Salvation is just the beginning. Every believer enters a race. No man's race is the same. God has a special event designed for each of us. Paul gives us instructions on how to run our race. Download PowerPoint at BibleGuy.org

1. A Prize Worthy of the Race –
Philippians 3:2-14

2. More in the stands than
enter the race

3. Take a risk, run the race.
Paul was running a race.
Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV) 12 Not that I have
already obtained all this, or have already
been made perfect, but I press on to take
hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold
of me. 13 Brothers, 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, 14 I press on toward
the goal to win the prize for which God has
called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

4. I. Cast out the cargo
A. To accomplish anything in life we
must cast off things that hinder us.
– The Double Eagle II (Aug. 11, 1978)
– The Pianist
– The Runner

5. I. Cast out the cargo
B. Paul Cast off the cargo.
Paul’s Confession:
Philippians 3:2-7 (NIV) 2 Watch out for those dogs, those men
who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are
the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory
in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though
I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks
he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5
circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a
Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic
righteousness, faultless. 7 But whatever was to my profit I now
consider loss for the sake of Christ.

6. I. Cast out the cargo
B. Paul Cast off the cargo.
Paul’s Cargo:
Pride of the Flesh
– Linage: Circumcision, Hebrew, tribe of Benjamin
– His Position: A Pharisee, keeper of the law,
persecutor of the church
– His Self-righteousness: faultless.
Paul considers these hindrances: 7 “But whatever
was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of
Christ.”

7. I. Cast out the cargo
C. What should we cast out?
Anything that hinders us from accomplishing our purpose and
position in Christ
– Your heritage
– Your position
– Your accomplishments
– Your wealth
– Your sin
Jim Elliott (Equator, 1958)
Wrote before his death ministering to the Auca Indians,
“He is no fool who gives up what he can not keep to gain
what he can not loose.”

8. We need a reason to cast
off the cargo.
Two reasons justify casting off the
cargo:
To pursue a deeper relationship with
Christ.
To win the prize.

9. II. Pursue the Person
A. People have reasons to give
something up for someone.
– The athlete gives up something to
satisfy the coach and teammates.
– The musician gives up something to
satisfy the teacher.
– A man or woman gives up much to
pursue the person of his/her dreams.

10. II. Pursue the Person
B. Paul cast off much to pursue Christ.
Philippians 3:8-11 (NIV) 8 What is more, I consider everything
a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I
consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found
in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes
from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the
righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want
to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the
fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his
death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from
the dead.

11. II. Pursue the Person
Paul’s love for Christ caused him to consider
everything else previously important
rubbish:
– His heritage
– His position
– His accomplishment and self-righteousness.
“… not having a righteousness of my own that
comes from the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes
from God and is by faith.”

12. II. Pursue the Person
C. We must pursue the person.
– More than we pursue a life partner.
– We pursue him so that we become more like
him. How?
• Read, search and meditate on him in the gospels
• Study how previous followers pursued him
– Epistles
– History
• Be with others that are pursuing him
• Do the things he did.
– Result: “10 … to know Christ and the power of his
resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death,

13. We are to:
I. Cast out the cargo
II. Pursue the person
III. Press toward the prize

14. III. Press toward the
prize
A. There is a prize for the sacrifice and
pursuit.
– For the athlete it’s the victory, medal,
crown, ring, etc.
– For the musician it’s satisfaction of
pleasing the teacher.

15. III. Press toward the
prize
B. Paul was in pursuit of the prize
Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV) 12 Not that I have already
obtained all this, or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ
Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, 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, 14 I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus.

16. III. Press toward the
prize
Paul:
• Viewed Salvation as the starters pistol
– All previous good acts were worthless – he was
on the wrong track, running the wrong race
– When he joined Christ team he put on a new
uniform – Christ’s righteousness. He was a victor
from the start.

17. III. Press toward the
prize
Paul:
• Could not be persuaded to drop out of the
race
– Not his past (put it behind)
– Not his circumstances

18. III. Press toward the
prize
What about us? We:
• Should not let anyone keep us out of the
race.
• Should not let anything distract us from the
race
– Not our past
– Not our circumstances
– Not the fear of failure or risk
– Not the fear of rejection

19. The risk of these goals
There is risk:
In casting off the cargo
In pursue the person
In pressing toward the prize

20. In 2010
Get out of the stadium,
take a risk,
Run the Race