Open the Eyes of My Heart

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Set Free!
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Pressing Toward the Goal!

• Philippians 312-14

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Rather than being discouraged by the runner in
front of him, John Baker determined to pass him.
Somehow, or someway he would muster
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To Paul each day was a continuation of a
challenging race the race of a Christian in
life. Pauls concern was to be growing more in
the likeness of Christ
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Would you like to make a difference in our world
and if so what is your plan?...
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Purpose

• to better understand pressing toward the goal
  (i.e. the sanctification process)

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In short, we are going to look at what we are
ENABLED to do in pressing toward the goal
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I With the Proper Attitude (v 12)
A. The Race is Not Over
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Guess the title given to this picture found
recently on the internet
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Philippians 312a
Not that I have already obtained it
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Tells of a conversation with a lady who was a
member of a local church where he was holding a
revival meeting. In that conversation this lady
mentioned that she and her husband had been
married 35 years
Harvey C. Bream
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At our immersion (baptism) into Christ we are
enabled to do His will
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I With the Proper Attitude (v 12)
A. The Race is Not Over
B. Perfection Has Not Been Reached
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Philippians 312
Not that I have already been made perfect
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I With the Proper Attitude (v 12)
A. The Race is Not Over
B. Perfection Has Not Been Reached
C. His Purpose Must Be Ours
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Philippians 312b
in order that I may lay hold of that for which
also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
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1 John 53
For this is the love of God, that we keep His
commandments and His commandments are not
burdensome.
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II With the Proper Concentration (v 13b)
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Even so with our Spiritual race! As individuals
and as a church we must concentrate in the
following ways
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II With the Proper Concentration (v 13b)
A. Concentrate on Forgetting the Past
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Likewise our text is saying forget the past
accomplishments and failures
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Professor to a student Smith, can you tell us
who built the Sphinx? Smith I did know
professor Jones, but I have forgotten.
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Dwelling on our failures in particular have a way
of hindering our progress and growth
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Tells story of lady leaving a revival meeting
crying and saying she would be the happiest wife
in the world if only her husband would become a
Christian
Harvey C. Bream
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II With the Proper Concentration (v 13b)
A. Concentrate on Forgetting the Past
B. Concentrate on Stretching Towards the Future
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means the runner is throwing himself forward
with all energy were to stretch forward to be
more like our Master and Lord!
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III With the Proper Goal in Mind (v 14)
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GOAL!
Verb form of the word goal means to watch
i.e. goal is what runners fix their eyes upon!
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III With the Proper Goal in Mind (v 14)
A. The Goal is Not the Prize
B. The Goal is Christ
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Hebrews 122
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of faith Who for the joy set before Him
endured the cross
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If we cant be spiritually perfect this side of
heaven, why strive for it?
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IV With the Proper Prize in Mind (v 14b)
A. Heaven is the Prize
B. Heaven as a Prize is no Contradiction
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The unearned prize of heaven will be realized
together in the presence of God. Thus, the prize
is yet to be fully experienced
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Apollo Astronauts
Psychologists helped in debriefing the Apollo
astronauts. The astronauts all suffered from some
form of depression
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Conclusion and Summary
This will never happen with the Christian. Life
in Christ isnt an end instead, it is the
beginning! Though freed from the land of bondage
we have not yet reached the promised land. Gods
design for us is to grow and grow we must in
response to His marvelous grace