Title: The Runner/Phil 3:10-16
The most loneliest of all competitions is the marathon. Both during training and during matches, players fight bloody with themselves. The marathon is the most lonely event, so if you win the Olympics, you are given a laurel wreath. Athletes look forward and run and run while looking at the laurel wreath.
Paul compared the Christian life of worship to a race. He said he was still playing and running and running towards the mark. Let's take a look at how we can successfully finish the race of life and stand on the glorious victory platform in the text.
Paul's Racing Attitude
(Philippians 3:13) “Brothers, I have not yet considered myself to have taken hold of it, but I have done something else: to forget what is behind and to grasp what is ahead.”
1. I do not think that I have caught it yet.
1) Paul is a man who faithfully built up his faith lessons.
- Three outreach trips
- 13 Bible records
- Unparalleled gifting experience, mystical experience...
- A moving devotion to Christ
2) However, his confession is surprising.
- I haven't gotten it yet. did not achieve couldn't catch
- I'm still running towards the target.
3) Don't compare yourself to others.
- Comparing yourself with others creates envy or pride.
- I only saw myself before Christ.
- Therefore, the race could not be stopped.
- This is an important factor that kept him running.
2. Forget What's Behind
1) In recent years, the criteria for distinguishing young and old people have changed.
- Age in the past, directionality of words now
- Do you talk a lot about the past or a lot about the future?
2) the meaning of forget
- It doesn't mean you can't remember.
- means not affected by the past
-The past is always made up of good things and bad things
- Affected by success, boasting of merit, succumbing to arrogance and halting growth.
- Affected by failure, you lose confidence, become lethargic, and become passive.
- Paul decided to forget the past, whether success or failure.
3) Christian forgetting the past
- Not a psychiatric or psychological method.
- It is because of God's love and forgiveness based on the blood of Christ.
(Hebrews 10:17) And their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more
3. I chase after what is in front of me.
1) What is in front - You can think of several things.
- Resurrection: to reach the resurrection from the dead (11).
- The Sanctified Appearance: To imitate the full image of a Christian.
- Mission given: Christ's will to accomplish.
- Reward: Run for the reward of your calling.
2) I chase after them to catch them.
(1) Greek (to pursue): A word that expresses the earnest effort of a hunter to pursue his prey.
(2) The religious life must be serious.
- before the word
- in prayer
- in evangelism
- to serve
- To love your neighbor
- in interpersonal relationships
(3) It is the appearance that does not stop.
(Galatians 6:9) Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest, if we do not grow weary.
Summary and lessons learned
What level of faith have you reached?
1. Those who have grown in faith should not be arrogant.
2. If you feel your faith is still weak, don't be discouraged.
Let's look forward to the eternal resurrection.
Let's be like Christ.
Let's do our duty well.
Let's look at the reward you have prepared.
Let's run to get these.