Start Well, Finish Well! (Philippians 3:12-21)
In about 62 hours or so, we will be welcoming another new year, the year 2025. I take this opportunity to wish everyone a God-blessed New Year.
You may have heard of this phrase that people use at the start of a new year: “New Year, New Me”. Have you wondered why this phrase is commonly used when we approach a new year? When we say new year new me, we are recognising that there are things that we need to do better. For that reason, it is common for people to make New Year’s resolutions or goals. It helps us make a firm commitment to do something and let those goals drive us forward in attaining it. It helps us to realize what we desire to accomplish for that year and make good those that we have failed previously.
There are also some people who have given up on making any New Year’s resolutions as they say that resolutions are meant to be broken anyway. This highlights the high failure rate associated with such commitments, so why make them in the first place?
As you recall those goals that you made at the start of this year or previous years, how many did you succeed and how many did you miss? For me it was more misses than hits! Making goals is a good practice to have and having these resolutions to start off the new year is not bad in itself. But when we get down to writing those goals, we often feel hard pressed about which goal should be included in the list as everything seems to be important and essential. It could be saving more money, promotion; having more family quality time, going on missions trip, more sleep and rest, less meetings, better communication between spouses and family members, hosting monthly fellowship meals at home, joining a care group and not hopping.
Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
This morning, I want to suggest to each one of us, as Christians, the most important and primary unchangeable goal that we need to make only once and commit wholeheartedly to it for the rest of our lives. To do that, we need to look to God through His Word for wisdom so that our primary goal in life is in line with God’s will for our life here on earth. So that, by God’s grace, we may start well in the new year and beyond, and by God’s grace, finish well in our journey of faith which leads us to the big idea for today’s message: Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Let me give a brief summary of Philippians 3:1-11. Paul has had many fleshly credentials to his name, mainly his achievements, possessions and status in life. Before his encounter with Christ, these things were valuable and close to his heart. But after that encounter with Christ that led him to put his faith in Christ, Paul counted everything that he has pursued and acquired in his life, as loss and rubbish for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ in order that he may gain Christ. Paul puts his personal relationship with Christ at the very center and top priority of his Christian faith.
Press on toward the Goal by forgetting the past (Phil 3:12-16)
In Philippians 3:12-13, Paul says that he has not obtained this or am already perfect. What is this thing that Paul has not obtained or already perfect? The answer is found in Philippians 3:10-11 that says “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” Though Paul has not got these things yet, in Philippians 3:12b he says “but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Another translation uses the phrase “laid hold of him” What did Christ lay hold of him? Christ laid hold of Paul so that he may do God’s will, that is to know Christ, love Christ and serve Christ all the days of his life, to the glory of God. Joshua 24:15b reads, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” And Paul wanted to make it his own, just as Christ made Paul His own, so he presses on to fulfil what Christ wanted him to do.
The goal is not just to participate in the race but to finish the race well to win the prize.
What about us? Did Christ lay hold of us so that we may pursue higher education, good family, promising career, comfortable home, good care group, member of a gospel preaching church …. Never! Though these are blessings from God and for us to enjoy, they are not what Christ has laid hold of us for! What Christ has laid hold of Paul is the same that Christ has laid hold of us: To fulfil God’s will in our life on earth. Paul said “one thing I do.” To pursue the only One Goal that really counts in life. Paul presses on toward that God given goal. Here we can picture a marathon race which is a long and difficult race with many challenges along the way. Sometimes you get discouraged by the happenings around you and at times, distracted by the things of this world. The goal is not just to participate in the race but to finish the race well to win the prize. Therefore we need to start well and finish well, lest we be disqualified!
How can we press on toward this goal? We press on by:
Forgetting the past
Straining forward to the present
Knowing God's Will.
In Philippians 3:5-6, Paul speaks of his earthly personal accomplishments and success that he was once proud of before he came to the saving knowledge of Christ. He has a good religious inheritance. Being born as a Jew of the people of Israel, tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the 8th day, a Hebrew of Hebrews. His fleshy spiritual achievements include being trained as a Pharisee, having a righteousness under the law, blameless, a faithful law keeper. Any Jews would desire and cherish all these things. These were important things that helped him in pursuing Judaism but now the very same things hinder Paul in pursuing the one goal of God’s calling.
Paul has a colourful past sinful life. He was a zealous persecutor of the church. In Acts 22:19-20, Luke recounted the story of how Paul went from one synagogue after another to imprison and beat those who believed in Christ. And when the blood of Stephen, the martyr, was being shed, Paul was present, standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed Stephen. He was among those that stoned Stephen to death. On his journey to Damascus, he heard the voice of God saying: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I’m Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Paul lived a merciless sinful life
With his credentials and past sins, Paul put all behind him, those things he has obtained and achieved, those years of going against the Christians. These things hinder his pursuit of that one goal. In order to press on towards that one goal, he counted those things, those past, not only as loss but as rubbish as well. Because Paul is able to treat his past as rubbish, he is able to part with it as rubbish is an unpleasant, worthless thing to hold on to.
How about us? We may not have any similar credentials or achievements or have a past life like Paul, but we do have our own little things and past lives that may hinder us from pursuing that one goal. Though your past years of dedicated faithful ministry to the Lord which are great encouragement to many of us and praise the Lord you are still growing and serving but sometimes our past service may lead us to a state of complacency, thinking that we’ve done enough for the Lord and it’s time to rest, to stop pressing on toward that one goal. Or perhaps you may be looking back at those encounters you had with members or leadership of the church that have discouraged and hurt you so much that you refuse to serve any more.
Allow me to share with you what I have gone through while serving Christ so as to encourage you to forget the past and move forward to press on. Over the years, from time to time, I was hurt by people, being accused of something that I did not do, looked down upon, criticised, taken advantage of and even humiliated. As I prayed to the Lord during those times, tears just flowed down my cheeks. I asked the Lord, what shall I do? My heart hurts! It’s painful. Do I stop serving? Do I go to that person and give them a piece of my mind? Do I say “enough is enough”. Not at all! Instead, God in His grace through His Word reminded me of Christ and the gospel about living out the gospel truth through God's love and forgiveness towards that person. To the world, it is a crazy way to respond but to God, there is no other way, only to do God’s will in God’s way. I put the past behind me so that I may do the one thing: fufiling God’s will in my life. Be it hurt or criticisms that filled your hearts till this day. Dear members of this family, let it go to God, for Christ’s sake and the gospel’s sake. Let us forget the past and put those past experiences behind us and together, we press on toward the goal of what God has called us to do as individuals and as a church
On the other hand, you may be struggling with past sins till this day. You feel that your past is not good enough to return to Christ and pursue Him even though you are convinced that yo are a Christian. Or you may be a seeker of Christ, attending church regularly but God seems far from you. Take heart, do not look back in despair and give up because there is hope for you. You do not need to struggle with sins on your own, there is a God who loves you that He sent His Son Jesus into the world that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. God is waiting for you to come to Him. Just like Paul’s past sinful life, no matter how bad or serious or shameful your sins were, there is forgiveness through Christ. Christ came to die in your place so that you can come into a relationship with God. He shed His blood for the forgiveness of your sins. Like the prodigal son who lived a wayward life and decided to return to his earthly father, likewise God is also waiting patiently for you to come to Him in repentance and return to Him. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” By forgetting our past helps us not to be hindered, distracted, discouraged but enables us to strain forward to the present.
Secondly, straining forward is an act of stretching and focusing into doing something all the way. Nothing shall stop it. Given my age, I do suffer from long sightedness though after going through a surgery. I tend to strain my eyes when reading a small print or driving on the road during the night. Or in the context of sports, a person may strain their muscle and get a muscle pull because of continuous stretching because there is a task to accomplish. Paul instructs us to strain forward on the present situation, and not be distracted by what has happened or what is going to happen in the near future, not even tomorrow! “One Day at a Time” is a beautiful old hymn that I loved. It says “teach me to take one day at a time. Give me the strength to do what I need to do, one day at a time”. When I am overwhelmed by the many problems and tasks around me, I listen to this song, it motivates me to strain forward. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
What is God calling you to do right now? What are the present needs around you that need your help? Who is God leading you to reach now, not tomorrow or the future but today?
We are to press towards the goal by knowing God’s will (Phil 3:15-16). Paul is confident that it is God’s will for His people to forget about the past, straining forward to the present to do His will and press on toward the goal for the prize of God’s calling. This is not Paul’s goal but God’s goal. This is not Paul’s will but God’s will in Christ Jesus. Paul said that if you’re thinking otherwise, that is not in line with his teaching, God will reveal it to you. There is no way that we can be ignorant about God’s will for us nor can we escape from that responsibility to do His will. Christian faith is an active faith, not passive. We are saved not just for our salvation but saved to walk in fellowship with Christ, saved to glorify God, saved unto salvation to point others toward the same salvation in Christ. Those who are mature will have this mindset. If they still are not convinced to have this one goal, Paul trusts that God will reveal to them in other ways. As Paul ministers to God’s people, he did not have the attitude that if he failed to convince people with God's Word, then they would never be convinced of God’s truth. Paul in his humility recognised that no one is indispensable, no one is greater and no one is more effective and competent to do the work of the ministry. Every child of God can be used by Him. If we fail to convey God’s truth to someone or our counsel falls on deaf ears, trust that God will use someone else to fulfill His will.
The end result is God’s will be done. This is the right perspective and attitude when we serve others, may it be one to one discipleship or simply counselling others. When we think they do not seem to grasp the truth, fear not, God will reveal to them through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul would not allow a lack of understanding of God’s will to excuse anyone from doing what he did know to be the Lord’s will. What we do not know can never excuse us from failing to fulfill what we know to do.
To press on till Christ returns
By Looking at Godly Examples (Phil 3:17)
Paul invites his readers to imitate him and other Christians. In Philippians 3:17, Paul says “join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. Paul is not bragging that he lives a perfect life that is worthy for Christians to follow nor is he saying that he is the only role model, there’s no others. There are many other Christians who walk in the manner like Paul and they are also good examples to imitate as well. Look at those around you, in church, family, schools and workplace, and how their lives shine forth the light of Christ. When you talk to them, you hear words of godly wisdom. When you see them in a crisis, you see their faith in God in action. When you see them in a difficult conversation, their words are seasoned with grace, bringing encouragement and healing rather than discouragement and hurting. Their lives, though not perfect as Paul said, are worthy examples for us to imitate. Paul mentioned twice in his letters to the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me as I also am of Christ”
Praise the Lord! God has given many godly men and women, leaders and members alike in GBC, who live faithfully among us so that we may imitate them. With all humility, it’s my prayer every morning that I may live a life worthy of the Lord so that others may imitate me as I imitate Christ. These are godly people that encourage and motivate us to press on towards that one goal.
By looking away from ungodly examples (Phil 3:18-19)
These examples are totally the opposite of the good examples Christian that I have just mentioned. Look away from these ungodly people so that you may not be influenced by their sinful lifestyle. Paul says “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Paul tears up not because of his anger against these people but I believe he grieves deeply to see them turning away from the true God to idols. Instead of living a holy life that reflects Christlikeness, they live as if there is no God except that their god now is their belly which refers to indulgence in general and is not restricted to food only. Their end is destruction which could be present life’s suffering or ultimate eternal suffering. They glory in the shameful things that they should be ashamed of. We can deduce that their one goal in life is to pursue earthly things, a contrast to Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
They live as enemies of the cross. In Scripture, either you are friend or enemy of the cross of Christ. In John 15:14 Jesus said “you’re my friends if you do what I command you.” These people were truly the ones that did not want to follow Jesus. The Lordship of Christ in your life should lead you to surrender your life to Him. Paul’s teaching is not meant for us to go round to identify Christians and non-Christians based on their lifestyle practices such as gluttony or minds that are focused on earthly things. Who among us has never over eaten in the name of food appreciation? Who has never set our minds with the things of this world? Who among us has never sinned since day one of our new found faith in Christ? Paul struggles like any of us as he wrote Romans 7:19-20 “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”
The important question is: What makes me a Christian? Have I truly accepted Jesus into my life as Lord and Saviour? Does my life display Christ and the Gospel? When others see me, do they see Christ or they see the sinful man?
So why are there people in the church living as enemies of Christ? Two possible reasons:
They may not be a Christian in the first place, just professing to be christians, though regular church attendees, faithful participants in the church life and many others. Some may have followed their parents since young to church and heard many bible stories but do not have any personal relationship with God.
They may be born-again Christians but have gone astray from the Lord. For a part of the season of their life, they lived a self-ruled life instead of a Christ-ruled life. They live in the flesh instead of living in the Spirit. What do we do as members of GBC? Do we sit still and ignore them? No! We need to be deliberate and intentional in reaching out to them. We should offer to walk alongside them in this journey of faith by constantly praying for and with them and have some accountability and above all, they themselves must have the heart’s desire to have that one goal in life which comes from the indwelling Spirit! Above all these practical things, we must get down on our knees to pray for them and ask God to be merciful and gracious toward them. Prayer is a powerful weapon that allows you to support your loved ones, who have gone astray, in battle against the evil ones through Christ, and He intercedes for us.
By looking up at our citizenship in Heaven (Phil 3:20-21)
Here is a significant contrast between the citizens of this earth in Philippians 3:18-19 and the citizens of heaven in Philippians 3:20-21. Saviour was a title given to the Caesars. In 48 B.C. Julius Caesar was declared to be the universal saviour of mankind and became a common title for the ruling Caesar. The title lord was also applied to the Roman Caesar. It was not long after the time of Paul that Christians were martyred for refusing to call Caesar Lord, claiming that Jesus was the only Lord. Paul means something when he applies the title of “Lord and Saviour” to Jesus in the context of citizenship. As Roman citizens would eagerly await a visit from the emperor in Rome, even more so should Christians eagerly await the coming of their Saviour — our Lord Jesus Christ. Not only to wait for Him to receive us to reign with Him in our Father’s Kingdom but to transform our decaying mortal body into a glorious body like Christ, the same resurrected body that Jesus Himself had when Be was resurrected and this what Paul wanted to attain. Caesar can only do some things but our Lord Jesus, the Savior of the world, can do all things as amazing as the resurrection of our bodies and He is able even to subject all things to Himself.
When we have Christ in us, we will have the power to live as citizens of heaven!
Praise The Lord! When we have Christ in us, we will have the power to live as citizens of heaven! We can press on toward the goal of doing His will. He will touch our lives at every point and will affect the decisions we make, motivate the things that we do and illuminate the things that we think and the attitudes we hold.
Let me give you an illustration: When we travel to a foreign country, we do not behave and live like the local citizens do, there will be a clear distinction: they will know that we are not one of them. We are citizens from another country and more specifically, they may know we are citizens of Singapore because of the way we talk and walk, super fast; the way we bargain and ask for extras things (free things to be specific), do reflect distinctly that we are citizens of Singapore. That is the message Paul wanted his readers to know, to understand as citizens of Heaven, our lives should reflect the characteristics of God’s Kingdom.
I am sure God has spoken to your hearts this morning through His Word. What is God telling you and how do you intend to respond? Whether you are a believer in Christ for many years or have just accepted Christ into your heart as Lord and Saviour. Are you willing to count all things that cling closely to your hearts as loss and rubbish in order that you may pursue Christ, know Christ and serve Christ. Is Christ worthy to be your only goal in life? Is Christ worthy of you to count everything as loss in exchange for gaining Christ? Yes surely He is. I appeal to you brothers and sisters, make this goal for this new year and every year: “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling me.”
I turn to the non-Christians who are in our midst, exploring the Christian faith and wanting to know more about Jesus. As I bring God’s Word to you, I also want to appeal to you: Trust in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and join us in this community of God’s people, to pursue Christ, to know and serve Christ. Is Christ worthy to call you to acknowledge Him as the Lord and Saviour of your life? Yes, He is worthy because He suffered for you, He shed His blood for you and He died for you and He is reaching out to you just as He has reached out to Paul.
In closing we will sing the hymn “Be Thou My Vision”. I want to paraphrase my thoughts:
Christ is my vision because He is the Lord of my heart. Everything that I have means nothing to me and pales in comparison to knowing Christ. Christ is my best thought, which fills my mind, day and night. When I’m awake or sleep, Christ is with me and His presence shines forth His light. I’ve no desire or concern of acquiring riches that the world could offer me. My treasure lies in my relationship with Christ, so my heart is not with this world nor things of this world. My lasting inheritance is found in Christ alone and Christ is the richest treasure I could ever have now and forever and Christ occupies 1st place in my heart.
We will finish the race well not by waiting until the end to be faithful, but by running the race faithfully today and tomorrow and every day that God gives us. At the end, we finished the race well because we ran the race well every day. We do not wait until we are close to death to decide to be “faithful.” Rather, moment-by-moment, day-to-day we remain faithful to the upward call of God. By His grace, we will get to the finishing line, not alone but along with other christians, especially with this family here in GBC. Together, may we hear the words of our Lord Jesus: “Well done, good and faithful Servant!”