Don't Miss The Mark

Paul says in verse 12 of Philippians 3, that he had not attained everything that God had in store for him. The great apostle Paul who we revere and hold up said even I haven’t attained everything that God has for me. But I press on everyday that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. In other words, Paul says he saved me for a reason. He saved me or laid hold on me for a purpose. There is a divine destiny that I must strive for and fulfill in my life. If I do anything else than fulfill his will for my life I am missing the mark.

One of the things I say when dedicating a baby to the Lord is: “God has a purpose for this child’s life. To find that purpose and to live it out fully will mean success; to refuse or ignore it will mean failure, no matter how much worldly acclaim may come. It is your privilege and duty to guide your child in such a way as to make the will of God the greatest ambition of his life.”

So, I am going to press on everyday. I am going to strive everyday with every ounce of strength that I have to hit the mark.

∑ when it feels good and when it doesn’t feel good

∑ when it’s convenient and when it’s not convenient

∑ when it’s easy and when it’s hard

∑ when everybody’s with me and when everybody’s against me.

∑ when I feel like it and when I don’t feel like it

∑ when I understand and when I don’t understand

I press toward the mark!!! I don’t want to miss the mark. I don’t want to miss my divine destiny.

The only way I can miss the mark is if my attention is drawn away from the mark. If my attention and my focus is constantly on the mark there’s no way I can miss it. But if something takes my attention off the mark there is that possibility that I could get off track from my course.

One of the Greek words translated sin in the New Testament means this: - to miss the mark and not share in the prize. So when I sin or allow sin to come into my life what I am doing is “missing the mark”. I am allowing the enemy to cause me to miss out on the will of God for my life. When sin is present in my life I can’t fulfill the divine destiny that God has for me.

Don’t miss the mark! DON’T MISS THE MARK!!!!!!

James 1:14 - But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

Paul said I haven’t attained everything just yet. James says every man is tempted to be drawn away and enticed.

I’m running along with my eyes on the mark and all of the sudden, “BOOM”, something tempts me and my eyes leave the mark.

1 John 3:4 - Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sin is anything that goes against the laws of God. Sin is that which is contrary to God. Sin is that which stands against God. Sin is anything that goes against this book - the Bible. Sin is anything that gets my eyes off of the mark and causes me to miss the mark.

Sin will take your eyes off of the mark.

∑ come on and take a puff

∑ take a drink

∑ try some drugs

∑ look at some pornography

∑ watch this movie

∑ have a little sex

∑ it’s not church music but hey music is music

And when we look back we can’t find the mark. We look all around and we can’t see it any longer. Where is the mark???? Where’s the mark??? Where’s the mark!!!!!!!!!

Oh, oh, oh, there it is. There it is. I found it again. My eyes are back on the mark.

We feel pretty good now because we had an encounter in the world and we still made it back again. But when we start messing around with things that are against God’s laws it says in Genesis chapter 4 and verse 7 that “sin lieth at the door”. The scripture says sin is crouching or hiding at the door waiting to pounce upon you. The language virtually personifies sin as a demon crouching like a crazed animal at your doorstep.

Let’s get one thing straight this morning:

∑ the devil hates you

∑ he wants to do you in

∑ he doesn’t want you to make it to heaven

∑ he wants you to sin

∑ sin will destroy you