Embracing Grace: Overcoming Imperfections Through Faith

1. "I want us to learn from one of the most accomplished saints in the Scriptures. And on one hand, Paul acknowledges the deep sense of imperfection, one of the sure marks of a mature Christian. A man of a lesser discernment might have compared himself to others. However, Paul concludes with, I am doing exactly what God has called me to do. I am working in a field because some people judged him for when he was writing this letter, he was not in the Bahamas or somewhere on the Riviera or one of the Greek islands, but he was incarcerated. Because, see, God knew that the letter that he's going to send, send to the people of the Philippi, he's sending it to the church of CBC Northwest for today and encouraging you and I." [39:45] (72 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "On the other hand, it expresses the hopefulness which comes with repeated, comes with repeated along, continued experiences of the grace of God. That's what Paul was writing. And every time he was sending a letter out, he would start off, but to the saints. How come he wasn't starting off, oh, you heathens. I know what you're doing over there in Galatia. I know what you're doing in Ephesus or in the Philippi. But no, he said, saints. In other words, he was looking at them through the eyes of God. How God seizes them. Because you are saved and as along the life journey, you are being sanctified and God is working out. In yourself, those things that he does not want you to have. Not because he doesn't want you to have them. It is because he wants to protect you." [41:59] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "The grace to forget. The grace to forget. Forgetting those things which are behind. That's what Apostle Paul said in verse 13 over here. Paul was determining to forget that which might return, retain spiritual growth. Let me repeat that again sometimes. Paul determined to forget those things that would hold them back from the spiritual growth that he needed to have. He mentioned the sacrifice he made in his distinguished career. His prestige and power only to emphasize what he had gained in Christ. Because in verse 8 it says, this is forgetting those things which are behind. And this is the thing. That I may gain what? That I may gain Christ." [44:17] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "What trials have, what trials have you survived or you overcame? In Genesis chapter 41, Joseph went through some difficult trials. Now, he had some beautiful brothers, 11 other brothers. But those, 10 of those brothers looked at him a little bit sideways. Because the father favored him, gave him a coat of many colors, and they even sold him. And he had to endure some things along the journey's life because at 17 years old, his brothers sold him to the Mennonites where he got sold to the Egyptians. And not only that, he went into slavery when he gets to a place where he gets to a prominent place in Pharaoh's house. Then the Pharaoh's wife, not Pharaoh's wife, Pharaoh, excuse me, at Potiphar's house. And Potiphar saw Joseph, good looking young man, and made advances of him, at him. And he would not do what she wanted him to do. So he ran away. He ended up going to prison for false accusation." [49:03] (77 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "The grace to concentrate. Because he writes this in verse 13. He says, this one thing I do. Paul, what is that one thing that I do? What is that one thing that you do? Paul says, this one thing I do. Demand that Christian seek first the kingdom of God. See, when you seek the kingdom of God, that is a great thing to do. But in only seeking the kingdom of God, that means you only want to seek the hand of God. But it says, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. See, that's what Paul wanted. He wanted also the righteousness of God. This is decisive in the choice of a job, a life companion, a place to live." [54:49] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "The grace to persevere. The grace to persevere. See, Paul in verse 14 started saying, I press toward the mark and the prize. I press toward many good, many start a race good but finish poorly. When I did my first marathon, my full marathon here in San Antonio, my brother from, from Cali, from Oregon, and my sister-in-law came, came here to join me. He said, we're going to help you. Now, my brother, he's a little bit older than me. He's had about quite a few extra marathons ahead of me. So when we were at the finish line, he said, he said, I'm going to come here and help you finish this. But as soon as the, the, it went off, there he went." [01:01:32] (64 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "See, God is trying to tell you that the truth that you're going through, the son that you're seeing that he's not coming back, your daughter that is being disobedient, or the trial that you're going through, or that boss that keeps pressing you, or that boss that keeps harassing you and keeps going against what you're doing, and it feels like this is never going to end. God is saying, hold on. God is saying, hold on. Hold on. The trial that you're going through is not going to destroy you, but it's going to make you stronger. See, God never promised us a smooth sailing in life. He promised us a safe landing on the other side, but Jesus said, I will never leave you, nor will I forsaken you. I will give my angels charge over you, and they will carry you when you are weak, and not only that." [01:07:24] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "See, when peter was he stepped out of the boat and he looked at all of the waves when he took his eyes off the g off of jesus and saw all of the waves he started singing he started sinking not singing sinking but when he turned his eyes back on jesus he started singing because he was able to walk see and jesus says all you of little faith imagine what a lot of faith will do if a little faith makes you walk on water if a little little faith gives you the strength to walk on water what does a lot of faith do see that's why god says keep holding on i am with you and i count not myself see paul says i count not myself to i apprehend it i didn't i didn't receive it yet i haven't reached it yet but my goal is toward getting there to get there but there's a grace for imperfection see there's grace for you and for me for imperfection that's what god wants to show you see god knows you're gonna fall short but there's grace for that imperfection motivated by divine discontent paul continues in in uh continues to grow until he sends the last letter to say in second timothy chapter 4 verse 7 through 8 he says i have fought the good fight i have finished the race the only thing that's waiting for me it's the crown of righteousness see he knew that soon" [01:08:49] (113 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)