Sermon Tone Analysis

*Philippians 11.*

Whenever we drive north out of Christchurch I have to have a little smile to myself – there is a specific spot, just north of Leithfield, just before you hit Amberley.

I always notice the place because I can recall as a little fellow, there we were travelling to Nelson or Picton or someplace hundreds of miles away; but I can remember at this particular spot that it seemed to me that we were in the middle of nowhere and had been travelling interminably.

And I remember asking that question all parents dread to hear: “Are we nearly there yet?!” *[P]* It must have been discouraging – we were barely out of Christchurch and I thought we ought to be there!

I was fed up and we had hardly started!

A number of us have been on the Christian road a while now; do you ever get discouraged at your lack of progress?

Or is it just me?

Do you ever think: will I ever get there?

Are we nearly there yet?

Last time Paul had spoken of: *[P]* [*Philippians 3:9-11*/ being found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead./]

A glorious prospect: being found in Christ with His righteousness, His resurrection life, completely at one with Him!

This is the prospect before us – are we nearly there yet?

Have we reached this glorious goal?

Had Paul made it?

Was he nearly there yet?

Let’s pick it up at: *[P]* [*Philippians 3:12-21*/ Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I *press on* so that I may *lay hold* of that for which also I was *laid hold* of by Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having *laid hold* of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I *press on* toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself./ ] Lest we think of Paul as some super-apostle who has a picture-perfect relationship with Christ, he shatters any such notions by declaring that he has not arrived yet.

Even Paul hadn’t got there.

He tells of two things that have /not/ /yet/ happened before moving on to the positive statement: “/he hasn’t obtained it/” and “/he has not already become perfect/.”

These two negatives create suspense by delaying the introduction of the positive.

But it does leave you wondering what he hadn’t obtained, what kept him from being perfect.

The key thing that Paul wanted to receive, the thing on which all else hinged, was a /righteousness through faith in Christ/ *[P]* (see Phil 3:9), the /righteousness of God /Himself, resulting in /resurrection from the dead/ (Phil 3:11).

He is being made perfect and is receiving a perfect righteousness from God.

This righteousness has nothing to do with his works or merit but with God’s gift—given on the basis of faith.

This righteousness is what qualifies him to partake in the resurrection.

By leaving what he still lacks unstated, Paul is referring to these concepts that he discussed in (Phil 3:8-11), the key one being God-given, faith-based righteousness.

Remember, these statements reflect what he has /not/ /yet/ received—consistent with the hope of all things being fulfilled at Christ’s return (see Phil 3:20-21; see also Rom 3:23; Heb 9:28).

Although we have been pledged these things on the basis of faith, there is nonetheless a “not yet” element as we await the fulfilment of all things.

We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, now – but also we are not there yet – we still sin, we are still not perfect.

You see the same idea with salvation: we are saved now, yet there is a salvation to be revealed in the last time [*1 Peter 1:5*/ who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time./]

– yes, we have it, but we are not there yet – we walk by faith, and [*Hebrews 11:1*/ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not yet seen./].

Paul shifts from what he is /not/ doing to what he /does/ do, and he draws attention to his statement by saying: “/This one thing I do./”

By saying “/this/”, he makes us wonder what /this/ stands for.

*[P]* It’s like he is saying, “Hey, get /this/!” in English.

He is not there yet but he presses on!

We are not there yet, but we keep on keeping on, we press on.

DON’T GIVE UP!

We are only just past Leithfield, but we keep on motoring, we press on!

[*Hebrews 10:35-39*/ Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.

But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul./]

Paul says that he does: “one thing” (Phil 3:13) – the one thing he does is “press on” but he first mentions two things serve as background for the one big thing, finally disclosed in (Phil 3:14).

These two background circumstances are intentionally linked to one another, even although it is not translated.

A bit like we would say in English: “Not only this… but also this…”.

Even before the original audience finished hearing about the first thing, they would have known that a second closely connected thing was coming.

It’s like getting a multiple-package order where each box is labelled “Item 1 of 2; Item 2 of 2.” *[P]* Shippers do this so that you will expect more than one thing, even if only one arrives.

What are the two things?

The first involves forgetting what lies behind us.

Dwelling on the past can be a huge hindrance to making progress, acting like a ball and chain holding you back.

It might be dwelling on things that you regret doing or neglected to do.

Think about Paul’s life, how he zealously persecuted the early church.

Imagine what would have happened if he had dwelt on that too much.

Nothing he could have done would have been able to make it go away.

Are we nearly there yet?

No, we fail, we fall, we sin – we all have things that we regret.

We are not yet perfect.

These things can discourage us from believing that God can ever do anything through us.

Sometimes Satan is the one bringing such charges against us.

For him, the next best thing to turning someone away from a close walk with Christ is to make them ineffective.

Although there are indeed natural consequences for bad decisions, we need to learn our lessons and keep moving forward.

[*1 John 1:9*/ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness./]

Yes, we need to examine ourselves and if there is sin we confess it, receive forgiveness and then move on.

But if you keep on dwelling on that failure you will never progress.

What about the alternative: dwelling on /good/ things that happened in the past?

What could possibly be wrong with that?

Plenty!

We have long struggled with relying on past achievements.

The expression about “resting on your laurels” refers to the days when ancient athletes received laurel wreaths as the prize for winning a race or competition.

The implication is that if you’re resting on past achievements, you aren’t preparing for future ones.

Paul had a number of amazing things happen in his life, any one of which could have resulted in him resting on his laurels.

So what does this mean practically?

Does this mean that we ignore the past completely?

No! If mistakes have been made, then learn from them.

Make it right if possible.

Do not allow it to make you think that God could never use you again.

Remember Jonah, who ran in the opposite direction rather than do what God told him to – it always, blesses me that it says that “/the word of יהוה came to Jonah a second time/”.

Let go and move forward.

The same holds true for positive accomplishments.

Savour the moment, but then move on.

Living in the past can be a huge road block to moving forward. .

Not only “/forget what is past/” but linked to that, the: “also”, the second package: we need to also “/strain toward/” what lies ahead.

We are to be future focused not past preoccupied.

Paul wants us to let go of the past and strain forward.

What does Paul strain forward /toward/?

It’s finally revealed in (Phil 3:14): pressing on toward the goal, the thing to which God has called him.

We have all kinds of idioms in English that capture this idea: “Keep the main thing the main thing;” “Keep your eye on the ball;” “Keep on keeping on.”

Paul has already mentioned this idea in (Phil 3:12), using the same Greek words for /pressing on/.

He paints a great picture of the goal, the thing for which God grabbed him in the first place.

God had a purpose for Paul, and he declares here that his mission in life is to pursue that purpose no matter what.

Past successes and failures will not stand in the way, nor will present circumstances.

“– Three times in two verses it says “/lay hold/” –* *it means to grasp, you acquire something but with the implication of significant effort, you make it your own.

Christ makes us His own, but we have to acquire it ourselves – and it is an on-going thing, Paul hadn’t laid hold of it yet.

It takes effort, determination and commitment – Paul reaches forward, strains toward what lies before him – the picture is taken from a runner reaching toward the goal.

He presses on to it – twice he says it (Phil 3:12 & Phil 3:14) – the word is pursue – it is even translated “persecute” – you are out to get this at all costs!