Philippians 3:10-14 | Pursue Christ.

This is City Post Church. We're about three things.

Build equipped and send. All under the Lordship.

Of Jesus Christ, a small church plant in Fort Worth, TX who

decided to do things a little differently.

Adoramos Ayesu Cristo. I love city Post because of the

people. It's where I belong.

We truly preach the word. I love City Post because of the

community we've been able to build.

To do ministry like Jesus. For light to push back darkness.

This is City Post podcast. So it is officially. 2020.

Six. You know it's.

Like when when the first Sunday of the new year comes,

everybody's still kind of getting adjusted.

The second Sunday, besides everybody getting sick, it's

like, OK, now we're kind of getting in rhythm and one of the

things that a new year. Does is that it helps?

You to re evaluate some things. So right now, the gyms are full

of people. Right now, people are making

promises. They're filling their calendars,

they are lining things up. They are saying hey this.

Is a fresh start to the year. It's going to be different and

like the young people. Say.

I'm going to lock in. This year.

Use that term a lot that I'm going to lock in I'm.

That means that I'm going to be extremely focused in achieving.

The goal? That I set for myself.

Things are going to be different this year.

And Paul? Is going to show us that he

takes this. Assessment of his life.

He makes this sober assessment. Of his life and he realizes that

even after three. Decades of doing ministry, he's

still extremely far from where he wants to be now.

Paul's goal. Paul's.

Lock in is not anything as far as career advancement or weight

loss or getting my money right or getting my situation right.

Paul's lock in is. To pursue Christ.

I want to see Christ. I want to know more of Christ.

I want to I want to lock in and my relationship with Jesus and

my. Prayer is as we walk through

this, that we have that. Same heart and mindset for 2026

something that I I told our. Leadership yesterday was as I

was. Praying, asking the Lord.

What? What is it that?

You want us to focus on like what?

What's the? The phrase or the word?

And last year we started 20/20. 5 with.

Jesus, we want you here. If all of our hearts.

Aligned with Jesus, we want you here.

That's going to. Change how we view things in our

church. But this year?

I thought the Lord St. men pursue Christ and we're going to

look at what that means and we're going to look at kind of

what Paul talks. About.

When we talk about pursuing. Christ, because what Paul says.

Like man, I I haven't really made it yet.

Like I'm still in the process. And I'll think about this.

This is the greatest missionary that ever lived.

After three decades, he still. Says I'm not even close to

knowing Christ. So we pray for us and then we're

going to look at 5 verses and then we'll be.

Out of here. So let's pray.

So, Father, thank you. For everything that you have

done for us, Lord. God, I pray that as.

We align our year father and as we think about our plans and

where we want to go and where we want to be.

That at the. Forefront of all of that?

Is to pursue. You.

Lord to chase hard after you, Father.

To not take, take no for an answer to go.

After Jesus, so Jesus be with us today be.

With this word and Lord help me collect my thoughts, speak

through me, Father, help me to remember what was studied and

let everything that come out of my mouth be from you and not for

myself. So Lord, we pray these things in

your holy and righteous name and everybody saying Amen, Awesome.

Let's go ahead and dig into the. Text we're going to look at.

Verses 1014. I'll go ahead and read that and

then we'll go. Back and just talk.

About it so starting in verse 10.

This is what the word of the Lord.

Says I want to know Christ, Yes, to know the.

Power. Of his resurrection and and

participation in his sufferings, becoming like Him in his death,

and so somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this.

Or have already. Arrived in my goal.

But I press. On to take.

Hold of that which Christ. Jesus took hold of me, brothers

and sisters. I do not consider myself yet to

have taken hold of it, but one thing I do forgetting what is

behind and straining forward. What is ahead?

I press. On toward the goal to win the.

Prize of which God has. Called me heavenward in Christ

Jesus, all right. So let's walk through.

This thing look at verse 10 man Paul.

Here is is is extremely. Key in where he's going.

If you look at chapter 3. Paul gives this laundry list of

qualifications. So what Paul is?

Saying when he was a. Pharisee before Christ.

Met him on the road to Damascus and changed his name from Saul

to Paul. Paul.

Was giving his accolades. Paul was like, man, I made it as

a Pharisee. I have reached the pinnacle.

In my Pharisee type, I am right with God.

I'm better than everybody else in the religious setting.

Until he met Christ. So think about this like Paul

had it all. He had the right name.

He had the right. Upbringing he had the right

zeal, the. Education.

The morality he even learned under the right rabbi.

Paul was above. Everybody when it came to.

This whole like religious zeal. But then he met the standard.

Which is. Jesus.

And even with all of that, when Jesus confronted him, Paul

realized. I've only begun.

I know nothing actually, Paul even states he goes, man, I am

the chief of sinners, regardless of my all that stuff that I've

done. All of that stuff.

Meant nothing when I met. Jesus so.

Paul in verse 10. Is giving the.

Statement. He goes, yes, I want to know

Christ, yes, to know the powers, resurrection and the

participation in his sufferings. So when Paul.

Is saying like I want to know Christ that means I want a?

Deeper knowledge of Jesus. I want more intimacy with Jesus,

not just know him like I read something like I know.

Statistics. No, I.

Want to know. Know him, I want to know.

Who he's about. I want to have intimacy with

Christ and and then Paul goes on.

He's like, not me. Paul.

Not myself, but I want to know Jesus now when you're a.

Pharisee, It's all about yourself.

When you're a Pharisee, everything is.

About what I know what I can do what?

Other people say. Are good about me, how I look at

the temples. How I?

Pray how? I give and what he's.

Saying is like, man, when I met Christ all that stuff went out

the window. I don't care.

I want to know Jesus and how do I know him intimately and more

deeply? He goes man.

I want to know the. Power of his resurrection.

We so Paul knows he's like man. Christ has the power.

Of both physical and spiritual worlds.

So yes, makes sense. I want to know the powers of his

resurrection but. Then he says.

Something that doesn't make too much sense to.

People that read this. But I also want to know, I also

want to participate, not know I want to take participation in

his sufferings. That's kind of a weird prayer.

Isn't it like want to know Christ but I want to suffer like

him too? That's kind of harsh.

But what? We got to understand here is

that Paul already when he wrote this, Paul has been suffering,

but he also understands. That this is what Christ.

Came to do Christ, came to go to the.

Cross So what Paul is. Saying he goes, I want to be in

partnership, linked up with Jesus in his suffering.

Because of what Jesus came to do, Paul.

Is saying I want to give my life for what?

Christ came to do which is to. Reconcile all of mankind back to

God. The forgiveness of sins.

Paul is like, I want to dedicate my life.

To this. I don't want to be comfortable,

I want to. Experience what Christ

experienced because. He also knows based out of

Romans 817. He goes, we suffer.

With him that we may. Also be glorified together with

him of Jesus. There's going to be a.

Glorification that takes place in eternity for you and Paul's

like man, I want to know. The power of his resurrection I

want to be in. Partnership and participate in

his. Sufferings to become like him in

death and somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

And Paul is saying like man, I'm going to suffer for his

namesake. But I also know that if I'm

going to be with him in eternity I'm going to have to leave this

world soon. And Paul is kind of.

A little bit of AG about this because Paul's like.

Listen, it doesn't even matter. How I?

Attain it. I just want to be with him.

So Paul is understanding where he's at.

You know, there's a famous line. There's a movie that came out in

the 80s. It was like one of the first

Great War movies called Platoon. I love that thing, man.

I love me and Ray. I, I watch all the time, right?

Just like again now just have it playing and there's a famous

line where one of the. Soldiers goes to to one of like

the. Platoon leaders and he's like,

man, I have a bad feeling about tonight.

Can you? Just I've been faithful.

In serving in this platoon, can you just give me the night off

and everybody? And then he looks at me and

goes, listen, Red, everyone's got to die sometime.

And that's kind of what Paul is saying.

And he goes, man, if I want to attain the resurrection of his

power, everybody's got to die sometime.

But you see what? What, Paul?

Understands is that death here on.

Earth does not mean the end, it only means the beginning.

To be. Eternity to be an eternity with

Jesus. Remember Paul?

Wrote this having experienced more.

Suffering than probably any of us would understand.

Paul wrote the book of. Philippians in custody of Roman

soldiers as well. This merely wasn't some

theological. Idea for Paul, but this was a

lived. Out connection that he had with

God himself, because he understood what the suffering

was. Like, but what?

Paul is saying he's like, man, I want to get to know Jesus more,

even in my sufferings. Then look at verse. 12 Now he's

going to switch over. He's given the reason I want to

know. Christ and he talks about what

that looks. Like the intimacy, the deftness

of it, the resurrection in this suffering so that we could be

with him in the. Resurrection of the dead.

Are choosing an example of an athlete and we see this in the

wording. Look at verse 12.

Not that I have. Already obtained all this or

have already arrived? At my.

Goal, but I press. On to take.

Hold for what? For which Jesus Christ took

hold. Of me he's.

Talking about the race forward. Christ likeness, and it begins.

With a. Dishonest.

I'm sorry it begins with an honesty and.

A dissatisfaction of life itself.

So what Paul is saying? Is like where I'm at right now

knowing that what I know about Jesus, I want to know more.

So what? Paul is doing in his.

Sober. Assessment of life, he finds

this honesty and this dissatisfaction, saying, man

like my life, something feels like it's missing.

I I feel like I need more. Of this.

And that more of this. Life.

That that thing that he wants to lock in on is pursuit of Christ

likeness. Because the more I know.

Jesus. The more I become like.

Jesus because of his Holy Spirit, we call that.

Sanctification and listen. We become sanctified as

believers until we're with him in.

Glory. So what Paul is?

Saying is like, man, I have not attained this yet.

I have not made it yet. Everything that I've done in my

life thus far. Is just the.

Beginning and listen. I think for some of us, we need

to give ourselves some grace. Some of us have all.

These plans, some of those, all these things and we think.

That because we have not achieved what we believe is our.

Calling and God's. Purpose for our life.

That we have failed miserably. And let me tell you something,

it is only the beginning. Follow Christ, seek him, follow

his likeness. That should be the goal.

But he's like, man, I haven't even arrived at my goal yet.

So what do I do? I love what Paul says here.

He uses these two words, but I what?

Press on. Press on is a a term or a?

Word that you see with athletes, especially that people.

That are running press on in Greek actually means aggressive,

energetic. It means that there's some

action and what Paul is saying. Is that he is.

Pursuing sanctification with all of his might, straining every

spiritual muscle in order to win the prize.

He is chasing after Jesus. He is pressing on.

He's going. After Christ, watch this

aggressively. He is running him down, man.

When I when I picture this I think of Leon Lett and Don

Beebee. Remember the Super?

Bowl. Leon Lettuce is and and Dom

Beebe is running his tail down and strips him of that ball and

it fumbles it. And listen, that's what we

should. Look like as we press.

On as we run. Toward Christ we don't just.

It's not like a little jog. No, we are aggressively running

after him with energy and hope. We are chasing them down.

This is, you know, I and I understand that many of us say

terms like, and I want us to look at Paul's example here

because many of us say things like, man, I'm gonna let God.

I'm gonna let go and let God and and that, yeah, that sounds

great. And I understand what you're

saying. That's not what.

Paul is showing us. Paul's like, I'm going to let go

and I'm going to go after. God.

I'm going to chase after him. I'm.

Going to go after Jesus all I. Can I am committed to.

All I do is to pursue. Christ with all my heart and.

Paul saying that this is. Where all of my ambition.

Flows out of it is this whole idea of.

Charging, pressing on, chasing after.

Christ. I like what Luke 962 says.

Paul's pretty much saying that he has his hand on the plow and

he is not looking back. I'm just going forget everything

else. And I love that he used the

WordPress on because anybody that's run track or anybody's

run races. What the coaches tell you is

that you keep your. Eyes on the goal.

Because as you're. Running and you start looking

side to side, it's going to slow you down or trip you up.

Paul can't afford to slow. Down, you know, Paul.

Is old. Paul is at a.

Time of his life, he's in prison.

His body's pretty much broken. I've read some scholars.

Saying that because he's taken the forty -1 which is pretty

much a beating, getting whipped with his back over three times,

he has about two inches of scar tissue on his back, probably.

You know what that's like sleeping on a hard ground

without any nerve endings, I mean.

Paul. Is pretty much in pain right now

and instead of slowing down, what Paul says is I want some

more, give me some more. I actually, it's not about

coming toward to the end of my life, actually.

The closer I get to. The end of my life.

The harder I go after Jesus. And that's what.

Paul is is saying here. The more I learn about Christ,

the more I realize how little I know of Jesus.

And the more we know of Christ, the more I want to know of.

Jesus, so the. More you know of him.

The. More you want to get to know

him. So we talked about last week

the. Fullness of God, but yet there's

still room to grow and Paul is saying that the.

Harder you chase. The more satisfying.

It is, Paul is. Saying like, man, when I press

on, it's like a runner trying to catch the person ahead of him

and the runner. Ahead of Paul is Jesus Christ.

He's doing all he can. To try to reach.

And to catch him and then he says.

A few other important. Words he goes to press on, on,

to hold on to that in which. Christ took hold of me.

Hold on to that So. What?

Why is? Why is Paul going at Christ so?

Hard, because that's how Jesus. Got a hold of him.

Jesus encountered Paul on the road to Damascus.

When after Paul. Paul even says in Galatians.

That it pleased the Lord. To reveal his son to him.

And what Paul is saying now that same.

Way that Jesus. Came at him aggressively and

hard is the same way now that I want to go after Jesus, myself

and many of us. I think.

Sometimes we have to. Take a step back.

And remember, what was my life like before I met Christ?

Man, I was like thinking the other day.

I was like, man, what was my life like?

Before. Jesus changed my heart.

How awful was it? Trying to make decisions like

doing things that were so. Off base.

And the way that he changed my life, it's like, man, I, I want

to now. It's my I'm going to go after

him now because he changed my heart.

The Bible even says we. Love him because.

He loved us first. When you experience the love of

God and the transformative. Power of the Holy Spirit.

And a new heart and a new life. Listen, there's action after

atonement. He'll just sit back now.

And now it's like. Let's go get it.

Let's go after Christ. And listen, I know that we live

in a culture where everything now is rest and Sabbath, which

is important. Don't get me wrong, it's

important, but I think that there's.

A little bit of AI get. The rest and Sabbath, I think

that needs to be more in rhythms.

But we need to go hard after Jesus.

And the things that he's calling us to, we need to run after him

with all of our strength. So he says.

I'm going to try to take. Hold for which Christ took hold.

Of me, the same way came after me is the same way.

I want to go after him and then look what he says.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself.

Yet to have taken. Hold of it so even though I'm

running full steam ahead, I'm pressing on aggressively and

strong after Christ I'm running after him.

I want deeper intimacy, man I'm I'm I'm partnering with his

suffering. I want to know the powers

resurrection and I'm doing all these things.

Listen, my brothers and sisters. I still.

Haven't gotten a hold of it. I've been doing this for three

decades and I still haven't gotten a hold of it.

And Paul is reminding us. That this is the passion of his

life. He.

Wants to know. Christ, Jesus and.

Everything. And I think that's a great

example for us to chase him down.

You know, there's a phrase, Doctor Martin Luther King says

he goes. You don't have to see the whole.

Staircase just take the first step and.

I know some of us are probably asking like man, Rick, how do

you? Chase Christ, you.

Don't have to know what this looks like.

Just start running after him. Just start running after him.

Just start chasing him down. You don't have to know what that

looks like. You have to know everything.

You just need to make in your mind what Paul does.

And Paul says, listen, brothers and sisters, I don't consider

myself. To hold it yet.

And I think many of us need to take an assessment of our life

and come to the conclusion that I have not arrived yet.

And listen, you're never going to arrive until you're with him

in. Glory, take the first step.

Now then, Paul's like how? How?

How does this look like? I'm so glad you asked, but one

thing I know, but the one thing I do?

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is.

Ahead. Man, I love.

This verse that Paul says. In scripture when you read.

That. Forgetting what's behind

straining What's. Ahead a theological.

Term is a negative denial. Creates a positive.

Assertion, something negative is actually shooting forward

positively and what Paul saying the way that we're going to do

this. The way that I do this, the way

that I. Press on and chase.

Hard after Jesus, there's two. Things I need.

To forget what's behind me. And I need to press.

Forward. What's in front of me?

I think that's a word for us, many of.

Us, I truly believe we. Overthink this thing.

The one thing, the one priority, the one master ambition, the one

thing I know. What Paul is saying, this is

the. One thing that I focus on is

that I must forget what's behind and I must focus what's in

front. For many of us, I think

sometimes because we don't forget what's behind.

It impacts the focus. Of what's in front of us, why do

we bring up what's behind? If the scripture says that we

have been. Forgiven and the.

Bible says that Jesus that. God does not bring up your sin.

It is from the depths of the ocean.

It's as far as the east is from the West.

If God does not bring up your sin, if God does not bring up

your past, then why do you do it?

And I think that's a lie from the deceiver.

And Paul is saying, like men, in order for you to run, you have

got to stop looking back. And you need to start looking

forward and looking what's in front of us and what's in front

Christ. Don't be.

Distracted by the past. Disabilities and all that stuff.

Look forward. At what's in front of you, stop

looking back. Paul is reaching.

Forward to finish. He's going to press on toward

the goal for the. Prize and the upward call of.

God in Christ Jesus. I love how people say, well

Ricky. It's not the destination, it's

the journey. What, Paul?

Saying is like no, it is the destination.

It is Christ. And he's going to be with me in

my journey, but my focus is not on the it's on the destination.

It is with Jesus. We're going to run this.

Race we're going to reach forward so really what what I

just. Want to do for us thinking.

About this as we pursue Christ. I think that there's three

things that we have got to change in our perspective, in

our mindset, in our hearts. We have to understand what.

Jesus is. Calling us to and we have to

understand that if I'm going to. Pursue Christ and press.

On and be aggressive and go hard and lock in to go after Jesus.

There's three things that we have got to leave behind.

Some of this ain't going to make sense to y'all, and some of it

will. But just just stay.

With me #1 What do we got to leave behind?

You must forget your past sins. You've got to forget your past.

Sins Jesus forgave you. So why are you still?

Locked onto him and many of. Us are walking around with

broken chains, but you have. The cuffs on.

Still and what God is? Saying is like no I.

Freed you completely I. Freed you from your sinful

nature, I freed you from everything that is trying to

hold you back and I have give take the sin off.

Stop looking at what you. Used to do and start.

Looking at the one. Who gave you the?

Freedom and listen, whenever the enemy starts reminding you of

your sin, you're like, man, that's nice Jack, but man, I'm

going forward. Stop looking back, start looking

forward. We've.

Got to start forgetting our past sins.

Paul in First Timothy 113 says I am the chief of sinners if y'all

think that what you've done in this world is so bad that

there's no way that God can forgive you enough and forget

you enough. Have are you a?

Blasphemer. Prosecutor.

Violent aggressor. Did you?

Look. Chase down Christians and and

kill them. Paul did all that.

And the. Bible says that it pleased the

Lord to reveal. His son to him.

We have. Got to understand that.

Jesus paid it. Full on the.

Cross, he paid for your. Sins past, present, and even the

stuff that you don't know what you're going to do.

Yet he paid for it, and he didn't just pay for it.

He imputed his righteousness on you, for God made him on you.

No sin to be sin. On our behalf so that way you.

Can become the righteousness. Of God through Jesus Christ.

God didn't just forgive. You, he restored.

You. He gave you righteousness.

Listen man, the past is submerged into the depths of

God's forgetfulness. You got to let those sins go.

And if God doesn't remember your sin, why should you?

Stop it. Grab a hold to Christ.

He's our. Freedom.

And listen, I'm not saying you're never going to struggle

in life. Trust me, it's going to get

hard. But we have the holy.

Spirit, now we have Christ on our side.

We have Jesus with us, the Holy. Spirit's a great reminder.

To press forward, look forward. So when things start bowing, we.

Started like getting these like. Negative thoughts and like

things are like man, you're. Checking this up.

And and your sin, you ask for forgiveness, you repent to the

Lord, and you keep moving. You have to forget your.

Past sins #2 what else? Do we got to forget?

You have to forget your past. Sufferings, you know, we see.

Here as. Paul is writing this text out of

Philippians He. Suffered a lot, but what Paul

does is. Paul doesn't bring up his

sufferings as something negative, he brings up his

sufferings as something. Positive because he it's tied to

Christ and he's like. Man, I didn't just suffer for no

reason. I'm in partnership with Christ's

suffering and many of us have to understand like less they're

suffering because of consequences of sin, but they're

suffering that takes place in our lives because we are

pursuing the Lord and there's things there's a spiritual

battle that is happening as we saw in Ephesians 6 and to be

honest. With you, Paul would have.

Hung it up by now if you guys. Understood how bad people

treated. Him and because of everything

that Paul went through Paul did not become the psychological

hermit crab where everything just kind of went backwards in

no Paul did not let his his past sufferings take a toll on him

and and some of us have to decide like I'm not going to let

my past hurt determine my. Future because Christ has

something. Way too big, and Jesus is too

big for that. We have got to.

Learn how to forget our past sufferings.

Roman says that God makes everything.

Good for those who. Love Him and that there is

restoration and that there is grace and that there is healing

from your past sufferings and listen.

And what God does is that when? He restores when he forgives you

of your. Sin he takes those sufferings.

And he uses that to build. You to make you more into the

next season that He has for you. You have to start thinking like

Jesus. Why?

But also Jesus, your sovereign. And Jesus, you know, and God,

I'm going to trust you and it's going to drive you and he's

going to use it. And also sometimes suffering

make us more dependent on. The Christ that we're searching

if it. Wasn't for suffering.

I think some of us wouldn't even pray that much if it wasn't for

suffering. Some of us wouldn't even come to

church. If.

It wasn't for suffering. Some of us went and Google the

Bible app suffering God uses sometimes.

To draw people closer to. Him.

That's a whole other sermon. Let's keep going.

And then the last one. #3 your past successes.

So listen if you're. Going to strive forward you got

to forget your sin, you got to. Forget your sufferings, but you.

Also have to forget your past successes.

I think sometimes in the Christian life.

We had. A We have a lot of Uncle Rico

Christians. Anybody seen a Napoleon

Dynamite? He has an uncle named Rico, who

was a quarterback in 1982 and. Everything he talks about was

how awesome he was as a quarterback.

In 1982, he even runs. Drills.

He's the biggest. Loser in the world and the

reason why we sometimes have to forget our.

Successes is because God is always.

Doing a new thing. Shout out DC Talk these.

Christians. Right, God is.

Always doing something new. God is always moving forward and

if sometimes if we latch on to our past.

Victories. We end up camping out.

There and we operate. Out of nostalgia instead of

trusting God and putting faith in what he's called me to do.

I was. Successful at doing this one

time. So I'm going to keep doing the

same exact thing because I know it works and God is saying no.

I need you to trust me. I have something deeper for you.

Something. Bigger for you?

So I need you to. Forget how you did.

It the last time and trust me again right now and this time we

can't hold on to. Our past.

Victories. Celebrate it, remember it.

Have some pictures in your OneDrive that pop up in

memories. That's it's not a bad thing, but

you can't hold on to it. Paul.

Even in all of the. Churches that he helped set.

Up and his missionary journeys. He.

Put that behind him and says I still haven't achieved where I

want to go. Paul has every right to.

Say I am now retired, not just from life, but from the

Christian life. I've done way too much.

But he doesn't do that. He's like, man, because of where

I'm at in life, I'm not just going to like settle down.

I'm going to speed that thing up.

I'm getting to the end. It's time to run.

If Paul would have held. On to his past successes.

He had. Every right to just camp out

there and he could just continually.

Just stay there if. You wanted to, but he doesn't.

He puts them behind it and he moves.

Forward. And you can't live in the past

and presume that it's going to replicate in the present and

drive your future. You have to keep moving forward.

You have to keep moving. Forward and this whole.

Idea is like man in the good old days.

Yes, yes, in the good old. Days keyword old.

God is doing a new thing in the new days.

Pay attention. Live in faith.

Look what he's. Doing.

So we got to forget. Our past sins.

We got to forget. Our past sufferings and we got

to forget. Our past victories so that way

we could. Press on and drive to the goal

and then #4 every. Step forward is a step closer.

To the goal. Every step you take.

Forward in your walk. With Christ is a step closer to

the goal so. Don't be content.

At where you are. Now hold on a second, Ricky,

isn't Paul the one that says you should be content in all things?

Don't. Take that verse out of context.

Paul's saying he's content in all things because he's with

Christ. You should never be content

where you are in chasing Christ. There's always more for you to

learn, there's always more for you to grow, and there's always

more that God. Listen, God has so much more for

you, but you got to chase Him. You got to be.

After him in verse 14 and one with this I press on toward the

goal to win the prize. For which?

God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

It's that same terminology. I press on.

I'm running. I am sprinting.

I'm aggressively moving. Forward to Christ, what's the

goal? The goal?

Is knowing Jesus, it's knowing Christ, it's being with Him, and

then eventually in glory we will be with him one day.

Don't be content. Keep going forward.

You know, when I when I look at this whole idea of leaving

things behind, I think sometimes.

We get the picture that as we leave our.

Sin and as we leave. Like terrible things.

That's. Happened to us and we.

Leave all of our stuff. I look at a landfill.

I think sometimes we see. A picture of our.

Lives like a landfill. It's filled with all the.

Trash and the disgusting things that we've done, that people

have done to us. And the thing with landfills is

that there's landfill management.

So you could. Actually go to school.

And get a degree in running a landfill.

There's gases involved, there's liquids, there's chemicals

there, there's a management and all the stuff that comes.

And many of us have a view of our sin and our trash and all

that stuff. And we look at it and we're

like, man, look at this, how can God forgive me?

How can God like? And you're doing everything in

your power to manage your trash. And what Jesus is saying, what

Paul's saying is you need to leave all that behind.

Stop managing it and let it. Go and we focus.

More listen to me we focus more on how do we manage.

Our trash. In our sin and we look.

At things that we. Learn like.

How do I cope? With this and how do I do this

and and how do I make sure that the smell doesn't go out into

the neighborhood? And what God is saying is like

you. Don't have to manage it, give it

to me because you know what happens to landfills over time?

They become golf. Courses and what God does.

Is that He takes your landfill and He repurposes it to

something beautiful and something useful and something

that will bring glory to His name.

Don't manage it. Let the Lord deal with it.

Let the Lord handle it. Let the Lord manage it.

Look forward. Stop looking behind.

Stop worrying about everything behind you.

Just look. Forward, strive after Christ.

And this landfill that you've accumulated, next thing you know

it, it's going to be something beautiful and something useful

and something only God can do. So let's pursue him as a church

this year. Amen.

Let's pray for. Us, Jesus, we love you.

And Lord, we thank. You for all that you've done for

us, Lord I.