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The speaker starts by referencing 1 Corinthians 1:26 and talks about the importance of discipline and focus in reaching our goals. They mention Paul's qualities and his realization that his accomplishments meant nothing without faith in Christ. They discuss how Paul pressed forward toward the goal of being like Jesus and how we can do the same by forgetting the past and focusing on Christ. The speaker encourages listeners to stay strong in their faith and not let temptations pull them away from God. They conclude by discussing Philippians 3:13 and the idea of apprehending Christ. They emphasize that we will only reach our goal of being like Jesus when we see him face to face either at his second coming or in death. The key is to keep our focus on him and not dwell on the past. where we're going to be this evening. We're actually going to be over in Philippians chapter 3, but if you can, turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 26. And it reads this, I therefore so run not as uncertainly, so fight I not as one that speedeth the air, but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. Let's go to God in prayer. Lord, we come to you now and just thank you for this day. I thank you for the blessings you've given us, Lord. I thank you for just the special this afternoon and more that blessed hope, that blessed moment that we're all going to be able to get to enjoy and be part of being your children, those who have accepted you as Jesus. Lord, I'm very happy to be in here listening on Facebook or in the service that don't know you, Savior. Lord, they'll make that decision even right now. God, I just ask you to move with your Holy Spirit this evening and be with me as I preach what you've laid on my heart. Lord, just ask that we receive all the honor and praise of the Lord from you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. When we all get to heaven, as I was thinking about that song as he was playing it, going through the words, and you know, what a day of rejoicing that will be. We'll be able to see our Savior, Jesus Christ. We'll be able to be with God. We won't be in this world anymore, nor will we be plagued by these same temptations, the same things that try to conquer us as even being children of God and try to pull us away from our Lord. 1 Corinthians Paul writing here, he's talking about, I shall run, not as uncertainly, but he has a plan. He has discipline. He's not just going at it willy-nilly, but he's focused to reach the goal, to fulfill what he's trying to do, to ultimately be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. When you think of a marathon runner, they don't just happily get up and, I say happily, not H-A-P-P-Y-O-E, you know, I spelled that wrong anyway, but H-A-P, alpha-happily, they don't just get up willy-nilly, we'll put it that way, and start just running one day and say, I'm going to run a marathon. No. They figure out what type of foods to eat, carbs, proteins, how much, what ratios do they have, how much should I run. They start going to variables, they start making plans, start making small goals to reach the main thing, the main goal. And ultimately, by doing that, they're able to fulfill their goals, fulfill their dreams, finish the race. Paul, likewise, has that same mindset when he's talking about that, that he's not just going at it willy-nilly. Last time we were in Philippians, we had seen that he was warning the believers earlier in the chapter of those false teachers, those ones that would come in to try to corrupt things. That was over in verse two. He says, beware of dogs, beware of the equal workers, beware of the concision, which, that's just another term for Jews, as he was saying. He said, we are the circumcision, which worships God in spirit and rejoices by Jesus. We are the circumcision, those that are children of God, who are saved by the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter whether or not you're circumcised, per se, but are you circumcised inwardly? Are you a child of God? Then he goes on, of course, he gives his qualities, he gives why, even if circumcision, even if having to hold to the standards of the law, could save. He gave us all of his, he listed all of his qualities, he was circumcised the eighth day, he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, as such in the law of Pharisees, surely if somebody could work their way to salvation, he could do it. But yet, even he recognized that even though he had an awesome resume, it availed to nothing. It availed to nothing. You see, that time when he was on Damascus, road to Damascus, thinking he was going to destroy Christianity, trying to put, to knock out the name of Christ, Jesus Christ came into his life. He recognized Christ as Lord. When he obeyed the command of the Lord and went and got his eyesight back, of course, he had been struck blind at that time, and he went. It seemed from that point on, after he had his eyesight back, he was better. He couldn't stop preaching about the gospel. He couldn't stop talking about what Jesus had done. And from then on, we see that Paul was a, not zealous in persecution of the church, but zealous in the furtherance of the gospel for Jesus Christ. He pressed toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. To reach that mark ourselves, what must we do? What is necessary? What did Paul do? What did he prescribe? It says he forgot to fast, and he strove forward, not looking back. And that brings us to our text here this afternoon, it's Galatians chapter three, starting in verse 13. Lifting chapter three, verse 13, and it says this, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth into those things which are before. Of course, Paul had this mindset that we're about to be dealing through this afternoon, and having the deep care for the brethren there, and wanting them to be fortified, disciplined, so that when the false teaching came, when the sensations came, that they would be able to stand fast and hold firm to the true doctrine which he's teaching, which Christ has delivered to us. It says, Brethren, I count myself to not have apprehended, because, of course, before that, he talks about how that, by any means, he may apprehend of Christ, just as Christ has apprehended of him. What does that apprehend mean? I'd like to go back into that just for a second. That apprehend literally means to lay hands on, to grab a hold of. And it says, Brethren, I count myself to not have apprehended, Paul the apostle. I mean, we think back to Paul. What did he do? Who was he? What happened in his task force? He was saved in a miraculous way when Christ presented himself, and he recognized Christ as Lord. But beyond that, it says that he spent three years out in the desert, one-on-one with Jesus Christ, learning from him. I mean, if we even think about that, the disciples, the twelve disciples, they went out with Jesus, and they were with Jesus as he was going out with them and as he was teaching, but it was twelve to one. This is a one-on-one lesson, and we would think that if anybody had apprehended Christ, Paul was the one. But yet, he says here, I count myself not to have apprehended. The goal is out there. I'm looking at it. I haven't reached it yet, though. I haven't laid my hands on Jesus. Of course, when do we finally reach that goal? I'll tell you this, that Paul says this, when I see him, then I will be like him before I see him as he is. When will we see Jesus Christ? Either one or two occurrences. Either Jesus Christ is going to come out of the clouds as the trumpet shouts, and we will see him there, and the dead will rise first, and we, likewise, will rise there after him and meet Jesus in the air forever and be with the Lord, or two. We face death. We taste the sting of death, and we wake up in eternity seeing and facing our Lord Jesus Christ. Whichever one happens, when we see him, then we will be like him. We will have apprehended. We will have been there. Jesus Christ has laid hold of us. If you are saved tonight, if you have trusted Jesus Christ, Savior, praise the Lord, he has a hold on you, and there's no way he's going to let go. But in this life, just because we cannot be perfect, just because we still have the flesh to contend with, just because there's problems and temptations that are going to try to pull us away from God, whether it be of Satan or whether it be of our own flesh, does not give us the excuse of stopping in the middle of the race after we have started that moment. How do we apprehend? How do we press for that mark of the prize of the high calling of God? I ask you this, what is your focus? He says this, this one thing I do, even though I have not apprehended him, even though I have not laid hands on him, this one thing I do. Forgetting those things which are behind. Forgetting those things which are behind. You know, even though those things are behind, they're still a part of us in one way or another, and I'll explain what I mean here. Let's start with forgetting. What does that word forgetting mean? It's literally taking the sense of overlooking. It's there, but we're not going to put any attention to it. By show of hands, who has had children? All right, or have children, okay. Brother Phillip, this kid, all right. I saw him, he was like this, so he wanted to make sure everybody knew. Who has been a child, by show of hands? At least one. So anyway, we go back to this point in this, is that how many times, which I say this because I have a personal testimony and I resemble this example, how many times have you asked your children to go clean up the room, or likewise, you've been told to go clean up the room? You go and you work strenuously to get it spotless the way that it ought to be done, and then lo and behold, the parent comes in there, or you go in there and see your child, and yet you still see clothes maybe set up in a corner, not thrown about, but set up in a corner, not in the basket, but in the corner. You'll see clean clothes, they're not in the dresser drawers, but they're on top of them. And in my case, everyone, what's that? And then all the trash amazingly disappeared underneath the bed, right? But it was, it was clean. But here's the thing, all of that mess was still there, but yes, that child overworked it. That's the type of mindset that Paul's talking about here. You know, Paul, what did he do? What did he do in his past? What was his story like? Verse 5, it says, circumcised to the eight days, Sacred Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, the Hebrew of Hebrews, and touching the law of Pharisees. Concerning Bill, he persecuted the church, touching righteousness, which is in the law, blameless. He did some awesome things. He also did some not so awesome things, of course, persecuting the church. The first time we see Paul coming onto the scene was with Stephen there as they were all gathered around him, and he preached the gospel, and they stoned him, and Paul contending to it, actually held the coats of all of those that were killing Stephen. Beyond Stephen, he did countless others seeking whoever, whatever Christian he could, even out to far countries that weren't necessarily of that jurisdiction, it says in another portion of Scripture. You know, all of that stuff is still part of Paul's past. Likewise, all of the good stuff. He was a Jew. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews. He was like a Pharisee touching the law. He kissed up with it. But he says all of this stuff, I'm forgetting it. I'm overlooking those things which are behind it. Why overlook those things? Why not put any attention to it? Have you ever noticed that in a race, in a race that a lot of times, the runner will not look back, or if they do, something bad's about to happen to that one that did. Of course, when they're looking back, they're worried about who's coming up. In that moment of looking back, they see the past. They see the runner that's coming up, and sometimes you can see where suddenly in that moment, they falter and they drift behind the one that's coming up beside them, passes them, keeps on looking forward, and doesn't pay attention to anyone behind them. And I'll elaborate on that here in just a second, a little bit more. But in forgetting the past, in overlooking the past, in not giving account to it, he strives to the goal. He strives to the finish line. He says, in reaching forth unto those things that are before. Of course, with that idea of forgetting the past, remember, when we look in the past, we can see our sinful selves. When he looked in the past, he could have seen all of the other stuff. With us, when we look in the past beyond Jesus Christ, or look in the past before Jesus Christ, better said, we can see the pride, we can see temptation that would come, we can see the flesh at that running behind us, trying to pull us back so that we do not finish well in our race. But Paul said this, that he reaches forth unto those things which are before. He overlooks everything in the back and reaches forward to those things which are before. I find it amazing in a foot race, as you're watching them go and running, when they get to the finish line, what do they do? Do they just suddenly run across it? A lot of times, we'll see them kind of lunge to get that one last final gill so that they can reach that finish line and finish first. They're striving to cross the line and win the race. See, as Christians, we must likewise also strive to do the same. Leaving, forgetting behind the things, forgetting those which are behind, striving to those which are before, that word striving means to strain forward. Strain forward, but why must there be a strain? Why is there a strain in this race, trying to reach the mark? Galatians chapter 5 verse 17, and if you all will turn there with me this evening, Galatians chapter 5 verse 17 says this, For the flesh lusted against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. These things are contrary one to another, so that you cannot do the things that you would. The flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. Praise the Lord when you are saved, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, believing on Him and trusting in His salvation. The Holy Spirit, the field of the Holy Spirit comes within us. He's residing within us. He's pointing us to do what the Lord would have us to do, but the flesh is always there. Of course, our opening scripture in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, he says, I therefore run, not as though certainly, so fine I am not as one that beateth the air, but I keep my body under subjection. What that means literally, he is beating his body into place, making it fit into the will of God, into the leading of the Holy Spirit. When we are racing, when we are running, there is a little bit of strain, there is a little bit of striving as we try to push forward, reaching to what is before us. We can clearly, it's a clear example of this, in that straining, we're striving to the goal with the one focus on God alone and nothing else. When Peter stepped out of the boat in the storm, if y'all remember, Jesus Christ told them to go, the disciples to go before Him, I'll meet you there on the other side. And they were out there in the midst as the storm came up and they were freaking out, just to put it simply. And then suddenly, they see this figure coming up to the boat and they think it's the Spirit, right? And so, they're afraid, they're crying out. And Jesus lets them know it's Him. What did Peter do? If it's You, Lord, bid me come to You. And what did he do? He stepped out of the boat with the storm raging, with the waves coming up, with everything, the stark context still there. He was forgetting everything that was around him, forgetting everything behind him, striving, taking that step out towards Jesus. What happened? As he was walking out, of course, he saw the wind blowing, he saw the waves and everything going around him. He had no longer overlooked the past, he had no longer overlooked everything that was around him. And he began thinking, and he cried, help me, Lord, but praise the Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit of the living and the living, and lifted him out of the water. And in that same similar fashion, as we are going through, trying to submit ourselves to the Lord, trying to seek that prize of the high calling of God, though, yes, we need to forget, overlook those things that would beset us, the past, and reach forward to Christ, when we do fall, He's faithful and just to help us with sin, to forgive us of our sin, pull us back up, and set us back on course. You see, reaching that goal, reaching the goal requires discipline. Verse 14, it says this, I pressed toward the mark for the high prize, mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That idea, notice Paul's direction, it's pressing toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. But to do that, it does require discipline. I don't know if any of y'all have performed a sport of any kind. Me, I was shooting sports, so I can relate to that. I was in band, I can relate to that. Football, you constantly go through and you do your reps, you do the runs over and over again, you do the plays. If you're in shooting sports, you constantly go back, you perform the shot, you try to do it well, you practice it, and you do as you're supposed to do to form muscle memory. Likewise, for the believer, it is no different. How do we run this race trying to reach the goal? We put into practice what is taught. We put into practice what Christ teaches us, what God has given to us. As I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 9, verse 24, verse 27 says, No ye not, they which run in a race run all, but one receiving the prize. So run that ye may obtain, and every man striveth for the mastery of his temperate in all things. He's disciplined in all things. Now, they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but an incorruptible. So therefore, so run. I therefore, so run, not as uncertainly. So I fight not as one that feedeth the air. Paul has disciplined. Likewise, we must copy that same thing. We must be as Paul. And in doing that. We are setting forth to that prize. What is the mark? What is that prize of the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus? First off, it says this in Christ Jesus. Are you saved? Are you in Christ Jesus? Do you have salvation? If you are not, you cannot receive these prizes. You cannot go towards that mark. It is impossible to hit it. But yet God has called us to a high calling. The Lord says in Revelation chapter 2, says, Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, that you shall have tribulation for ten days. But be thou faithful unto them, and I will give thee a crown of life. So you will see those awards in the next life for that. That's when we stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are faithful even unto death, we see the crown of life. Second Corinthians chapter 3, verse 10. If y'all will turn there, please. Second Corinthians chapter 3, verse 10. That'll be a couple slides over. You want to kind of get that in order. It says, According to the grace of God, which is given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth the build thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon, for other foundations can no man lay that is laid, which is in Christ Jesus. Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble, every man's work shall be manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work to see what sort it is. See, as we are pressing for the mark of the high prize of the calling of God, God has called us to service for him. God has called us to discipline. God has called us to glorify him in this life. And as we are doing it, laying it upon the foundation in Jesus Christ, everything we do will be able to present to the Lord, hopefully, or will what we have done be worth it. What's the difference though? What's the difference? What makes the difference as we're pressing towards the prize? Are we doing it for the Lord? Are we serving him? Are we glorifying him? Are we laying up treasures in heaven? Are we serving for our own selfish means and benefits? Of course, those that are for ourselves will be burned up, but those that are for God, those will be laid up in heaven that we will one day be able to present to him. Romans 12, and we'll hit that now. Of course, the preceding context talks about, because of the mercies we have received from God and Christ Jesus our Lord, he says this, because of that mercy, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by those mercies of God, that you present your body to live and sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is a reasonable service. And be not conformed, be not with the form of this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of their mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable will of God. We continue on in Philippians chapter 4, or Philippians chapter 3, where it says this, let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded. And if any man think, and if anything, you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this to you. Those that are mature, as many as be perfect, those that are mature, those that have grown up in the Lord Jesus Christ spiritually, that are no longer on the face, the milk, but on the meat. He says this, be thus minded. Overlook the things of the past, the things that would drag you down, the things that would throw you down, the things that would take you off the course of Christ. Overlook the past like Paul did when he said, even though I have all of these things, I count them but as dummies when compared to Jesus Christ. Forget the past, set your eyes reaching out, striving for the Lord. Discipline in your walk. And if we're lacking in anything, if we're falling short anywhere, we need a little bit of extradition, God will reveal this to you. How does this spell? John chapter 16, verse 8, Jesus tells us of the promise. It says, and when he will come, when he has come, he will prove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. In this passage of scripture here, John, Jesus Christ promises us promises us that the Holy Spirit is coming. And that's ultimately the three categories that the Holy Spirit will specify that he will work in one set of ways. Of course, we see in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit, he's going to breathe from within, bring out different fruit within us to conform us to the Lord, to help us become more righteous, to help us become more set aside for God, that we may press forward to the mark of the high-flying God. And finally, we come to verse 16, in Galatians chapter 3, where it says this, nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same road, let us mind the same thing. Whereto we have already attained. Paul, as he was writing to, or I say Paul, everybody says it's Paul, the more I read it, I think it's Paul, but Hebrews, as he was writing, as whoever it was was writing the book of Hebrews, he said, why are you still on milk? Why are you still on the base things of Jesus Christ? By this time, you should be eating meat. By this time, you should be eating meat. I pray that as you have grown, you have seen the grace of the Lord, that you have seen His good work in you. And what Paul is saying here, that yes, we are to overlook everything of the past that will defeat us. We are to strive for Jesus Christ, but everything He has done to transform us, we are not to forget that. We are to apply that to our lives, that we may be more set aside, more sanctified for the Lord Jesus Christ in our walk. Those things we have already attained, let us walk by those. Continue growing on the meat of the Lord, not on the base things. And as our musicians come forward for the invitation, I ask, are you striving? Are you striving toward the mark of the high promise of God? Are you striving for that? He didn't say, I'm walking for it. He didn't just say, I'm looking for it. He said, no, I'm breaking for it. He's putting an effort into it. And I feel for myself. But so many times we come to those, and say, yeah, we've overlooked the past. We're not allowed to match the acronym anymore. But yet, we've been approaching Jesus in an instant. So we've been sitting here in a good way. But Paul, even though he's set aside everything, he wants to sit at this place. He wants to sit at this place, knowing that he was purposefully doing this, and working to constantly build that up, and constantly knowing that he may somehow take it all off. Take it all off. He's got it. He's got it. He's got it. He's got it. He's got it. He's got it. He's got it. And thank you for the invitation. I'm impressed with the way that works. What's keeping you from running your race, and running it well? And Luke, I believe it's chapter 15, Luke chapter 9, he says, he says, there's no man having put his hands to his lap, looking back. It's this, putting his hands to his lap. All that stuff behind me, yes, it's part of me. But it's not quite that, it's part of the problem. It's part of the problem. It's part of the problem. It's part of the problem. Chapter 15. Page 544, only trust you.