Pressing On: The Journey of Spiritual Growth
Summary
In today's gathering, we focused on the theme of spiritual growth and maturity, drawing from Philippians 3:12-16. We began by emphasizing the importance of community service, highlighting our ongoing support for the Life Choices Pregnancy Clinic and upcoming events like the Easter Extravaganza. These activities are not just about outreach but also about embodying the love and care of Christ in our community.
As we transitioned into our time of prayer, we focused on the concept of yielding to God's will. Yielding is a crucial aspect of our prayer life, as it involves surrendering our plans and desires to God's greater purpose. This aligns with Jesus' own prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but yours be done." Yielding requires honesty with God, acknowledging our reluctance to follow His path, and seeking His strength to align our will with His.
In our study of Philippians, we explored Paul's metaphor of running a race to describe the Christian journey. Paul acknowledges that he has not yet reached full maturity or perfection in Christ, but he presses on toward the goal of Christ-likeness. This pursuit is not about self-reliance or personal achievements but about knowing Christ more deeply and experiencing the power of His resurrection. Paul encourages us to forget what lies behind and strain toward what is ahead, continually pressing on in our faith journey.
The process of sanctification, becoming more like Christ, is a lifelong journey. It involves daily choices to die to self and live for Christ. Paul reminds us that our ultimate goal is glorification, where we will be fully transformed into Christ's likeness. Until then, we are called to press on, holding onto the salvation and example that Christ has already secured for us.
As we reflect on these truths, let us commit to pursuing Jesus with renewed vigor, not relying on our own strength but on the grace and power of Christ. May we encourage one another in this journey, striving together toward the goal of maturity in Christ.
Key Takeaways:
- Community Engagement: Our involvement in community service, like supporting the Life Choices Pregnancy Clinic, is a tangible expression of Christ's love. It reminds us that our faith is not just personal but communal, calling us to serve and care for others. [00:00]
- Yielding in Prayer: Yielding to God's will is a vital part of our prayer life. It requires us to surrender our desires and plans to God's greater purpose, trusting that His ways are higher than ours. This act of surrender aligns us with Christ's example in the Garden of Gethsemane. [25:48]
- Pressing On in Faith: Paul’s metaphor of running a race illustrates the Christian journey. We are called to press on toward the goal of Christ-likeness, not relying on our achievements but on knowing Christ more deeply and experiencing His resurrection power. [36:55]
- Sanctification Process: The journey of becoming more like Christ, known as sanctification, is a lifelong process. It involves daily choices to die to self and live for Christ, continually striving toward spiritual maturity. [45:47]
- Ultimate Goal of Glorification: Our ultimate goal is glorification, where we will be fully transformed into Christ's likeness. Until then, we are called to press on, holding onto the salvation and example that Christ has already secured for us. [57:24]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Community Service Initiatives
- [02:15] - Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities
- [05:00] - Congregational Prayer and Yielding
- [08:45] - Introduction to Philippians 3
- [12:00] - The Metaphor of Running the Race
- [15:30] - Understanding Spiritual Maturity
- [18:45] - The Process of Sanctification
- [22:00] - Pressing On Toward the Goal
- [25:48] - Yielding to God's Will
- [29:00] - The Power of Christ's Resurrection
- [32:15] - Forgetting What Lies Behind
- [36:55] - Straining Toward What is Ahead
- [41:34] - Encouragement to Pursue Christ
- [45:47] - Closing Prayer and Invitation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Philippians 3:12-16
Observation Questions:
1. What metaphor does Paul use to describe the Christian journey in Philippians 3:12-16, and what does it signify about spiritual growth? [36:55]
2. How does Paul describe his current state of spiritual maturity in Philippians 3:12, and what does this reveal about his perspective on personal achievements? [45:47]
3. What does Paul mean by "forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what is ahead" in Philippians 3:13, and how does this relate to his overall message? [41:34]
4. According to the sermon, what is the ultimate goal of the Christian life as described by Paul in Philippians 3:14? [48:54]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of yielding to God's will, as discussed in the sermon, relate to Paul's message in Philippians 3:12-16 about pressing on toward spiritual maturity? [25:48]
2. In what ways does Paul's acknowledgment of not having "arrived" at his goal challenge common perceptions of spiritual maturity within the church? [51:28]
3. How does the sermon explain the role of community service in expressing Christ's love, and how might this be connected to the communal aspect of spiritual growth mentioned in Philippians 3? [00:00]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between personal achievements and knowing Christ more deeply, as reflected in Philippians 3:12-16? [41:34]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own spiritual journey. Are there areas where you feel you have "arrived," and how might Paul's perspective in Philippians 3:12-16 encourage you to continue pressing on? [51:28]
2. The sermon emphasizes yielding to God's will in prayer. Can you identify a specific area in your life where you struggle to yield to God's plans? What steps can you take to align your will with His? [25:48]
3. Community service is highlighted as a way to express Christ's love. How can you actively participate in serving your community, and what impact do you hope this will have on your spiritual growth? [00:00]
4. Paul talks about forgetting what lies behind. Is there a past failure or success that you need to let go of to move forward in your faith journey? How can you begin to do this? [41:34]
5. Consider the metaphor of running a race. What practical steps can you take this week to "press on" toward the goal of Christ-likeness in your daily life? [36:55]
6. The sermon discusses the lifelong process of sanctification. What daily choices can you make to die to self and live for Christ, and how can you hold yourself accountable to these choices? [45:47]
7. How can you encourage others in your small group or community to pursue spiritual maturity, and what role can you play in supporting their journey? [57:24]
Devotional
Day 1: Community Service as an Expression of Christ's Love
Community engagement is a vital aspect of spiritual growth, as it allows believers to embody the love and care of Christ in tangible ways. Supporting initiatives like the Life Choices Pregnancy Clinic is not just about outreach but about living out the communal aspect of faith. This involvement reminds us that our faith is not solely personal but calls us to serve and care for others, reflecting the love of Christ in our actions. By participating in community service, we demonstrate the transformative power of Christ's love and build a stronger, more compassionate community. [00:00]
"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively participate in a community service initiative this week to demonstrate Christ's love to those around you?
Day 2: Yielding to God's Will in Prayer
Yielding to God's will is a crucial aspect of our prayer life, requiring us to surrender our desires and plans to His greater purpose. This act of surrender aligns us with Christ's example in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done." Yielding involves honesty with God, acknowledging our reluctance to follow His path, and seeking His strength to align our will with His. By yielding in prayer, we open ourselves to God's transformative work in our lives, trusting that His ways are higher than ours. [25:48]
"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." (1 John 5:14, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to yield to God's will? How can you begin to surrender this area to Him in prayer today?
Day 3: Pressing On Toward Christ-likeness
Paul's metaphor of running a race illustrates the Christian journey, where believers are called to press on toward the goal of Christ-likeness. This pursuit is not about self-reliance or personal achievements but about knowing Christ more deeply and experiencing the power of His resurrection. Paul encourages us to forget what lies behind and strain toward what is ahead, continually pressing on in our faith journey. By focusing on Christ, we can overcome obstacles and grow in spiritual maturity, relying on His strength and grace. [36:55]
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it." (1 Corinthians 9:24, ESV)
Reflection: What is one practical step you can take this week to deepen your relationship with Christ and press on toward spiritual maturity?
Day 4: The Lifelong Journey of Sanctification
The process of sanctification, becoming more like Christ, is a lifelong journey that involves daily choices to die to self and live for Christ. This journey requires believers to continually strive toward spiritual maturity, holding onto the salvation and example that Christ has already secured for us. By embracing the process of sanctification, we allow God to transform us from the inside out, shaping us into the image of Christ. This transformation is not instantaneous but requires perseverance and reliance on God's grace. [45:47]
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to make a daily choice to die to self and live for Christ? How can you begin to make that choice today?
Day 5: The Ultimate Goal of Glorification
Our ultimate goal as believers is glorification, where we will be fully transformed into Christ's likeness. Until then, we are called to press on, holding onto the salvation and example that Christ has already secured for us. This hope of glorification motivates us to persevere in our faith journey, trusting that God will complete the work He has begun in us. By focusing on the promise of glorification, we can endure trials and challenges, knowing that our present struggles are preparing us for an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. [57:24]
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18, ESV)
Reflection: How does the promise of glorification inspire you to persevere in your faith journey today? What steps can you take to keep this hope at the forefront of your mind?
Quotes
You may be seated want to welcome you to mountain vista baptist church We believe the church is called to gather together to grow together and go together in service both to the body and to the community And as we talk about serving in our community, we've got some different things that are going on Um, we have been supporting life choices pregnancy clinic with their baby bottle drive for the last several weeks Next sunday is when these bottles are due and so if you've been taking those and collecting change or anything like that You need to bring them back next sunday Because that week we're going to be getting them back over to them for them to count and deposit and do all this This is one of their major fundraisers throughout the year and then this next saturday We've got two things going on on saturday saturday from 10 o 'clock to 2 o 'clock The youth group is going to be going and they're actually serving and volunteering at life choices pregnancy clinic here in town And so um, uh, brendan are you gonna be in the foyer after service? Brendan's gonna be in the foyer after service and so students if you have questions parents if you have questions about that That's for our 6th through 12th graders and so that's coming up this coming saturday, but also on saturday We have our egg stuffing event on uh april 19th. We have our I uh, I can't talk this morning anybody else struggling with your words anybody We have our easter extravaganza on the 19th But we're stuffing eggs on the 12th to be ready for the egg dashes And so uh saturday this coming saturday at 10 o 'clock down in the fellowship hall We're gonna be meeting and we're gonna have tables set up that are piled with candy And eggs that we need to stuff and get ready for that event And so if you'd like to come help with that just show up on saturday morning And uh last year when we did this we had a lot of fun people just visiting and joking and having a good time And so invite you to come on out and help with that because then on the 19th We have our extravaganza outreach and that's from 10 o 'clock to noon And uh, we're having age ranges for the egg dashes We're gonna have bounce houses and craft tables and cotton candy and popcorn and all kinds of different things And uh, we're advertising in the community for that and we're we're um, uh We're gonna have a good time. We're gonna have a lot of fun. I'm looking forward [00:12:28] (127 seconds)
amen you may be seated this time in our service we come to our congregational prayer time each week we we pray for particular things whether it's in our community or our country we've been working our way through the pray acronym praise repent ask and yield and this week we are on a why which is for yield and I argue that this is in our prayer lives that this is probably the most important part of this prayer acronym yielding ourselves to God to his plans to his purpose to his direction we can praise God we can repent of our sin and we can ask for all kinds of things and not be yielded to him and still do whatever we want when we come to know Christ when we follow Christ it's about following him and following his ways even Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane said Lord not my will but yours be done and so when we pray prayers of yielding we're saying Lord whatever you have in front of me whatever your plans and purposes are that's what I want to follow now that's a difficult thing because we don't necessarily want to follow those things we don't like or aren't comfortable with and so as we pray prayers of yielding we're seeking to be honest with God Lord maybe I don't want to do what you want but I know I should help me to do those things that you know I should do maybe as you look at this week maybe as you look at coming months you've got some big decisions you've got some big things in front of you where you need to seek God's direction this is a time to do that Lord I want what you want and so I'd encourage you to pray prayers of yielding your life situations decisions to God and then in a moment I will lead us in prayer in closing this portion of our service [00:22:27] (109 seconds)
Lord, we recognize our need for you. We know that you are aware of all things. You are involved in all things. There's nothing that's outside of your knowledge or your grasp. Lord, we know you have plans and purposes. Lord, help us to yield ourselves to your plans, to your ways, to your things. Lord, as we look at decisions in our life, as we look at plans, even as we look at needs and desires and wants, Lord, help us to want what you want. Lord, help us to pursue your ways. Lord, help us to be content with your plans. Lord, we are thankful that you know all things and you know how all things work together. Lord, we see imperfectly. Lord, we only see pieces and you see the whole. Help us to trust you in yielding all things in our life to you. [00:25:36] (69 seconds)
But Paul is yet again dealing with this idea of self -reliance. Is our trust in Christ or is our trust in ourselves? He's already established that righteousness is not from self. It's not from our own works. Righteousness is through Christ. And so he's reiterating this idea that we should not be looking back at our achievements, good or bad. God, we should be looking forward to what Christ has called us to. [00:36:54] (29 seconds)
He stated that his desire is to know Christ, to know his power, and he continues to argue that a life that rests in Jesus, a life that knows that Jesus has us, is a life that pursues him. That's our big idea today is the Christian life is growth. Now, to understand, to rightly get what we're going through here in verses 12 to 16, we have to back up a little bit. Context is important. Paul is building on previous context here. And so we're going to start Philippians 3. We're going to go back to verse number 7. Now, we could go back to the beginning of the book of Philippians and read through verse number 16 of chapter 3 to get our full context, but this will be sufficient for us to know where he's coming from. So Philippians chapter 3, verse number 7, and we're going to read through verse number 16. [00:38:53] (55 seconds)
Paul talks about wanting to know the power of His resurrection. We still see the power of His resurrection when someone comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus. We see the power of His resurrection as the Holy Spirit works in us and through us and leads us and we follow Him. Paul says He hasn't obtained, He's not reached a point where He says, I'm done, I've seen as much of this as I can, I've experienced as much of this as I can. [00:43:37] (25 seconds)
He has not yet obtained participation in His suffering. Following Christ can bring suffering, following Christ can bring persecution. It's not necessarily a consistent thing in our lives, but we're told those that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. If we want to follow Jesus, we want to live for Jesus, the world doesn't like us. Scripture says that we shouldn't marvel that the world doesn't like us because it didn't like Jesus first. [00:43:59] (27 seconds)
Paul was still alive. He hadn't given his life for the cause of Christ at this point in time, but he was living a life of death to self as a daily choice. He has not yet attained the resurrection from the dead. Christ had not removed hisness. returned yet to gather those that were his. So Paul has yet to obtain the resurrection himself. But later in this chapter, in chapter number three, he's going to address the resurrection more. [00:45:39] (30 seconds)
Sanctification is becoming more and more like Jesus, following Jesus, knowing more of who he is and what he's called me to in my life. And then the final step happens when you die, and it's called glorification. Now, glorification can happen in two ways. When we die, or Christ returns and gathers his people. And then we don't have to deal with sin. We don't have to deal with temptation. We don't have to deal with any of that anymore. It's done. It's gone. It's over. [00:48:53] (30 seconds)
Paul is recognizing that God is still at work in him, just as God is still at work in you and me. In following Jesus, in living like Jesus, in all of life, we will still be growing. If you've stopped growing, if you've stopped maturing, if you've stopped following Jesus more closely, I will tell you, you are not following Scripture, you're not following Jesus as you should. Because in this life, you will not attain. [00:53:15] (31 seconds)
And so Paul, Paul is pressing on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. Christ already gave him salvation. Christ already gave him the example of what it looks like to be a follower of Christ. And so Paul is grabbing onto that that he already has, that he's already been given. [00:57:24] (26 seconds)
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