Philippians 3:13-14

1
Philippians 313-14

• 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.

2
Five Things to Forget...

• ...to be spiritually mature.

3
Setbacks

• We are too prone to brood over our losses -
  especially financial and material losses.
• But Jesus taught that the only loss which should
  truly concern us is the loss of the soul!

4
Matthew 1624-26

• Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone
  desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
  and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever
  desires to save his life will lose it, but
  whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the
  whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will
  a man give in exchange for his soul?"

5
Setbacks

• We are too prone to brood over our losses -
  especially financial and material losses.
• But Jesus taught that the only loss which should
  truly concern us is the loss of the soul!
• Losing friends, health, job, property or position
  are bad but are also minor inconveniences
  compared to the excellence of gaining Christ.

6
Philippians 38

• Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the
  excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
  Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all
  things, and count them as rubbish, 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.

7
Slights

• We must not dwell on past grievances or injuries.
  
• Harboring hatred or resentment poisons a person's
  whole perspective on life.
• There is not much room for anything else in a
  heart filled with bitterness.

8
Ephesians 426-27

• "Be angry, and do not sin" do not let the sun go
  down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

9
Ephesians 426-27, 31-32

• "Be angry, and do not sin" do not let the sun go
  down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
• Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and
  evil speaking be put away from you, with all
  malice. And be kind to one another,
  tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God
  in Christ forgave you.

10
Successes

• Many good men have been ruined by success.
• Saul of Gibeah was a noble man until he was
  anointed king of Israel and then his life turned
  to tragedy.

11
1 Samuel 136-14

• When the men of Israel saw that they were in
  danger (for the people were distressed), then the
  people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in
  holes, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews
  crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and
  Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and
  all the people followed him trembling. Then he
  waited seven days, according to the time set by
  Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal and
  the people were scattered from him.

12
1 Samuel 136-14

• So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace
  offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt
  offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had
  finished presenting the burnt offering, that
  Samuel came and Saul went out to meet him, that
  he might greet him.

13
1 Samuel 136-14

• And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul
  said, "When I saw that the people were scattered
  from me, and that you did not come within the
  days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered
  together at Michmash, then I said, 'The
  Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal,
  and I have not made supplication to the Lord.'
  Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt
  offering."

14
1 Samuel 136-14

• And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done
  foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of
  the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For
  now the Lord would have established your kingdom
  over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall
  not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a
  man after His own heart, and the Lord has
  commanded him to be commander over His people,
  because you have not kept what the Lord commanded
  you."

15
Romans 123

• For I say, through the grace given to me, to
  everyone who is among you, not to think of
  himself more highly than he ought to think, but
  to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a
  measure of faith.

16
Successes

• Many good men have been ruined by success.
• Saul of Gibeah was a noble man until he was
  anointed king of Israel and then his life turned
  to tragedy.
• Let us remember that without the mercy of God we
  could do nothing, have nothing, be nothing!

17
Sorrows

• We must not allow our sorrows to imprison us in
  the past.
• As one old preacher used to say, "We must look
  for life's pearls."

18
Romans 818

• For I consider that the sufferings of this
  present time are not worthy to be compared with
  the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19
2 Corinthians 13-7

• Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
  Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all
  comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation,
  that we may be able to comfort those who are in
  any trouble, with the comfort with which we
  ourselves are comforted by God. For as the
  sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our
  consolation also abounds through Christ.

20
2 Corinthians 13-7

• Now if we are afflicted, it is for your
  consolation and salvation, which is effective for
  enduring the same sufferings which we also
  suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your
  consolation and salvation. And our hope for you
  is steadfast, because we know that as you are
  partakers of the sufferings, so also you will
  partake of the consolation.

21
Sins

• We must not allow our sins to defeat us.
• With God's help, we can put them behind us.
• Sin can be cleansed from our lives.
• The blood of Christ is more powerful than sin!

22
Hebrews 121-2

• Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so
  great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
  every weight, and the sin which so easily
  ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the
  race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus,
  the author and finisher of our faith, who for the
  joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
  despising the shame, and has sat down at the
  right hand of the throne of God.

23
May God grant us both the wisdom to know what
needs to be forgotten and the will to forget them.