Romaine Park Church Service – 21/11/2021, Nick Booth:-Press On – Philippians 3:8-14
Over the last month, I have been bringing a word on ‘That I may Know Christ’ to various churches. I preached it for us online on the Burnie 10 weekend. It is there and you can listen to it on our Facebook and Youtube channels. I also brought this word to Lifehouse last week and it is also on their Youtube/ Facebook channels as well as Wynyard Baptist. As I prayed and asked God for a word that would be a word for Burnie and not just for Romaine, the Philippians passage gripped me and the depth of the heart cry from the Apostle Paul grabbed my attention. I would encourage you, if you have not listened to it yet, go back and here what it is that God has to say to us from this text.
Well, as I was to be preaching that message for BCC and Greg was to be bringing a word for us, I have an extra message to bring to you. I actually prepared a message back from Luke’s Gospel and just felt that the timing is a little early for that message. I’ll bring it next week or the week after.
This message today follows from the Philippians text and picks up just a few verses later
Text: Phil. 3:8 – 14
That I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
God has so much more for us than in our just getting by in our Christian lives. Some people live their Christian lives never really, really know God nor his power of His resurrection in our lives. We need to experience God’s Kingdom in our lives. Jesus is God’s rescue plan but escaping to Heaven when we die is not the Point of Christianity! Becoming like Jesus is! We have misunderstood the extent to which God wants his Kingdom to invade our lives. He wants to fill us with His Holy Spirit, empowering us to bring his Kingdom into our world. So many people settle for the mediocre when God is calling us to press on.
Press On.
I know, Sometimes it really feels like life can get on top of us. We so easily find that we have more month than money! Especially as we approach Christmas time. Relationships get stressed, patience gets stretched and life can become distressing. Can I encourage you, when you are going through hell, don’t make camp there! Keep going, you will get through it and out the other side, no matter how dark or how deep the hole might feel. Here’s one thing that I do know also, when we walk through the valley of the Shadow of death – God is with us and his staff comforts us! Ps 23.
Don’t give up, don’t give in. Problems at home, press on. Problems on the job, press on. Problems in the family, press on.
Life keeps getting on top of you, press on. Bills all coming due, press on. Sickness wearing you down, press on.
Over worked, keep going, press on. Don’t ever give up.
The discouragement test:
Designed by God to get his people to seek Him. To make him Lord even when things are not going the way that you have planned them to go. Every person faces this test and must pass it before they move on to take the ground. It is part of our maturing to become like Christ! It is the fellowship of the sufferings so that we might know the power of the resurrection life in us!
Christ beat the grave – do you really think that he can’t or won’t help you in your hour of need and distress!
Sometimes each of us need to show a little grit and determination. In Ephesians 6 Paul says it like this when in a spiritual battle and having armoured yourself with the weaponry that God gives, Paul writes “having done all! STAND!”
Matt 11: 12
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
M. Dunham wrote…
“Sir Edmund Hilary was the first person to conquer Mt. Everest. The first time he tried, he failed. He was knighted by the Queen of England, and at the gala occasion, on the wall behind the head table, was a huge picture of Mt. Everest. The people gave him a standing ovation for even daring to attempt the climb. When they ceased applauding, Hilary turned his back to the audience, faced that picture and said…Mt. Everest, you have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. But I’m coming back again and again, and I’m going to win because you can’t get any bigger, Mt. Everest, and I can !”
And he did!
Charles Spurgeon, the 19th The English Prince of preachers said that By perseverance the snail reached the Ark.
From the diary of John Wesley. . .
Sunday, A.M., May 5 Preached in St. Anne’s. Was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday, P.M., May 5 Preached in St. John’s. Deacons said “Get out and stay out.”
Sunday, A.M., May 12 Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there, either.
Sunday, A.M., May 19 Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.
Sunday, P.M., May 19 Preached on street. Kicked off street.
Sunday, A.M., May 26 Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.
Sunday, A.M., June 2 Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.
Sunday, P.M., June 2 Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.
Winston Churchill famously said.
Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
So what do we do to press on when life seems to be getting on top of us? How do we press on?
Heb 10: 38 – Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
We find just a few verses later that Faith that perseveres and lays a hold of God pleases God. In fact, we can’t please God any other way!
To do this, we have to Press in to God.
Luke 18: 1 – 8
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4″For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!'” 6And the LORD said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
We must take the time to seek the Lord. Pressing in to His presence!
God rewards those who diligently seek Him Heb 11: 6 Old time Pentecostals called this is called Praying through. Drawing near and seeking God’s face.
James 4: 8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
One of our problems is that we live in an instant Generation. We’ve forgotten the value of patience and perseverance. Praying through means putting the sinful nature to death. Sleep is determined to be less important than the answer that you need from God. Food is fasted from, while you seek God for His will. Other natural needs and requirements are deemed of less value than your relationship with God.
Jer 29: 13 says “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
We need to press in because our spirit is willing but our flesh is weak.
Why revival tarries by Lenard Ravenhill “A Praying man stops sinning but a sinning man stops praying”
Press Through.
Luke 8: 42 – 46
42 But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him
43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,
44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?'”
46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”
The words of the old time chorus ring so true. “Don’t Give up on the brink of a miracle.”
You can’t depend on others to see your miracle for you. No one around her could see what she saw. When she received her healing Jesus asked,
“….. Who touched my clothes?”
(b) She was not the only one who had a need but while others standing close who had sickness in their body remained unhealed by touching Jesus, She was healed. Why? Because she saw her miracle, “28. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”
Unfortunately, it is always possible to be a spectator in churches without being a participant.
There is nothing the devil would like more than for you to give up but I’m here to tell you, don’t give up. Press on, press in and press through. Your answers coming.
Eg. The Woman with the Issue of blood. Your miracle may not just drop into your lap. It is yours for the taking. The faith walk is always a cooperative agreement between you and God.
Heb 4: 16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Pressed Down.
The weight of guilt and shame in a person’s heart is a major reason for depression and oppression. You see, your guilt has kept you away from God for so long. Your sin, your wrong-doing has not only left you guilty before God. But has weighed on your conscience to the point where even sleep is stolen from you. You have no peace, Your Joy has been robbed from you. Friend, you are in need of a Saviour and He calls you to come. To leave your sin behind and repent and follow Him.
The Apostle Paul says in verse 10 of Philippians 3 “that I may know him”. Paul’s whole motivation behind pressing on, was not heaven. It was not the church. It wasn’t even the thought that things would get better if he just kept going. It was more than all of these. His motivation was to Know Christ. How is that going for you and for me? Are we walking with Jesus? Are we becoming like Jesus?
Altar Call
The point of Christianity, is not just getting to heaven when you die! It is having the help of heaven in your life in the here and the now as well as the friendship/ relationship with God throughout your life that lasts into eternity. I wonder, will you surrender to him today? Would you ask him to come and make the difference in your life that you are so desperately in need of? When you begin this life of following Christ, you have this relationship that starts now and carries on for all eternity. I would love to encourage you to pray this prayer of salvation with me today. Perhaps you already are a Christian and really feel the need for prayer, our altar will be open and we will have people who will come and pray with you after the service this morning. Whatever your need and wherever you are at, God cares and God wants to meet you in the situation and bring you out the other side! Let’s pray
Dear Lord,
I admit that I am a sinner. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself only. I am sorry, and I repent. I ask you to forgive me.
I believe that you died on the cross for me, to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and I give my life to you. From this day forward, help me to live every day for you and in a way that pleases you.
I love you, Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you.
Amen.
