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Pressing Forward in Faith 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining this morning. Question for you. Are you living life by looking in the rear view mirror? Paul, in this third chapter of Philippians says, I'm not looking0:21 back. I'm pressing the gas, and I'm going forward. Verse 14, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Now as we discussed previously,0:34 the this letter that Paul is writing to the Philippians is basically a thank you letter, but he does take the opportunity to address a few issues that apparently were taking place there in0:45 the church in Philippi, like walking in unity. He talks about that in this chapter. He warns against the Judaizers. Now recall that Judaizers were these Jewish Christians who held to the old0:57 Levitical walls of the Old Testament saying that they were still binding. They said believers were under certain aspects of the law, including circumcision. Paul speaks to this1:09 issue, in the letter that we read previously to the Galatians, after that council in Jerusalem took place in 48 AD, which was1:21 a a large part of the focus, on that was the matter of Christians being under the law. That's what they kinda gathered to say, these new Christians, these Gentiles coming in, they don't have to keep the law.1:33 They're under grace. Alright. The law served its purpose as Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 3 verse 23. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for1:45 the faith, which would afterward be revealed. Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer1:57 under a tutor. But we are not and cannot be saved by keeping the law nor a combination of the law and grace. It is not works2:09 or faith and works that gives us right standing before before God. It is faith alone by God's grace that we are made righteous before God. It's not a combination. We can't2:21 earn it. It is given to us. Now, Paul warns of this in, in his letter here to the Philippians, and and and he kind of inserts a parenthetical discussion of his personal example2:33 of being a Jew of Jews. And but he's saying, I'm not hanging my hat on that. Then he returns to the warning, warning them not to follow the example of those who live2:45 or those who teach a message counter to the message of the cross, which was always before Paul. And he taught them the message of the cross, and he lived it by example, and2:57 he challenged them to follow his example because he was following Jesus. Now, this remains the standard for the church. Now that we have what Paul and others taught and wrote by inspiration3:09 of the Holy Spirit within the canon of scripture, we must measure and examine all things according to scripture, which is why we must be daily reading it,3:21 studying it, and meditating upon it, and measuring all things according to it. Alright. Let's begin verse 1, chapter 3. Finally, my brother, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write3:33 the same things to you is not tedious, but for you, it is safe. He says, I'm gonna keep saying it until you get it because it's so important. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers.3:45 Beware of the mutilation, for we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit. Rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. No.3:57 I wonder here Paul had strong opinions about these Judaizers. These are beware of the dogs, the evil workers, the mutilators. Though I also might have confidence in the flesh,4:09 meaning he was circumcised, he was a Jew, if anyone else seeks if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. Now he goes into his Jewish pedigree4:20 here. Circumcised, the eighth day, the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness,4:33 which is of the law blameless. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of4:44 Christ Jesus my lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. Paul is saying, nothing I strive for in the name of religion,4:57 in my own strength, compares to what was given to me by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It it all pales in comparison to that. It's nothing. It's rubbish. It's garbage.5:09 Verse 9, and be found in him not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith,5:22 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 obtain to the resurrection from the dead.5:33 Now take note of what we're about to read here. Paul, on numerous occasions says, follow my example, which I think he had the credibility to say. But even so, he makes clear he is5:45 on a journey. He's not arrived. He's not yet perfected. There is more to come. Verse 12. Not that I have already obtained or am already perfected. I press on5:57 that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but 1 thing I do, forgetting those things which are6:09 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 Christ6:21 Jesus. You know, Paul, he, he likes to use word pictures, analogies in his writings, which, you know, frankly, is the most effective way of communicating. We think. Our mind thinks in pictures. And here,6:33 Paul describes the Christian life as a race. Now when you're running, you don't look back. You look forward. Why? Because if you're looking back, you're gonna fall. You're gonna you're gonna stumble. And6:45 think about this, in in in in what ways do we look back? Well, we look looking back can take several different forms. We can be like, Peter, walking on the water, taking his eyes off Jesus6:57 who was before him, and looking at the waves around him, and then looking back at the ship behind him as if that was a place of safety. And guess what? He began to sink. Now I'll be candid. There7:08 are times, even today in my life, when in the midst of challenges, I look back at a time that I felt things were more productive, more impactful, and frankly, more comfortable. You know,7:20 we can certainly learn from the past, but it's really preparation for the future. We don't need to look back. We need to look forward. We can mark our course from the past, but we cannot live in the past or desire to go7:32 back to the past, lest we stumble and fall. And there's another aspect of looking back on our past, 1 that can create guilt. Paul acknowledges that7:44 he persecuted the church, but he's looking forward. He's not looking behind. You know, we have the same ability to press toward the goal, free from the baggage of our7:55 past. What happened in the past? If it's forgiven, it's forgiven. Jesus the word says John says, if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all8:07 unrighteousness. It's gone. It's history. It's behind us. Press forward. We're free of our past. It no longer controls us nor defines us. And I think someone needs to hear that this morning. Alright.8:19 Verse 15. 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 already8:31 attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk as you have us for a8:43 pattern. Now be careful who you look to as a model or as a pattern. Paul's saying, follow me as I follow Christ. Then he warns next of8:55 the many false teachers and preachers. Verse 18, for many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ,9:07 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, whose glory is their shame, and who set their mind on earthly things. You know, Paul may have been speaking about the9:19 the libertine or antinomies, the heresies that, basically said that we're under grace, therefore, we can do whatever we want, indulge the flesh, don't worry about the9:31 moral law, you're free. Now this cheap view of grace, frankly, remains a problem in the church today. Verse 20. For our citizenship is in heaven9:43 from which we also eagerly wait for the savior, the lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the9:54 working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. I'm not looking back, but I but forward, lest I stumble and fall10:06 in this race we call lives. Life. Our our lives are are stained with sin. They're marked with mistakes. But once they are covered under the blood of Jesus Christ, we're not to look10:18 back. We're to press on to those things which are ahead, the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, the crown of life.10:30 Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word and, again, for the for this instruction from the apostle Paul. Lord, I pray that we would run the race, not looking behind us, the things that Lord, may try10:42 to hold us back, the things that we have done in the past. If they're under the blood, forgiven, Lord, may we have the freedom, may we walk in the freedom that you've gained for us. Lord, if it's the comfort of the past,10:54 may we learn that our past is to train us and prepare us for what is ahead. So, lord, may we be pressing forward to that goal that is before us in Christ Jesus.11:06 Lord, guide us this day, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. I'm taking a couple of days to, pray and plan for the upcoming year. So if, if you, are so11:17 inclined, I would ask you to pray for me. The Lord would just give me a guidance insight in a in a very quick time. You know, the lord can do in a heartbeat what we can't do in a lifetime. So I look to him for guidance11:29 and direction for the Family Research Council, for the stand on the word as we, look at doing this 1 more time, or at least another time, however long the Lord allows us, as we,11:41 do another stand on the word journey to the Bible beginning in January. So, if you would pray for me over the next couple of days as I'm, praying and planning for the for the year ahead. Alright. Until11:53 next time, keep standing on the word.11:59 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day,12:11 you can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Pressing Forward in Faith
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