Class Lesson February 12, 2017

Think about it, was it finishing college, running a race, dieting and working out, when a job got tough, finished building a house, saving for a vacation/car/house, staying with my spouse when things were unsure, maybe even whether to keep teaching a class.

The point of this week's lesson is:

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE 

Running a marathon is a grueling task in any year. But the 36,000+ runners who competed in the 2014 Boston Marathon carried something extra: the emotion of running that historic event the year after it was marred by tragedy in 2013, when two terrorists’ bombs killed three people and injured 260 others. 

Meb Keflezighi was one of those competitors in 2014. As he ran, he had the names of the previous year’s victims written on his bib. Incredibly, Keflezighi not only finished the race—he won. In fact, he became the first American to win in 29 years. And at 38, he was the oldest person to win in over 80 years. 

As he crossed the finish line, people in the crowd chanted “U.S.A.” Keflezighi lifted his hands upward with joy and triumph. His hard work and endurance paid off. 

In Philippians 3, Paul used the analogy of running a race to capture his passionate, all-consuming desire to pursue Christ. The apostle’s desire to run hard after his Savior is a great example of how we can strive to become more and more like Jesus.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Philippians 3:12-14 

12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. 

Paul, the great apostle, knew he wasn’t perfect. He had progressed in his walk with Christ, but he wasn’t content to stay there. So he pressed forward, making “every effort to take hold of it” (v. 12), “reaching forward to what is ahead” (v. 13), and pursuing “as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (v. 14). 

Notice Paul’s use of both “forgetting” and “reaching forward.” We can let go of the past when it’s forgiven in Christ. Paul had persecuted Christians—some even to death (see Acts 22:4-5). But he was forgiven. He simply let go of the past, and so should we. 

• We should forget past failures. It’s only after we’ve been forgiven and sought to make wrongs right that we can forget our transgressions and run forward. Yet we must not dwell in the past. We must not let Satan accuse us when Christ has forgiven us (see Rom. 8:33-34). 

• Forget past achievements. Paul occasionally recounted some of his ministry achievements (see 2 Cor. 11:22–12:4), but he didn’t use past victories as an excuse to slow down in the present. In the same way, we should be grateful to God for all of His blessings and benefits, but we’re not to use yesterday’s struggles or victories as excuses to live complacently today.

What about the future? How do we reach forward and pursue God’s prize? Hear the simplicity of Paul’s words: “one thing I do.” Paul’s one thing was Jesus. He was wholly captivated by the gospel. In verse 12, he wrote, “I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.” In verse 14, he described “God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus,” another beautiful statement about God’s grace in salvation. Paul never lost the wonder of the gospel; nor should we. All our spiritual growth comes from the outflow of our union with Christ.

Philippians 3:15-19 

15 Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. 16 In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. 17 Join in imitating me, brothers, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things. 

Paul knew that who we choose to follow is important. He told the Corinthians to follow his example, just as he followed Jesus (see 1 Cor. 11:1). Here, he highlighted the same theme as he instructed the Philippians in how to grow up spiritually.

First, Paul encouraged Christians to adopt his outlook and values. He included himself in the phrase, “we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.” Second, Paul instructed the Philippians to “observe those who live according to the example you have in us.” Faithful examples included those who lived out the values Paul wrote about, such as putting the needs of others ahead of their own (see 2:3-4), not grumbling or complaining (see v. 14), and pouring out their lives for the cause of the gospel (see vv. 16-18). It’s essential not only that we hear sound teaching, but that we also observe sound teaching through the lives of others. 

In the same way, we should aspire to be faithful examples for others. We don’t need a “position” to influence people by our example. We’re already examples to our children, our neighbors, and our co-workers. 

In Philippians 3:18-19, Paul offered several examples we should avoid following. He called them “enemies of the cross of Christ.” Such people appear to profess some sort of Christian faith, but in reality they’re pretenders, and that makes them deceivers. Enemies of the cross don’t boast of what Jesus has done for them; instead, they glory in their own abilities and accomplishments. Their actions aren’t consistent with their professions. And because their professions are false, Paul said, “their end is destruction.” 

Such pretenders are known for a particular set of values, all of which conflict with Christian holiness: 

• “Their god is their stomach.” They serve lustful appetites and seek to please self. They become a law unto themselves. 

• “Their glory is in their shame.” They show off things for which they should be ashamed. 

• “They are focused on earthly things.” They get excited about worldly things and are unable to focus on Christ, His cross, or His resurrection. 

Philippians 3:20-21 

20 but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself. 

Beginning in verse 20, Paul turned back to the mindset we should have as disciples of Christ. Specifically, we’re to live in light of our true citizenship, which is in heaven. 

As we grow in spiritual maturity, we realize that this world is not our home—and that we won’t reach our full maturity until we reach heaven. Certain things in this life cause us to “groan within ourselves” because we aren’t there yet (see Rom 8:22-23). We belong in heaven. 

For this reason, our values and lives as Christ’s followers should point to heaven. Through our lives here on earth, we can show others what the King is like and what His kingdom is like. Wouldn’t it be great for people to observe the words and deeds of believers and say, “You aren’t from around here are you?” 

There’s more. Believers aren’t just to live out heaven’s values; we also should be awaiting heaven’s Lord: “We also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” One day, we will see Jesus face-to-face. In that moment, “He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body.” Christian maturity is about growing in Christ-likeness. Each day as we follow Jesus, we have the opportunity to become more and more like Him—a process that will reach its climax when Christ appears. 

All this is Christ’s doing. He will transform us “by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.” Jesus has authority over all things, including our selves. When we see Him, we won’t regret pressing on to know Him more and more in this life. We won’t regret living every day in view of our true citizenship. 

Each day is a chance to become more like Jesus, and each is another day closer to His return. So keep going. Keep running the race until you see Him face-to-face.

LIVE IT OUT

How will you press forward to become more like Jesus in the days to come? Consider the following suggestions:

• Forget what is past. Do you have something in your past that you need to “forget” in order to run forward? Ask God to impress on you the richness of His grace and to give you strength to run today. 

• See others as Jesus does. As you look at people in our culture who are not following Jesus, do you respond to them with anger? Indifference? Or, do you weep? Pray daily for God to deepen your concern for those who are enemies of the cross. 

• Eliminate sinful habits. Evaluate your life for any sinful habits that restrict you from maturing spiritually. Confess the sin and be aggressive in removing this habit from your life. 

You may not be able to run a marathon, let alone win one. But you can run the daily race as a disciple of Jesus. All you need to do is forget the past, focus on Christ, and keep moving forward until the day your transformation is complete.

Teacher's Notes

When have you been thankful you didn’t quit?

Click Here to Watch

Why did Rudy want to quit? - didn't get to play, patience, overall perspective.

Why did his friend want quit? - attitude, selfish

1. Last week, Paul was concerned that the church was showing signs of a wrong attitude – rivalry and self-ambition, conceit and pride. He wanted them to change their attitude and learn to live in love and humility towards others as Christ did. There is JOY in serving when we Follow Christ's example of humility.

2. This week, Paul says that we will continue to live in love and humility towards others as we continue to grow in Christ. And as we grow in Christ we will grow in Joy. 

Former President Jimmy Carter tells the story of when he applied for admission to the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarine program. The process included being interviewed by the director of the program, Admiral Hyman Rickover. Rickover was famous, even notorious – for his intense questioning. As the questions became harder, and Carter was unable to answer some of them, the admiral finally asked Carter where he stood in his class at the Academy. Carter felt sure he could redeem himself with this question, so he squared his shoulders and proudly replied, “59th in a class of 820.” Instead of congratulating him, the admiral asked him another question, “Did you do your best?” Carter thought about it for a moment, and admitted, well no, he had not always done his best. Then the admiral looked at him for some time without saying anything, turned his chair around with his back to Carter, and asked one more question: “Why not?” 

That’s a troubling question, isn’t it? We’ve been saved by God’s grace, but at the same time, the Bible says we will give account to Him for how we’ve spent our time on earth (2 Cor. 5:10). When you get to heaven, will you be able to tell God you’ve done your best? If not, why not?

In our lesson this morning, we’ll see that Paul was a great example of one man who not only wouldn’t quit, but was determined to strive to be all he could be for Christ in his remaining days. 

Day by day, I can become more and more like Jesus. How?

3 characteristics we need to give God our best.

I. Perseverance                                     Philippians 3:12-14

12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

How do you see Paul’s perseverance?

• Paul was working towards a goal.

Why is athletic imagery appropriate for the Christian life?

• Requires discipline, there is a goal, even a reward, need to set aside things which hinder us, need to be focused, and not distracted or side tracked by meaningless issues.

Look at Paul’s focus: I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. 

What is the prize that Christians are striving to obtain? What is the goal?

• An intimate fellowship with Christ, future glorification with Him, becoming like Christ more and more, and knowing Jesus as Lord of our lives … continuously.
• For Paul, it was to know Christ. He was excited to know the fullness of the resurrection. He looked forward to the Lord’s return. Until then, he lived with a commitment to grow and mature in Christ. 

What experiences or encounters have helped you grow spiritually?

• Stories from others of what help them grow.
• The Bible says this in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (NIV). The purpose of the Bible is to help you live out the purpose God has for your life; it’s God’s inheritance that’s due to you. God wants you to be thoroughly equipped for what you’ve been made to do. To do that, he does four things through Scripture: He teaches you. God shows you the path on which you should walk. He rebukes you. God shows you when you’re off the path. He corrects you. God shows you how you can get back on the path. He trains you. God shows you how you can stay on the path. That’s how God’s Word helps you grow.

Paul says to forget the past. What do you think Paul was trying to forget?

• The persecuting he did, his fleshly efforts to please God, works of the flesh, and failures, mistakes, sins.

Why can the past (good or bad) be a problem for a believer?

• You can carry around the guilt of your past, don’t let the misdeeds of the past drag you down. God forgives us but sometimes we don’t forgive ourselves, we are distracted with memories or images of what we did/saw. We can also depend too much on good things we did in the past, don’t let the victories of the past give you false confidence.

Multitasking in Life

• In your work life. A recent CNN article said that multitasker’s get 50% less finished compared to completing the same tasks individually. The distraction makes it so that we are both less focused and more rushed, causing stress to pile on further when we don’t get as much accomplished. In our workdays, this can be frustrating. 
• In your spiritual life. In our spiritual lives, this can be devastating. Spiritual multitasking looked like this: concentrating on the past, obsessing over mistakes, and slogging along with the weight of those mistakes while simultaneously trying to “press on towards the goal.” 

When we lean on our own understanding and our own experience, we become spiritual multitaskers. Our goal is unfocused; we can’t see exactly what the point of it is. But when we focus on Christ, things begin to change. Christ forgave us of our sins. Christ continues to forgive us of our sins. And when we see a ministry opportunity, it’s Christ working through us — not us working for Christ.

Paul said, forget what’s behind and focus on the prize: life in Christ. Because, amazingly, it’s a prize we’ve already been given.

How do we put the past behind us, how do we get rid of these things which hinder us?

• Confession, gratefully thank God for His forgiveness. Claim His promises to forgive (1 John 1:9) and receive His enabling through the Holy Spirit to live a righteous life, full of the fruit of the Spirit.

Point: Spiritual growth is a continual journey toward Christlikeness.

As believers, we are ever to be growing and moving forward in our relationship with Christ. We only possess Him because He has chosen to possess us. The sins of our past have been forgiven by Christ, so we are set free from them before God. Growing in Christ calls for spiritual determination and spiritual discipline. As dedicated Christians, we press forward toward the goal, but in the end, God gives us the prize.

II. Patience                                           Philippians 3:15-19

15 Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. 16 In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. 17 Join in imitating me, brothers, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things.

How was Paul patient?

• He was patient with the less mature. We have to be patient with ourselves. The process of growth takes patience. 
• Patience is sometimes in the observation. I have always enjoyed observing people – in the airports, on vacation, in a restaurant. Just watching how people interact and respond to different situations. You can learn a lot by just observing. Paul talks here about the idea of imitating. He says that spiritual maturity comes as we follow the example of mature believers. You want to grow in Christlikeness, he says it’s a continual process and you will gain much as you look at the example and follow the lives of others. 

How can we put ourselves into a position to benefit from the example of others?

• Being in a group just like this where we can learn how God has worked in other people’s lives. Questions like this show the value of how we grow together as a group. Reading of Christian biographies and associate with mature Christians – choose friends wisely. Be involved in Bible Study groups and personal Bible study. Prayer and accountability partners.

How is salvation more than receiving insurance against an escape from hell?

• Salvation is more than receiving insurance against eternal destruction; it is living in a deep and satisfying relationship with Jesus Christ. We do more than escape the bad punishment, we are to experience positive growth, we are to become a part of the kingdom/rule of God. We learn to yield daily to the rule of the Spirit of God who actually lives within our lives. 

Who have been influential models of mature believers for you? How did they affect your growth in Christ? To whom are you a model?

Point: Spiritual growth comes as we follow the example of mature believers.

Christians are to live according to what they know and what they have been given in Jesus Christ. We are to live in such a way that others see Christ in us and would even desire to be like us. To live in ways that dishonor Christ makes one an enemy of the cross.

III. Perspective                                   Philippians 3:20-21

20 but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

What is the perspective that Paul is wanting us to understand?

• Paul says this growth is a continual process and it will be complete when we get to heaven. Paul says, “He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body” that’s our goal. We will reach it but not that perfection until we enter heaven. 
• Paul kept his eyes on heaven. His citizenship was in heaven. His stay in this world was only temporary. He wanted to represent His King well.
• He eagerly waited for the return of Christ. He would receive a new body that was not subject to sickness or pain or death. The gospel message would finally be vindicated.

Why is it so important for us to keep this perspective? 

• It helps us keep our earthly trials in the right perspective. We’re only in this world temporarily, but we have a better home waiting us. 
• It reminds us that we are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20), and we must be careful how we represent Him in this world. 
• It reminds us that our God will prevail in the end.

In what ways, does thinking about the Lord’s return and being transformed into His likeness encourage you toward faithful living as a believer?

• As disciples of Christ, we’re to live in light of our true citizenship, which is in heaven. As we grow in spiritual maturity, we realize that this world is not our home—and that we won’t reach our full maturity until we reach heaven. Certain things in this life cause us to “groan within ourselves” because we aren’t there yet (see Rom 8:22-23). We belong in heaven. For this reason, our values and lives as Christ’s followers should point to heaven. Through our lives here on earth, we can show others what the King is like and what His kingdom is like. Wouldn’t it be great for people to observe the words and deeds of believers and say, “You aren’t from around here are you?” 
• There’s more. Believers aren’t just to live out heaven’s values; we also should be awaiting heaven’s Lord: “We also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” One day, we will see Jesus face-to-face. In that moment, “He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body.” Christian maturity is about growing in Christ-likeness. Each day as we follow Jesus, we have the opportunity to become more and more like Him—a process that will reach its climax when Christ appears. All this is Christ’s doing. He will transform us “by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.” Jesus has authority over all things, including ourselves. When we see Him, we won’t regret pressing on to know Him more and more in this life. We won’t regret living every day in view of our true citizenship. Each day is a chance to become more like Jesus, and each is another day closer to His return. So, keep going. Keep running the race until you see Him face-to-face.

Point: Spiritual growth is not complete until our glorious transformation in heaven.

For now, we live in this world subject to its limitations, but we actually are citizens of heaven living in anticipation of Christ’s return. The Lord Jesus Christ is our true Savior – and the only Savior. Jesus Christ shall transform us from our humble condition in an earthly body into a glorious body like His, one that is prepared and appropriate for eternal life in heaven. Christ has all power; therefore, all things are and will be subject to Him.

LIVE IT OUT

We may read Paul’s message about spiritual growth, especially with its imagery of a runner pressing and straining forward toward the goal, and think it sounds like a life of drudgery. Why would anyone want to do it? Perhaps much like runners talk about reaching a “runner’s high” in reference to the exhilarating feeling they derive from running, a believer who presses forward in Christ discovers the unmatched joy that accompanies becoming more like Him. And each day of growing in Him serves to remind us that the day will come when He shall come to transform us completely into His likeness. What could be more joyous than that?

How will you press forward to become more like Jesus in the days to come? 

1. Forget what is past. 

2. See others as Jesus does.  

3. Eliminate sinful habits. 

Dr. Oz show on Faithful Friday – Miracles that only God could have done. Cardiologist told about a man that arrived in ER after a massive heart attack in which his heart stopped beating for 40 minutes. He was declared dead and when the cardiologist was walking down the hallway, he heard God tell him to turn around and go back in and pray for that man. He heard God speak a second time to go back and pray! He did and then had them shock the man one more time and he revived and is well today! The doctor could have easily – quit, after all the man was dead.

Don't Quit...persevere...be patient...keep it all in perspective, and remember:

Day by day, I can become more and more like Jesus.

Growing is in

the

Becoming

like 

Jesus!

Hope to see you on Sunday! 

In His Love, 

David & Susan