Press Toward the Mark

well praise the lord everybody i want to welcome you every one of you one more time to our midweek bible study live stream uh it's a privilege one more time to join with you in studying of the word of the lord for you to connect with us via this medium to try to try to get some kind of balance and some kind of continuance in our growth and maturity in the word of the lord it's always a privilege to go to the scriptures a great opportunity for all of us to dig deeper into the epistles into the letters into the word of god and to see exactly what's written for the church even today i trust the lord has been good to you this week and he continues to bless and to move in your life we are tonight going to continue in the uh the book of philippians the epistle of philippians excuse me and for our church members uh don't forget for this sunday august the 30th that we will after our worship time uh be about 5 30 in the afternoon we will have a short business meeting for uh future expansion and growth we want to discuss that give ideas and and kind of an update of where we are so that'll be this sunday want to just make everyone aware of that also don't forget kids revival coming up september 5 and 6 with handy dandy god's handiwork it's a great great weekend a saturday and a sunday when a blessing upon them lord use them god and help them lord to reach out into their communities in their neighborhoods and with their friends in your name jesus bless our time i pray lord for the needs of the people we make petition to you lord you know those who need healing those who need deliverance provision salvation god anything lord that we could ever ever come against i know you have an answer for it and for that i pray right now and i believe lord i pray for our nation god bless the united states of america god bless our community bless chattanooga lord i pray jesus you see where we are in the condition of our world but we still believe you're on the throne and you've got a plan to work it all out lord in your timing i know god that we have questions and we wonder at times but we know jesus that you are still in control for that we're thankful we love you lord ask you to bless our time together in jesus name we pray all these things amen amen all right just a little bit of review if i could concerning the philippian church now that was a letter that paul wrote to them that's the one that we're studying and uh the bottom line is we read in last session acts chapter 16 is where it talks about how that paul had received a call in a vision somebody standing saying please come and help us and so paul went and tamothius was with him they were doing the work of god and they went to philippi and they tried to find a place to have church or have worship or go into the synagogue which was what they normally did just to see how the religious folk and what not of that day were and uh none to be found so they went step right outside the city and the scripture tells us all this again in acts 16 that they found a lady with their family they began talking about the bible and or the excuse me the gospel of jesus christ the good news and she invited them to her home they began study they began fellowship and from there is how the church at philippi began and this letter that paul sends to them he was so very thankful so very indebted to them you can read it in the way the passion the way that he uh put the words together in his letter that he was definitely definitely full of compassion and and wanted to make sure that they continued to grow and so forth paul is in a jail at this time and so he has somebody writing and going to deliver this letter for him what paul decided though we read it last last week was was he was between two two things to live or to die to live and be with you guys is so great and wonderful to die would mean to be with christ and that's wonderful and i am betwixt the two he said uh he he wanted to make sure that the church understood as much as he loved the things the revelation the day in and day out living for the lord that's how much he loved this church okay and so needless to say we learn a lot 2020 how to apply that same commitment and connection to people around us we're going to pick up here though in in philippians chapter number three oh wow uh this three and four is going to be super good tonight so y'all hang in there get your notepad out your ipad or whatever you take notes with and make sure everybody's got a bible they can read philippians 3 and 2 i want to begin there beware of dogs he says beware of evil workers beware of the concision for we are the circumcision which worship god and the spirit and rejoice in christ jesus and have no confidence in the flesh verse 4 though i might also have confidence in the flesh if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh i more circumcised the eighth day of the stock of israel of the tribe of benjamin in hebrew and hebrew of the hebrews as touching the law a pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless verse 7 says but what things were gained to me those i counted loss for christ yea doubtless and i count all things but lost 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 and verse 9 says and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of christ the righteousness which is of god of by faith that i may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death paul takes time in this letter notice to to confirm with the church that he him physically indeed he has been through a lot of things he has also been a lot of things he tells them here in in this third chapter to beware to watch out for evil he says dogs that's not a physical dog that that's a the way that the the character of a dog is the chomping the running after to the never giving up so for watch for those things they will come and destroy what the spirit of god is doing in you he reminds them as well as himself no doubt while he is is going through the writing of this it's the memories coming back to him and he reminds them of who he was for an example he mentioned several points here circumcised the eighth day just like any other jew that's that's called covenant okay of the tribe of benjamin hebrew by birth pharisees so uh so he knew the laws persecuted the church tried to stop the church no there's several things here that paul's talking about he understands the righteousness of the law and how it works and how it dwells and changes people's lives he he counts all of those things to mean nothing to lose them to him is no big deal he simply wants to know really know as much as he can about jesus in fact he he very stout very firm word here he considers all of his accomplishments everything that he's been able to do as a man as a as a minister as an evangelist as a preacher as a missionary as whatever he was everything he's been able to do he says they mean dung to me they mean manure to me they they are to be trampled and used under foot i don't consider any of that thing what i want to do he says it i want to win christ i want to have the prize of him and everything that he has for me he wants to know jesus in all of the way that jesus would show himself he wants to know for an example he mentions that i want the ability to be raised from the dead just like jesus was that's a strong term that means death to paul there's nothing that he's afraid of fellowship even and identification with the sufferings that jesus went through until the time he died and we all know those if you read the gospels you'll find in those four books that that there's a lot of suffering and shame and reproach if you will a lot of bloodshed and whippings and beatings and mockery that jesus went through and paul's saying if i can win christ then i can become somebody that concerns himself more with the righteousness of god than what this flesh and these worldly things can do that's a powerful statement for any of us that is an honorable trait for anybody to try to have i i don't know how many of us today in 2020 can can echo these exact words the truth is is paul has a testimony he's been several things he's been through several things but in all of those things he considers them all to be nothing but simply things that he had to go through to know more and more and more about jesus he wants to know more about jesus and that's the same thing for us today just like he was encouraging the church then uh in philippi listen you got to pray move go keep pushing get to the things of god learn the things of god that's why an example that when we look at our bible study we've done ephesians we've done galatians and here we are now in philippians all of these letters what we're simply trying to do is grow we're trying to mature we're trying to know how jesus worked in the life for an example of the bible day people the letters that were written to those churches and we in 2020 we're trying to grow and learn from them i believe that the bible is timeless i believe that every generation can go to the word of the lord and without a doubt if you'll call on the lord if you'll study his word want to know him he will reveal things to you and that's what paul is talking about notice how he how he continues here in chapter 3 of philippians again verse 13. brethren i count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing i do forgetting those things which are behind reaching forth unto those things which are before verse 14 i press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god in christ jesus let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in anything you be otherwise minded god shall reveal even this unto you nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing now very strong here paul's mentioned in all that i've given up and all that i've been included in and all of the things that i've been able to accomplish in my life he says i don't even think that i've apprehended i don't think i have literally taken possession of that's what he's saying i have not apprehended yet i'm still in that but one thing he says that he does he forgets that stuff and he looks to that thing which is apprehending jesus again for us in our day in our generation there are times we've all been guilty of considering past experiences and past celebrations and past joys and triumphs that we've had and sometimes that defines us so much that we forget to keep going forward that those things as great as they were we can continue to grow and learn and mature and move forward and those don't have to be the the epic they don't have to be the the peak if you will of all of the things that god can do within us but we have to then he says to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god in christ jesus there's a mark that we're aiming at and that is if i could that is to be a christian christ-like uh and again that's a term that in our in our generation and even from past generations that that we we still struggle with i think in many ways that if you consider yourself to be a christian at whatever level that is you can consider yourself to have apprehended when there's always another something out there in jesus the depth the height the width the breadth of god has yet to be plumbed nobody knows just how deep that is with that said paul in all the things that he he mentions to his friends there at the philippian church he's saying i press toward this mark i know that to be him and to do what he wants and to be like him is going to have to be a continuous motion moving forward running after him we haven't attained things on earth and we've accomplished things don't get don't make don't make mistake of this there have been great blessings and great triumphs in our lives agreed but the truth is is that if we are encouraging helping leading being with one another that we are made in his image and with that we have a purpose and that should be his purpose right we mind the things of god we consider those around us and we work together just like paul was doing to move forward into the place where he wants us to be now let's transition out of chapter three and i want to go into chapter four there's some very powerful things that paul wants the church philippi and even to us today to understand verse one of chapter four therefore my brethren dearly beloved and longed for my joy and crown so stand fast in the lord my dearly beloved i beseech eodius i beseech seeing cheek that they may be of the same mind in the lord and i treat thee also true yoke fellow help those women which labored with me in the gospel which clint with clement also and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life notice how paul shifts gears man he runs it right into fifth gear he's moving down the road now right stand fast he says hold on to be of the same mind have your mind wrapped around these same things he even calls them the church there but dearly beloved joy and crown he refers he's referring to them stand fast in the lord help those that are working remember the ones that are doing the work of god there in your area he mentions names and then all he says there are women that were there that labored with me again he mentions you go back to to acts 16 you finally those other ones that worked in the in the church there with them and so many in the church he says the only way i can tell you is their fellow laborers and their names are written in the book of life all right the understanding is that in the encouragement and the assistance working hand in hand one with another no matter who you are where you're from whatever there's a blessing in unity and harmony working in the body all right we're in this together okay you i the families around us churches all over the globe uh we are doing the things that god is wanting us to do we should all be pressing towards being more like jesus there's some again some strong things here he goes through this list and we finished at verse number three but he picks right up and now if you will he is he's preaching he's really helping this what he says rejoice in the lord always verse four and again i say rejoice let your moderation be known unto all men the lord is at hand be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto god the peace of god which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through christ jesus finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the god of peace shall be with you no this is this is very cool he says rejoice again i say rejoice there's an emphasis there he is making sure that people in the church in the body of christ at that point knows rejoicing is good that means be thankful loving serving doing god but love doing it enjoy it and then he mentions moderation here moderation has to be seen by everybody who looks at you and that that term that definition look it up in your dictionary moderation means kept or keeping within reasonable or proper limits not extreme excessive or intense um you keep things in check both spiritually and physically my my for example the elders sometimes they used to say that you can be so heavenly minded you're no earthly good you're consistently walking out here but you have no ability to help your fellow man you have no ability to just simply be at church and and the good and the bad instead you're constantly thinking out here and you've missed the point of your relationship with jesus okay in everything give thanks that means that in your mind and spirit you realize that all the things that you are part of comes from the hand of the lord and he's saying to the church very specifically here keep your mind on the lord but do the work that you're supposed to be doing very powerful that's why for an example when he says rejoice and then he says moderation and then how do how do you keep things within reasonable proper limits within uh not excessive or extreme not intense if you will and that doesn't mean the shout that doesn't mean to jump up and down that simply means living day to day okay paul's already given us this is who i am this is what i've done this is what i've accomplished it means nothing i simply want to live the way god has chosen for me to live he says if it's true honest just pure lovely of good report that if there's virtue which means if it's virtuous if it's clean if it's pure if you will and if there's any praise to be giving you need to think on these things let those things be in your mind and be in your heart allow the good things that god has done and is doing in your life allow those things to consistently be part of your makeup and your character in other words may i be very simple here 2020. look for the positive all right look for the positive and live in that there's a bunch of negative out there agreed a bunch of negative in the streets on your job in the media in the press in families in heartaches in sufferings there's a lot of negative things things that you could point your finger at and talk about as big or as as grand as you want to but the fact of the matter is if we dwell on those negative points it in and of itself will pull us down and and paul is saying if it's good if it's honest if it's true look those things get those in your mind live a life that says with jesus things can be better all right continuing here in philippians 4 verse number 10 but i rejoiced in the lord greatly that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again wherein ye were also careful but you lacked opportunity okay not that i speak in respect of want for i have learned in whatsoever state i'm in therewith to be content i know both how to be a based i know how to abound everywhere and in all things i am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need i verse 13 says can do all things through christ which strengtheneth me paul reminds the church at philippi the philippian church he's talking to them and he says look i've learned a whole lot i i have i i have learned when i when i talk of righteousness and godliness and the purity and the honesty and the virtue of who god is i've learned and i hope that what you have done in knowing me paul is saying to the church there and seeing what i've been through and what you've experienced and what i've taught you then you need to understand that it is all part of the journey of life okay in all of life situations it doesn't matter what comes your way surely you can find the hand of the lord in it you can't be satisfied and content if you're looking for things in the world but if you're looking for things in god and if you take that approach then in everything that goes on he says i have learned in whatever state whatever condition whatever place whatever situation i'm in problems ups downs whatever i can be content with that because i know in whom i trust and that's the lord god he he says i know that i've been hungry i know how to be in a low place i know how to be on the top of the mountain i know that in all things whatever i go through that there is strength that comes to me any any and he says there in that verse that we so often quote and sometimes we say it but we we don't truly understand it i can do all things through christ which strengtheneth me that quite honestly friend even today doesn't mean that you're always going to live on the mountain because of the strength that comes to you you'll have to learn in the low and the negative and the bad and the woe is me you'll have to learn how to still be content and look for the hand of god in that that's a tough lesson to learn paul is telling the church there and it echoes again brings all the way to the generation in which we are in as bad as things can get god is still god amen uh he ends the letter and he sends the letter we learned this last time by epiphroditis and he sends it to be read to the churches all right and again uh paul is very thankful for the philippians because they have they took care of him even you know even if he had a need somehow they would get something to them and even if they didn't know that paul paul was praying for them and he knew that they were praying for him he mentions quite honestly very specifically that the church at philippi had a way of of just responding just doing to help him in his ministry and in his in the way he did he worked they made sure that he was tended to and in that you can see in this letter the admiration and the love that was established there paul deeply loved the church and he had all the intentions of continuing to help and whatever he could do all right so here we are in our generation truth is is as the church body we need to be that helping one another encouraging one another helping the ministry helping the ministry to grow the church to grow investing time talent and treasure into the things of god um we need to support the the things of the missionaries around the globe you need to support your local pastor you need to support the the the ministries that are at our local assembly you need to understand that together god is going to use us in whatever place he's given us but as a body we're going to move forward now i realize that it can be very quickly very easily that you and i could ask questions and doubt we could wonder about it but that's not going to help you if you dwell on that and simply take that route you simply need to yield and understand that in christ jesus is all hope and life and if i will support the things of god connect to the things of god learn the things of god be available to the word and the unction of the lord god he'll use me i will see miracles i'll watch as things unfold i will see in my own life that in every situation god is faithful in every circumstance he shows up and he shows himself to be more powerful than anything i can find myself listen for those who work for the lord god is going to bless whatever that ministry is whatever that open door is all right we close out this session about philippians i want to encourage you just like paul was encouraging the church all right cornerstone i understand that there have been there's been a lot of changes and a lot of oppositions and obstacles if you will that we've had to go through agreed but look at what the lord has done many many of you you you've got blessed on your job you've received provision uh there have been health issues that some of you have faced and god showed up and he's healed you all right god's protected many of us from disease and sickness now i don't know how that works only that god knows and you be faithful do the things of god i gotta believe in whatever happens god is gonna be god the fact is just because you get sick doesn't mean that that you're a sinner and that things are going on in your life it simply means it's another season of life that you've got to learn to trust the lord look what the lord has done with you look what he's done in me i believe that just as a church at philippi in that generation okay that today in 2020 that god is still the same and what we can learn from this is everything that comes our way we can be thankful and we can rejoice in it why because together we're growing now we're going to pray as we close this out pray that god will this week i pray your your hunger and your passion your desire would simply be lord help me to be in the church for the church to the church what i need to be you have put me here at this hour for a reason don't let me just sit idly by lord don't let me look at the negative only but help me to consider the positive and the good things that you're doing all right pray that with me lord thank you for our time together today in the word thank you lord jesus for the letters that were written so long ago but still are very pertinent to us today i pray lord for cornerstone apostolic church i pray for every church lord god for anybody that's that's studying this study with us for those that are growing and learning wanting to know more about you i pray god the work of god would continue forward and would be successful and would multiply and grow bless our church body lord bless the ministry of the church lord i need your hand in my life and guidance lord for the decisions and the things that are done help us to grow and to mature together lord and victorious is what we'll be together in your name i love you i believe in you and i trust you and in everything i give you thanks amen