{"id":26841,"date":"2023-06-18T22:00:26","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T05:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/philippians_3_1-11-copy\/"},"modified":"2023-06-06T14:02:53","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T21:02:53","slug":"philippians_3_12-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/philippians_3_12-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop Worshiping the Past"},"content":{"rendered":"

Philippians 3:12-21 \u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today’s passage is\u00a0Philippians\u00a03:12-21.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Philippians<\/strong>\u00a03<\/strong>:<\/strong>12<\/strong>-14 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n12<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.<\/em>
\n13\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,<\/em>
\n14\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses\u00a012-14:\u00a0 In verse\u00a012\u00a0Paul says that Jesus took hold of him so that he could take hold of something.\u00a0 What is that thing Paul is pressing on to take hold of?\u00a0 It\u2019s the full knowledge and experience of Jesus and His resurrection power (see v10-11).\u00a0 As much as Paul knew the Lord and experienced His power, Paul was not content with what he already knew and experienced.\u00a0 He wanted to know Christ and His resurrection power in all its fullness.\u00a0 That\u2019s why Paul says, \u201cBut one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the same way, Jesus took hold of you so that you could take hold of an increasingly intimate and powerful relationship with Him.\u00a0\u00a0 May we not settle for what we already have, but like Paul may we press on toward a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Philippians<\/strong>\u00a03<\/strong>:15-16 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n15\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.<\/em>
\n16\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Only let us live up to what we have already attained.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 15-16:\u00a0 \u00a0Paul encourages his church in Philippi to have the same attitude that he has.\u00a0 He\u2019s saying, \u201cDon\u2019t settle for where you are currently at with God, but like me make it your number goal in life to know Christ and His resurrection power working in your weakness.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s what mature people do (v15).\u00a0Mature people don\u2019t keep focusing on the past, whether it\u2019s worshiping their past happiness or wallowing in their past hurts.<\/strong>\u00a0 May you and I take on a mature view of things, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, pressing on toward a more intimate relationship with Jesus.\u00a0 May we live up to what we have already attained in our relationship with God (v16) and press on for more.<\/p>\n

Philippians<\/strong>\u00a03<\/strong>:17-21 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n17\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.<\/em>
\n18\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.<\/em>
\n19\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.<\/em>
\n20\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,<\/em>
\n21\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 17-21:\u00a0 Paul knew that a Christian\u2019s growth has a lot to do with who they allow to influence them.\u00a0 That\u2019s why Paul tells his church in Philippi to join with others in following his example (v17) and to \u201ckeep your eyes on those who live as we do\u201d (v17).\u00a0 He tells the Philippian brothers and sisters not to be distracted by the many others who live as enemies of Christ\u2019s cross (v18) since they are heading down a path that will only lead to destruction (v19).<\/p>\n

Similarly, who do you allow to influence you the most?\u00a0 If you are mainly influenced by people who live as enemies to Christ\u2019s cross, then you will not grow spiritually.\u00a0 You may even find yourself going backwards.\u00a0 But if you will join with other like-minded Christians in following Jesus, and keep your eyes on them, you will surely grow.\u00a0\u00a0It matters which crowd you follow<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

We all need models to learn from, people who can show us practically what it looks like to follow Jesus. So\u00a0treasure those Christians in your life who can be a good example of how to follow Jesus.\u00a0 Learn from them and don\u2019t be distracted by the majority whose \u201cmind is on earthly things\u201d (v19).\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

And if you find yourself surrounded by people who worship their appetites (\u201ctheir god is their stomach\u201d \u2013 v19), who glory in shameful things and whose minds are more on the world than on God\u2019s kingdom,\u00a0remember this:\u00a0 Your citizenship is in heaven.\u00a0 You are in the world but not of it.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0So put your hope not in the people around you, but in the One above you.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0When<\/strong>\u00a0the influence of the wrong crowd feels strong, remember that Jesus is with you and He is far more powerful.<\/strong>\u00a0 Let the One who is able \u201cto bring everything under his control\u201d (v21) take control of you.<\/p>\n

Lord Jesus, I pray that like Paul I would have a mature view of things.\u00a0 May I not settle for where I am currently at, but like Paul may my number one goal in life be to know You more.\u00a0 May I not keep focusing on the past, whether it\u2019s worshiping my past happiness or wallowing in my past hurts.\u00a0 May I allow the right people to influence me.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today’s passage is\u00a0Philippians\u00a03:12-21.\u00a0 Let’s go!
\n\u00a0
\nPhilippians\u00a03:12-14 (NIV)\u00a0
\n12\u00a0Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
\n13\u00a0Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
\n14\u00a0I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n

On verses\u00a012-14:\u00a0 In verse\u00a012\u00a0Paul says that Jesus took hold of him so that he could take hold of something.\u00a0 What is that thing Paul is pressing on to take hold of?\u00a0 It\u2019s the full knowledge and experience of Jesus and His resurrection power (see v10-11).\u00a0 As much as Paul knew the Lord and experienced His power, Paul was not content with what he already knew and experienced.\u00a0 He wanted to know Christ and His resurrection power in all its fullness.\u00a0 That\u2019s why Paul says, \u201cBut one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26841"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26844,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26841\/revisions\/26844"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}