GAINING CHRIST (6): THE WINNING STRATEGY

(Phil. 3:12-16)
October 21, 2018
Heb 5:14; Joel 2;
Read Phil 3:12-16 – Paul had a singular goal as a Xn – to be like Jesus. He
Phil 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may
share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” But he hadn’t arrived.
V. 12: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect.” None of
us are – or will be! If Paul hadn’t attained it in 30 years of following Jesus and
after writing 1/3 of the NT, we’d be fools to think we can reach it.

But still Paul pursues like pursuing the goal line. Last week we saw I. The
Preciousness of the Prize. It was in his best interest and the reason he’d been
saved. That’s heavy motivation to put Christlikeness at the top of our bucket
list! What are you living for? To become increasingly like Jesus. But how?

II. The Pursuit of the Prize

But exactly how do we pursue this prize? Every runner has a strategy – every
athlete a game plan. When George Foreman defended his heavyweight title
against an aging Muhammad Ali in 1974 – the Rumble in the Jungle –
Foreman was heavily favored. He’d floored previously unbeaten Joe Frazier 6
times in 2 rounds before knocking him out. Ali was past his prime. Most
people were just hoping he didn’t get killed. But – Ali had a strategy. For 7
rounds he covered up against the ropes and let Foreman punch himself out.
Rope-a-Dope! By round 7 Foreman could hardly life his arms. Ali taunted:
“Come on, George. Is that all you got?” Foreman later said he thought to
himself, “Yep, that’s about it!” In the 8th round Ali easily took him out.

Paul had a strategy, too. It’s a simple strategy, really. But it takes discipline to
stick to it. His strategy is a great guide for us in pursuing Christ.

A. Face Your Imperfection

After 30 years running, Paul hadn’t arrived. Neither had Peter. In Gal 2:11-14
Paul tells how he called Peter out for eating with the Gentiles when he arrived
in Antioch, but withdrawing when Jews from Jerusalem arrived – playing the
hypocrite. Not perfect yet. We know Abe lied about his wife to protect his
own skin, Jacob cheated to get the blessing, Moses disobeyed after 40 years,
and David succumbed to temptation. The Bible is nothing if not honest about
the failures of its heroes. Paul hadn’t arrived; Peter hadn’t arrived; Abe, Moses
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and David hadn’t arrived; I haven’t arrived; neither have you. The idea we can
achieve sinless perfection now is a strategy of Satan to take us out of the race.

We don’t want to be like the pastor who was riding his bike when he came
across a boy trying to start a lawn mower. He needed a mower, so he asked the
boy if he’d be willing to sell. The boy said No, but he’d trade for the bike. The
trade was quickly made but the pastor failed in several attempts to start the
mower. He protested, “Hey, this mower doesn’t work.” The boy replied,
“Well, it works but only if you swear at it.” The pastor said, “I can’t do that. I
haven’t sworn since I came to know Jesus. I’ve forgotten how.” The boy
replied, “Don’t worry. You pull that cord long enough and it’ll all come
back to you.” Just like it did Peter, right? Let’s face it, we’re not there yet!

B. Forge Ahead

V. 12b: “but I press on to make it my own.” “Press on” (διωκω) a hunting,

military and athletic term to indicate maximum effort. It’s the guy diving for
the end zone, the runner straining every muscle to be first. Paul knew nothing
of “let go and let God”. He knew the HS led the way. But he also realized the
HS used his effort. Col 1:29: “For this I toil, struggling with all his (Christ’s)
energy that he powerfully works within me.” He saw no contradiction in
Christ working powerfully through his effort. It’s all Him, but thru us!

To be like Christ takes effort. It won’t happen unless we depend on Him. But
neither will it happen unless we press on – be in his Word, be praying, be
practicing holiness. Paul was “pressing on” – stretching forward, intensely
working, to be like Jesus. He wanted to be a Heb 5:14 person: “those who
have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish
good from evil.” It takes practice to be holy; God uses our effort.

In 2002 Billy Beane, GM for the Athletics, was watching his Athletics beating
the Yankees by 3 runs in the 7th. Derek Jeter hit a routine ground ball to
shortstop, but Beane timed him in 4.1 seconds running to first base – trying to
beat out that routine ground ball. Beane showed the video to his team next
spring: “Here’s one of the best players in the game; plenty of money; 4 world
championships; HOF credentials already in place; and look how he ran on
a sure out. You think you’re running hard? Here’s how a champion runs –
every time!” That’s Paul, Beloved, in his determination to be like Christ.

C. Forget the Past

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V. 13c: “forgetting what lies behind.” I think the past defeats more Xns than
anything single thing. Certainly we must learn from the past. That is the value
of experience. But Paul is saying, “Every day is a new beginning!” In modern
parlence: “This is the first day of the rest of your life, right? So use it
wisely.” Remember the lessons of the past – but don’t live there! Break the
power of the past by living for the future. Get focused on either the defeats or
the victories back there and you will be useless Now! Any runner knows that
the more you look back, the slower you go. Like Satchel Paige used to say:
“Don’t look back. Something may be gaining on you.” Something will gain!

That past defeats us at least 3 ways. Past sin is high on the list. We’ve all
suffered defeat spiritually – some of us spectacularly. Satan loves to rub our
nose in it to convince us we have rendered ourselves useless to God.

If that’s you this morning, I have good news. If you’ve truly repented of that
past, God has just as completely forgiven you. Grab a promise! I Jn 1:9: “If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.” How much unrighteousness? All of it. Some of
you have wrestled for years with past sin, but you are only calling God a liar.
You confess it one more time. He says: “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Why’d
you bring that up?” Micah 7:19) He will again have compassion on us; he
will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of
the sea.” Psa 103:12) as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove
our transgressions from us.” Perhaps you’ve noticed – north and south meet at
the poles. Take one last step going north and suddenly you’re going south.
They meet. But east and west never meet – and that’s how far gone your past
sin is. Believe Him. Let it go. Stop looking back. Rom 5:20b: “where sin
increased, grace abounded all the more.” I don’t care how high your guilt; His
grace is higher. Let it go. It was paid in full – at the cross.

Others are defeated by past sin against them. They come from a dysfunctional
family. There was a painful divorce, poverty, bullying. Perhaps there was even
abuse – physical, emotional, even sexual. How could God love anyone like
that? How could anyone from that kind of background become like Christ?
The answer is -- the cross. Nothing we have suffered trumps what happened
there. The only Son was forsaken by His loving Father. That not only paid for
our sin, but it provides victory over the worst life has to offer. Isa 53:4) Surely
he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted. 5) But he was pierced for our transgressions; he
was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us
peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Are you burdened by the wounds
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of the past? Then bring them to the cross. He’s experienced everything you’ve
been thru. Let Him love away the wounds at the cross. And don’t look back.

Too late? It’s never too late. Joel 2:25: I will restore to you the years that the
swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great
army, which I sent among you.” The wonder of God is He can undo the waste
of the past; that’s what grace is all about – undoing the past. Don’t look back;
look ahead. Your future is ahead of you, not behind you. Forget the past!

Then how about past victories. Paul could have rested on his laurels. He could
have sat in prison thinking, “Well, it’s over. Can’t do anything sitting here,
but at least Jesus used me to bring a lot of people to faith in Christ.” He
could have looked back. But he didn’t. He prayed a lot of people to deeper
faith; he wrote a lot of the NT to encourage others. He wasn’t looking back –
not at sin, not at past wounds, not at past victories. He was full speed ahead.

One of history’s greatest mile races ran on August 7, 1954. It featured Roger
Bannister, first man to break the 4-minute barrier, and Australian John Landy,
the only other man who had run under 4 minutes. Bannister planned to relax
during the 3rd lap and pour it on at the end. But during the 3rd lap, Landy began
to pull away. Bannister adjusted his strategy and increased pace, pulling even
as the final lap began. But now Landy let it all go. Both men were flying.
Landy took the lead and Bannister despaired of catching him unless Landy
slowed. But old film shows Landy’s fatal mistake as they neared the finish.
Landy looked back to see where Bannister was. That fatal lapse slowed him
just enough for Bannister to win. So, we must not look back in our race!
Leave the sin, the wounds, even the victories at the cross. Nothing good lies
behind. Victory lies ahead. We can’t change the past, only the future.

D. Focus on the Prize

Paul’s language shows his intense focus. V. 12: “I press on.” V. 13b: “But one
thing I do.” V. 14: “I press on.” He’s not looking back. He’s not looking to the
side. He’s straight ahead to Christ – intense focus! Remember how a kid you
would take a magnifying glass, focus the sun’s rays thru it and light a fire?
Focus. But that’s nothing compared to the power of laser light. It can burn a
hole in a diamond. It can carry zillions of TV signals all at once. It can zap an
airplane. Know why? The power of Focus.

When I was a junior in high school I wrote a paper on lasers. I found out
regular light goes in all directions at once. You turn on a light bulb and it
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lights every corner of the room. But a laser takes light in, gets all the light
energy bouncing between two mirrors until it is all going the same direction
and then emits one single beam of intensely focused and powerful light. That
beam can go all the way to the moon and be no wider than when it left. It is all
focused concentration. That’s Paul’s point – all focus in one direction.

Now, let me show you something interesting. You see the term translated “I
press on” in vv. 12 and 14. Now look at 3:6. Paul identifies his pre-Christ
passion: “as to zeal, a persecutor of the church.” The word persecutor? Guess
what? Same word translated “Press on” in 12 and 14. Paul traded one passion
– killing Christians, for another passion – becoming like Jesus. He now
pursued that with the same vigor he formerly used in persecuting Xns. That is
how focused he was. I press, I beat, I pound. Whereas before he was
pounding Xns, intent on eliminating them, now he is pounding himself to
become like Jesus. That’s the goal now – pointing in one direction – full steam
ahead. Is that us? – or are we just take our Xnty around the edges where and
when it doesn’t interfere with anything else. Are we even in the race?

Jesus said in Mt 11:12, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the
kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”
True Xns really want this. There is a holy violence about being a Xn – a
ferocity to be like Him. That’s Paul’s focus. He’s left sin, failure and even his
successes in the past. He is aimed at one thing – to be in behavior what he is in
position – like Jesus. If Christ is not a big deal to us, we need to wonder why.
Paul longs for the day when Christ will “transform [his] lowly body to be like
his glorious body.” He longs for the day when he will be freed not just from
the penalty and power of sin but from its presence. That’s the ultimate prize.
And he is running toward that goal with all his might – intensely focused.

Peter O’Toole was on David Letterman one night. He told of sending a leather
jacket to the cleaners who advertised: “It distresses us to return work which
is not perfect.” He told Letterman, “I’m having that on my tombstone.” So’s
Paul. He’s saying: “Jesus laid hold of me for a purpose – to make me just
like Him – perfect. And by His power – I want to return work which is at
least moving toward that perfection. Put it on my tombstone. I press on –
straining forward to the perfection that lies ahead.”

E. Forgo Distractions
16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” In other words, “Avoid
distractions!” “Hold true” – literally line up or follow in line. Stay in your
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lane. Line up with what you’ve attained. What’s that? We’ve been given
Christ’s righteousness, right? That’s our standing right now! So Paul says,
“Let’s keep straining to achieve in behavior what we’ve already attained in
fact. Let’s act like who we are – Christians. Focused like a laser in one
direction. Staying in the lane.” In other words, “Forgo distractions.”

Paul knew the enemy. We’ll be tempted to look behind; we’ll be tempted to
look to the side. Be like Christ? Surely this little diversion won’t hurt. But we
must not let good become the enemy of the best. We can enjoy all God has
provided – as long as the focus remains on the ultimate prize. So whatever our
hobbies and career ambitions and recreations – let’s insure they don’t pull us
out of our lane but rather energize us for the main thing – the pursuit of Jesus.
Even while enjoying God’s good things, let’s keep eyes forward – not
backward, not sideways but forward – “straining forward to what lies ahead.”

Conc – Eric Liddell, “the flying Scotsman”, was an outstanding track star who
became famous for opting out of his best event – the 100 meter dash during
the 1924 Olympics – because it was run on Sunday. Instead he ran the 400
meter race with lowered expectations, but amazingly took the gold in world
record time. He had his eye on the prize – physically and spiritually.

But Liddell’s greatest race came later. In 1925 he went to China as a

missionary, becoming an outstanding leader. When WWII came and the
Japanese occupied China, he sent his family to Canada, but stayed on to share
the gospel with and do what he could for the poor of that country – suffering
many hardships himself. Eventually he was interned, but continued to serve
fellow prisoners until his death in 1945 at age 43 of a brain tumor. He was
later buried in the Mausoleum of Martyrs in that province in China. Don’t
know what his inscription says, but an appropriate one would be “He died
running.” He exemplified “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward
to what lies ahead, 14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus.” Let’s join Him, Beloved. Let’s die running. Let’s
pray.