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Pressing On: Forward in Faith

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Press On

Philippians Series — Week 1

I. This Week's Memory Verse

  • Each week of this series, we'll memorize a portion of Philippians 3:12–14. By the end of the series, we'll have the whole passage memorized.

Philippians 3:12 (NIV) — "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal…"

II. Background: Paul and the Philippian Church

  • A. Paul's vision of a man of Macedonia (Acts 16, on Paul's second missionary journey, c. AD 50):

    Acts 16:9 (NIV) — "During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.'"

  • B. In Philippi, Paul meets Lydia, a worshipper of God — she and her household are baptized.
  • C. Paul sets a slave girl free from a spirit of divination in the name of Jesus.
  • D. Paul and Silas are imprisoned; they lead the jailer to Christ, and he and his household are baptized that same night.
  • E. Philippi becomes one of Paul's most beloved churches. He visits again roughly seven years later, and writes this letter perhaps a decade after his first visit.

III. Paul's Deep Love for This Church

Philippians 1:8 (NIV) — "God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:1 (NIV) — "Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!"

  • A. The church's generosity toward Paul:

    Philippians 4:15–16 (NLT) — "As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once."

  • B. No rebuke. No doctrine to correct. No scandal. The only friction mentioned is a mild disagreement between two women, Euodia and Syntyche. This letter is Paul overflowing with joy, partnership, and gratitude.

IV. A Church Headed in the Right Direction

Philippians 1:9–11 (ESV) — "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:6 (ESV) — "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

  • This church reminds me of us: things are good, no doctrinal issues. We're healthy — not perfect, but healthy.

V. The Danger of a Healthy Church

  • A. Health can quietly become its own danger. The temptation, once things are going well, is to ease up — and when a church eases up, it tends to plateau.
  • B. A plateau doesn't guarantee decline, but left unaddressed, it often becomes the first step toward it.
  • C. The moment to act isn't after we start slipping — it's now, while we're strong enough to act.
  • Even Paul — a successful missionary who had planted churches across the Roman world — didn't say “I've arrived.” Instead:

VI. Paul's Surprising Confession

Philippians 3:12–14 (NIV) — "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

VII. The Challenge Extended to All of Us

Philippians 3:15 (NIV) — "All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things."

  • If it's Paul's challenge and the Philippian church's challenge, it's ours as well. Today we accept the challenge to press on — to keep moving forward, both individually and as a church — and to complete what has been started.

VIII. Passing the Baton

  • A. Started by those who, over 100 years ago, planted a church here in Denison, TX.
  • B. Continued by those who, 40 years ago, moved from Armstrong Avenue to this place, Park Avenue.
  • C. Continued still by those who, 20 years ago, were faithful to the call and saw the need for more space to grow our ministry.
  • D. Today, the baton is passed to us — and we commit to run our leg of the race with faith, perseverance, and sacrifice, as the body of Christ at Park Avenue: to press on!