everyone. You looking forward to this week? Looking forward to getting back to work and I managed to take a one week vacation and stretch it into two thanks to the holidays. But I do need to let y'all know this is going to be my last time preaching in this pulpit this year. If you turn in your Bibles or to your phones, your tablets, whatever you have, or look at the screen if you just have to, to Philippians chapter 3. And actually, I don't mean to take away, but Miss Jeannie is my slide maker. And she does a really good job of it on the fly like that. If it wasn't for her, we would be going old school here. Now there's just something about the start of a new year. We've lived another year of life. We've lived through another year of trials, and we've learned another year of lessons from the victories and the defeats. We have a point in time coming this week that at the click of the second hand on a clock, One year will pass, never to return, never to be recovered, and a new year will be begun. It's just as unique. And we've come to the part of the year where we begin to take stock of things. We begin to look at the things that we've accomplished over the past year and the blessings that we've received from God, friends, and family. Excuse me. We also look back and see times where we failed. Maybe we failed to accomplish last year's goals. Maybe we failed in other areas that we need to work on this year. Whatever the case may be, many of us will be making a solemn vow this year. We'll make a resolution that this year we're going to do things differently. This year we'll make a new year's resolution. Now some of us won't bother with making a New Year's resolution at all. We can look back and see the long line of our own and other people's failures. See the people that go to the gym have learned not to go as much during the first few months because that's where everybody goes that made the resolution to get fit. It'll be too crowded for them. When you go to garage sales throughout the year, you see that they're full of like new items from broken resolutions. Go to a garage sale and you'll find that treadmill that was supposed to help someone walk their way to a healthier heart. That workout video that was supposed to make someone look like a Hollywood action hero. The self-help books that were going to make someone rich and enjoy life to the fullest. Or maybe games that were going to help some family spend more time together. So why should we even bother? You see, not all resolutions fail. Just because we failed in the past doesn't mean that we should stop trying, or even that we won't succeed in the future. Now, if you want to lose weight this year, I'm going to refer you over to Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig. I'm not willing to give advice about that. If you want to get in shape, you can go ahead and get that treadmill. You can get a gym membership, or you can buy any number of DVDs that will help you work out. And if you want to do better with your money, just take it up with Dave Ramsey or John Commuda. If you want a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, then just listen closely for the next two hours. Some of y'all get that slow. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, according to Romans 11, 13. Paul was the writer of 13, possibly even 14 books of the 27 books in the New Testament, if you count Hebrews. If you open your Bible, you'll find Paul's letters starting with Romans, which comes after Acts, and ending with Philemon, or you can add on Hebrews. gave everything he had up to and including his own life in the service of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Philippians 3.13-14, Paul tells us, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus. Now, in this passage, we find three building blocks for the perfect New Year's resolution for a closer relationship to Jesus Christ. First, you're going to have to take stock of yourself. Now, second, there are some things that you're going to have to put behind you and forget. And third, you should reach forward toward that goal. Number one, let's figure out where you stand. You can't move forward unless you understand where you are. If you're going to lose weight, you've got to weigh yourself no matter how painful that may be. Otherwise, you won't know if you've made any progress later. If you're going to have a closer relationship with Jesus, then you must be willing to honestly assess where you stand with him now. Without an honest assessment of where you are, you won't know where you're going. Now, many people seem to be happy with their relationship with Christ. They don't feel any need to work on it. The Bible tells us in Philippians 2.12 to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Now, when you place your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are saved from hell and you're bound from heaven from that day on. You don't work your way into heaven. But even though you're saved, that doesn't mean the learning or good works don't need to happen. It's kind of like getting a brand new bicycle. It's still in the box. All the parts are there, but in order for you to enjoy that bicycle, you're going to have to put it together. I think that's oversimplified, but you get my point. The point is that once you're saved, the learning and growing have only just begun. You're born again, and as a newborn, You should begin to grow in the knowledge and grace, as Peter says in 2 Peter 3, 18. He says, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. Paul said, I count not myself to have apprehended. He said that he hadn't apprehended or he hadn't reached his goal. But Paul gave up everything to serve Christ. Yet he didn't feel close enough to Jesus. If we look around and compare ourselves to those around us, we may feel adequate. We may feel just fine as a Christian. After all, we're in church and those other people aren't. If we compare ourselves among ourselves, we might not do too badly. Well, let's stand next to Paul as he recounts the things that he suffered for Christ. In 2 Corinthians 11, 23, he gives us a list. He says, Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more in labors more abundant in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft of the Jews. Five times received I forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Thrice I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I have been in the deep. in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness and watchings often, in hunger and thirst and fastings often, in cold and neck it is. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care or the worry of all the churches. Who is weak and I am not weak? Who is offended and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. Now, can we even hold a candle next to this man who was used of God? Even after 27 years of being saved and being in the ministry, Paul still wrote Romans chapter 7. Now, it might sound a little confusing, but bear with me. He says, for I know that, and this is verse 18 of chapter 7, he says, for I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For to will or the desire is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. He says, I have the desire But I don't always know how to do good. He said, for the good that I would, I do not. Those times when I would do the right thing, I don't do them. But the evil which I would not, that I do. How many times have you made a wrong decision when you know one way is God's way and the other way is your flesh? Now if I do that, that I would not, It is no more odd to do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." See, he was still fighting a battle between his flesh and his spirit. And if you don't know about that battle, then maybe you haven't even begun to fight it. Paul took a close look at his walk in Philippians, and he said, I count not myself to have apprehended. Many are content to put time with God on a schedule that involves church activities and Sunday services. as long as it doesn't mess with their schedule too much. Like the church of Laodicea in the book of Revelation chapter three, they are neither hot nor cold. They are lukewarm. They say, I am enriched and increased of goods and have need of nothing. How many of us will take a closer look at ourselves and examine ourselves and ask God to show us where we fall short. It's a painful mirror to look into, but it's well worth the time, the prayer, and the pain, because once you see where you fall short, you'll be willing to let God help you to overcome. Once we know where we stand with God and have realized the need to build on our relationship with him, there are certain things that we need to forget. Paul said, forgetting those things which are behind. Well, one of those things we need to forget is our specialty. See, when Paul was saved, he brought a lot to the table. He tells us in the beginning of Philippians 3, in verse 4, he says, Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I am more. If any man thinks that he can trust in his own flesh, in his own works, in his own deeds, I've got even more right to it than they do. He says circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews is touching the law of Pharisee. The Pharisee was the strictest sect. They were the ones that followed the law to the letter. They would go out of their way. He says in verse six concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness, which is in the law, blameless. I see Paul was a man. God could use, right? I mean, he knew God's law forwards and back. He was a Hebrew born of the tribe of Benjamin. He showed plenty of zeal for God. You know, that zeal, that excitement when you witness to people, when you want to do things for God. He showed plenty of zeal for God when he persecuted the church, and he not only knew the law, but he obeyed it to the letter. Now let's read on and see what Paul thought of all these things. He says in verse seven, but what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. He says, yay, doubtless. And I count all things, but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them, but dumb that I may win Christ. Now, Paul counted them as done. Now, do I need to modernize that word for you? Yeah. When he looked at all of his past experiences, it didn't mean any more to him than something in a cow pasture that you might step into and get on your boots. The thing that used to mean something or the things that used to mean something meant nothing to him. He was willing to count them all as a loss. Counted all his wasted time, all that time that he spent studying the letter of the law and all that time at the feet of Gamaliel and all that time politicking and all that time working his way up. It was all a loss. Now, when people get saved and become a part of the church, they often have talents and abilities that they've cultivated in the world. But just because you can do something doesn't automatically mean that God's going to use it. Just because you can sing or play an instrument doesn't mean that God wants you in front of everyone else leading the congregation and singing. You may be an excellent teacher, but that doesn't mean that you ought to be teaching Sunday school the next Sunday after you're saved. You may be able to craft a sermon and speak beautifully in public, but that doesn't make you a preacher. Now Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2.1, he says, And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. See, even Paul himself said, I didn't use man's wisdom and man's words. I didn't use flowery words to convince you. I just came and told you the truth. Another example of this is Billy Sunday, who was a professional baseball player. When he got saved, he didn't go off and start a baseball ministry. He left it behind. He counted it as a loss and became one of the greatest evangelists of the 20th century. If you've ever heard the term sawdust trail, those come from the Billy Sunday revivals that were done in tents. I've said this before, but I'll say it again. If you want to know if someone is doing a ministry in the church for the right reasons, take that ministry away from them. If they pick up their ball and go home, then you know they were only there for the ministry. If they keep showing up and listening to the preaching and participating when they get a chance, then you know they were there for the right reason. See, I've worked in the sound booth almost five years now. We had a man that played rhythm guitar when we had five guitars on the stage over here. When I asked him to sit out, he sat out. When I asked him if he could play the drums and fill in, he learned to play the drums and he filled in. And when we needed somebody on the keyboard, he learned the keyboard. He never got mad. He never picked up his guitar and went home. He simply filled in wherever he was needed and sat in the congregation when he wasn't. He led the nursing home ministry, rain or shine, with or without help, going to one of five different nursing homes each Sunday. Now, was he the best player that was up here? Not by any stretch. But he was faithful and he was there for the right reasons. And that's the people that God can use. I've done some services and I've heard some singing from people that couldn't make it past a fifth grade choir audition. They'll pin your ears back as we say in Georgia. But you know, I've seen those same people up there with a smile on their face and I've seen them just belting it out and everybody in that service was getting a blessing. And everybody in that service would be shouting or crying or rejoicing because God was using them. One of the other things you might need to forget, besides your own talents and abilities, might be the hurts from the past. On any given day, someone's going to get their feelings hurt. I probably hurt some of y'all just by walking by you today. I don't know. You may be the one hurting someone else's feelings, or you may be the one whose feelings get hurt. When Paul listed the sufferings that he has gone through, he said of the Jews, five times received I-40, stripes saved one. That's 39 stripes with a whip, five times. That's 195 stripes by the Jews. And then he was beaten with rods three times, and he was stoned once. Listen to what Paul had to say about those Jews that whipped him so many times and beat him with rods and put him in prison. In Romans 10.1, he says, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. All he could think about was the salvation of his brethren. So much so that in Romans chapter 9, verse 1, he was willing to give it all away. He said, I say the truth in Christ. I lie not. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. Now, listen closely, he says, for I could wish that myself were a curse from Christ, a curse from Christ. For my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises." Now, Paul was willing to give up Christ if it meant that the Jewish nation could be saved. Paul also had some things that he had to let go of. In Acts 26, verse 9, he's given his testimony And he says, I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. In other words, he thought that whatever Jesus was doing, he needed to do the opposite because he thought Jesus was wrong. And in verse 10, he says, which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. When they killed them, I cheered, Paul said. He said, and I punished them often, every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme or to deny Christ. I tried to get them to deny Christ. And being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them, even unto strange cities. There's a little funny aside about that. The Bible says that everywhere they were scattered abroad, they went everywhere preaching the word. See, Paul had persecuted many Christians before he was saved. The Bible says in Acts 8.3 that he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, taking men and women and putting them in prison. I can only imagine the memories that must have haunted him. Images like that burn into your mind and last a lifetime. The tears and the blood that was shed because of him the people that he hurt, the lives that were torn because of him, all the time thinking that he was doing God a favor, and all the time he was fighting against God. Can you imagine, as he went into these houses, the memories that he had of people being yanked from the homes, of the tears and the blood that were shed on his behalf? the people that he hurt, the lives that were torn because of him, all the time thinking that he was doing God a favor, and all that time realizing that he was actually fighting against God. See, the book of Acts says that he held the coats of the men who threw the stones that killed Stephen, that was the first Christian martyr, as they stoned him to death. And he was called Saul back then, and the Bible makes a note that says, and he was consenting unto his death. I think Paul said, Luke, go ahead and include that. I want people to know what I was. Paul said that he was forgetting those things which are behind. This doesn't mean that we can hurt people and move on. And that doesn't mean that he was able to forget everything. The Bible tells us that we should seek forgiveness, but we can't let the past paralyze us. If we've been hurt in the past, we can't let others stop us from growing in our walk with Christ. We should continue to learn and strive to do the best job we can as we exist in this world. I've got a saying, if there's one thing in the Christian life you ought to be selfish about, it's about your relationship, your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Don't let someone else make you mad and walk away from all of it. Because that won't mean anything on the day. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 5.8, But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. We should keep providing for our own. We shouldn't give up on our talents and abilities, but use them to provide for our own families. But we can't put too much stock in our own abilities and talents when it comes to serving God. If we do, then we're putting God in a box and saying, Lord, this is how I'm going to let you use me. Lord, I'm really good at this over here, and this is how you need to use me instead of coming and saying, Lord, I surrender all. Now, once you figure out where you stand in your relationship to God and you realize some of the things that you should forget that have been holding you back, it's time to reach forward. When we look at 1 Philippians 3.13 and 14 again, it says, Now we know that Paul was saved when he was on the road to Damascus. He literally saw the light. We know that once you're saved, you're sealed with the Holy Spirit. And when you die, you will go to heaven. Not maybe. Will. Paul was reaching toward that blessed day when we will all stand before Jesus and our work should be tried. In First Corinthians 311, Paul says, For other foundation can no man lay that is laid than that that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus Christ laid the foundation for our Christian life when he died on the cross. He says, now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble, Every man's work should be made manifest, or it'll be shown, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide that he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. In other words, if it turns out that it's gold, precious jewels, stuff that doesn't burn in the fire, then you'll receive a reward for those works. But that stuff that you pile on there, this wood, hay, and stubble, stuff that you did under your own power, stuff that you did in order to please God when God, all he wanted was obedience. All he wanted was for you to be faithful. If any man's work abide which he had built thereupon, he shall receive reward. If any man's work should be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so is by fire. You'll still be saved. You'll still be going to heaven. But your rewards, if they're not the gold, the precious stones, the things that God wants, I've seen, I'm going to step out in a second. I've seen people in time past that said, this is how I'm going to worship God. Nobody's going to tell me how I'm going to worship God or how I'm going to serve God. And it's like, is that what God's telling you? Or is that what you're saying out of your own heart? It's a question that we always need to check ourselves on. Are you getting up in front of people because you want to be seen, or are you getting up in front of people because God tells you to? Jesus laid the foundation when he gave his life on the cross for our sins. As we live our lives, we begin to build on the foundation that he has laid for us. Many Christians are going to lay their work on there and find out that they were wood, hay, and stubble. That's the stuff that burns up in the fire. And when we stand before Jesus on that day and he says, okay, let's lay your works and see them. And the Christian, he says, well, Lord, I wrote this song for you. And the Lord says, okay. The fire comes and there's nothing left. And he says, well, I went to church, and I listened to the preaching. Nobody else was. And poof, it's gone. Another person gets up and says, well, Lord, I used my beautiful voice, and I sang praises to your name. And everybody loved it. I was acclaimed throughout the church world, throughout all the other churches. They invited me to sing, and I lifted up your name, and man, everybody just loved my singing. Poof. Nothing left. Then after these come forward, work after work will be laid down, and the fire will burn them up until finally the Christian is standing there with nothing. They're still saved, but they've brought nothing to their Lord and Savior. You know, another Christian walks up and humbly, he lays his works down. He hasn't had much of a life. There's been a lot of pain, a lot of suffering in his life. And he says, Lord, I haven't done many great things. But I was able to witness to a few people And they did get saved, Lord. That fire comes and burns. As it burns away, there lay the crowns for him to cast at the Savior's feet. Rewards that he receives. Jesus looks at him And he says as he did in Matthew 25 to the faithful servant. He said Well done thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord Now God speaking to you and showing you things you can get mad at me Or you can get with God As we look at this, Paul looked at it as a race, this reaching for rewards. Paul looked at it as a race. He said, no, you're not. And first Corinthians 9, 24, he says, no, you're not that they which run in a race run all, but one received the prize. Everybody runs that race, but only one receives the prize. So run that you may obtain. He says, and every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. And now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we to obtain an incorruptible crown. Now picture this race. You've exercised yourself, you've trained yourself in God's word, and you've trained constantly. And when you line up at the starting line, you see the runners next to you. There's pride. He's on your left-hand side. And then there's gossip on the right. Next to gossip, over on the other side, is gluttony. You know, the one the fat preachers don't like to preach against. They got it this morning, Pastor. I can see Jenny Craig's going to be busy this year. Name your sins and you'll name your runners. You start down the trail and immediately pass pride. You have no problems overcoming it. Up ahead, you see Gossip. Now, you've got to be careful. You've got to watch your footing. And you close in on her, bit by bit. And soon, one by one, you pass them. Now, off in the distance, you can see someone else running their own race. They've passed quite a few runners. But then you notice that they look back. They look back, and they say, man, I've got this. I beat Pride. I beat prejudice, I beat all these things. Gluttony, I got it going on. Look at them all back there. And then pretty soon, pride passes them. They're dealing with it again. So you know, you don't dare look back. Because if you do, then you could be overtaken by besetting sin. As Paul said, they do it for a corruptible crown, but we do it for an incorruptible crown. Hebrews 12.1 tells us, wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Now, in conclusion. In order to take on this New Year's challenge, you must, number one, ask God to show where you stand. Lord, show me where I fall short. It may be that you haven't even taken the first step of placing your trust in Jesus Christ. And if you want to know more about having a relationship with God the Father through God the Son, then come right down and ask somebody. Ask the pastor, ask me. Don't let anything stop you from finding out about that relationship. The second thing that you need to do is to forget those things in the past that are holding you back. It may be pride in what you've accomplished in the past, or it may be that you've hurt someone or someone has hurt you. Don't let those things stop you in your fellowship with Christ. Number three, you need to reach forth and press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus. It's the highest, greatest calling that you will ever receive. Paul said, this one thing I do. He did all kinds of things in life. He was a tent maker. He was a missionary. He was a church planner. He preached, he taught, and he witnessed. All of these things were a part of his one goal of pleasing his Lord and Savior and hearing on that day, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord. Colossians 323 tells us it. Whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ. I see the beauty and the perfection. Of this New Year's resolution. Is that the goal is perfection? We won't be perfect or complete in this lifetime, but we won't be wasting our time if we strive to be more like Christ. Paul was never content with what he had accomplished. He was always looking to the future and what God would have him to do next. Even when he looked back and told others what had happened in his life, it was only as a testimony. We should never be satisfied in our relationship with Jesus. Now, I told them this morning, I'm going to tell you, I'm not typically a three points and a poem preacher, and I try to avoid that. But there's one poem that I read several years ago, and it meant so much to me, I put it in my Bible. When I got a new Bible, I put it into that one. Because I think it says a lot, especially from who it comes from. The title is Rachel's Song. It says, Break me of my pride, O God. Tear down my string of sins. This life of filth and worthlessness unto you I willingly give. Take it from me, all of it. Do with it what you will. Take me and mold me, God. Your foundation begin to build. My life has brought me only shame. Through it, your will be done. What once was sorrow and endless blame, now the start of things to come. My story now a testimony, a thing nothing short of God. I keep his name forever holy, for my life with his blood is bought. That was written by a young lady named Rachel Joy Scott. She was shot to death on April 20th, 1999 at Columbine High School after professing her love for God. Charles.