I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. . . . I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12,14
“Citius, altius, fortius” is a Latin phrase meaning “swifter, higher, stronger.” It is the motto of the Olympic games and does well to embody what our calling in Christ pursues.
Christ has already taken care of saving us for a Christian life and setting us apart for an eternal life in heaven. He’s placed us on the path of righteousness but still lets us run. Swifter we flee from temptation. Higher we stretch ourselves to practice Christ-like love. Stronger we stand in the midst of suffering in this world. A shining example of this kind of fortitude was revealed in the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico.
A Tanzanian marathon runner named Akhwari was the last man to finish the marathon race. He arrived in the stadium staggering and limping; and finished his race long after the winner did. Of course, this prompted all kinds of post-race questions as to why he continued when he had no chance of winning.
He simply replied, “My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me to finish the race.”
A Christian who knew why God saved him and set him apart, the apostle Paul, also spoke in similar terms, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me . . . I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12,14).
Run, Christian, run. Finish the race.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I know you can understand me when I feel weak because you became weak. You became weary and tired. You were exhausted at times and overworked—like me. Sometimes I just want to sit down and give up and look for easier ways, but I know you don’t want that for me. Help me finish the race. Lift my feet to follow your steps. Extend my arms to reach others in love. Wipe my tears of sorrow so that I can better see the path. Lead me on, Lord. Lead me on. Amen.
Have you ever heard the saying: “whistling past the graveyard”? It is used to describe people who know they are in a terrible situation yet remain confident even in the face of overwhelming odds.
That saying can describe Christians. Isaiah 12:2 tells us why. It says, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD is my strength and my song, he has become my salvation.” We human beings face a terrible situation and overwhelming odds. Sin infests our hearts like a disease, showing itself in hateful thoughts, hurtful words, and hostile actions toward others. The result is that we are headed for the graveyard, facing the death of our bodies and souls forever as our just punishment. And there is nothing we can do about it. There is nothing we can do to make up for our sins or set our wrongs right.
We need saving, and that saving comes not from us but from God. He has become our salvation. He sent his Son, Jesus, to endure the punishment for all our sins by giving his life on the cross. But that’s not all. Jesus not only fought our fight against sin and won, but he also rose again, conquering death. In Jesus, we have victory over sin and the grave. His work on our behalf gives us unshakable confidence in the face of overwhelming odds.
We can sing past the graveyard because, in Jesus and his sin-conquering strength, we have forgiveness. We can sing past the graveyard because the grave is not our end. Instead, Jesus makes heaven our eternal home. So, no matter the terrible situation, no matter the overwhelming odds, Jesus and his salvation give us strength for singing.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, you are my salvation. Give me strength not to be afraid even of death itself because you defeated sin and death for me. Give me strength to sing of the salvation I have in you. Amen.
Order of Service: The Service Setting Two – pg. 172
Today’s Theme: People often look to the judgment of experts, and are influenced by them. That poses a problem when it comes to Christ. The world’s experts generally see little value in Christ and his Word. Christ reminds us that when it comes to judgments about him and his kingdom, only one opinion matters – God the Father. Learn to evaluate the world’s experts properly, and trust’s God’s Word.
Hymns:914, 861, 517
Psalm:73B
Special Music:
Sermon:Philippians 3:4b-14 “Take Out the Garbage!”
LESSONS
Isaiah 43: 16-21
16This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, 17who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: 18“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 20The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
Philippians 3:4b–14
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Luke 20:9–19
9He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. 13“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
17Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? 18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 19The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. Romans 8:9,10
Have you ever received a gift that made you so excited that you never used it? I doubt it! When we get a gift, we’ve longed to receive, it’s only natural to begin using it immediately.
Maybe you remember a toy you received as a child for Christmas. You couldn’t wait to get up the next morning to play with it again. Maybe you received a puppy and couldn’t wait to take it for its first walk around the block. Or maybe it was the gift of your newborn baby, and you couldn’t wait for the nurse to place that little one into your arms for the first time.
When you receive a wonderful gift, it just makes sense to use that gift immediately and often. To lay it aside and live as if you hadn’t received it simply would not make any sense.
So why would we ever think of laying aside the greatest and most precious gift we can ever receive—the gift of God’s Holy Spirit? When we freely receive the Spirit of Christ, we also receive the perfect forgiveness of sins, the assurance that our eternal condemnation is crushed, and the certainty of an eternal home in heaven. In short, the Spirit gives life, now and forever. Use it! Live it!
The apostle Paul could not have been clearer. “If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.” Through the gift of God’s Spirit, Jesus’ righteousness—his perfection—is yours. That’s the gift of life! Use it!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, inspire me to use my new life in service to you and others in love. Amen.
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:7,8
The Bible teaches a rather uncomfortable truth. It says that you and I are sinners. On this side of heaven, we’ll continue to struggle with our sinful flesh. It’s a given. But with the Holy Spirit’s power, we are daily called to engage in a holy battle. And with his help, we will be victorious.
But if we throw in the towel and give in to our sin without a fight, we’re encouraging our sinful flesh and mind to continually disobey God’s good commands. And it’s addictive. Sin is a powerful and deadly drug that corrupts our minds and continually lies to us. When we allow our flesh to govern our mind, it eventually becomes “hostile to God.” Without the Spirit’s help, our mind “does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” In summary, Paul tells us, “Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God,” and eternal condemnation will be the inevitable outcome.
But Jesus can help us, and he does. Perfectly. He has conquered our sin and crushed our condemnation forever. Trust him!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, give me your strength to fight my flesh. Amen.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5,6
When we face something particularly challenging—maybe even something painful—it may be that someone alongside us will offer us some encouragement by saying, “Come on, now. It’s mind over matter.” What they mean, of course, is that we need to block out the thoughts of any immediate difficulty or pain that we might experience. Instead, we need to set our sights on the reward we will receive when it’s all said and done. It’s a matter of focus, mind over matter.
But, of course, the opposite is also true. If we set our sights on failure and mediocrity, that’s what we’ll end up achieving; maybe even worse than that.
The truth is, it’s natural for sinful human beings like us to choose the path of least resistance, to take the easier way, the path that seems less painful. And that’s especially true when it comes to our spiritual lives. Instead of setting our sights on the unseen, eternal blessings that our Father has promised to give us in heaven, we jump at the chance of securing as many creature comforts in this world as we possibly can right now.
St. Paul describes this as setting our minds “on what the flesh desires.” And he doesn’t pull any punches when he tells us what the result will be: “The mind governed by the flesh is death.” But because of our broken hearts and sinful minds, we’re doomed. Sinners can’t help themselves.
But Jesus can help us and does. Not only does Jesus assure us of our perfect forgiveness and willingly crush our eternal condemnation forever. But he gives us the gift of his Spirit, who renews our minds and empowers us to set our hearts on things above, not on earthly things. And, Paul explains, “the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
The Christian life is mind over matter. And in Jesus, our mind in the Spirit wins.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, empower me to live according to your Spirit and set my sights on you. Amen.
For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3,4
When Christians describe Jesus as perfect, they believe that he never did anything wrong. Not once.
That’s hard to believe, especially when you recall that Jesus was a human being just like we are and faced daily temptation just like we do. But the Bible is clear. Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
But for all his moral perfection, Jesus wouldn’t be our perfect Savior if he hadn’t been willing to suffer as our substitute. So our heavenly Father made Jesus “perfect through what he suffered” (Hebrews 2:10). What does that mean? It means he needed to endure the life of a sinner even though he wasn’t one. But he didn’t just become another sinner. He became the world’s greatest sinner, yes, the perfect sinner!
That’s what St. Paul is describing in Romans chapter 8. He begins by teaching us why we are unable to be perfect in God’s eyes. Try as we might to follow God’s law, it is powerless to save us “because it was weakened by (our sinful) flesh.” While God’s law is perfect, we are imperfect. Our following it perfectly is hopeless.
But what we are unable to do, “God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.” Elsewhere, Paul describes it this way: “God made [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Though Jesus was sinless, God laid our sin and the sins of the world on him. Then he condemned Jesus, the perfect sinner, in our place. Our perfect substitute.
So, Jesus hasn’t simply swept away our condemnation. He’s crushed it once and for all. The slate is clean for you, for me, for everyone. Our sin is forgiven and forgotten forever.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for becoming my sin so that I might be given your perfection. Amen.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Roman 8:1,2
One of the greatest powers bestowed on the President of the United States is the near-absolute authority to pardon people who have been convicted of a federal crime. That power even extends over lawbreakers who have been sentenced to death because of their misdeeds. The second article of the Constitution of the United States grants this power to the president, except in cases where federal officers have been impeached and removed from office. Beyond that one exception, the president has the unconditional power to pardon whomever he pleases.
It has long been the custom in the Christian church to illustrate the eternal truths of the Bible with every day, earthly examples, with which we are familiar. So, when a Christian wants to illustrate God’s power to forgive sin, it might be tempting to compare it to a presidential pardon.
But when it comes to illustrating God’s power to forgive, all analogies limp. And that’s true of this one, too, because when God forgives our sin, we are more than pardoned. When a person is pardoned, the crime still exists. The president declares no person will pay for the crime and that crime simply remains unpunished.
But that’s not what God did with our sins. He didn’t ignore them or leave them unpunished through a divine pardon. That would mean our sin is still on our record; it would simply go unpunished.
But our sin is gone; it’s forgotten forever! Our rightful condemnation has been completely crushed by the perfect life and perfect sacrificial payment of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. Our sin is not just pardoned; it’s vanquished and vanished forever. And not just our sin but the sins of the whole world. What power!
Make no mistake about it. We are more than pardoned. Sing for joy because “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for giving me the assurance that my sin has been paid for and my condemnation forever crushed. Amen.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. Romans 8:5
Do you feel trapped or stuck in a miserable pattern of life? Are your feelings making you feel caged? Are your sinful habits too hard to climb out of? Perhaps your autopilot is set wrong.
Often when we think of laws, we think of those rules that have been set up that we must abide by. But there is another way the word “law” is used. Think, for example, of the law of gravity. I don’t know of anyone arrested for breaking the “law” of gravity. This kind of law is an observed reality of how things work–the consistent pattern that holds true.
The pattern that holds true in the lives of people is the “law” of sinful nature. It is the autopilot that directs us to want the opposite of what God wants. But the Holy Spirit resets the autopilot of our lives. He creates in us a new heart as he leads us to trust what Jesus did by perfectly keeping God’s law for us and putting himself under the sentence of condemnation that we deserved. He became what we were to be, so we could be forever tied to what he is. When we live in trust in Christ, a new direction is set for our lives. There is no longer the slavery to the feelings and actions to the sinful nature, but rather a continued growing in Christlikeness. Keep reading and listening to the message of the Bible to keep your autopilot set right on Jesus.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, overcome the autopilot of my sinful nature and create a Christlike heart in its place. Amen.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor. Isaiah 61:1,2
“Freedom!” Perhaps you recall Mel Gibson screaming that word in one of the final scenes of the movie Braveheart. He gave all he had so that the people of his nation would be free from England’s rule. He lost his life, the war continued, perhaps there were times of relative freedom and peace, yet any quick study of history reveals continued struggles and battles.
Has your soul ever cried out for “freedom”? Have you ever wanted to be completely free from a nagging or guilty conscience? No matter how hard you fight or how long you try, you can never seem to win that battle. The memory of your past sins and faults never seems to set you free.
In our Bible reading for today, the prophet Isaiah shouts, “Freedom!” Isaiah foretells the work of the coming Savior, Jesus. Because of the Lord’s great love and favor, he punished Jesus in your place. Jesus suffered and died on that cross as your substitute. The result is free and full forgiveness for each and every one of your sins. That’s freedom! That’s the good news that binds up even the most broken heart. Like a beam of sunshine, these words pierce the darkness of the prison of sin.
Now you and I can shout out loud each day, “I am free!” We can step forward into each day with a fresh and clean conscience, confident in the Lord’s proclamation of forgiveness through faith in Jesus. And, like a wonderful gift, what better way to say thanks to God for our newfound freedom than to shout it out and share the good news with others.
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for wiping away my sin and giving me a fresh start. Help me to live for you each day so that I can show my thanks to you in my words and actions. Help me shine forth your love to others who are still searching for freedom from their sins. Amen.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
