Philippians 3:14-16 – Only Ever Forward – Bible study

Philippians 3:14-16 Only Ever Forward This epistle is not primarily a doctrinal epistle. It has doctrine in, important doctrine; but that was not Pauls purpose for writing this letter. This letter is more personal and practical. Paul was in prison. He did not know how things would go for him in prison, so he wrote some friends to encourage them. Isnt it strange how some people, when they need encouraging, find it in encouraging others? That is what Paul did. This selection is very practical. It was Paul telling his friend to move only ever forward. How does one move only ever forward? I. \#14-16\ Walk the right direction – FORWARD Phi 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. A. \#14\ A Mark Is Set – There was a mark out there that Paul was stretching to reach. 1. Paul was not a young man, either in life or in Christ. 2. Even so, he had not reached everything he wanted to reach. 3. What can we say of this mark? a. It was a PRIZED mark. (1) The prize is what belongs to the winning athlete. (2) Athletes have a make-up foreign to me. (3) For them to do what they do, they must: (a) long for the prize. (b) work for the prize. (c) sacrifice for the prize. (4) I have never found an earthly prize that could move me that way. (5) Every Christian should find a heavenly prize that will move them. b. It was a HIGH prize. (1) It was not a common or easy to attain prize. (2) The prize that Paul sought was more lofty, more noble, more spiritual. c. It was a CALLED TO prize. (1) A calling means someone called you. (2) The prize Paul sought, he was called to seek by God. (3) God calls every Christian to seek this prize. 4. This prize was not salvation. a. Some believe that Pauls words here indicate he feared he was not saved or least lacked the confidence of eternal salvation. b. Now, dont just brush that off without at least reading what Paul said. c. Speaking of himself, Paul wrote: (1) \#9\ "be found in him" (2) \#10\ "That I might know him" (3) \#11\ "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection from the dead" (4) \#12\ "Not as through I had already attained" (5) \#13\ "I count not myself to have apprehended" d. As I have told you before, there are Bible passages when taken by themselves might teach that one could lose their salvation. (1) What we must do is look at the whole Bible. (2) Remember Paul is the one who also wrote: 2Tim 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (3) That is not a man who was fearful of losing his salvation. (4) How do we reconcile the two? 5. By understanding that Paul was not worried about Gods relationship with him, but his relationship with God. a. The two are different. b. God has forgiven, adopted, and predestined us. c. That is what God has done for us, but what have we done for God? d. Pauls mark was to live a life in service for Jesus Christ, winning souls and pointing me toward the glory of the new life in Christ! e. This is a good desire for every believer to have. f. It causes us to go only ever forward. B. \#15\ A Challenge Is Given 1. The phrase I want you to get comes from several words in this verse: "Let us be thus minded." 2. However, before I can discuss that, I probably need to discuss the phrase that interrupts those words: "as many as be perfect." a. The second phrase might make some think the first phrase does not apply to them. (1) They might say, "I am not perfect so Paul was not speaking to me." (2) Paul admitted he was not perfect either: Phi 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect. (3) Do we have a contradiction? Was Paul saying he was not perfect in one verse then half-way declaring he was in another? (4) I dont think so. b. The perfection that Paul spoke of in verse 12 was in behavior. (1) No Christian who lives in the flesh will ever be perfect in their behavior. (2) It is not possible. c. The perfection Paul spoke of in verse 15 was in the heart. (1) While Christians cannot be perfect in their behavior, they can in their hearts. (2) The best definition I ever heard of a perfect heart was Bill Gothard who said, "The perfect heart is the heart that holds nothing back from God." (3) Every Christian should have a perfect heart, and if so, every Christian should have the same mind as Paul. 3. Which takes us back to the original phrase, "Let us be like minded." We should only ever be moving forward! C. \#16\ A Resolution Is Made 1. Whatever we have attained, dont go backwards! 2. Many make New Years resolutions. a. It is not important what you decide on January 1st. b. What is important is what did you accomplish by December 31st. c. Too many people think making a decision is the victory. (1) Making a decision is not the victory. (2) Accomplishing your goal is the victory. 3. Our goal is to only ever move forward but that can only be accomplished if we never fall backward. 4. This must not be a thought we have but a feat that we accomplish. II. \#17-19\ Follow the Right Leaders – The godly Phi 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. Phi 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. A. Twice in this section, Paul holds himself up as the kind of person the Philippians ought to follow. 1. That is not a proud boast. It is a statement of fact based on the change God had and was making in Pauls life. 2. There came a time in Pauls life when Paul asked and answered a question: a. If I am not a model of Christ, when will I ever be? b. Paul was no longer a young man, either in life or in Christ. c. Like many of us, he was well seasoned in life and sprinkled in the salt of years. d. If, at this point, he was not a man who could be a model of Jesus Christ, when would he ever be? e. Perhaps your answer is that I am not a model of Christ because I do not live a good enough life. (1) Then perhaps your question should be changed somewhat. (2) What I am doing today so that I will be a model of Christ tomorrow? 3. Every born-again Christian should be different, growing, and capable of leading others. 4. However, Paul was not merely setting this has his goal. He was fully aware and willing to be a model of Christ, on display before the lost world. 5. Paul was giving a practical command. a. Pick someone who lives like Jesus and follow them. b. That is what the church is about. c. It is about seeing how others have done it and it worked, or how others did it and it did not work; but regardless, we see others setting an example for us from which we can learn. B. \#18-19\ Paul also warned of the wrong kind of leader to follow. Phi 3:18 (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: 1. Note that there are parenthesis enclosing verses 18-19. a. That means these two verses are not part of Pauls main thought. b. As Paul was encouraging the Philippians to follow the RIGHT kind of leader, he expressed his thoughts on the WRONG kind of leaders. 2. \#18\ Notice the term that Paul used of the wrong kinds of leaders, "they are the enemies of the cross of Christ." a. There are actually two kinds of enemies. b. Paul only mentioned one here, but there is another. c. What are the two kinds of enemies? (1) There are the enemies of the cross who would keep us from salvation. (2) And there are the enemies of the Christian who would keep us from sanctification. d. Some things could be said about both. (1) They are inside the church. (a) The greatest enemies of the cross are not the ones outside the church who defile and blaspheme God, His Person, and His name. (b) The greatest enemies of the cross are those on the inside of the church who call themselves "religious" and "Christians." (c) Remember, the wolf in sheeps clothing does not have to be snarling and biting to be a wolf. (2) These would consider themselves as Christians, good men, godly men, Biblical men. (a) Perhaps they preachers, pastors, evangelists, missionaries. (b) But Paul called them "enemies." e. In this text, Paul was not dealing with those who were enemies of sanctification but of salvation. (1) Paul called them this because they drove men away from the redemption what Jesus work on the cross had provided. (2) Mark both of these enemies and avoid them for they are here for your harm and not your help. 3. \#19\ Paul described the enemies of the cross. a. "whose god is their belly" – The worship for what they can get not what they can give. b. "whose glory is their shame" (1) Ones glory is the outward manifestation of the inward purity. (2) It is a visual of the best a person has to offer. (3) The best these have to offer is shame. c. "who mind earthy things" – They are much more concerned with the size of their paycheck, their 401(k), their popularity, and so on than their service to God or to His people. 4. \#18\ Paul told us two more things. a. The end of these enemies is "destruction." That does not mean they lose their retirement. It means they lose their souls. b. Paul was weeping over these people being in the church. (1) This was the church at Philippi. (2) Paul started that church and loved those people. III. \#Phi 4:1\ Stand in the right position – Fast or Firm A. Notice the love that Paul has for these who have followed Jesus. He called them by five different names and used one of them twice. 1. "brethren" – A term of family endearment 2. "dearly beloved" – Uses this name twice. They are the loved. 3. "longed for" – Paul desires to be with them again. 4. "my joy" – The source of Pauls joy was seeing souls saved. 5. "my crown" – Paul considered himself already rewarded by having seen them saved. B. "Therefore" 1. The word ties what Paul had said about moving only forward and following the right kind of leaders to what he is about to say. 2. What was Paul about to say? C. "Stand fast." 1. The title of the message is "Only Ever Forward." a. The title implies forward motion. One cannot move forward if he is standing still. He must keep putting one foot in front of the other to move forward. b. Yet we all know that in the Christian life, sometimes we cannot move forward. (1) Sometimes we must rest. (2) And sometimes although we would like to move forward, we cannot. The path appears blocked. c. So what do we do when we cannot move forward? We stand fast or firm. 2. Notice Paul did not say, "Sit comfortably." a. If one is going to rest or wait, why should he not sit and be comfortable? b. Because sitting implies a completed job. c. We may be resting but this is not a place to get comfortable. d. We are just passing through. 3. Consider also that our strength comes primarily from our lets. a. Perhaps you are extremely strong in your upper body. b. Good, but most strength still some comes from the legs. c. You cannot use that strength if you are sitting. d. So dont sit. Stand. Paul was nearing the end of his ministry. He was sharing some things that he had lived. May God help us to live them as well.