“Pressing On … Why?” Pastor Ross Kershaw

Scripture: Philippians 3:4b-14 NRSVue
   If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
   Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
   Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
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​Some have said that Paul boasts too much – that he is arrogant.  His opinions are strong, and we have to remember the culture in which he was talking. Yet, listen to what he does here in Philippians 3.

• Paul definitely has reason for confidence in the way of religion. He starts with his Jewish heritage.  When he references his circumcision at 8 days he is reminding us that he is an Israelite by birth.  Many other teachers of his time were converts to Judaism.  He continues to cite tribe, and his background as a Pharisee – one who took God’s law very seriously.
• The word “Yet” gets our attention.  He now puts that into perspective.  He sees all of his heritage as loss.  It is important to realize that he is  not looking down on his past.  Yes, he regrets that he was once blind to who Jesus was.  What he is saying is that he no longer considers
  “His” qualifications as worth anything compared to Jesus Christ his Lord.  The qualifications that matter are Christ’s qualifications.  Paul would say, Where  he stands is not as important as who he is standing with!  It is not confidence in religion, but confidence in God through Jesus Christ that matters.

 
   Paul’s purpose in life is described in verse 8: “… the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Notice that knowing is an active verb, and it implies and ongoing tense – meaning in the present and continuing into the future his passion is knowing Christ.  Paul daily puts into perspective his living with Christ’s life in him.
   All this brings me to verse 12.  Notice the causal word, “because.” ‘I press on … because… .”  It is not Paul’s initiative that drives him in faith.  It is because Christ has already made him God’s own child.  Remember back to the Damascus Road.  Paul was actively working against Christ when God claimed him.
You and I, we are followers of Christ; we strive to do what is right; we want to grow.  The question becomes, what are we willing to do or give up to gain that growth? 
   Paul’s argument here in the third chapter mirrors the amazing Christ Hymn from earlier in Philippians (2:6-11).  It speaks of what Christ gave up to come to earth and secure our salvation with his very own life.  Lent is a pondering of that sacrifice. Introducing that amazing hymn, Paul says, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (2:5)  Here it is. 
“Jesus Christ who, though he existed in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
8     he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death--
    even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God exalted him even more highly
    and gave him the name
    that is above every other name,
10 so that at the name given to Jesus
    every knee should bend,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
    that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.
 
   It is clear in our passage that Paul is making that purpose his purpose – the same mind, focused, intentional – working to follow God with his whole being.
   Let’s have a little realism here. Paul doesn’t claim to have attained “it”.  So, Paul uses “press on” and “strain forward” three times in verses 12, 13 & 14.  There is an urgency in the language.  “It” is referring knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection. Paul is not making a suggestion that we consider putting our best efforts into following Christ. It is a necessity. 
   So is pressing on just for the “super Christians?”  Paul would say it is for everyone – everyone who wants to make relationship with God a priority.
   Why press on?
   In our house I have built 4 bathrooms. With each one completed I got  better than the one done before it.  None were bad, but the last one was almost a work of art. All I had learned along the way bore fruit as I completed the upstairs master bath.
   Consider the Bell Choir. There was a point where we had to choose very simple pieces because so many were just learning bell ringing.  As we continued pressing on, we now can sight read pieces with amazing sound.  Are we there yet? No, there is always room for more growth.
   One more thought along these lines.  Relationships.  When you find a person to love, you do everything possible to strengthen that bond. That’s why Janna and I are involved in Marriage encounter and opportunities like couple’s Bible studies.  All of that helps us press on to even better relationship with each other. 
   Think about the parables Jesus told about the Kingdom of God in Matthew 13:44-46.  “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  The two in these parables gave all to attain the prize.  Jesus was speaking about seeking the Kingdom of God in this life.
   A word needs to be said about what Paul was putting behind himself.  Philippians 3:13 – “forgetting what lies behind” is not a matter of turning away from where we’ve come from, but pressing on to the better, more complete relationship with God. Yes, sins and shortcomings are left in the past along with failures and regrets.  But also being aware that I can grow beyond yesterday’s successes to claim all that God can do in me today.  Remember how Paul said that we are to “make it our own, because Jesus has made us his own.”  Verse 14 is powerful!  “I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”  We are leaning into the wind in order to make progress. 
   It is a tough call.  What is our power to answer that call?  2 Corinthians 5:14-15 “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the one who for their sake died and was raised.”
   So I ask, how will we “press on” this next week?  What step might we take to strengthen our relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? How might we more intentionally connect with God’s purpose for us and for this community?  Let’s go, and PRESS ON! Amen!