I hope that you have all had a wonderful Christmas!
Some of you may still be celebrating and that's a good thing, too!
Let's get back into our routine and let's
turn our channels back to the "Philippians" channel.
We are looking at Philippians 3:12-14
(Verse 12) "Not that I have already obtained all this, of have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."
(Verse 13) "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,"
(Verse 14) "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
In the first half of Chapter 3, we were reminded that we are declared righteous
not because of religious activities, but as a result of a relationship with the
Redeemer. Paul made it very clear that the seven items on his spiritual resume,
though pretty impressive, were really rubbish
Here are the 7 "items":
1. Ritual
2. Relationship
3. Respectability
4. Race
5. Religion
6. Reputation
7. Righteousness
As we look at the second half of Philippians 3,
we will see that Paul balances these seven items with seven essentials for running
and winning the Christian race.
The 7 Essential for running this race of life are:
1.) Dissatisfaction (Phil. 3:12a)
2.) Devotion (Phil. 3:12b)
3.) Direction (Phil. 3:13)
4.) Determination(Phil. 3:14)
5.) Discipline (Phil. 3:15-16)
6.) Discipleship (Phil. 3:17-19)
7.) Delight (Phil. 3:20-4:1)
We will look at the first 4 this week.
1.) Dissatisfaction: The first essential to a solid spiritual life may surprise you.
In order to run the race and keep moving forward,
we must be dissatisfied with where we are right now.
Paul had some incredible experiences –
**He met Jesus on the road to Damascus
**He was caught up into the third heaven and heard “inexpressible things”
(2 Corinthians 12:4),
**He wrote a number of letters, preached incredible sermons
and yet, after walking with Christ for about 25 years,
he was not satisfied with the status of his spiritual life.
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect…”
If you want to really grow,
the first step is to admit how far you still have to go.
![[growth+tree.gif]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcL5BoCD7BdpK24BuOV3tensxgImrVXXa-1wL7P9mhTt58R0FZqq2IWmNOGJZqPq-IA94Um8L2twqDfoc4GdTS57tktNK5MylvKrHjWu7-6_lr4tnsv63s90JiPE2yTLu-g2CouHIlvJX/s1600/growth+tree.gif)
Do we want to stay in the "greenhouse", where someone else feeds us?
Some of us do not go outside of our greenhouse,
our comfort zone with the perfect
temperature. We do not go outside of our greenhouse
and plant ourselves
in the fertile soil of the world where many need to hear about our Savior.
In that "outside world" we may have wind, rain, storms, hot, cold, and tornadoes...
but our roots are solidly intertwined with our foundation, our belief system,
our world view and our love for God and we survive and prosper and grow!!
In fact, we are multiplied and parts of us are planted in new growths and new
works for God! That would be what I would call mentoring...
2.) Devotion: The tendency for some of us is to just give up when we realize
how far we have tripped up.
Paul didn’t do that.
His dissatisfaction led him to become more devoted:
One of Charles Spurgeon’s mottos was this: “I hold and am held.”
The Lord had seized Paul and now Paul was determined
to serve His Savior for the rest of his life.
Are you giving maximum effort in your spiritual life,
or are you a Christian on cruise control?
Turn your dissatisfaction into devotion!
3.) Direction: In the spiritual life, direction makes all the difference!
"...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..."
One thing...One thing...
Paul had a single-minded focus.
What "one thing" do you do?
Too many of us are too involved in too many things.
Yes, we have many obligations with our families and jobs.
But we are speaking of spiritual things.
What "one thing" do you determine in your heart that you will never lose
your single-minded focus on regarding your love for the Lord?
In order for Paul to have that tremendous focus...
He had to forget what was in his past.
Paul had plenty of reasons to feel guilty.
After all, he had persecuted Christians.
(Acts 22:4)
Some of you are so tied to the troubles of your past,
that you are not moving in any direction anywhere in the present.
We do not allow our past to control our present.
We may not be able to wipe out all of the memories,
but we can break the power of the past by allowing God to fill our
minds with His Word and our worship to Him.
Remember what happened to Lot's wife when she looked back.
(Genesis 19:26)
You cannot run forward by looking backward.
In a Daily Bread devotional called “Seeing or Remembering,” there’s a story about a man who was slowly losing his memory. The doctor told him that surgery might reverse this condition and restore his memory but a nerve might be severed in the process, causing total blindness. The surgeon asked the patient: “What would you rather have, your sight or your memory?” The man pondered the question for a few minutes and then replied, “My sight, because I would rather see where I’m going than remember where I’ve been.”
Do you see where you’re going or are you tripped up by the trash of your past?
4.) Determination: Paul not only turns his dissatisfaction into devotion
and is headed in the right direction;
he also demonstrates determination in verse 14:
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
"Press On" ~ bearing down to win...
Apparently there’s a tombstone at the foot of one of those majestic
mountains in the Alps to honor the memory of a man who fell to his death
while attempting to climb to the top.
Underneath the individual’s name the epitaph reads, “He died climbing.”
That’s what should be said of each of us.
We’re to pursue the prize with dogged determination,
so that when we die, we’re already on the way up!
How many of us surround ourselves with people who are determined?
How many of us surround ourselves with people whose direction is forward
and not backward?
How many of us surround ourselves with people who are devoted to God?
How many of us surround ourselves with people who are dissatisfied with
the way they are running their race and want to strive to do better and have
a hunger for the things of God?
When we do this, then we can step out of our greenhouse and plant ourselves
in the worldly soil and win souls to Christ. Amen.
Until next week,
Debbie G.
Reference:
www.preceptaustin.org
>Sermon "Pressing On When The Pressure's On" by Brian Bill
1.) Dissatisfaction (Phil. 3:12a)
2.) Devotion (Phil. 3:12b)
3.) Direction (Phil. 3:13)
4.) Determination(Phil. 3:14)
5.) Discipline (Phil. 3:15-16)
6.) Discipleship (Phil. 3:17-19)
7.) Delight (Phil. 3:20-4:1)
We will look at the first 4 this week.
1.) Dissatisfaction: The first essential to a solid spiritual life may surprise you.
In order to run the race and keep moving forward,
we must be dissatisfied with where we are right now.
Paul had some incredible experiences –
**He met Jesus on the road to Damascus
**He was caught up into the third heaven and heard “inexpressible things”
(2 Corinthians 12:4),
**He wrote a number of letters, preached incredible sermons
and yet, after walking with Christ for about 25 years,
he was not satisfied with the status of his spiritual life.
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect…”
If you want to really grow,
the first step is to admit how far you still have to go.
Do we want to stay in the "greenhouse", where someone else feeds us?
Some of us do not go outside of our greenhouse,
our comfort zone with the perfect
temperature. We do not go outside of our greenhouse
and plant ourselves
in the fertile soil of the world where many need to hear about our Savior.
In that "outside world" we may have wind, rain, storms, hot, cold, and tornadoes...
but our roots are solidly intertwined with our foundation, our belief system,
our world view and our love for God and we survive and prosper and grow!!
In fact, we are multiplied and parts of us are planted in new growths and new
works for God! That would be what I would call mentoring...
2.) Devotion: The tendency for some of us is to just give up when we realize
how far we have tripped up.
Paul didn’t do that.
His dissatisfaction led him to become more devoted:
One of Charles Spurgeon’s mottos was this: “I hold and am held.”
The Lord had seized Paul and now Paul was determined
to serve His Savior for the rest of his life.
Are you giving maximum effort in your spiritual life,
or are you a Christian on cruise control?
Turn your dissatisfaction into devotion!
3.) Direction: In the spiritual life, direction makes all the difference!
"...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..."
One thing...One thing...
Paul had a single-minded focus.
What "one thing" do you do?
Too many of us are too involved in too many things.
Yes, we have many obligations with our families and jobs.
But we are speaking of spiritual things.
What "one thing" do you determine in your heart that you will never lose
your single-minded focus on regarding your love for the Lord?
In order for Paul to have that tremendous focus...
He had to forget what was in his past.
Paul had plenty of reasons to feel guilty.
After all, he had persecuted Christians.
(Acts 22:4)
Some of you are so tied to the troubles of your past,
that you are not moving in any direction anywhere in the present.
We do not allow our past to control our present.
We may not be able to wipe out all of the memories,
but we can break the power of the past by allowing God to fill our
minds with His Word and our worship to Him.
Remember what happened to Lot's wife when she looked back.
(Genesis 19:26)
You cannot run forward by looking backward.
In a Daily Bread devotional called “Seeing or Remembering,” there’s a story about a man who was slowly losing his memory. The doctor told him that surgery might reverse this condition and restore his memory but a nerve might be severed in the process, causing total blindness. The surgeon asked the patient: “What would you rather have, your sight or your memory?” The man pondered the question for a few minutes and then replied, “My sight, because I would rather see where I’m going than remember where I’ve been.”
Do you see where you’re going or are you tripped up by the trash of your past?
4.) Determination: Paul not only turns his dissatisfaction into devotion
and is headed in the right direction;
he also demonstrates determination in verse 14:
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
"Press On" ~ bearing down to win...
Apparently there’s a tombstone at the foot of one of those majestic
mountains in the Alps to honor the memory of a man who fell to his death
while attempting to climb to the top.
Underneath the individual’s name the epitaph reads, “He died climbing.”
That’s what should be said of each of us.
We’re to pursue the prize with dogged determination,
so that when we die, we’re already on the way up!
How many of us surround ourselves with people who are determined?
How many of us surround ourselves with people whose direction is forward
and not backward?
How many of us surround ourselves with people who are devoted to God?
How many of us surround ourselves with people who are dissatisfied with
the way they are running their race and want to strive to do better and have
a hunger for the things of God?
When we do this, then we can step out of our greenhouse and plant ourselves
in the worldly soil and win souls to Christ. Amen.
Until next week,
Debbie G.
Reference:
www.preceptaustin.org
>Sermon "Pressing On When The Pressure's On" by Brian Bill
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