I Press

I Press

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Text: Philippians 3:7-14 NIV {ver.13-14, 12, 8}
Ver.13-14 “…one thing I do, forgetting those things which are 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 Christ Jesus.”
Ver.12 “…I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
Ver.8 “…for the excellence of the knowledge (intimacy) of Christ …”

God is the strength of my being – my heart, soul, and mind.
Psa.73:25-26 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
He is the reason I thrive wherever I am planted.

One of my life goals is to be good at loving Him – knowing Him.
But this close relationship we seek with God is reserved for those who treasure God above all things.
We can’t dabble in God and live mostly for ourselves.
The treasures of God, intimacy with Him, the riches of His kingdom are available only to those who treasure Him above all things.

Paul of all people could have stood on his own religious efforts – his efforts in pursuing God through O.T. methods were impressive.
He had the respect and prestige of the Hebrew leaders.
In the first part of this chapter Paul said if anyone had a right to boast, he did, but it wasn’t enough.
As impressive as his life was, he had a glimpse of who God was and what Paul could have in relationship with Him so in ver. 8 “…I count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…”

When Jesus cleans me up, and I see the beauty He makes in me, we can sometimes be impressed at the image in the mirror.
2Co 10:12 “ For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

I think one of the strong tools our enemy uses for those who are passionately in love with Jesus is to use little distractions that turn our attention away from what Paul is saying.
Distraction takes me away from the intimacy my soul longs for, NEEDS.

One of the missionaries killed in South America Jim Elliot, said: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Communion: 1Cor.11:23-26

What an excellent way to start a new year.
We gather at Church and take communion together.
Paul said in Phi.3:13 there are things to forget – Then here in 1Co.11 he says that we eat and drink to remember.