Watch Night Sermon: What Will You Shift?



Welcome to Columbia’s 2019 Watch Night Service.

Many of us wait in anticipation of the year 2020. Some are graduating, some getting married all of us are hoping and wishing for bigger and better, glad tidings and goodwill.

We hope to see positive change in our lives, our community and our world.

God desires that for us as well.


Let Us Pray – Illumination For All The Preachers
Heavenly Father!
You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
It is an honor to stand and declare your Word.
May we deliver what thus saith the Lord unto your people this day.
In Jesus Name, Amen

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:9 that

…Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

As we enter into this new opportunity, this new season, that is 2020 be confident in knowing that God desires to bless you abundantly.

I don’t know about you all, but I want my stuff.

I want what God has prepared for me.

However, I question how prepared we are to receive the blessing in its fullness.

Our text for this evening, Philippians 3:12-14 – previously read in your hearing, is offering, those of us who may need it, bit of advice.

12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 
13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Here we see Apostle Paul, moonlighting as a modern-day self-help guru, offering us three life hacks which can help us receive more fully.

Paul’s suggestions are to…

1. Forget

2. Strain, And

3. Press

Wonderful suggestions but what are we Forgetting, Straining and Pressing?

We are Forgetting anything that is hindering us from achieving our full potential and we Straining and Pressing toward the goal, the blessing, the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us take a closer look at these life hacks!

Forgetting - Strong’s 1950 Epilanthanomai (ep-ee-lan-than-om-ahee)

(For my Greek scholars in the room, I know you see that six-syllable word up there and I’m going to leave the wonderful elocution of this word to you (smile).)

The word’s intention (however)

· is to put out of one’s mind

· to cease to think of or give consideration to

· to neglect (be)forget(-ful of)


Straining - means to

· force (a part of one’s body or oneself) to make a strenuous or unusually great effort

· ie. “I stopped and listened, straining for any sound.”


And lastly - Pressing

· move or cause to move into a position of contact with something by exerting continuous physical force.



Why is this forgetting, straining and pressing so important?

It is important because it helps us to “Shift” our attention from counterproductive places and “focus” our energies toward our desired result.

I’m sure we have all heard the saying: “What we give our attention to grows”.

This principal is true whether we are distracted or focused on our desired result. Paul is simply providing wisdom on how to best utilize this principal to our advantage.

How has Paul gained this valuable wisdom? He shares twice that in the beginning of verses 12 and 13 that this knowledge is gain is through personal experience. That he himself is also shifting to obtain his goal/blessing in Christ Jesus. And he is quick to point out that the ownness of these actions – Forgetting, Straining and Pressing are on us.

Paul is suggesting that in order to receive more fully we need to operate in our power, in our capacity. Using our agency to make application of the life hacks.

Without application the hacks are just good information however combined with application they produce a desired result.

Amen!

Give it three beats

Inside your bulletin you will find a piece of paper. Each of us has a question that we want you to respond to after each sermon. Please jot your responses on the provided paper. I’ll be back later with further instructions.

The question I would like you to respond to is “What will you shift?”



10 beat till the next preacher!










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