"Press On”

“Press On” Philippians 3:4-14

1. Paul is passionate about Pressing on

• In this passage in Philippians, the reader experiences Paul at his most passionate.

• Paul yearns to be made righteous by faith, presses on toward his goal of knowing Christ, longs to be worthy of suffering for and with his Savior and wants to become like Jesus in his death,

• He hopes to attain the resurrection from the dead.

2. Paul opens his heart to the Christians at Philippi,

• Paul tells these folks, “I want to know”

• I want to know Christ

• I want to know the power of his resurrection

• I want to know the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

• I want to know him and how , to attain to the resurrection

3. Paul presses on like an athlete

• Paul’s language about pressing on for the prize, attaining the goal and straining forward no doubt has grounding in the Greek athletic competition.

• Paul presses on The ideal is to reach the finish line.

• Paul gets knocked down but he picks his self-up But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind(V) he forgets former Failures, he forgets former opponents, former losses

• and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on(W) toward the goal to win the prize(X) for which God has called(Y) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

4. Paul’s presses on because what ahead is better than his past .

• Paul’s life was a life of great success

• He looks back on a life of success — not failure—, in which he came from a good family, had a good education and achieved fame and notoriety.

• Paul says that all that good stuff — fame, fortune, education — is nothing compared to knowing Christ. And that’s why he was willing to “suffer the loss of all things” (v. 8)

5. For Paul looking Back is not a good idea but pressing on is a better idea.

• Paul explicitly, clearly and plainly says that he is “forgetting what lies behind” (v. 13),

• He refers to what’s happened in the past as “loss” and “rubbish” (vv. 7, 8).

• forget all the bad stuff that’s happened in our lives, and “chin up — that’s behind you now.

• We’re told to leave our guilt, mistakes and screw-ups in the past where they belong.

• Pressing on towards Christ centered life instead of a self-centered life is a better idea

• Better idea for Paul was being a Christian was a much better alternative than anything else. his former way of life was worthless and despicable

•

6. Paul Presses on for a Prize

• In Paul’s day The winner of the Greek races received a wreath of leaves and sometimes a cash award; the Christian receives an award of everlasting glory. heavenward. Paul's ultimate aspirations are found not in this life but in heaven, because Christ is there (see Col 3:1-2).

• Paul presses on because his name is written --everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. 2Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, 3

• Paul presses on because he is passionate about it, he strives for it like an athlete, he so desires to know, he presses on because what is ahead is much better that what was behind him, the past is not always good idea but future is a much better idea, I 'm pressing on the upward way, New heights I'm gaining every day; Still praying as I'm onward bound, "Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."