Focus on the Goal

Snap Shots of a Church 12

Philippians 3:12-21

An image of a unity in the church

For the church to examine itself and see where it needs to improve

Intro

The cross-country race that went off course.

Take inventory. Vs 12

            The runners had to stop and see whether the path was the correct.

            As in individuals we need to take inventory of our life

                        It is a natural thing for you and me to grow complacent and content                               with our spirituality.

                         It is quite natural for us to think that we are doing okay                                        in our walk with the Lord and with our religion,

                        Have we stopped growing

                        Are we still experiencing the good things of God as though they                                    were new each day?

                        Are we loving unlovable people like Christ would

The runners could have become complacent and just keep on running with the crowd

            As a church in transition we need to take inventory our church.

            Complacent also

Put Your Past behind You vs 13-14

            If the runners had let the discovery that they had taken the wrong path   stop them they would have lost the race.

Paul would be prime example of letting his past affect him

            We joke around all the time about what it’s like to forget things. Some of you are bothered by your forgetfulness,

but that’s not the kind of forgetting Paul is talking about here.

This word forget means to put out of your mind,

or to neglect something.

 In other words, he purposely and deliberately chose not to remember something, and maybe more accurately,

not to let something in his past influence his future.

Your past may be pretty messed up.

Maybe you’ve got some skeletons in your closet.

 In fact it’s not just certain moments we’d like to put behind us,

there are habits,

decisions,

mistakes,

problems,

relationships,

lost time and more that we’d like to forget about; that we’d like to put in the past.

Press forward

Keep focused on the goal (knowing Jesus as my lord) vs 15-16

Once the runners have noticed that, they were on the wrong path they focused on the race instead. Doing what was needed to run the race.

            They are runners

            We are Christians. Vs 1:27

This church is in transition keep focused on the goal of Jesus.

Stay as a team vs. 17-19

            The runners need to trust their team to help lead them on the proper path

            There are those who will try to dissuade you

                        Media, friends, music, family , culture

The church people will try to influence you from the path to Jesus to their path of selfishness.

Receive the prize vs. 20-21

            Who is waiting at the finish line?

There is more to life then what is here on earth our prize is with Jesus in eternity