Pressing On

Philippians three. Paul has been encouraging the Philippian church toward gospel unity and joy and now he is using athletic imagery as a way of helping us understand how we, in his words, press on. How we can persevere even when our circumstances are difficult or bleak.

One of my favorite memories happened two years ago watching my oldest son, Turner, play football for his high school team. It was the first year our school had a football team so we were starting from total scratch and we really were not that good. Turner was a receiver and the quarterback threw the ball to him and he ran for a 40 yard touchdown. It was his first touchdown ever. We had never won a game, we were down by like 40 points, but as he got into that endzone none of that stopped Turner from raising up his hand and holding the number one finger. I was so happy and proud, but I was also laughing so hard. Nevermind the score. Nevermind the record. Turner was pressing on as if he had just won the Superbowl.

That story came to mind this week because it’s a perfect illustration of what Paul is telling us. We press on. The Philippian church is being persecuted from the outside, they are fracturing from the inside, some of them even letting go of Jesus for an easier, more comfortable life, and their leader is a six week journey away in prison. So what does Paul mean when he tells them to press on? That’s what I want to look at today through three questions. 1) what we are pressing toward, 2) why we press on, and 3) how we press on. And that’s what I want to look at today.

1. What we are pressing toward

Paul says press on toward the prize. So what is the prize? There has been a fair amount of disagreement over the centuries as to what Paul is referring to. Some say that the prize is knowing Christ. Others have said that the prize is Christ-likeness. So which is it? Knowing Christ or Christ-likeness? It’s both.

They are the separate, but inseparable parts of the prize. We can’t be made more like Jesus if we don’t know Jesus and we can’t know Jesus more if we are not made more like Him. This is what Paul calls in verse 14 ‘the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’ And I love how God has prepared His people to understand this. It isn’t new. You can see the foundations of what Paul is saying back in the Old Testament tabernacle and, later, temple. Its construction was very intentional. God’s very presence, His meeting place with men was in the center of that structure. So, the more you moved toward the center of the temple, the more clean and holy you had to be. The less clean and holy you were, the farther away you had to be. Do you see it? To be closer to God, you had to be more like Him.

The problem was that if sinful man got too close to a holy God, we would die. When holiness and unholiness converge, there is an explosion and when the dust settles, holiness is doing just fine. One of the main purposes of the whole temple structure is for us to see that our unholiness is the thing that puts us at odds with God.

So, what does God do about this? He had a plan for us to be made more like Him AND to be able to know Him. The gospel says that Jesus earned the prize and gave it to us. Jesus who was perfectly holy and righteous and perfectly knew God the Father didn’t just earn the prize, he embodied the prize. Whatever the opposite of a prize is, that’s what we have earned. If we are sticking with Paul’s athletic metaphor here, we don’t even earn a participation certificate. We are dead last, redcarded, ejected from the game. But, Jesus pays the price we deserve on the cross and He gives us His perfect righteousness so we can enjoy the prize he earned of drawing close to God (because we no longer have the problem of being unholy and unrighteous). We are legally declared as righteous as Jesus. Then, we can spend the rest of our lives becoming more and more like Jesus. Increasingly making actually true what has been legally declared to be true the moment we believe. And the crazy thing is that when we see this, Jesus did more than earn the prize for us…He is the prize and made it possible for us to have Him.

The more we are conformed into the image of Jesus, the more we will want to know Him. And the more we know Him, the more we will be conformed into His image. You see how these two things work together? Separate, but inseparable parts of the prize. And this isn’t a process that will be finished in this life. Even the Apostle Paul says in verse 12, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on…”

In verse 15, Paul says, “Let those of us who are mature think in this way.” This is mature thinking. Pressing on toward the prize. So, if mature thinking is pressing on toward the prize, then what is immature thinking? Immature thinking is striving for something else. Anything else. Immature thinking is going to lead to a miserable Christian life and in some cases turn out to show that there was no Christian life to begin with. Paul talks about these people in verses 18 and 19: 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. - Philippians 3:18-19

Minds set on earthly things. Think about that. That basically means trading Jesus for lesser prizes. Trading the true prize for a counterfeit. I got permission to tell this story (and it cost me $10 - price gouging), but Wednesday night after my kids got home from youth, my daughter, Ivey, was playing Duo Lingo. Most of you probably know Duo Lingo. It’s an app that helps you learn other languages. And I think everyone in my family uses it. You play fun games and earn points to learn Spanish or brush up on our Italian. Well, I noticed that Ivey was speaking English to the app. I was like, “Ivey, are you doing Duo Lingo in English?” She said, “Yes.” I said, “But you already know English.” To which she said, “Yeah, but I get so many more points doing it this way.” Yeah, but the prize isn’t the points, it’s learning another language. To which she said, “Dad, I’m literally number three in the nation right now!”

We do the same thing by trading the eternal comfort of knowing Christ for temporary comforts in this world. Remember, that knowing Christ requires us dying to our sin, our preferences, and even our rights. And that IS hard! I don’t want to make it sound easy. Immature thinking is actually easier. It’s actually easier to avoid a hard conversation or a messy situation than it is to lean into it. It’s easier to harbor resentment or bitterness than it is to forgive. Or when life just has you down, it’s easier to run to lesser prizes. It’s easier to get discouraged and binge TV shows or video games instead of leaning into that discouragement. It’s easier to be totally defeated and numb yourself through alcohol and pornography than it is to pursue Christ-likeness. That is what Paul calls immature thinking. But, Jesus promises heart resurrection on the other side of every decision to die to ourselves. That’s what living for Christ means. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. Paul knows this and he tells us that he’s writing with tears in his eyes that people are choosing these earthly comforts over Jesus.

So, I want to give us a diagnostic. How might we know if we are given to immature thinking? Are we more aware now of our sin than when we began this journey? You see over the course of Paul’s writings this progressive journey of Paul becoming more and more aware of his sin. I’m not saying that Paul became more sinful, but we see a Paul early on who is remorseful of his actions in 1 Corinthians where he wrote that he is the least of the apostles because he himself persecuted the church. We saw him mention that last week. But, later, in 1 Timothy, he calls himself the chief or worst of sinners. Not just the least of the apostles, but the chief of sinners. His pursuit of the prize caused him to grow in humility through an awareness of God’s holiness and his need for God’s grace. That only happens as we pursue the prize of knowing Christ and Christ-likeness. I will say that I have not felt as close to God in decades as I did on my sabbatical this summer. A precious gift you gave me and my family. But, I also saw depths of my sin in a way I had never seen before and I felt more joy than I ever expected to feel. It’s not easy, but it’s so worth it.

We press on toward the prize. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He gives us more than the ‘what.’ He gives us the ‘why.’

1.  Why we should press on

We press on because Christ has already taken hold of us. Verse 12: I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. - Philippians 3:12 This is what separates Christianity from every other worldview. Anything else people do to feel better in this life is something they take a hold of. You can take hold of another religion, you can take hold of the best self-help practices to better yourself, or you can hold of coping mechanisms like shopping, vacations, alcohol, or doom scrolling. But, only Christianity takes hold of you first.

Paul says to press on, but it is caused by Christ pressing on us first. Jesus doesn’t take hold of us because we took hold of Him. We take hold of Him because He took hold of us. Christianity is not something we take up, it’s something that takes us up. Christianity is not something that starts with us, it’s someone who starts upon us. This is why Jesus said, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. - John 6:44

So, why does this matter so much to Paul? Because, if Christ has taken hold of us first, then the prize is guaranteed. If we have it in our own moral and spiritual volition to take a hold of Christ on our own, then we can let go on our own too. But that’s not how God works with his children. Any parent is going to do anything they can to pursue their children when they are making self-destructive decisions. And God the Father is better than any parent because only He can change hearts. And only He will keep us all the way to the end. This is how Jesus talks about it. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. - John 10:28

Paul isn’t saying that we press on in hopes of getting a prize, we press on because we are guaranteed the prize. Just by virtue of believing, we are given the prize. Now, we get to enjoy it more for the rest of our lives.

So how does being guaranteed the prize motivate us? Some might say if it’s guaranteed, we won’t work for it. But that doesn’t apply to other areas of our lives. When football players feel like they are going to win, they play harder. When soldiers see victory, they fight harder. When runners see the finish line, they spring faster. And when believers see the prize, they press on harder. This is a main theme in this book. “He who began the work will bring it to completion. Work out your own salvation because it is God who works in you. Have this mind which is yours in Christ Jesus.” We press on because Christ has taken hold of us first and because He did, our work is guaranteed to produce fruit.

If we believe in Jesus, it is only because He has made us His own. And if He has made us His own, He will never let us go. So, now we pursue the prize of knowing Christ and Christ-likeness knowing that it is guaranteed. Knowing it can never be taken from us. Knowing that no matter how bad things go, no matter what decisions we have made, He has made a way back. Knowing that He is better than any coping mechanism.

Paul’s main motivation to strive for the prize is rooted in his knowledge that Jesus has made Paul His own. For Paul that happened very dramatically on the road to Damascus. Jesus made me His own in a similar ‘at this moment’ kind of way. That wasn’t my wife’s story though and it’s not all of yours either. For some of you, you know that it happened, but you can’t put a day on it. You know that somewhere in this ten year period it happened. It doesn’t matter when and how He made us His own, it matters that He made us His own.

So, very practically how do we press on toward the prize? Paul tells us.

III. How we press on

Paul gives us three ways we press on. First, in verse 17, he says we are imitate others. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. - Philippians 3:17 It has always struck me the way Paul can humbly say, “Just watch me and act like me.” But that is what he is saying. There are people in our midst that we should be able to watch and benefit from. We should be able to see what it looks like to pursue the prize just from being around them. And this includes me! I want to imitate many of you. I have breakfasts often with Kurt Bowerman and I can’t tell you how much I’ve benefited from seeing this older, wiser man’s walk with Jesus and I want to imitate that. I see Dan Humbert’s deep joy in prayer and I want to imitate that. I see Kelly Simpson’s passion for Jesus and His word and I want to imitate her. I see Rod Lovett’s heart for the lost and hurting and I want to imitate him. I see Nancy Revel and Kathy Herbach cling to Jesus and find joy in Him in the midst of deep pain and I want to imitate them. I see sweet Nancy Loy, the oldest member of this church who turns 92 in three weeks and her joy in Jesus and positive outlook as her body weakens and I want to imitate that. And none of this would be possible if I weren’t substantively connected to the church.

We are so thankful for the growth God has blessed us with this year, but our goal isn’t just to grow. It isn’t just to fill seats on Sunday. Our goal is to grow well. All of us together. Someone who is substantively connected to the church is going to have more people to imitate. If you aren’t in a community group, join one. If you aren’t a member of a church, register for our next Discover OGC on November 9th and 10th. I was reminded yet again how important membership and community groups are ten days ago. A brand new family, the Simpsons, moved here from Canada in August, joined the church the first month they were here, joined the community group I’m in and, ten days ago, Brad Simpson, a very healthy guy younger than me, had a heart attack. It brought tears to my eyes seeing the outpouring of prayer and service that family received. You would have thought they had been here for ten years, not two months. And I don’t say this to boast about OGC or even the Simpsons, but just to show the power of being plugged in. And in the midst of that outpouring, I got to see more people I want to imitate.

Second, we need to forget what is behind. Verse 13: But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind… - Philippians 3:13 The primary thing he’s saying, I think, is leaving behind the Old Covenant. Don’t listen to the people who would say the Old Covenant rituals are the way to the prize. This is how he says the same thing to the church in Galatia: 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. - Galatians 4:9-11

We may not think we are truly tempted to turn back to the Old Mosaic Covenant, but we are. When we are tempted to return to earthy things we focus on what lies behind.

When we think that our good works make God love us. When we are in trials and find comfort in things that won’t last we focus on what lies behind. When we doubt that dying to ourselves and living for Christ is the precious prize, we focus on what lies behind. When we take our weary souls to anything or anyone besides Jesus, we are focusing on what lies behind. And focusing on what lies behind prevents us from embracing and enjoying the prize that is Jesus now.

And then, thirdly, if we are going to strive for the prize, we need to focus on what is ahead. Verses 13 and 14: 13 But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13-14. One pastor said that we need to make sure we are homesick. We can only be homesick when we have experienced the joy and comfort of our home and that normally happens when we look back in life, but Paul is saying that happens for Christians when we look forward. When we press on toward the prize, we actually do experience the joy and comfort of our future home. We taste it, but we can’t yet consume it. We smell it, but we can’t yet drink it. But the more we taste and smell, the more homesick we become for our future home.

Many of my friends know I love sci-fi movies. I think Apple Plus is the greatest streaming platform out there. Do you know what all sci-fi shows have in common? Every single one. The main character has been taken somewhere or shown something that fundamentally changes the way they understand their current reality. Think about it, I have just described The Matrix, Back to the Future, Narnia, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and The Hunger Games. Someone has been shown something and with that knowledge, they can no longer live the way they used to.

And this is exactly what Paul has experienced. A glimpse of his future home. Our future home. Verse 20 20 But cour citizenship is in heaven, and dfrom it we eawait a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform four lowly body gto be like his glorious body, hby the power that enables him even ito subject all things to himself. - Phil 3:20,21 That’s pressing forward to what lies ahead.

I think it’s hard for Americans to really appreciate what Paul is saying here. For most of us, a US citizenship is a right we are all born with. But for Paul, Roman citizenship was, in some ways, more prized because it was rare and elite. It gave you legal protections that not all people in the empire had. It allowed you to move around freely and to own property. You see Paul invoking these rights in the New Testament. So, as valuable as a US citizenship is, you can’t get around the fact that Paul is making an even more significant statement than we can easily appreciate. We live our lives, we press on, looking forward to a citizenship that isn’t given to those who are born in the right family at the right time, but to those who are born again. We look forward to a citizenship that doesn’t just carry the rights to appeal to Caesar, but the rights to appeal to the God of the universe. We look forward to a citizenship that doesn’t just allow us to own property, but allows us to own the prize of Jesus Christ. A citizenship that is more elite, yet more widely given, more secure, and more sure than any earthly citizenship will ever be.

We know we have a sure hope, not of some disembodied ethereal heavenly existence, but of Jesus’ glory and reign coming here. We have the call to press on for that. To press on to experience Jesus’ love and glory in our lives as we are conformed into His image. To press on regardless of our circumstances, regardless if we feel like we have a losing record in life and are down by three touchdowns as life pushes against us. We press on because we have been taken hold of by Christ and His love is never going to let us go.

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