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WELCOME
What is the most important thing in your life? What do you constantly dream about or meditate on? What makes you happy that without it, you would feel life would have no meaning at all?
WORD
In Philippians 3, thirty years since his encounter with Jesus at Damascus, no longer a young man & imprisoned. Paul wrote about his ONE THING; to pursue God's purpose for his life. How did Paul pursue God's purpose?
1. Forget what lies behind (Philippians 3:12-13)
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
Once upon a time, Paul's purpose was his religion. In Philippians 3, he talked about how he was, was a zealous man for God, learning from the top educators of his time & persecuted the early Christians; thinking that he was following the truth & doing the right thing. But when Paul came to know Jesus for who He really is, his perspective & purpose changed. He submitted to what God wanted him to do & let go of his past. A perspective rooted in Christ & His word direct us to forget what lies behind & pursue God & the things that are pleasing to Him. If you want to pursue God's purpose for your life, do not imprisoned by your past. Surrender them at the foot of the Cross & reach forward to what lies ahead without a heavy burden in your heart.
2. Press on toward the goal (Philippians 3:14)
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
"Pressing on" means giving our "full energy" to accomplish something. To pursue God's purpose is to relentlessly press on towards the goal God has set for us. Christianity is not passivity; it is a love relationship where we give our best to pursue God. There will be many problems in life. Fog & darkness in life will come, but we need to fix our eyes on the goal to finish the race. We press on by faithfully practicing spiritual disciplines & leading other people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. We reach forward towards the goal by honoring God not only in the big things but in the small things we do as well. We pursue God's purpose by seizing every opportunity to know Him & make Him known!
3. Prize
The prize is never awarded at the beginning of a pursuit; it is given as a reward for a job well done.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
The Need for Self-Discipline
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
tells us that we will earn an imperishable prize if we accomplish the call of God to complete His mission.
In 1 Timothy 4:8
8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Paul reminds Timothy to fulfill God's purpose & look forward to the reward that God grants to faithful men & women of faith.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10
9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
4. Upward call of God in Christ Jesus
Hebrews 12:1-2
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
reminds us to FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS as we run the race marked out for us. Paul in
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
The Need for Self-Discipline
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
puts it wonderfully; we must not waste our lives; we do not just drift in life; we must be intentional in the things we do to meet the purpose God has set for us. He has prepared amazing things beyond our understanding & the most amazing of which is we get to hear Jesus Christ say, "Well done, good & faithful servant." Let us all pursue God's purpose as the Apostle Paul did!
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