As we begin this New Year we tend to look back on the previous year and what took place. And I’m sure that as 2005 began we all had great expectations, we made some resolutions, had great plans and as the year ended we can become very discouraged at how far short we came from fulfilling those things.  Now, as 2006 begins we are ready to start all over again with great expectations, we make more resolutions, we have great plans.

            This morning I want to encourage you and admonish you not just to make some resolutions, make some plans, but as God is leading that you would step forward and walk by faith.  My prayer for you this coming year is that you would grow in the Lord and as 2006 ends, you will praise the Lord for what He has done in your life as you should have done as 2005 ended.

            This morning we are going to take a departure from our study in Hebrews and do a topical study that I have titled – REACHING FORWARD!  So if you would please turn in your Bibles this morning to Philippians chapter 3 and we will see what Paul has to say regarding this subject.  Now before we get to our text this morning, listen to these new words to Twas The Night Before Christmas but let’s call it, Twas The Month After Christmas. We are told:

- Source Unknown

            When it comes to New Year’s resolutions I would bet that dieting is number one on the list as many want to slim down and get into better shape. There is nothing wrong with that, it is healthy to a point but what about our spiritual health? You see, that too is important and yet many neglect it, they don’t see it as important, “I’m saved, what more do I need?” mentality!  Hopefully this study will be able to help all of us grow in the Lord in this New Year. So with that said, let’s begin reading in Philippians chapter 3, starting in verse 12 and see what the Lord has for us this morning as we embark on this New year, 2006!

            As I read through these verses there are a few points that emerge. They are: A CORRECT VIEW OF SELF, LEARN FROM THE PAST; DON’T LIVE IN THE PAST and PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL. So let’s look at these and see what we can glean from them.

1.  A CORRECT VIEW OF SELF – PHILIPPIANS 3:12

            I think it is important to have a correct view of self or a realistic view of self. I remember growing up and how I couldn’t wait until I was older because then I would know everything! Then, as a teenager I did know everything!  Yes, most of what I knew was wrong, but I thought I knew everything until I got older and realized I didn’t know anything.  None of us are there, we are all still growing and to think that we have already attained it all is just pride, arrogance, and foolishness!

            We must be careful not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought.  Paul had a realistic view of himself.  Now in saying that, don’t just live in sin saying, “I have not attained yet, God knows!” That too is foolishness. Paul said in II Corinthians 7:1, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”  We are to grow in the Lord, we are not to remain stagnant. That does not mean we are perfect in a practical sense as John tell us, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. . . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”  I John 1:8, 10.

Yes, we still have these bodies of flesh but one day the Lord is going to transform these bodies of flesh because these bodies of flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Paul said that the Lord, “ . . . will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”  Philippians 3:21.

That is the reality, the correct perspective to have, I am not what I want to be but I am not what I was, I am growing in the Lord.  I think a problem comes at times when we do beat ourselves up over this issue of not being perfect, of falling short, that we should have already attained this perfection, which then leads us to an unbiblical conclusion regarding how God feels about us. We think God doesn’t love us anymore, or not as much as He did when we were walking better.

Let me say this, God can’t love you anymore than He already loves you and He can’t love you any less than He already loves you, but He also loves you too much to leave you where you are at, He will help you to grow in Him!  Let God work in you, give Him access to those areas in your life that need to be cleaned up but do it out of love for God, not to get God to love you more!  Like I said, God loves you just the way you are, in fact, He died for you while you were still a sinner. But again, He loves us so much He will not leave us like we are!

When we think of love we do so on a human level, that is what we understand.  We then take that and apply those things to God, which leads us to a faulty conclusion.  Folks, God loves us unconditionally as Paul tells us in Romans 8:37-39, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  So what can separate you from the love of God? Absolutely nothing, that is how much He loves you! So we have not yet attained what we will be like in a practical sense, but in a positional sense, we are perfect.

That is how God sees us but we have not attained that yet in this life! It is as John tells us in I John 3:2-3, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”  The way God sees us now, one day when we are taken home to glory we will attain!  But right now, we are a work in progress!

2.  LEARN FROM THE PAST, DON’T LIVE IN THE PAST – PHILIPPIANS 3:13

            What an important lesson for us to learn, to learn from the past but not to live in the past because it will make you a spiritual cripple, you will not grow.  Now there are two ways we can look at the past, we can dwell upon our past failures, which will not help us to grow. And we can dwell on how great the past was and again, we will not grow by doing that. So let’s look at these two points and see what we can glean from them.

            A.  DWELLING ON OUR PAST FAILURES

            This is an area that many struggle in, they know their past and they can’t let go of their past.  They feel that no one has done what they have done, and thus, they are spiritually crippled because they can’t let go, they can’t move on.

            Folks, look at the life of Paul and his past. In Acts chapter 22 Paul is sharing his faith in Jesus to the Jewish people in Jerusalem and he says staring in verse 19, “So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.  And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’”  Acts 22:19-20.  When Stephen was stoned to death for his faith in Jesus Christ Paul was not only there but he consented to this murder and watched the clothes of those who were stoning Stephen.  I guess he was concerned that someone might steal them and he did not want that to happen even though right before his eyes an innocent man was being murdered and with Paul’s approval!

            Then, before Agrippa Paul said in Acts 26:9-11, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.  And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.”  Paul not only consented to the death of Stephen but he then went out and persecuted other Christians, trying to get them to blaspheme the Lord, going into foreign cities to arrest those Jews who believed in Jesus!

            That was Paul’s life before he got saved, not a nice guy to say the least. He had much zeal but without knowledge.  But it was his past, and he was not proud of it but he couldn’t do anything to change that fact.  Thus, he forgot about those failures, he didn’t trap himself in the past but he was going to reach forward and move on to what the Lord had for him!  Paul tells us that we are to be “reaching forward” which is a word that speaks of stretching.  In other words, instead of reaching back into the past you are moving forward, living for today and seeing what God is going to do.

            But what about after you are saved and you blow it?  Listen to what Paul tells us in I Timothy 1:12-17, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

            Notice that Paul says that he still is a sinner, he is not perfect, he has not already attained. Thus, don’t let your failure cause you to be a spiritual cripple, but use it to grow in the Lord, to trust in Him, and to see how rich and how deep His love is for you!

            2.  DWELLING ON OUR PAST SUCCESS

            Now how can dwelling on our past success cause a problem in our life? Because, what happens is that we tend to worship the past and not live in the present.  Yes, we can learn, we can grow from past experiences but God does not want us to live there.

            When the Jews were returning home from their Babylonian captivity, they rebuilt the temple that was destroyed. But it in no way compared to Solomon’s temple, the glory, the beauty, the richness of it all.  In Ezra 3:10-13 we are told, “When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: ‘For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.’  Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.”

            Do you see two kinds of people here? The one group, the older ones who had seen the glory of Solomon’s temple couldn’t let go of it and it hindered them, they lost the joy that the others had because they wanted to live in the past. The other group of people, the younger ones just rejoiced to see what God was doing!

            A few weeks back I talked with someone interested in finding a church and he liked the teaching on CSN so he called to check us out. He wanted to know the style of worship we had and He said that his wife liked the old hymns and didn’t want to have anything to do with anything new.  I tried to encourage him that God has a variety of styles of worship out there and I would pray that God would help him find a place where they can enjoy not only the worship but grow in the Lord. As we were talking I don’t know why, but I asked him how far back in style of worship he wanted to go and he said, “To the time of David!”  Talk about living in the past!

            Over and over the Bible tells us that God gives to us new songs that we should sing to Him because He is the God who “is” not “was.”  Listen to these verses just to show you.  We are told, “Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.”  Psalm 33:3.  “He has put a new song in my mouth — Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.”  Psalm 40:3.  “Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth.”  Psalm 96:1.  “Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.”  Psalm 98:1.  “I will sing a new song to You, O God; On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You.”  Psalm 144:9.  “Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints.”  Psalm 149:1.  And in Isaiah 42:10 we are told, “Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!”

            Why do people like to live in the past? Because it is comfortable for them, they don’t have to grow, they don’t have to be stretched and that is not a positive thing, that is a negative one.  We are to grow in the Lord, not live in the past, but learn from the past for the present situations we are facing!

            Warren Wiersbe tells us, “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’  You do not move ahead by constantly looking in a rear view mirror. The past is a rudder to guide you, not an anchor to drag you. We must learn from the past but not live in the past.”  How true that is!

            Yes, at times it does take some stretching, some straining on our part.  In fact, this is in the middle voice, which indicates to us that we are to do the stretching ourselves!  And think about it, how many times do we give our all for the things of this world and thus, should we give any less to the Lord?  Of course not!  Remember the story of Lot’s wife who instead of looking to what was ahead she looked back to Sodom and became a pillar of salt. Many Christians do the same; they are crusty and dry because they are looking back and not living in the present, they are not growing. May we learn the lesson!

3.  PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL – PHILIPPIANS 3:14

            In other words, Paul is saying that we start this race to finish it, not to come up short of the goal that is before us. The ultimate goal is to be with Jesus and as believers, God will complete the work that He has started in us, but we need to walk so we can grow in Him!  You see, God is looking for us to be faithful in our service to Him, to be obedient to His calling.

            And notice it is not a low calling; the bar is not set low but high, an upward calling or living a life that is pleasing to the Lord. What is God calling you to do this year? What ministry has He laid upon your heart that He now wants you to step forward and do?  In talking with some Christians their response is, “I don’t know what the Lord wants me to do?”  You know what, take a step, get involved and see what God wants you to do. Some have been Christians for 5, 10 even 15 years or more and are still living in that mentality of just waiting for God to drop something in their lap instead of walking and being led by the Holy Spirit.  I would have never gotten into the infant and toddler ministry, the Sunday School ministry, home Bible study ministry and-so-on if I didn’t take a step of faith when the opportunities came up. I wasn’t necessarily looking to be involved in these, but I was so thankful afterward that I did take those steps of faith. There was a need and I filled it.  How about you?

            Paul, in Romans 12:1-2 tells us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Are you willing in this New Year, 2006 to place your life on the altar of sacrifice for God, so that He can use you as He pleases, for His glory? I hope so!

            Not only that, it is not just that God has prepared work for each of us to do in our lives, but He also prepares us for the work, all we must do is walk!  Paul was pressing on to lay hold of what Jesus has for his life, yes he is going to glory, but until that time, God has a plan for his life, and Paul was faithful in fulfilling it and he is admonishing us to do the same!

            This past year the Chicago White Sox won the World Series and they too had not attained what they were working for until that last game of the World Series when victory was theirs!  The last time the White Sox won the World Series was in 1917, that was 88 years ago!  Now when the season started they could have said, “Look at our past, we can never win.  We are losers!”  But they didn’t do that!  In fact, near the end of the season they hit a dry spell where the Cleveland Indians came within a couple of games of overtaking the White Sox and winning the division. And there were those in Chicago saying it is just like the Cubs, losing it at the end of the season. But they came back and won the division and the World Series because they pressed on towards the goal they were after!  In fact, they swept the World Series in four games!

            What does that have to do with us as Christians? Hey, if they can do that for a game, we too need to press on to that which is far more important, that which is eternal!  Paul, in I Timothy 6:12 said, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

            Now how does our faith grow? How do we draw close to God?  Paul, in Romans 10:17 said, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  As you read the Word of God, as you apply the Word of God to your life, your faith will grow as you learn to trust in the promises of God and by His Spirit He will guide you in all you should do! Here at Calvary Chapel we are going through our eleventh reading through the Bible in a year. Each week you will find in the bulletin the chapters you need to read each day in both the Old and New Testament, maybe 15 minutes of your time each day and in one year you will have read through the entire Bible!  Today, being January 1, 2006 you can start with us and continue on each day. Not because you have to, but because it is a joy to see what God has for you each day!

            What happens if you fall behind several chapters?  Don’t give up, take your time and catch up, not in a day, but over several days, just keep reading! And folks, that not only goes for Bible reading, but anything that we do for the Lord we need to press on!  Paul, in Ephesians 4:1 put it this way, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”  In other words, with all that God has done for us, all He has given to us, we are called to walk accordingly or to press on!

            As I begin to close this morning, listen to this true story of pressing on.  Some of you may remember the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, a great movie and it gives us the story of Olympic runner Eric Liddell who won a bronze medal for the 200-meter and a gold for the 400-meter race as he ran for Scotland.  After that he went to be a missionary.  Interestingly, back in the 1924 Olympics he refused to run his best event, the 100-meter dash because it was being held on a Sunday.  Because of that he was accused of being unpatriotic and legalistic. But he stood his ground, he stood strong and would not give in and God honored that in his life.  In fact, he entered the 400-meter dash, which was not held on a Sunday, the Lord’s Day and even though it was not his best event he won a gold medal!

            But one year before this event there was another race that played out like some Hollywood movie.  When the gun went off and the race started, Liddell tangled his feet with J. J. Gillies of England and he went tumbling to the ground. He sat there dazed for a moment, not knowing whether he could get up, when the official screamed, “Get up and run!”

            So he jumped to his feet and took off after the pack, which was now a full twenty yards ahead of him. In a quarter mile, that’s a big distance to try to make up.  In his unorthodox style of running he took off after the pack. He pulled into fourth place ten yards behind the leader, J. J. Gillies.

            With forty yards to go, he pulled into third place, then second. And right at the tape he passed Gillies as he stuck out his chest and won the race!  He then collapsed on the track in total exhaustion.  Medical personal had to assist him off the track that day, but he finished the race and he won!

            An article appearing the next day in The Scotsman newspaper said, “The circumstances in which Liddell won the race made it a performance bordering on the miraculous. Veterans whose memories take them back thirty-five years and in some cases longer in the history of athletics were unanimous in the opinion that Liddell’s win in the quarter mile was the greatest track performance they had ever seen.”

            What a powerful lesson for us to learn and apply to our lives. It doesn’t mater how many times you get knocked down, get back up and set your eyes upon Jesus not only the author of your faith but also the finisher of your faith!

            Folks, I look forward to what God has for me this coming year, for you and for this church. I hope you are excited also and walk accordingly.  Keep in mind what Paul has shown us here: A CORRECT VIEW OF SELF – that we are sinners saved by the grace of God and without God we can do nothing that He will accept. LEARN FROM THE PAST; DON’T LIVE IN THE PAST – there are so many lessons that are out there for us to learn from and yet we tend to live in the past.  May we be wise and learn from it and grow in the Lord. PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL – keep your eyes on Jesus and see where He is going to take you this year, the things He will not only do in you but through you for His glory!  Let me leave you with these words from Paul as I close this morning.  In Ephesians 3:20-21 Paul tells us, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”  May we press on!