PHILIPPIANS 3:12-142006 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Philippians 3:12-14

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2006.

Have you ever tried to stand still in the ocean, just walk out a little bit and just stay in one place for a given amount of time? This week, actually on Friday, I was able to have a great day with the youth group. On Friday, we got here early. We spent some time in the word and we headed out to the beach and spent the whole day there. And it was a typical beach day for a youth group.

a youth group, and we had a great time. It was beautiful. The weather was really nice. Made me want to take a nap, and then I started to feel old. But we were hanging out. We went out in the water. We were bodyboarding, and Patrick was trying to teach me how to skinboard. And, man, that's pretty difficult. I felt like I was breaking my leg a couple times when I missed the board and did the splits and all the crazy stuff. It was a good time, though.

We got to bury Daniel in the sand. You know, we built it and we made his fake leg with the surfboard through it so it looked like it was cut off. Had a good time. Royce did some sand art on him and stuff. We cooked some hot dogs and played some games of volleyball. It was a great beach day with the bonfire to finish off and time in the Word at the end. But as I was there, I was meditating on this thought because I was looking at this portion of Scripture that we're studying this morning. And

The idea of being able to stand still in the ocean, it's not possible with the water moving and the currents going. You cannot stay in one place.

At one point, I was in the water with a couple of guys. We were bodyboarding and having some fun, catching some waves. And we felt the tide. It was kind of pulling us down. We were a couple of lifeguard stations down. And a lifeguard came up to us and told us, hey, you guys are caught in a rip current. You need to get out of the water immediately and go back to where you were. And so we had to get out. But if you've ever been caught in a rip current, you know what it's like.

It's very challenging to get back to the shore, to go a different direction than the current is pulling you. And immediately you have to put your body at like a 45 degree angle, just with all you got going against the water that's pulling upon you. You're using your arms to kind of push and try to get you as far forward as you can each step you take. And your toes are like this. You know, you're just clawing the sand, just trying to maintain grounded and keep moving forward.

You cannot stand still in the ocean with the waves crashing, with the tide pulling. You're tossed to and fro. You have to instead keep moving in the direction that you want to go.

And this morning, as we study this portion of Scripture, the Apostle Paul is telling us the same thing about our spiritual walk. It's necessary for us to keep moving forward, to keep going forward, to press forward. We cannot stand still. We cannot stay in the same place in our Christian life or we will be tossed to and fro and will be carried astray.

We need to press forward. Paul impresses that upon our hearts over and over again this morning. And I hope that you take the challenge that Paul gives to us to reach forward, to strive ahead, to know Jesus Christ and to walk with God. We start out in verses 8 through 11, which we studied last week as well. But it's important to look at these again to understand where Paul is coming from and what he is trying to say here.

This week, as we study verses 12 through 14, let me read to you verses 8 through 11. He says, yet indeed, I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness, which is from God by faith.

That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death. If by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

These verses, Paul is sharing with us and stressing to us the value of relationship with Christ. In verse 8, he says, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. We talked about that, counting everything loss, and it's a continual thing.

For the purpose of the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The excellence and the wonderful knowledge of God. And if we have experienced the knowledge of God, we know what Paul means by the excellence of the knowledge of God. At the end of verse 8, he says, "...that I may gain Christ."

In verse 10, he says that I may know him. He's stressing to us the value, the importance, the necessity of relationship with the Lord and what it means to know God. We looked at that word know, sharing that it meant to know by experience, not experience.

intellectually or by book knowledge, but you know him because you've spent time with him and you've learned about him by seeing him in action and hearing him speak to you. It's by personal experience that you know God and what a wonderful thing it is that God gives you and I

The opportunity to know him intimately and personally. Paul compares the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus to everything else, and he realizes that knowing Christ is the best and most important thing. So he cuts everything else loose. He counts it all loss. Anything that is a hindrance to his relationship with Christ is.

so that he can fill his life with more and more of Christ. In other words, Paul has been stressing to us that we need to make our relationship with God the most important thing in our lives so that everything revolves around my relationship with God. That's first and foremost. He also, in this portion of Scripture, tells us different things about having a relationship with God and what that means for us. He says also that...

As we have relationship with God, we have righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ. It's not a righteousness that's based upon our works or how well we do or how well we perform. But it's by our faith in God that we have the righteousness of Jesus Christ attributed or imputed to our account.

It's by faith in him and as a result of relationship with him that we have right standing with God. Also, a part of our relationship with Jesus Christ is we get to know the power of his resurrection.

The power of his resurrection as we see him work in our lives and through our lives. We also get to know the fellowship of his sufferings and we get to be conformed to his death. All these are a part of having relationship with Jesus.

We experience right standing with God by faith in him, not by our own activities or works. We experience his power at work in our hearts and lives, and we see him use us in spite of ourselves. We experience suffering.

But also from that and through that suffering, we learn fellowship with God in a way that we could not learn any other way. It's when we are in those times of suffering that we experience the fellowship of God more than any other time. And he's more real to us in those times than in other times. It's in those valleys that we grow so much and learn so much about God and draw so close to God.

even to the point where we will be conformed to his death, learning to die to ourselves and to be obedient to God's will for our life. So the value, the importance of relationship with God and what that does in our lives, but it's for the goal, the purpose, the hope of the resurrection from the dead. Verse 11, Paul says, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

What is the resurrection from the dead? If you would please turn with me to John chapter 5. John chapter 5. I want to look at a couple of important elements of resurrection this morning as we look at the words of the Apostle Paul. I think they're tremendously valuable to understand.

John chapter 5 and in John chapter 5 we'll be looking at verses 24 and also 28 and 29. But here Jesus is talking to the Jews. They were persecuting him because he claimed to be God and he said that he was able to judge, that God gave him the right to judge and God gave him the right to give life to those who believe in him. In John chapter 5 verse 24, Jesus says, Most assuredly I say to you,

Jump down to verse 28. Verse 28.

Do not marvel at this for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done good to the resurrection, to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. Jesus says, here's what I want you guys to know. Whoever hears my words and believes in him who sent me, he has everlasting life. They'll be resurrected to the resurrection of life.

But he who doesn't shall enter into judgment. They'll be resurrected to condemnation. But a couple of important things about resurrection from what Jesus has to say here. First of all, everyone will be resurrected.

It's not just the select few. Everybody will be resurrected. It's just that some will be to life and others will be to condemnation. But every single person will live for eternity. You and I, we are eternal beings, not eternal in the sense that we've always existed, but that we will live.

Continue to exist beyond this life. There is a life after this life and we're going to spend eternity somewhere. The question is, where are we going to spend it? Where will we spend that eternity? Some will be resurrected to life and others will be resurrected to condemnation. Jesus said, now, those who are resurrected to life.

Are those who have done good, according to Jesus in verse 29, not saying a works based relationship where you feel good and you get to heaven because nobody is good enough. But again, it's by faith in Jesus that we have right standing with God. And that's why we go back to verse 24. Jesus says, whoever believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and then his goodness is.

Fills the gap of our own replaces the lack of goodness on our behalf. And so it's those who believe in him who attain to the resurrection of life. They're the ones who resurrected to spend eternity with God. But those who do not believe.

Of a resurrection of condemnation. Verse 12 says, those who have done evil are those. I'm sorry, not verse 12, verse 29. Those who have done evil are those who are resurrected to condemnation. Those who do not believe, according to verse 24, are the ones who enter in to judgment. And so resurrection is something that everybody will experience. Everyone will be resurrected. Everyone will live for eternity. The question is, where will you and I spend eternity?

Now, back in Philippians chapter three, understanding that everyone will be resurrected. Paul is not saying, you know, that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead and and that's it. Everybody will be resurrected. But he's looking for the resurrection of life. He's looking to spend eternity with God.

At the same time, though, he's not questioning his own salvation. It's not something that's skeptical or maybe that he's worried about losing his salvation. In John chapter 5 verse 24, what we just read, Jesus starts out with the words, most assuredly.

Not perhaps or hopefully, but most assuredly. If you believe in God, you can be most assured. Not mostly assured, but most assured. Completely confident that you have eternal life by believing in God, by believing in Jesus Christ and what he did for us.

for you. Jesus assures us of everlasting life if we believe in him. We don't have to be freaked out wondering, you know, oh man, am I going to make it to heaven? I wasn't very good today. I didn't accomplish, you know, all the things God wanted me to do today. Well, it's not about that. It's about your faith in Jesus Christ. What are you looking or who are you looking to for salvation?

It's a question that's often asked, you know, can a person lose their salvation? And I always love Pastor Chuck's answer. I share it very often. So you've probably heard me share it before. But he always answers the same way. He turns to John chapter 15, where Jesus tells his disciples, listen, if you want to have life, abide in me. And if you abide in me, you'll never die again.

You can be confident. You have full assurance of faith if you abide in me. If you don't abide in me, that's a different story. But abide in me and you will have life.

Now, he describes it, he relates it to riding in the back of a pickup truck. You can't do that any longer in the United States, but sometimes if you go to American Samoa or somewhere with us, you'll get to experience that, riding in the back of a pickup truck. And if you're riding in the back of a pickup truck and you're worried about falling out, the best place for you to be is next to the cab, right?

Stay away from the tailgate where you might hit a bump and might fall out the back. And we've experienced that many times throughout our youth ministries. And I won't go into those stories. But you want to stay close to the cab. Stay close. You don't have to worry about falling out the back if you're close to the cab, close to the front. And.

The same thing is true in our Christian walk. You don't have to worry about falling out the back. Just stay close to the cab. Abide in Christ and stay close to Jesus Christ. And you don't have to worry about whether it's possible or not to lose your salvation. And that's exactly what Paul is doing here. As he's talking about, you know, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, he's sharing with us not his doubts and he's hoping that he's saved, but he's sharing with us how he stays close to the cab.

How he's counting all things lost to gain Christ and letting everything go for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ to stay close to Christ that he may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Paul knows that if he stands still, he'll be tossed to and fro by the waves that crash in this world. He'll be drifting away. And so he's leaning forward is what he's describing to us, letting go of everything else so that he can have relationship with God.

And he's such a powerful model and example for us that we should follow, letting go of the things of this life in this world and reaching forward, seeking to attain to the resurrection of the dead. We can't stand still. This world has pounding waves, waves that pound upon us and keep us doubting, that keep us discouraged, discouraged.

waves that pound upon us and push us back and forth if we stand still. This world has some exciting waves that distract us, that keep us occupied, that keep us thrilled. It's exciting out there in the waves. This world has rip currents as well. There's so much pressure to get caught up in the current, to stay current.

In the current trends and fashions and the current information and all the things that we can stay current in and the busyness. The world has things to keep us doubting and discouraged. It has ways to distract us and keep us occupied away from the things of God. It has things to pull us out to sea away from the cab, away from abiding in Christ, away from Jesus where we need to be.

We must stay close to Jesus Christ at all costs. If we stand still, we will be tossed to and fro. We will be taken out to sea. We need to strain forward to the shore, to the Son, Jesus Christ.

Paul is teaching in all of this the proper attitude towards the resurrection. Back in Philippians 3, look at verse 12. It says, The attitude that Paul is trying to teach us, that he is holding himself, is the attitude of saying, I'm not there yet.

I have not yet arrived. I am not all that. I am not perfect. I've not yet attained. I've not yet been perfected. That word attained means to take with the hand or to lay hold of. It's talking about something you grasp and hold on to. And throughout this passage, Paul uses similar words. And I get the picture. If you can imagine with me, we're at the circus and you see the the

Man, I forgot the word already. The trapeze artists, right? They're flying through the air, grabbing onto each other and grabbing the bars and doing all these wonderful tricks. And I get that picture of grasping hold. I read a reporter who wanted to experience what it was like. And so he went to, he signed up for the Trapeze School of New York, which is in Manhattan.

And he writes this about his experience. He says, I found myself hanging by the knees. They had a few quick instructions. And then he finds himself hanging by the knees, swinging upside down, arching my creaking spine, reaching out plaintively, clawing the air, waiting, praying to be caught at the apex of my swing. There he was, the catcher, stretching out to me from the height of his own arc.

Well, it turns out he didn't catch him very well and the guy actually fell down to the net. And you can read about that later. But can you feel that as he's describing that? He's there. He's learning. It's his first time and he's there and he's reaching out, just wanting to be caught, just stretching his back, stretching his arms like, please catch me, please. Trying to be caught, reaching out, trying to grasp hold.

Can you picture yourself in the air like that? I don't know. Maybe it's because I was in gymnastics when I was young or something, but I could just picture just the stretching for the bar, reaching, trying to grasp, just hoping, beyond hope, that you're going to be able to grasp hold of it and catch on to it. I can feel it. I don't know if you can feel it. It makes my heart beat just a little bit faster when I think about this and hear these words of the Apostle Paul.

A few years ago on a men's retreat, we had one of those endurance test things at the mountains we were in. And they had that one where you climb up. It's like, I don't know, probably 20 feet in the air and you're on this platform and you have to jump out. It's like six feet out is this trapeze bar that you got to jump out and hold on to. And if it was on the ground, you could do it. No problem. But once you get up there, you know, it's all in your head. Like, oh, my goodness, what's going to happen? And so trying to reach out and grasp onto it. And that's

The picture and the understanding of this word where Paul says, I haven't yet attained. If you picture, you know, you're in full extension, reaching out.

leaping off the platform trying to grasp hold and Paul saying I haven't grasped hold yet I haven't yet caught it I'm in the air I'm reaching I'm going for it but I haven't yet caught it I don't yet have a grasp upon it it's the attitude that Paul has throughout this passage he's reaching stretching straining striving doing everything he can to grab hold and he's stressing this to us

Because complacency is so dangerous to a Christian. Being comfortable where we are at, being comfortable in our walk with God, being complacent, not going forward any longer. It's so dangerous because the world will wipe us out. The waves will pound, the currents will pull, and we'll be falling away from God.

Paul says it three different ways to make sure that we get the point. Verse 12, he says, not that I have already attained. He goes on to say, nor am I already perfected. Verse 13, he says, I do not count myself to have apprehended. Three different ways to make sure we get the point. Don't get comfortable. Don't be complacent. Don't be satisfied with where you are as a believer.

It's the worst thing for us because we stop growing. You cannot stand still in the ocean. Neither can you stand still in your Christian walk. We must keep growing. We must keep drawing closer. We must keep ourselves from complacency. We cannot be in neutral and get to our destination. We need to put it in gear and we need to move forward and go forward and strive and strain. Paul says in verse 12, I press on. I press on.

It means literally to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing. Often in the scriptures, it's translated to persecute, but it's also translated to pursue. We get the idea from this that it's to overtake either for good or for bad, to overtake, to chase after and overtake. And Paul says, that's what I'm doing. I press on. I'm chasing after. I'm straining forward, pursuing to overtake, to grab hold of, to catch.

And what is it that he's trying to grab hold of? At the end of verse 12, he says that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. He's reaching forward. He's stretching. He's given it everything he's got to overtake. What? Well, he says that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Why has Jesus grasped hold of me?

Why has he grabbed on to me? Have you ever asked yourself that question? You look at some of the dumb things that we do in life or the ways that we stumble. And why is God even, why has he grabbed hold of my life? Why has he done this for me? What was it that caused Jesus to lay hold of the apostle Paul? And what is it that causes Jesus Christ to reach out to take hold of you? The answer is simple. Eternity with him.

He grabbed hold of Paul. He reaches to grab hold of you because he desires, he longs to spend eternity with you. He wants to spend the rest of everlasting upon everlasting with you because he loves you so much and so dearly. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 6, verse 12, he says, fight the good fight of faith.

Paul tells Timothy, listen, Timothy, you were called by God to have eternal life. And so fight the good fight and lay hold on to that. Lay hold on to eternal life. Grasp on to it. Latch on to it. Don't let it go. You've been called to it.

God has called you and I to eternal life. Paul says, I'm reaching for it, to grasp onto it, to overtake it. I want to attain it. And Jesus came. He died for us, not so that we could build our kingdoms here or just enjoy this life, but so that we could spend eternity with him. And he's reaching out his hands to us for us to grab hold of them. Again, if you think about the trapeze,

And as they're catching one another, they don't grab hands like we hold hands maybe to pray with another person, but they lock at the wrist. They grab hold of each other's wrists. And I like how Paul says, I'm reaching to grab hold of that for which Christ Jesus has grabbed hold of me.

And I see the picture of Jesus grabbing hold of me as he's got a hold of your life. And he has you here right now. And he's got you by the wrist. And he says, listen, I want to spend eternity with you. And Paul is saying, yes, I want to spend eternity with you. And so Paul is reaching, struggling to grasp hold, to hang on to Jesus for the purpose that he has grabbed hold of him. Jesus has grabbed our wrists.

We need to reach out, to strive forward, to grab hold of Jesus Christ. Verse 13, Paul says, 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. Again, the attitude, I'm not there yet. I have not yet attained. I haven't been perfected. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended.

That word apprehended means to lay hold of. It's the same word we were just talking about in verse 12, to grasp hold of something. It's the same word where Paul says, I'm reaching to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me. But he says, I haven't yet apprehended. I haven't yet grabbed onto it. I haven't yet clutched that bar suspended above the tree. I haven't yet grabbed onto eternity. I'm trying to lay hold of it, but I do not count myself apprehended.

To have already laid hold of it. I haven't grasped it yet. It's not firmly in my grip yet. Now, this is powerful and tremendous. When you think of who we're talking about here, this is the Apostle Paul. At this point, as he's writing this, he's been in prison. He's gone through all of the book of Acts and started those churches and ministered those ways and did those healings and had those converts. He's written the letters. He's been used powerfully and mightily by God.

But he says, I have not yet attained. I don't count myself to have already grabbed hold of it. It's not there yet. I'm not finished yet. I'm reaching forward, striving forward. This is the attitude that you and I need to have. Again, complacency is so dangerous to a Christian. And while we might not say out loud, well, you know, I think I've arrived. I think I'm pretty good. Many times we act like it.

Even though we know better than to say it out loud, many times that's our heart. And that's the way that we live our life. We live with the attitude that it's okay, I'm fine. There's complacency. Perhaps a different word maybe would minister to your heart a little bit more. Maybe there's a lukewarmness in your life. We need to reach forward. Don't be lukewarm. Don't be complacent. Don't be satisfied where you're at.

Think about this for a second with me. What would happen if Olympic runners had the same mentality towards running that you have towards your relationship with Jesus Christ? Would they get into the Olympics? Would they win the race? Or would they just kind of be satisfied? Well, I think I ran fast enough. I don't need to try harder. I don't need to run faster. I was running pretty good. I mean, it was a lot better than I used to run. It was a lot better than, you know, my sister runs or...

Whoever else we might compare ourselves to. When an Olympic runner win the race. If they had your attitude. Towards your spiritual walk. Towards your walk with God. Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2. I'm sure you're familiar with it. But the author of Hebrews there says. Therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight. And the sin which so easily ensnares us. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. But.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The author of Hebrews says, listen, guys, there's a race set before us. Jesus is the example. He ran to the very end. He ran with endurance. He gives us all these other examples in chapter 11. So you also, you have this race before you run with endurance. The race that is before you.

Now, if you've ever spent any time in track or cross country, you know that a runner has to count things as loss. The time that's spent doing it and training and preparing and the discipline that it takes. You have to count as loss the chocolate shakes and greasy hamburgers and all the other things that we enjoy so much. You have to count as loss the pain and the things that you suffer. Being out of breath, pushing yourself a little bit harder, going for it, because...

Those things aren't worth holding on to. They're holding you back and you want to push forward. You want to press forward. A runner presses on, never satisfied with how fast they ran that mile, but always wanting to run it a little bit faster. Always thinking, I could just push just a little bit harder. A runner's always pushing for more, pushing harder, running faster, faster.

Now, the goal is not always to run more. If you're training for a marathon, you will need to run more and more to work your way up to the 26 miles. But once you achieve that, you don't extend the goal to 300 miles. No, once you get to that point, then now you focus. The focus changes, not more and more, but now let me take this 26 miles and learn to run it the best that I can. Your focus turns to running it better.

to running it well, to improving your speed, to improving your endurance for those 26 miles. As Christians, we must do the same. We must press forward. But it doesn't mean that you press forward to the point that all you do is read your Bible, go to church and pray. God did not call us all to be monks. He's called us to live this life and he's placed a race before us.

The race involves church. It involves time in the word. It involves time in prayer. But it also involves your workplace and your family and all the other things that God has placed before you. But every one of us, we have our own race, our own role in the body of Christ. And we live for the purposes of Christ. He has a specific and unique purpose for each one of us. And so we need to press forward then. And it speaks of faith.

developing our relationship with God to match the race that is set before us and then learning to do it better. Paul says, I don't 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. Here's the one thing I do. Paul says, I have this race that's been set before me and here's what it is. Here's the one thing that I do.

Forget those things which are behind and I reach forward to those things which are ahead. It's a wonderful study. I would encourage you when you have time to look at the different examples in the Bible of the people who said there's one thing that I need to do. There's one thing that I must accomplish. David in Psalm chapter 27 verse 4 says one thing I have desired of the Lord that will I seek.

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. David says, here's the one thing for me. The one thing for me, Lord, is I want to dwell in your temple and behold your beauty and worship you and experience your presence. That's the one thing for me, Lord. There's another portion of scripture in Luke chapter 10, story of Mary and Martha. Perhaps you've heard it.

Martha is there working and preparing the meal. And her sister Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus. And Martha comes and complains to Jesus and says, Lord, aren't you going to tell her to come help me in the kitchen? And Jesus says to Martha, Luke chapter 10, verse 42, one thing is needed. And Mary has chosen that good part which will not be taken from her. Jesus says, Martha, there's one thing that's necessary. Mary, she's sitting at my feet. She's listening to me.

She's hearing my words. And that's the one thing for her. That's what she needs to do. That's where she's called to be. What's the one thing for you? What one thing describes your life? If your whole life had to be summed up in one sentence, what would that sentence be? What's the primary purpose? Your one thing. Now, Paul is saying, listen, here's my one thing. I'm forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward.

To those things which are ahead. The one thing for David. Was to be with God in his presence. The one thing for Paul was to reach for him in eternity. The one thing for Mary was to sit at his feet. It all revolved around relationship with God. Being there in the presence of God. Experiencing God. He must be first. He must be the one thing. Either Jesus is the one thing. In your life. Or there's one thing.

That's keeping you from a relationship with Jesus. Remember the story of the rich young ruler? He came to Jesus and said, what must good or what good thing must I do to inherit the kingdom of God? And Jesus told him and the young man said, well, I've kept all the commandments. I've done everything. And Jesus says, yeah, you've been doing pretty good. Of course, he hadn't kept all the commandments. We know that. But Jesus plays along. OK, you've been pretty good. You you've been doing well.

Pretty well. But in verse 22, Jesus tells him, you still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me. There was just one thing that was keeping him from following Jesus from relationship with the Lord. It was his possessions. Jesus doesn't call us all to sell everything we have. But for this man, he says, there's one thing. It's the thing that's keeping you from me.

And for every one of us, either Jesus Christ, relationship with him is the one thing in our life, or there is one thing that's keeping us from that relationship with him. Many things that those could be, but you know your heart. We need to guard against, watch out. We need to keep Jesus the main thing in our life. Here's Paul's one thing, forgetting those things which are behind.

What things are behind? Oh, man, we could spend so much time in this. Just allow me to summarize briefly some of the things that could be behind. Paul could be talking about past successes, past victories, the wonderful things that he has done for God and that God has done through him. He had much to look at and to rely upon and think, wow, look at all of the successes that I've done.

But Paul says, I'm forgetting those things which are behind. They're the past. The successes, I'm not holding on to them. I'm not going to be satisfied with running the mile at this speed. I'm going to push harder and farther to do better. And that's Paul's attitude. Just because I've had these successes doesn't mean that God's done. I'm forgetting those things which are behind that I may reach forward to those things which are ahead. He could be referring to past pleasures, the things...

Maybe he used to experience the first part of chapter three. He talked about some of the pleasures that he had as a result of his position and the role and the authority and the notoriety that he had. But he says, I forgetting those past pleasures. Maybe it's past failures, sins or stumblings. They're in the past. Paul says, I'm forgetting those things. And for us, too, we need to have the same attitude, forgetting the things which are behind us.

Past successes and things that you've done for God or those times that you had of intimacy and closeness with God. Forget about those things. Don't base your life upon the things that you used to do with God and for God. The relationship that you used to have with God. Paul says, forget those things and push forward. Or past pleasures. The things that you once had as you were staying current in the world. Following the trends and fashions.

Or the things that you once had in the party life and the scene that you were involved in. The things that you once enjoyed and the things that really held you bound and captive in sin. Put those things behind you. Forget about them. Or maybe it's past failures. Sometimes, you know, sin or stumbling will keep a person from really pushing forward in their relationship with God. But I failed, Lord. I messed up. I blew it. How can I push forward? How can I keep going forward now?

There was one point in my life, it was probably one of the ultimate lows of my life, where God brought me to nothing. I was in debt way over my head, all kinds of problems. I had outstanding tickets and warrants for my arrest as a result, thousands of dollars in fees and tickets and all that stuff. Within six months, my truck was impounded twice because it wasn't registered, repossessed once,

And it was during one of those times, after all that had taken place, I have no vehicle, in debt, all kinds of tickets, warrants for my arrest, suspended license, no insurance, you name it. I was low. And it was during that time that, because I had no vehicle, I was walking a lot and I would walk to church. And as I was walking to church one day, I came across a little bird on the sidewalk. A little baby bird.

It was not a newborn baby bird. It was fully formed. It seemed like it was in the process of maturing, but there it was on the sidewalk. And I looked up at the tree above, and you could see the nest, and I assumed then that the bird fell out of the nest. Maybe the mom pushed it out so it would learn to fly, but it didn't. It just was sitting there on the sidewalk, hopping around. And so I thought about that. It was interesting, and I continued to walk on to church. And the next day as I was going to church...

I'm walking and I come to that same point. And there I see on the side of the sidewalk, that little bird was dead. And the Lord spoke to my heart so clearly that day. Because that whole time, all of this was upon me. And this burden was great. And the pressure to just give up was overwhelming. But the Lord showed me that little bird. And he said, listen, you've fallen out of the tree. And here you are on the sidewalk. You can stay here. You can give up. But you're going to die. It will destroy you.

Get back up and learn to fly. Isaiah 40, 31. Man, the Lord impressed that upon my heart. They that wait upon the Lord will rise up with wings like eagles. And the Lord told me, get back up and learn to fly. So what if you've stumbled? Yes, you've fallen. Yes, you've sinned. But it's not over. Get back up. And you'll probably stumble again. You're going to fall out again. But get back up and keep getting back up. Don't let the past failures...

And stumblings and sin keep you from reaching forward. Press on in your relationship with God and the things that he has laid before you, the race that he has set before you. 1 John 1.9, if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There's no reason for us not to press forward in our relationship with God. We have complete right standing with God by faith in him.

And so Paul says, that's the one thing I do for getting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. If you're always looking backwards, you will not be a good runner. You have to keep looking forward with your eye on the finish line, looking towards the goal. You can't be looking back. In Luke chapter nine, there's many people around Jesus that want to follow him. They want to walk with him. And

One comes up to Jesus in verse 61 and says, Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house. And in verse 62, Jesus said to him, no one having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. The guy says, Lord, I want to follow you, but let me first go say goodbye to those who are in my house. And Jesus says, you know, no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit, is acceptable in the kingdom of God.

It might sound kind of harsh. Why wouldn't Jesus let him say goodbye to his family? That's just mean. But the issue isn't the bidding farewell, but saying, Lord, let me first. This guy said, let me first, Lord. Let me first go do this. In essence, he's saying, I do want to follow you.

But I have some other things to take care of. I need to take care of those things and then I'll follow you. Then I'll put you first. But right now it's me first. And I'm going to get to you. You're high on my priority list, but I've got these other things to take care of. I'll follow you when I get to it. After I do what I think I need to do.

After the kids are grown, then Lord, I'm going to put you first. Then I'm really going to follow you. After I get out of school, then Lord, then I'm really going to command and I'm going to really pursue a relationship with you and do the things that you've asked me to do. After this job is completed, man, I know I've been working a lot and focusing on that, but Lord, as soon as I finish this, then I will follow. I'll take care after. Lord, let me first. The mentality of this man. We cannot allow that to be our hearts.

Let me first take care of this. The Lord must be first. He must be the one thing. And you know, he will take care of the rest. You put the Lord first and he'll take care of everything else. Jesus wasn't opposed to the man spending time with his family or saying goodbye to his family. If you think about his disciples, Peter, remember that Jesus was hanging out with Peter and his family.

There in Caesarea, in fact, Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law when they were staying at her house. He wasn't against the family. He was against the Lord. Let me first. We need to put Jesus Christ first in our life. We must follow Jesus first, reaching forward to the things ahead, eternity with God. That's what counts. That's what matters. And that's what must be first. Verse 14 says,

Paul says, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God. He's stressing it to us again and again, over and over. It's like he said in verse 1 of chapter 3. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you, it's safe. It's important for us. It's necessary for us. Many times we're thick-headed.

We need to be reminded and told again and again. Sometimes it takes the Lord quite a few times to get it through to our hearts. Put me first. Strive for me. Forget the things which are behind. Let go of the things of this life. Count it all lost and grasp hold.

Grasp hold of eternity. We need to be reminded to press forward, to press toward. You can do it. Keep on going. Even though you've stumbled, even though you've fallen, get back up and get on the track. Keep running the race. You've accomplished much, but don't stop. Keep running. Keep reaching. Keep pressing. There's a famous saying that I made up this morning. A record lap...

As a statement of faith, a record lap doesn't win the race. A record lap doesn't. You can run that first lap as fast as you want. But if you don't keep on running, it doesn't win you the race. You have to keep on. Yes, you've succeeded. Yes, you've accomplished things for God. But keep on running. Maybe you stumbled. Get back on the track. Keep on running.

Keep on pressing on. Keep on pushing forward. We need to press towards the goal, the upward call of God. As we sang earlier, it might be today that we see Jesus. It might be today that we see him face to face and spend eternity with him. So let's run the race that he has set before us, the race of relationship with him. It's not a race against others, but it's a race against ourselves because if we stand still, we'll be taken away, tossed to and fro forever.

caught in the current and led out to sea. We need to press forward to run towards Jesus Christ. We have a relationship with God that we need to grasp hold on to. And in doing so, we grasp hold of eternity. But you know, it's not just relationship with God. Ephesians chapter two, verse 10 talks about the good works that God has laid before us.

Similar to Hebrews 12, where it talks about the race that is set before us. He's laid out these things before us, a purpose for you in his kingdom, in his body, for his glory.

Paul had a specific ministry that God had called him to. In Acts chapter 9, we have that described to us. And God said, you're going to be the apostle to the Gentiles and you're going to suffer for my name. And Paul was running that race and he's saying, I'm pressing on. I'm not thinking about the things behind. I'm letting those go. I'm counting it all loss that I may grasp hold of that for which Christ Jesus has grasped hold of me. That I may run the race that is set before me and accomplish the things that God has called me to do.

Remember Esther in the Old Testament, Mordecai sent to her and said, hey, perhaps you've come into the kingdom for such a time as this. Every one of us, we have that such a time as this, the right now, today, what God has called us to do and a purpose for us. That's why he has us here to accomplish things for his glory, to run the race with the relationship with him, but that he also might use us to impact others for the kingdom of God.

We need to run the race, to press forward, to jump out off the ledge and grasp hold of eternity. Forgetting the things that are behind. Forgetting the things that are below. Pushing forward. Reaching on. I'd like to close with the words of Peter from 2 Peter 1. The worship team is going to come up as I read this with you guys. 2 Peter 1, verses 5-11. Peter says this,

But also for this very reason. What reason? Well, he's just been talking about the inheritance that is laid up for us. It's uncorruptible, undefiled inheritance.

Stored up for us. Eternity with God. Same thing that Paul has been talking about. He says, for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Jesus.

For he who lacks these things is short-sighted even to blindness and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Peter says the same thing that Paul is saying. Listen, eternity is right there before you. And so therefore, give all diligence to add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control. In other words, keep growing. Keep being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Keep pressing on and add these things to your faith.

He says, if you do these things, if they're yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful. You're going to be running the race and accomplishing the things that God has set before you. But if you lack these things, he says, you're short-sighted. Even to blindness, you've forgotten that you've been cleansed from your sins. So he says, therefore, guys, listen, therefore, be even more diligent. Take extra care to make your call on election sure. If you do these things, you will never stumble.

And he goes on to say, for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom. That's what we're running for. That's what we're striving for. That's what we're looking to overtake and grasp hold of, an abundant entrance into the kingdom of God. From relationship with God, walking with him, running the race that he has set before us, we find God has in store for us a crown of righteousness. Run the race. Count all things lost in this life.

Forget the things which are behind. Don't be complacent and comfortable where you're at, but press forward, press toward, keep adding to your faith and growing in your walk, fulfilling the things that God has laid before you. We're going to worship the Lord at this time, and I want to encourage you just to allow God to speak to your heart. Make him the one thing this morning. But if there's one thing that's keeping you from him,

I encourage you during this time to surrender that to him. Ask him to help you with that. He wants to. He's there. After we worship the Lord, there'll be guys up here to pray with you. If there's something on your heart, if you need healing, maybe you need to begin the race and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Maybe you need to rededicate and come back to the Lord. They'd love to pray with you and encourage you in that. Let's pray and then we'll worship the Lord. Heavenly Father, your word is powerful, God.

Lord, as Jeremiah said, Lord, it is like a hammer that breaks. It's like a fire that burns. And God, we stand before you and we ask, Lord, that you would use your word to break us, to burn within us. God, that we would not be satisfied and complacent where we are with you. But Lord, that we would yearn to draw close to you, that we would thirst for more of you. Lord, that we would press forward to you.

pressed toward, that we would reach out for you. Lord, as Paul said, that we might gain Christ, the excellence of the knowledge of him. This morning, Lord, I ask that you would draw us close to you. Lord, if you're not the one thing of our life, help us, Lord, to set aside the one thing that keeps us from you. Set aside and count as loss anything that hinders our relationship with you. Help us to lay aside the weights and the sin that so easily ensnares. Help us, Lord, to run with endurance.

forgetting the things which are behind, and pressing forward. Draw us close to you, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.