One of the most challenging courses at the University of Denver was a business law class in which the professor gave difficult true & false tests. During one of the more exasperating exams, the professor noticed another student flipping a coin. The professor approached him. "Son are you guessing on this test?" he asked.
"No sir," replied the student. "I’m just checking my answers."
APPLY: There are people who seem to live their whole lives that way. They have no direction, no purpose, no goals. They live their lives by flipping coin, drifting along aimlessly in life.
Turn to Philippians 3:9-14
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The apostle cautions the Philippians against judaizing false teachers, and renounces his own former privileges. (1-11) Expresses earnest desire to be found in Christ; also his pressing on toward perfection; and recommends his own example to other believers. (12-21)
I want to approach the Subject of Satisfying Our Hunger
How hungry are you for a Heavenly Moving of God?
Hunger Defined - The discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by a prolonged lack of food; To have a strong desire or craving.
When is the last time you remember a moving of God, where you were afraid to move due to being afraid of quenching his spirit? Can you remember the time when you first came to know Christ and the joy you felt? Remember when you first got saved and had a hunger to follow anything God would tell you to do? Compare that to now, how does your desire for God compare? Do you really want a deep walk with God or do you like playing around the edge?
The way to quench a thirst for something is fulfill that desire with what you desire.
1. Being Found in Christ vs 9
2. Being fulfilled in Christ vs. 10
3. Being Focused on Christ vs. 13 -14
1. Being Found in Christ vs. 9
a. Php 3:9 And be found in him…that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
b. JWN - V. 9. And be found by God ingrafted in him, (ingrafted - to join together two living plant parts so that the whole grows as one.) not having my own righteousness, which is of the law-That merely outward righteousness prescribed by the law, and performed by my own strength.
c. But that inward righteousness which is through faith-Which can flow from no other fountain.
d. The righteousness which is from God-From his almighty Spirit, not by my own strength, but by faith alone.
e. Ro 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
i. ACC - Not knowing God’s method of saving sinners, going about to establish their own righteousness-seeking to obtain their salvation by means of their own plan; they have not submitted
f. Isa 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
g. Jeremiah 31:34 it says, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
h. Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
i. Greg McDonald – “Emphasizes what Paul says in (v.7).”
Paul was saying “I will not live in the past. My reason for living is to be like Jesus, and whatever happened yesterday, good or bad, is now ancient history. I will live for Jesus today.”
One thing we can know for certain is this, “God never consults your past to determine your future.”
We have a moving of God by not only being found in Christ, but by totally fulfilled in Christ.
2. Being fulfilled in Christ vs. 10
j. Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
k. Elias Reyes - What is the greatest desire of a Christian? Throughout Scripture, the great men and women of God say that their passion is to truly know Him. Moses says to God: "I pray You show me Your glory" (Exodus 33:18). David prays: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God" (Psalm 42:1). And Paul says that his heart longs to "know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings" (Philippians 3:10). The greatest desire of a true Christian is to know God. Every other desire pales in significance to this one.
l. Melvin Newland - Paul says in vs’s 10 & 11. First of all, he says, "I want to know Christ & the power of His resurrection..."
Paul begins with the resurrection. He doesn’t end with it. He begins there because that is where he met Jesus.
Once, he had learned some facts about Jesus. He had studied hard to get all the facts together. His conclusion was that Jesus was an impostor, & that the greatest service he could render for God was to destroy the church.
So he set out to persecute the church, thinking that he was doing exactly what God wanted him to do. And then, one day on his way to Damascus, he met the real Jesus, the resurrected Christ.
You see, all of us have been in the same fix that Paul was in. We were lost & hopeless & headed for a Christ less grave with no hope for eternity.
But through the power of His resurrection God lifted us up, & gives us new life inside & out. And we want that power. We want to know power such as the world doesn’t even begin to understand, power to overcome our problems, & our difficulties. I want that and the way we can have that is being found in and totally fulfilled by Christ. Do you want it this morning? How Hungry are you?
m. Ga 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
n. We can line up to how our denomination believes, we can line up to how the pastor says to live and we can live our lives to what others say, but if we are not justified, or if we have not had our sins forgiven, we are not letting the resurrection live through us.
When our entire focus in on Christ, we will have a moving of God
3. Being Focused on Christ vs. 13 -14
o. Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
p. Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
q. Jeff Strite - We have the ultimate reason to live. Ephesians 2:10 tells us: "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that He prepared in advance for us to do." In other words, we have a purpose. We have an evident destiny.
r. Mark Edmunds - what four components are needed to press through and move together in one direction, purpose and toward one goal when we, as men and women are so different in perspective and need.
For as men we are naturally goal oriented were as women are relationship oriented. As men, we value power, competency, efficiency, and achievement; where as women value love, communication, beauty, and relationship.
Furthermore, as men, we are visionaries, far-sighted creatures design to lead our families to a better way of life; were as woman are near-sighted, intuitive, and discerning creatures who nurtures and develops the potential of her family. With these differences these four components can place us on neutral ground where we can be more able to respect and accept our differences and move together in one direction without tension, and one purpose toward one goal to strengthen our well being, our family, and our mission as a Church.
Four components we must incorporate or employ for our success are through,
a)God’s Word
b)Our Unity
c)Our Obedience
d)Our Love
s. Ray Estes - As we press on, we will have goals to complete and hurdles to overcome. We can’t stop after clearing our first hurdle or become satisfied after accomplishing a goal and we can’t quit running just because we may have tripped along the way. We have to keep “straining forward to what lies ahead” lest we get left behind.
We need to remember that the race is not over. God is not through with us yet. We aren’t perfect, we’re just forgiven.
We will have many more goals set before us and we must keep pressing on toward the goal of the heavenly calling of God.
What is the goal? It is to be like Jesus.
t. The chorus reads - I’M PRESSING ON THE UPWARD WAY…NEW HEIGHTS I’M GAINING EV’RY DAY…HIGHER GROUND!
u. BABE RUTH HELD THE HOME RUN RECORD FOR MANY YEARS…HE HELD ANOTHER RECORD TOO…STRIKEOUTS.
WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID, “SUCCESS IS THE ABILITY TO MOVE FROM ONE FAILURE ON TO THE NEXT.”
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
1831—FAILED IN BUSINESS, WENT BANKRUPT
1833—BACK ON HIS FEET, FAILED AGAIN
1835—FIANCEE DIED
1836—NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
1838—RAN FOR SPEAKER OF HOUSE, WAS DEFEATED
1840—ELECTOR, WAS DEFEATED
1843—CONGRESS, WAS DEFEATED
1848—CONGRESS, WAS DEFEATED
1855—SENATE, WAS DEFEATED
1856—VICE PRESIDENT, WAS DEFEATED
1858—SENATE, WAS DEFEATED
1860—WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT, ONE OF THE GREATEST WHO EVER LIVED.
HE MOVED FROM ONE FAILURE TO THE NEXT WITHOUT QUITTING
SUCCESS IS GETTING UP JUST ONE TIME MORE THAN YOU FALL DOWN!
v. What am I saying? I am saying maybe you have failed, stumbled in your Christian walk, maybe you don’t quite understand everything, well let me tell you there is a loving savior who is on your side. You just need to get back up and keep going forward. Maybe you once were a Christian and it has been a long time, you feel you can’t make it… The savior wants to help you. Move on from failures and look to the future. What ever your need is, How hungry are you for God? Is there a craving, hunger pains for more of God?
How focused are you on obeying everything God tells you to do? I am hungering for a true moving of God, on where people will be honest before God, conviction settles down, and each will have an open honesty and open up their lives for God to fill it.
Becoming Focused on God, you will be not only found in Him but totally fulfilled in Him.
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Barnes - The "mark" means, the object set up at a distance at which one looks or aims; the goal, which was set up at the end of a race-course.
Focus on God, just as is done with race horses they put blinders on them to help them from straying from the goal set before them.
