Well, if you have a Bible with you this morning, turn with me to Philippians chapter 3. And we're going to read from the 9th verse to the 14th verse. and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 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 of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Amen. And that is the word of God. Well, we are here now, finally, The final Sunday of 2024. And my, what a year it's been. For some of you, it may have been a year of tremendous blessings from the Almighty. It may have even been the year in which you were saved. And if that was you, congratulations. For others, it may have been a year of great sorrow or loss. and as we think about that we also pause to realize that life is often messy because still for some others it was a year of both blessings and hardships but whichever category you fall into the fact this morning remains we are all here and for that even if it's just for that We are thankful. Amen. I shared this illustration in another message, but it's worth sharing today of all days because its point is so relevant and it hits hard. Some of you have gone through a very difficult 2024. And as I just said, many of us are sitting with a year that was mixed. And yet some, the bad outweighed the good. One such man was Horatio Spafford. I shared previously that this was the man who wrote the hymn, It Is Well With My Soul. Spafford was born in New York on the 20th of October, 1828. He would then move to Chicago and make a name for himself, became wealthy as a lawyer and as a property owner. And he and his wife Anna gave birth to four girls. They were active members in their local church. And things for a while looked bright and hopeful for Mr. Spafford. as his good outweighed the bad. But then came tragedy, big tragedies. And it came year after year after year. First in 1870, their four-year-old son, Horatio Jr., died of scarlet fever. Then, just one short year later, in October of 1871, the massive fire that's in all of our history books, the Great Chicago Fire, burned for three days, killed about 300 people, left more than 100,000 residents homeless. And that fire burned much of Chicago to the ground, destroyed over 17,000 structures, including many of Mr. Spafford's real estate properties. And as a result, Horatio would spend the rest of his life fighting debt and would eventually even flee the United States due to his fear of debt collection. So if you're keeping count now, one child dead, financial ruin, you would think that's enough. But no, it wasn't. Just two years after the Great Chicago Fire, an even greater tragedy struck Spafford. For you see, in 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a vacation in England. knowing that his friend, the evangelist D.L. Moody, would be preaching there in the autumn. And the entire Spafford family boarded a steamship, headed to England, but on the very last minute, Horatio was called in for business and he put his wife and four daughters on board that boat and sent them ahead with an intent to catch up with them later. However, on November 22nd, 1873, when crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Their ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel, killing 226 people, including all four of Spafford's remaining children. Annie was 12, Maggie was seven, Bessie was four, Tanetta was 18 months. Of the Spafford family, only one survived, Anna, the wife. And you can still see the telegram at the Smithsonian Museum when she landed on the other side. She telegrammed two words. Saved alone. To her husband on the other side. And it was shortly afterwards that as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife in England. He was inspired to write to him and as well with my soul as his ship passed near the site of where his four daughters had drowned. That's the story behind the hymn that we have in our hymn notes. But all was not well in Spafford's soul. Because you see most churches end the story right there. A man went through tremendous tragedy and as a result of that tragedy, he turned to God and he wrote a hymn. And we sing that hymn till this day, but that was not the end of that story. They often teach that lesson. That if Horatio could say, it is well with my soul after such harrowing losses, then so could we. Often using it as the final sermon illustration for the year, causing people to look forward with anticipation and faith. But I want you to know today that the story did not end well for Horatio Spafford. Because upon that profound tragedy, Anna Spafford gave birth to three more children. Two girls, one son. But death came once again. February 11th, 1880, their only son, Horatio, yes, named after the brother who had died in 1870, also died at the age of four. And this broke Horatio. He lost all hope. And so in August of 1881 with massive financial debt and traffic tragic losses of lives the staffers left America left their Presbyterian faith began a cult in Jerusalem known as the American colony. taught heresies such as universalism, purgatory, separated children from parents, made married couples burn wedding rings, forced celibacy upon their followers in their compound, all sorts of strange cultish things. And then finally Spafford himself died of malaria at the age of 59 in September of 1888. So the real question this morning on the final Sunday of 2024 is not how can we have faith like Horatio Spafford. The real question this morning because we live in a broken world and you're not here by accident the real question is How can we maintain our faith in Jesus Christ while we live in a world filled with human tragedies like Spafford's? That's the question. Because none of us are immune. You've heard it said before, you're either in a storm, you're about to enter a storm, or you just got out of a storm. Life is those three cycles, rinse, repeat. This morning the Apostle Paul gives us the secret of his life. This is the secret of Paul's life right here in this text. He tells us what made him the sort of Christian that he was. To this day we still name our children after him, do we not? He left himself a legacy. He counsels wise obliviousness. I'm going to say that one more time. I'm going to leave here this morning with one central theological point. It's this. Exercise wise obliviousness. What does that mean? Simply put, learn to forget. Learn to forget. Wise obliviousness, compounded with wise anticipation, strenuous concentration, are what contribute to success in any field, but particularly in the Christian life. Because the central text this morning are verses 13 and 14. We're going to exposit this passage. Let's read this central theme one more time. Verse 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind. I'm going to say that one more time. Forgetting those things which are behind. and reaching forth unto those things which are ahead. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That's the secret to success in life. Now let's go through this passage because what's of profound significance is verse 9. This is what separates us from those who will worship in a few minutes after us, Catholics. Verse 9, the cause for the Reformation, Paul says here, he has not his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. What makes you a Christian this morning is not the fact that you are here worshiping God in this edifice. Being here doesn't make you a Christian any more than being in a parking lot makes you a car. What makes you a Christian is very difficult to ascertain with the eyes. This is why every false religion, Roman Catholicism included, makes individuals go through rituals such as penance, the buying and selling of indulgences, although they put a stop to that, and mandatory mass attendance, along with many obligatory feasts, none of which can save the soul. Because the only thing that will condemn you to eternal hell is unforgiven sin. The only thing that will condemn you to eternal hell is unforgiven sin. And don't let anyone fool you. There is only one of two places where every single human being will end up. It's either heaven or hell. There is no purgatory. The blood of Jesus paid it all. Purgatory is an affront to the efficacy of the blood of Jesus. And so why we are here is found in verse nine. We are here this morning because by faith we believe in the gospel, and as a result, we've attained a righteousness that is not ours. Because if you were by your own effort to attempt to attain righteousness, That would be invalid in the presence of God. You would stand before God's presence and God would say, inept, incomplete, ineffective. Depart from me, I never knew you. Horrific words to hear one day. because we will all one day stand before God. Each end of year brings us closer to that moment, does it not? Are you ready? Are you ready to meet God? And the reason we are here, verse nine states, is that through the faith of Christ, we have a righteousness which is of God, not by works, but by faith. We are saved by faith alone, in Christ alone, through the gospel of Jesus Christ alone. Amen? I'm going to give you the gospel this morning. If you came for one thing, it will be for this. Four simple points. You could make it longer. I make it just four. Point number one, there is an eternally holy God who exists in three persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Not three gods, three persons, one God. He eternally existed. And this eternal God spoke and created the entire universe simply by his speech. Let there be light, and there was light. And at the apex of his creation, he created man. Male and female created he them, binary. Only two, no other. And he made them to be one. Until this day, human sexuality that is sanctioned by God, that is blessed by God, is one man, one woman, married for life. What is tragic about that is our society has lost sight of the Creator, they have lost sight of marriage, they have lost sight of their own identities. I tell people this all the time, you have to be very, very comfortable with how God made you at birth, because Jesus resurrected as a male, you will be forever. You're assigned gender throughout, you're assigned sex throughout eternity. There will be a resurrection. God made Adam and Eve, but Adam and Eve rebelled against God. And as a result of that rebellion, they not only were cast out of God's paradise, but they inherited a sinful nature which they passed on to all of us. And as a result, we are all born sinners. The bad news is, sinners deserve hell from an infinitely holy God. We deserve punishment for our sins. We do not go to hell. Let me say this very clear. The reason why we go to hell is because of our sins. Every single one of us are sinners. We do not, all of us, because of our sinful nature, we inherently sin because of what theologians call original sin. We are born sinners. It's what we do, it's what we know. And that is bad news, because sins against an infinitely holy God deserve infinite punishment in hell. But point number three, the good news is this, for God so loved the world, he gave his only son Jesus, fully God and fully man, he lived a sinless life, and then he died on the cross and paid for the sins of all who would believe in him. Resurrecting on the third day, this is a historical fact, it's not a myth. So that point number four of the gospel, if you would repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord, your God, and your Savior, you shall have eternal life. The moment you believe in the gospel that I just proclaimed from this pulpit, you are born again and you are saved by faith. That's the gospel. And that is why Paul in verse 9 says that we have a righteousness which is of God by faith. Remember what I said? If you try to earn your way into heaven, you will stand before God, and God will say, ineffective. But the moment you believe in the gospel that I proclaim, the moment you believe by faith, you have a righteousness from God, and God will say, covered by the blood of Jesus, not guilty, enter into the joy of your Lord. Hallelujah. Amen? And that is what we're looking forward to. And for those of you who believe in this gospel, I want you to hear me on this. Jump down to verse 12. You are, the moment you believe, you are apprehended by Jesus Christ. That will now give the foundation and shape to the rest of this passage. Because Jesus has apprehended you, you will attain eternal life. If you were genuinely a believer in Jesus Christ, you will never lose your salvation. There is no such thing as being born again, again, again, again. Eternal life is eternal. If you could lose it, it would not be eternal. So eternal life begins the moment you believe in the gospel and extends into eternity. Hallelujah. The key though is to truly believe. Have you done that yet? Have you done that? And the moment you believe in that gospel, Christ apprehends you. I often, when my children were younger, you would have to hold their hands while they're walking and sometimes they would trip and fall. But when a father's hand is gripping the child's, the child does not fall because of his grip on the father. The child does not fall because of the father's grip on the child. In like manner, who truly believe will slip into eternal hell. Because the Father grips us. That's what this text means in verse 12. Christ apprehends us and therefore we can be assured that we will also apprehend eternal life. Amen? We don't run uncertain. So now let's zero in on verses 13 and 14. Forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forth unto those things which are before. Let's take a look at these words, this one thing I do. You see Paul had one singular mission in life. He did not attempt to mingle the world and religion. He did not try to gain the applause of man and God. He did not seek wealth and salvation. He simply wanted one crown of glory in the hereafter. One singular object, one aim, one great purpose in life. And that is why his life and his ministry was so successful. A Christian will accomplish nothing who does not have a great singular aim and purpose in life. In fact, you will be distracted by the multiplicity of objects and goals. The way to live a life that is successful is to have singularity. That is to have one great object and mission ahead of you, always in view, and to avoid everything which would obstruct from you attaining that singular mission completion. But notice that Paul also did not stop to think of the difficulties which he had to overcome, the troubles that he had to meet. Nor did he stop and relish in those things in which he had accomplished. There was only one thought for him, and that was to win the incorruptible crown. Christian, you will be met with great success and advances in your Christian life by looking forward rather than backward. Forward, we see everything that cheers, strengthens, and animates us. Forward is the crown of victory. Forward is the joy of heaven. Forward is the society of the blessed, which we will one day join if we truly believe in the gospel here. Forward is the Savior waiting and beckoning us. Backward often It is things that dishearten. As I shared in the opening, I raise your spaffers life filled with sorrow. Our own unfaithfulness, coldness, deadness to Christ and to religion, dullness, the little zeal that we have for the things of Christ. These things discourage the sins we've committed in the past. our stumblings, our losses. He is the most cheerful Christian who looks forward, who keeps heaven in view. And as the Apostle Paul, who reminds himself, unlike what others teach, perfection in this world is impossible. He had not yet received the thing itself. He had not come to the end of his race. He had not received the crown of righteousness laid up for him. There should be no retirement in the Christian life as long as you have breath. You have not yet attained. Heaven is not yet your home. You are not yet perfect. The precept here is important. Every past blessing Every past achievement should not be something we dwell upon and rest our laurels upon while we are still running the Christian race. Why? Because it creates complacency. Think about the Apostle Paul and all that he had done and yet he still says, I've not yet finished the race. 110% till the very end. So as I close here this message, I want us to have one exhortation. Let us look onward. It is good to reflect at the end of a year. It helps us avoid our sins and mistakes in the new year that we committed in the past. It allows us to take stock of and be grateful for those victories in the past going into the new year. It allows us with greater resolve to serve and follow Christ faithfully with greater zeal. And it forces us to humbly pray for God's blessings upon the new year. I do not know what 2025 holds for you. Will it be more blessings? Will it be greater walk with Christ? Will it be losses? All I can exhort you this morning is to look onward. Do not spend time in the gloomy past, nor too much time on your own faithfulness. Do not think too long of what you have done, nor be discouraged too long on things left undone. But keep your eyes steadily on the prize, that is Jesus Christ, and run as though you had just commenced. Because the fact is, Christ Jesus has laid hold on you with a view of obtaining his prize, the crown of life. So don't you lose your grip on him. Run until the end. Amen? Let us pray.