Why Must You Forget Your Past to Move Forward?

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Lecture 1a The Life of Jesus Christ Welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick-a 30-minute walk through the Scriptures, teaching in -depth Bible truths that change people's lives. Now here's your host, Les Feldick. Okay, good to have everybody, this is our last half hour. So we're going to get out on time, you can get out ahead of that traffic rush. Okay, back to Philippians chapter 3, and we'll be in verse 12. and again we always like to let our listening audience know that all the programs are available on video audio as well as the printed page and my little wife sitting over there you call her and she'll take your order and she just handles all of that extra work you know she's she's the best employee I've got and doesn't get a dime but she's quite the helpmate and I'm proud of her I thank the Lord for almost every day okay back to Philippians chapter 3 hopefully we should get this chapter finished at least and back in verse 12 coming out of verse 11 of course is his whole hope of everything is that out resurrection from among the dead now it's amazing how that Paul's tenor of speech has changed you know in his early letters he was expecting the Lord to come in his lifetime wasn't he he really thought the Lord was going to come in fact you know a lot of people accusing him of being against marriage and so forth back in 1st Corinthians chapter 7 well it wasn't that Paul was against marriage per se but he thought the Lord was in such close proximity of coming why why cumbered up with marriage responsibility and so forth because it was that close well I'm just about getting to that place today now of course but whatever you know well that's got nothing to do with her I'm talking about entering into marriage well our our TV audience will love that one won't this but anyway this is where he was looking that he thought the Lord was coming at any moment but you see now by the time he writes Philippians and death is just around the corner he doesn't feel that way and so now he realizes that he will more than likely go through the valley of death and will be waiting for that out resurrection from among the dead now verse 12 not as though I had already attained in other words you don't immediately arrive either we're already perfect in other words the Christian life is not an instantaneous perfection we grow in grace and knowledge we begin our Christian life as a baby begins the physical life and we feed on the milk of the Word and then as we progress hopefully we get to the deeper things of Scripture and get to the meat of the Word but it is it's a growth process from beginning until the end and so that's all he's saying he knew that even the great apostle that he was he did not suddenly have it all and of course after you study the the writings of Paul and his life we realize that his early letters which I've referred to a program or two back of Romans and Galatians and Corinthians they did not have these deeper doctrines that we find in these later epistles which I feel he probably picked up in that year and a half while he was in prison in Caesarea when most people would think it was wasted years but I don't think they're wasted at all I think while he was languishing there in prison waiting to go to Rome the Holy Spirit unloaded all these truths on him so that when he gets to that prison experience he's ready to start unfolding these prison epistles and so he says he wasn't already perfect but he says verse 12 reading on I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus all right let's back up a few pages again to Galatians Galatians here is what I think he's making reference to in Philippians Galatians chapter 1 and dropping down again if you will to verse 15 Galatians chapter 1 verse 15 here in verse 14 of course as we read a program or two back he was that religious Pharisee keeping the traditions of the fathers now verse 15 but when it pleased God the sovereign God who's in control of every life when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb so when did God already put the finger on the apostle Paul in the womb before he was ever born and he called me by his what by his grace Saul of Tarsus didn't deserve what he got Saul of Tarsus didn't deserve the preeminent apostleship that he was given but it's all of grace but oh I was so thrilled our church had a guest speaker again last Sunday morning and he used Philippians for his text and as he opened his sermon he says never forget that the one greatest man that ever lived other than Christ himself was the Apostle Paul and I could just about stand up and shout you know not many people feel that way but he is he is by far the greatest man that ever lived Moses was great none of the others were great Abraham was great but I don't think any of them can hold a candle to this man and how he suffered for the sake of the gospel but it all began when the Lord had his finger on him even while he was in the womb and then verse 16 here was what he was apprehended for to reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the heathen or the Gentile or the non-jewish world and immediately since this was now going to be his field of ministry I conferred not with flesh and blood neither did I go up to Jerusalem to them who are apostle before me but I went into Arabia in other words the exact opposite direction from Jerusalem and then returned to Damascus so what does this all show us that here was a man now that was not going to be the apostle of Israel as the twelve were but he's going to be the apostle of the Gentile world and that's why I'm always hammering away at the authority of his apostleship all right let's go all the way up to Acts chapter 9 been a long time since we taught Acts Acts chapter 9 and this is another reference of how he was apprehended by Christ himself he was stopped in his tracks because God had something special for the man to accomplish so in Acts chapter 9 starting in verse 1 we'll do this as quickly as we can Acts chapter 9 beginning in verse 1 and Saul yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went unto the high priest desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues that if he found any of this way whether they were men or women he might bring them bound to Jerusalem and as he journeyed Peter as he journeyed a sovereign God interrupted and intervened in the affairs of this man and as he journeyed he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven and he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and then when you come on down in the chapter he speaks to Ananias in verse 10 a Jew living in the city of Damascus and he said Ananias and Ananias in verse 10 answers behold I am here Lord and the Lord said unto him arise and go into the street which is called straight and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth and he has seen in the vision a man named Ananias coming in putting his hand on him that he might receive it sight in other words Ananias Saul knows what's coming and Ananias answered Lord I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done to the saints at Jerusalem as a result of his persecution and here he has authority from the chief priest to bind all that call on thy name but the Lord said go thy way for he Saul of Tarsus is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentile and see Saul never forgot that and the further he went in his ministry the more it was confirmed now on your way back to Philippians stop at Romans chapter 11 verse 13 verse that Jerry Poole was just shook up years back and he said I never knew this was in my Bible he said you keep telling people well I have ever since over and over I point this verse out Romans 11 verse 13 Romans 11 verse 13 all got it I don't want to go too fast he says for I speak to you Gentiles in as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles see how plain that is and he doesn't include the twelve he is the apostle of the Gentiles all right come on back to chapter 16 still in Romans Romans 16 verse 25 and these are all verses that just again affirm his authority as the apostle for this church age or the age of grace or the age of the Gentile Romans 16 verse 25 now to him that is of power to establish you according to what's the next word my gospel say according to my gospel and Paul's gospel is the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery or a secret which was kept secret how long since the age began or since Adam was created this gospel that Paul is preaching to the Gentiles was unheard of throughout all of human history the Jews had no comprehension that God would save Gentiles without making them proselytes of Judaism and so then over and over I have to make make comment of the fact that this man was apprehended nine come back to Philippians I was going to look at a couple more in first Corinthians but I won't take time we're already halfway through all right but Philippians again chapter 3 so he was apprehended to be the apostle of the Gentile world and that's why I'm always putting the church age in parenthesis on the board and that in that parenthetical period of time the doctrines for this age come only from Romans through Philemon all the rest of Scripture is for us we teach it we believe it we trust it but when it comes to basic doctrines for us today you have to go to Romans through Philemon you start dabbling in the rest you're going to get confused and you start mixing these things and it just won't make sense but to keep them separate and it all fits all right back to Philippians 3 verse 13 brethren I count not myself to have apprehended you know what he's saying I didn't have a thing to do with my being stricken on the road to Damascus that wasn't my doing I wasn't out there looking for God I wasn't out there looking but the Lord apprehended him and you know it's the same way today again let's look at John's Gospel chapter 3 and while you're looking for that just stop and think when Adam and Eve sinned and sowed fig leaves did they go down the trail yelling Lord where are you what they do they went ahead see they weren't looking for God I was the last one they wanted to see all right now look exactly what John tells us John's Gospel chapter 3 and it's the Lord himself speaking dropping down to verse 19 and 20 John's Gospel chapter 3 verses 19 and 20 from the lips of the Lord himself and this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil for everyone that doeth evil and remember that's every non-believer whether they want to admit it or not everyone that doeth evil hated the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved that's mankind's state until the light comes in this was Saul of Tarsus he wasn't really seeking the light he was trying to stamp out something that he thought was in contrariness to the light but he wasn't really seeking the light his religion had no light and so it's no different today for the most part people do not seek the light of the truth most people will say leave me alone I'm comfortable I'm getting along and all one day they're going to wish somebody would have prevailed upon them but nevertheless mankind does not apprehend the light of their own volition all right verse 13 again of Philippians 3 back to Philippians 3 verse 13 brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do what's the next word forgetting forgetting can we really forget we can't forget God can see when God forgave us did he remember our past no that's been wiped clean he can forget now we can't it's there but we don't have to let those past things control our present in fact as I was looking at this last night I couldn't help but get the thought you know this is almost psychology 101 isn't it this is just good psychology how in the world can you be a happy productive person if you're constantly wallowing in the sorrow of past mistakes mistakes that remind me of a little anecdote I read read read read years and years ago this young man was working under this rather harsh taskmaster and the boss would just really chewing him out one day and he said well boss he said tell me why don't you ever make mistakes you've heard it haven't you and he said experience well he says how did you get experience mistakes see and that's exactly the way it works we're going to make mistakes and if we learn from them hey that's good psychology that's what we're mistakes are for is that we learn from that experience and we become adept at the but to wallow in the sorrow and the misgivings of past mistakes hey you'll never amount to hill of beans and so the Apostle Paul is right on when he says for getting those things which are behind now don't think for a minute that he forgot the horrible persecution that he brought on those Jewish believers we know he did because he said I wasted the church and it did it plagued the poor man all three ministry but he didn't let it stop him from being a productive Apostle he did not let it drive him into a mental disarray and so he says by inspiration of course first and foremost but also with all the truth of a human being for getting those things which are behind you can't change it there's no use worrying about it or fretting we all make mistakes some of them greater than others but listen you don't correct them by stewing over them you don't change the situation you go on and like I said earlier you learn from those mistakes and that's exactly what he's saying here forget those things which are behind reach forth unto those things which are before now when you come on in the verse 14 like Paul does so often these letters what's he alluding to the Olympics see the races and so again he throws us the image of those runners going down the track and he says I press toward the mark now one Greek dictionary that I had use this word press as leaning forward as the runner of the race will do especially at the end of the race when the tape is just in front what do they do boy they stretch their torso out as far as they can to hit the tape first and that's the analogy that he is drawing there's no lackadaisical running here this is full speed ahead and so he says I press I'm just leaning forward toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus what greater prize could we work for now he's not talking about salvation he's not talking about salvation he's talking about the rewards that will be waiting for him well we could go into first Corinthians 3 but we won't take time for that I'd like to at least finish this chapter and we got a lot a lot of material in here yet verse 15 let us therefore because of the picture that he is just drawn of the Olympic runners putting everything into their race where the first Corinthians let's go back first Corinthians my goodness we got a look at these things first Corinthians hope I can find it oh I think I missed it it's got to be in Corinthians where he uses the analogy of the Olympic rain runners and oh boy I bet I missed it but he says it so yeah here it is chapter 9 1st Corinthians chapter 9 dropping down to verse 24 honey 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 1st Corinthians 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 I'll got it no you not that they who run in a race all run but one receiveth the what the prize so run that is the race of your Christian life then so run that you what you win the prize the reward we don't know what it's going to be but we know there's going to be rewards that we just can't fathom because of our running the Christian life see and so he says in verse 25 another analogy to the Olympic runners every man that striveth or trains or practices for the mastery is temperate in all things now that word temperate to me is a key word for Christian living temperate that means maintain a balance you don't go flip-flopping from way over here to way over here but we maintain a balance and so he says even in their training they did not train so hard that they decimated their body but on the other hand they weren't so careless that they were out of shape by the time the race came but they played it temperately and they were ready when the race day came now he said they did it to obtain a corruptible crown usually the Olympics was just a wreath all dried up and good for nothing but putting between the pages of a book when they got home but he said that's not yours we will win an incorruptible crown and then verse 26 therefore I so run not for salvation but for what reward a lot of people don't like that concept but it's Pauline once were saved were to run were to work were to strive were to do everything we possibly can to win the prize in the high calling of Christ Jesus all right reading on in first Corinthians just for a moment so he says I therefore so run not as uncertainly and so I fight not as one that beats the air or shadow boxing I guess we'd call it but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest by any means when I have preached others I myself should be a castaway or put on the shelf because it actually I think the terminology is a cracked pot in the potters business if they had a beautiful pot that they'd put a lot of work into and it was too pretty to just throw out on the ash heap they would put it on a separate shelf to be sold as simply a vase of was the word I'm looking for to decorate yeah to decorate it wasn't useful for holding liquid or anything like that it was a cracked pot and that's what Paul is saying I don't want to end up on the shelf as a cracked pot see and that should be our attitude I don't want to be set aside as no longer useful we want to be that which can be used day in and day out okay back to Philippians quickly only got a couple minutes left Philippians chapter 3 again verse 15 so let us therefore as believers as many as be now the word perfect in the King James does not mean sinless perfection but it means a maturity as a result of growth growing in grace and knowledge as I mentioned a moment ago that brings us to a spiritual maturity and so be thus minded and if in anything you be otherwise minded in other words other than growing in our grace and knowledge God shall reveal even this unto you in other words when we start having hang-ups that are not in God's good purposes he'll restore he'll show them to us he'll he'll reveal them to us and so he says reaching forth unto those things which are before I'm in a wrong verse verse 15 and if anything be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you now verse 16 nevertheless where to we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing now all that is really saying is that once we've entered into a salvation experience we're a child of God we're a member of the body of Christ we're to be a testimony of his grace and we're not to be out there causing turmoil and dissension and so forth but we walk by these same rules and what are they I maintain Christianity is as practical as the day is not thank you for watching through the Bible with Les Feldick through the Bible as a partner 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