March 11, 2012
Morning Worship
Text: Philippians 3:12-21
Subject: Looking to Eternity
Title: Spring Forward – Living the Intentional Christian Life
We had a great night with our youth on Thursday evening. It was so good that I really felt the Lord telling me that I needed to continue with the same theme today that I had Thursday. That theme was that the Christian life doesn’t happen by accident. So our young people don’t have to listen today right? I don’t think so… It is intentional and purposeful. That is a truth that every Christian must learn. Somebody once said that those who are going nowhere are certain to reach their destination.
If you are going about your life without a plan or a purpose – if you think that walking in the Spirit means that you don’t have to have any kind of plan for your faith life – then you probably don’t have purpose and are not living the intentional Christian life. But that is not the kind of life that God has in store for you. God’s plan for you is that you have a plan and that you intentionally walk according to the will of God in reaching your goal.
There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand, and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other. As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, "Henry, you're holding the bat wrong. You're supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark." Aaron didn't say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, "I didn't come up here to read."
J. M. Boice, Learning to Lead, Revell, 1990, p. 38.
Last night you set your clocks ahead one hour – spring forward. Many will complain that you have lost an hour and that it takes a long time to recover from that loss. Many approach their faith life that way also. You have lost some time and some opportunities and you can never make them up.
Today I want to show you that God’s purpose for your life is to never look back, but to always be looking for the finish line with your eyes on living intentionally for Jesus today.
I believe this is God’s word…
I believe it is for me…
I accept it as mine…
And I appropriate it to my life today…
God wants all of you to live an intentional life.
I. LIVING AN INTENTIONAL LIFE BY LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE… In the passage immediately prior to this one Paul talked about his desire to know Jesus to the fullest. He recognizes that this is an intentional process. Now he adds in verse 12, Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Paul confesses that his salvation is not the end but just the beginning. He hasn’t finished a race but is in the middle of it. How many times have we seen in the past someone come forward at the invitation for salvation to make a confession of faith and the next thing you know they are out of church living like they did before? Or how many times have we baptized someone only to have them act like that was all they needed to reach that final goal? But Paul said, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…” I’m going to intentionally stay steadfast in my faith. I’m not going to turn away. As a matter of fact, the word translated “take hold” means “to take possession or seize for oneself”… To think that you have already acquired all that God has for you denies the truth of other scripture. 2 Corinthians 3:18, And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. This transformation is not accidental. It is not something that just happens to us. We must be seeking Him and desiring to be more like Him. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Look at the steps Paul writes about in the intentional walk of a Christian. 1) Recognize that it is a process… I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 2) Don’t dwell on your failures… Forgetting what is behind… the word “forgetting” = “to lose out of your mind” Even if you wanted to you couldn’t remember because it’s not there. ..3) Keep your focus on eternity… straining toward what is ahead… I don’t like the word “straining” in the NIV. It makes it sound like living intentionally for the Lord is a burden. The word means, “to stretch one’s self forward.” It is talking about the challenge of being and intentional Christian and not the difficulty of it. 4) Move forward intentionally…14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. The word “press” means, “to pursue”… Are you chasing after, pursuing the things of God for your life? It isn’t something that just happens. You must be intentional…
II. LIVING THE INTENTIONAL LIFE BY LIVING IN THE PRESENT… 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. A real key to intentional living is found at the beginning of this verse - All of us who are mature… Who is that referring to? Is it someone who has been a Christian for 40 years or more? Not necessarily. Maturity comes from intentionally drawing close to God through the word, prayer, and listening to the Spirit. Hebrews 5:11-14, 11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Those who have intentionally desired more of God will understand that they are to live for today with eternity on your spiritual horizon, but never to the point where you lose sight of what God wants for you today. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. What have you attained? Salvation? Good! The baptism in the Holy Spirit? Awesome! Is that it? Go back to verse 12, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me… 1 Chronicles 16:15, He (God) remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations… What is verse 16 calling you to? …let us live up to what we have already attained… It is calling you to live out today with an eye on eternity, the fulfillment of the nature and promise of God through this new covenant. The Old Testament covenant names of God are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jehovah-Jireh-The Lord our Provider- Genesis 22:8, 14; Jehovah -Rapha-The Lord our Healer- Exodus 15:26; Jehovah –Nissi-The Lord our Banner -Exodus 17:15; Jehovah – ‘Mkadesh The Lord our Sanctifier-Leviticus 20:8, Ezekiel 20:12; Jehovah;-Shalom -The Lord our Peace Judges 6:24; Jehovah - Raah- The Lord our Shepherd Psalms 23:1; Jehovah - Tsidkenu -The Lord our Righteousness -Jeremiah 23:6; Jehovah – Shammah- The Lord Ever Present - Ezekiel 48:35. When you were born again you attained all these promises, not according to who you are but according to what He has done. And now Paul tells us that we are expected to live up to our part of the covenant. Let me explain it to you this way. If a wealthy relative leaves you and inheritance, that inheritance is legalized in a contract called a Last Will and Testament. Once they pass away their part of the contract has been fulfilled. Now the only thing leftfor you to do is to receive your inheritance. Through the cross and resurrection of Jesus a new contract was validated on your behalf. All of those Old Testament names of God are now completed in Jesus. What God was in the Old Testament, He now is in the New for you to receive. When Paul writes, “let us live up to what we have already attained…” It is up to you to claim your inheritance. If you are mature you will know the word of God and know that you can trust it. But it takes an intentional act to accept what God has for you in the present.
III. LIVING THE INTENTIONAL LIFE BY LONGING FOR THE PROMISE… 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. Mature Christians should be leaders in the church. People should be able to look at you and follow your pattern and learn from you. Mature Christians should be Bible believing Christians. Mature Christians should be Spirit-filled Christians. Mature Christians should have their eyes focused upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. If we look at those who have patterned themselves after Paul what would we see? They would be believers who are being, transformed by the renewing of your mind. Like Paul they are relying on the power of God in their lives. 1 Corinthians 2:4, My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. They will understand that they should, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. They know that they are … the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. They are looking for the fulfillment of the promise – the return of Christ and they are intentionally living like they are not citizens of this world. Yet Paul addressed those who then and even now live like there is no judgment. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. It broke Paul’s heart to see people who called themselves Christians live like this life is all there is. Hebrews 12:14, … without holiness no one will see the Lord. Paul had dealt with those kinds of people before in Romans 6 and 1 Corinthians 6. They thought that salvation could come without repentance and new birth. They weren’t looking for a promise. They were looking for pleasure. C. S. Lewis wrote, How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets real thing, it is irresistible. Paul concludes with this thought, 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Our eyes are not only on heaven but the fulfillment of the promised return of Jesus who will complete the legal transaction He began with His death and resurrection. If we are intentionally longing for the promises of God – especially the return of Christ – wouldn’t we want to be intentionally living for Him today
Do you know how I prepared for that “spring forward” that we experienced early this morning? I intentionally went to bed with the thought that in the future I will get that hour back.
How are you going to live while you wait for the completion of all God’s promises?
1. Live an intentional Christian life by looking to the future. That involves hope. If Jesus isn’t coming back there is no hope for you. But we know that He has promised to… come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. His return will bring history to a conclusion but will take you through eternity.
2. Live an intentional life in the present. Living in the present requires faith. Colossians 1:10-14, 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 11 tells us about all those who lived a life of faith while waiting for the future promise of God. The lived that way intentionally.
3. Live an intentional life by longing for the promise. This really encompasses the present and the future. We know that Jesus is coming back. We long for it. But meanwhile we wait and long for His promises to be manifested in our lives. We long for miracles. We long for victory. We long for deliverance. We long for salvation for the lost. We intentionally chose to live by faith in God’s word.
We must live intentionally for God today while waiting to spring forward to eternity.
