Don’t Just Run But Run To Win!

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). The Plan is Progress...Not Perfection (vs 12a & 13a).

(2). The Past Is Over…Forget It! (vs 13b)

(3). The Future Holds Our Hope…Reach For It! (vs 3c)

(4). The Secret Is a Determined Attitude…Maintain It! (vs 15a)

(5). The Need Is Keeping A High Standard…We Do That Together (vs 16).

SERMON BODY

Ill:

• If the apostle Paul picked up a newspaper today,

• I think he might turn to the back pages and start at the sports section!

• I think that that apostle Paul must have been a sports fan.

• Over and over again—many times in many places;

• He uses illustrations from sports to make his point.

• He speaks of wrestling, boxing, running,

• He writes about winning the race, winning the prize, and winning crowns. H

• He talks about the discipline necessary to win and the danger of being disqualified.

• I don’t know if he ever played sports himself,

• But it seems clear to me that he was fully aware with the athletic world of the first century.

• Remember how he summed up his life in 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 7:

• He said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

• The first phrase comes from boxing, the second from running.

In this section of the letter, the apostle says to these Christians at Philippi:

• Don’t just run but run to win!

• Don’t just compete, don’t just make up the numbers, but run to win!

Ill:

• One of my favourite films, is the 1981 film ‘Chariots of Fire’.

• Which is set at the time of the 1924 Paris Olympics,

• The film tells the fact-based story of two rival athletes.

• Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God,

• And Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice.

• In this clip, Harold Abrahams goes to an athletics event to watch his rival Eric Liddell.

• You Tube: ‘Get up and finish the race’ - https://youtu.be/I4e5Xfmc8zQ

• TRANSITION: In this section of the letter,

• The apostle Paul says to these Christians at Philippi:

• Don’t just compete, don’t just make up the numbers, but run to win!

• Strain every muscle to win!

(1). The Plan is Progress...Not Perfection (vs 12a & 13a).

• Verse 12a:

• N.I.V.: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal”

• E.S.V.: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect,”

• Verse 13a:

• N.I.V.: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.”

• E.S.V.: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.”

• A common cop-out among Christians is the saying, "Well, nobody's perfect."

• That may be true…

• But that is not the apostle Paul’s answer in these verses.

• He knows as do all Christians that he is far from perfect,

• And if you think you have arrived, just stop and ask the people you live or work with!

• None of us are there yet!

Notice:

• The apostle Paul was satisfied with Jesus Christ.

• He mentions that in verse 10, where he says that he wants more of Christ:

“I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death”

• But the apostle Paul was not satisfied with his Christian life,

• He once again wanted more!

Ill:

• Preachers often say that;

• “God has a purpose and plan for your life”,

• That is true and the apostle Paul believed it,

• But he is well aware that he has not arrived at that purpose yet.

• The apostle Paul knows he is not what he should be.

• He is aware of his faults and the areas where he still needs to grow.

• The word translated here as "perfect" also means "complete".

• The apostle Paul recognizes that he is not the finished article yet.

• There is more work needed.

Ill:

• Funny Sign:

• “If A Man Says He'll Fix It, No Need to Remind Him Every 6 Months”

• TRANSITION: The apostle Paul recognizes that he is not the finished article yet.

• There is more work needed.

• Quote: Chuck Swindoll says it well,

• "God is seeking progress not perfection."

(2). The Past Is Over…Forget It! (vs 13b)

• N.I.V.: “Forgetting what is behind”

• N.L.B.: “Forgetting the past”

• E.S.V.: “Forgetting what lies behind”

• The Greek word used in this verse is even stronger in its meaning;

• “Absolute and complete” forgetting!