Pressing On To Win The Prize Series

Pressing on to Win the Prize

Philippians 3:12-16

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

Ever since Christ took hold us and we became born again the Holy Spirit has been encouraging us to grow in our spiritual walk with the Lord. While we have experienced many times in our lives in which we have walked by the still waters and have had faith as tiny as a mustard seed that has moved mighty mountains, we must confess that there are other times in our lives in which our motivation to be more like Christ is at best lukewarm and often outright nonexistent! Even though the words of Christ, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) ring so very true in our minds for some reason they seem not to make a profound difference in our hearts and our actions! Complacency is the enemy of all spiritual growth, and it occurs in our lives for a variety of reasons. For some Christians they have accomplished so very much in God’s kingdom that they have stopped trying to grow because they believe there is nothing left for them to attain! For others the opposite is true, they have sinned so gravely that they have chosen to sit on the kingdom racetrack because they believe they are too wicked to be chosen by God to serve any more! For others they have merely stopped looking at the finish line and due to loving the things and ways of this world have chosen to chase after them rather than a better relationship with their Lord. And yet for others in their old age they believe that there simply is not enough time left in their lives to become more like Jesus! In today’s passage Apostle Paul addressed these fallacies by boldly telling the Philippians that the “One” thing that had and always would motivate him was to know and live his life worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Before you read this sermon take inventory of your spiritual hunger to know Christ and as you dive into the words the Lord has given me pray that God will open your heart, mind, and soul to become and remain passionate to be more like Him.

My Humble Acknowledgement

Though Christ had seized him on the road to Damascus, “hand picked him to be an Apostle unto the Gentiles,” got him to write His inspired words and enabled him to be a “tremendous soulwinner and preacher of the Word;” Paul boldly and humbly admitted that he had not yet arrived or obtained perfection (3:12)! While striving for “perfection through intellectual and spiritual enlightenment was a common religious ideal in Greco-Roman antiquity,” so was the tendency for Christians to become complacent in their passion to live a life worthy of the Gospel (1:27)! Unlike his previous prideful attitude that he was “faultless as to righteousness based on the Law (3:6),” Paul warned the Philippians of the dangers of believing that “absolute perfection could ever be obtained by a single experience;” even when it was a Spirit led conversion from death to life! Paul told the church of Corinth that he only saw as “a reflection in a mirror” and only knew some things about Christ, but one day he would “fully know” Him (1 Corinthians 13:12). While knowing the “incomprehensible greatness of Christ is unattainable” it was Paul’s lifetime of arduous inquiry!” It is a “prayer of humble dissatisfaction” with one’s current level of knowledge and spiritual maturity in Christ that spurs one unto seeking and being transformed more into Christlikeness every day! Is this not why Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6)? Paul was also warning the Philippians to not put him or anyone else so high on a pedestal that none of them dare try and follow in his footsteps. Each person is called by Christ to live “out their days on earth purposefully” through the daily surrendering of “I” in self to let Christ live more within them. God uses the lowly ordinary people to do great things in His kingdom (1 Corinthians 1:27). Instead of comparing our “incompleteness” to others apparent perfection and becoming bewildered and quitting on seeking God, like Paul we are to run all the harder towards God with our hearts wide open in faith realizing that “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength (4:13) for “divine grace is the source and goal of the human pursuit!

Reflection. Do you feel like you are in a place in your life that you are spiritually mature? If so, how has this misleading assumption affected your passion to grow in Christ? Do you often compare yourself to other Christians and foolishly conclude that they are closer to God than you can ever possibly obtain? Has this led you to give up on your pursuit of God? If our closeness to God is both a product of our faith but mostly His grace, then are you saying that God has given up on you and if so then why did God say “He works for the good to those who love Him” (Romans 8:28) and draw nearer to Him and He will draw nearer to you (James 4:8)? Think about it!