Winning Isn T Everything, It S the Only Thing

A Closer Look at the Book: PHILIPPIANS “Winning isn’t Everything, It’s the Only Thing” Philippians 3: 11-16 Pastor Steve N. Wagers April 17. 2011

1. The Observation that Helps Us! A) The Admission of an Honest Man B) The Ambition of a Hungry Man 2. The Obstacle that Hinders Us! A) Forgetful of What is Behind Us B) Focused on What is Before Us 3. The Objective that Holds Us! A) The Goal He Sees B) The Glory He Seeks

For the 1958 NFL season, the Packers, with five future hall of famers playing on the team, finished with a record of 1-10-1, the worst in Packer history. On February 2, 1959, Vince Lombardi accepted the position of head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers, and his accomplishments over the next decade will forever be remembered in the annuls of NFL history.

From 1960-1967, Lombardi took the Packers to 1st place in the NFL West 6 times, and 2nd place 2 times. The Packers won 3 NFL Championships (before it became known as the Super Bowl), and in 1966-1967 the Packers won Super Bowl I and II.

Lombardi’s quotes are almost as famous as his coaching resume. Some of his most famous quotes are:

“Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price.”

“If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?”

“Once you learn to quit it becomes a habit.”

Quite possibly Lombardi’s most famous quote is, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” Lombardi is on record using the quotation as early as 1959 in his opening talk on the first day of the Packers’ training camp. The quotation captured the American public's attention during Lombardi's highly successful reign as coach of the Packers in the 1960s. The words graced the walls of locker rooms, ignited pre-game pep talks, and echoed from the rafters of banquet halls. The result of his words speaks for themselves.

1 In Christ, every Christian is already victorious. As believers, we don’t fight for victory, we fight from victory. We fight the good fight of faith, and run the great race of redemption because Christ has already obtained victory for us.

However, although we have already won, each of us has a personal fight to fight and race to run; thus, we should seek to do the best we can do to be all that God wants us to be, because, as it relates to Christ and the Christian life, winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.

1. The OBSERVATION that HELPS Us!

Paul must have been a sports fan. He referred to sports on many occasions to illustrate a spiritual truth. The devotion, discipline, and dedication of the athlete stirred the heart of Paul and he called for the same in the life of the believer. In our text, we could say, that he is calling for the believer to go for the gold.

Gold medalists are people that have trained, worked, and practiced hour upon hour, day by day, week after week, month after month, and even year after year. Some of them have prepared from the time they were a child. Their objective is to be the best at what they do.

Paul had this in mind in verses 11-12,

(11-12) “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 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."

Paul tells us that one objective of Gold-medal Christians is perfection. He uses the word "perfect" in verse 12 and 15.

(15-16) “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”

When Paul uses the word “perfect,” he is not speaking of sinlessness or flawlessness. The Greek word that he used, ‘teleios,’ speaks of that which is full grown. The word is used in other references to describe a full grown man. The idea is that of spiritual maturity.

In other words, Paul desired to reach spiritual maturity, and he desired for these believers to reach spiritual maturity. I don’t believe that God approves of mediocrity, and Paul certainly does not affirm mediocrity. God desires our best, demands our best, and deserves our best. It is that observation that will help us to be the best we can be for the glory of God.

2 A) The ADMISSION of an HONEST Man

(12) “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.”

(13) “I count not myself to have apprehended.”

In other words, Paul is saying, “I haven’t arrived yet. I have not yet reached the level of maturity, in my walk with Christ that I desire.” If I could put it this way, Paul was admitting that he had much room for improvement in his Christian life.

You will remember from our last study that Paul’s mission statement is verse 10:

(10) “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

In these verses, Paul admits that he had not yet achieved this level of Christian maturity. He has grown out of certain levels of immaturity, but he has not yet grown UP into complete, or “perfect” spiritual maturity.

He has come to know Christ, but he desires to know Him more. He has experienced the power of His resurrection, but He desires to experience it more. He has known something of the fellowship of His sufferings, but He is willing to suffer more if it leads him to Christ-likeness.

George Barna described the spiritual life of Americans as "a mile wide and an inch deep." In many cases, Americans are religious but there is no depth to their Christian life. Many have been saved for a number of years, but their roots have never become firmly planted deep within the soil of spiritual truth.

I read about a little boy who answered the telephone. The caller was a telemarketer. He asked, "Is your mother at home?" "Nope," replied the little boy. "Is your father at home?" "Nope." "Is there anyone else there I can speak to?" "Yep, my sister is here." "May I speak with her please?" "Ok." In a few minutes the little boy came back to the phone and said, "I can't lift her out of the playpen."

There are many believers who are still in a spiritual playpen. They are saved, but they are still wearing spiritual Huggies and have never grown in the Lord.

Ray Stedman, “The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.” If that be true, and I believe that it is, then we all have a lot of room for improvement. If Paul had not arrived, then we certainly have not arrived, and we must learn to be honest in our admission of that fact.

B) The AMBITION of a HUNGRY Man Keep in mind, this is the man considered to be the greatest apostle, writer, pastor, teacher, evangelist and missionary of all-time; thus, what more in life could he hope to achieve?

3 Again, in verse 10, his ambition is to know the person of Christ, experience the power of Christ and share in the persecution of Christ. He admits that he has not arrived at the place of satisfaction in these areas.

Thus, his ambition that he so hungers for is:

(12) “But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”

It doesn't matter how long you have been saved and how spiritual mature a person may be, there is always room for further growth and development. Spiritual growth is not for a time in your Christian life. It is for the total of your life. It is not for a while, but for the whole.

It doesn't matter how much you know about the Lord, there is always far more to learn. To be honest with you, the more that I think I know about the Lord, the more I find out that I don’t know. The truth is, there is more than you can learn in a lifetime.

That is why Paul said, "I follow after." The words speak of pursing something, to chase. The picture is of a runner pressing toward a goal. The purpose of this pursuit is to "apprehend" that for which one has been "apprehended."

The word "apprehend" means, "to lay hold of, to grasp." Paul said that Jesus Christ had laid hold of him and he wanted to lay hold of that for which he had been laid hold. He knew that the Lord has a divine purpose for his life and he wanted fulfill that purpose in his life.

For what purpose had God “apprehended” the apostle Paul. We know from Acts and Romans that God’s plan was for Paul to be the vehicle that would transport the gospel to the Gentile world. Paul writes this letter from a Roman prison, thus he has partially “apprehended” God’s plan and purpose for his life. So what’s left for him to “apprehend?”

Ultimately, God’s plan and purpose for Paul’s life is the same plan and purpose for every saved life and that is to be like Christ. Paul says, “I haven’t arrived yet, but I’m following hard after Christ to be more like Christ.”

The truth of the matter is that every Christian wears a sign around their heart that reads, “Under Construction!” God is still working on us, as the little song says:

He’s still working on me To make me what I ought to be. It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars, The sun, the earth, Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient He must be;

4 He’s still working on me.

As believers, we are works in progress. God isn’t finished with us, and will not be finished with us until we get to Heaven. Thus, His purpose for our lives is that we be all He wants us to be, and all that we will allow Him to make us to be. But, I remind you, that if Jesus is the General Contractor, He makes progress where He works.

God has a plan, a priority and a purpose for every single person in this room. If that is the case, then the pursuit of your life should be to find God’s plan for your life, follow God’s priority for your life and fulfill God’s purpose for your life.

Your life will never have purpose until you find and follow God’s purpose for your life. Think about how many times our plans fail, or fall through. God has never had a plan to fail or fall through. There are no “plan B’s” in Heaven, only “Plan A’s.” It’s Plan “A” that will help us to be all that God wants us to be.

2. The OBSTACLE that HINDERS Us!

(13) "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before."

Paul not only wanted to be the best runner he could be, he also wanted to run the best race he could run. Paul was saying, "I haven't yet become all that I can be, but I am determined to get there."

D.L. Moody said, "It is better to say, 'This one thing I do,' than to say, 'These forty things I dabble in.'"

Paul was stating that he was not dabbling in forty things, but concentrating on one thing and that was winning the gold.

Being the best has its costs. The athlete, in some cases, is separated from their families and friends, and must live in training centers where they can be tutored and trained. From early in the morning until late a night, they concentrate on one thing--preparing themselves to win the gold.

This matter of running the race and running it well requires that the believer take serious the Christian life. One cannot trifle, in the Christian life, and be a champion runner. It requires every ounce of our energy, effort and enthusiasm. Anything less will be an obstacle that hinders us.

We must be: A) FORGETFUL of what we cannot CHANGE

5 Paul has admitted that he has not arrived to the place he desires in his Christian walk; however, he is following hard after God, and the things of God to be all that God wants him to be.

He admits that “here are a lot of things that he has done which he cannot un-do, or re-do;” but he states:

(13) “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind.”

When Paul spoke of forgetting the things that are behind, he was not speaking of blanking out the memory. That would be impossible and imprudent. What he is talking about is being influenced or bound by the past.

He was speaking of past transgressions. In verse 6, he recounts and recalls those days that he “persecuted the church.” I’m sure that those were days that Paul longed to put behind him and forget. Those would days that did not reveal his finest hours. He wanted to forget those past sins.

There are those that are haunted, hampered, and hounded by past sins. It is possible that someone after they were saved failed the Lord. Their failure and sin distressing them, defeats them, and seeks to destroy them. The devil constantly brings up their sin to keep them in bondage.

Let me say that if a person has confessed their sin to God and He has forgiven you, there is no need to carry around a load of guilt over past sins and failures. That sin has been forgiven, therefore it can be forgotten. If the devil has you bound and burdened by past sins, take your eyes off the past, and believe God's promise that you have been forgiven, get up, dust yourself off, and get back in the race.

Paul was also speaking of past troubles. If ever there was a man who knew what sorrow meant, it was the apostle Paul.

(2 Corinthians 11:23-27) “In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. [24] Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. [25] Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; [26] In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; [27] In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.”

Paul knew the sorrow of being beaten by those who hated him, betrayed by those who loved him and belittled by those who knew him. However, in order for him to be what God wanted him to be, he had to forget past sins, as well as past sorrows.

6 Thousands of Christians are bound, bitter, and belayed by something someone did to them in the past. You may be bitter at a father than abused you, a mother than mistreated you, a friend that betrayed you, a pastor that disappointed you, or a church that hurt you. Still today, it eats away at you like cancerous cells that erode the body. Thus, instead of running, you are resisting; instead of following, you are fuming; instead of growing, you are grumbling over what happened to you in the past.

But, if you have any hopes of being all that God wants you to be, there comes a time, as my mother would say that “You have to hang a wreath on the door and get over it.”

Finally, Paul spoke of past triumphs. In verses 3-6, the apostle Paul gives us a look at his personal resume. What an impressive resume it is. He had the racial genealogy and religious ideology that the average Jew of his day could only dream of.

However, he declares,

(7-8) “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 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 I may win Christ.”

In other words, physical accomplishments in the past could not produce spiritual achievements in the future. If he was going to be all that God wanted him to be, then he had to forget past transgression, past troubles, and past triumphs.

We can, and we should rejoice in all God did in the past or what we have accomplished in the past, but we cannot live in the past. There is much more to be done. There are higher heights to obtain.

Winston Churchill, on one of his visits to the U.S. remarked in the course of a conversation, "If the present is quarreling with your past, there can be no future."

You can be certain that if the past is not dealt with, it will deal with you. If we do not forget what is behind us, our race will be hindered.

B) FOCUSED on what we cannot CONTROL

(13) “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”

In other words, Paul knew that if he did not learn to forget and if he did not learn to focus, then it would hurt him in attempt to run the race, much less win the race.

7 The words "reaching forth" give us the picture of a runner headed toward the finish line. It is the last lap and he is coming down the home stretch. Every muscle is straining, the heart and lungs are pounding in their chest and they are gasping for each breath of air. They are giving everything they have, reaching forth, to finish the race and win the gold.

What are we “reaching forth” unto? Only God knows! But, as I surrender and submit my life unto Him, the journey into the future will be the most exciting, thrilling, and fulfilling adventure one could ever embrace.

That is how we are to run our race. We must be totally focused, allowing nothing to distract us. It is giving our all to win the gold. Someone has said that “we are too near the crown to lay down the cross.” We are too near the finish line to give anything less.

Do you want to win the race God has given you to run? Then, stay in your lane; don't look behind you; look before you and beyond you. Don't look around you; look above you. Don't be distracted; be diligent, determined and disciplined.

Forget what lies behind you. Focus on what looms before you. Don’t be hindered by things in the past you can’t change, or things in the future you can’t control.

3. The OBJECTIVE that HOLDS Us!

I read about a young, somewhat cocky cowboy. He was out riding his horse one day when he spied an old farm hand on a mule. In his cocky way, he rode up and drew out his revolver and told the old man to get down from his mule. The old farmer did as he was told. The young cowboy then asked him if he had ever danced before and began to empty his revolver at his feet. All the time he laughed as loud as he could.

When the young cowboy emptied his revolver, the old farm hand, without saying a word, slowly walked back to his mule. He put his hand into a sack and pulled out a double-barrel shotgun. He looked at the young cowboy and said, "Have you ever kissed a mule before?" The young cowboy looked at the old man and then at the two barrels that were pointed at him and said, "No, but I have always wanted to."

There are different ways of being motivated to do something. In verse 14, Paul reveals what it was that motivated him to go for the gold.

A) The GOAL that He SEES

(14) “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

8 The word “mark” is an interesting word. The Greek word is ‘skopos,’ which is derived from the word ‘skeptomai,’ that yields the English “skeptic.” The idea behind the word is that of concealment, or that which is not easily perceived. Thus, because it is not clearly in view, one may become skeptical of its reality.

You know what Paul is saying? Paul says, “I’m not skeptical about the mark, but I see what others may not see. What may not be clear to others is revealed in HD quality to me.”

The mark that he spoke of was the finish line. Paul was consumed with not only running his race, but finishing the race. He dreamed of the day when he hit the tape and crossed the finished line.

Many a believer has started the race, but many did not finish the race. Some have dropped out, others have fallen out, and still others were kicked out. But thank God for those that did finish the race.

In the 1908 Olympics, there was an Italian runner by the name of Dorando Pietri. When he entered the stadium for the final 100 yards of the marathon he was running, he was in a state of collapse. The Italian runner fell five times before an official finally helped him across the finish line. He was disqualified, but he would not quit until he finished.

In the 1992 Olympics, Derek Redmond of Great Britain, about halfway through the 400 meters race tore a hamstring. Redmond hobbled the rest of the way with the help of his father, who rushed from the grandstands to aid his son. He came in last, but he finished.

In the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico City, Tanzania's John Stephen Akhware, with his right leg bloody and bandaged, staggered into the stadium more than an hour after the winner had crossed the line. He said afterwards, "My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me to finish the race."

As believers, we represent a heavenly country and we have not been left here just to start the race, but to finish the race. You may not be able to change how you started the race, but you can control how you finish the race. I don’t know about you, but I want to finish well.

B) The GLORY that He SEEKS

Paul not only wanted to finish the race, he also wanted to win the race.

(14) "I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." The "high calling" literally speaks of an upward calling. In those days, when a contest was over, the winner would be taken to the winner’s stand where they

9 would say, "You have been called up." The winner would then be presented with the victors’ wreath.

Paul was saying that he wanted to win a victors wreath. That was the prize he coveted. He longed for the day when he was called up to the winner’s stand and presented with his prize.

In other words, to Paul, the goal and the glory were one and the same. The “mark of the prize of the high calling of God” is not clearly defined in the passage, and few commentators agree on its interpretation. However, I believe it is a clear reference to the many promises that the Bible gives to those who are victorious in their Christian lives.

I believe the “mark of the prize” includes the “crown of righteousness.” I believe “the mark of the prize” embraces what Peter called “the crown of glory that fadeth not away.” I believe the “mark of the prize” is what Paul had in mind when he spoke of an “incorruptible” crown.

At the Greek games, the winner of the race was summoned, from the stadium floor, to the seat of the judge. A wreath was placed on his head, and he was awarded 500 coins, free meals, and a front row seat at the theater. These were prizes and awards that were coveted by every athlete.

However, those prizes were temporal, our prize is eternal. Those prizes were fading, our prize is forever. Those prizes were grand, good and great, but our prize is glorious. It is to hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” It is to have Him present us with an incorruptible crown which we will lay down at His feet. How the goal and the glory should motivate us to ‘keep on, keepin’ on!”

On a fog-shrouded morning, July 4, 1952, Florence Chadwick waded into the waters off of Catalina Island. Her sole intention was to be the first woman to swim the 21 miles from Catalina Island to the California Coast.

Long distance swimming was not something that was new to Florence Chadwick. She had been the first woman to swim the English Channel, in both directions; however, this day’s test was one that she had yet to face.

The water was numbing cold. The fog was so thick that she could hardly see the boats in her party. Several times, sharks had to be driven away with gun fire. She swam more than 15 hours before she asked to be taken out of the water.

Her trainer encouraged her to swim on because they were so close to the shore; but, when Florence looked, all she could see was fog. As a result, she quit less than ½ from her goal. Later she said, “I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have only see my destination, I might have been able to go on.”

10 I cannot see the destination of my soul through the eyes of the flesh, but through the eyes of faith I know what lies ahead. I’ve come too far to turn back now, so I must keep pressing on.

A pastor friend of mine recently sent me a poem written by Kenneth Haney. I used it a few weeks ago, but it speaks so deeply to my heart, I want to share it again.

I am a soldier in the army of my God.

The Lord Jesus Christ is my commanding officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.

Faith, prayer, and the Word are my weapons of warfare. I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by adversity, and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this army. I am enlisted for eternity. I will either retire in this army at the Rapture or die in this army. I will not get out, sell out, be talked out. I am faithful, capable, and dependable.

If my God needs me, I am there. If He needs me in Sunday school to teach children, to work with youth, help adults, or just sit and learn, He can use me because I will be there!

I am a soldier.

I am not a baby. I am not in need of being pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up.

I am a soldier.

No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me.

I am a soldier.

I am not a wimp. I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name, and building His kingdom!

I am a soldier.

No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy or give me handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, and catered to. I am committed!

11 I cannot have my feelings hurt badly enough to turn me around. I cannot be discouraged enough to turn aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

When Jesus called me into this army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing, I will still come out ahead. I will win.

God will supply all my needs. I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ.

I am a soldier.

Devils cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me.

Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me. Governments cannot silence me. And hell cannot handle me!!

I am a soldier.

Even death cannot destroy me. For when my commander calls me from this battlefield. He will promote me to a captain. And then bring me back to rule this World with Him.

I am a soldier in the army.

And I'm marching, claiming victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around.

I am a soldier, marching, heaven bound. Here I stand!! Will you stand with me?

I was a loser before I met Jesus. I became a winner when I met Jesus. Now, winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.