Excelling in Endurance (Philippians 3:12–14) | Excel Still More (Part 6)

Transcript

JRS 77
9/7/2025
Excelling in Endurance; Excel Still More (Part 6)
Philippians 3:12-14
Jesse Randolph

Well, today is a day that is marked by both beginnings and endings.
Beginnings . . . in that with today’s service, of course, and our Fall Kickoff event later this afternoon, we’re officially launching a new ministry year at Indian Hills. And then, endings, because the Excel Still More series that we’ve been going through in the month of August we’ll be wrapping up with this morning’s message.

This is message six or six and of course, in the first five messages we’ve considered a variety of different topics. We’ve looked at “Excelling in Exaltation”, that was our first week, where we considered how easy it is in a Bible teaching church like ours, to wane in our attention and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must be careful to maintain that focus on “Remembering Jesus Christ” as II Timothy 2:8 commands us.

Then we considered the importance of “Excelling in Embracing” where from Romans 15:7, we were reminded of that responsibility we each have to “accept” or “welcome” “one another, just as Christ also [welcomed] accepted us to the glory of God.” We were charged to overcome what’s maybe normal or convenient, and always be mindful of being a welcoming church, in every respect.

After that, we considered the importance of “Excelling in Engagement”. That sermon was rooted in Romans 15:14, which reminds us that as believers who have been “filled with all knowledge” and that certainly describes us here at Indian Hills. We have a responsibility now to “admonish one another.” To be human conduits of the truth that we know from God’s Word, to encourage and exhort, and counsel one another with a heavy emphasis on the words “one another”. A healthy faithful church is always going to have a core commitment to ministering to “one another.” To carrying out the “one another’s” given to us in the New Testament.

Then we considered the importance of Excelling in Equipping” where we looked at Titus 2:1-8, and were given some key reminder from that text, about how important it is to have older-to-younger relationships happening throughout the church. Mentoring, training, discipleship relationships where those relationships are not the exception in the church, but rather the rule.

Last week, we considered the importance of “Excelling in Evangelism.” Where we looked at Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.” We stared death in the face, as it were using the reality of death as a prompt to remind us of the urgency of our mission. To tell sinners all over this town, that salvation from sin, and the hope of eternal life, can be found through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Now, today in sermon number six in this series we’re going to consider the importance of “Excelling in Endurance.” As a church which is committed to “Excelling Still More”, we’re going to consider how important it is to adopt the mindset of the Apostle Paul, of endurance, of perseverance as he’s going to lay out for us in a passage of scripture that we’ll be working through this morning.

In fact, go ahead and turn with me, in your Bibles to Philippians 3. That will be our text for this morning. It was actually read in the scripture reading, a portion of it. But we’re going to be looking at Philippians 3:12-14 this morning. God’s Word reads, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

This is a wonderful text of scripture. It is a text which is really all about endurance in the Christian life. As the follower of Christ knowing what awaits him, knowing what awaits her in glory, aims to grow progressively into the Savior’s image. It’s a text in which Paul uses this very vivid athletic imagery to help us focus our eyes, as it were, on the prize. My goal this morning is to unleash this text on all of us here this morning and then let the word do its work. Then I’ll bring it back to some application later, for us to chew on and think about as a church.

We have four points this morning. Four points that correspond to these three verses that capture Paul’s flow of thought here. In verse 12, the first part there, we’re going to look at the call to Sensibility. In the second half of verse 12, there’s a call to Strive. Verse 13, there’s a call to Singularity.
And verse 14, there’s a call to have Stamina. So, Sensibility, Striving, Singularity and Stamina.

Now, before we get into our first point here. You know, we’re not in this regular series in Philippians right now. I can’t wait to preach through the book as a whole one day. But let’s give some time to review what’s going on in this letter. Paul’s letter to the Philippians is likely written sometime around 61 A.D. At this time, Paul is imprisoned in Rome. If fact, you can go with me back to Philippians 1. We’ll get some of the context here, by putting our eyes on the page. Philippians 1:12 gives us some clues as to the situation Paul is in, as he writes our words in Philippians 3. He says, Philippians 1:12, “Now I want you to know, brothers, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my chains in Christ have become well know throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord because of my chains, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.” Now, those two references that you see there in those verses to “chains” highlight the fact that Paul is in prison as he’s writing these words. The mention of “the whole praetorian guard” points to the fact that Paul was in prison in a specific place namely, Rome. Because the “praetorian guard” during this time in history, was a group of troops that was assigned to protect Caesar the Emperor in Rome. So, Paul is imprisoned in Rome, and from Rome, he’s writing to this church in Philippi.

Now, in terms of Paul’s connection to this church at Philippi that takes us all the way back to his second missionary journey. In fact, go with me back to Acts 16, where we see some references here, as Luke is writing, about Paul’s second missionary journey. Paul’s second missionary journey happened about a decade earlier before he wrote the letter to the Philippians. The chapter here in Acts 16 begins with Paul at Derbe and Lystra. That’s where he and Silas link up with Timothy, that’s in verse 1. Then down to verse 6 of Acts 16, we see the traveling party heading in this northwesterly direction. They are going “through [the] Phrygian and Galatian region.” And from there, we go to verse 8, and we see that they are “passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.”

Now, from where they started in Jerusalem on this second missionary journey, and getting all the way to Troas, by way of reference, geographical reference, it’s about 1200 miles that separate those two regions, those two cities. So, we have a lot of distance between the two. He’s made some ground. Then look at verse 11, “So setting sail from Troas.” Troas was a coastal city on the eastern edge of the Aegean Sea. And then Luke here says, “we ran a straight course to Samothrace.” That’s an island in the middle of the Aegean Sea. “and on the day following [he says] to Neapolis.” Which was a city on the opposite side of the Aegean Sea from Troas. So, they’ve sailed from one side to the other, of the Aegean Sea. Now, look at verse 12, “and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days.”

So, the point of laying all of this out for you, is to let you see with your own eyes that Paul did make it, at some point in his earlier ministry, to Philippi, a full decade before he wrote the letter to the Philippians. While he was in Philippi, as we keep reading on here, we see that Paul did minister in this territory, in this town. It was in this town, verse 14, that “a woman named Lydia” was converted. Look at verse 14 of Acts 16. “And a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening, whose heart the Lord opened [to pay attention] to the things spoken by Paul. “Then Paul’s ministry, along with Silas, there in Philippi, keeps making an impact in Philippi. We know that until then there were people in this town that were making a living with fortune telling. That’s how they made their revenue and whenever you take away someone’s source of revenue, they’re not happy. That’s what happened with Paul, as he kept preaching the gospel in Philippi and eventually, he and Silas were thrown into jail. Look at verses 23-24 of chapter 16, “And when they had inflicted them with many wounds, they threw them [meaning Paul and Silas] into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely, who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.” It was there, while they were jailed in Philippi, we look at verse 25, that they were “singing hymns of praise to God.” Then, an earthquake struck, and this leads, as we keep looking at the text here, the prison doors swinging open. It leads to this jailer who was on duty that night, there in Philippi to ask Paul and Silas a question in verse 30, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” “And they [verse 31] said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house.” So, from this quick run-through in Acts, what we’re seeing is that Paul had an impactful ministry a full decade earlier or so there in the city of Philippi.

Now, moving back to Philippians, some ten years later, Paul finds himself imprisoned again, this time in Rome and this time, as we just looked at, under the watch of the “praetorian guard.” Paul, at this point, was facing an eventual trial at the hands of the Emperor in Rome. He knew that his life was at stake, and he knew that death could come for him soon. In fact, go back to Philippians 1 again. Look at Philippians 1:20. Paul references his “earnest expectation and hope” that what? Well, he says: “that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.” And then come these familiar words in verse 21: “For to me, to live is Christ [you could finish the sentence for him] and to die is gain.”

So, on the one hand there’s this real sense in which death is hanging over Paul’s letter to the Philippians as he’s writing from this Roman prison. But on the other hand, as we make our way through Philippians, we see that there’s this definite cord of joy that is repeatedly struck throughout this letter. In fact, Paul’s letter to the Philippians has often been called the “epistle of joy” and rightly so. Because throughout Philippians we see Paul, though imprisoned, though he was facing death, saying things like this and you can follow along with me. I’m going to read through these really quickly.
Philippians 1:4, he says he is “always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all.”
Or Philippians 1:18, he says, “Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.”
Or Philippians 1:25, he knows he has work to do on this earth, to see that the Philippians’ “progress and joy in the faith.”
Philippians 2:2, he asks the Philippians to “fulfill my joy.”
Philippians 2:17, we see Paul’s eternal perspective here yet again, he says, “But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering” that’s a metaphor for death “upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.”
They look at verse 18, he says, “And you also, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.”
Philippians 2:29, he encourages the Philippians to receive Epaphroditus, who was the carrier of this letter, “in the Lord with all joy”
Philippians 3:1, he says, “Finally, by brothers, rejoice in the Lord.”
Philippians 4:1, he calls the believers at Philippi “my joy and crown.”
And then we all know this one in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice.”

So, in terms of background, we’ve a lot going on here in Philippians. We have an apostle on trial. We have the reality of death hanging over him. We have him writing to this church that he had visited over a decade before. And though Paul is on trial, he’s making these repeated references to his own joy in the Lord, not withstanding his circumstances. What he’s doing is also spurring this church, the church at Philippi, on to greater and greater joy in the Lord, not withstanding their circumstances. So, Philippians as a whole, is just this wonderful letter. It’s this encouraging letter at the same time, as we’re going to see though, is a challenging letter.
In the middle of it all, back to our passage we have this gem of a passage. This beautifully stitched together three verses, where we see Paul modeling again: Sensibility, Striving, Singularity and Stamina. Four characteristics which any individual follower of Jesus Christ, and any church of Jesus Christ needs to possess in order to “Excel Still More”, and to “Excel in Endurance.”

So, back to our first point here, Sensibility. Look again at verse 12, Philippians 3:12. Paul begins here with these words, he says, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect.” It’s been said that “satisfaction is the grave of progress.” I think Paul would agree. I mean, think what Paul already had. Going back to his pre-conversion days. Look up the page just a bit, at Philippians 3:4, you see the list here of all that Paul had in his early days. He says, “If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”

That was Paul’s “B.C.” story. He was a noble, learned Jew who came from the right line, the right people, the right tribe. He was this man of unmatched zeal. He was this man who was relentless in his pursuit of perfection, as under the Law, at least. He was unparalleled in his pursuit of perfection, according to the Law of Moses. But then he says, verse 7, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” Then he expands of that idea in verse 8, he says, “More than that, I count all things to be loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.” So, that was Paul the Hebrew. Paul the Israelite. Paul the Jew. According to that worldview, he had it all. But now, looking in the rearview, with eyes of faith those scales having fallen off, he calls all that he once had, all that he once was, “rubbish” . . . skubalon . . . dung. That’s the idea here.

Well, we sometimes forget. We look at that passage and we think that’s all Paul has in view here, this B.C. state of Paul, and this new creation state of Paul. But we sometimes forget, as we look at the entire life of Paul, that even after he became a follower of Jesus Christ, he was a man of great privilege spiritually speaking, he had a lot more than you and I have going on, we can say that. Right? I mean, this is the man who had a personal encounter with the risen Lord Jesus, on the road to Damascus in Acts 9. You and I haven’t had that experience. Right? This was a man who became an Apostle of Christ. And became an early foundation stone of the early church. This is a man who worked miracles. This is a man who peaked into the third heaven, as he says in II Corinthians 12. This is a man who planted several churches in the ancient world. This is a man who had a brilliant theological mind. This is a man who wrote 13 or our 27 New Testament letters, 14, if you want to arm-wrestle me about whether he wrote Hebrews or not. In other words, Paul had some truly incredible experiences and opportunities spiritually speaking. Yet here he is in verse 12 saying, what? “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect.”

It’s said of Kobe Bryant, former shooting guard for the L.A. Lakers Hall of Fame shooting guard for the L.A. Lakers that man had an unparalleled work ethic, Kobe Bryant. He was always the first guy on his team, even going back to his high school days, to be in the gym. He was 16, 17 years old, and he’d be at the gym at 5:00 in the morning, hours before his teammates. Then he gets to the NBA, and you think, oh he’ll probably throttle back a bit, and start showing up at 10:00 in the morning, right? No. He made it even earlier when he got to the NBA, he would get there at 4:00 am sometimes 3:00am to start shooting and working out. He had an unparalleled work ethic. He was intense. He was driven. He was focused. There are stories about him, that when he would play his teammates, one-on-one, they would think something like, ok, we’re going to play to 10, right? Maybe 21? He would insist that they play to 100 every single time. There are stories about him injuring his right shoulder, his shooting arm, his shooting shoulder, and playing a whole game with his left arm. There are stories about him getting fouled, and in the process, tearing his Achilles tendon. And then popping right back up on that torn Achilles and shooting the two free throws at the charity stripe and then exiting the game before he goes on to surgery. He was an absolute machine relentlessly pursuing greatness, tirelessly pursuing excellence. He was widely considered to be one of the most excellent players in NBA history. Always striving, always looking, he had all the reasons, as much as he had to throttle it back. But he never did. He worked harder and harder and harder. He strived harder to be even more excellent at his craft.

There’s a parallel, albeit a loose parallel with the Apostle Paul. Paul, of course, was not concerned about a round orange ball making it into a hoop. Paul was not concerned about his next shoe deal, as Kobe Bryant was. But Paul had a holy dissatisfaction about him. That’s the connection here. He had a sense of blessed discontentment at all times. Paul knew he had a long way to go. He knew he had a lot of room to grow. And it motivated him.

That’s what he’s saying here in verse 12, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect.” Now, that first expression, or those first two words, “not that”, those are words of negative disclaimer. They are right on the heels of verses 10 and 11 there. Where Paul, you see, is expressing his desire to, “Know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” So, what Paul was getting after here now, in verse 12, is that, well, in this whole section, he’s looking forward to that day, where he would be with the Lord. He’s looking forward to that day where he would one day pass out of this world, in death, just as Jesus did. And he would one day rise like Jesus be resurrected from the dead.

But here, back in verse 12, we see that that day had not arrived yet. Paul had not yet arrived on the golden shores of glory. Instead, his feet were very much planted yet here on earth. That’s what he means with those words, “Not that I have already obtained it.” Paul here, if I can paraphrase is saying, “I’m not where I want to be.” “I’m not with the very object of my hope – Jesus Himself.”

And then, still in verse 12, note those next few words, he says: “or have already become perfect.” Now, those words link back to those first two words, “Not that.” So, it’s, “Not that I have already obtained it.” And
“Not that I have already become perfect.” I’ve not become; I’ve not reached moral and spiritual perfection. Paul is identifying the fact; he knows that he has this secure position in Christ. But he also knows that he hasn’t been perfected in Christ. He’s saying here, “I’ve not been completely sanctified.” “I haven’t reached that state of glorified perfection that I know I will one day reach, when I am with Him.” Paul, in other words, knew that he had many privileges as a follower of Christ. He knew that he had many accomplishments that he could point to as an Apostle of Christ. Yet, he had this realistic assessment of himself. This sensible assessment of himself. He knew that he still had plenty of room to grow.

Paul’s sensible realistic assessment of himself comes out in many different writings of his. Like in I Corinthians 13:12, Paul admits that his knowledge at that time is incomplete. There, he says, “Now I know in part” but then he says, “but then” meaning in the future “I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” So, he’s conceding there in that passage that he was imperfect in his knowledge.

Paul also was the one that would call on his followers to imitate him, as he imitated Christ; I Corinthians 11:1. But then he would also say in other places like II Corinthians 7:1, that he was “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” That’s a statement that he had not yet arrived. Then there’s this, in Ephesians 3:20. Paul would speak of the “power that work[ed] with in [him].” Philippians 4:13, the verse that athletes write on their sneakers. Paul would say: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
On the other hand, though, he would say in other places that he was still battling, and still weak in various areas. He had this thorn in his flesh and it was through that thorn in his flesh that God’s “power [was] is perfected II Corinthians 12:9, in his weakness.” He hadn’t yet arrived and then there’s this. Paul was the one, when it comes to prayer, who would tell others that they needed to be “praying in the Spirit” Ephesians 6:18. That they needed to be “pray[ing] without ceasing,” I Thessalonians 5:17. But on the other hand, Paul was also the one who, in Romans 8:26 signifies that he doesn’t always know how to pray as he ought. He says in Romans 8:26, “we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

So, what each of those examples reveals to us that I’ve just rattled off, is that though Paul had been given a lot and though Paul had experienced a lot. Though Paul certainly knew a lot. He had not yet arrived. You know, Paul, of course, was satisfied with Jesus Christ Himself. Paul, of course, was satisfied with his position in Christ. Paul, of course, would have known, he’s the one who gave us these words that there’s no better place to be than to be “in Christ.” But what Paul was not satisfied with was his progress in Christ. He wasn’t satisfied with his own life in Christ. He wasn’t striving for a better position there could be no better position, than to be in Christ. But he was continually striving for a better walk. He was continually striving for a stronger walk. He hadn’t yet attained the prize. He hadn’t yet become perfect. He hadn’t yet reached the goal. And so, with these many imperfections that he still had, which the Lord was, you know, progressively buffing out of him that was motivation for Paul. He has, throughout the New Testament letters he wrote, this obvious sense of holy dissatisfaction, blessed discontentment, it continually fueled him.

Now, we carry over to our day and we have to ask the question if the Apostle Paul had that degree of holy dissatisfaction. If the Apostle Paul had that degree of humble, honest dissatisfaction. How dissatisfied ought we be with our progress in the faith? Right? I can use an illustration. The Apostle Paul is like a brand-new Mercedes wagon with a couple of scratches on it. We’re like a ’75 Plymouth Duster, with those pie-tin hubcaps and the muffler falling off. Right?
We need to be sensible. Sensible about our weaknesses. Sensible about our shortcomings. Sensible about how much further we must go as individual believers – and by extension, as a church. You know that sensibility like the sensibility Paul is demonstrating right here is going to be an essential ingredient in Excelling Still More. Because if we don’t have that sensibility. If we don’t have that sensitivity. If we don’t have that sense of awareness. You know, if we ever get to the place where individually or as a collective body of believers, we get to that place of thinking: “I’ve prayed enough.” “I’ve read enough Bible.” “I’ve heard enough sermons especially from you.” “You know, I’ve given enough.” “I’ve sacrificed enough.” “I’ve shown up enough.” “I’ve shared enough.” “I’ve served the Lord enough.” “I’m about as godly as I need to be.” If we ever get to that place, any one of us, what an absolutely dangerous place that is to be. To think that we don’t need to progress, to advance, to grow. And to do so under the banner of so-called “maturity”, is actually shining light on immaturity.

What we need to learn from Paul’s words in verse 12 here then, the beginning part is the importance of being sensible. The importance of always being aware that we’re not where we need to be, spiritually. The importance of being clued into the fact that we haven’t been perfected. We have much to learn. We have many areas where we still need to grow. The importance of being sensitive to the truth, that the Spirit has a lot of work to do yet in every single one of us. Individually, of course, as He molds us and shapes us into the image of Jesus, God’s Son. And of course, corporately, as He makes us the church, He wants us to be.

That takes us to our second point. We’ve considered Sensibility here from the passage. Now, we want to look at:

STRIVING
Striving is point 2, if you’re taking notes. After saying, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect.” Paul next says this, still in verse 12, “but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

So, while believers who seek to “Excel Still More” and “Excel in Endurance.” are first marked by their sensibility. They are also marked by striving. Striving as they recognize that they haven’t reached the goal of being like Christ. Like a runner in a race, they are earnestly striving to pursue that goal. That’s exactly what Paul is describing here.

With that first statement, “But I press on.” “I press on” he says. He’s using a Greek word – dioko – which literally means “to follow after.” But it was often used in the context of athletics. To describe some sort of aggressive, energetic endeavor like running or sprinting. Paul here, by using that word, is saying that merely being aware of, sensible about one’s need to grow spiritually, that’s not enough. No. There must be action. There must be diligent pursuit of the goal. There must be this focused pursuit of the prize. “I press on.” Paul wasn’t a “Jesus take the wheel” kind of guy. No. He pursued Christian growth with all of his strength. He urged others to do the same. You can jot down a few references here:
Colossians 1:29, Paul in describing the Christian Walk there, is not describing it as “a walk in the park.” Instead, he uses the word “labor” and “striving.” Another passage, I Timothy 6:12, where Paul is charging Timothy not to “let go and let God.” But to “fight the good fight of faith.”
Or here’s another one, Acts 14:22, where we’re told that Paul, as he’s going to places like Lystra and Iconium, and Antioch is saying things like: “Through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.”

In other words. Paul was not only sensible, in the sense that he was realistic. But he knew of his need to keep his feet moving. He knew that he had not reached, in the ultimate sense, true spiritual maturity, so he was pressing on. He was running the race. He was striving to win. He was pursuing the goal of sanctification with all of his might. Straining every spiritual muscle to gain, to win the prize. His language here is very reminiscent of what he would say elsewhere, like in I Corinthians 9:24,
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” His language echoes what the author of Hebrews would write in Hebrews 12:1-2,
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.” Paul wasn’t “press[ing] on” in his flesh. You know, he wasn’t a self-willed kind of guy. That would be more like the Kobe Bryant example. He wasn’t doing any of this for himself. No. Look at the next part of our passage, still in verse 12. After saying “but I press on” he gives us the “why.” He says, I press on “so that [there’s the purpose statement, so that] I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

That was the goal of Paul’s striving. That was the aim of all of his strenuous efforts. He’s using an intentional bit of wordsmithery here sanctified wordsmithery with his double use of that expression – “lay hold of” or “lay hold.” He’s saying here that just as Jesus Christ had laid hold of him. Just as Jesus Christ had captured him and gripped him when He saved him. Just as Jesus Christ had made Paul His prize as a trophy of His grace. Paul was now seeking to run after His prize. He was now seeking to be more like Christ. He was seeking to be more like Christ, as he looked forward to one day being with Christ. Paul had been captured by Christ. Now his own thoughts were captive to obeying Christ and growing in Christ and growing to be more like Christ.

See, Jesus didn’t save Paul because He needed Paul. Right? Jesus didn’t save Paul because He thought heaven might be empty without Paul. There’s a song about that somewhere don’t listen to it. No. Jesus saved Paul, to sanctify Paul. He saved Paul, to purify Paul. He saved Paul, to conform Paul into His own image. In fact, go with me over to Romans 8. We’ll just look at one passage here, one verse 29. Romans 8:29, Paul, of course, is writing here by means of the Holy Spirit, and he says, “Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” We’ll leave it right there.

Now, everybody and their grandmother wants to debate the first few words of that passage, right? Everybody wants to debate those words about divine foreknowledge. They want to debate predestination. They want to debate election. That’s all well and good. I will say this. Note how those concepts, as Paul lays them out here in Romans 8:29 – foreknowledge predestination. They are simply taken as a given by Paul in this passage. He’s not making a case for it. He’s just stating it. So, these aren’t Calvinistic doctrines, these are Biblical doctrines.

But bigger picture and keeping it on track here. The main purpose of this passage, as you read it in its fullness, verse 29, in the full context of the thought here is that God’s purpose in saving us, is that we would become conformed, made into, the likeness of His Son the image of His Son. God chose Paul. God saved Paul with the ultimate purpose of conforming Paul into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. And if God chose you, here this morning, if you are in Christ, He did the same thing for you. He gave you the same purpose.

God saved us not only for heaven. He saved us for holiness. Now that we are in Christ what we have lying before us is this lifelong pursuit of holiness of Christlikeness. Our goal, in other words, in this life, as Christians, with the Spirit living in us, aligns completely with Christ’s goal in saving us. We strain ourselves spiritually, in our pursuit of holiness, in our pursuit of godliness. In our pursuit of Christlikeness and our pursuit of sanctification. Because Christ saved us for that very purpose. We, to employ the language here of verse 12, “press on”, I’m back in Philippians 3. We “press on so that [we] may lay hold of that for which also [we were] laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

There’s an alignment with His will in saving us, and our purpose in this life. That’s a loaded term, if there ever was one in our day – purpose. A lot of people these days are asking “What is my purpose here on earth?” “What is my purpose in this life?” There are books with those very titles “The Purpose Driven Life.” Right? Well, if you are in Christ. If you are already firmly within the grip of His grace. You’ve already been given that answer. Your purpose is to bring glory to God by becoming more like His Son by the power of His Spirit. That is your purpose in this life. Christians who are “Excelling Still More”, are Christians who are growing in godliness and churches which are committed to “Excelling Still More”, are filled with members who share in that common aim of Christlikeness. To become more and more like their Savior.

Moving on to verse 13 and our third point this morning. Look at verse 13. Philippians 3:13, Paul here says, “Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.” Our third point this morning, if you’re taking notes, is Singularity. We’ve looked at Sensibility. We’ve looked at Stiving. Now, it’s:

SINGULARITY
Specifically, that singularity of focus that we are all called to have, as we fix our eyes on Christ, and our blessed hope through Him. To get us started here, look at the first half of verse 13. He begins with “Brothers”. That’s a term of endearment and affection. And then, “I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet,” Paul is being intentionally redundant here remember, he said something very similar back in verse 12. Verse 12 he says, “Not that I’ve already obtained it.” and here in verse 13, “I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet.” Meaning, he had not yet laid hold of or grabbed onto his prize of glory to be in his glorious, one-day resurrected body to be in the presence, one-day of his glorious, resurrected Savior to be finally in that state of sin-free glorious perfection. Through intentional repetition here Paul is underscoring the truth that he wasn’t there, yet he hadn’t yet arrived. Though we enjoyed a 68-to-nothing drubbing last night we also haven’t arrived. We’re still here. Last night was fun on the Big10 network, but we are very aware, day by day, of where we are, and how much further we have to go.

Then, still, verse 13, Paul makes this important turn in his train of thought, with this language. He says, “Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet, [ then look at this] but one thing I do.” “But one thing I do.” That is a crystal-clear statement of singularity. Paul wasn’t going to give here a laundry list of things he had to do. He wasn’t going to mention a whole host of things he wanted to do. It’s: “But one thing I do.” D.L. Moody once said, “It is better to say, ‘this one thing I do’ than to say, ‘these forty things I dabble in.” That was Paul, he had one driving compulsion, which was to be more and more like Christ. “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”

There’s a famous story that’s been told, in fact I was hesitant to tell it, thinking it’s probably been told here many times. Or you’ve heard it at some point, as you listen to various programs. But there’s this famous story that comes from the world of competitive running. The story involves two men Roger Bannister and John Landy. In the 1950’s, these were two men who had individually and on different tracts, been the first two to break the four-minute mile mark. Like two heavyweight prize fighters Bannister and Landy were scheduled to race each other in 1954, in Vancouver and it was this much-heralded event. You can actually find the video of this later, not now. But for most of the event, Landy was in the lead and Bannister was strategically trailing him. Just sort of conserving energy until he was going to do the final burst at the end. But on the final lap Bannister clearly began gaining ground on Landy. He started getting very close to Landy. Then Landy, apparently feeling Bannister’s footsteps behind him, or maybe even the breath on his neck, Landy, famously, looked back. He looked over his left shoulder, as he’s making the turn and wouldn’t you know it, Bannister flies by him on the right and wins the race. Well, Landy’s peek over that left shoulder is a fitting illustration. It’s one, like I said, has been used many times in preaching this text to explain what Paul is getting after here in Phillipians 3:13. Where he says, “forget[ing] what lies behind and reach[ing] forward to what lies ahead.” Landy looked back. Paul did not.

Now, to be fair. It’s not like Paul was ignorant of what was behind him. It’s not like he had somehow deleted, robotically his past. We know that’s not true. We know from Philippians 3; he recalled that he was circumcised on the eighth day. He was of the nation of Israel. Of the tribe of Benjamin. Hebrew of Hebrews. As to the Law, a Pharisee ect., ect. So, it’s not like Paul was ignorant of his history. It’s not as though he thought, ‘It’s just not there. I don’t even think about it anymore or contend with it anymore.’ But what he’s communicating here is that he needs to “forget[ting] what lies behind and reach[ing] forward to what lies ahead.” All those personal accomplishments of Paul. All of what he had done before. It didn’t matter anymore. That’s what he’s saying here. His sights were now set higher. His focus was now even sharper on what he needed to do today and where he needed to go in the future, for the sake of Christ. He was now a man, Paul was, with a single purpose. A man with one aim. A man with one ambition, which was “to reach forward to what lies ahead” he says.

Now, that word “reach forward” is highly descriptive in Greek. It means to “stretch out after.” It’s again, describing the athletic contest. It’s describing a race. It means “to stretch a muscle to its limit.” It’s what I can’t do in a tight suit this morning. Right? To stretch all the way out into that first row right there. The picture here is of a runner, exerting extreme effort stretching every muscle in his body to reach what is in front of him, the prize. That was Paul. He was like this athlete in pursuit of Christ stretching forward leaning forward exerting himself, in order to cross that finish line having run his race. But to do that, note what he says here, to “reach forward to what lies ahead.” He had to be this man of singular devotion and focus. Meaning, as it says, verse 13, he had to be committed to “forgetting what lies behind.” He couldn’t be like John Landy that man that was looking back over his shoulder. He couldn’t be a man like John Landy, as he looked back over his shoulder, was getting past on the other side. There was no looking back for Paul. He couldn’t look back. His past, all of it, was in rearview. No good runner, as far as I know, runs around with a rearview mirror in their hands. No, they are running forward. They are aiming for the prize.

Carrying that over to our context, to land the point. Those who seek to “Excel Still More.” Those who seek to run the race faithfully as individual followers of Christ and together as a church. They don’t allow themselves to be slowed down by the shadows of their past. Meaning, your past, my past, our church’s past. Really has nothing to do with our call right now, to be faithful to the Lord today. It really has nothing to do with our call to be, right now, faithful to the Lord as we seek to do whatever He would have us do in the future.

This is where believers, especially those believers who have been believers for a good long while. Believers who would consider themselves mature tend to really get tripped up. They’ll say things like, “You know, there was that one time I led someone to the Lord.” Great! Have you shared the gospel since the Internet was invented? Or, they’ll say things like, “When I first got saved, I couldn’t put down my Bible. Great! Why are those Bible pages stuck together? Why is it so hard to get into the word, like it once was before? They’ll say things like, “You know, let me tell you, I used to be so on fire for the Lord.” Wonderful! But what about today?

Then, on a church-wide scale there can be that same paralysis that’s induced by an undue focus on our past. That mentality can come out in a whole number of different expressions, “You Know, it’s just not the way it used to be around here anymore.” “Things were better back whenever.”
“Wasn’t it great when?” “Do you remember when?” Let me tell you, that is not only unhelpful to be unwilling to wriggle ourselves out of this straitjacket of the – “we’ve always done it this way” mentality. It’s unbiblical. What does Paul say in verse 13? That he continually looks behind to see what’s behind, that he’s emphasizing what lies behind. That he needs to regularly consider and consult with what likes behind? No! He says, “but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind.” He was committed to forgetting what lay behind him. And that’s because what lay behind him had nothing to do, in his context, with the work he had to do for the Lord that day, and in the future.

Let’s put this back in its athletic context, this text. By going back to what this picture Paul is painting of this race. This athletic contest. He clearly has a race in view here and what the picture he’s painting with his words, are runners standing on the line or maybe squatting, sitting on the line. I was never a runner. They are getting ready to start sprinting, whatever that race involves. Right? They’re getting ready. I think I know enough about running, to know that a successful runner when he crouches down in that in that thing I think it’s called a block? Or is it called “the blocks?” You can be responsive now “blocks”, I heard an “s”. So, he gets down in those blocks, right? I hope that’s right. Ethan can edit it later. But he gets down in those blocks and there’s no way that runner, as he does so, looks left and right and says to the guys flanking him, “You know, I used to be a really good runner.” Or “You know, you should have seen me five years ago or ten years ago.” Right? No! He has one aim which is to get to the end of that race, victorious. No matter what he did before. No matter how many years ago he experienced racing glory.

That’s what our text is communicating to us today. That our call is to run today’s race. Not yesterday’s race. If we’re not committed to that, then there’s no way to move forward. If we’re still functioning here in the church as though it’s 1987 or 1997 or 2007, fighting the battles of the mid-nineties, let’s say that’s like being that runner who’s looking sideways and not looking forward. Looking back and not looking forward. That runner is totally distracted. That runner is totally hampered. That runner will be running as though he has a ball and chain tethered to his ankle and he’s not going to go anywhere. Our call is to put our hand to the plow today. To pursue the prize today. Not looking back, but looking forward, today. Our call is to crouch down, to get into those you said they are blocks to get into those blocks. Get into position and start running straight ahead.
“Forgetting what lies behind reaching forward to what lies ahead.” That’s what Paul is picturing for us in this text.

That brings us to verse 14 and our fourth point this morning. Note the language there, verse 14, “I press on [he says] toward the goal for the prize of the upward call or God in Christ Jesus.”
Here’s our fourth point:

STAMINA
So, it’s Sensibility, Striving, Singularity, Stamina. Now, we’ve already seen those words “I press on” back in verse 12. Again, the Greek word is dioko. It means “to follow after.” But in the athletic realm, it’s used to describe running a race. As he repeated himself here, Paul was stressing the importance of running this race running this race in a specific direction, “toward the goal” he says. “I press on toward the goal.” And the “goal” that which he sought to “lay hold of”, back in verse 12 was Christlikeness, as we saw. That’s what Paul wanted. That was his goal. If he couldn’t be with Christ right away, he wanted, at least, to made more like Christ, while he waited to be with Him.

With that “goal” in mind. Paul knew that eventually, when he crossed that threshold of eternity. When he finished his race. He would receive his “prize.” “I press on toward the goal, for the prize” and note, it’s the “prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” That upward call of God language is describing each of God’s purposes in choosing us before the foundation of the world. That is the upward call of God. That wraps into it, everything from Him saving us from our sin. His making us joint heirs with Christ His preparing for us an eternal home in glory and His giving us a goal right now, in these bodies, on earth. And in the meantime, which is to pursue Christlikeness.

What about the “prize” itself? What is the “prize?” What’s the “prize” he’s referring to in verse 14? I don’t think the “prize” is actually a “what”, I think the “prize” is a “Who.” Yes, a day is coming when, in glory, Paul was and we will receive victor’s wreath, a crown of righteousness. Yes, a day is coming when, in glory, where Paul would be given his eternal reward, for running his race well. But the real prize was the fact that he would one day be with his Savior. That he would one day be with Jesus, the One he was earnestly striving to follow in his life.

He’s the prize, folks. Jesus is the prize. Our prize, ultimately, isn’t about escaping the miseries of this world and sickness and death and sadness. Our prize, ultimately, isn’t even about reuniting with loved ones who have gone on before us, who knew the Lord. Our prize isn’t streets of gold, ultimately. Our prize isn’t having tears wiped away from our cheeks, so to speak. That isn’t the ultimate prize. Our prize, fundamentally, is Jesus Himself. The prize is to be able to worship Him in His presence. To stand before Him. To see His face. To the glory and praise of God. I John 3:2, “Belove, now we are children of God, and it has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He is manifested, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” Amen. Those words, like Phillipians 3, ought to motivate everyone of us to run this race well. To Excel Still More. To Excel in Endurance. Speaking of which, and with that. It is time for me to formally wrap up and wrap up this series.

Now, for some of you, as I say, we’re going to wrap up this series. We’re done with Excel Still More. That’s going to come as a word of relief for you. For some of you, this series has not been your cup of tea. You haven’t appreciated the challenges that have been coming forth from this pulpit the last five Sunday mornings. I’ll say this, if you find yourself in that group, I do want to remind you that we all need to hold up the mirror from time to time to see what it’s revealing. I also want to say, by way of encouragement, that there is no doubt that we have members in our church who are excelling in a variety of areas. And we have members of our church who do excel in their exaltation, daily, of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We do have members who excel in how the welcome people into this church. And we do have members who excel in how they minister to one another. And we do have members who excel in training and investing in the next generation. And we do have those who excel in evangelizing, ensuring the hope that’s within.

But if you’re a truly humble follower of Jesus Christ, even if you are excelling in certain categories, like we’ve worked through over the past few weeks. The truly humble here, the truly mature here. Will, of course be aware of the fact that there’s still room to grow. There is room to Excel Still More. You will adopt that mentality:
“I do need to be mindful of my tendencies to wane in my devotion to Christ.”
“And I do need to be better about getting to know some of the new people here.”
“And I do need to have a few people over for dinner this year. To invest in them, and to pour into them.”
“And if I’m older, I do need to pour into somebody who’s younger in this church.”
“And I do need to step out of my comfort zone from time to time.”
That’s all something any mature believer would get behind.

So, that’s my encouragement to you. If you were in that category. If you’ve been a bit sour on this series, either because it’s not our normal verse-by-verse exposition through a book of the Bible. Or you just don’t think it’s my place to step on toes. Or you think I’ve been mean-spirited. Whatever it is, fine. We can have that debate later. You can send me an email. We can talk about it, as brothers in Christ. But let’s as least have you be willing to hear the Biblical charges that have been made from the scriptures. Be praying the Holy Spirit would soften your heart, to see where those areas are in your life, that you still do need to grow as we all do.

Now, for those who are in the other category. Maybe you’ve been more encouraged by the series. And you think, this series has shed some needed light on where we need to go as a church, here at Indians Hills. Well, my encouragement to you, if you’re in that camp; would be, to not forget these sermons. To not let them fly away. Instead, go back to them. Listen to them down the road. Do so with an open Bible. See all the scriptures that were referenced. Hear the heart that was behind them and let them spur you on. I have to say that if this series and what’s been communicated in this series, is forgotten by Christmas you know, elbowed out of the way, because we’re back into the routine of the normal programs that we run around the church. I fundamentally believe that we will have missed a major opportunity, as a church, to Excel Still More.

Let’s not let that happen. Instead, let’s take what’s been preached these past six weeks, let’s commit to doing something about it. Let’s remember that God is not done with the good work that He is doing here at Indian Hills. Let’s reach forward to what lies ahead. Let’s pray.

Father, thank You for this time this morning. Thank You for the privilege it is to work through text like these and be reminded of how much more we have to go. How much more distance we have to run, as we run our race. I do pray that this series has been an encouragement, a challenge. I do pray it has pricked where it needs to prick, pinched where it needs to pinch, but lifted up where it needed to lift up. God, I pray that we would come away from this series, a better church a stronger church a healthier church. One that is vibrant and alive through the ministry of the Word of God. One that is set up of a successful future of bringing You praise, as Your Word goes out. Thank You for these dear people. Thank You for their commitment to You, and their commitment to Jesus Christ. It’s in His name we pray. Amen