Pressing On Together | Pastor Josh | Sunday Morning Sermon

Devotional

Day 1: Rubbish and Resurrection Power

Paul knelt in the dirt of Roman prisons, ink-stained fingers gripping parchment. He listed his credentials: Hebrew of Hebrews, Pharisee, blameless under the Law. Then he slashed the ledger—"I count it all rubbish to gain Christ." The stench of garbage pits filled his metaphor as he traded religious trophies for crucified glory. [01:44]

This wasn’t mere self-improvement. The Pharisee-turned-apostle discovered Christ’s resurrection power pulsing through his scars. Legalistic striving shriveled before the wildfire of grace. When Jesus becomes your treasure, every earthly metric collapses like scales under divine weight.

What trophies still clutter your hands? What achievements, habits, or grudges do you clutch tighter than Christ’s scarred palm?

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
(Philippians 3:7-8a, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one “gain” you’ve valued above Him this week.
Challenge: Write “RUBBISH” on a sticky note and place it on your most prized possession today.

Day 2: Imitators in the Lamb’s March

Paul pointed to his own calloused feet—feet that walked Roman roads and shipwrecked shores. “Imitate me,” he dared the Philippians, not as a celebrity but as a mirror. His life bent toward one target: “I press on toward the prize.” Chains couldn’t stop his forward lean into Christ’s likeness. [07:20]

Discipleship isn’t self-worship. Like relay runners, we fix our eyes on saints ahead while reaching back to pull others forward. Paul’s imitation demand only matters because his gaze never left the Lamb who conquered death.

Who walks ahead of you with Christ-creased hands? When did you last study someone’s faith-steps instead of critiquing their stumbles?

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 11:1, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three people whose faith has marked your spiritual journey.
Challenge: Text one mature believer today: “How did you handle [current struggle] biblically?”

Day 3: Cloud of Witnesses, Race Unseen

Hebrews 11’s martyrs lean over heaven’s balcony. Samson grips his jawbone, Rahab’s scarlet cord flutters, and Shadrach’s furnace-scorched robe billows as they cheer. These weren’t perfect saints but blood-and-dirt believers who “conquered through faith.” Their lives shout: “Keep running—He’s worth it!” [21:25]

The race isn’t new. You tread a path hallowed by Abraham’s obedience and Perpetua’s lion-defying hymns. Their stories aren’t relics but rallying cries—proof that weak knees still finish when leaning on Christ’s strength.

What sin trips you most? Which witness from Hebrews 11 would grab your arm mid-stumble?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight…”
(Hebrews 12:1a, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one “weight” slowing your run. Name it aloud.
Challenge: Read one chapter of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs before bed tonight.

Day 4: Citizenship in the Unshaken City

Roman colonists in Philippi wore togas, drank Italian wine, and voted in distant elections. Paul hijacked their pride: “Our citizenship is in heaven.” While Nero’s palace crumbled, the apostle fixed his gaze on a city whose Builder outlives empires. [34:49]

Earthly loyalties fade. Tax debates, national borders, and cultural wars dim before the Lamb’s throne. You pledge allegiance every time you choose purity over trends, forgiveness over grudges, eternity over viral moments.

What earthly banner have you waved too fiercely? How would tomorrow change if you lived as heaven’s ambassador?

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Philippians 3:20, ESV)

Prayer: Repent where you’ve valued political/cultural identity over Christ’s name.
Challenge: Memorize Philippians 3:20—recite it while checking news/social media.

Day 5: Standing Where Grace Planted You

Paul’s final charge hangs like a battle standard: “STAND FIRM.” Not in gritted teeth, but in blood-bought grace. The same power that raised Christ from rot now roots believers like oaks in gospel soil. Pressing forward ends in planted stillness—held by the Victor’s grip. [39:47]

You stand because He stood condemned in your place. No enemy—not failure, betrayal, or death—can uproot what God stakes with His Spirit. Your fight isn’t for victory but from victory.

When did you last survey the ground Christ won for you? What lie makes you doubt your secured position?

“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”
(Philippians 4:1, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Christ to cement your identity in His “beloved” status today.
Challenge: Write “STAND” on your wrist—touch it when anxiety strikes.

Sermon Summary

Paul sets Philippians 3:17–4:1 inside the larger turn of his life in 3:7–11, where the “surpassing worth” of Christ relativizes every former gain. The text names everything once boasted in as “rubbish,” because only God in the flesh can carry the weight of redeeming sinners and creation. The Lamb who was slain alone is worthy, so the gospel stands or falls on who Jesus is. From that center, Paul admits he has not “arrived.” He forgets what lies behind and presses on, not to earn standing with God, but because Christ has finished the work and given grace bigger than any sin.

The command to “press on” takes shape in a very practical way: “Brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” The text is not recruiting partisans; it is redirecting attention to lives bent around Christ. “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” guards against personality cults and corrects the lonely individualism that tries to do discipleship in isolation. The flock follows the Shepherd together, and a thumb severed from the body is a horror, not a hero. Scripture and church history provide a hall of examples, a “cloud of witnesses,” that stirs holy ambition and exposes spiritual slackness. Their stories preach: lay aside every weight and sin, and run the race looking to Jesus.

Tears then accompany a sober warning. “Many” walk as enemies of the cross. Their end is destruction, their god is appetite, they glory in shame, and their minds lock onto earthbound horizons. The church should not be shocked when some who know the language later drift or desert; First John already explained it. The call is not to fixate on failures, but to keep eyes on Christ and on faithful walkers close at hand.

By contrast, “our citizenship is in heaven.” Far from making disciples useless on earth, heavenly-mindedness has historically fueled hospitals, schools, reforms, and courageous endurance, because creation was made to be joined to God, not cut off from him. From heaven the church awaits the Savior, who will transform lowly bodies to be like his glorious body, by the same power that brings all things under him. Therefore, stand firm in the Lord. Press on in the call, but never confuse calling with position. Adoption comes first, labor follows. Children do not work for a seat at the table; they eat at the table, then they work from love.

Key Takeaways

1. Christ’s worth reframes all gains Everything once counted as advantage becomes loss when measured against the infinite value of knowing the God-Man. A smaller treasure can no longer command the heart once the greater has been seen. Repentance then is not mere renunciation but revaluation, a new scale calibrated by glory. [03:21]
2. Pressing on means imitating Christ’s people The pursuit of Jesus takes shape through embodied examples that translate doctrine into a walk. “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” bakes a safety valve into imitation and resists celebrity fixation. Shared rhythms of faith train discernment and keep feet in the Shepherd’s path. [06:50]
3. Isolation is terminal, seek body unity Detached spirituality withers because grace is mediated through a flock and a body, not a one-man show. Proximity to seasoned saints exposes blind spots and strengthens shaky knees without a word. Humble closeness is not optional equipment for endurance; it is the operating environment of growth. [11:41]
4. Beware enemies of the cross Some admire Christian things while remaining cross-averse, ruled by appetite and glorying in shame. Their present ease can deceive, but their end unmasks their path. Discernment means grieving, not gloating, and fastening hope to Christ rather than to fluctuating human examples. [23:51]
5. Heavenly citizenship fuels earthly faithfulness Eyes fixed on the kingdom make hands useful in the street because creation’s true end is communion with God. Hope of transformation frees disciples from the tyranny of the urgent and the lure of the belly. Such hope authorizes patient courage and sacrificial good in a passing age. [34:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:41] - Context and surpassing worth
[01:44] - Counting all as rubbish
[02:33] - The Lamb alone is worthy
[04:05] - Not perfected, forget the past
[06:20] - What pressing on looks like
[06:50] - Imitate me as I imitate Christ
[09:05] - Designed purpose, freedom in surrender
[11:41] - Isolation is terminal, body life
[13:57] - Hebrews 11 and holy grit
[20:25] - Cloud of witnesses, lay aside weights
[23:51] - Enemies of the cross warned
[34:49] - Citizens of heaven, real-world impact
[38:02] - Awaiting Jesus and transformed bodies
[39:01] - Stand firm from secure position

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Philippians 3:17–4:1 (ESV)
Hebrews 11:32–12:1 (ESV)

Observation Questions

In Philippians 3:18-19, what four characteristics describe those who are "enemies of the cross"?
According to Hebrews 12:1, what two things must believers "lay aside" to run the race set before them?
What examples of faith in Hebrews 11:32-38 were highlighted as stirring "holy ambition" in believers? [15:45]
How does Paul describe the ultimate transformation awaiting believers in Philippians 3:21?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize imitating him as he imitates Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1) rather than promoting self-focused followership? [07:20]
How does the warning about "enemies of the cross" in Philippians 3:18-19 contrast with the call to heavenly citizenship in 3:20-21?
Hebrews 12:1 says believers are "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses." How might these witnesses’ stories combat spiritual complacency? [16:21]
In Philippians 4:1, Paul urges believers to "stand firm" after discussing pressing on. What tension exists between pressing on and standing firm, and how are both necessary?

Application Questions

Who are the "embodied examples" in your life that help translate biblical truth into daily habits? How could you intentionally learn from their walk with Christ this week? [06:50]
The sermon warned against minds "locked onto earthbound horizons." What practical step could you take to reorient your priorities when distractions like comfort, success, or approval dominate your focus? [35:10]
Isolation is described as "terminal" for spiritual growth. How might you deepen your connection to the body of Christ—whether through serving, confessing struggles, or seeking mentorship? [11:41]
The "cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 11 includes flawed people God used greatly. What fear or insecurity holds you back from pursuing bold faithfulness, and how does their example challenge you? [16:49]
Philippians 3:20 says believers’ citizenship is in heaven. How could this truth reshape your response to cultural pressures or injustices that feel overwhelming?
When have you seen someone "glory in their shame" (Philippians 3:19) through pride in sinful choices? How can you lovingly point others—or yourself—to Christ’s redemption instead? [33:46]
The sermon emphasized working from love, not for love, as God’s children. What habit or relationship might change if you fully embraced your secure position in Christ? [40:39]

Sermon Clips

34s

“``And when Christ gave his life you come and you say but my sin is so great it is for you but guess who bore it? Jesus bore it on the cross and at the end he said it is what? Finished. Finished. Complete. Paid in full. And maybe you're here this morning and you've never accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior. Our prayer in here as the body of Christ, Calvary Chapel of Troy here, we want you to know his great love. And maybe you're sitting here thinking to yourselves, well, listen, my sin is too great. No, it's not. Not for your savior. It's too great for you.”

38s

“And I wanna encourage you this morning brothers and sisters that in Jesus Christ you can truly forget what lies behind in your life. You can leave it behind and it starts by us turning away from it doesn't it? And turning to Christ and pursuing him. But the reason you and I can leave it behind is because Christ came and what he did on the cross for us redeems everything. There is no sin too great that he cannot take away and wash you from. There is more grace in him than there is sin in you. Isn't that good news?”

36s

“Follow you. Are you trying to get your own tribe going here? What's going on, Paul? Imitate you. I thought we were supposed to imitate Jesus Christ. Amen? Well, and this is why context is so important. Because what has Paul just been saying that his life is all about? It's all about Jesus Christ. Is Paul's life about Paul? No. He says he counts everything in his life as nothing as worthless compared to knowing Jesus Christ. Amen? And so if you're to imitate Paul, your life is not going to be about Paul.”

42s

“and he likens us as to a body is he's unifying us as his people. He's leading us together according to his plan and his purpose. And in our individualistic culture, you will hear people at times say things like this, well it's just me and Jesus. You ever heard that? Listen, the Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation. In fact in men's alliance and women's alliance one of the phrases that they say often is that isolation is what? Terminal. It's deadly. Right? Because the wolf gets you alone as a sheep out there, guess what happens? You're not safe. You're safe with the flock.”

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Pressing On Together | Pastor Josh | Sunday Morning Sermon | 05/17/26