Forget Behind, Look Forward

Philippians 3:13:”Brethren, I count not myself to have kapprehended: but this one thing I do, mforgetting those things which are behind, and nreaching forth unto those things which are before” [1]

I.   Beyond

     A. Pursuit

     B. Path

II. Behind

     A. Problems

     B. Popularity

III. Before

     A. Perfection

     B. Permission

Introduction:  Please go ahead and open your Bibles to Philippians chapter three and follow along as I paraphrase.  In the past two weeks we covered the first two verses of Philippians chapter three; Paul told Christians what the most important truth is and then he told what we must be wary of.  There was a definite determination with flesh in that day.  Paul warned of those who would mutilate the flesh because they were determined to change themselves. 

In verse three and going on in verses four and five, Paul admitted and was not ashamed that he was a Jew and therefore part of the circumcision since he was eight days old.  He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was educated as a Pharisee.  In verses six he even admitted his alliance as a Pharisee as a persecutor of the church.  By their law, Paul was considered blameless.

In verses seven and following Paul explained what happened after his enlightenment on the road to Damascus.  He counted all that happened before to be loss for Christ.  No knowledge or other worldly experience compared with knowing Jesus.  Everything that Paul had accumulated prior to knowing Jesus was now worthless since he now had a relationship with Christ.  Nothing was Paul’s anymore even including the law that he was once a slave to; it all was worthless without Jesus.  Faith in Jesus’ resurrection alone was the only thing that kept Paul going.

Please follow along after the colon there at the end of verse nine, ““10 That I may know him, and cthe power of his resurrection, and dthe fellowship of his sufferings, ebeing made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might fattain unto the resurrection of the dead.” [2]

Paul understood that there was more for him to do before he completed his preparation for resurrection.  He was still drawing breath so that meant he had not fully arrived.  Though he knew his time was close at hand, there was no looking back but looking forward.

In this time we live in, many want this part to be in our past.  Many live in a time when we look back and wish things could be as they were back then.  We question; what else can we as His Church do to be back where we belong?  Haven’t we been faithful?  Haven’t we been His church?  What else does God expect so that we can be vital again?

Scripture:  Today’s scripture is Philippians 3:1’3.  When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.

Prayer: Please be seated

Message:  Have you ever seen that blue light in your rearview mirror?  You ask, is he trying to catch and stop me or is he going after someone else?  Not that I haven’t been guilty and deserved to be apprehended but there are very few legal apprehensions in my past.

To apprehend according to the dictionary is to be anxious for a thing which you expect to catch, own, and hold.  Resurrection with Christ requires perfection according to the Bible through Paul.  If you are still here then you have not yet attained resurrection with Jesus.  You are not yet perfect.

Verse twelve is one of those hard verses which Peter mentioned about Paul’s writings.  Being perfect and attaining resurrection with Jesus go hand in hand.  Paul was certain that he would be with Jesus in the resurrection yet he was careful not to show presumption.  It is as though Paul is tripping over words there in the last third of verse twelve, “if that I may kapprehend lthat for which also I am kapprehended of Christ Jesus.” [3]

Here is my paraphrase; though I know I have done nothing to deserve this apprehension that I have to be in to be in the resurrection with Christ, I have that hope though faith alone in Jesus that I will be there.  And now our focal verse; brethren, you who are my brothers and sisters in Christ, I Paul do not consider that I have achieved this yet and when I have finally arrived at that place it will only be because of Jesus, but while I am still here this is the only thing that I am concentrating on and here it is.  Well I took more words to attempt to explain Paul than Paul did.  But here is the thing that we should be doing now in whatever time we have left in this life.  This is important!  What should we be doing right now?  What should our heading be?

First, we are not done yet!  We still have the path that we are on.  We must always be moving beyond where we are now!  The pursuit of perfection is still our path to follow.  Yes the world and many around us are trying to fit us into their place where the world says we are supposed to fit into.  There are more that say we are wrong than there are who say we are on the right path.

We must not choose to turn to the right or the left as many are saying we must today.  It is difficult not to be persuaded to make a choice who is right, who is wrong.  It is so much easier to bet on the winner, the good or the bad.  Uncle Albert would always ask, “Who’s winning the goods or the bads?”  That question should not be the thing that dissuades us away from the perfection that Jesus died to give us.   We are not on this path to pick winners.  Jesus was way beyond that.  So shall we be when we finally reach that for which we were apprehended.

The thing there about forgetting those things; Paul was in Rome writing letters to those whom he had met on his missionary journeys.  To think for one minute that he had forgotten or could forget those people in his past is just wrong.  Every time we pray a prayer of intercession for those we love in our present or our past we remember.  There are those who live as Christians that believe God is forgetful.  Many take the other translations of Psalm 103:12 to wrongly believe that God forgets our sins.  In the KJV is actually says, “12 As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he wremoved our transgressions from us.” [4]  God is omniscient.  That means He cannot forget.  He holds all knowledge for all time.  God forgives!  When God forgives, the penalty that we are due to receive is forgotten.  We are a new creation.

When Paul speaks here of forgetting those things that were in his past, Paul is strongly encouraging us to not allow past things to influence or steer us back to where we left thinking that there is something that we must return to so that we might correct a past mistake.  When God forgives, it is forgiven.

On the other hand; if we have harmed someone in the past and we can make amends so that a soul is saved then by all means we must always seek to restore a relationship.  But to go back and beat yourself up over something that you cannot relive and fix is useless and will cause you to vary off course.  This, I think, is what Paul is speaking of here. 

If you have past problems even up to and including Paul being there and condoning the stoning of Stephen;  if you have received forgiveness for that thing, don’t go back!  Losing popularity with those who knew you back then is not worth going back and explaining.  Either God will lead those in your past to where you are as they see you now or they will leave you.  Do not allow anything or anyone to steer you off course.

So what did Paul say to keep in your horizon?  A while back I was flying with my new young friend and he had hold of the controls.  The airport was ahead and to the right of the course he was flying.  For whatever reason, he could not head to the airport.  The airplane somehow kept going left of course.  Keep your eye on the runway!  That is where we are going, and I would point over there to the right.  He would make a course change and then look down at all the stuff below and the next thing I knew, we were off course again.  The runway is over there to the right!  It is before us but you need to turn towards the runway or we will never get there and we will miss it.  I don’t know about you but I want to land sometime.

Reach forth!  Stretch ahead.  Until we arrive at the destination, the place where we are destined to be, do not stop exerting energy as you continue to the goal.  It is still before you.  It is not behind you or below you.  It is not beside you.  It is in front of you and you must continue to make the effort to reach that place and not let anything or anyone distract you until you are where Jesus knows He is taking you.  You will be in that perfect place when you arrive there with Him.

Prayer:

Invitation:  Verse fourteen says, “14 I inpress otoward the mark for pthe prize of qthe high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” [5]  Can you say that today or are you waiting for this time to be over so that you can once again get back to acting church instead of being church?

Paul had not arrived at his place of apprehension when he wrote to the Philippians and since we are here in this place just now, neither are we.  We still are striving for our home and we will get there when God says it is time.

In the meantime, what will you do?  Wait, worry, wonder. wander or witness?  We must be deliberate and delighted to continue to serve God by remaining obedient to His will.  Please stay seated and bear with me as you listen with your eyes closed and your heads bowed.

Tempted and tried, we're oft made to wonder
Why it should be thus all the day long,
While there are others living about us,
Never molested, though in the wrong.

When death has come and taken our loved ones,
It leaves our home so lonely and drear,
Then do we wonder why others prosper
Living so wicked year after year.

Faithful til death, said our loving Master
A few more days to labor and wait,
Toils of the road will then seem as nothing
As we sweet through the beautiful gate.

When we see Jesus, coming in glory,
When He comes from His home in the sky,
Then we shall meet Him in that bright mansion,
We'll understand it all by and by.

Refrain
Farther along we'll know all about it,
Farther along we'll understand why;
Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine,
We'll understand it all by and by.



k Rom. 9:30. 1 Cor. 9:24 in the Gk.
m So Ps. 45:10. Luke 9:62. Comp. Heb. 6:1.
n See 1 Cor. 9:24, 26.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 3:13). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c Rom. 1:4. So Rom. 6:4.
d See 2 Cor. 1:5. & ch. 1:28.
e See ver. 21.
f Acts 26:7 (Gk.).
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 3:10–11). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
k Rom. 9:30. 1 Cor. 9:24 in the Gk.
l ch. 4:10 (Gk.). Comp. Rom. 5:12.
k Rom. 9:30. 1 Cor. 9:24 in the Gk.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 3:12). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
w Comp. Isai. 38:17. & 43:25.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ps 103:12). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
i Comp. Cant. 1:4.
n See 1 Cor. 9:24, 26.
o So Wisd. 5:12, 21.
p 1 Cor. 9:24.
q See Heb. 3:1. Comp. Col. 3:1, 2.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 3:14). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.