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.
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, I
press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)
Just when I thought I had completed the sermon on “Please Be
Patient, God’s Not Finished With Me Yet” I find that I missed a full page of my
notes!! So, for the diligent who want
the whole sermon, here is some important stuff about “pressing on.”
Discipleship
is active and aggressive, not passive. It requires our attention and discipline to
receive its reward. Life will live the
person who does not live it. This simple
fact is demonstrated over and over again all around us. We are followers of something or
someone. Too many rise up each day and
follow the crowd, the track, the course, the media, their friends, etc. but say
they have trouble following God! Paul
does not decry the having of a goal. As
a matter of fact, he encourages it; but it needs to be a worthy goal. When we discover the Spiritual Goal of our
life, we will discover a reason for existing beyond any other.
A
past commitment can only bring guilt when not connected to a present
achievement. A thirty-year-old with a
nine-year-old commitment never knows abundance though they may have some
assurance in a past salvation. God has
so much more than we have received in both blessing and experience but you have
to submit to Him and seek it.
Why Press Toward the goal? "I press on
toward the goal" v.14
· To live in continual
victory. There is little
victory in the "knowing" of God's will. It is in the performing that we discover our
victory and purpose. "The
goal" is before us all the way to the end. It is not at the
beginning. To only answer the "call to the mark" is not to press
on toward the goal of God's vision for your
life. Victory is found in realized goals and plans; not empty
dreams and promises. We will not be victorious without "pressing on".
· To realize continued spiritual
growth. The
word “press” means to act on with
a steady force, to push against; to push together; to squeeze out, to remove
wrinkles; to keep on asking and urging.
To press on is to take the next
revealed step for your life and ministry.
It may be a public profession of your faith, baptism, church membership,
a new service area, an advanced Bible Study or evangelism. The greatest growth of your life will occur
when you SERVE God because there are just some things that you will never learn
without service.
The
phrase, “reaching forward”, means straining towards the goal, leaping over
obstacles, running through troops, breaking down barriers and doing whatever
else is needed to overcome. God will reveal
what you need to do and it is your responsibility to respond. If the level of your spiritual life requires
no challenge or growth, you are missing the joy of victory.
Scripture to Claim:
Let
us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything
you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; (Philippians
3:15)
