A Strategy For Success

Subject: A Strategy For Success

Text: Philippians 3:7-14

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Introduction: Thomas Edison holds more than 1,000 patents for his inventions. Legend has it that it took him thousands of designs and prototypes of the lightbulb before he finally got it right on just that one invention. There are countless examples of how he tried and failed in his career. When asked about it, he said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~Thomas Edison, American Inventor

It is hard to imagine what our world would be like if Edison had given up after his first few experiments. Because He was resilience, he gave the world some of the most amazing inventions of the early 20th century, such as the phonograph, the telegraph, and the motion picture.

His inspiring story of commitment forces us to look at our own lives—do we have the strategy we need to overcome our challenges? Or do we let our failures derail our dreams? And what could we accomplish if we were committed enough and had the strength not to give up?

Paul, who is the writer of our text, developed the faith and strength not to give up. So, Paul provides a strategy for us and the Philippian Church here in this text. As we move forward to become the best that we could be for Christ, deepening our commitment and practicing our faith, we will need a strategy. Rather than being complacent with where they were, they needed to set their sights higher. The Apostle Paul gives this church his personal testimony. Paul was never one to let circumstances conquer him. Rather, with the help of God, he was determined to fulfill his God-given purpose. In this text, Paul’s attitude, dedication, determination, and commitment shines through in a powerful way.

As men and women of God who have different perspectives, needs, and desires, if we are to run this race with patience, we will need a strategy. There are so many things that attract our attention, so many goals to reach until it is difficult to stay focused in these confusing times. How can we reach our potential for Christ? How can we give it our best? How can they stay focused during these difficult days? How can we deepen our commitment and practice our faith in these confusing times?

Apostle Paul set a good example on how to succeed in the Christian race. He ran his race with a wholehearted commitment and gave every effort to win Christ. He wants the Philippian Church to strive for excellence. He understood the high price to be paid because he was paying it himself. It will take diligence and exertion to attain what God desired for them and for every one of us, but the price is worth the effort.

Many of us in the body of Christ become motivated and excited about their future and our destiny until problems arise and difficulties come. We make bold declarations of faith about who we are and where we are going, but some fail to reach their goals in life because they have no strategy for success. A Strategy is a well thought out, workable plan to keep moving forward, to keep making progress. Our goal of becoming the best Christ-like disciples we can be for the kingdom of God will be challenged.

First Peter 5:8, says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”

We have an adversary, Satan who desires to stop our progress. We are challenged by Satan who wars against us; he tries to defeat us. So, we must have a workable strategy to overcome him. Satan comes to challenge our commitment. He comes to steal our joy, drain our strength and tempt us to give up. We are challenged by our own limitations. All of us had limitations, but limitations do not have the power to rob us of success if we have a workable strategy. In this text, I believe Paul offers us a workable strategy. Games are won or lost on Strategy. In baseball, a blunt can be just as important as a home run. In Basketball, a free throw can be just as important as a three-pointer. In football, a field goal can be just as important as a touchdown. The difference is strategy.