Focus On The Finish Line Series

Introduction

I imagine that all of us have at some time run out of gas - or came close! Ezra Dyer writes for Car and Driver. He wrote about the time he was driving a Lamborghini Huracan. “The first time I fired up the Huracán, the gauge cluster flashed a warning to fill up. But the fuel gauge—a bar graph—showed a quarter tank. So I decided to take a quick rip out into the countryside before I circled back to the gas station. Shortly after … the cacophonous V-10 went silent.”

He went on... “The car restarted but ran fitfully as I limped back toward town. I didn’t make it. As it happens, the Huracán’s bar-graph gas gauge stretches all the way across when the tank is full, and there’s a thin little needle that moves left with the display as the tank empties.” ... "But the last quarter of that graph, in red, never moves, no matter how little fuel you have. …Perhaps the tricky gas gauge is Lamborghini’s way of hazing new owners. If so, I approve.”

He observed an important life lesson: Below half a tank, you’re gambling.

If you get anxious when that gas gauge gets close to E, then how much more anxious should we be when our Faith is running low… and close to Empty?

In this series we are going to explore Philippians - a letter meant to put fuel in the faith of dedicated servants of Jesus. Even the most faithful of us run low sometimes. We begin with a focus on the first principle of keeping a full tank: Focus on the Finish Line. Keeping our eyes on the Finish Line requires that we…

1. Give Thanks (3  I thank my God every time I remember you.)

How easily distracted are we by the struggles of life? It would be easy for Paul to focus on his troubles, or his concerns for the Philippian church. His prayers are sparked by remembrances and joy. The power of giving thanks is that it recenters our thinking and hearts toward God. Do we sometimes forget to thank God for the people he has placed in our lives - not only our blessings.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Eckehart via Hooker: “If the only prayer you ever say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would be sufficient.”

2. Pray With Joy (4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.)

Paul lived a prayer-filled life. “All my prayers” “all of you”. His love for the people of the Philippian church drove him to pray often for them. Who are we praying for? Isn’t it a blessing to know that someone is bringing our name before the Father? Whether illness, struggles, heartaches, problems, or hopes and dreams for the future - we pray with joy. We pray with joy because … God hears, God moves, God operates in greater wisdom than we have, God gives access into the throne room.

When we consider the privilege of prayer, we pray with joy. Joy is a major theme in Philippians - 15 times.

Holladay: Some people think joy is about not having any problems. No! Joy is about how you handle your problems!

Nehemiah 8:10 The joy of the Lord is your strength!

3. Engage in Community (5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now)

8 times in Philippians Paul mentions the gospel. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died, rose and is coming again. It is because of this we have salvation and connection with other believers. The joy of partnership is easy to see in vs. 7-8. Keeping our eyes on the finish line is not a solo adventure. We need one another: help, accountability, strength - to know we are not alone on the journey. We need to help others - engaging the community of faith with energy and urgency.

Three areas of engagement

-Help Others - because the Enemy is at work.

-Ministry - because we can do more together than we can alone.

-Outreach to lost - the ‘Good News’ isn’t just for us!

Philippians 1:27b striving together as one for the faith of the gospel

4. Be Confident (6-11)

Paul’s eyes are focused on the finish line - and the work that Christ will complete on that day. Jesus did not save us only to fail to complete His work! So many things can shake our faith - and we are not alone in this - but always come back to the truth that Jesus is at work in your life and His work is perfect! What is Christ completing in our lives? (9-11)