Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

before you're seated just have a couple verses to set up our Philippians 3 13-14 Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind reaching forth into those things which are before I press toward the mark for the price of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus my message comes from this text today and it's just this to keep your eyes on the prize Lord we ask that you just continue to speak to us as we now bring forth your word we know you're here amongst us and we thank you for your presence that we feel we thank you for once again another opportunity to be here in your name God let us be obedient to your word let us be receptive to your voice and what you would say in the name of Jesus and you may be seated when God created the Earth Adam and Eve had it pretty easy I would say there at the start they had but one thing they couldn't do amongst all the things they could do but just as we all tend to do they messed up they brought up on us the fall of Man which brought issues to all of us we're still created in the image of God just as in the beginning before sin came into the picture but now we do live in this sinful flesh you see that one thing that they had to do the serpent took their eyes away from God's command from God's voice they had one goal one thing how easily do we give up in our failures we struggle to work through our hardships to get to our goal I'm sure that almost everyone in here could name the man that invented the light bulb Thomas Edison not only invented the light bulb he was one of the most prolific inventors and innovators in American history and while you hear so much about the things that he accomplished he also had many failures and he stumbled many times along the way until he reached his goal in response to a question about his missteps Mr Edison once said I have not failed ten thousand times have successfully found 10 000 ways that will not work I guess you could say he saw the glass half full he did not let those failures stop him because he didn't just stop there he saw what was to come he saw the potential he saw the goal how did he have this mindset again he looked past the current situation that he found himself in we are so guilty of letting ourselves get focused on whatever trial it is that we're facing to the point that we forget the purpose that we are to meet in our life it gets to a point to where our failures Define us and we lose out on what God has in store for us what is our purpose if I can be Elementary with us today I would say that we have two main goals in this life to meet that is to be ready when the Lord comes back and to bring as many people to him as we can very simple goal I feel to meet we have all been called to do something of God but sometimes our flesh does get in the way and we lose sight of that ultimate goal and we take our eyes off of him for just a moment if I may direct your attention to Acts chapter 9 beginning at verse 10. there was a certain disciple at Damascus named ananias to him said the Lord in a vision ananias he said behold I am here Lord the Lord said unto him arise go into the street which is called straight and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth he hath seen a vision a man named ananias coming in and putting his hand on him that he might receive his sight then ananias answered Lord I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to the Saints at Jerusalem and here he hath Authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name but the Lord said unto him go thy way for he is a chosen vessel into me to Bear my name before the Gentiles the Kings the children of Israel for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake the word says ananias went his way and entered into the house and putting his hands on him said brother Saul the Lord even Jesus that appeared unto thee in thy way as thou cameth has sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost and immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales and he received sight forth with and arose and was baptized so what is the point of this passage of text you see ananias in this part in this point he saw Paul as he would be and not as he was at the time you see God had already started something in Paul's life ananias was used as part of something bigger than what he himself was I'm sure it could have been easy he questioned God himself you mean Saul that Christian murderer but even at that point God used ananias to change Paul's life which in turn changed many lives afterwards what if he had not followed God's command what if he had said Lord this is a terrible man there's no way that he can ever be used of you that's how we are sometimes we only see the current person we want to be a soul winner but we can't get past the sin we can't get past the things that they have done when we need to be like brother sister even before they are where we feel they should be again he did question God but God made it clear sometimes we want God to do all the work for us ananias could have been like I'll pray for him but no he himself he had to go and do the work he was the link in that chain he was the one to fulfill that goal that God had in Paul's life how many of you has God spoken to and you know what you need to do but you're instead focused on the challenge you're instead focused on the bad stuff instead of what the outcome will be because we do serve a God that he knows the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end if you want to win souls if you want to change your life you've got to start looking through God's eyes and see what you're gonna be what he has for you if you want to really win that person's soul then you need to see them as the next preacher you need to see them as the next Bible study or whatever it may be don't let their sin or who they are currently the fun now you got to keep your eyes on that prize you got to keep your eyes on that goal there's a plan of God In Motion for people in our lives that we have been called to be a part of they have seen Visions they have heard God's voice just as Paul did and they're just waiting for you to fulfill your part in that plan to change their life you have to realize they are a chosen vessel Just As You Are don't look at the state of the situation look at the outcome I urge someone who was just a Christian murderer was now being called brother Saul I can imagine in that time how that made him feel some of us don't want to come to this altar because of things we've done imagine Paul in his situation being referred to as a brother some of us don't even want to be in the same room with some people that God wants us to minister to What's it gonna take for you to treat them as God would have to treat them as your brother or as your sister you see that is part of our goal as a Christian as a follower of Jesus comes God showed his love for us and even that while we were still Sinners he died for us he didn't look at the current sinful situation that we found ourselves in he saw the plan that he had he saw the goal and the outcome of what we would be he didn't wait for us to be where we needed to be while we were yet sinners he died for us it can be a trial to minister to some people but take joy in that trial know that not only is a work going to be done in their life but in you as well they're just waiting for you what are you waiting for there is a prize that is awaiting and we can't let anything in this life get in the way life can be tough the enemy will try to stop us and make us be who they want us to be but no matter what we have to continue to if I may use a personal situation for you those of you that don't know I lost a brother many years ago I was so young that I don't remember him it was a terrible accident and I'm sure that my family my parents could have easily had every reason to give up on God but they continued to press forth they stayed faithful and I'm sure that if they had not have stayed faithful in that current situation I would not be right where I'm at right now you see through everything God has a plan no matter how terrible that situation is because although we may have lost someone close to us we have another reason now to be sure we are ready to meet him in heaven because God ordains everything that we go through his glory will be shown through every situation even if we can't understand why he does things we just have to be what he has made us to be being a Christian what does that mean it means to follow Christ do the things that he did we have to remember however as we follow him the enemy is also following us just waiting for an opportunity waiting for you to take your eyes off of that prize in John chapter 8. a woman that was found in a sin the people were going to kill her but Jesus lifted himself up saw none but the woman he said unto her woman where are those thine accusers hath no man condemned them she said no man Lord Jesus said unto her neither do I condemn thee go and sin no more if we're truly followers of Jesus then we should not condemn those for things that they have done we should not kill those if you will in their current situation because there is a plan again just as Jesus told her go and sin no more I guarantee you that the master speaking those words into her life I'm sure she walked away a little different because he saw he saw what she would do stop looking behind just continue to face God as you go forward don't make him just a blurry image in your peripheral because you're not really focused on him because whatever you have your focus on is what's going to appear the biggest again if you start looking back on your walk with God that's when the enemy will then be in your focus that's when the enemy will then appear bigger than they truly are and God is no longer that main focus what's in the past is in the past whatever's following you around don't turn around and face it continually keep your eyes to that prize of God because again purpose such were some of you but you were washed you were Sanctified you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of we have to press forward you may have been this you may have been that but again you were that but now you are Sanctified you are Justified you have to keep going and pressing forward proverbs 4 25 through 27 let thine eyes look on and let thine eyelids look straight before thee Ponder thy path the path of thy feet let all thy ways be established turn not to the right hand nor to the left remove thy foot from evil I can't make it any more simple than that keep going forward as I begin to draw to a close some of us again have so many reasons to get off track so many excuses to give up and feel as though we can't fulfill God's plan we can't win souls but I'm just here to tell you if a murderer like Moses can stay on track and be used then so can we if an adulterer like David can be used mightily then why can't we if a Christian murderer like Paul can then in a quick of a moment be known as brother Paul and begin to change his life so can we if a prostitute like Rahab can be used so mightily why can't we someone who denied Jesus face to face like Peter can do the things he did and not get thrown off of his goal why can't we these people all made mistakes just like we do on their walk with God but they continued forward come now let us reason together says the Lord though your sins are like Scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they are red like Crimson they shall become like War you don't have to stay the way you were you just keep going forward you leave it in the past and you will be the one to fulfill God's plan you will change lives and you will fulfill the purpose he has fight the good fight and keep the faith and press toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus can we all give him a hand clap of praise well Hallelujah come on can we clap our hands and make a Noise unto the Lord right now Hallelujah