Go with me, if you would, back
to Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3. I want
us to look at this entire chapter. Something specifically in this
chapter led me to it. There's something that I've been
I'm going to use the word burdened about for the last few weeks. And what I mean by that is it's
been heavily on my mind, very, very heavily on my mind. If the
Lord is willing, our Bible study that we are going to have on
Sunday, this coming Sunday, it's going to go hand in hand with
this message. And the reason I tell you that
is because I am praying. I am sincerely praying that our
Lord will very deeply, very much impress this on and in to our
hearts. And I'm praying that for myself.
I'm praying that for all of us. But I am praying this for myself. I'm praying this for my family.
I'm praying this for my brothers and sisters, this congregation.
It's just been so heavy on my mind. And I sincerely pray the
Lord will help me to convey it. The message always comes in better
than it comes out, always. But I'm begging the Lord to help
me convey this. I believe this is critical. I
believe this is so, so critical. The title of this message is
found in verse 14. Press toward the mark. Press toward the mark. Don't allow yourself to slow
down. You know how it is in life. You
get, you get on fire about something and it doesn't take long and
you start to slow down. Don't allow yourself to draw
back as the scripture says. It's just not an option. Don't allow yourself to grow
weary. Don't allow yourself to get sidetracked. Don't allow yourself to stop. Press toward the mark. Press toward the mark. I would
love to just go ahead and give us our Bible study Sunday morning,
but I'll save that for Sunday morning. Now, this is how our outline
is gonna go tonight. First, I want to establish from
this chapter that salvation is by grace and not works. And then after we establish that,
I want us to see what it is to press toward the Mark. We're
going to establish that salvation is by grace. That means free
gift, not works, not in what we do. And then after we establish
that, I want us to see what it is to absolutely press toward
the Mark. Here's where we begin. The moment
that we press toward the Mark, if we're going to have a message
and dwell on pressing toward the Mark, the moment that we
press toward the Mark in order to earn our salvation, we had
better stop in our tracks. If we get it in our mind that
we're going to go ahead and press toward the mark and get on fire
for Jesus and such on and so forth in order to earn salvation,
we'd better stop on our tracks or else, or else what? Judgment's coming. Judgment is coming. If we believe
in our heart that we need to press toward the mark, and I'm
going to tell you, we need to press toward the mark. But if
we get it in our minds and our hearts that we need to press
toward the mark because Christ needs us to help him save us. Or because Christ didn't do enough
to actually accomplish the salvation that he came to accomplish, which
is what men and women believe. That's what the average churchgoer
believes. The average churchgoer believes
that he needs our help in saving us, or he needs our permission
to save us, or he came and started the work and did a whole bunch
of it. It's just left up to us to finish it. If that is the
motivation in our heart, if that's what we believe in our hearts,
that is an offense to him. That is an offense to the blood
that Christ shed on his cross for his people. And that's an
offense to the father who put all of his confidence in Christ,
his son. It's an offense. Not only can
we not work our way to salvation. It's an offense to God to try
to do it. Have you ever done a job and
somebody come right behind you and did it again? You ever had
that happen? You know what that means? You
didn't do a good enough job. And it's an offense. I just did
that. It's offensive. You don't think
I did a good enough job? Well, when we try to help Him
save us, when He's already said the work is finished, What we're
saying is you didn't do a good enough job and it's an offense
to him. Man thinks he's having a good
heart in the matter, but he doesn't realize he's offending God. We don't want to do that. We
don't want to do that at all. The apostle Paul made it very
clear in this chapter. Look at verse one, Philippians
three, Verse 1 says, finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Just leave it right there. Just rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you,
to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware
of dogs. What does he mean by that? We're
in Philippians three a lot. Every time we're here, I tell
you what it means, but I don't show you what it means. I wanna
show you because it's the basis of our salvation, not being by
man's works. Let me show you this. Go to Isaiah
56. He said, beware of dogs. Who
is he talking about? What's he talking about? Isaiah 56, above verse 10, my Bible, the heading says at
the top of the page, the Jews' idolatry. He's talking about
false preachers, idolatry, false religion, and false preachers
in verse 10, Isaiah 56, verse 10 says his watchmen are blind
talking about false preachers. They're blind. They are all ignorant. They don't know God, they don't
know God's Word. And I wanna tell you this, I
don't say this in arrogance, and I don't say this in any other
way than sorrow for people. It breaks my heart to see how
many men are leading, they're blind leaders of the blind, and
they're supposed to be leading people, but it's clear from what
comes out of their mouth, they don't know God, and they don't
know His Word. And I feel sorry for the judgment
that's coming to them. If God doesn't have mercy, and
I feel sorry for the people they're preaching to. Lying to them,
ignorantly, but lying to them. He went on to say in verse 10,
they are all dumb dogs. Why does he call them that? He
said, they cannot bark. They can't warn. That's what
a dog does, he warns. And there's no warning in their
message, none. They're sleeping, lying down,
loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs, which
can never have enough. And they are shepherds that cannot
understand. They all look to their own way. They all think. They preach what
they think. Well, what I think is this. Trust me, you don't wanna know
what I think. It's irrelevant. What does God say? They all look
to their own way, everyone for his gain from his quarter. That's a false prophet. Turn
with me to Jeremiah 23. Just a few pages over the next
book. Jeremiah 23. The Lord said in verse 25, this
is the Lord speaking. He said, I've heard what the
prophets said that prophesy lies in my name saying, I have dreamed,
I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the
heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? Yea, they are prophets
of deceit, the deceit of their own heart. which think to cause
my people to forget my name by their dreams, which they tell
every man to his neighbor." They're trying to cause people to forget
who God is. "'As their fathers have forgotten
my name for Baal.'" Verse 28, "'The prophet that hath a dream,
let him tell a dream, and he that hath my word, let him speak
my word faithfully.'" What is the chaff to the weed, saith
the Lord, is not my word like a fire, saith the Lord, and like
a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold,
I'm against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words,
every one from his neighbor. Behold, I'm against the prophets,
saith the Lord, that use their tongues and say, he saith, People say, well now you know
the Bible says, there's a man I know who wisely
responds with, chapter and verse. Every time, people say that all
the time. Well now you know the Bible says, chapter and verse. Show
me, if it says that, I'll believe it. Verse 32, behold, I'm against
them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them
and cause my people to err by their lies and by their lightness. There's nothing in it. Yet I
sent them not, nor commanded them, therefore they shall not
profit this people at all, saith the Lord. Not at all. Turn with
me to Matthew 7. This was one of the things our
Lord warned of more than anything else. Matthew 7 verse 15, He
said, beware of false prophets. Didn't He keep saying that over
and over and over? Beware of false prophets which
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening And really at the core of things,
what is a wolf? A dog. Ravening wolves, false prophets,
dogs he called them. And verse 22 is talking about
these false prophets. Verse 22, many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, we have prophesied in thy name. We used
your name in our preaching. In thy name have cast out devils,
in thy name have done many wonderful humanitarian works. Then will
I profess unto them I never knew you, depart from me ye that work
iniquity. He said it was all sin. All of
that false religion, all of the lies, it was all sin. So back in our text, go with
me to Philippians three. Verse two, he said, beware of
dogs, beware of evil workers. Those who preach works for salvation,
evil workers. Beware of the concision. Those who say, if you don't do
this, you can't be saved. Beware of those who say, if you
don't get baptized, you can't be saved. If you don't give your
heart to Jesus, you can't be saved. Paul said, beware of the preaching
of man's works because it's all a lie. Verse three, he said,
for we are the circumcision. We are God's chosen people. We are God's spiritual nation,
God's elect, which worship God in the spirit. God, God, God. He is God and not me. It's not what I'm gonna do with
Him, it's what He's gonna do with me. Salvation is in His
hands and not mine. The ball is in His court and
not mine. Everything is unto Him and nothing
is unto me. God. Verse 3 says, we are the
circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in
Christ Jesus alone, His work alone, His blood alone, His glory
alone. We're the circumcision which
worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and
have no confidence in the flesh. How much confidence is no confidence? None. None. To have no confidence in our
flesh, in our works, in our deeds, is to have all confidence in
His flesh, in His works, in His deeds. And to have confidence
in our flesh and our works and our deeds is to have no confidence
in his flesh and his work and his day. So Paul said in verse
four, though, I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any
other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the
flesh, I'm more. He said, I was circumcised the
eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin in Hebrew
of the Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal,
persecuting the church, touching the righteousness, which is in
the law, blameless. But what things were gained to
me, those I counted loss for Christ. He said, all of those
things that I thought counted to my good. He said, God revealed to me that
all of those things counted to my hurt. All of this pride I
had in everything that I thought I was and everything I thought
I'd done. Verse 7, what things were gained to me, those I counted
loss for Christ. Yea, 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 dung. That's the politest word you
can use for that word. And what's he talking about right
here? All of his religion. all of that false religion. He
said, I counted all dung that I may win Christ and be found
in him, not having mine own righteousness, not my own good deeds, not having anything of my own
to bring to God. 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 means
trusting in his good deeds. Verse 10 says 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." What he just said
was salvation is not by man's works, it's by Christ's works. It's not in anything that we've
done. It's in everything that he has done. It is by grace, through God-given faith, that
causes a sinner to totally. And it's so. When God, in his
free gift of his grace, sends faith to a sinner, he will let
go of everything he ever trusted in. He will look behind him at
his whole life and say, get rid of it. His whole life. Everything
he's ever done, every decision and dedication and everything,
he'll get rid of it. It is by faith in Christ. From that moment on, he'll say,
I'm looking to Christ. If Christ earned heaven, I earned
it in him. If he is righteous before God,
I'm righteous in him. If He did it all, then it's all
been done in Him. Christ alone. It's a rest that
causes a very sinful child of God to stand still, stop working,
and to see the salvation of the Lord. Now, if that rest has come
to you, it has not come to every person. It has not come. I've known some
people over the years who have just found no rest over this
thing. My heart has just broken for
him. But if God has given that rest
to you, if you truly do rest in Christ, in what he did, if
your works, your own works for salvation have ceased, And you
see the finished work of Christ as satisfying all your debt before
God. He paid it all. If that has been revealed to
you, then this is the word of God almighty to you. This is
God's word to you. Press toward the mark. Press toward the mark. Well,
I thought you just said we're not working for salvation. We're
not. Christ has finished that. Let's
put that to rest. That's settled. The commandment
is not press and work as hard as you can so you can earn your
salvation. The commandment is not now press as hard as you
can so you can keep your salvation. Well, now God gave you salvation,
but you don't want to lose it, do you? That's not this commandment
at all. That's not what He's saying at
all. All of God's people are kept by the power of God, always
have been, always will be. Because of that, the commandment
is, press toward the mark. Because you're kept, press toward
the mark. Verse 12, Paul said, 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. He said, Christ is the one who
laid hold of me. Verse 13, he said, brethren,
I count not myself to have apprehended. He said, I didn't apprehend him,
he apprehended me. He laid hold of me. And what
he's saying is I just want to in turn lay hold of him. He's
already laid hold of me. I just now want to lay hold of
him. Verse 13 says, brethren, I count
not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do for getting
those things which are behind. And I pray God will let us do
this. If we have a long line behind us of self-righteousness
that we're very proud of, I pray God will let us forget those
things which are behind. And if we have a long line of
sin behind us that we're so ashamed of, I pray God will let us forget
those things which are behind. Forgetting those things which
are behind. Doesn't matter if it's a life
of sin in the gutter or a life of sin in the pew. 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
God in Christ Jesus." He said, because Christ has already laid
hold of me, He has given me a desire, and He's given me an ability
to press toward the mark of laying hold of Him. Now, what is that? How do we press toward the Mark?
First we set our sights on the Mark. That sounds pretty simple. Doesn't
it? That's impossible. If God does not give us an eye
for the Mark. but this is necessary. Set our sights on the mark. If we are going to press toward
the mark, then we need to set our sights on the mark itself. We cannot press toward the mark
if we are not looking to and pressing toward and running toward
the mark. What is our mark? Turn over to Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12 verse 1, it says,
"'Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great
a cloud of witnesses, Let us lay aside every weight and the
sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience
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, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God." Let us run looking to
the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is our mark. Press toward
Christ. Press toward Christ. Did he apprehend
us? Paul said, I didn't apprehend
him. He apprehended us. Yes. Did he apprehend us? Did he start the work? Is he
the author? Yes. Will he keep us and never let
us go? Yes. Is he drawing us? If we come, does that mean he's
drawing us? Yes. All of the credit goes to him, but we press toward the mark
with all the credit going to him. We press toward Christ. How do we physically press toward
Christ? Here's how we do it. Lord. Press me to you. How do I press toward the mark?
Would you please press me to you? Would you please draw me
straight to you? Would you please give me a single
eye on you? Would you please not let me get
side? Would you let me lay aside every
sin that so easily besets me? Would you let me run with patience?
Would you do this? This is how we press toward the
mark. Lord, you must, I can't press
anything. If he will enable us to, if you'll
give us a heart to cry out for it. If He'll reveal Himself to
us, if He'll put Himself in our minds, on our hearts, let's press
toward the mark. Let's keep our eyes focused on
the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's keep our eyes focused on
the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's not look to men. Let's just not do it. Let's not look to economies. Let's not look to jobs. Let's
not look to vaccines. Well, then do we rebel against
the man God puts over us? No. Well, then do we quit our jobs?
No. Well, then do we never take a
vaccine again? No. Just press toward the mark. Just press toward the mark. Just
look to Christ. What is it to look to the Lord
Jesus Christ? We say all the time, look to
Christ. What is it to look to Christ? Let me see if I can illustrate
it in this way. There are things that a husband
looks to his wife for. And there are things that a wife
looks to her husband for. That looking to begins with and
is built on love. You don't truly look to someone
that you don't love. To look to a person is to love
that person. It's to need that person. When
you're looking to someone, you need that person. You don't need
them because of what you can get out of them, you need them
because you need them. It's to trust that person. I trust Hannah and Hannah trusts
me. We're looking to each other.
It's to rely on that person. It's to be in union with that
person. And any person who has that and
desires and enjoys that will strive for that, will have a desire to nurture
that, and won't neglect it. Any person who desires it and
sees it Won't neglect it. If the word here, still in our
illustration, if the word here was speaking to married people,
and the commandment was, press toward your marriage, what it
would be saying is, you're already married. The ceremony's already
done, it's finished. You're married. You are in a
union with one another. Now, work in that union. Press
in that union. Don't neglect it. That brings
it home to how important it is. You're in the union. Don't neglect
it. Don't neglect what God has given
to you. Strive to grow in it. Grow in
love. Grow in trust. Grow in reliance. Press toward the mark. Not so you can be married, but
because you are married. Press toward the mark. Well,
that's what he's saying here. Because you have been joined
together in a union with Christ, press what God has given to you. And I want to say this to all
of us. I say this to me at the top of the list. I say this to
me. Let's not neglect what God has given to us. Let's not neglect what God has
given to us. We have received from Him the
one thing needful. Heaven and earth is gonna pass
away. All of this stuff is going away.
If we really could enter in to just how quickly it's going away
and how much it's gonna be gone, we would press toward the mark. We have been given the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That is salvation
through his blood. Let's not neglect him. Let's
press that he be in the place of utmost importance to us. Utmost importance. Let's not
let anything come before him. Let's not let anything steal
our attention away from Him. It is not worth it. Press, press. Let's not let anything rival
Him or rival His worship or rival His gospel in importance. Nothing
is as important as He is, nothing. Nothing. We'll go back to Philippians
3, we'll close here. Verse 15, Philippians 3 verse
15, let us therefore as many as be perfect, and he's talking
about in Christ, that's the only way a sinner can be perfect before
God, in Christ. As many as be perfect, be thus
minded. And if in anything you be otherwise
minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." If we belong
to Him, He will reveal these things to us. Nevertheless, whereto
we've already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us
mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together
of me and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example."
He's saying, this is God's Word. Let's follow it together. In
parentheses, he said, 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. Paul was a tender man. He was not hard with his message.
He said, I'm telling you this weeping, I'm weeping over people. He said, they're the enemies
of the cross of Christ. Verse 19, whose end is destruction,
whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who
mind earthly things. And that's where he ended his
parentheses. But he said, you follow us. Verse 20, for our
conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it
may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the
working, whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself. What he's saying right there
is he is coming back quickly. Time flies. Time flies when you're
having fun down here. And He's coming quickly. Whether
He comes for all of us or He brings us to meet Him, it's coming
quickly. It's coming so quickly. And in
the moment that He does, nothing else will matter. Nothing else. Whether we're rich or poor will
be irrelevant. Whether we're healthy or sick
will be irrelevant. All that will matter is that
we have won Him. That's what he said, that I might
win Him. That's all that matters. All
that matters is that He has apprehended us and we're found in Him. Let's press that to the front
of our minds. Let's press that up to the top of our hearts.
He is all. Let's look for Him. Let's wait
for Him. Press toward the mark. Press
toward the mark. All right, let's all stand together.