686 10052011Wed

Pastor Richard "Buddy" Wimberly "Reaching Forth" Philippians 3:13-14


Php 3:13 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,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus.

Many are held captive by unseen chains. There are things which may hold
me back that even I don’t see or understand. It is this devise of the enemy
that causes more failure in the walk of believers than anything else we know.
All of us have a past. And the advise to all of us has been for us to give our
past to Christ. This sounds good but it seems to focus way to much on the
past than on the One who has forgiven us, not only our past but all our sin.
Bro Dave shared from Matt 20:1-16 about the parable of the laborers, the
first set was hired at 6, more at 9, more at 12, more again at 3 and even more
at 5, and each received the same wage of a penny for the day. The disgust
of the earlier laborers was based on their past. But at the end of the day it
became apparent that once you enter the vineyard the only thing that really
matters now is the future. “forgetting those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which are before.”
None of us are there yet. And all of us have a past. Paul’s solution was to
forget the past and focus on the things before us. You’re in His vineyard
now, it’s time to put the past behind you (it just doesn’t matter anymore –
you’re in the vineyard – that’s what really matters).