Wednesday, January 03, 2007
BUT I PRESS ON
Wednesday Evening, January 3, 2007
We have 362 days left in 2007. 362 days left to do the will of the Father. 362 days left to do what He would have us to do. Just 362 short days. 8688 Hours left to do something for the Kingdom. Just 8688 hours remaining to do anything for the Lord. 521,280 Minutes remaining in 2007 to propel the kingdom forward. 521,280 Minutes to advance the cause of Christ. 31,276,800 Seconds left to please God in 2007. 31,276,800 Seconds remaining to praise him in 2007… to pray the will of God… to expedite the workings of the Lord. Folks, it’s already counting down…
The better part of three days… already gone. Three days… 72 hours… 4320 minutes… we’ve already exhausted 259,200 seconds in just THREE SHORT DAYS. Assuming He’s still wanting to save someone… He might just delay his coming the entire year. We’ve got this year.
There are a thousand different resolutions that were made in this room for 2007. Most of them involved something about losing weight… or being more healthy… or changing a behavior or pattern… perhaps an attitude or an action. Thousands of resolutions… representing thousands of good intentions. In general, I’m against the New Year’s Resolution, because most of the time they are simply promises we break to ourselves… that’s horrible. So I don’t make them. If I can’t keep them, I won’t make them.
I have a resolution that I would like for you to adopt for 2007. For this 362 days, 8688 hours, 521,280 Minutes, 31,276,800 Seconds left in 2007. We’re going to read our scripture, and then we will pray. I’m reading from the Updated New American Standard Version. In Philippians 3:12-14…
Philippians 3:12-14
12 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.
13 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,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
“Not that I have already obtained it…” (Vs. 12)
A lot of New Year’s resolutions make the assumption that because the year rolled over to a new year… you’re going to have it all together. “Now, I am in the NEW YEAR, I can start over… and I’ll be different because I’m in a new year.” And how many people do it all over the world… it sounds like this in their resolution closet…
“I’m not going to eat so much in this New Year…” “I’m going to control my appetites…” “I’m going to control my spiritual life…” “I’m going to stop smoking…” “I’m going to give up the drinking…”
And what winds up happening? They might keep their resolution for a week… or two… maybe even three. But before long… pattern and habit, push good intentions out of the way. And a person can be back in 2006’s habits in 2007. I don’t have to HAVE IT TOGETHER… but I PRESS ON…
You might not have it all together in your life. You might fail in every resolution. You might ALREADY be kicking yourself for not keeping them just three days in. But the thing to do is to DECIDE NOW… I’m NOT quitting. I PRESS ON… I keep GOING. I will not allow my struggles to be bigger than my ambition. I will not allow my fears to overshadow my God. I might not HAVE IT RIGHT NOW… BUT I PRESS ON.
I’ll just tell you RIGHT NOW… Bethel Church of God doesn’t have it all together. Her pastor doesn’t have it all together. His family doesn’t have it all together. Her members don’t have it all together. With God’s help, we’re working to GET it together. But if we’ll just make a decision… no matter where we’ve failed; no matter where we’ve messed up; no matter where we’ve dropped the ball in 2006; WE PRESS ON in 2007!
We press on to victory… we press on to the plan of God… and with will of God.
Paul just came out and said it…
“Not that I have already obtained it…”
In other words, “I don’t have it all together yet.” If the Apostle Paul doesn’t have it all together… you and I aren’t either. But that’s not an excuse to give up… I might mess up… BUT I PRESS ON…
Then Paul says…
“…or have already become perfect…”
A lot of folks are faulting themselves because of a lack of perfection in their lives. I can’t be the perfect dad… the perfect mom… the perfect spouse… the perfect weight. I don’t have the perfect home… The perfect kids… the perfect life…
Perfect life? Are you kidding? It would be nice if I could just keep the filter on the A/C changed regularly. I would just be happy if I could keep my refrigerator cleaned out. But that wouldn’t make us happy either. We shoot for an elusive perfection that we will never attain. I’m not PERFECT… but I PRESS ON.
Let me tell you friend, YOU WON’T EVER BE PERFECT THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN. The best thing we can hope for is being changed by the power of the Holy Ghost. Sanctification… that being set apart for His Holy purposes. But friend… even so, YOU WON’T be perfect until you see Him…
1 John 3:2-3
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. NASU
You’ll be perfected when you’re face to face with Him. Until then, you purify yourself… and keep your HOPE FIXED ON HIS APPEARING. Don’t try to aim for perfection in 2007. Paul said himself that he didn’t have perfection. He said… “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect…”
Paul said, “I haven’t already become perfect…” If he wasn’t, Lord knows we won’t be either. Bethel Church of God won’t be the perfect church in 2007. You won’t be the perfect Christian in 2007. The pressure’s off. Now, we understand… let’s resolve… “We’re not perfect… BUT WE PRESS ON…” Let’s decide now… in 2007, we won’t see perfection… but we will PRESS ON TOWARDS IT.
Then, Paul says in verse 13…
“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet…”
“I don’t have it in my grasp yet… I haven’t LAID HOLD… but I PRESS ON…” Let me tell you, we won’t have a handle on everything in 2007. We won’t be have the tiger by the tail. You won’t have it all in your grasp this year. Paul himself said that HE didn’t.
“I do not regard myself as having laid hold yet…”
In other words, “I don’t have a handle on everything…” If Paul didn’t… YOU WON’T. But HE pressed on… and YOU can press on in 2007. I may not have a handle on everything in my life. I might not have a handle on everything in my world. I might not have a hold of everything in my life that I should, but that’s not going to keep me from pressing on toward that end. I don’t have a hold on it… BUT I PRESS ON. I PRESS ON… regardless.
Paul says this… in verse 13
“… forgetting what lies behind…”
Forgetting what lies behind; in other words, SOMETHING’S BACK THERE. There might be skeletons in the closet. Things I might not want the world to know about. Paul as much as said that a past might be back there. He tells the Philippians… FORGET IT!
We’ve all got a past. Some of them are more eventful than others. Some may have more sin in them than others. It never bothered Jesus… He just said…
Luke 7:41-47
41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
The one who’s got the worst past, is usually the most grateful for the forgiveness. Don’t let your past keep you behind in 2007. I might have a PAST… but I PRESS ON. I might have baggage… but I PRESS ON. I might have a history… but I PRESS ON. I’m not going to let my yesterdays keep me from my tomorrows. I PRESS ON.
If the Apostle Paul wasn’t concerned about the PAST… and didn’t think it was a hindrance to PRESSING ON… should we concern ourselves with it? He was an assassinator of the saints… he was a murderer of the beloved. That was the past HE had to look back to. But he FORGOT ABOUT IT… and WENT ON. Should we concern ourselves with OUR past? I don’t think so.
Why do we need to press on in 2007? First, we need to press on to FORGET some things.
Verse 13 says…
“…forgetting what lies behind…”
Paul is pretty adamant that there are some things that we just need to forget about. Past is past. You worrying about 2006 won’t fix it. It won’t fix anything. Worrying about yesterday only robs you of your todays. Remember… just 362 left in 2007. Not a single moment to lose. If the Apostle Paul says to forget about it… FORGET ABOUT IT! Put it all behind you… and START OVER. YOU CAN START OVER in 2007. You might have messed up everything until now… but you can start over.
We also PRESS ON… in order to REACH…
Verse 13 says…
“…and reaching forward to what lies ahead…”
There is something to reach for. We’ve got to stretch in 2007. We’ve got to push ahead… in 2007. We have to REACH FORWARD. There are those times when we feel like… “What’s the point? Why should I keep striving for what never seems to come? Why keep reaching?” Because there is something that lies ahead.
Paul said it; “Reaching FORWARD to what lies ahead.” There is something that lies ahead of you. There is something that lies ahead of me. There is something that lies ahead of Bethel Church of God. We have a hope and a future. REACHING… always reaching. We also press on WITH A GOAL:
“…I press on toward the goal…”
We have a goal to reach. We have somewhere to get to. We have the great commission driving us. We have the building of the kingdom as our aim. We have a goal. Paul said it… I press on toward the goal. I press on to get where God want me to get. I press on achieve everything he has for me to achieve. That’s why I press on
And finally, I PRESS ON to WIN…
Paul says three little words that I love…
“…for the prize…”
If there’s a prize, friend… then there’s something to win. If there’s a prize, then there’s something to attain. If there’s a prize… then there’s a reason to go on… and stay holy… and walk worthy. If there’s a prize… I haven’t already obtained it… BUT I PRESS ON. I’m not perfect yet… BUT I PRESS ON… I haven’t got a hold on everything yet… BUT I PRESS ON. I’m forgetting the past… and I PRESS ON… I reach ahead… and I PRESS ON. I have a goal… and I PRESS ON… I’m gonna win in 2007. Bethel Church of God is going to win in 2007. And WE PRESS ON.
We have 362 days left in 2007. 362 days left to do the will of the Father. 362 days left to do what He would have us to do. Just 362 short days. 8688 Hours left to do something for the Kingdom. Just 8688 hours remaining to do anything for the Lord. 521,280 Minutes remaining in 2007 to propel the kingdom forward. 521,280 Minutes to advance the cause of Christ. 31,276,800 Seconds left to please God in 2007. 31,276,800 Seconds remaining to praise him in 2007… to pray the will of God… to expedite the workings of the Lord. Folks, it’s already counting down…
The better part of three days… already gone. Three days… 72 hours… 4320 minutes… we’ve already exhausted 259,200 seconds in just THREE SHORT DAYS. Assuming He’s still wanting to save someone… He might just delay his coming the entire year. We’ve got this year.
There are a thousand different resolutions that were made in this room for 2007. Most of them involved something about losing weight… or being more healthy… or changing a behavior or pattern… perhaps an attitude or an action. Thousands of resolutions… representing thousands of good intentions. In general, I’m against the New Year’s Resolution, because most of the time they are simply promises we break to ourselves… that’s horrible. So I don’t make them. If I can’t keep them, I won’t make them.
I have a resolution that I would like for you to adopt for 2007. For this 362 days, 8688 hours, 521,280 Minutes, 31,276,800 Seconds left in 2007. We’re going to read our scripture, and then we will pray. I’m reading from the Updated New American Standard Version. In Philippians 3:12-14…
Philippians 3:12-14
12 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.
13 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,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
“Not that I have already obtained it…” (Vs. 12)
A lot of New Year’s resolutions make the assumption that because the year rolled over to a new year… you’re going to have it all together. “Now, I am in the NEW YEAR, I can start over… and I’ll be different because I’m in a new year.” And how many people do it all over the world… it sounds like this in their resolution closet…
“I’m not going to eat so much in this New Year…” “I’m going to control my appetites…” “I’m going to control my spiritual life…” “I’m going to stop smoking…” “I’m going to give up the drinking…”
And what winds up happening? They might keep their resolution for a week… or two… maybe even three. But before long… pattern and habit, push good intentions out of the way. And a person can be back in 2006’s habits in 2007. I don’t have to HAVE IT TOGETHER… but I PRESS ON…
You might not have it all together in your life. You might fail in every resolution. You might ALREADY be kicking yourself for not keeping them just three days in. But the thing to do is to DECIDE NOW… I’m NOT quitting. I PRESS ON… I keep GOING. I will not allow my struggles to be bigger than my ambition. I will not allow my fears to overshadow my God. I might not HAVE IT RIGHT NOW… BUT I PRESS ON.
I’ll just tell you RIGHT NOW… Bethel Church of God doesn’t have it all together. Her pastor doesn’t have it all together. His family doesn’t have it all together. Her members don’t have it all together. With God’s help, we’re working to GET it together. But if we’ll just make a decision… no matter where we’ve failed; no matter where we’ve messed up; no matter where we’ve dropped the ball in 2006; WE PRESS ON in 2007!
We press on to victory… we press on to the plan of God… and with will of God.
Paul just came out and said it…
“Not that I have already obtained it…”
In other words, “I don’t have it all together yet.” If the Apostle Paul doesn’t have it all together… you and I aren’t either. But that’s not an excuse to give up… I might mess up… BUT I PRESS ON…
Then Paul says…
“…or have already become perfect…”
A lot of folks are faulting themselves because of a lack of perfection in their lives. I can’t be the perfect dad… the perfect mom… the perfect spouse… the perfect weight. I don’t have the perfect home… The perfect kids… the perfect life…
Perfect life? Are you kidding? It would be nice if I could just keep the filter on the A/C changed regularly. I would just be happy if I could keep my refrigerator cleaned out. But that wouldn’t make us happy either. We shoot for an elusive perfection that we will never attain. I’m not PERFECT… but I PRESS ON.
Let me tell you friend, YOU WON’T EVER BE PERFECT THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN. The best thing we can hope for is being changed by the power of the Holy Ghost. Sanctification… that being set apart for His Holy purposes. But friend… even so, YOU WON’T be perfect until you see Him…
1 John 3:2-3
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. NASU
You’ll be perfected when you’re face to face with Him. Until then, you purify yourself… and keep your HOPE FIXED ON HIS APPEARING. Don’t try to aim for perfection in 2007. Paul said himself that he didn’t have perfection. He said… “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect…”
Paul said, “I haven’t already become perfect…” If he wasn’t, Lord knows we won’t be either. Bethel Church of God won’t be the perfect church in 2007. You won’t be the perfect Christian in 2007. The pressure’s off. Now, we understand… let’s resolve… “We’re not perfect… BUT WE PRESS ON…” Let’s decide now… in 2007, we won’t see perfection… but we will PRESS ON TOWARDS IT.
Then, Paul says in verse 13…
“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet…”
“I don’t have it in my grasp yet… I haven’t LAID HOLD… but I PRESS ON…” Let me tell you, we won’t have a handle on everything in 2007. We won’t be have the tiger by the tail. You won’t have it all in your grasp this year. Paul himself said that HE didn’t.
“I do not regard myself as having laid hold yet…”
In other words, “I don’t have a handle on everything…” If Paul didn’t… YOU WON’T. But HE pressed on… and YOU can press on in 2007. I may not have a handle on everything in my life. I might not have a handle on everything in my world. I might not have a hold of everything in my life that I should, but that’s not going to keep me from pressing on toward that end. I don’t have a hold on it… BUT I PRESS ON. I PRESS ON… regardless.
Paul says this… in verse 13
“… forgetting what lies behind…”
Forgetting what lies behind; in other words, SOMETHING’S BACK THERE. There might be skeletons in the closet. Things I might not want the world to know about. Paul as much as said that a past might be back there. He tells the Philippians… FORGET IT!
We’ve all got a past. Some of them are more eventful than others. Some may have more sin in them than others. It never bothered Jesus… He just said…
Luke 7:41-47
41 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
The one who’s got the worst past, is usually the most grateful for the forgiveness. Don’t let your past keep you behind in 2007. I might have a PAST… but I PRESS ON. I might have baggage… but I PRESS ON. I might have a history… but I PRESS ON. I’m not going to let my yesterdays keep me from my tomorrows. I PRESS ON.
If the Apostle Paul wasn’t concerned about the PAST… and didn’t think it was a hindrance to PRESSING ON… should we concern ourselves with it? He was an assassinator of the saints… he was a murderer of the beloved. That was the past HE had to look back to. But he FORGOT ABOUT IT… and WENT ON. Should we concern ourselves with OUR past? I don’t think so.
Why do we need to press on in 2007? First, we need to press on to FORGET some things.
Verse 13 says…
“…forgetting what lies behind…”
Paul is pretty adamant that there are some things that we just need to forget about. Past is past. You worrying about 2006 won’t fix it. It won’t fix anything. Worrying about yesterday only robs you of your todays. Remember… just 362 left in 2007. Not a single moment to lose. If the Apostle Paul says to forget about it… FORGET ABOUT IT! Put it all behind you… and START OVER. YOU CAN START OVER in 2007. You might have messed up everything until now… but you can start over.
We also PRESS ON… in order to REACH…
Verse 13 says…
“…and reaching forward to what lies ahead…”
There is something to reach for. We’ve got to stretch in 2007. We’ve got to push ahead… in 2007. We have to REACH FORWARD. There are those times when we feel like… “What’s the point? Why should I keep striving for what never seems to come? Why keep reaching?” Because there is something that lies ahead.
Paul said it; “Reaching FORWARD to what lies ahead.” There is something that lies ahead of you. There is something that lies ahead of me. There is something that lies ahead of Bethel Church of God. We have a hope and a future. REACHING… always reaching. We also press on WITH A GOAL:
“…I press on toward the goal…”
We have a goal to reach. We have somewhere to get to. We have the great commission driving us. We have the building of the kingdom as our aim. We have a goal. Paul said it… I press on toward the goal. I press on to get where God want me to get. I press on achieve everything he has for me to achieve. That’s why I press on
And finally, I PRESS ON to WIN…
Paul says three little words that I love…
“…for the prize…”
If there’s a prize, friend… then there’s something to win. If there’s a prize, then there’s something to attain. If there’s a prize… then there’s a reason to go on… and stay holy… and walk worthy. If there’s a prize… I haven’t already obtained it… BUT I PRESS ON. I’m not perfect yet… BUT I PRESS ON… I haven’t got a hold on everything yet… BUT I PRESS ON. I’m forgetting the past… and I PRESS ON… I reach ahead… and I PRESS ON. I have a goal… and I PRESS ON… I’m gonna win in 2007. Bethel Church of God is going to win in 2007. And WE PRESS ON.
# posted by PastorChris @ 2:14 PM 
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