Have you ever been in a situation where you simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going?
Exactly two years ago today, we had a team of short-term missionaries in Costa Rica evangelizing and training church leaders. When we take a mission, we usually take a day or so to do some sightseeing. In Costa Rica, we decided to take some time to hike up to the top of this dormant volcano to see some beautiful views of the countryside. Our entire team started on the journey. Immediately, people started dropping out. Indeed, it was a long and aggressive hike. However, as the leader, I felt I had to keep on pushing and pursuing the goal. Alas, three of us made it to the top. That’s Susan Prevatt and me at the top, and our missionary friend who took the picture was there as well.
In life, somethings are worth pursuing, even when it’s hard. You have to continue to put one foot in front of the other.
The Apostle Paul is going to point the Philippians, and us, to a goal worth pursuing.
We’re going to discover that there is a call to a pursuit, and there is a prize at the end of that pursuit.
Today, we’re going to learn more about God’s heavenly call in Christ.
Join me in prayer as we prepare to open God’s Word.
(prayer)
Let’s look at our passage together, then we’ll walk through it.
Look at Philippians 3:12-21:
12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. 16 In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. 17 Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things, 20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.
Paul is going to reveal four aspects of being a follower of Jesus; four aspects of being a Christian.
First, notice the . . .
I. Christian call.
Paul speaks of this in verses 12-14.
Paul says right away that he has not reached the goal or been made perfect.
How many of you here today know that you’re not perfect? How many know that those sitting around you are not perfect?
Church, we have not yet reached Christian perfection. We have not yet reached the goal of being like Jesus.
The Christian life is not about perfection; it’s about the pursuit of perfection.
We are pursuing Jesus every single day, seeking to be closer and closer to Him, until one day we will be with Him forever (more on that later).
The fancy theological word for this pursuit is sanctification. Sanctification is seeking to be more holy every day.
Here’s the beautiful reality: Jesus is not moving. We’re not chasing someone who is running from us. He is wanting and waiting for us to get closer to Him.
However, our sin took us far from Jesus. Now that we are made new, we can move closer and closer to Him every day.
In fact, because Jesus changed us, we should want to be closer to Him.
Paul said in verse 12, “ . . . I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.”
Has Jesus taken hold of you? If so, make every effort to take hold of the goal of being closer to Him.
Paul acknowledges again in verse 13 that he’s not there yet.
Listen, church: Some of you get discouraged because you’re not a perfect Christian yet.
Don’t be discouraged.
First, we all already know that you’re not perfect.
Second, you’re in good company with the Apostle Paul. He said, “I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it.”
Yet, Paul says in verse 13 that he is “forgetting what is behind.”
God does not want you dwelling on your past failures and former sins. He wants you dwelling on your present pursuit and future glory. (repeat)
Paul is forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead.
What is ahead for those who are in Jesus? Well, it’s Jesus! Jesus and all of His promises await us!
Look at verse 14 again. Paul says:
I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, we are being called to Jesus. Hear the Christian call to pursue Jesus.
Next, notice . . .
II. Christian maturity.
Pay attention when Paul says in verse 15, “ . . . let all of us who are mature think this way.”
What Paul is basically saying is that as you grow in Christian maturity, you’ll understand that this is how you should live.
You shouldn’t live in the past guilt of your sin.
You shouldn’t sit still in a neutral position, not going anywhere.
Rather, the mature Christian understands that he or she should pursue Jesus daily.
I love what Paul said in the second half of verse 15. He says, “And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.”
Paul is basically saying, “You’ll figure it out later once you grow more in your faith, and God teaches this reality to you.”
This reminds me of a newlywed husband who is so eager to teach his new wife how he can help her improve as a person. There are a lot of things about her that he wants to fix. He’ll figure it out later, right? He’ll grow in maturity in his marriage.
Likewise, Paul is essentially saying, “As you mature in your faith, you’ll figure this out.”
Paul goes on in verse 16 to say that whatever we have learned in our Christian walk, we should put into practice.
Some new Christians get defeated because they don’t have all of Christianity figured out. Let me tell you a secret: none of us do.
However, whatever God has taught you so far, live up to that level of understanding.
As you grow and learn more about what it means to follow Jesus, live up to that new level of understanding.
The Christian life is a progressive pursuit of Jesus, a little more every day.
Then in verse 17, Paul calls the Philippians to imitate him.
As he is trying to be more like Jesus, Paul invites others to do so with him.
Can you do that? Can you say to others, “Hey, I’m pursuing Jesus! Why don’t you come along with me?”
What would the Christian faith of others look like if they imitated you?
Paul concludes this section by saying to pay careful attention to those who live this way, that is, one who is growing in Christian maturity.
Friends, we need to pay close attention to these words from Paul.
Who has an influence in your life? To which people do you pay close attention?
Here’s a trick that will help you become more like Jesus: Seek to be more like those who are seeking to be more like Jesus.
I recently put a new steering wheel on my 1982 Chevrolet C10. I was struggling with getting it just right, so I watched an instructional video of someone who did it properly. Every time they turned the part a certain way, I did that. If they used a screwdriver, so did I. I imitated what they did and I achieved the result that they achieved.
In the same way, if you want to be closer to Jesus, seek to follow Him more every day, and seek to imitate the lives of others who are becoming more like Jesus every day.
These steps are how we achieve Christian maturity.
Third, we learn about . . .
III. Christian citizenship.
Paul goes on in verses 18 and 19 to speak about those who are enemies of the cross.
These are people who do not follow Jesus. Instead, they draw people away from Jesus.
Bear in mind that Paul is talking about these people right after he talked about those we should learn to imitate.
Here’s the point: We should seek to imitate those who will take us closer to Jesus, not those who will take us farther away from Jesus.
Friends, there are many in this world, many in our community, many in your workplaces, many in your schools, perhaps some in your families, and sadly, even some in churches who will take you farther away from Jesus. Don’t follow them.
Follow Jesus, and follow those who follow Jesus.
Those people are living for themselves, trying to take in more and more pleasure (that’s what Paul means when he says, “their god is their stomach”).
However, their pleasure will turn to shame.
Unless they turn to Jesus, their end is destruction.
Now see the contrast.
Those people live for themselves and for earthly things.
Not so for those who are in Jesus. Why?
Because we have a different home.
We do not pursue earthly things because our citizenship is in heaven.
We pursue Jesus! We pursue the prize!
That takes us to our final point, the . . .
IV. Christian prize.
At the end of verse 21, speaking of heaven, Paul says, “ . . . we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
We belong to heaven, and we know that heaven has many great blessings awaiting us, chief of which is the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.
What will Jesus do when He saves us? Well, Paul tells us in verse 21:
He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.
What we learn from the second part of this verse is that Jesus has the power to do everything. He can subject everything to Himself; everything is under His authority.
Because He has authority over everything, He has the power to transform our earthly bodies to be like His glorious body.
Jesus will take away all the curse and trouble of this world and sin, and give us heavenly bodies to live in our heavenly home with our heavenly King forever.
Oh, what a blessing that will be!
This act is what we call glorification.
When we come to Jesus, we are justified.
When we progressively become like Jesus, we are being sanctified.
When we experience all the fullness of Jesus, we will be glorified.
This, my friends, is the prize. To experience the fullness of Jesus.
This is what Paul is pursuing. You’re not there yet; neither am I; neither was Paul.
However, keep pursuing Jesus a little more every day.
You started far from God, but Jesus changed you. He justified you.
Today, pursue Jesus
Tomorrow, pursue Jesus.
Every day of your future, pursue Jesus.
Until you reach glory with Jesus forever.
Let this bottom line summarize what we’re learning today:
Bottom Line: Our heavenly call is to pursue Jesus more every day.
Paul said in verse 14, “I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”
The heavenly call is there. Will you answer the call?
Will you pursue Jesus a little more every day?
Challenge yourself this week in this one way:
Weekly Challenge: Set your eyes on the prize.
You know what it’s like to be a work, and it gets close to the end of your shift? Man, you start getting excited. I can’t wait to get out of here! I’m going to get some dinner, or hit the down, or take a nap, or play with my kids, or whatever. You can press on because you know everything will be better soon.
Listen, friends: Everything will be better soon. You will receive the prize of Jesus and all His blessings.
Don’t give up. Keep pressing on. Keep pursuing the goal. Keep your eye on the prize.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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