Everything Is Awesome & Nobody Is Happy Pressing On, Finishing The Race

 Everything Is Awesome & Nobody Is Happy

Pressing On, Finishing The Race

Opening Illustration:

How many of you have iPhones? Lots of you do. Good. Then you may have experienced something that I have experienced on a regular basis. Like most of you, I get lots and lots of texts. I would say that the majority of texts that I get are people requesting prayer. They may have a relationship on the verge of breaking down. They may be looking for a new job and ask me to pray for them. They may even be considering asking a young lady to marry them. Again, “Stuart will you pray for me”. On every occasion that I receive a text like that, asking for prayer, I inevitably reply “yes”. I do my very best to stop and pray for that person right there. Sometimes that are times where closing my eyes in prayer is not a good idea so I have to delay the prayer. I have actually gotten into a pretty cool habit. When someone texts me for prayer, I usually respond with a prayer via text. 

I say all this because my iPhone uses predictive and corrective text. Your phones do the same. iPhones, the more we use them, they more they learn from our habits. They begin to know how we think and they can usually guess what we are going to say in a text message. It is a pretty cool and a pretty scary technology. Recently I have noticed that when I tell someone that I am “praying” for them, my iPhone replaces “prayer” or “praying” with “press” or “pressing”. I send a text that I mean to state, “Im praying for you”. Instead it reads “Im pressing for you”. Isn’t that interesting, my phones replaces “praying for you” with “pressing for you”?

Sometimes that what prayer feels like? Praying for others, even praying for ourselves, sometimes feels like a heavy burden. For me, prayer can seem like shoving a huge boulder up a steep hill. I am literally pressing, pushing a prayer up a hill. The reason it can feel like pressing is because some people are praying for some very heavy needs. 

Sometimes, my Christian walk feels like I am truly pressing on, pressing through, and pushing forward. It is hard work living this disciplined Christian walk and it is not for the faint of heart. 

Maybe you are not like that this morning. It could be that you are not pressing on or pressing through, you are paralyzed. Frozen. Fixed in place. You feel that you are not growing. You feel that there is no forward motion to your spiritual walk. You are frustrated this morning because it appears that you are just going through the motions. Have you ever felt that before? Have you ever felt that your prayers are just bouncing of the walls, like you are not being heard, like God is not even there? I have and if you feel that way you are not alone. In fact, if you feel that way this morning, let me encourage you to fight even harder. Don’t give up. Press forward. 

You see friends, the Christian life is often equated to an athletic endeavor or a race. 

“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What makes an athlete a champion? What makes a runner truly great? It is their ability to cross the finish line in the midst of trails, obstacles, and pitfalls. It is their ability to press on, to overcome fatigue, and to work through adversity. 

Friend, you are a champion for Christ this morning. Maybe you have come here today feeling discouraged and down. You are frozen in your faith and there is no spiritual momentum in your life. That’s ok. God’s desire is for you to lean into Him, He wants you to reawaken your spiritual heart. He is cheering you on, press on. 

So, this morning, answer today’s thought, what’s your spiritual condition? Paralyzed or Pressing on?

Today’s Thought:

What’s Your Spiritual Condition? Paralyzed or Pressing On? 

Background and Context of Philippians 3:12-14

Last week we saw the goal of the Christian life (3:10-11): To know Jesus Christ and to be like Him. Christianity is a developing personal relationship with the living Lord Jesus. In 3:12-16 Paul shows us how to reach this goal through the process of Christian growth:

To grow as a Christian you’ve got to be in the race, have the proper attitude, and give it the proper effort.

This may sound perfectly obvious, but in reality there are a lot of people trying to run in a race they’ve never entered. They’re trying to grow as Christians by living a good life and doing what Christians are supposed to do, but they’ve never truly become Christians in the first place.

Any athlete will tell you that attitude is often the difference between victory and defeat. A team that lacks in raw talent can sometimes defeat a team with much more ability because they have the right attitude going into the game. Attitude is crucial in the spiritual life as well. 

Some say, “God is sovereign and we don’t need to do anything.” Others say, “It’s all up to us.” Scripture says, “God is at work in you, so you work!” It’s both/and, not either/or. Some say that any effort on your part shows that you’re in the flesh. If that’s so, Paul was fleshly, because it’s clear here that he was pressing on, he was reaching forward to the goal as a runner giving it his all. The Christian life is an active cooperation with the sovereign God.

So, let’s dig in a bit deeper this morning and learn how to run our spiritual race more effectively, pressing on, powering through, and overcoming a paralyzed faith. Let reading this morning from Philippians 3:12-14. Today I am reading from the New Living Translation. 

Today’s Scripture:

Philippians 3:12-14 NLT

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Three Acknowledgments From The Apostle Paul!

Acknowledgment 1: Forget Your Past vs. 12-13

Philippians 3:12-13 ESV

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…

Point:

It can be easy to live in the past instead of focusing on the here and now. How many times have you replayed a decision or event over and over in your head, wondering if a different choice might have prevented a bad thing from happening, or given you the outcome you wanted? I’ve definitely done that before.

Point:

By my estimation, there are a couple of reasons why Christians should not live in the past. Im sure that there are many many reasons why living in the past is dangerous, but these are the three most prominent reasons that I can think of. 

First, it can cause discontentment in the here and now. How many of you have ever said “I sure do miss the good old days”? You may not have said it but I have seen the Facebook posts. 

“I miss the old tv shows that came on when I was a kid.”

“I miss the preaching of my pastor when I was a boy.”

“I miss the worship we experienced back when I was a kid.”

Trust me I have heard it all and frankly, I have even said some of these myself. When we live in the past, missing what was when we were younger, we sacrifice the here and now. We miss out on the creativity of today. We lose out on perspectives that challenge us to look more like Jesus today. We grow deaf to new music that can inspire us and uplift us. Ive noticed that the more we are stuck in the past, the more bitter we become. 

Secondly, when we live in the past, we’re so focused on our own choices and actions that we fail to see how God is at work regardless of our dead ends and detours. Whenever I need an example of how God used a horrible situation for someone’s good, I just think of Joseph. Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and later imprisoned for a false crime, he was forgotten for a time by everyone who had the power to release him. If anyone had reason to live in the past, it was Joseph (I can imagine him thinking, “Why did I tell my brothers about my dreams!”). And yet, when Joseph was finally reunited with the brothers who has betrayed him, he had these words to say: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis. 50:20). Joseph saw God’s providential hand on his past and present, and knew that even in a horrible situation, God had his best interests at heart. 

Point:

The enemy wants to use our past to fill us with regrets, doubts, and hopelessness, because he knows that this kind of guilt will keep us paralyzed. But God’s voice takes our should-have, could-have, and would-have’s, and 

“Never let the past spoil your present or govern your future.” 

– Author Unknown

Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Three Acknowledgments From The Apostle Paul!

Acknowledgment 1: Forget Your Past vs. 12-13

Acknowledgment 2: Face Your Future vs. 14

Philippians 3:14 NLT

14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Point:

Paul lived during the height of the Roman Empire. He himself was a Roman citizen and spent time in the capital city. The culture of Rome was similar to the culture of the United States. Romans and Americans love and idolize athletes. One of the oldest structures in Rome is the Colosseum. It was here where games were held and gladiatorial combat occurred. Chances are Paul witnessed these games for himself. 

Point:

Paul used lessons from athletics to shed light on spiritual concepts. Here in Philippians Paul discusses pressing on to achieve a prize, to conquer a goal, and to finish the race. We have a family member who is an ultra marathon trail runner. He runs 150 miles cross country. It can take him upwards of 20 hours to accomplish the goal of finishing the race. Imagine the physical obstacles he must overcome to run that distance. Running that mileage causes the body to physically deteriorate. Muscle is broken down. Bones are susceptible to  fractures. Ultra marathon runners have complained of even losing their hair after the race. Getting through the physical barriers is one thing, breaking through the metal barriers is something entirely different. Remember, an ultra runner has to run at night. All night. In the dark. Do you know what lays in wait in the darkness? The ghosts of failure, the monsters of doubt, and the demons of your past await you in the dark. They want you to fail, to stumble, to quit. In order to succeed you must be mentally strong. You must be spiritual ready for the attacks of the enemy. If you want to finish the race, cross the line, achieve the victory, you better have your head screwed on straight and your eyes fixed on Jesus. 

Point:

Paul realizes that no good runner runs while looking backwards. You’ve got to look ahead because ahead is your future. Ahead is the victory. Ahead is destiny! Life is like a long long run. There are pitfalls and traps everywhere but if you are smart, if you’re spiritual, if you allow Christ to be your guide, then you have nothing to fear. In life, you will meet all sorts of runners. You will meet runners who start well but don’t finish. You will have runners who start slow but somehow they crawl across the finish line. You will meet runners who set a good pace but they get jaded, they blame others for their mistakes, they begin to look for a handout, and when they get frustrated, they quit. Instead of finishing, they just grow bitter and die. You don’t want to be like any of these runners. Start at the pace that Christ has set for you and run that pace your entire life. Not to fast or you will fly by and miss important details and moments. Not to slow or you’ll grow complacent and lazy. Run His speed His way. Be consistent. Be balanced. Be level. Run your race well so that you can achieve the prize that Christ has marked out for you.

Proverbs 4:25 ESV

Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

Three Acknowledgments From The Apostle Paul!

Acknowledgment 1: Forget Your Past vs. 12-13

Acknowledgment 2: Face Your Future vs. 14

Acknowledgment 3: Focus On God vs. 14

Philippians 3:14 NLT

14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Point:

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (v. 14). 

Point:

We all remember the season of COVID-19, God took away our idols: sports, entertainment, the economy, etc., so we will focus on Him. God said that we are to have no other gods before Him. He put Israel in captivity for all the sabbaths they refused to observe. God made us all sabbath. We had to stay at home. We are all overloaded, overbooked, overcommitted, and overwhelmed. Aren’t you tired of attempting too much and accomplishing too little? Activity is not the same as productivity. There is a difference between what you may do, you might do, and you must do. Between what you would do, could do, and should do. There is a saying that says, if you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one! We cannot serve two masters. God is first and He cannot be second. We all have the same number of hours in a day so why do some people get so much more done? They narrow their focus. Not everything on our to-do lists is equal. We have to figure out what matters most. We have to say no to good things so that we can say yes to the best thing, the one thing God has called us to! Every day seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Spend time with God every day in worship.

Closing Illustration:

Let me share with you a really good illustration on focusing on God. It is a very strange story that involves Moses and the Israelites. It takes place in Numbers 21. 

The Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land and the going got tough. They grumbled and complained against God, and then the going got even tougher.

One thing that makes this story so strange –and so wonderful- is it foretells the salvation Jesus Christ would bring to all mankind.

In a strange way, the bronze serpent takes the place of Jesus Christ. Does that sound weird? It gets even weirder.

In the book of Numbers 21 we read that God sent fiery serpents against the Israelites because of all their grumbling and unbelief. The people quickly repented of their grumbling and asked Moses to pray to God for them.

Some of the Israelites died because of the fiery serpents, but others changed their ways and lived. What changes did they make? What can we learn from this story?

Numbers 21:8-9 NIV

8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

If the people kept their focus on the snake, which would represent Jesus on the cross in the New Testament, then the people would be healed even though they would be bitten by the snakes and vipers. 

What is really intersecting about this story is that these snakes and vipers would have reminded the Israelites about Egypt. Why? The Egyptians revered and worshiped snakes. Remember when Moses threw down his staff in the presence of the Pharaoh? Then the Pharaoh’s false priests were able to copy the miracle. This was important again because the Egyptians worshipped snakes. 

So when the Israelites were being tormented by these snakes and vipers, it would have immediately reminded them about the Egyptians, their oppressors, their past. 

God was saying, “put your eyes on me, your past happened, but I will heal you from it and set you free.” 

Point:

Brothers and sisters, Paul is encouraging us today to run our race. Press on. Forge ahead. Don’t quit. The reward is great and the pain and discomfort is worth the process that you are enduring. Remember friends to forget your past, face your future, and focus on God as the people focused on the snake in the desert. 

Proverbs 3:6 ESV

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Point:

One way to keep pressing on is to P.U.S.H. Pray until something happens. 

Remember To P.U.S.H.