I) Know Where You Want to Go (12)
Paul knew where he wanted to go; he had a goal. “I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” Paul is saying, “l want to fulfill my ministry. I want to be the best apostle I can be.”
A) Be honest about where you are in your Christian walk
Notice Paul’s honesty. Paul doesn’t claim that he is perfect, that he has made it as a Christian, that he has already arrived. No, he realizes he is still on the journey and that he still has a long way to go. Be honest about where you are in your Christian walk, and that will help other people be honest, too
B) We need to strive to reach our goal
That’s what Paul says in the second half of verse 12: “I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12) God grabbed hold of Paul, because he had a purpose for Paul’s life. And if you are a Christian, then God grabbed hold of you because he has a purpose for your life. Ephesians 2:10
II) Keep Your Eye on the Prize (13-14)
If you are going to press on towards the goal, you need to keep your eye on the prize. So how do you do that? There are three things here.
A) Get rid of all distractions (3:13)
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we need to get rid of all the distractions. (Hebrews 12:1)
I’m sure Paul had many things going on in his life, and yet he was able to focus all of his energies in one direction and say “One thing I do!” He got rid of the distractions and kept his focus on Christ.
In the midst of our busy schedules, we need to be able to say with Paul, “One thing I do!”
B) The Danger of Looking Back
When you are in a race, the last thing you want to do is look back. Look at the rest of verse 13: “But one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” (Philippians 3:13)
Do you ever look back in such a way that keeps you from moving forward in your Christian life? Paul wants us to look at it this way, “I can remember yesterday, but I am choosing to move beyond it. I’m going to move past my past.”
If you keep looking backwards, you will never go forwards.
C) Reach for the goal to win the prize
You need to reach for the goal to win the prize. “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)
III) Continually Adjust Your Attitude (15-16)
Paul writes in verse 15, Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude . . . I’ve heard it said that 10% of your life is made up of things that happen to you and 90% of your life is in your attitude toward what just happened to you.
A) Always Remain Teachable (15)
Paul is effectively saying, “I am maturing, but I am not yet completely mature; I am growing up, but I’m not fully grown up yet. I am being perfected in the image of Christ, but I’m not perfect!” How refreshing – especially coming from an older Christian.
B) Refuse to slip into Neutral (16)
And then finally he closes with an exhortation to maintain your progress in the faith. The only thing sadder than not moving forward in your Christian life is going backward. Don’t lose ground in your walk with Christ.
In Closing:
The Christian life is a race, and there are only three reasons you’re not in the race today: 1) you never started, 2) you stopped running, or 3) you finished. So, if you’re not in the race that means either you never started, or you stopped running.
Or maybe you started the race a long time ago, but you stopped running. If you’re sitting on the sidelines, it’s time to get back in the race. There’s a Savior to serve and a prize to be won. Run in such a way as to finish the race and win the prize.
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