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Book: Philippians
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Philippians 3:7-14 Staying Stirred Up
I. Forgetting those things which are behind.
A. So many people are trying to live in the past experiences.
1. Paul had an illustrious past.
a. A Hebrew of the Hebrew.
b. He was a model Pharisee.
c. He was exceedingly zealous.
d. As far as righteousness by the law, he was
blameless.
2. Those things that were gain to me, I counted loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my
Lord, for Whom I suffered the loss of all things and do
count them as refuse, that I may win Christ and be
found in Him not having my own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is through faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by Him.
a. Note that he counted them loss. When? While he
was a proud self righteous, zealous Pharisee on
the road to Damascus, to imprison those who
were calling on the name of Christ.
b. On that road He met Jesus Christ. "Saul, Saul,
why do you persecute Me?" " Who are you Lord,
that I might serve you?" "I am Jesus whom you
are persecuting." "What would you have me to do
Lord?"
c. There is where Paul counted the gains of the
past as loss.
d. He is writing this epistle some thirty years
later and he declares, "And do count them"
e. Thirty years ago I had a glorious experience
with Jesus Christ the result of which I counted
all my past glories and accomplishments as
loss.
f. Here I am thirty years later still counting the
loss.
g. The past experiences are only valid as they
have been translated into the present
experience.
h. I am not interested in what God did in your
life twenty five years ago in the Jesus People
revival. I am interested in what He is doing in
your life today.
i. If the past experiences have not been
translated into the present, they are not
valid.
j. Many people had a past experience like Paul's
where they met Christ and for the joy gave up
the past life, to enter into the new life in
Him. In the meantime, trying to live on that
past experience they have picked up some of the
old ways and habits by which they were once
bound.
k. Don't tell my what happened then, tell me what
is happening now.
B. Their is a certain value in looking back.
1. One is to see what God has done. The children of Israel
were constantly being reminded of how God delivered
their fathers from the of Egypt. This was the
purpose of the Passover feast.
a. Knowing what God has done in the past through
His mighty power, gives me confidence to know
that He is the same, and He is able to deliver
today.
2. The second value in looking back is to show me how far
I have slipped away from Him.
a. In Hebrews we are exhorted to take the more
earnest heed to the things that we have heard,
lest at any time we should drift away.
b. The process of backsliding is often very slow
and imperceptible, you do not realize how far
you have drifted until you look back and
realize that you cannot even see the dock any
longer.
c. To the church of Ephesus Jesus said, "I have
this against you in that you have left your
first love. Remember from whence you have
fallen, and repent."
II. Reaching forth to those things which are before.
A. You don't go forward looking backward.
1. What God has done in the past is nothing compared with
what He wants to do in your life today, and in the
future.
2. Several years ago when I first met Keith Ritter and
shared with him the life of the Spirit, and he was
filled with the Spirit. He was going to the
Presbyterian church, but spending most of his time with
me. As he was seeking to share with his Presbyterian
friends what new joy and life he had found in Christ,
they said, "O Keith, you will come down, you cannot
live on that spiritual high."
3. Keith was very disturbed and he came to me and said,
"Chuck they told me I was going to come down, do I have
to come down?" I answered, "Well Keith, I have been on
that high for 25 years without coming down, maybe I
will come down some day, but I am just going to enjoy
it while I am here." That was over 25 years ago, and to
the present day I have not come down, but just keep
going higher and higher. One of these days like Enoch,
I am going to get so high that I will not have to even
step up to get into heaven.
B. Paul had certain goals that he was
reaching for.
1. "To be found in Him."
a. Never see yourself outside of Jesus Christ.
b. All that God has for you or will ever do for
you is in Him, by Him, through Him, and for
Him.
c. I desire more and more of Jesus.
d. Someone says, "I need more love." no, you need
more of Jesus.
e. Someone says, "I need more joy." no, you need
more of Jesus.
f. I need peace
g. I need patience.
2. "To know Him." The word know here from the Greek is to
know by experience.
a. I want to experience the fellowship of His
sufferings.
1. Here is where many shy away. They are
looking for a easy way, a soft
religion. I'm O.K. and you are O.K.;
Cool man, just do your own thing; Every
day and in every way the world is
getting better and better and better.
2. The Bible tells us that if we suffer
with Him, we will reign with Him.
3. The Bible speaks of the offense of the
cross. Speaking of Jesus and His death
for us on the cross, and that He is the
only way to be saved offends people,
they will turn against you, they will
snub you, they will begin to shun you.
4. You now begin to share the sufferings
of Christ Who was despised and rejected
by man.
b. "Being made conformable to His death."
1. "I am crucified with Christ."
2. When the Spirit warned Paul that when
he came to Jerusalem, bonds and
imprisonment awaited him there, his
friends began to cry and tried to
dissuade him from going. Paul answered,
"What do you mean with your tears? I am
not only ready to be bound for Christ,
I am ready to die for Him." How do you
stop men like that? You don't.
c. "That I might attain to the resurrection of the
dead."
1. It is impossible to attain the
resurrection unless you first die.
2. You cannot know the resurrected life in
Jesus until you have first been
crucified with Him.
d. "That I might apprehend that for which I was
apprehended of Jesus Christ.
1. When the Lord saved me, He had a
purpose and a plan for my life.
2. I have not yet accomplished that plan,
but that is my desire.
3. God has a plan for your life, are you
in the process of accomplishing it?"
C. "I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus."
1. Paul said that they that run in a race all run, but
only one receives a prize, so run that you might
obtain.
a. Have you ever watched on T.V. the beginning of
the Boston marathon?
b. The thousands of people that start off on that
race.
c. Some only intend to run a few blocks and then
where their Tee shirt that says, "I ran in the
Boston marathon.
d. Others only hope to finish the race, they don't
really care about first place, they might come
in a hour behind the winner, but they finished
the race.
e. There are some few in there that are purposed
to win. They have been in training for months,
their bodies are perfectly conditioned. They
have made the sacrifices and are desiring to
win.
f. How are you running the Christian race.
2. This pressing toward the mark is the final kick. The
goal is in view. I am letting out the stops.
3. I want the prize.
4. The prize is the approval of Jesus, my Lord.
a. I long to hear the words, "Well done, My good
and faithful servant, enter into the joy of Thy
Lord."
b. Back in verse 8 Paul said, "That I may win
Christ."
PHI 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
PHI 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is
able even to subdue all things unto himself.
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