Part III
A Strong Following
Intro: If I am
going to finish strong, it stands to reason that I must serve strong, live
strong, be strong and follow strong now.
When a race is being run, it is always exciting when there is a group
running toward the finish line. One may
be in the lead, but there are a few other runners in hot pursuit. Running in a pack, striving to overtake the
first place runner and win the race.
In our race, we must not lag behind, but we must follow
strong after Him.
·
I Cor.
1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is
given you by Jesus Christ. That in every
thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed
in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also
confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Paul was an excellent example of what it means to follow
strong.
TURN to
Philippians 3:10-21
A. A
Greater Knowledge – I want to know more
B. A
Greater Power – I want to do more
C. A
Greater Fellowship – I want to be more
How? Vs. 12 – I
FOLLOW AFTER…
Notice verse 17 – BRETHREN, BE FOLLOWERS TOGETHER OF ME AND
MARK THEM WHICH WALK SO AS YE HAVE US FOR AN ENSAMPLE.
Paul’s admonition was to follow Christ as He followed
Christ, and to use allow all those that do to motivate us!!
Signs of a strong following are:
I. Peace with the
Past – forgetting those things which are behind…
One of the biggest hindrances to God’s people finishing
strong is the occasional bumps and bruises along the way.
·
Unexpected problems.
·
Unresolved conflicts.
·
Unforgiveness toward those that hurt us.
·
Problems of the past.
·
People that let us down.
·
Our own mistakes and failures.
·
Things we wish we could do over.
Not only the negative things in our past hinder, but the
positive can as well.
We may fail to do more for God because we live in the memory
of our past accomplishments.
Paul said in our TEXT:
·
Philippians
3:7, 8 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may
win Christ,
Paul said: I don’t think about all the “good things” in my
past. I don’t think about all the losses
in my past. I am forgetting my past
hurts, past pain, past mistakes, past accomplishments.
·
Luke 9:62 And
Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
II. Pursue the
Possibilities –reaching forth unto those things which are before
INTERESTING NOTE: The word “things” is found twice
here in verse 13.
1.
The “things” which are behind.
2.
The “things” which are before.
What a blessing that it is not the same word in the Greek.
The “things” in my future are different from the “things” in
my past!
Don’t let the “things” in your past rob you from the
“things” God has for you.
The word “reaching forth” literally means to be stretched
out. (Elisha and the son of the Shunammite woman)
It could be serving in the church in a number of capacities.
·
Serving in the nursery.
·
Volunteering to work in the bus ministry.
·
Serving as a usher.
·
Getting involved in the outreach and visitation
ministry.
·
Serving in the nursing home and retirement home
ministry.
·
Being willing to teach a Sunday School class or
serve as an assistant.
·
Praying about the call to preach.
·
Praying about surrendering to go to the mission
field.
III. Press for the
Prize – I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God
NOTE: The word
“press” here literally means: to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavour to
acquire
The word “mark” here is the Greek word skopos skop-os’ ("scope") an observer, a watchman; the
distant mark looked at, the goal or end one has in view
Though the mark may be far in the distance, our strong FOCUS
(through the scope of a strong FAITH) should provoke a strong FOLLOWING!!
The high calling of God here is not Paul’s call to preach.
The word here literally means “vocation”.
Every believer is called with a high calling of God.
·
Ephesians
4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy
of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
·
I Corinthians
7:20-24 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not for
it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a
servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is
Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a
price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is
called, therein abide with God.
·
2 Timothy
1:9
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in
Christ Jesus before the world began,
·
Romans
11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
God has a plan – a job – a vocation for you.
You and I should press – to eagerly endeavor to acquire
God’s plan.
The only way we will ever FINISH STRONG is we are STRONG IN
OUR FOLLOWING of God’s call.
Conclusion:
1. Are you at peace with the past?
2. Are you in pursuit of new possibilities to serve the
Lord?
3. Are you pressing toward the mark – the end goal of
victory for every called of God believer?
