CAPITAL BIBLE CHURCH August 15, 2010 SERMON NOTES PASTOR BILL HAKEN Series: Becoming Joy-Full pt. 6 Joy is a Secure Tomorrow & Forgotten Yesterdays Philippians 3:12-21 Intro: Is a secure future even possible in these uncertain times? 1. Things I need to forget or stop focusing on v. 13 Things that are behind me: Phil. 3:13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, My own sins God chooses to not remember them so you should do the same Hebrews 10:17 I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds. 18 Now when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. Micah 7:19 Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! Satan, as accuser of the believers is the one who wants you to remember your sins, faults, mistakes, failures. Why? To sideline you. To stop you. To wipe out your witness as a Christian! Hurts & wrongs done to me by others Eph. 4:31 Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. 32 Be kind and loving to each other, Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
Rom. 12:19 God says avenge not yourselves, vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord. Disappointments & unmet expectations Rom. 8:28 We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. 29 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. When we dwell on, think about, talk about things that are past, we get fear, anxiety, worry, discouragement, depression. Here s a great piece I read some years ago by T.D. Jakes that sums it up pretty well. It s called Let it go by T. D. Jakes: There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. The Bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19] People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go. And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of goodbye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!! If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to..let IT GO!!! If you are holding on to past hurts and pains...let IT GO!!!
If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...let IT GO!!! If someone has angered you... LET IT GO!!! If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge.. LET IT GO!!! If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction... LET IT GO!!! If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents...let IT GO!!! If you have a bad attitude...let IT GO!!! If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better... LET IT GO!!! If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him, LET IT GO!!! If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship...let IT GO! If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...let IT GO!!! If you're feeling depressed and stressed... LET IT GO!!! If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to... LET IT GO!!! Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing!!! LET IT GO!!! Get Right or Get Left.. think about it, and then LET IT GO!!! Earthly or Worldly things that will vanish (or pass away) Phil. 3:18 Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about them, and it makes me cry to tell you about them now. 19 In the end, they will be destroyed. They do whatever their bodies want, they are proud of their shameful acts, and they think only about earthly things Colossians 3:2 Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. I John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, for all that is in the world lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but the world. And the world passes away and the desires for it. But he who does the will of God abides forever. 2. Things I need to remember to focus on Things that are ahead: Phil. 3:13 forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
2 Corinthians 4:18 So we don t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. The goal the prize God wants to give me Phil. 3:14 I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above. 1 Cor 3:13b... will test the quality of each man s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward Good examples of others in front of me Phil. 3: 17Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. Heavenly, eternal things that will last Phil. 3:14 to receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. My citizenship in the eternal City Phil. 3:19b all they think about is this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. My Savior s return to take me there Phil. 3: 20 our homeland is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. John 14:3 After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am. 1 Thess. 4:17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven... The Message v. 15...We can tell you with complete confidence we have the Master s word on it that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they ll be ahead of us. 16The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God s trumpet blast! He ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise they ll go first. 17Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. 18 Oh, we ll be walking on air! And then there will be one
huge family reunion with the Master. So comfort and encourage one another with these words. My brand new super-duper body Phil. 3:21 He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere. 1 Cor. 15:52 then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. 53 For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. 54 When this happens when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die then at last the Scriptures will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. 1 John 3: 2 Yes, dear friends, we are already God s children, and we can t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is 7.15.10 Scripture Reading Philippians 3:12-21 Phil. 3:12 I don t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. 15 I hope all of you who are mature Christians will agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you so you understand it. 16 But we must be sure to obey the truth we have learned already. 17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.
19 Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere.