Philippians 4 vs 8-23

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Philippians 4 vs 8-23

Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek

December 3, 2023 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Philippians 4:8–23

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Philippians Chapter 4 Verses 8 – 9

· This is truly so helpful. In whatever situation, person, relationship, in whatever whatever, it helps a ton to just stop for a moment and consider the good. We, (maybe this is just me), have a tendency to really focus on the issue, the problem, the negative and it leads me into the flesh, every time!

· Paul’s dealing with a specific problem there in the church of Philippi, but this instruction is universal. What about the thing, the situation, the job, the spouse, the person, what about them is true in the eyes of God? They are beloved. God has a plan for them. There is a purpose there. God will bless if I honor Him in it… All of these things are true. Not personal truth. Personal truth is fickle and false. What is true that cannot ever be untrue. Meditate for a moment on that statement and meditate on that sort of truth!

· And by meditate Paul doesn’t mean light the incense, dim the lamp and levitate! HA! The word actually means weigh these things, let these things have the weight. It’s an accounting term…

· What about the thing, the situation, the job, the spouse, the person, what about them is noble? Might be hard to think of something about some folks but this is supposed to be hard. If it were easy, well, we’d just see the problem! That’s easy! But most times hard and narrow is the path that leads to life! A good friend of mine once told me that 90% of life is effort and the rest is ability. And it’s definitely true that hard work beats talent all day and twice on Sunday!!! “There’s nothing noble about it or them!” Not true. I’m just being a baby about it…

· Choosing the easy path of how I naturally look out for myself, serve myself, convince myself I am good and others aren’t as good, that is what leads me into all of the situations and mental moments that honestly do me no good!

· What about it or them is just? We give ourselves such grace and we deal with our own ridiculousness with such patience, how unjust it is to exact a supremely higher standard on others?! Oh, and the grace and mercy we are given brand new each day from the Lord, how unjust it is to take that happily from the Lord and then refuse to give it out ourselves!?

· What about it or them is pure, lovely, goodly reportable, if there is any virtue, (and there always is), if there is anything able to be encouraged or praised (and there always is), commit, practice, perform and do that and now you’re voluntarily and loyally hanging out with God! Because when Paul says God will be with you what He means is you will be with Him. He doesn’t move. He doesn’t change. He doesn’t change direction or position…, we do!

· And this is truly helpful! Let’s get physical for a moment. Talk about what the world says about these things which is dangerous, let me tell you, the wisdom of the world is suspect always! I saw a Smart Car the other day with a tow hitch! SUSPECT! What are you towing? A powerwheel!? HA!!!

· Folks that are able to do these things, according to the Mayo Clinic have increased life span, lower rates of depression, lower levels of distress, greater resistance to illnesses, better psychological well-being and better bodies! Hey! Wanna be buff, be beneficial to the thing, the situation, the job, the spouse, the person, the relationship! Thanks GOD!

· And let me tell you, let’s flip the coin here, Christians, those of us that are citizens of Heaven and filled with the Holy Spirit of God, these things should just be how we are! These things should be what we leave on the hearts of the thing, the situation, the job, the spouse, the person, the relationship! These things should follow us around, be the aftertaste of us being there and the legacy once we are long gone. That dude, that gal was true. She is noble. He is just. Lovely, praiseworthy, he is just a, she is just a good person. Made me feel good…

· Part of my job and part of your job as a Christian is to make it easy on other Christians to be Christian. So, Paul says, do this because God does this for you and if you do, you will be near to God and being near to God benefits you in multiplied millions of ways!!!

Philippians Chapter 4 Verses 10 – 13

· Interesting, Paul would take collections for the churches but it would appear that he did not take collections for himself (as this church was the only church that markedly supported him). Paul worked as a tent maker to support himself in ministry. And this statement in verse 10 is quite convicting for the modern church because we now have plenty of opportunity but lack care…

· Paul said, “I have learned to be content.” Being content is not natural to mankind. It’s interesting, I’ve never heard of a class, seminar or need to teach people how to complain! HA! But contentment, that’s a whole different equation. Paul sits in some sort of Roman imprisonment, under the heavy hand of an egomaniac emperor, and he writes a letter to encourage others, a letter to help and serve others, a thank you letter, a letter on joy…

· Being content and being happy are not necessarily the same things. Many secular experts have even concluded that humans are horrible at being happy! HA! We always find ways to interrupt our own gladness and mess things up… But being content is something different, and there is a work of grace and sanctification that is part of the Christian life that automatically, if God is trusted, will teach contentment… Let me explain…

· Being content with your life means that you’re satisfied with what you have and who you are. Instead of comparing yourself to others or wishing you had what they have or a different life, you are living a life yourself that you can stand behind. You have learned what is right and what is good and committed to that code and over time, whether prosperity or problems arise, this is the way it should and must be because you have trusted the Lord, you have taken the path the Lord has led, you have made decisions based on the Word of God and not the world of man…

· And even though (fill in the blank), who else could I be? Who else would I want to be? What else could or should I have done…? And a peace enters.

· And Paul shatters the mold of suppressed capability that complaining sets every human being in with this revelation that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. That doesn’t mean he can fly or he can breathe under water, that’s not the all things… It means that whatever he faces next, he does so with poise, purpose, confidence and strength… Because he is who he is not by any other means but by the grace of God!

Philippians Chapter 4 Verses 14 – 17

· That’s an interesting statement and not one that is explained well in scripture, perhaps, but not too well, that as we serve and give and minister, these things are credited to our account. I have my own ideas and I’m fully aware of the rewards of crowns spoken of in the scriptures once we are with the King, but those that are ministering gracious giving Christians in this life are richly rewarded…, and there yet remains a reward for you also in heaven…

Philippians Chapter 4 Verses 18 – 19

· There is it…, there’s the earthly accounting if you will….

Philippians Chapter 4 Verses 20 – 23

· Our new brethren, the Romans guards that are assigned to me, those that are with me here in chains, the other inmates, they greet you, church. Such a cool statement. And he wraps up this book with the best way to wrap up a teaching, an interaction, a day, a life…, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all…! All problems fixed, all hope restored, all strength renewed…, anything sidelined by the flesh or the enemy’s strategies, back on the field. Go forward in the grace of Jesus Christ!

Philippians 4 vs 1-7

November 19, 2023 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Philippians 4:1–7

Philippians Chapter 4 Verses 1 – 3 · Why stand fast today in the Lord? Because of verses 20 and 21 of the previous chapter. We are citizens of heaven and there is coming a day where we will be translated unto eternal life! So today, no matter what we are facing, stand fast, and what’s that mean? Do what is right? Maybe. It means stay in lock-step, in alliance, in coalition with the Lord! · We have a choice today. A personal decision that we won’t have in the next part of our lives. On this side of eternity, we can choose to trust the Lord but when we are with Him, that choice won’t matter anymore, it won’t even be there anymore, because sin and the flesh will be gone. And will it not be such an amazing bond to talk to Jesus in that day and hear Him say, “Remember when you didn’t have to honor and connect and love Me and you did…? AND it made you have to stand fast!? It caused you a level of earthly suffering? Remember that? Yea, that blessed Me!” Won’t that be amazing to hear?! · And Paul finally gets to the issue that was harming the church there in Philippi. Syntyche and Euodia were somehow against each other, dishonoring the Lord and the Body of Christ. And so, check this out, Paul Tweets them by NAME! Wouldn’t fly today folks. HA! So many would condemn this kind of defamation. I tell you what, I would NOT! · And we get one more piece of info here about them…, not only are they members of the church there in Philippi, it would appear they were in leadership! Paul said they labored alongside him in the Gospel! Surprised that leaders in the faith can be childish, HA!!!! · So, what’s the correction to them? Well, really chapters 1-3. The fact that they are harming the purity and unity of the church means that they are air-balling chapters 1-3 and serving themselves. That’s the impact of finally getting to this in chapter 4 and you just can’t get away from that! You’re not sinning against the Lord and against that person that you continually gossip about and avoid and refuse to serve in and with humility because of what they’ve done. You’re doing it because you have turned a blind eye to the reality of grace, your own forgiveness, the blood of Jesus, the cross of Christ and the Kingdom to come! · So, Paul says fix it! How? Counseling and reconciliation and working it out…., NOT. AT. ALL. That takes too long. Why do we pray for miraculous healing when we are sick but when we are the disease, we are fully fine with a long drawn out treatment of medication!? Get my drift? Paul says, “Be of the same mind…,” here’s the key, “in the Lord.” Don’t reconcile your differences, BE DIFFERENT, but prioritize Jesus over self. ALL relational problems SOLVED right there!! Both folks doing it by the way…. Philippians Chapter 4 Verses 4 – 5 · Paul says be a person that puts off the vibe of rejoicing in the Lord always! Why? Euodia stinks! I mean even her name makes me cringe, Eweee-odia! Ha! And Syntyche is full of sin, so she’s so…, touchy! HA! UGHHHH. BUT, Paul says rejoice in the Lord always! He commands, in the Lord, that the extent of our possibility of gentleness be experienced by everyone, friend or foe. Why? Because your names, her name and yours, both are written in the Book of Life! · This is the only place in all of scripture that the “Book of Life” is mentioned (by name) outside of Revelation. Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” · What are these books? The first set of books is most likely the Book of the Covenant or otherwise known as the Book of the Law. According to Deuteronomy 31:26, the Book of the Law was put beside (and this is interesting) the ark of the covenant, that it may be there as a witness against the people… And John sees what he calls “another book, which is the Book of Life, or the Lamb’s Book of Life…” · What’s that? That is the purity of the Tree of Life of the original creation restored through the Lamb slain for the sins of the world. And every name that has ever existed is in this book because Jesus died for the sins of the entire world. And yet the Bible speaks about names being blotted out of this book, those that reject the Lamb… Revelation 20:15 says, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” · The fact that my name, your name, the names of these ladies that seemingly hate each other, the fact that all of these names are recorded for eternal life through the blood of Jesus (and that’s it) is a source of rejoicing for them, for me, for us! That my sins are forgiven and forgotten and all that matters is that your name is found in Jesus’ book, written in His blood and if you have accepted Him as your Savior…, based on nothing else at all, it is!! · Rejoice and let your gentleness be known to all men. A sad soul is no witness for eternal life…, and a critical, mean, ungentle soul is no witness for your name being written in the Book of Life! You’re on the naughty list, homie!!! · Ok, so in light of ALL That…. Philippians Chapter 3 Verses 6 – 7 · The formula for peace in the soul/spirit. Check this out. Whatever it is you are facing, dealing with, anxious about, unsettled about, what’s one of the hardest things to do? Stop thinking about it and start praying about it! That can be so hard! But God gives an amazing promise… · First, you transition from perplexity to prayer! And supplication really means that your move from solving the problem by your own means to leaning on Lord for His solution! But, here’s the code, bring into your heart not only the problem you are facing but also the blessings you have received. And trust in the Father’s solution for you. If you trust Him, then whatever it is that comes, gratitude is there as well. That causes hope to light up like a torch! I’ve heard it said this way. Be anxious about nothing, but pray about everything, and be grateful for anything… · Spend time talking with the Lord about it and the promise of God is that His peace will flow…, not peace like the world gives but peace that may not even make sense but makes you able to face the next step, then the next, then the next… Surpassing all understanding means that there’s no way I can explain it, you just have to experience it! · And man, let me tell you, I want God guarding my heart and not me… All through my connection, bond, relationship and trust in Christ Jesus! He’s the key! And today is the only day I have, this part of my eternal life is all that I have, this side of eternity, to honor Him and to walk by faith!

Philippians 3 vs 17-21

November 12, 2023 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Philippians 3:17–21

Philippians Chapter 3 Verse 17  Paul puts himself out there with this statement and essentially volunteers himself as an example that others should be wise enough to follow. Can you say that!? Doesn’t that invite criticism? Invite close investigation? You may hear these words of Paul and think, “Well, Paul is a bit full of himself, isn’t he?” Actually, no! When someone says something like, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ,” which Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, the response is typically either curiosity or condemnation, why?  Would you say the same? Honestly. Would you today be willing to honestly assess your maturity, wisdom and discipline and readily step forward and say, “Yep, brethren, join in following my example!” The unfortunate truth is that most would not be able or willing to do that. Why? Defects in maturity, explicit lack of wisdom and obvious issues with discipline. Stir that recipe up with just a pinch of humility and you get resignation…  So, anyone else…, anyone else, steps forward and says, “Brethren, join in following my example,” and the natural response is condemnation. It was Mark Twain who once said, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” From the vantage point that we have discussed, makes total sense.  AND, there is however still another response that Paul receives from this statement and that is one of curiosity. Hmmm, this man is putting himself out there. Inviting close investigation…, can I do that? Would I do that? Maybe…, how is it that he is doing that?  Curiosity peaks. Why? Well, you KNOW that in you and in every human, there are defects in maturity, explicit lack of wisdom and obvious issues with discipline…, just as Paul knew this about himself. He writes in Romans 7:15, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do…” He says in Romans 7:24, “O wretched man that I am!”  Stir that recipe up with a TON of humility and a heaping tablespoon of worship…, and you get engagement and even a sense of responsibility… What’s it take for a person to honestly say and be willing to be a Godly example? Humility… Surrender to Jesus. Dependance upon the grace of God and the righteousness of the blood of the Savior. Why do so many condemn and sing the cultural chorus of “Don’t judge me!?” A huge problem in the church in terms of humility, surrender to Jesus and dependance/gratitude towards the grace of God…  Who is your example in the faith that you are curiously watching, learning from, following? Who in the faith are you openly and knowingly an example of Christ-likeness towards? The hard truth is that as citizens of heaven, we should have and be both…, as Paul gives the command here for the brethren, for us, to “note those who so walk,” and that is the pattern for the faith. Interesting and certainly concerning how far we have strayed since the time of the Paul…. Philippians Chapter 3 Verse 18  You need to understand here that in context Paul is talking about the church! The Body of Christ. Believers! He’s writing this letter and the theme is joy, for sure, but the concern of this letter is correction to the church there in Philippi as there were members who were hurting each other! When one part of the body hurts another part of the body on its own, in the realm of the physical we call that a disease! And Paul says here that even in the church you will find those that, and these are STRONG words, alarming words, those that are, “enemies of the cross of Christ!”  This is wild because Paul is saying things that won’t fly in the easily offended model of Christianity today. Paul called out members of the church by name in 2 Tim 4:14, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.” That’s a prayer! We hear, “love the sinner but hate the sin…” Okay, where is that in the Bible? That specific line? At least one element of someone’s sin is their free will… Would Paul agree with that line? We need to wake up! Grace is not a free ticket to hurt people! Paul says in the church, there can be enemies of the cross of Christ!!  Not enemies of Christ… Pay attention! Enemies of the CROSS! What does that mean? Jesus showed forth the character of God and the goodness of God and the purity of His power when He went to the cross for not only his friends but also His enemies! “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do!” And He was willing to be broken so that others could be made well.  Jesus would say before those events in Matthew 16:24, “Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” And the crazy thing is that the next statement of Jesus reveals that this mindset is the best, most powerful, purposeful, joyful life…, like it’s the key to being awesome inside and out, and He says this in the very next sentence….  Matthew 16:25, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it…,” what’s that mean? Someone who does not take up his own cross is someone trying to save his own life! “But whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” What’s that mean? Become like Christ and find the life that was and is hidden in Him!  No wonder so many in the faith are serve-me, cater-to-me, consumers and critics rather than encouragers, servants and situational saviors! Paul calls that mentality in the faith, in the church, “enemies of the cross of Christ!” Disease! There is a part of me that is that! And I know it! And by prayer and discipline and opening my heart and mind and lifestyle, thinking, decisions, reactions, subordination to God daily…, I’m working on it! Are you!? We all should be because to an extent…, this is every one of us! Some 99% unfortunately, some 5%..., this is not binary…, this is prevalent!  So, what’s this look like practically? And the fact that Paul goes into this next section means that we ought to “note those who so walk.” He gives us the problem first, the enemies of the cross of Christ, and then he gives us the citizens of heaven…. Philippians Chapter 3 Verse 19  Check this out. One thing in business strategy or even process improvement is to start with the end in mind. Cast a vision and gain the commitment of the stakeholders… Paul says here that for those that have this humility issue and/or when I have this humility issue, the end of it, what it leads me to, (and I’m talking about immediately), is destruction. The word in the Greek means waste not like garbage but in the sense of having something valuable but getting nothing for it. Like wasting money! That’s the context…  Paul says, “whose god is their belly,” which means they are driven by worldly, bodily, carnal appetite and “whose glory is in their shame.” That means the things they say and even do that they think are good and honorable, others and especially the Holy Spirit is like, ewwww. And remember, this is in the church!  Here’s an example that I’ve encountered countless times over the years. Someone serves in the church in some capacity. Let’s say, for example purposes, the parking lot ministry (since we don’t have that so no one will get bent out of shape!). Someone will say to me, “Oh it was so great to serve in the parking lot ministry this month. It was a blessed 6 hours!” And everyone that hears it rolls their spiritual eyes…  The person saying it is boasting, talking about how much they’ve done, how great they are, while all of the hearers, ALL of them including the Holy Spirit, are like, “You serious, Clarke?!” Their personal glory is indeed a source of shame for them in the body…, and they don’t even know it… So, what’s their reward for serving those 6 hours? That single moment and statement and that’s it… It all just got wasted….  “Who set their mind,” like a clock, “on earthly things….” Philippians Chapter 3 Verses 20 – 21  What a Christian really is, what we should set our mental and spiritual and soulful clocks to, is that we are citizens of heaven! We are eager, active, aware and watching for the soon return of the Lord, and/or keenly aware of our own mortality…, and we are soft clay in the hand of the Perfect Potter who has the authority and jurisdiction and Lordship to boss us around, transforming us bit by bit into His glorious plan for each of us!  It’s like we are here on passport. If you want to go to any other country, you’ll need a passport. And a passport declares your citizenship. A citizen of the US can either be born here or be naturalized, (become a citizen through a process). One of the statements/vows/oaths required to be repeated by anyone becoming a citizen is, “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”  As a citizen of heaven, you and I are to leave behind and renounce all allegiance and fidelity to the threefold enemy of the cross of Christ which is the devil, the world, and the flesh… And as a citizen of heaven, we are to now uphold the laws of heaven…  How much of me…, how much of you are even unknowingly and enemy of the cross of Christ, acting outside the laws of the Kingdom for which I am a citizen!!?

Philippians 3 vs 12-16

November 5, 2023 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Philippians 3:12–16

Philippians Chapter 3 Verse 12 · I love this statement by Paul and what it does is that it reveals his maturity in the Lord and honestly his grasp of reality. Paul is incredibly strong as a Christian but also just as a man, as a human being. He writes a book on joy and faith and peace from a Roman prison cell?! He will make a statement later in chapter 4, “I have learned in whatever state I am to be content…” From my perspective and no doubt those around him, he’s got it all figured out… · But…, just as any person that has glimpsed the (I don’t know the word) awesomeness, perhaps vastness, perfection, holiness…, the amazing grace of God…, (or figured out how much YOU and I NEED God’s grace in order to be anything but lost!) no one, none of us this side of eternity have even begun to know what we ought to know or be who we ought to be… no matter how great we are in terms of this world. Stack yourself not up against other men and women…, or the American dream…, hold the spotlight on Jesus for just a moment and my name isn’t even worthy of the title of insignificant! · And that doesn’t bring me down! In no way does that bring me down! What that does is that elevates Christ! John wrote, as his popularity was surging, as the effectiveness of his ministry was in a stage of ultimate success, he wrote in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease!” That’s not self-deprecating or some sort of lack of self-esteem or self-respect in any way. What that is, is a person that has glimpsed the importance and significance and amazingness of God and then, who am I to talk about?! Let’s talk about Jesus! · By this time Paul had planted 14 churches. Over the course of 13 years, he embarked on three missionary journeys, traveling (without trains, planes, or automobiles) more than 7,000 miles! It can be credited to Paul that he came up with and packaged the doctrine of the New Covenant that would turn Christianity from a small sect of Judaism into a worldwide faith! · In the preaching of the gospel and the serving of the Lord and others, we are even told in 2 Corinthians 11 all that he had endured! (stripes, prisons, death threats, beatings, once he was stoned (calm down Colorado). Three times shipwrecked…, constantly weary, constantly sleeplessness, constantly hungry and living a life truly suffering to serve the Lord! · This man had not just moved from one place to another to plant a church or take a church over, he had truly given all time and time again and was incredibly successful in the faith to the point that 2,000 years later, we still know his name. And we will 2,000 years from now… And yet, he knew, not just a statement, this was actually a secret to his strength and God-honoring success, he knew that he had far more to know and to learn than he already did at this point. · How about you? Do you know that about yourself? Or are you good with God? So good that instead of putting his grace and goodness and mercy on display, let’s put your (our own) faithfulness on display… Maybe not physically but certainly mentally… Let’s make your name known rather than the name of Jesus!? PRIDE. See how practically immature that is and how out of touch with reality we can be!? · The point is that we should consider the spiritual maturity and pure strength of character of Paul in making this statement that in light of the reality that even he himself has SO much left to learn and so much growing up still to do, he presses on to apprehend, to capture what it is God has given him and purposed for him in Christ Jesus. Which means, and this is definitely what we should be doing, he lives in a constant state of seeking the Lord in this way…, “God, what is it You want and have for me today… I am yet going to make sure my heart is soft towards what You teach me…” · That can become (and is) a major problem in many Christians’ lives and truly its all of us some of the time. That we just close the books if you will and figure we know what’s right and wrong, what’s good and not good, and we just live out what we know… Look, that’s not a terrible thing, to live out what we know, we should do that, BUT, we should also have the maturity and intelligence to perceive and accept that we do not fully yet know all that we should…. And for that reason, not only do we remain teachable but we cultivate (watch for, look for, even desire) lessons constantly as God leads us through each day. If we ain’t doing that then we ain’t filing away wisdom…, and we are doomed to repeat lessons that God has purposed for us to learn! · This is an essential to actually being mature in the Lord at all. This sense and air of not being enough and always striving to be more for the Lord, to know Him more, to serve Him more… The culture’s narrative is progressively more and more that you and I are enough as-is and should be entirely accepted and celebrated just as we are however, in reality, that is thoroughly childish and quite a sophisticated level of immaturity. Sure, in terms of being accepted as one human race, you are enough, but in terms of growing up within that human race, come on…, stop now and that’s exactly what happens, you stop. · In the life of a healthy/growing, mature, secure and spirit-filled Christian, there is a constant sense of God has more for me. God wants to draw me closer. There is more of Him to know, much more to learn, and a ton more of serving the Lord and His Kingdom. I’m positionally enough strictly and solely upon the saving blood of Jesus. I’ve set my foot into the Kingdom based on the promise of God through Christ…, but now that I’m here, so much to discover and do… and there’s an urgency and also an awareness that the flesh and sin works to my extreme disadvantage in all of that …. A mindset reserved for the mature Christian, such as Paul. Philippians Chapter 3 Verses 13 – 14 · It’s a difficult thing to actually do what Paul just laid out for himself and for us… He says that for him or for me or for you to press toward the goal, to move forward, to grow, to heal…, (and he says “this one thing,” meaning if everything else was there and this wasn’t, everything else wouldn’t work…), Paul says there is a type of forgetting that I HAVE to do regarding my past. · Now, forgetting in such a way as justifying my past sinfulness will just lead me to possibly repeating those things or really serve to make me prideful, so I am not to forget in such a way as to justify, but a part of God’s grace is to move on, move forward, and forget in such a way as to mature forward. · But what about those sins that have been committed not by me, but against me? Perhaps even more difficult. In what Paul is saying here there is a bit of escapism and there is a bit of acceptance. The word for “forget” literally means, “send it to oblivion,” “count it as a thing not cared for…” Holding onto past hurts, in a way, reinjures because there’s an element of re-living in holding onto things. And so, it’s a sort of trap. A mental prison cell. And Paul, Biblically commands and permits, escape. · In a way, that takes an element of acceptance of what happened. And that’s a process. You go from shock, to grief, to anger and then finally to acceptance. But here’s what the Bible says, send it to oblivion, leave it where it is, in the past, and escape the barbed-wire entrapment of letting it control and limit your present, and certainly your future. · Paul would know. His own people had harmed him so intensely. He himself had harmed his own people so intensely. And yet everyday God had an intention to flood him with power, grace, freedom and purpose..., oh and joy. And Paul knew, perhaps you need to know this too, what God has for you is limited or can even be refused through us holding onto the sins in our past whether ours or others… · The implication here is that you don’t want to miss the prize and notice the prize is the upward call of God in Christ Jesus… Philippians Chapter 3 Verse 15 · Paul calls what we just discussed…, maturity. And notice, if someone refuses to do this for themselves, because this is something no one else can do but self, then you need to pray for them. The problem isn’t their information or their intelligence, it’s their revelation… And what has happened is that the past, whatever it is, has become a stronghold of the flesh or even the enemy in their heart and lives… Strongholds are only brought down by the work of God in the heart of a person… Philippians Chapter 3 Verse 16 · Notice, Paul says “to the degree that we have already attained…” Are there some that are better Christians than others? Sure. We just can’t get away from this. And Paul says we become degreed as we grow up in Jesus. · The thing to remember and to apprehend however is this. I am not running this race against anyone but myself. The version of me that is sad, depressed, aggressive, thorn-covered, guilt-heavied and incapacitated…, races against the version of me the is strong, joyful, satisfied, mature, wise and glimpsing my God-ordained capacity! · AND…, I love the grace that Paul closes out this section with… It’s a personal accountability type of grace for others. If you know, if your eyes are open to this, praise the Lord. If someone else’s aren’t, well, let them grow up in the Lord… And just like you need it, give them grace as well. · BUT, but, if you understand this, if God has revealed this to you to be good and true and what you ought to do, then walk in it as a rule. Not a suggestion, not a “hey, this will help you,” if you can understand what Paul has said, what we’ve discussed…, well, let me put it this way, if it has been revealed to you, then it indeed will be a rule for you personally…