Facing Forward

This podcast is made available by this increasing media as to the generosity of our support is your donation today means great podcast ideas remain available to help people look to God daily presentation at our nation today send out all day something special benefit from the government through a fresh new year, especially after the quality of the warhead germ or terms of the book of Philippians. For some Russian help you into the new year with writer spiritual momentum and a vibrant Christian special-needs message pricing is some passage of Scripture that you just can't turn to over and over again. I've preached from this particular portion of the word of God.

Many times I have actually shared this portion of God's word with athletic teams all over the world all over the country, baseball, football, basketball. I built a couple of the NBA All-Star game chapels and quite often I think of this passage of Scripture. It's a great motivational portion of the word of God, and it was at the very center of the book I wrote this last year called forward and we have the apostle Paul saying, forgetting those things which are behind only goodness to resonate with that. When we think of this last year. We do want to forget. I think it's so important that we be good for debtors when it comes to things like what's happened in the past year. We don't want to be controlled by what happened. We want to be informed by it but not controlled by it and then Paul goes on to say. Looking forward, looking to the blessed hope of the Lord Jesus, looking to the embodiment of Christ in my spirit. Paul had a quite spiritual goal and he wrote these words were going to talk about today when he was in the latter part of his life, having lived a long and fruitful life. These words are great motivation. As we face the new year.

So open your heart and let's begin… Passage of Scripture that my mind has been drawn to in these past days found in the book of Philippians in the third chapter that I think has some great insight for all of us at this particular time and is just three verses that I want us to examine today and I'd like to read those verses from Philippians chapter 3 verses 12 through 14 need you to know that as I read these verses Paul is writing this from his prison cell. He is in the last trimester of his life and he is speaking very personally to the people of Philippi who I believe were his favorite congregation because he was more personal in his instructions to the Philippians that he was in any other book. He spoke to them at the beginning, talking about how he long for them and how he prayed for them and how he loved so he's opening his heart to them as if you were sitting across the table with a cup of coffee in his hand and sharing with them is very hard to listen to these words. This is not that I have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me, brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus from Paul's words in these three verses I want to share with you four principles which I think are important for all of us to consider as we prepare ourselves for the new year for a new chapter in our lives. The first thing that has to happen.

According to Paul, is we need to begin with what I call a divine discontent a divine discontent in verse 12 he says not that I have already attained, already perfected, but I press on the impact of those words but Paul is talking here about the discontent in his life.

He said I haven't arrived, I haven't made it, I haven't come to the place where I want to be. Is there such a thing as divine discontent. After all, were told in the Bible the word to be content with such things as we have that's what the New Testament said and the answer is of course that is truly to be content with the things God gives us when our Lord is teaching us about material goods, tells us that were to be content with such things as we have and always be clamoring for more. But when it comes to our growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We are never to be content.

That's what Paul is teaching us. It's hard to believe when you read this, that the human author of these words is apostle we call Paul.

Hard to believe that these words were uttered toward the end of his life after he had been used of the Lord to establish churches and write letters that have become most of the New Testament and many divisions that God trusted him with when so many spiritual victories at the end of all not at the beginning. At the end of it.

Paul says I want you to know. Not content with where I am. I want to go beyond where I have come. I have greater vision for the future. In my relationship with the Lord twice in this text. He uses the word perfect. In verse 12 he talks about not having arrived at perfection. But if you look down verse 15 uses that word again and he says therefore let us as many as are mature or perfect is the same word the same mind same mind is he talking about he say in this play on words he is telling us that we are mature when we realize that we have not arrived at perfection majority is not coming to the place where you say I finally got it all figured out.

I finally know what it's all about perfection majority in the Christian life is understanding where you are and how much debt you have to achieve and where you're going and how much further it is to get majority is not complacent, self-satisfied sufficiency majority is where Paul is with a divine discontent sanctified the satisfaction with our spiritual progress is one of the building blocks of a growing Christian experience. You say pastor I never heard anything like that before you made the final feel good about my Christian life. That's good. Yeah, that's good. Jesus taught us this in the Beatitudes to remember that Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness when you have a hunger for God's honest rights as the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you. Oh God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God when I shall come and appear before God.

Psalm 42, one and two Bible tells us, and Paul is teaching us that if you're going to face forward in the new year. The place we began is just understanding that we got a long way to go. A divine discontent notice.

Secondly, Paul talks about a discipline devotion in verse 13 he says, but one thing I do one thing I do is mean to be the person of one thing to be single-minded, starting with your discontent from the past you now begin the focus that you get single-minded about your life. One thing always thinking of one thing means were learning how to say no to some things so that we can say yes to the one thing Stanley Jones that this will your capacity to say no determines your capacity to say yes to greater things and I'm finding as I get older.

That's one of the greatest challenges I face learning to say no, so that you can say yes to the one thing Carl said this one thing I do Dawson Trenton said this one thing I do not these 20 things I dabbled in so many times we spread ourselves so thin and I have something my friend, we could never ever get to the place we only get to do the one thing, but I know in my heart that in every one of your heart you know the one thing you know what it is.

The one thing that God has called you to do the one thing that God has wrapped you up in a package to perform for him. She was you face this New Year's I speak to my own heart today. Be careful that you don't get caught up in the many things and sacrifice. The one thing that God uniquely created you to do in this world. I said there were four things that I've given you two of them a divine discontent, a discipline, devotion notice. Thirdly, a definite direction. Verse 13 again, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead is not a good New Year's verse, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are one of the things that keep so many of us from making progress in our walk with the Lord is our obsession with the past. Paul gives us here key that will help us if we understand what he saying when we become followers of Christ we can enter into a new life in Christ and our pastors once and for all put behind. But Satan loves to come to us with the reminder of our past sins and our past failures. If he can get us to dwell on what used to be before Christ, he can utilize us in any way we might be used of the Lord Paul said, I am committed to forgetting those things which are in the past when Paul uses the word forget. Let me explain what he means is not talking about failing to remember. No one has the power to erase from memory. What is happening his life. What Paul is talking about when he says forget his he's talking about refusing to be influenced by the phase in the past, God has promised to forgive our sins in that same way.

Listen, their sins and their lawless deeds. I will remember no more.

In Hebrews 1017, God is not saying that he's developed a bad memory saying that he is saying that he will no longer hold our sins against us. In other words, our sins will no longer affect our standing with God and influence his attitude toward us. That's what it means what it says he forgot her sins were to forget the past.

We have to do with our past what God is done with our sins be discontent about your life.

Yes, and develop one thing mentality about your walk with the Lord. But then, be a person one thing and then be a person but doesn't let the past control you a definite direction when we give you the last goodbye discontent, discipline, devotion, a definite direction, notice. Fourthly, diligent determination. Watch this, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I can't get over the picture I have in my mind of an old man in a prison cell with his parchments in his pin having all of these accomplishments in the past. Writing these words and I'm fired up about the future. I pressing toward the future.

I'm apprehending the future I'm going toward the goal. I'm thinking to myself, that's it. That's life wide open. That's life. For God with no reservations all the way to the edge of Paul's diligent determination is given to us in verses 13 and 14 like it was a foot race uses three different athletic expressions that would've certainly been well-known to the Christians of his day first places the phrase I follow after refers to a sporting event, he tells us that we must make every effort to live a righteous life.

Paul has been so carefully teaches that we are not saved by works that we can be righteous in order to become a Christian.

But once we become Christians. Then we begin to live our lives for God and contrary to what you may have heard that takes some effort on our part, we all just become Christians and then flow to heaven. Sometimes we become Christians in this like swimming upstream. Can I get a witness is not easy to Christian life is difficult. No one is ever told us that if we became Christians. All of our problems would go away if anyone tells you that they're not teaching you the true word of God the Word of God is careful to help us understand that the Christian life is life against the grain.

We live in a world that does not know God does not love our Christ, and more and more tolerant of who we are in the Savior. And we need to follow after its intense word. The second word that he uses the word apprehended at least to grab hold of and pull down the best picture I can think of is a guy running down the field in football and he is chased down by the defensive back and he glances many titles of the reasons of the ground with intensity. Paul said that when were in this race were pursuing were intensely after the goal of knowing Christ and walking with him processes forging ahead to apprehend Christ. He wanted to experience everything God had for me in his life follow after he said apprehend any uses this other phrase twice, pressing toward the mark of a great phrase. If an athlete who runs without swerving off course straining every nerve and every muscle as he keeps on running with all his might. Toward the goal is to look back because if you look back you could lose your stride and stumble and fall. You keep your eye on the goal silly same passion Jeremiah. Frankly what you talking about's outside of anything I'm interested in you may feel the cost is more than you care to pay the energy more than you desire to give and remind you again that the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is worth more than you could ever imagine what it is you want is what I'm talking what it is that gives you a little bit of an emptiness in your spirit right now is this striving after a relationship with God that never gets to the place where your fully content but there is joy in the arriving and in the striving and going after somebody said there are no hard and fast rules for developing a passionate Christian life.

There are only hard rules for developing the passion Christian life in the fast ones just apartments and I thought as I conclude today I'd like to just give you five practical things that will help you take what I talk about maybe put to work as you prepare for the next year. First of all first thing you need to do this is what I've been doing. Pray for God's direction as you face the opportunities and challenges of the new you just say Lord God, there I am on the threshold of a new dear new to give me direction. Show me what you want me to do. Secondly, present yourself to the Lord for whatever he has in his plan for you. Don't say Lord use me and then start making conditions within the sale Lord I present my body a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto you, which is my recent service. In other words, Lord God, I've signed the bottom of it. You fill in what you want me to do revenue and sign the contract before I know what it says absolutely that's what faith is. You sign the contract and let God fill in the page willing to do that. That's the second step. Thirdly, plan your strategy for the new year. I read recently that most people spend more time planning a two weeks vacation and they spend in all of their life planning their journey from here to visit Adam awesome thought spend more time strategizing to get our maps out we call the hotel to find out what the cost is we get the airline reservations or whatever we put it all together and take the trip, my friend were on a journey from here to heaven and we need to make some plans along the way have you got a strategy for the new year say what I did do real good with my Bible reading Western why even plan to strategize. If you have a plan. If you have a plan. I can promise you you will be a failure if you don't, what is it, if you fail to plan you plan to fail, so use it when I need well it's not that hard, you know, there are hundreds of different schedules for reading the Bible read the Bible through the year.

Maybe that's what got you what I'm saying is between now and the first of the year. Sit down and say there's a strategy for the new year. I want to read this book on prayer.

I want to go with this plan, I want to study this book I would tell you this is what my plan.

If you don't have a strategy. My friends are already on your way to being discouraged and say well I'm afraid to make a plan because if I make a plan. I'm afraid I will build a following. Let me promise you will mess up you make mistakes you go AWOL on God for a week but if you got a plan got someplace to come back to see if you're just kind of wondering on this is what I think most of God's people are sort of meandering out there were not going to heaven were wondering they have sort of meandering on our way.

Plan and I would urge you and I say this with all sincerity, plan your strategy for the new year Bible reading ministry goals. Goals for your family goals for your work forfeiture plan and operation. One day at a time. You know you plan for the year then you put the years. Plan away you start looking one day at a time. If you keep the years.

Plan out and keep looking at the whole year.

You gets gorgeous in the way way just one data time you what I've learned in the Bible, God hasn't promised you grace for the whole year for a month or for even the weakest promise you grace for each day.

Take each partner strategy each day, put in operation watch God work number five prepare for times of discouragement. There will be days of defeat, but they need not deter you if you are prepared to get back up and keep going and I noticed that in my life. Sometimes you like to go on and I'm making progress with the thing God has called me to do. Then something I thought was right, and turn out right and I fall on my face. And while I'm down there. I have to just say Lord God might've gotten in this thing might've been doing my stuff and I know that my stuffed work so Lord give me back your plan and out of that you keep going. But you see if you got a plan you got someplace to come back to the devil will tell you all you messed up your minds will just build your way is a lie. Let them do that to you this year. Make your plan. Get your strategy together realize that down. Why even have some difficult days. We all do.

Anybody who says they don't have discouraging days when the sky looks black and the sun disappears, it looks like it's gonna rain forever.

If you have but if you say you have days like that you just run something I don't know what all of us have days like that. CS Lewis set our souls and our bodies live so close together, they catch each other's diseases you don't feel good physically. It's hard to feel good spiritually going to have times like that when those times, don't let the enemy's your joy just go through it and get back on the bike go on to the tape and win the race and I am so excited about this year and I believe that God is going to do a great thing in our midst, one person at a time. This is the last day of 2020, less broadcasting this year. Thank you so much for your faithfulness over these past 12 months. We hung in there together. We've gotten from this together. Heavenly every day we've met around the word of God was some truth and from the letters and emails we've gone for so many of you this is been a lifesaver because you knew that you knew what you knew, but sometimes you forget then somebody like me comes along to remind you this is what God says this is what God will do. He never shelters anybody without them coming out of the shelter better than they were before we learned that, and he has a plan for you is a plan for me. It isn't ending with the end of 2020. He takes us forward into the new year with a fresh slate a great opportunity to begin some things in new polish on the things that we've done them better than to initiate some things that need to be done and begin to do them. So tomorrow is her Turning Point, especially for me because I'm one to talk to everyday. Happy new year to you. I trust that you're ready to face the new year with the heart full of faith and joy was here next time.

For more information on Dr. Jeremiah visual messages for the new year. Please visit our website.

We also find two freeways to help you stay connected monthly magazine Turning Points and a daily email devotion sign up today Jeremiah.org/ready that David Jeremiah.org/ready us for a copy of the 365 day devotional for 2021.

It's called strength and it's filled with truth for the year. He gifted the amount to keep your spirits bright through the holiday season. Visit for Christmas candlelight Turning Point.TV free souls for Christmas music videos, messages, and the harmful Christmas gentle and pending. TV I'm very hopefully join us tomorrow as we begin the series the life God's grace is here on Turning Point with my taking time to listen to and from these increased in