GROWING THROUGH FOCUS AND FORGETTING
PHILIPPIANS 3:12-14 NOT THAT I HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED IT OR HAVE ALREADY BECOME PERFECT, BUT I PRESS ON SO THAT I MAY LAY HOLD OF THAT FOR WHICH ALSO I WAS LAID HOLD OF BY CHRIST JESUS. 13 BRETHREN, I DO NOT REGARD MYSELF AS HAVING LAID HOLD OF IT YET; BUT ONE THING I DO: FORGETTING WHAT LIES BEHIND AND REACHING FORWARD TO WHAT LIES AHEAD, 14 I PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL FOR THE PRIZE OF THE UPWARD CALL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS.
INTRODUCTION: LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT THE SIMPLE TRUTH THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A PROCESS OF KNOWING CHRIST BETTER. PAUL BROKE THIS KNOWING DOWN TO THREE AREAS: KNOWING HIS POWER, SUFFERING AND RESURRECTION. THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE OT ADD TO THAT THOUGHT BY SEEING WHAT PAUL HAS TO SAY ABOUT GROWING IN CHRIST THROUGH BOTH FOCUS AND FORGETTING.
PROPOSITION: WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR FOCUS AS WELL AS WHAT WE SHOULD FORGET.
I. WE HAVE TO REACH IN ORDER TO GROW
a. IN ORDER TO REACH WE NEED TO HAVE AN HONEST ASSESSMENT OF OURSELVES
b. PAUL DECLARES THAT HE HAS NOT OBTAINED “KNOWING CHRIST”
i. 30 YEARS AND STILL WORKING
c. IN ORDER TO REACH WE NEED TO BE ACTIVELY MOVING FORWARD
i. PRESSING ON
ii. PRESSING ON FOR A PURPOSE – TO LAY HOLD
iii. PRESSING ON IN THE SAME MANNER CHRIST DID TO LAY HOLD OF PAUL
1. SEEN IN THE INCARNATION -- WILLINGNESS
2. SEEN IN THE TEACHING OF CHRIST – DECLARING WHAT IS RIGHT, NOT WHAT IS POPULAR
3. SEEN IN THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST – EVEN TO THE EXTREME
4. SEEN IN THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST – TILL THE JOB IS FINISHED
5. SEEN IN THE APPEARANCE OF CHRIST – THEN UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS NEVER THE JOB OF SOMEONE ELSE!
d. WHAT WE ARE REACHING FOR IS PERFECTION
i. THE WORD PERFECT HERE MEANS TO “REACH A GOAL”
ii. PAUL ALSO USES THE WORD, “OBTAIN”
1. MEANS TO TAKE HOLD OF
2. MEANS TO MAKE ONES OWN
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REACHING OUT, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MAKING MY KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST PERSONAL. THE MODEL FOR THIS IS THE LIFE OF CHRIST HIMSELF.
CHRIST FIRST REACHED OUT TO ME REDEMPTIVELY
IN HIS REACHING OUT WE SEE THE QUALITIES OF WILLINGNESS TO DO WHAT WAS THE RIGHT THING, APART FROM THE RESISTANCE AROUND HIM, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT EVEN WHEN HE FINISHED HIS WORK, THE REAL JOB WAS NEVER REALLY DONE.
WE CAN NEVER STOP REACHING FOR CHRIST – TO KNOW HIM BETTER, AND TO BE MORE LIKE HIM.
II. WE HAVE TO FOCUS IN ORDER TO GROW
a. I GUESS WHEN WE GET TO THIS POINT; WE NEED TO ASK A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION, “WHY SHOULD I GROW AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST?”
b. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST SHOULD GROW
i. YOUR GROWTH GLORIFIES GOD
ii. YOUR GROWTH IS A TREMENDOUS EVIDENCE OF YOUR SALVATION
iii. YOUR GROWTH MAKES THE TRUTH OF GOD VISIBLE TO OTHERS WHO ARE SEARCHING
iv. YOUR GROWTH NATURALLY DEALS WITH THE PROBLEMS OF IMMATURITY
v. YOUR GROWTH IS A PROTECTION , KEEPING THE NAME OF CHRIST ABOVE REPROACH
vi. YOUR GROWTH PRODUCES JOY
vii. YOUR GROWTH IS PART OF THE EQUIPPING PROCESS THAT ALLOWS YOU TO MINISTER TO OTHERS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
viii. YOUR GROWTH IS A WITNESS TO THE WORLD!
c. FOCUS INVOLVES TWO THINGS
i. WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON MUST BE YOUR PRIORITY
1. IF WE SAY WE WANT TO FOCUS ON KNOW CHRIST, BUT THAT IS NOT OUR PRIORITY WE WILL NEVER ACHIEVE IT BECAUSE SOMETHING ELSE WILL ALWAYS BE IN THE WAY
2. PAUL USES THE TERM – “ONE THING”
3. NEED TO ASK WITH IS OUR PRIORITY OF FOCUS TODAY, OR BETTER YET, WHO IS OUR PRIORITY OF FOCUS TODAY?
ii. WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON MUST BE A PRUDENT CHOICE
1. YOU NEED TO TAKE TIME TO ASSESS YOUR DECISION
2. JESUS SPEAKS OF THE WISE BUILDING COUNTING THE COST, SO AS TO KNOW HE CAN GET THE JOB DONE.
3. JESUS SPEAKS OF THE WISE BUILDER WHO FIND THE ROCK FOR HIS FOUNDATION BEFORE HE BUILDS
SOME “ONE THINGS OF SCRIPTURE:
GOD’S LOYALTY -- JOSHUA 23:14 14 "NOW BEHOLD, TODAY I AM GOING THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH, AND YOU KNOW IN ALL YOUR HEARTS AND IN ALL YOUR SOULS THAT NOT ONE WORD OF ALL THE GOOD WORDS WHICH THE LORD YOUR GOD SPOKE CONCERNING YOU HAS FAILED; ALL HAVE BEEN FULFILLED FOR YOU, NOT ONE OF THEM HAS FAILED.
OUR DESIRE FOR GOD -- PSALM 27:4 ONE THING I HAVE ASKED FROM THE LORD, THAT I SHALL SEEK: THAT I MAY DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, TO BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD AND TO MEDITATE IN HIS TEMPLE.
FOLLOW CHRIST -- MATTHEW 19:21 JESUS SAID TO HIM, "IF YOU WISH TO BE COMPLETE, GO AND SELL YOUR POSSESSIONS AND GIVE TO THE POOR, AND YOU WILL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN; AND COME, FOLLOW ME."
LEARN ABOUT CHRIST -- LUKE 10:42 BUT ONLY ONE THING IS NECESSARY, FOR MARY HAS CHOSEN THE GOOD PART, WHICH SHALL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HER."
d. WHEN OUR FOCUS IS BOTH A PRIORITY AND IS PRUDENT
i. WE AVOID DESPAIR
ii. AVOID DIFFICULTY
iii. WE AVOID DEACTIVATION
iv. WE AVOID DEFEAT
1. SIMPLY BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT OUR GOAL IS AND WE HAVE CAREFULLY WEIGHED THE COST.
IF KNOWING CHRIST IS NOT OUR PRIORITY, WE WILL ALWAYS STRUGGLE IN OUR WALK WITH CHRIST.
III. WE HAVE TO FORGET IN ORDER TO GROW
a. NOTICE THAT FORGETTING IS HALF OF A TWO PART PROCESS.
i. FORGET
ii. STRETCH
b. STRETCHING
i. INTENSIVE, STRETCHING OUT TOWARDS SOMETHING
ii. THE SENSE OF FIXING OUR GAZE ON SOMETHING
iii. WE NEED TO BE CARFUL THAT AS WE SEEK THE PRIZE GOD HAS FOR US THAT WE ARE CAREFUL OF WHERE WE ARE LOOKING
1. WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE OUR END IS
2. WE NEED TO SEE THE STEPS ALONG THE WAY SO AS NOT TO MISS THE BLESSINGS GOD HAS FOR US THERE
iv. THERE IS THE NEED FOR PERSEVERANCE AND DISCIPLINE
1. WHEN WE TAKE OUR EYES OFF WHAT GOD WANTS FOR US AND WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE
a. WE BECOME CONSUMED WITH THE INSIGNIFICANT
b. WE LOSE FOCUS ON OUR REAL GOAL
c. WE BECOME ENTICED BY OTHER THINGS
IN A SMALL CHURCH YARD AT THE FOOT OF A SWISS MOUNTAIN, THE BODY OF A YOUNG ENGLISH CLIMBER WAS BURIED. ON THE TOMBSTONE UNDER HIS NAME AND DATE WERE THESE WORDS, "HE DIED CLIMBING." WHEN YOU DIE ONE DAY, WILL YOU BE CLIMBING FOR CHRIST WHEN THAT TIME COMES? GOD HELP US ALL TO BE PRESSING FOR THE PRIZE.
c. THERE IS FORGETTING
i. ONE OF OUR GREATEST HURDLES IS OUR PAST
ii. THAT IS WHY GOD IS CONCERNED WITH OUR PRESENT AND OUR FUTURE
iii. GOD HAS FORGIVEN ALL OF OUR YESTERDAYS
d. THEN WE CAN PRESS ON TO THE PRIZE
i. THE PRIZE
1. HEAVEN
2. WELL DONE
3. RESS BODY
4. ETERNITY WITH CHRIST
ii. WHEN WE STRETCH TOWARDS WHAT GOD ONCE AND FORGET WHAT IS IN OUR PAST, THEN WE MAKE IT TO THE WINNERS CIRCLE
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
THERE ARE THOSE ALL AROUND YOU CHEERING YOU ON TO ACHIEVE EVERYTHING GOD HAS FOR YOU.
DON’T LET YOUR GAZE, YOUR PAST, OR YOUR RESOLVE KEEP YOU FROM KNOW CHRIST BETTER AND FINISHING WHAT GOD HAS LAID OUT FOR YOU.
