I. Intro:
Backstage at the circus, motivational speaker Jim Donovan noticed that the elephants were kept in place by nothing stronger than a thin rope that tied one leg to a stake in the ground. Puzzled, Donovan asked one of the trainers what prevented these powerful animals from just snapping the rope and running away.
??The answer? Raised in captivity, the animals are held like that from an early age when they're much smaller and weaker. They get so accustomed to the fact that they can't break the rope that they eventually quit trying. When they're full grown, they never attempt to pull themselves free.
??Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging on to a belief that we cannot do something simply because we failed at it before. Have you avoided trying something new because of a limiting belief? Worse, how many of us are being held back by someone else's limiting beliefs?
??Don't let yourself be held prisoner by beliefs and expectations that are no longer true—if they ever were. (from illustrationexchange.com)
A. Context
1. Paul lists his credentials that can be measured in earthly terms and in religious terms
2. He then dumps them in the trash so he can “gain Christ”—a “righteousness from God that depends on faith”
3. All he wants now is to “know Him and the power of his resurrection… share His sufferings… attain the resurrection from the dead”
II. Something Worth Pursuing (vv.12-13a)
A. What hasn’t he obtained? The resurrection from the dead (see v.11)
1. “Perfect”—complete
2. Pursuing Christ starts with a recognition that who we are, what we’ve accomplished, is not an acceptable ending, nor is it a finished work
B. What does he want? To own an intimate knowledge of Christ (see v.10)
1. “Press on”—dioko: to run after; to press on, as in a race
2. Christlikeness is the entire point and process of sanctification: being like Him is the goal, but it’s also how we do it: to become like Christ, we must be like Christ
C. Why make all this effort? He doesn’t have it yet!
1. “made it my own”—or “apprehended” = “laid hold” as in verse 12 (“obtained”)
2. Authentic discipleship is one that recognizes that, regardless of how long we’ve been at it, we haven’t arrived
III. Something Worth Prioritizing (vv.13b-14)
A. Make “the main thing” the MAIN THING
1. “one thing I do”—for all he had learned, experienced, even taught, Paul boils it all down to a single fact
B. Leave the past in the past
1. “Forget”—to no longer care about; neglect
2. Choose to let go of the successes AND failures of the past; they will only slow you down
C. Reach for the future
1. “straining”—reach, stretch oneself forward to
2. There is no incentive to leave the past if there’s nowhere to go in the future. Do we really believe, in our heart of hearts, that being like Jesus is worth the race??This will show itself in how we handle success & failure and what we do with the memories of both
D. The Prize: Christlikeness in heaven
1. “the upward call of God”—or, the call to heaven
2. Christians understand that the goal we pursue is not met in this life; it is being prepared for the next
3. Being like Christ enables us to enjoy all that heaven has to offer. We will get there… but to the extent we have “put on” Christ, we will enjoy Him all the more
VI. Something Worth Protecting (vv.15-16)
A. Spiritual maturity = mature spirituality
1. Spiritual growth can only come by the “pressing on”—if we aren’t pressing, we aren’t growing
2. “think otherwise”—those who dwell on the past and on past successes will have light shined on their failure to grow (think “glaring light of truth”)
B. Make Christ your “plumb line”
1. “hold” = “keep living” - comes from the idea of walking (marching) in a straight line toward a goal
2. “attained” = already accomplished / achieved
3. Paul isn’t saying that the past is useless, or that past successes have no value, but growth in Christ proceeds in a straight line from these past points to future maturity, in exactly the same nature and substance: growth in Christ
4. Christ is not a moving target: he stands directly in front of the Father
V. Conclusion
A. Guard your hearts and minds against complacency and pride. The notion that “I’ve done enough, now it’s the Lord’s turn” is not a biblical concept. God will indeed do great things through and around us, but that’s not an excuse to quit working.
B. Jesus is the goal. Whatever else we may think of as accomplishments—or failures—will dissolve like dust. His Spirit is always whispering this into the believer’s heart: “Be like Jesus!”
C. The life that pleases God is not a guessing game. “I just don’t know what the Lord wants me to do” is what immature believers say. We are all called to follow the exact same path, straight to the Father: the one laid down by the Son Himself. Follow it faithfully, even if it leads to Calvary. Even that one, maybe especially that one, will lead straight to Jesus.
D. Revelation 2:10--"Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."
