Staying Focus in the Present

Phil. 3:12-13

SUBJECT: PROGRESS

THEME: Determine to press on toward the finish line of the Christian race by staying focus in the Present.  

RELEVANCE:

As a winner, Paul is giving us His life overview, his past (Phil 3:1-11), his present (Phil 3:12-16), and his future (Phil 3:17-21). In each of these experiences, Paul is looking at things in this life from God's point of view. His aspirations are set on knowing Christ experientially, experiencing the power of Christ resurrection, and obedient identification with Christ’s sufferings (Phil. 3:9-11). As a result, he is not allowing fears, distractions, or temptations to through him off this course of action. So, to be winners and fulfill God’s plan, we must remain focused in the present moment.

INTRODUCTION:

Acknowledging the need to grow and existing imperfections are a work of grace in genuine believers. It is the reason Jesus “apprehended” us in the first place. Along with many others, this is something Paul repeatedly admitted and recognized to the benefit of us all (Phil. 3:12-13; Heb. 6:1-3; 1 Cor. 9:24-26). He could be described as one who “follow after” (Phil. 3:12) reflecting on how athletes disciplined themselves to remain focused and trained on the goal. In those days a runner remained focused on his energy and the reward at the finish line. We want to maintain such focus daily to finally be winners our Lord can reward (Phil. 3:12-14). So, how do we do this today?

MESSAGE:

COMPLETE DEDICATION IN THE PRESENT IS VITAL.  (Phil. 3:13b) “this one thing I do”

Not only does the spiritual secret to success require a holy dissatisfaction with past achievements, but it also demands a complete dedication presently.  Often Christians are side–tracked in the Christian Race because they are trying to focus on too many things at once. Spiritual Success comes as we concentrate on “one thing,” specialize, develop a heart that is single toward God’s will (Luk. 9:62).

    1.  Focus on One Thing!   Vs. 13

“One thing” was the all-consuming passion of Paul’s life. “One thing” is a phrase that is important to the Christian life.

        A. Many Times Riches and Possession Sidetrack our Devotion to God.  "One thing thou lackest," said Jesus to the self-righteous rich young ruler (Mark 10:21). (Mark. 10:17-27).

        B.  Many Times, Serving the Lord Impedes Our Devotion to the Lord.  "One thing is needful," He explained to busy Martha when she criticized her sister (Luke 10:42).   (Luke 10:38-42).

        C.  Many Times, We Try to Understand Every Theological Detail, but It Side Tracks Us from Devotion to the Lord. "One thing I know!" exclaimed the man who had received his sight by the power of Christ (John 9:25). (Jn. 9:15-41).

        D.  Many Times, Other Desires, Activities, and Circumstances Hinder Our Worship and Devotion to God.   "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after!" testified the psalmist (Ps 27:4).

Psalm 27:3-6, Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. [4] One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life [A life long devotion to public worship], to behold the beauty of the Lord [God centered worship], and to enquire in his temple [Godly direction and prayerful living]. [5] For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. [6] And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

APPLICATION:  Too many Christians are too involved in "many things," when the secret of progress is to concentrate on “one thing.” Paul understands clearly that he has a continuing responsibility to pursue the purposes Christ had chosen him for. Spiritual progress is always the necessary focus Christians must follow.  Just as a great amount of training is needed for athletic activities, so we must train diligently for the Christian life. Such training takes time, dedication, energy, focus, continued practice, and vision. We must all commit ourselves to the Christian life, but we must first know the rules as prescribed in God's Word. 2 Tim. 2:5, And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

ILLUSTRATION:  It was this decision that was a turning point in D.L. Moody's life. Before the tragedy of the Chicago fire in 1871, Mr. Moody was involved in Sunday School promotion, Y.M.C.A. work, evangelistic meetings, and many other activities; but after the fire, he determined to devote himself exclusively to evangelism. "This one thing I do!" became a reality to him. As a result, millions of people heard the Gospel.

    2.  Focus on the Christian Race.

The believer must devote himself to "running the Christian race."  Using the metaphor of a chariot race, Paul describes his Christian life as involving the continual relentless channeling of his energies and interests on the course that is ahead of him. Certainly, this involved specializing and concentrating.

      A.  You’ll Succeed Through Specializing. 

Becoming a ‘winning Christian’ is not automatic nor does it happen with time.  It requires specialized effort and great determination.

ILLUSTRATION:  No athlete succeeds by doing everything; he succeeds by specializing. There are those few athletes who seem proficient in many sports, but they are the exception.

      B.  You’ll Succeed Through Concentrating.

The winners are those who concentrate, who keep their eyes on the goal and let nothing distract them. They are devoted entirely to their calling. Believers should be devoted to God whatever their present circumstances (Luke 9:62; 17:31-32) and should strain forward to what lies ahead.

ILLUSTRATION:  Like Nehemiah the wall-building governor, they reply to the distracting invitations, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down!" (Neh 6:3)

Neh. 6:1-4,  Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) [2] That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. [3] And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? [4] Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. Nehemiah refused to be distracted by the devil, his crowd, and their invitations to compromise and delay in building the walls of Jerusalem.    

APPLICATION: Beware of distractions like other people, past victories, past failures, current obstacles, and other circumstances.  Do not allow these distractions to cause you to rethink or doubt your level of commitment to Christ. Remember, that being “double-minded” and indecisive is the formula for failure in pursuing the prize and doing God’s will completely.   "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). Concentration is the secret of power.

Luke 9:62, And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 

Luke 17:31-32, In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. [32] Remember Lot's wife.

ILLUSTRATION:  If a river is allowed to overflow its banks, the area around it becomes a swamp. But if that river is dammed and controlled, it becomes a source of power. It is wholly a matter of values and priorities, living for that which matters most.

      C.  How Can a Believer Maintain the Right Kind of Focus?

            1.  Do Not Allow Your Fears to Shift the Focus from God.

Numbers 13:30, And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Numbers 14:6-9, And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: [7] And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. [8] If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. [9] Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.

God told the Israelites that the promised land was rich and fertile. Not only that, he promised that this bountiful land would be theirs. When the spies reported back to Moses, they gave plenty of good reasons for entering the land, but they couldn't stop focusing on their fears. Talk of giants (descendants of Anak) and fortified cities made it easy to forget about God's promise to help. When facing a tough decision, don't let the negatives circumstances cause you to lose sight of the positive truth and promises of God. Weigh both sides carefully. Don't let potential difficulties blind you to God's power to help and his promise to guide. We will maintain the right focus as we remain focused on the Lord in faith.

            2.  Identify and Avoid Temptations and Destructive Distractions.

2 Cor. 11:3, But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

The Corinthians' pure and simple devotion to Christ was being threatened by false teaching. Paul did not want the believers to lose their single-minded love for Christ. Keeping Christ first in our life can be very difficult when we have so many distractions threatening to sidetrack our faith. Just as Eve lost her focus by listening to the serpent, we too can lose our focus by letting our life become overcrowded and confused. Is there anything that weakens your commitment to keep Christ first in your life? How can you minimize the distractions that threaten your devotion to him?

            3.  Identify and Avoid Temptations Around Destructive Instructions.

2 Cor. 11:4, For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

The Corinthian believers fell for smooth talk and messages that sounded good and seemed to make sense. Today there are many false teachings that seem to make sense. Don't believe someone simply because he or she sounds like an authority or says words you like to hear. Search the Bible and check his or her teachings with God's Word. The Bible should be your authoritative guide. Don't listen to any "authoritative preacher" who contradicts God's Word.

            4.  Be Completely Open with God Always to Show Dedication.

1 Chron. 28:9, And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

Our devotion to God should be wholehearted. Nothing can be hidden from God. He sees and understands everything in our heart. David found this out the hard way when God sent Nathan to expose David's sins of adultery and murder (2 Sam 12). David told Solomon to be completely open with God and dedicated to him. It makes no sense to try to hide any thoughts or actions from an all-knowing God. This should cause us joy, not fear, because God knows even the worst about us and loves us anyway.

CONCLUSION:

Beloved, determine to press on toward the finish line of the Christian race by staying focus in the Present. Your new aspirations are fixed on knowing Christ experientially, experiencing the power of Christ resurrection, and obediently identifying with Christ’s sufferings (Phil. 3:9-11). Don’t allow fears, distractions, or temptations to through you off track. You are a winner fulfilling God’s plan for you; remain focused, concentrating and specializing, every day.

Enjoy the exciting experience of running the race daily, “looking unto Jesus” (Heb 12:1-2). One day we’ll experience all that the “high calling” entails when Jesus returns to take us to Heaven! On that day at the judgment seat of Christ you’ll receive your rewards! It was this current concentration that motivated Paul, and it can motivate us as well.

Successful people are willing to do things unsuccessful people will not do. One of those things is staying focus in the present.

Finally, consider our NEED for God’s forgiveness, salvation—a relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. How can we know for sure our sins are forgiven?

     1. Every Person that Ever Lived Has Been Impacted by Sin– We All are Sinners.

Isaiah 53:6, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 5:12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

So, you see we all are sinners—transgressors of God’s law and under the divine death penalty. We are guilty and desperately need God’s forgiveness. Do you sense your need for God’s forgiveness for your life of sin? Remember, confession is acknowledging God's standards of morality and the truth that we have not lived up to his requirements. It is admitting, "I don't measure up...either." 

     2.  The Results and Consequences of a Life of Sin is Death. 

Ezek 18:4, Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

If you spend your life serving Master Sin, then you can expect to receive the wages of Master Sin. The wages of Sin are the death penalty!

              a.   Physical Death—Rom. 5:12,14

              b.   Spiritual Death—Eph. 2:1; 4:18

              c.   Eternal Death—Rev. 20:15

The evidence that we all have sinned is the fact that we die physically. Physical death is also indicative of pervasive spiritual separation from God as a human condition. Eternal death is nothing short of suffering forever in the Lake of Fire. When deciding it is best to have all the necessary information. 

     3. We Greatly NEED to be Born Again, Born by God in a Spiritual Manner!

We all were born spiritually dead in sin with our first earthly and natural birth (Eph. 2:1).  In the new birth we are finally made alive to the living reality of God and brought into a relationship with Him who is “life!” The Lord Jesus insisted upon this fact in John 3:5-6, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” He continues in John 3:7, saying to Nicodemus, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Firmly our Lord asserts this requirement. The life-giving element of the new birth is aptly communicated by the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:23, where he says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” We safely conclude that the new birth comes from God’s Word also. Accordingly, theses verses tell us our new birth is the product of the Spirit and the Word of God. The Spirit uses the Gospel (God’s Word) to bring about regeneration in the soul and spirit of the repentant/believing person. Being born again is the impartation of a new and divine nature-life; a new creation; the production of a new thing deep within (2 Cor. 5:17). It is a New Birth from above, from God—the new life-giving Source! Now instead of being lost, separated from God, and in the death of our sins, we are saved, alive to God, and free of the guilt and responsibility for our sins.

     4. The Key is Trusting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

Paul outlines this in Romans 10:9-10, writing, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” We cannot simply believe anything about Jesus, we must believe that the Son of God, died for our sins, was buried, and God raise Him up again the third day for our justification before The Father. It is crucial that we understand that it is faith in Jesus Christ and His Gospel that is the power of God that saves us (Rom. 1:14-17).

I have given you all you need to know to understand your guilt before a holy God. I know how this must feel. I am not good enough for God to accept me without me embracing his forgiveness. God promises to save all who will acknowledge their sins to Him while trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior. Remember sin is defined as violations of God's Laws. We have put idols before the true and living God. We are guilty of taking God's Name in vain. We have not honored our parents fully and always. We have not treated people with real love and respect exclusively. We do not measure up to the perfection of God's standard of morality. We stand before a completely All-knowing Judge as guilty of sin-crimes against Him. We NEED His forgiveness...He offers us forgiveness not condemnation. With this being the case...condemnation is something you chose by refusing Christ.

I encourage you to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your very own Savior to recue you from the penalty of sin in the Lake of Fire. Repent and believe on the Lord today.