Assessing, Forgetting, and Pressing
Philippians 3:10-14
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.
I want to preface this message with the words of one of the greatest statesmen, educators, philanthropists, ever. He was a prophet in his own right. His name was Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mayes. He once went on record saying, “it must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is a sin.”
o That is where we find the sage Apostle Paul in this text.
o He has adjusted his aim.
o He is no longer concerned about those mundane affairs that once concerned him.
o He is no longer consumed by those ambitions that consumed most of his life.
o He has not stopped dreaming, but he is now dreaming about something different.
o He has not run out of goals and he is certainly still ambitious.
o It’s just that his aim has been adjusted.
You know, there must come a point in all of our lives where our aims are adjusted.
We come to a place in life things that once mattered so much to us, no longer matter.
We come to places in life where that that was once major in our lives become minor, and those things that were once minor now become major.
I read an article over one year ago where the Reverend Billy Graham talked about how now as he is awaits that day when his voice will be hushed and his eyes closed in finality that things that were once majors to him like traveling and revivals and interviews and meetings with presidents and other world leaders have now become minors and the things that were minor have become major. Things like his wife, children, and family, playing with the grandchildren and watching his dogs and enjoying life have become a priority because his aim has been adjusted.
I don’t know who I am talking to, maybe in many ways I am talking to my self, but whoever you are hear me when I say to you that there is a danger in waiting until it’s too late to adjust your aim.
There are many fathers, perhaps mothers too, who too busy doing their own thing to pay attention to their children and their home and their family. Too busy to see what is really important? Too busy trying to make a living and forget about making a life.
You’d better be careful. One day you might want a relationship with your family and children and grandchildren and they may not have time for you because you did not have time fore them years ago. I ought to have a witness in here.
So then Paul’s aim has been adjusted. He can see things more clearly. As the pastor of this church I would to God that some of you could see things more clearly.
You would not behave like you behave.
You would not take advantage of those whom you take advantage of.
You would not treat people they way you treat them.
Paul in our text is in a roman jail. His execution is looming near. Nero’s chopping block awaits his head. He writes to this church at Philippi and attempts to explain to them what his ultimate goal is. You will find it there in verse 10. It reads, “that I may know Him…….”
He says my ultimate goal in life, my highest priority and my most noble pursuit is to know Christ.
Notice that he does not say, that I may know about Him! You see that’s where many of US get off track. We seek to know about Christ, but don’t seek to KNOW CHRIST. We want intimate relationships with each other, but how deeply do we desire to an intimate relationship with Him?
I don’t know how you feel about it today but I want to know HIM.
I want more than a surface relationship.
I want more than pomp and circumstance.
I want more than a shout.
I want more than a dance.
I want more than silver and gold.
I want more than prestige and power.
I want more. I want more. I want more!
More of Him in me.
More of His way and not my way.
More of His attitude and disposition.
Is there anyone here that is not ashamed to admit I that you really want more of God?
I wish my mother were here this morning, I called here last Saturday night. I told her momma I get it now. I get it now. I did not understand why you raised us like you did. I told her I get it now. I did not understand it then. I did not understand why I had no choices in church. She wanted to make sure that we knew HIM.
Is there anyone in here this morning that honestly and sincerely want to KNOW HIM?
• You come to church
• you sing
• you preach
• you try to pray
• you clap
• you say amen
• you help anytime you are asked but somewhere deep inside you feel that you are not quite where you need to be in God.
• You feel that you are missing something.
Paul says I want to know HIM!!!!!
I want to suggest this morning that more than anything else, we must become a church that wants to have more of Christ. Now this is not to put anyone down. I am not saying this to belittle anyone. But if the church is to be a church that is pleasing in the sight of God every individual must embrace God even more so.
Listen, if you want your personal life to be enhanced and you want your 08 to be better than your 07, I have come to suggest that it must start with a desire to know more of God.
If you are tired of the frustrations of the past and you are simply ready to submit to God and allow Him to do a new thing in you the text has a solution.
Paul says, it does not happen over night but there is a process. There are three things right here in this text that if you would adopt these principles your personal life and even your life as member of the body of Christ and this church will literally never be the same.
Assessing – I count not myself…. Vs 13. Minister Judy Pierce talked to us in October about doing a CSI. She spoke to us about taking a examination of self. John told us in the 6 chapter of John that we really ought judge ourselves. Can I be REAL here a minute? I don’t really need you to tell me about me and you do not need me to tell you about you. You know you.
o If you are evil you know it.
o If you are a cheat you know it?
o If you are trifling you know it.
o If you are a busy body you know it.
o If you are a know it all you know it.
o If you are an attention seeker you know it.
o Have I come down your street yet?
o If you are a liar you know it!!!
o That’s why when I recognize how much dust and dirt and dried up mud is around my own front door, I have very little time to sweep around your door.
He says I have assessed myself. I have analyzed myself. The result show that I am not there yet! I do not KNOW HIM as I should. It should break your heart when you realize that you don’t know as you should and yet you are doing nothing about it. You are still majoring in minors.
Forgetting –
"FORGETTING WHAT IS BEHIND." Paul is talking about forgetting in such a way that the past, good or bad, will have no negative, no zero effect, no reverse images or bearing on his present spiritual growth and condition. As a persecutor of the Church, Paul had a lot he wanted to leave behind. He wanted to forget...the wrongs that could so easily put him in comatose state and paralyze him with guilt and despair, that he could have left behind. He wanted to forget the acquisition that might cause him to go in "reverse gear." And you can
not run a race looking back, you will fall all over the place.
Well, we should come to the point as Christians, in this Old year and concludes in the New year. That we will have to give up some-things and turn them loose. There are practices that many of us are trying to hold on to while trying to live the Christian life at the same time. But the gospel according to St. Matthew 6:25 tell us, "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammal."
But there are some folk who can t make that change because they have been loving it too...Before this year end, every Christian should turn away from, or turn loose any practices that’s not of God. That you might receive the full power of God. You can t let God, without first letting go. What should we turn loose?
(1) Pride and selfishness. (2) stop being offences. (3) learn how to say I’m sorry. (4) Stop complaining about your Church. (5) Be unthankful, for what you got. (6) Learn to be patient. (7) Stay out of other folk business, some people know more about your business than you do. (8) Quite talking about your neighbor, and running their name in the mud. (9) Be kind and friendly toward one another. If you want friends you must first show yourself friendly. And; (10) Stop holding grudges. Grudges can tear up a good Church, communities, families and marriages.
Oh, my brothers and sisters, we need to give it all up...and let God have His way in our lives. Yes, we must "let go of the I" mentality, and realize that we belongs to God. Without Him, we are nothing. Without Him, we can do nothing, and nothing from nothing leave nothing. For you see, letting go is a matter of wanting to follow Jesus, more than we want to hang on to the things of this world.
Pressing - The word in the Greek is really “straining”. When Paul says that I am pressing he is saying I acknowledge that there are some obstacles, but I can not give up because of the obstacles. I acknowledge that there are some heavy loads, but I can not give up because of the heavy loads.
He is saying that what I aiming for is more important than who is aiming at me. I want to know him.
Higher Ground
(1) 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."
(2) Lord, lift me up and let me stand
By faith on heaven’s table-land,
A higher plane than I have found:
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
(3) My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim is higher ground.
(4) I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.
(5) I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray, ’til heaven I’ve found
"Lord, lead me on to higher ground."
