There's really no other way to gain hold of Christ.
It's through the cross, not through your study, not through your theology.
All that is good, but it's first when you die on the cross with Christ Jesus, then you
get all that He has for you.
Welcome back to a deeper dive into Philippians.
Today we'll be looking at Philippians chapter 3 from verse 12 to 16.
And the title for this message is Staying Hungry for the Lord.
Because I believe in this section Paul encourages us to be hungry and just pursue the Lord.
So let's jump in the verses and I'm going to read from just verses 12 to 14 and then
we'll look at 15 and 16 later.
So verses 12 says this.
I love this section of verses because Paul is reminding us that there are levels that
he's not reached yet.
He's reminding us as much as God has used him, he's not there yet.
He's not arrived.
And that's a good thing for me because sometimes I think we feel like after you've studied
a couple of verses in the Bible and you've preached a couple of times, you feel like
you've attained, you feel like you've accomplished your goal spiritually.
And this is towards the end of Paul's ministry and he's saying, I have not arrived yet.
Because there's so much more to God that we don't even know yet.
Paul is telling us we're not there yet, but let's keep going.
Let's press on.
And when I read this section, I think about Matthew chapter 11 verse 12.
And this is what it says.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence
and the violent take it by force.
And the violent take it by force.
This word violent is a Greek word, beazo.
And it means to use force, to apply force, to force one's way into a thing.
John came preaching about the kingdom of God and many since then have been forcing their
way into the kingdom.
Jesus wants us to force our way into his kingdom.
He doesn't force the kingdom on us.
He sends people to preach the kingdom and then he expects us to come running to the
kingdom.
He will never force himself on you.
He wants you to want him.
He wants you to pursue him.
He wants you to be hungry for him and choose him over every other thing.
And you see that in Matthew 7 when Jesus tells us, seek him and we will find him.
He wants us to pursue and seek him.
That's his goal.
His goal is for intimacy with us and he wants us to be hungry for him.
That's why Paul is saying, I've not attained, I'm not already perfect.
He's hungry for more.
Hunger is a sign of health.
And so when God wants us to, when he says, be hungry for me, he wants us to show that
we are healthy spiritually.
Because if you're unhealthy spiritually, you will not desire him.
You will not want more of him.
You'll just be comfortable and relaxed.
But if you're healthy spiritually and have an encounter with him, you will pursue him.
You will study the scriptures, you will pray, you will be around, surround yourself with
believers who are hungry so he can help you, motivate you to know him more.
And so in this section, Paul is saying, not that I've already attained or I'm already
perfected, but I press on.
I press on to what he has for me.
I press on to all that he's provided for me.
I press on to the knowledge that's still out there for me.
I press on into relationship with him.
And then look at the other part of verse 12, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ
Jesus has also laid hold of me.
In the first section of this verse, Paul states this, that I may hold of that.
And what I'm talking about is, not that I've already attained or I'm already perfected,
but I press on that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me.
And the question that I ask is this, what is this that that he's talking about?
What is he referring to when he says that I may lay hold?
of that and this is what I believe he's talking about he's talking about what
he was mentioning in the previous section from verses 8 to 11 and I'm
gonna read verse 10 quickly so that you can see that I may know him and the
power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being
conformed to his death that's what I believe is referring to that he may lay
hold of this that he may lay hold of him that he may lay hold of the power of
his resurrection that he may lay hold of the fellowship of his suffering being
conformed to his death that's what he's referring to see Paul gave up all
worldly accomplishments and status so that he can gain Christ he sacrificed
everything he was at the top of the social world of his time the top of the
economical world he was at the very top but he gave all that up so that he can
gain Christ and that's the that's what you have to do to to be hungry to stay
hungry for God you have to sacrifice you have to surrender the things of this
world so that you can gain more of him so that you can gain more of him and
then he continues to say this in verse 12 that I may lay hold of that for which
Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me how did Christ Jesus lay hold of him
Christ Jesus laid a hold of him when he went to the cross and died for our sins
Christ laid hold of us when he said yes to the punishment that belonged to us
that's how he gained Paul and that's how he gained us through his death burial
and resurrection Christ laid hold of Paul and he laid hold of all of us in
other words what Paul is saying here is he presses on so that he can learn to
die on the cross like Christ because once you're dead on you're dying on the
cross like Christ you're gaining more of him there's really no other way to gain
hold of Christ it's through the cross not through your study not through your
theology all that is good but it's first when you die on the cross with
Christ Jesus then you get you get him then you get all that he has for you
Paul's desire and goal is for him to look like Jesus Christ that's his heart
and that's why he's pressing in so that he can die on the cross and get him so
anyway let's move on to verse 13 brethren I do not count myself to have
apprehended but one thing I do for getting those things which are behind
and reaching forward to those which things are ahead verse 13 is one of my
favorite verses because it helps me focus not on the past failures not on
the past victories but helps me focus on what's ahead because sometimes we were
trapped in our past sometimes we've experienced terrible past and it holds
us back and prevents us from moving forward and prevents us from going into
all that God has planned for us and also when he says I do not count myself to
have apprehended but one thing I do I forget those things which are behind in
the life of Paul this must have been a very important mindset because God used
Paul in a very powerful way Paul was used to change culture to change cities
he had vision open visions he had great experiences with the Lord but he chose
to forget those things and move on he didn't live in the past we are sometimes
prisoners of our past there is safety and comfort in the past because you
already know what happened it's like the saying goes better devil you know
than a devil that you don't know we know the past so you're comfortable with the
past we don't know the future we're nervous about what's coming ahead and so
sometimes we rather stay back there and then face the future some of us might
have abusive past traumatic past and was so afraid to put ourselves out there and
engage the future because you're afraid what happened to us might happen again
and so we stay trapped and I'm encouraging you today leave the past
good or bad look to the future look to Jesus who knows your future and then
Paul goes on to say this I do not count myself to have apprehended I don't
understand why those things happen in the past I don't understand why I
was born in the family I was born into why I was the one that was single
out and abused. Why did it happen to me? I don't understand that. And that we can spend our
lifetime trying to ask, why me Lord? Why? Why? Why? Why? But it's saying, forgetting those things
which are behind us. Let's reach forward to the future. If it's a trauma thing, deal with it. Don't
ignore it. Seek counsel. Seek a therapist. Go to church. Let the Lord heal you from the wounds.
And then, because you can never move forward if you have wounds in your heart. The wounds have to
be first healed. Then you can move forward. So when he encourages to forget the things which are
behind us and move forward, because life happens to all of us and we must choose to move ahead.
Look at verse 14. I press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
I'm going to reread that in the NLT. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the
heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us. Paul forgets his previous successes
and failures and focuses on finishing the race that was set before him. His goal in life is to
receive his prize from Christ. His goal is to finish the race that was set before him. Now look
at this verse in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 from verse 9 to 10. Therefore we make it our aim,
whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has
done, whether good or bad. What Paul is telling us here is this. We're going to stand, for us believers,
we're going to stand before Christ and he will judge us based on what we've done in this life.
And this is just for believers. The non-believers will stand before the great white throne judgment
and they're going to stand before God the Father. We believers are going to stand before Christ
and give an account for what we did with what Christ gave us. He's given us God the Holy Spirit.
He's given us gifts. He's given us callings. He's given us so much and he's given us all blessings
in heavenly places. So he expects us to finish our race and we will stand before God
and give an account of what we've done. And so that's why Paul is saying, I press toward the goal
for the price of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He moves forward. He does not let the past
impact him. He chooses to say, I know that was bad. I know that was terrible but I'm going to choose to
look to you Jesus and take the next step. And when he finishes his race, he will receive a robe of
righteousness. He will receive a crown from Christ Jesus and that should all be our goal. So let's
continue here. Let's go to verses 15 and 16. Therefore let us as many as are mature have this
mind and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless to the
degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. In
verse 15, Paul is encouraging us to have the same mindset as he's having. The mindset of
finishing the race and receiving the price from Christ. He especially expects the spiritually
mature to have the mindset. And he finishes verse 15 by saying that if you do not have the mindset
of finishing the race, pray that God will reveal that to you. And the way you get the mindset, you
have to live a life of surrender. I believe Paul leaves it to the Holy Spirit to reveal to you
because it is not something that can be taught. I cannot teach you how to surrender. I can tell
you what surrendering is but I can't teach you how to do it. You and the Holy Spirit have to
come together and choose to live that lifestyle of surrendering because that is how you finish
the race. That is the mindset that we all need to have. And verse 16, nevertheless to the degree
that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. Simply verse
16 is telling us this, act your age. Act your age. Nevertheless to the degree that we already attained,
act to the knowledge that you have. If you have this mindset of surrender and finishing the race,
live like it. If you don't, ask the Lord to give you that mindset and grow in it.
The Holy Spirit will hold us accountable. When we are standing before Jesus and giving
account of what we have done, He will hold us accountable.
done will be held accountable based on what we know. God does not waste anything and so if you
think you can just live this life without with no abandonment think again because when you stand
before Jesus you'll have to give an account of everything and so have this mindset of finishing
the race and the way we get that is through the Holy Spirit revealing that to us. Holy Spirit will
hold us accountable to the degree of revelation we have received. In verse 13 Holy Spirit challenges
us to be hungry and so when we're hungry for more we get more revelation and then when we get more
revelation we get more knowledge of how to live life and based on that knowledge there's an
expectation of us to walk in it and then when we stand before Christ we'll be held accountable
of how we've lived our life based on the revelation we've received. This challenges us to be ever
growing and to not just sit on these revelations but to implement them in our lives. I really hope
you've gathered what I'm trying to tell you. We'll be held accountable for everything that we're doing
and God expects us to pursue him and be hungry for him but the main thing I want you to remember
we have the Holy Spirit who will help us in all this, who will help us finish the race, who will
help us accomplish what God has sent us here on earth to accomplish. Amen. Thank you for watching
this message. I pray that you will join me next episode as we look at living up to the cross of Christ.