man credited with creating the first long lasting electric light bulb, tried somewhere between 3000 and 10000 times to create it. He never let the past derail him from accomplishing his goal. The word ahead (v. 13) means in front of us. Sometimes we just can t see what is in front of us, because our gaze is fixed behind us. Thomas Edison is quoted as saying- Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. We need to know where we are going and how we are going to get there. Illustration of knowing the course before running it. The phrase press toward has the idea of intensity behind it, of bearing down deep in your core to bring about the strength to finish strong. It also has the idea of stretching out the neck and chest so as to finish ahead of the competition. In a close race, the difference between being the winner and being in second or third place may come down to a stretch. What is the motivation for Paul to keep at it? What is the thing that keeps leading him to continue on in his faith? It s the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul has in mind the Lord Jesus Christ saying Well done thou good and faithful servant. Paul is kingdom focused. He wants to see people surrendering their lives to the control of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to 4

the end of the age. Paul was not going to be held captive to the 1. Past guilt Paul refused to be haunted by the ghost of guilt 2. Past glory He didn't live on past laurels 3. Past grief He had known incredible suffering 4. Past grudges Mistreated but he didn't get bitter (in prison as he writes this) If we are not going to be held captive by the past then Summary- We need to focus on the goal (13c-14) We need to press on with the future in our sight Run for the prize The next thing 3. We need to have a heavenly mindset (15-16) If we are going to be the competitor that Christ wants us to be, then we have to change the way that we think and change the way that we act. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Paul is challenging us, in these verses, to be mature. He says that if you are mature, then you will have the mindset and motivation that you are working for the kingdom. It s all about making disciples. He even says in verse 15, that if you think differently about this, then God will work to reveal it to you. We are challenged to keep running the race and to not get distracted by what anyone else is doing. We keep running and winning souls for Christ. In the Run for God Program, we have a training program that will bring you from the couch to running your first 5K race in just 12 weeks. It s a great program. The program works for people at all levels of ability and is even effective for walkers. But it only works if you stick to the training. Summary-We need to have a heavenly mindset (15-16) You need to have a goal You need to stick to your training God will bring you back to this training plan We need to follow a dependable coach (17) 5

17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern Paul encourages the church to actively join in following godly examples. The word pattern, means to mark, or to print, to make an impression. It can refer to a "mold" into which clay or wax was pressed (or molds into which molten metal for castings was poured), that it might take the figure or exact shape of the mold. Our English word "type" is similar and originally referred to an impression made by a die. If we want to become great at something, we need to surround ourselves with people who are great at that thing. If you want to be a great singer, you would go to a great vocal coach. You would ask me to help you be a good singer. If you want to be a good runner, you need to have a good coach. Paul encourages the brother and sisters at Philippi, to seek out people who are living the Kingdom out in their lives. He says that you can follow my example or you can look around you and follow those who are following Christ. Paul wasn t concerned with having a ton of disciples, but he was concerned about turning many people into disciple of Christ. He had a great attitude about it. As long as Jesus was getting the praise, he didn t care if it was Apollos, Cephas or himself, who got the disciple, because it was God who was doing the work. Application What has 2013 looked like for you? What kind of disappointments did you experience in 2013? What kind of triumphs did you have? In 2013, Edgewood had a great year. Over 1000 people a week; come to Edgewood to be ministered to through one or more of our ministries. God is at work in the Quad Cities and He is using Edgewood in His plans to make disciples of all nations through our missionaries, but we can t be satisfied by our past success. You know, it really doesn t matter how our year turned out. What really matters is how we are going to live 2014. What will you do to grow in 2014? This is the time of year when people make resolutions or set goals for the coming new year. What will you do to grow in 2014? Pastor Brian says that Spiritual growth is intentional, not automatic. If you aim at nothing, you ll hit it every time. 6

Perhaps this year you will set a goal to be involved in an ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship), a life group, CR, or perhaps you want to read through the Bible in a year (if you need a plan, there are a few on our website under resources and bible in a year ) Let me encourage you in 2014 to be intentional in your walk. Find a mentor (we all need to grow) Be a mentor (someone can learn from us) Grow in community with others. Get to know people better. How? We are going to have Life Touch make a new church directory. We're getting ready to schedule appointments for everybody at Edgewood to get their pictures taken for a brand new pictorial directory! Stay tuned for more details. Get your finances in order so that you can have a greater Kingdom impact (Financial Peace University- Jan 22) Tyson VS Douglas Greatest Underdog story (Feb. 11, 1990) Douglas good boxer but never higher than 7 th at the time (29-4-1) Tyson was 37-0 Douglas lost his mother 3 weeks before the fight Douglas had the flu the night before the fight Douglas got knocked down in the 8 th round and got up on the count of 9 Douglas defeated Tyson, the undisputed heavy weight champion, in the 10 th round 42-1 odds. Douglas didn t let the past define him, he rose up to the challenge and focused on the goal of becoming the World Champion. 2014 is at our doorstep. Will you press on and live for God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, or will you take it easy and just get by? Or maybe, your 2013 really stunk and you gave up or you are considering giving up. Let me encourage you to hang in there and refocus on Jesus Christ in the coming year. Get yourself under the counsel of a good mentor/coach who can help you get through the difficult times and can share with you how they made it through their tough times. It s time to forget the past. It s time to press on! Pray Father, I want to thank you for your Word. I want to thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit to guide us through the hard times in life. Lord, thank you for giving us other believers in Jesus, who have been through the stuff that we are going through. Lord if there is someone here today who has given up on following you, I pray that you would draw them to you today. Encourage their heart. Allow them to let go of the past. If there is someone here today, who has no idea about following you, then I pray that you would give them the courage to step out today and talk to one of our pastors about how they can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen 7