Sermon
Lanier Christian Church
August 14, 2016
David Simpson
Pressing on Toward the Goal
Philippians 3:13-14
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. - Philippians 3:13b-14
Unless you've been hiding under a rock somewhere you are probably very aware that the Olympics are taking place in Brazil right now. Faith and I have stayed up past our bedtime each night watching some of the events. Last Monday night (8/8/16), a 21 year old swimmer by the name of RYAN MURPHY, won the 100 meter backstroke event in swimming, setting a new Olympic Record. Something I found very interesting about him was that his mother was digging through some old papers last year and found a booklet he drew when he was eight years old, entitled: "My Swimming Life."
Here is what he wrote: "I hope my swimming life continues and I become an Olympian when I grow up. I hope I will break the world records. I want to be the best swimmer in the world." (This is a picture he drew of himself wearing the gold medal…see internet for photo). Amazingly he fulfilled his dream by winning the gold medal, not once but twice, when he won the 200 meter back stroke on Thursday night (8/11/16)
His older brother, Patrick wrote recently, "I will always be Ryan’s biggest fan. He showed me how to dream big."
Ryan Murphy has always had a goal in his young life. Now he's seeing it fulfilled. He has inspired countless others through his determined effort to excel in the sport of swimming.
What about you and me? Do you have any goals? What propels you to move forward on any given day? Are you one who says: "I just try to make it through the day...?" Do you find yourself aimless and bouncing around each day with no clear goal in sight?
The apostle Paul was very goal-oriented. He had witnessed the original Olympic races in Greece. He was no Olympic athlete, but neither are we! Yet, he wrote to the Philippians as a spiritual athlete running a race:
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. - Philippians 3:13b-14
Let’s learn how to press on toward the goal as we explore this powerful verse:
1. Each believer has a goal.
If you are a Christian here today, then you have a goal. The prize of heaven awaits. Paul used an interesting phrase to describe his spiritual life in Jesus. He said, "I press on." That phrase means to "vigorously pursue."
All of the Olympic athletes, whether they win a medal or not, have only gotten to the games because they vigourously pursued excellence in their sport. All went to Rio this year with the expectation of winning a medal. Why even the tiny nation of Fiji won gold in the Rugby team competition!
Would you describe your life as a Christian as vigourously pursuing...pressing on...to the goal of heaven and the reward that awaits?
I think that we as Christians often suffer from short-sightedness. We keep our heads down and never look ahead toward the prize. We shuffle our feet and never move with intention toward the goal. We just try to make it through the day with no clear direction, no pursuit, no goal in sight. When that happens, we have allowed the enemy, Satan, to win the day!
It's time to get focused. It's time to turn our eyes toward the prize. It's time to aim for the goal.
2. Each believer must be singularly focused.
It's interesting...when you watch the Olympics, you don't see an athlete trying to complete in several different sports. (Other than decathlon, etc – but they are not the best in each individual sport). For instance, Michael Phelps was not on the golf course, the archery range, the race track, AND the swimming pool. He focused on ONE THING...swimming.
I don't know about you, but I am rarely focused on just one thing. I do this and I do that and I run here and I run there and I try to tackle just one more thing and see how many different agendas I can balance in my life. In doing so, I am not impressing anyone, lease of all myself. That old phrase applies here: Many of us are a "jack of all trades, but a master of none." Is that a good thing?
Here is what should guide our lives as believers. We are Christians first. That should be our focus. In the Rio Olympics there are a good many Christians who happen to be olympic athletes. Notice I did not say, athletes who are Christians, but Christians who are athletes. The same applies to you and your career. You are not a teacher who is a Christian, you are a Christian who is a teacher. You are not an employee of a certain company who happens to be a Christian, you are a Christian who is an employee. You are not a retiree who happens to be a Christian, You are a Christian who happens to be retired. You and I are Christians first! That is our highest calling. Our focus on Christ is not something we do just one day of the week when we worship. It is a constant...a singular focus. One thing I do....I live for Christ no matter what I do in my career.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31
First-time Olympian Madeline (Maya) DiRado has already earned four medals in her first Olympics — 2 gold, silver, and bronze—as part of the US swimming team. She says it’s the “quiet confidence” of her Christian faith that allows her to be a grateful, joyful, and goal-oriented athlete, even at the highest levels of competition.
In an interview with Christianity Today, she was asked: You told Yahoo! Sports that you don’t think God really cares about your swimming that much. What, then, do you think God cares about as you go to the Olympics?
I think God cares about my soul and whether I’m bringing his love and mercy into the world. Can I be a loving, supportive teammate and can I bless others around me in the same way God has been so generous with me?
(Christianity Today.com; Medal-Winning Swimmer Maya DiRado: My Faith Frees Me to Dream Big, Interview by Dorcas Cheng-Tozun/ AUGUST 11, 2016)
For all of us gathered in this room today, our singular focus must be to honor God in all that we do and say and represent Him before others. And once again we learn, that it's not about us, it's about Him!
3. Each believer must give all, not some.
I watched one of the women cyclists, Mara Abbott, who narrowly missed a medal, coming in fourth, say: “I gave everything I had.” She did cross the finish line, which is what all of us as Christians have as our goal. The question I have for you and me alike is: Are we giving everything we have?
Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
Nowhere does Jesus say for us to give some of our heart, soul, strength or mind. And yet, that is exactly how many Christians approach their daily lives. If we ever want to win the prize for which God is calling us to…the reward of heaven itself…then understand this clearly. It requires all, not some!
To get to the goal, we are much like runners in a race, giving it all we’ve got…as Paul said, “forgetting what is behind and straining with all our might for what is ahead.”
Paul said later, that the strength to endure, the strength to carry on, the strength to give all …comes from Christ himself.
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)
We cannot cling to what is past…what is behind us, whether victory or defeat. The race is always focused ahead. That’s why our eyes are in front of our head, not behind as well. That’s why we have muscles, and not just bones only, because God didn’t intend for us just to stand, he meant for us to move and strain with all we’ve got toward what is ahead.
Conclusion:
David Boudia who won a silver medal in diving last week, gave his life to Jesus when he was in college said recently:“Ultimately, when you have the perspective of why you’re competing and what you’re trying to pursue, the rest just falls into place. I don’t have to change my mindset. It’s still all for one purpose. It’s all about glorifying God.”
(The GospelCoalition.org – 6 Christian Athletes to watch at Rio 2016, August 6, 2016)
Yes, indeed each one of us in Christ is a spiritual athlete. We’re all on the same team. We are Christians. Our goal is heaven. As David Bourdia said: “It’s still all for one purpose. It’s all about glorifying God.”
God wants us to give all as we strive toward the goal. And while we’re doing that we need to cheer each other on, just like fellow athletes do with their teammates.
We’re all in this together. Let’s encourage each other toward the finish line!
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. - Philippians 3:13b-14
By David Simpson
