I Press Toward the Goal
Introduction:
“It was a fog-shrouded morning, July 4, 1952, when a young woman named
Florence Chadwick waded into the water off Catalina Island. She intended to
swim the channel from the island to the California coast. Long-distance
swimming was not new to her; she had been the first woman to swim the
English Channel in both directions. The water was numbing cold that
day. The fog was so thick she could hardly see the boats in her party.
Several times sharks had to be driven away with rifle fire. She swam more
than fifteen hours before she asked to be taken out of the water. Her
trainer tried to encourage her to swim on since they were so close to land,
but when Florence looked, all she saw was fog. So she quit . . . only
one-half mile from her goal. Later she said, ‘I’m not excusing myself,
but if I could have seen the land, I might have made it.’ It wasn’t the
cold or fear or exhaustion that caused Florence Chadwick to fail. It was
the fog. Many times we too fail, not because we’re afraid or because
of the peer pressure or because of anything other than the fact that we lose
sight of the goal. Maybe that’s why Paul said,
“I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians
3:14)
Two months after her failure, Florence Chadwick walked off the same beach
into the same channel and swam the distance, setting a new speed record,
because she could see the land.”
Theme:
To see what we must do in order to obtain that goal.
Text:
Philippians 3:10-16
Body:
I.
Conversion
Philippians 3:12
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on,
that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of
me.”
NKJV
Paul knew he had not obtained or reached those goals he just listed in
Philippians 3:10-11.
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship
of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may
attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
NKJV
Including the resurrection had not reached its permanent state of
perfection, but was pressing on, steadily pursuing that goal. He’s
doing this because Christ laid hold of him at his conversion in
Damascus thirty years before. Idea – He was now Christ’s possession. Jesus
owned him. Paul paid a great price to be owned by Christ. [We talked
about them last week.] His old life was put away. He was now a convert of
Christ; he was doing all in his power to become what Jesus wanted him to
become. (Galatians
2:20)
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in
the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
NKJV
We
see that we must be totally converted to out Savior – be willing to
sacrifice all to obtain eternal life.
II.
Concentration
Philippians 3:13-14
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those
things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus.”
NKJV
“But one thing I do” stresses the necessity of focusing on
that goal. Illustration of a foot race: How many have lost a race because
they looked behind them or at the crowd or were distracted. Paul says he is
reaching forward; he can see that runner leaning forward as he runs toward
the finish line with his eyes focused on the goal, not letting himself be
distracted. (Hebrews
12:1)
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
NKJV
Part of that means forgetting the past.
1.
Forget failures and mistakes which can discourage. [Paul had many of
these.] (Acts
26)
2.
Forget the past accomplishments which can lead us to become complacent or
self-righteous and believe we can now just coast on in to the finish line.
Paul now says he “presses” toward the goal; he pursues eagerly so as to
acquire. Goal: Reach the finish line. Aim: Receive the prize. (I
Corinthians 9:24-27)
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the
prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes
for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus:
not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I
discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest
when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
Lesson:
Paul was a man on a mission. He knew he had to remain focused on his main
purpose in life. He was striving for spiritual perfection which would
ultimately and fully be realized only in that heavenly home.
Application: How focused are you?
III.
Continued Growth
Philippians 3:15-16
“Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything
you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the
degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us
be of the same mind.”
NKJV
Those who are mature spiritually must understand that they should
never stop growing but always have room for improvement, regardless of how
long one has been a member of the body of Christ.
Philippians 3:10
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship
of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,”
Know Christ more fully every day; know what His resurrection means to us;
desire suffering for His sake, to be so dedicated to Him that you are
willing to die for His cause. That’s spiritual maturity! To stop
growing is to start dying! Quite possibly, in the last half of
Verse 15,
Paul is talking about those who believe they have reached a state of
perfection, where they don’t need to grow anymore. Reveal: disclose,
uncover Perhaps on the Day of Judgment God will reveal to them that they
have missed heaven because of this lack of growth! How sad. Finally,
whatever point we have reached in our spiritual growth; let us continue on
in the same direction, persevere in the same course; walk in the same line
toward our goal. As this same writer would later say: Quote
II Timothy 4:7-8.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me
only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
NKJV
Because if we miss heaven, we have missed it all!
Conclusion:
How desirous are you of obtaining that final and ultimate goal? Are you
willing to leave your own desires behind and follow Him? It takes
concentration to stay on course, to continue to grow and develop; but if you
do, eternal life in heaven will by your prize.
Bobby Stafford
April 7, 2019
Series on Philippians Lesson 8
