Things, Past, Present and Future.
Text Phil 3:7--14

Introduction. Phil 3:13 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,"

As the Apostle Paul looked back down the years of his long Christian experience of wonderful service and great success; he said, "I count not myself to have apprehended"

In effect, he was saying " You know, when I look back, I feel as though I have hardly started, and all that I want to do is to forget what is behind and press on to those things which are before".

The Life of the Apostle Paul was one that was dominated with a supreme objective---That was to press towards the mark, that he might obtain the Prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. To do this he must forget the past and he must reach forward.

The Apostle is being "Realistic"--- and his honesty is clothed with humility. Paul is confessing that he has not arrived at the summit of spirituality! He has not reached his goal. He has not achieved his target perfection has eluded him.

The Apostle is at the Zenith of his Ministry. He had permeated major cities with the Gospel! He had planted Churches that continued to flourish. He had written wonderful Epistles setting forth sound doctrine, but he was not satisfied with his progress.

The more he accomplished, the more he saw what which needed to be accomplished. The more he looked at himself, the more he realised how he needed to press on along the road, which would lead to Christ-- likeness.

Paul did not compare himself with other Christians, he compared himself with Christ his Saviour and Lord. Paul was satisfied with Christ! But he was not satisfied with his Christian life. , I count not myself to have apprehended

We live in an imperfect world. Imperfect people surround us. We witness, imperfections on a daily basis in every avenue of life and that includes the lives of God's believing people. As we look back over the past there are "Failures we ought to Recognise"

For, all of us have fallen short of God's High and Holy standard. We have failed in areas of our Christian life and witness for God. Like Paul, we must confess.
"I count not myself to have apprehended" But, a Sanctified dissatisfaction, is the first essential ingredient to progress in the Christian life and in the race that is to be run.

It is always a very difficult and humbling experience to recognise and then to confess One's failures as the Lord reveals them to us.

James 4:10 "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

Notice from verse 13, how that Paul states his plan! "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,"

There are Those Things, which lie behind us

The past is past and both blessing and failure reside there. Yet we must ever conscience of the real danger of dwelling in the past. The past is behind us and it cannot be changed. We cannot rewrite the history of our lives. It happened yesterday and it should remain there. Yes, we can all learn from the past but it is foolish to live in the past.

We must Forget our Past Sin and Failure

This is not always an easy thing to do. But if we are constantly dwelling on their memory, then peace will be destroyed, our spiritual progress impeded, and our usefulness for God limited. Some people are continually filled with regret over what might have been.

Someone has said, "I can face anything but the future--and certain parts of the past and present!" None of us can face the past unless we know we are forgiven by the grace of God.
None of us can face the present unless we know we are strengthened by the presence of God. None of us can face the future unless we are certain of the love of God.

Forget those things, which lie behind and reach forth to those things, which lie before having learned from our past failure. There is always room for improvement in our Christian pilgrimage.

Paul is saying this is where I have been! This is where I am going, I am pressing on for the Prize, but in between, I have a lot to learn.

We must forget our Past Sin and Failure

We must forget our Past Success and Blessing

The past can give us a mental block. It can colour our perception of the present and it can spoil our better sense of judgement.
The Past can shackle us and lead us into bondage. To dwell constantly on past achievements will certainly not ensure us victory today. If one dwells on past success and on past Blessings, they can develop pride in the heart.

We cannot live on past blessing! Blessing that was wonderful at the time it was received, is not sufficient for the present need today. The Lord's Provision for the needs of His People is always fresh. His mercies are New every morning and fresh every evening.

His Grace is " Powerful in it's Sufficiency" Personal in its Sufficiency", and "Present in its Sufficiency" The supply of God's Grace, will always correspond with the need of the hour, it is perfect in its timing and Present in its sufficiency. The Grace for tomorrow needs will not come today, and the grace that we will need for today will not come tomorrow.

There, is a real danger, which faces every child of God! And that is of resting on the past, relying on what God has done yesterday for our satisfaction today. We can seek, to have a sparkle in our Christian experience, when all the time, we are living on the stale Grace of past blessing.

The experience of the children of Israel comes to mind as recorded in Exodus 16.
They were told to collect Manna every morning, early in the day; because when the sun was up it would melt away.

Exod. 16:20 notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.

I believe, that some Christians don't' have a singing experience with the joy of the Lord filling their hearts, because they are living in the past! Their Christian experience has become sour! It's old! It's Past! It's stale, no wonder they have lost their song and their freshness.

Illustration. A Cake can be a delicious when it is fresh! What a lovely smell there is when you come into a house where there is freshly baked cake or bread. I love to eat a piece of cake, or a slice of bread, which has been freshly baked.
But I do not like to eat stale cake or stale Bread. Have you ever gone to the bread bin and taken out a sliced of Bread only to find that it was mouldy because it had been there too long?

Friends, it is possible for the child of God to become mouldy, with a stale spiritual experience! There is nothing new about them, for they have failed to move on! Yet they have been called to walk in newness of life, and to walk in the freshness of the Present Grace of God.

Grace is energy; not a mere sentiment; not a mere thought of the Almighty; not even a word of the Almighty. Grace is as energy as the energy of electricity.
It is a divine energy; it is the energy of the divine affection, rolling plenteousness toward the shores of human need with the freshness of His Grace

Phil 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things, which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things, which are before,

Today is the first day of the rest of your life and for the Believer, the best lies before us. Therefore we can face the future with great confidence, striving for those things, which lie before us without swerving off course or being side tracked.

The Apostle Paul never lost sight of the Goal as he ran the race of faith! He had a singleness of purpose and we hear him say "but this one thing" There is "Devotion" expressed in this language.

No Athlete succeeds by doing everything! No! He succeeds by specialising
Too, many Christians today are involved in too many things. The secret of progressing in the Faith is to consecrate on "One Thing"

Oh that we would say with the Psalmist of old
"One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after"

"This one thing I do, forgetting those things, which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things, which are before"

If we are to develop our faith, and to grow in the Lord, there will need to be more dedication from all who profess the Saviour's Name. We must devote ourselves, to running the race and reaching forth to those things, which are before us.

As we continue in the our Service for God, let us remind our hearts, that there can be no room for spiritual declension, no room for relaxation! Let us go on to "Finish the Race, to reach the Goal, to gain the Prize. The writer of the Hebrew epistle exhorts

"Let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God", Heb 6:1 KJV

"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" Eph 4:15

Many times we have all heard the expression, "Aw, grow up!" When growth is retarded, we are all properly alarmed. Parents expect their children to develop physically, mentally, and socially.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, about growing up in Christ and coming to maturity in him. Growing up can be a painful process-- not physically painful, but the pain is real nonetheless. Growing up spiritually is painful, too, but it is worth the pain. If we grow up, into Him in all things.

Let us go on to reach the-- PRIZE… of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The law for Christian living is not backward, but forward; not for experiences that lie behind, but for doing the will of God, which is always ahead and beckoning us to follow.

Leave the things that are behind, and reach forward to those that are before, for, on each new height there are the appropriate joys from each new experience.

It was D.L.MOODY. Who said "It is better to say, " This one thing I do" than to say "these forty things that I dabble with".

Paul would agree with him-- for he had not only his--- Full Stop. I count not myself to have apprehended. He had his--- Fresh Start.

But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,"
Paul had his --- Focused Sight…

Phil 3:14 "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Paul was not going to lose this race! He would keep his eyes firmly fixed ahead in order to claim the Prize at the end of the race. This was a man of Dedication, one with great Determination, one who was totally devoted to his Lord and to the Cause of the gospel.

Paul wanted to be a winner, not a looser. This man sought to live his life in such a way, that he would leave no unfinished business when the Lord would remove him from this scene of time.
How sad it is for a Believer who comes to the end of their earthly pilgrimage having failed to achieve that, for which the Lord has saved them. Then to stand before the judgement seat! Having missed the mark and failed to win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

There are Those Things, which lie behind us.

"I count not myself to have apprehended"

There are Those Things, which lie before us.

"This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

There are Those Things that do Become Us.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:14

As Christian's, we are not to go backward, but forward with our Lord exercising Faith and obedience displaying those things that become us as the Lord's people.

BE UNMOVABLE… Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Phil 4:1

BE COMPATIBLE… "Be of the same mind in the Lord" v 2
Although this Church at Philippi had a lot to commend it! Yet there was an under current! There was a difference of opinion, which was marring the fellowship. Be of the same mind in the Lord, for the easiest way to defeat the cause of Christ is to fight among you.

BE JOYFUL… Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, rejoice. V 4
Enjoy your Christian experience! Rejoice in the Lord. The source of real Joy is the Lord, the joy of the Lord is your strength. Amid, the changing circumstances of life a joyful spirit can be maintained if we learn to rejoice in the Lord

Someone has said, that believers on the gospel train to heaven can travel, Third Class! Second Class! Or First Class!
Third Class…. With Christ Present… Second Class… With Christ Prominent…
First Class…. With Christ Pre-eminent…
When the Lord, has the Pre-eminent place in our lives, there will be joy in our hearts and this becomes the believer.

BE CAREFUL… Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. V 5
We need to be careful as to how we live out our lives before others
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (NKJ)

Let your forbearing {spirit} be known to all men. The Lord is near. (NAS)

Let us lay hold of the fact!

That the Lord is at hand the Lord is near. We must ever be mindful of the divine presence.

It was Hudson Taylor…. the great missionary to China who said
"Counting the Lord Jesus Christ as ever present is Holiness evermore.
How more Holy, we would be if would keep in mind that "the Lord is at hand observing all the things that we say and do.

BE PRAYERFUL Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. V 6

We are to pray about everything, for the Lord is interested in every detail of these lives of ours. He still delight to hear the prayers of His people, regardless of how feeble they might be.
The Saints of old had needs! They prayed and their needs were met, our God is still the same today! He still answers Prayer.

BE THANKFUL. With thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Our Prayers should ever be mingled with Praise, for the sincere praise of our hearts is ever acceptable unto God. Let us learn to turn out Cares into Prayers and our Problems into Praise.

BE THOUGHTFUL… Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things Phil 4:8

Our minds are to be occupied with the Truth, with that which is Righteous, with good things, with that which is pure. Purity, must ever govern the life of the child of God.
We are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, putting on the New Man, which is after God created in righteousness and true holiness, setting our minds on things above.

Think on these things for they give us guidelines for Christian living, they bring Glory to God, and they become those who profess the Name of Jesus Christ.

It was Wilber Chapman… who said, " My life is governed by this rule.
Anything that dims my Vision of Christ! Takes away my desire to study God's word! Cramps my Prayer life, and lessons my Zeal to serve the Lord is wrong for me".

Let us seek; by the mercies of God, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Rom 12:2

For when you have given your best to the Master
The Best that your Life can afford.
He will say "Well done" to His Servant
Now enter the joy of your Lord.

CONCLUSION.

BE TRUSTFUL "be careful for nothing" (do not be anxious)

This does not mean that we are not to give thought to pressing matters. It does mean, that we are not to be swamped down with worry and care because of them
Worry is like a thin stream of fear ----trickling through the mind, which if encouraged it will cut a channel into which all other thoughts are drained

When we worry! We do not trust! When we trust Him we do not worry.

"Cast all your care upon Him for He cares for you!