Running for the Right Goalpost 01-10-2021
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Philippians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 23:22
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· 26 viewsLet's not live as enimies of Christ. (A small section of the sermon had low mic iussues.)
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Remembering
Remembering
If you were with us in Oct and Nov, you might remember we were working our way through Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
Just before Thanksgiving and the Christmas season,
we started Philippians chapter 3
and we got as far as verse 11
In chapter 3 verse 1-11 Paul talks about True Righteousness.
He tells us that some people are proud of their Righteousness and he says that
In regards to the law, he was a superstar of righteousness but
Paul's counts that as useless,
worse then useless
just disgusting trash to be thrown out, compared to the
Righteousness that comes through faith and knowledge in/or
Jesus Christ.
Listen to how he completes that thought in verse 9 - 11
9 and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. 10 All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, 11 in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.
in verses 12-21 Paul talks about how to live out his new goal of running toward Christ,
becoming more and more like Him in our thoughts and deeds.
Before we read those scriptures, let me tell you a story about my dad.
Don Wright was quite an athlete.
He was quite a good tennis player,
over the years I beat him some in individual games,
I never beat him in a full set of games.
He was even better as a skier,
Water skiing, we would set out buoys and he would always ace the course.
He would turn such sharp corners, he would hold the baton in one hand and touch the water with his other hand.
But where he really excelled was in snow skiing.
In his room at Fort Jones, there are statues from skiing competitions,
when he was the captain of the UCLA ski team.
And he did all this with fairly poor vision. He was very near sighted.
I asked dad once if he ever plaid football?
He said only briefly and describe a gain he was in.
Somehow he got the football, and he started running toward their goal,
and there was a crowding
and he got bumped around, jostled and disoriented.
When his head cleared,
he saw the goal post
and he took off running.
He heard odd sounds from the crowd but kept focused on his goal.
Something was wrong,
can you guess what it was?
In his disorientation, he focused on the wrong goal
All of a sudden, his teammates needed to stop him if they could.
I’m sure they tried, I don’t remember if they succeeded.
In our Christians walk, we have to run toward the right goal or were in trouble.
I think my dad quit football soon after that one disorienting night.
Our Scripture Passage
Our Scripture Passage
12 I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. 13 Of course, my brothers and sisters, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. 14 So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
15 All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you. 16 However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now.
17 Keep on imitating me, my brothers and sisters. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you. 18 I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ’s death on the cross. 19 They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world. 20 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 21 He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.
My the Lord Bless the reading of His word.
I find it interesting that even Paul, that great church leader, will admit he has not arrived there yet.
12 I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.
Paul is not saying here that he has not had growth,
he is not saying that he has not matured in his walk in Christ but
that he knows he has more growth to do
he can still become more Christlike in this life.
And no matter what experiences we have had in our Christian life, our walk with Christ
whether call it spirit filled
or we speak in tongues
there is always a need to grow more in Christ.
we can always learn more, do more, give more up to Christ.
Paul knows this and he says
Phil. 3:12 ..... I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.
If Paul still can work and strive to know Christ and live like him.
You and I certainly have work to do too.
Did you notice that last part.
Phil. 3:12 ..... which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.
Christ has already won, already redeemed the prize he wants to give us.
Christ has already laid hold of the prize we are trying to lay hold of be living and walking like Jesus.
Strategy for living
Strategy for living
Next Paul repeats, that he has not yet arrived and goes on to tell us his winning strategy for life
13 Of course, my brothers and sisters, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.
He says he forgets what is behind.
In his case, what is behind is some impressive hard work for God
he forgets about his seeming successes.
pride over his success
could hinder his walk because he would start
relying on his own righteousness.
For some of us, the past could be our sin and shame.
some feel they messed up so bad Christ could never forgive them.
Ignoring that God’s gift of salvation is for all, they live self condemning lives when
if they just forget about their awfulness for just a bit,
and look to Jesus, the author and finisher of their salvation, they could
move on into walking in faith
walking, knowing that He has everything covered as long as they
put their all, put their trust in Him.
To walk with Christ, in Christ, toward Christ likeness,
we can’t be look’en back at our sin
we have to be looking toward the goal of
life in Him.
Amen?
Amen!
The Upward Call
The Upward Call
Do you know
the call to walk with Christ is an upward call.
It would be easy
it would let you live the same as you lived before Christ
Paul says
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Now I changed versions on you because I like that wording
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 3
the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Better.
That suggest to me more of a change then how the NIV puts it
The New International Version Chapter 3
God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
a change in the hear and now to higher living and higher standards as we walk with Christ.
15 All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you.
Paul believes that those of us who aren’t just babes in Christ will all agree, that we should be walking in christ.
In fact if a believer is mature in Christ and doesn’t see that now, Paul is certain that God will correct him or her soon enough.
but still he finds a needs to give us his next words of instruction
16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
illus.
About 10 years ago, I was told I was borderline diabetic, should change my diet, should loose weight and exercise more.
For a while, I was real good at all those things.
I lived to a better standard
I lost weight
I exercised more
I made better food choices
and my health improved.
But then I stopped being so careful about my diet
I stopped finding time to exercise
I stopped avoiding things that clearly I shouldn’t eat and
My doctors disappointed in me.
He kind of said “Live up to the standard you already know how to live, or I can’t help you.”
Jesus can’t help us, if we don’t continue IN HIM
continue in what we already know of
how to live and walk with Him.
When it comes to following Christ, Paul went on to say
17 Keep on imitating me, my brothers and sisters. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you.
So we keep our ours on Christ
we look for people like Paul
who are following Christ well
and imitate them as they imitate Christ.
Here comes a warning
Here comes a warning
18 I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ’s death on the cross.
Who is Paul writing to here
Christians
What brings tears to his eyes
Philippians 3:18b . . . there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ’s death on the cross.
Paul is in tears because of Christians who live lives that make them enemies of Christ!
Enemies of Christ.
I do not want that title applied to You or me.
When my dad got turned around on the football field and started to head toward the wrong goal
all of a sudden
the rival team became his friends,
they wanted him to keep going
and his friends, his teammates became his enemies
wanting to stop him,
even tackle him
so he didn’t go any further in the wrong direction.
When Christians live as enemies of Christ,
they loose
our team loses
only the enemy gains.
And that is sad.
What happens if a Christian persists in being an enemy of Christ,
19 They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world.
Talk about being confused and turned around.
it can have some really bad consequences.
Citizenship
Citizenship
illus
Does anyone here have dual citizenship?
You are a citizen of the USA and some other country?
Most of you are wrong this morning because
If you are in Christ, you also have citizenship in heaven
20 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 21 He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.
In Christ we are citizens in heaven and when we go there
either because we died in christ or
because Jesus christ has returned
we are all going to be changed.
We get the upgrade, if we are in His Club, so to speak
And that is a lot better then going to hell!
What truths have we learned today?
What truths have we learned today?
Life Lesson
Life Lesson
Forget what is behind
your success or your failures, don’t look back at them
just move forward from where you are today.
2. Reach ahead to Christ
he is the goal and perfecter of our faith.
Christ calling is an upward call to better living.
Christ calling is an upward call to better living.
If you have ever felt conviction over sin
had a desire to repent and be free from the guilt than
you have heard the upward Call of Christ.
Christians can live as enemies of Christ
Christians can live as enemies of Christ
that thought brought Paul to tears
it should bring us to tears too.
Finally, we can all have dual citizenship
Finally, we can all have dual citizenship
first to our country of origin and 2nd
we can became citizens of God’s kingdom.
By accepting Christ love and forgiveness
by beginning or starting over a life of obedience to Him
We can be citizens of heaven
and slated to go their someday.
Let’s Pray and if God has spoken to you today, say yes to Him.
Let’s Pray and if God has spoken to you today, say yes to Him.