These Three Things
#ThisYearCouldBeDifferent
700 years before Jesus put on flesh and invaded our planet, GOD breathed the following words through the prophet Isaiah… to a people who…
• Had seen better days
• Experienced great suffering
• Lost hope
• In many ways had no one to blame for their pain but themselves
• Wondered where God was
• Longed for things to be different
Ever been there?
IF SO – maybe these 2700 year old God-breathed living and active words will speak to you as they spoke to them…
I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King."
This is what the LORD says—
He who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
IN OTHER WORDS…
THE ONE - speaking to you is – the Lord, the Creator, your King
THE ONE – who makes a way where there is no way…
AND WHO – draws out and defeats your enemies (those who seek to steal the freedom and deliverance I won for you)
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. - Isaiah 43:15-19
THAT THEY – may what?
YES – it is always about His praise and glory!
AND UNDERSTAND MGCC…
WITH - a God like there is no doubt that this year can be different, amen!
WELCOME – to week two of a 5 week series that if you choose (and btw it is your choice and you are choosing)… a 5 week series that if you choose to lean into and to live out…
IS - guaranteed to make 2019 different…
NOW – in week one we talked about how if we want this year to be different that we need to GROW LIKE JESUS…
AND – just how did Jesus grow…?
Jesus grew is wisdom (intellectually) and in stature (physically) and in favor with God (spiritually) and man (relationally).
– Luke 2:52
SO – it’s been two weeks… have you taken the time to fill out your Values and Goals sheets.
WHAT – kind of person do you want to be? Are you living your life for an awesome resume or eulogy?
AND HAVE YOU - prayerfully set a few – intellectual, physical, spiritual, and relational goals?
If yes… awesome
If not… why not and there is still time?
Let’s Pray!!!
OKAY… let’s do this!
Week 2 of this year can be different
AND – in today’s 2 fairly well known passages of Scripture (one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament)…
AND FROM THOSE – 2 passages we will uncover 3 things that if you both embrace and strive to live out your 2019 is guaranteed to be different.
AND – what are these 3 things…
1. Forgetting what is behind
2. Straining toward and pressing on
3. Trusting In, Leaning Not, Acknowledge Him
(we will only be doing things 1 and 2 this morning)
OKAY – so are you ready? Are you ready to hear from God? Are you ready for this year to be different?
SWEET..
LET’S – start unpacking the first passage it is found in Philippians chapter 3…
Brief back story
PAUL - is writing this letter to the church in Philippi (a church that He planted in Acts 16), and he is writing it from a prison cell… AND - at the particular section of his letter, Paul is challenging some false teaching that had invaded the church – teaching that was promoting the addition of human effort - to the finished work of the cross and to the grace found only in Christ.
We will begin reading at the second half of Philippians 3:3… through verse 15
We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,
Sounds like a good place to be… amen!
though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless…
NOW UNDERSTAND – that was a (#1 in your class, sum cum laude, time magazine ‘man of the year’, drop the mic) resume back then…
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
In other words…
(“unless I DIE like He died,
I will never rise to LIVE like He lived”)
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,
MAN – you gotta love his honesty and humility, right?
And listen, I contend that if Paul had not yet achieved it, that neither has anyone who is seating in this room.
Amen?
but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. – Philippians 3:12-15
I like that… hey, if you don’t accept what I am saying then it proves that you are spiritually immature…
MGCC
This year can be different…
IF – you embrace and strive to live out ‘these three things…’
AND SO – here is thing #1…
No not that thing #1… (I showed Dr Seuss thing #1 picture)
This thing #1
Forgetting What Is Behind
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind… - Philippians 3:13
Forgetting - epilanthanomai from epí = in or upon + lantháno = lie hidden or concealed
UNDERSTAND - this word conveys 2 basic ideas in the NT…
• To forget (not recall information concerning something) or
• To neglect (give little attention to, to omit by carelessness or design).
AND - the preposition ‘epi’ intensifies the meaning, and so, the idea is not just forgetting but "completely forgetting."
• To no longer care for
• To leave hidden, concealed, unnoticed
• To give over to oblivion
• To lose out of mind
AND NOTICE – that it’s in the present tense, indicating that this is to be the Spirit filled believer's continual exercise – to keep on forgetting completely!
QUESTION… is there anything in the past that you need to…
• To no longer care for
• To leave hidden, concealed, unnoticed
• To give over to oblivion… to forget and to keep forgetting completely
• To lose out of mind
SO THAT – this year can be different?
SO THAT – 2019 can be your break free and breakout year?
QUESTION – when Paul in that prison cell in Rome,
penned those powerful words…
but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind…
- Philippians 3:13
WHAT – do you think he was referring to?
WHAT – do you think Paul felt that he needed to…
• To no longer care for
• To leave hidden, concealed, unnoticed
• To give over to oblivion… to forget and to keep forgetting completely
• To lose out of mind
I MEAN – were there things that he knew, he must not try to carry into his future, that is, if He wanted to move forward to a new better and different one?
NOW - I can think of a few things that Paul had to leave behind and lose out of mind…
Paul needed to leave behind…
#1 – His past sin and failures.
AND LISTEN - Paul had some serious sin and failures in his past, that he really needed to forget, leave behind and lose out of mind… IN FACT - in 1 Timothy he said the following…
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. – 1 Timothy 1:15
Christ came to save who?
And this truth deserves what?
And how does Paul see himself?
AND - in Phil 3:6, he writes…
as for zeal, persecuting the church – Philippians 3:6
NOW – let me ‘briefly’ unpack just a little of what those 3 words ‘persecuting the church’ are referring to.
YOU SEE – Paul (when he was known as Saul) persecuted the church harshly…
He had countless men and women arrested for following Jesus, creating a massive wake of homeless children and orphans along the way…
AND - many like Stephen died at the hands or on the orders of Paul…
AND LISTEN – Paul knew, he understood that there was no way for him to have a new and different future, if he brought with Him the sins and failures of his past along with the guilt and shame that came with them
QUESTION – are there any… sins? failures?
Any Guilt and Shame?
Have you ‘in faith’ surrendered your life to Jesus?
UNDERSTAND – it is an insult to Jesus to continue to carry the guilt and shame for sins that His blood has already paid for.
NOW - to be honest when I wrote that statement, I felt like the word insult was not nearly strong enough… so I went to thesaurus.com (the soar es) and found these synonyms…
• Affront
• Abuse
• Outrage
• Slap in the face
• Disrespect
• Blasphemy
• Insolence
• Slight
• A wound
LISTEN, LISTEN – IF you have truly repented of a sin (any sin)
AND – by repent I mean
• an acknowledgement that it is sin
• and a desire and commitment to change
IF SO – it’s time accept His grace and walk fully in His freedom.
YOU KNOW – I think the reason why some times we seem unable to break free from a particular sin,
IS BECAUE - we have never fully trusted in the power of the cross and the wonder of His grace, mercy and forgiveness…
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. – 1 Timothy 1:15
A second thing Paul had to leave behind was…
Paul needed to leave behind…
#2 – Trying to earn or deserve his own righteousness
AND LISTEN – there was a time when that was exactly how Paul defined his walk with God…
Doing it Himself, rather than done in Christ.
QUESTION – have you ever tried to define your walk and relationship with God the same way?
Doing it yourself, rather than done in Christ
Exhausting, frustrating… isn’t it?
NOW – in our text Paul says…
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. – Philippians 3:7
But whatever were gains to me
(in other words all of the things I did, or did not do, in order to be right with God)
I now consider loss
NOW – this word translated ‘loss’ - Zemia (to be a detriment, to affect damage upon)
for the sake of Christ.
NOW – I gotta admit that as I studied this text and looked closer at those 5 words, they kind of jumped out at me – and made me scratch my head, “for the sake of Christ.”
The word translated ’Sake’ – is a word that means the grounds or the reason why something is done.
IN OTHER - “I’m doing this for your sake, for your benefit.”
AND SO – this is where my head scratching began…
I MEAN - what does Christ gain, by Paul considering these things loss? LIKE – how does doing this benefit Jesus?
I THINK – this is what Paul is trying to say…
Jesus I am doing this for your sake, for you!
Because when I do things, thinking that they is some way earn or help to earn my salvation.
I am telling you, that what you did on the cross for me was not enough.
And Jesus, I do not want to insult (disrespect, wound) you like that anymore.
And not only that – I have come to realize that to think that those things could in any way help to earn my salvation…is a detriment to me, and that it does damage to my walk, to my relationship with you.
Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.
AND THEN – with the next 4 words, Paul really drives home this point, of how worthless he now sees, that his past human effort was in earning his salvation, He says…
I consider them garbage,
NOW - the Greek word that is translated as “garbage” is the word skybalon (skew ba lon)…
And most times it is translated as – rubbish, filth, and refuse as well as garbage…
HOWEVER – as I did some research on the actual meaning of this word… I came to the opinion that every one of these words are much too clean and nice, too sanitized, too ‘churchy’…
IN FACT – I think that they miss the point that Paul is making here about how worthless the things were, that he did to try to earn his salvation.
YOU SEE – the primary meaning of the word skybalon (skew ba lon) is animal excrement….
NOW – the NET (New English Translation) comes closer to the meaning when it uses the word… “dung.’
And it provides this footnote on verse 8…
The word here translated “dung” was often used in Greek as a vulgar term for fecal matter.
As such it would most likely have had a certain shock value for the readers. This may well be Paul’s meaning here, especially since the context is about what the flesh produces.
Just let that sink in for a minute.
When compared to what we receive by faith in Christ what we “accomplished” or bring to the table on our own is like “the excrement of animals.”
(I walk my dog at least two times a day and when it comes to her poop – I don’t value it, I don’t keep it… and I try to avoid touching it)
UNDERSTAND
Paul is saying that all the stuff I ever brought to the table…
I can see now that compared to what Christ brings (His glory and His righteousness) is nothing but ‘dog poop.’
NOW – some of you are more offended that...
COME ON CHURCH… - do you see the sheer madness that is involved in thinking that you can earn either His love or His salvation?
SERIOUSLY - what could you possibly offer to Him?
WHAT - could you bribe Him with?
We come to Him and want to flaunt our animal excrement thinking He will pat us on the head and say “good job.”
Are we insane?
I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
- Philippians 3:8-10
HEY…
MAYBE – for some in this room for this year to be different
YOU - will need to leave behind your past sins and failures and YOUR - belief that being right with God depends on what you do or don’t do…
Paul needed to leave behind…
#3 – the hurt caused by other people
UNDERSTAND – when you read the New Testament it is pretty obvious that Paul endured much hurt and mistreatment from other people.
IN FACT – more than any of us in this room will ever endure/
PAUL - was beaten and arrested many times, thrown off a cliff and stoned with rocks to mention a few…..
AND - in second Corinthians 11 he says…
I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. – 2 Corinthians 11:26
AND LISTEN - even in this letter to the church in Philippi, he writes about how some members of that church, did not like him and whose motives were false and not genuine…
And who by their words and actions against Paul were…
intending to make my chains more painful to me… – Phil 1:17
QUESTION…
• HAVE - you ever experienced hurt caused by other people.
• HAVE - other people ever did things to you, or said things about you that were intended to make your life more painful?
YEAH – I am sure that…
• His past sins and failures
• Trying to earn or deserve being right with God
• And being hurt by other people
Were front & center in Paul’s mind as he penned those 9 words
But one thing I do – forgetting what is behind.
– Philippians 3:13
B/S – This year can be different!
IF YOU – you embrace thing #1 Forgetting what is behind
OKAY – time to get real, what do you need to…
• lose out of mind
• no longer care for
• leave hidden, concealed, unnoticed
• give over to oblivion… to forget and to keep forgetting completely, and leave behind so that your 2019 really can be different?
SERIOUSLY
WHAT – is the Holy Spirit speaking to you right now?
MAYBE – what you need to leave behind so that this year can be different is…
• A sinful attitude or behavior
• The guilt and shame you still feel over sins you have already repented of
• Trying to make yourself right with God by your own efforts and begin to fully rest in the power of the cross and the beauty of His grace
• The pain and hurt of betrayal
• Doubt, fear, pride, guilt, envy, jealousy
• insecurity, selfish ambition
• anger, resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness
AND LISTEN - I know for some of you that last one is pretty huge… because you have been carrying around anger and unforgiveness for a long time…
YOU KNOW - I was talking to a couple of people recently about how sad it is that some of the most unforgiving and ungracious people on the face of the planet are those who claim to be following Jesus.
Jesus wept – John 11:35
MGCC – the question is do (you, I) do we, want this year to be different bad enough…
• To no longer care for
• To leave hidden, concealed, unnoticed
• To give over to oblivion… to forget and to keep forgetting completely
• lose out of mind
YOU KNOW – I think those of us, who may be resisting this truth may need to pray this powerful prayer that David prayed…
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
– Psalm 139:23,24
Would you pray that with me right now?
Search me, O God,
and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
– Psalm 139:23,24
OKAY – 3 quick statements and then we will move on to thing #2…
There is no future in your past or in holding on to your past.
Because of Christ your past has lost it’s power to define or determine either present or your future.
Your history does not have to be your destiny.
MGCC – I am totally serious…
This year (2019) really can be different, if you embrace and strive to live out these three things…
• Forgetting what is behind, and thing #2…
Straining Toward And Pressing On
NOW – right after Paul writes about forgetting what is behind he writes the following…
And the order is important
And straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus…. – Philippians 3:13,14
OKAY – here is a picture of what that looks like…
YEAH – I am pretty sure that this is the image that Paul had in mind when he penned those words…
Paul is saying…
• I am not straining toward what is behind me, I am not straining toward and using up my energy toward my past….
• INSTEAD – I’m straining toward what is ahead of me, I’m straining toward what is in front of me
• I am pressing on to the goal, because I want to win the prize
NOW BACK - in verse 12 of our text Paul puts it this way, he says…
I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. – Phil 3:12
NOW - the word translated as perfection means…
fullness, maturity, completeness, reaching the desired goal.
Paul is saying…
I KNOW - that Jesus took a hold of me for a reason,
I KNOW - that He died a brutal death on a cross not merely to save me from my sins (as awesome and needed as that is)
BUT ALSO – to restore me, to who I was always intended to be…
• A man created in the image of God
• A man possess that perfection, that fullness
QUESTION – what does this perfection look like? Jesus
For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. – Romans 8:29
UNDERSTAND – that (looking like Jesus) is what Paul was straining toward…
NO – Paul was not there yet,
BUT – he was running on track that he was certain would get him there…
OKAY – here’s the deal…
IF YOU – want this year to be different you need to keep straining toward and pressing on to be like Jesus.
QUESTION – do you think that your 2019 would not only be different… BUT – would be more positive, more fulfilling and more God-honoring… IF – becoming more like Jesus was the goal you were straining toward and pressing on for?
The answer seems rather obvious, right?
BUT… perhaps some of you are thinking…
Yeah, I hear what you are saying Pastor. And yes, being like Jesus, possessing that perfection… sounds good – sounds awesome – sound like a great goal and way to live.
And yes I would like to live that way
But I don’t know how that is ever going to happen in my life.
AND – to be honest, I do not know how it happens either…
YEAH – I get it… I’m sooo with you.
LIKE – when I hear that I am called…
• To live like, love like and forgive like Jesus
• To bless and pray for those who hurt me
• To be joyful in all circumstances
• To love my wife life Jesus loved the church
• To always puts the needs of others before my own
I am like… sounds awesome… BUT - I don’t how.
AND LISTEN – that’s okay, because I don’t think we are supposed to know how…
Let me explain…
In Mark 4 Jesus is trying to help His guys and us understand what the kingdom, what being a Jesus follower is like.
AND SO – he uses parables to try to get His point across.
Here is one of them…
He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.
A man scatters seed on the ground.
Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. – Mark 4:26,27
The farmer does not know how.
YOU SEE
• The seed, it seems so small and insignificant
• And once he puts it in the dirt it becomes invisible and he is not sure when he will see it again
• And the process of growth keeps working but he does not know How
And Jesus says that is what growth in the kingdom is like…
BUT LISTEN – even though the farmer did not know how, even though the farmer did not cause the growth…
HE STILL KNEW – that he had a part to play… “I can plow, and I can sow and I can water…”
BUT – I don’t have to know how.
EXAMPLE
I have an iphone…. I use it for all kinds of things. Sent emails, send texts, take and send photo’s – I use it all the time.
But I don’t really know how it works
I know what buttons to push… but I don’t know how this thing allowed me to text with my wife on the other side of the world.
LISTEN - Don’t let what you don’t know keep you from sowing…
Just keep sowing and let the dirt do it’s work.
UNDERSTAND – there are things you can do that will help you become more and more like Jesus…
AND LISTEN
• LIKE - the farmers seed they may seem small and insignificant
• AND - what they are doing in your life will not always be visible
• AND – you may be ignorant (I don’t know how) about how doing it is going to make you more like Jesus….
BUT LISTEN – it’s not about how, it’s about where.
AGAIN – don’t let what you don’t know keep you from sowing.
BOTTOM LINE – if you want to become more like Jesus you have to embrace actions that put your life in the dirt, and then just let the dirt (the Holy Spirit) do it’s work…
“You don’t have to know how”
UNDERSTAND – we can’t make it rain… we can’t control the rate of growth, but we can get in the dirt and let it do it’s work.
LISTEN – the greatest growth happened not when the farmer did his work, but when the dirt did it’s work.
NOW – there are 2 extremes that we must avoid….
Thinking it’s all about what we do or that it’s all about what God does
The farmer scatters but it the dirt that produces
Obedience is our job, outcome is God's job
SO – let me suggest some things you can do (may seem insignificant…) that will put you in the dirt so that it can do it’s work.
AND HEY – don’t be surprised if these are things you have heard many, many times before…
BUT LISTEN – that does not make them any less true, needed or important...
Ways to get in the dirt
• Plant yourself in the word and in prayer on a regular basis
• Making being in His church each week a priority (for worship, the word, communion, serving, giving and fellowship)
• Determine to do life together
(Life group, d-group, prayer partner)
• Prayerfully set those ‘Grow Like Jesus Goals’ (intellectual, physical, spiritual and relational)
This year (2019) really can be different, if you embrace and strive to live out thing #1 and thing #2…
• Forgetting what is behind, and
• Straining toward and pressing on
