Please take your Bibles once again and turn to the New Testament, to the book of Philippians. Philippians chapter 3, and we'll start with verse 12 and read to chapter 4 verse 1. It's found on page 1350 to 1351 of the Bibles there provided in your rows. Let's give our attention once again to God's holy word. Paul writes, not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. And if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal evenness to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. Thus far the reading of God's holy word. Remember the grass withers and the flower falls, but God's word abides forever. Over the last few months, we've been working our way through the book of Philippians. And if you would take one word that would summarize this book, it would be the word joy. And so each and every time we've looked at this, we've seen some aspect, some facet, some idea of joy that the Apostle Paul has set before the church at Philippi and in turn us. And this morning, we ultimately want to see the joy of pursuing Christ, the joy of pursuing Christ. And as we reflect on that this morning, I want to start out with a question. The question is this, that if you were to evaluate your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and you could summarize it in one word, what would that one word be? Now I know for some of you, you're going, that's just not fair. I mean, how do I take this and put it into this? I understand that, but go with me on it for a moment. Take a moment to think, what would be the word that you would use to describe your relationship with Christ? What are some words that came to mind? Historical. It's something that was in the past. It's been there, but not now. Non-existent. Fictional. How about burdensome? You see, for some, they look at their relationship with Christ and it's just, I gotta do all this work in order to earn His favor. How many of you might think of it as being pointless? He hasn't done anything for me anyway, so what's the use? Necessary? Real. Depending on the word that you picked in order to summarize your relationship with Christ, it really then would describe what your thoughts are about Him, and in turn, how you then relate to Him. Well, if we took our passage here this morning in verses 12 through 16, and we were to summarize Paul's description of his relationship with the Lord Jesus, it would be this. Pursuit, pursuit. That may not have been a word that you would have thought of, but it's nonetheless fitting and we'll see how that plays out through our text this morning. As Paul comes to talk about his pursuit of the Lord Jesus Christ, I remind you that last week we looked at his encouragement regarding the opportunity to just simply know Jesus Christ and just how important that is to him. After all, he noted his life, he brought to our attention just how great his old life was, all that he had done for God as a good Jew, everything that God had provided for him in his life, and he ultimately said it was nothing. It didn't mean anything in relation to what? Knowing Christ. Verse eight. The excellence of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all and count it as nothing so that I may gain Him. Paul in talking about his desire to gain Christ, to pursue this knowledge of him, to be able to better see just his work, his power, his strength, his comfort being brought forward in him. He says, this is something that I just simply press on in. I pursue time and time and time again. It is the thing that is present always. And he says, the consequence of this then means that I'm encouraged or strengthened by the position that I have through Jesus Christ and reflect then on the principles that must be present in my life. And so that's what we want to see this morning as we consider the joy of pursuing Christ. What then firstly is our position in Him? And secondly, as a result of that position, what are the principles that work out? And Lord willing then as we walk away here, our thought process regarding Christ will then be, will be either strengthened based on however you answered that question, or your thinking will be tweaked or changed or redirected. So what then is our position in Christ? Verse 12, Paul says, not that I've already attained or am already perfected, but I press on. The first thing we have to see is that our position in Christ is perfect as it relates to our standing before God, but that standing before God isn't based on our perfection or our achievements. And that's really important for us to hear because if you're here this morning and you see Christ as a burden or you see Christ as someone that you'll never be able to reach up to or never be able to attain, or you look at the Lord Jesus Christ and consequently say, yeah, the way in which he was presented, he's just not for me. The reason that you're struggling in that manner is you're attempting to reach up to him based on your efforts, your strength, your power, your ability. And part of the reason that you may be struggling with that is that there have been those in the church who have put that before you. Maybe you heard it this way, God helps those who what? Help themselves. So what does that say? In order for me to be able to have a relationship with God, I gotta do something in order to reach up to Him. Or it may be that sense in which, well, because of who God is, the only way that he's going to accept me is if I come before him without any sin. And that's true, but you then think to yourself, well, it's gotta be up to me to present that. And it's gotta be up to my efforts or my standards. That's just not possible, nor is it attainable. you'll work, and you'll work, and you'll work, and you'll only find that you didn't do enough, or that there was something else that you could have done, or you'll find things that were lacking, and finally you'll just say, it's not worth it, I give up. There's some within the church who have even taught that, well, yeah, we're sinners, but God then will do this work where eventually he changes us and makes us perfect, not only in Christ, but even in all that we do. And there are those who can achieve a level of holiness in this life where they will never sin again. But that's not what Jesus taught us, is it? In the prayer that he taught his disciples, what does he note? Forgive us our debts. John tells us if we say that we have no sin, we lie. And the truth is not in us. True Christians positionally in Christ are righteous and perfect before the throne of God. But until we reach heaven, we will wrestle, we will struggle, we will give in. to sin and temptation, and consequently, we'll need to simply plead the blood of Jesus Christ and God forgiving us for those things. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul even notes that he hasn't achieved this. Listen to what he says again. Not that I've already attained or am already perfected. You'd think if there was anyone who had attained, it would be Paul, right? I mean, think about the Apostle Paul for a moment. He's the Apostle Paul. Writer of a number of New Testament books. A guy who just made a list for us that we read about the previous week where he said, stellar, perfect, righteous, zealous, desirous of God in all sorts of things. Tremendous influence in terms of church history. Served as a missionary and sacrificed all for Christ. Was an apostle in the church. Was one of those individuals that God used in order to lay the foundation that we rest upon today. And yet he himself says, I haven't arrived yet. We shouldn't hear that and consequently go, well, if Paul can't be there, there's no hope for me, but instead say, if God could use Paul in such a manner as that, and he simply says, I haven't attained, we then should be encouraged and strengthened to say, well, if he hasn't, I won't. And yet where did Paul find his comfort? Where did he draw his power? Where did he draw his hope? How did he direct his thinking and understanding? He says, I press on towards Jesus Christ. He doesn't look at it and say, I got to run away and there's no hope now, why bother? He instead says, yeah, I'm not there yet, but that's okay. Why? Because Christ has grabbed me and I in turn want to lay hold of him. The point of this idea of being positioned in Christ and to see the things that aren't there yet in our lives isn't to cause us to become discouraged so that we then start beating ourselves up and we start then saying, well, if this can't happen or this hasn't taken place in my life yet, therefore I should just give up or why bother? But instead, it should cause us to say, because these things are lacking, and because I love Christ so much, and because I want to know Him more, it pushes me forward and drives me ahead. Have you seen experiences like that in your own life? Guys, what was it like for you in relation to the woman who's now your wife? And before she was your wife, when you were in that opportunity for the chase, you wanted to get her. And you knew that you couldn't use your forefather's approach where you just take the club and you beat her over the head and drag her back to the cave. You had to show something, right? You had to put something out there so that she in turn would go, that's the one I want. When there were obstacles, when there were challenges, when there were things that would take place that you had to overcome, would you? Yes! Why? Because you thought that much of her. The Apostle Paul here is noting that because of the greatness and the glory and the wonder and the knowledge present to us in Jesus Christ, even as things are lacking in our life, even as when you pursued your wife and you knew, so-and-so's stronger, so-and-so's better looking, so-and-so's smarter, so-and-so's gonna have a better job, but I'm gonna put me forward because she's that important to me. Paul is saying, I wanna be the Christ because he's that important to me. And yet far greater than simply our relationships with our spouses, Paul notes what exactly it is that's driving him as he then looks at Jesus Christ. Because he sees that Christ has laid hold of him. So his position is not one of perfection without sin, but it is one in which he's united to the Lord Jesus Christ, and because of that union with him, he then does have great hope, strength, and confidence. It's not a perfection in practice, but it is a perfection before the throne room of God. And he notes that it starts because Christ had gotten him. You think about the life of the Apostle Paul. We know exactly where the Lord Jesus snagged Paul. It was on the road to Damascus. We read about it in Acts chapter 9. Paul had just overseen the death of Stephen. We read about persecution happening within the church at the hand of the Apostle Paul. Paul, in turn, is seeking to destroy the church even further, and so consequently he hears this group of Christians in Damascus. He's on his way in order to go get them, and as he's on his way, the Lord Jesus stops Paul in his tracks so that Paul then can do nothing further and simply bow and submit to this one who has seized him. Paul could clearly note in his life the way in which Christ had gotten him. But that's true for all those who confess the Lord Jesus Christ as their only Lord and Savior. You see, the scriptures note that as we are outside of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are separated from God and we then are under condemnation. We're in bondage to slave and the evil, we're slaves to the evil one and sin so that we have no ability and we fall short. But in spite of that, God then has looked upon us and he says, I want you. I choose you, I pick you and therefore I grab you and I bring you to myself and as I do, I then cleanse you and make you whole and I call you as someone who is special and someone who is mine. The scriptures note in this work that God has done, he calls us or identifies us as his children. And he says we then are children by adoption so that he then puts us as a part of his family. He allows us to be heirs with His Son, His natural Son, and although we are by adoption, yet nonetheless He allows us to share in all the benefits that the Son has secured. The Son has reconciled us to Him. The Son has overcome all of our sin and misery. The Son has secured for us a blessing that is that which is to come, which is supposed to be glorious and wondrous. He's allowed us to be holy before God and hidden in Christ and righteous and inwardly so that we then are called the friend of God The position that the Apostle Paul saw to strengthen him then in the way in which he would then say my relationship is one of pursuit and is seen in the fact that he saw exactly what God had done for him. He knew himself. He still knew his weaknesses and his struggles. And he saw all that God had done for him. And consequently, it pushed him forward. So that what does he then say? as Christ has grabbed me, so I want to grab or pursue him. Notice this language of pursuit. I press on, verse 13, I don't count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus. There's a few things he tells us in terms of this practice of pursuit. It has something in relation to what's behind and there's also then something that is ahead. In pursuing the Lord Jesus Christ, he says, I forget what's behind and I only look ahead. What does he mean by forgetting what's behind? I mean, after all, there's certain things that we should draw upon and we should take comfort in from our past, right? After all, we can see times in which God has effectively worked. When God comes to Abraham, he reminds Abraham of the things that he had done in his past and consequently says, use that to have confidence going forward. Other saints in the scriptures can note the times in which they're reminded of various things? And so is Paul telling us to just simply forget everything? No. There are things that we look back upon in order to encourage us. but even in our looking in our past, it's to encourage us to go ahead. It's not simply to be something that we dwell upon so that we only remain there. For example, if you had an individual who simply noted that, well, in relation to my Christian walk, yes, I am a Christian and I look back to everything that has happened in my life in the past, but it really has no bearing in terms of my present. That's not what the Apostle Paul is commending or encouraging. Paul instead is noting that we don't look at past accomplishments in order to simply say, there isn't anything I need to do today. Some Christians just simply note, well, I had a powerful experience when I was at youth camp, and that really shaped me for the rest of my life. But going forward, there really hasn't been anything of significance in my Christian walk. Others might note the times in which they stood bold, or God had given them confidence, but nothing to see in the present. simply because there are accomplishments in your past by the grace of God. It should not be a record of what has occurred, but a record of what's continuing to occur with the encouragement of what may occur. The challenge within our own circles is to simply note that I did a lot as it came to the time of preparing for confirmation. And consequently, since that time, I've not read another verse in the Bible. I've not done any further challenge regarding my own thinking. I'm in the club as it were, and therefore there's nothing more necessary. Paul says, don't simply look to the past. Sometimes some of you don't look to past accomplishments, but instead are overcome by past hurts. You've gotten sideline, as it were, because there have been wounds that have occurred in your past. There have been real hurts, and yet you haven't been able to overcome them. There are times in which you were treated unfairly or in a hostile manner, and you have real, serious, significant wounds. but instead of coming alongside of someone else in the church to work through it, you simply have withdrawn, you've simply become very inward, you've simply allowed yourself to remain where you are, and you've forgotten the pursuit of Christ. I'm not here to belittle those hurts. They're real. There are times in which you've been really hit hard. But this call of help and this call of hope can be found in Christ, the very one whom you're to pursue. The apostle Paul knows what that's like. He was treated unfairly, rashly, hostily. He bore in his body the marks of standing for the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet even in all that, he didn't say, well, Lord, look at what they did over here. I can't go into another city. Look at this challenge over here. I can't then talk to these people over here. He said, no. I continue to pursue Christ, and consequently, it doesn't keep me away. Some of you are sidelined because of past guilts. Not the hurts that others have inflicted on you, these are the hurts that you've inflicted on yourself. Things that you've done, sins that you've committed, struggles that you have, they might still be present within your life. Struggles in terms of anger, or doubt, or worry, or lust. And you think to yourself, how can I pursue Jesus Christ in light of what's going on in my mind? Light of what's going on in my home? Light of things that have happened in previous history? In all of these things, there's a willingness to stop, a willingness to dwell, a willingness to just simply stay exactly where you are, no going forward, no going backwards as it were, just plopping yourself right down and sitting there and either looking around and saying, hey, this is pretty good, or woe is me. If you're dealing with guilt, What does the scripture say? There's forgiveness. There's nothing that has happened in your life. There's nothing that you have done. There is nothing that has occurred that would cause God's love to ever be removed from you through the Lord Jesus Christ. There isn't anything that can't be overcome. God's in the business of forgiving. God's in the business of saving sinners. Accept the promise of forgiveness. Dwell in it. Embrace it. And go forward. The Apostle Paul notes that even as he has what is behind him, there's still something that he needs to do. He runs. Verse 13, I don't count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press to the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Go back to that question I asked you at the beginning. How would you describe your relationship with Christ? Ponder another question. How do you think of Christ? Some of you might say, well, of course, I know who Jesus is. He's Lord, He's Savior. He's done all these things. He's my only hope. I look to Him by faith and have the hope of eternal life. And that's all perfectly answered. Do you ever consider Christ to be a prize? I don't mean like the prize in a Cracker Jack box. I don't mean like the prize of something that is temporal. Do you ever see Him as being the greatest and the best and the thing to be desired the most and the only thing that you want in your life? The only thing that so guides, that so directs, that can only give you hope and encouragement and strength and comfort, the only thing that you would ever be satisfied with and that getting less than Him would be second or third or fourth place in your life. Paul notes Jesus and the things that he's accomplished to ultimately be a tremendous prize. Something that is worth having, something alone that can only satisfy. Notice how the scriptures describe this elsewhere. Turn to 1 Timothy chapter 6. 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 11 and 12. He says, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life. Paul notes satisfaction there. Paul notes contentment. Paul notes something that will ultimately give, something that's great and wonderful. The Scriptures note elsewhere that in terms of being in Christ and what He will provide, that you then are given access to God through faith and tremendous boldness, that in Christ you'll be kept to the very end. That by His love and provision, nothing can come against the hand of God. If you're struggling this morning to see Christ as that greatness, as that glory, as that fullness, as that thing to be longed for and desired and pursued, it's because you've lost sight of what you gain in Him. It's because you've lost sight of where eternal value is found in Him. It's because there have been times in which other things have clouded or other things have become in the way or other things have caused you to just simply lose focus or lose attention on the glory and the greatness and the beauty and the wonder of the Lord Jesus. for when we see him as our eternal reward, for when we see him as our true hope, for when we see him as our glorious strength, for when we recognize the sacrifice that he has made on our behalf and consider what Paul has once declared in Philippians chapter 2 regarding the humiliation that he endured for us. when we reflect on all that He gave up, when we note that the God of heaven became man and lived and died not for Himself but for us, and when we see that He covered over all of our sins and when we see the way in which He can effectively work within our minds and within our hearts and what He ultimately will bring us to, the more we grow, the more we understand, the more we see, the more we comprehend, the more we pursue. That's why Paul said, I don't look back. That's why Paul said, I don't think of what's here. That's why Paul said, I'm not distracted by my previous sins or by my guilts or by my hurts because I see what lies ahead. One day in my life that moves me forward on the calendar is one day that I'm closer to the Lord whom I want to see. It really is a prize. It's something to be desired. It's as we were reminded of last week, that nothing else compares to it. Do you remember in the parable of the kingdom in Matthew chapter 13 Jesus tells this story that a guy went out to a field and in the middle of the field he found a buried treasure and the treasure was of such value that he went back sold everything that he had in order to get this one treasure he saw the prize he saw the greatness he saw the worth He saw the benefit, and consequently, he pursued it. Jesus is that. Jesus is that. Well, if we're called to pursue Christ accordingly, how do we deal with this? How do we? I mean, it's one thing to say we'll pursue Christ, just go after him. But how? There's four things. These four things you know, but we need to be reminded of them. The first one is the way in which you know Christ is through his word. In order for you to better understand the prize and value and worth of Jesus Christ, you simply look at his word. Because it's in the word of God, he's revealed, he's shown. The whole point of scripture is to point us to Jesus. This is the benefit for you kids where you're right. When you come out of Sunday school class and your parents say, well, what was it about? And you say, Jesus, that's right. But then you have to be more specific. But if you want to know, to understand, and in turn to see the glory of Jesus, you must first be in His words so that you have it brought before you again and again and again, just who He is and what He's done. The second one is utilize the means of prayer. The Apostle Paul notes that he spends lots of time in prayer, desiring what? That he would grow, that others would grow. Notice what he prays in Ephesians chapter 3, and this is one of the ways in which you could also pray. Verse 16, that God would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man that what? Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what's the width and the length and the depth and the height to know the love of Christ that passes knowledge and be filled with the fullness of God. As you begin to pray. Not just simply formally. but you began to pour out your heart before God. Not worrying about the eloquence of your words, but the sincerity of your intent. Not worrying about the fumbling of your phrases, but the sincerity of your intent. Not worrying necessarily about how eloquent you sound, but the sincerity of your intent, God will hear and answer and direct you. to the Lord Jesus who is that great prize that is set before you. So you know him, you pray for his work to be present in your life. Thirdly, you consider the examples that he's given you. We'll see this in going forward in next Sunday, but Paul notes, join in following my example and note those who so walk. Christ doesn't simply go to heaven, do his work up there and leave you alone. He gives you his church to give you living examples to help you through the ages. Be familiar with those who have suffered for his account throughout the ages. Read Fox's Book of Martyrs in order to consider their commitments as they saw Christ as a prize and in turn, learn how you might also prize Jesus Christ. Read through things that have been written down through the ages that you might see how the church has understood its knowledge and appreciation and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Avail yourself of the opportunity that you have of those present in the church now and in the church at large that would faithfully bring the Lord Jesus Christ to you in preaching and teaching, but also an example. that you might see how Christ is lived out. We have very faithful saints who are in this church and we have saints throughout our denomination and in other denominations that can tell you story of how Christ has upheld them, how Christ has provided for him, how Christ has cared for him, how the Lord Jesus Christ has been with them. Hear their stories. Youth, don't look down upon the aged. Appreciate those who are the gray hairs and the white hairs. and ask them, ask them how Christ has been present in their life. Ask them how they have learned from him, how he has upheld them, how he has guided them. Ask them the lessons that they have learned as to their hurts and sorrows, but Jesus has fulfilled. Ask them the times in which they had weaknesses and struggles and wish that they would have loved him more and learn from it for by it and through it, the Lord Jesus Christ helps you. to be able to prize him all the more. Lastly, see how Jesus works even in the midst of your day-to-day. He uses the times of blessing to give you reprieve, but he uses the times of trial to teach you and to show you that he's there and that he's an ever-present help in time of need. It's even the example that the Lord Jesus has set before us. For in Hebrews chapter 12, we read, since we're surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let's lay aside everything that would so ensnare us and run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. At the beginning, I asked you to evaluate your relationship or your perspective of your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I asked you precisely this. If you could summarize your relationship with the Lord Jesus in one word, what would it be? Go back to your answer again. Why is it that you gave that word? Is it because it's just simply something from your past? Stop looking back, look ahead. Is it because you simply think Jesus is non-existent? Look again. Is it because he's too much of a burden to bear? Realize that Jesus is present not to rule over you as a cruel taskmaster. but instead to note that his yoke is easy and his burden is light and he will care for you and sustain you out of love and he's a prized possession to be had. Is it because he's simply pointless or there's no significance or no meaning? Who else is there but Jesus? For the scriptures note that at the very end we will all stand before him and give an account of our lives. And so how is he then pointless, as you say? Is it because your relationship with him is simply pretend in order to get others off your back? Is that really how you want to deal with the Jesus that we've heard about today? For Christ is Lord, and Christ is worthy of our appreciation, of our love, and of our very lives. Is he real? Well, praise the Lord. And yet be encouraged to know that he can be more real each and every day. as something to be possessed, as something to be grabbed ahold of, as something to be pursued, so that he might then give you encouragement and strength. And you might say, I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world can provide. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven. Strengthen us to love the Lord Jesus and to pursue Him in all things. Cause us to appreciate that our pursuit of Him isn't to earn Him. It's not to garner favor with you. But rather it's to recognize that without Him, we have no hope. And therefore we need Him. And yet who better and who greater than the Lord Jesus? And so cause us to long for him, cause us to treasure him, strengthen us to pursue him in the power of your might. May this work take place in us as we ask say, our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.