2024-02-14- Reaching Forth

The speaker starts by expressing gratitude to God and talking about a song that was sung. They apologize for not being present on Wednesday and share a personal story about a water issue in their kitchen. They mention hearing about a good message from Brother Michael but not being able to hear it themselves. They mention their love for God and their appreciation for the opportunity to speak. They talk about not having a Valentine's Day message and joke about preaching on "won't you be mine." They mention the book of Philippians and read a few verses from it. They discuss the life of Paul and the hardships he faced, emphasizing his perseverance and his pursuit of the "perfect prize." They talk about recognizing one's position and releasing the past. Amen. Ain't God good to us? He's done me nothing but good, and I certainly do appreciate Him. Brother Michael was singing that song, Victory in Jesus. You could be turning to the book of Philippians, chapter number 3. I was over at my sister's this past Saturday, and over there for a while, and we were talking, and I wasn't here Wednesday night, and I apologized. I had almost, well, it wasn't a flood, but I had a lot of water in the kitchen floor, and thank God it wasn't as bad as we thought it was. But anyway, I heard about the good message that Brother Michael preached, and I didn't get to hear him tell it, and I'd love to hear him tell it, about how he got his job in that interview. And I was telling my sister about it, what little bit that I know from secondhand, you know, and we were both in tears. I just couldn't help but tell it, and just crying, I mean, because that's my God. That's my God. I appreciate the Lord tonight. Amen. Philippians, chapter number 3. Very familiar passage of Scripture tonight, and I don't have a Valentine message for you, so sorry. Happy Valentine's. Amen. I was teasing the children at the house there a while ago, and I told them, I said, well, I guess I could preach on, won't you be mine? Amen. And preach on the Lord. But we're not going to do that. So, Philippians chapter number 3 tonight, just a very familiar passage of Scripture here. I do appreciate the Lord. I appreciate the opportunity. I don't ever want to take the pulpit as a light place or a place just to pass the time by. It's very, very serious. And when my father-in-law called me today, he left me the voicemail, said he was looking for the A1 handyman. I thought he had a plumbing issue or something, but then he asked me, would I be able to fill in tonight? And I already had this on my heart, so just bear with me, pray for me. And Philippians chapter number 3, we're going to start at verse number 11 here, read just a few verses. Philippians chapter 3, verse number 11, Paul's writing, he said, If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I had already attained, either were I already perfect. But I follow after, if that I may apprehend, that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Look at 13 again. We know this so well, we could probably quote it, but he says, 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. Would you stretch your hand toward heaven one more time tonight and ask the Lord to come by and help us. Heavenly Father, once again we do come before you. We are so thankful, God, for your mercy, thankful, Lord, for your grace you bestowed upon us. God, we know, Lord, our God, that we're not worthy of any of your love and grace, but we're so thankful tonight, God, that we could call upon you. We ask you, Lord, to stand beside us here, give us the anointing and the power of the Holy Ghost, and rest upon us, and give us a wonderful altar service right here tonight, and we will not fail to give you the praise and give you all the honor. In Jesus' name we do pray, and the church said, Amen, and Amen. I want to pull three little things out tonight, if I can. I try to hurry, I say that every time, I know I do. I got informed just the other day that I preached an hour. I didn't think I did, but that's what they said. So anyway, I'll try not to preach an hour tonight, okay? But I see the life of Paul here, and we've been studying the life of Paul in our Sunday school classes. And when you study the life of Paul, you see a lot of things that Paul went through, a lot of things that Paul had to endure, a lot of hardship, a lot of hard times, persecution. And there's no way that we can cover all the things tonight, and we're trying to in our Sunday school classes. And I know Brother Michael's doing such a wonderful job, amen, in the Sunday school. I'm hearing the reports of how good that he's doing in teaching. But when you hear and read the life of Paul, amen, you wonder, how in the world can somebody, amen, take a life like this, amen, and still, amen, have the ability to write such words that he's writing here, amen. And I believe tonight, as I'm going to use for a title, amen, what Paul was doing right here, Paul was pursuing the perfect prize. And that's what I want to preach tonight, is pursuing the perfect prize. When you look at the life of Paul, amen, you wonder, how in the world, amen, could a man, amen, who was shipwrecked, amen, who was in bonds, amen, a man who was in prison, amen, amen, who was struck by a viper, amen, and go down the list, amen, a man, amen, who was persecuted, looked down upon, if you will, amen, accused of things that he'd never even ever done, amen, you wonder, how in the world, amen, but I'm telling you, when you look at the life of Paul, amen, I believe he takes inventory of his life, amen, there's a thing, amen, that he recognizes, amen, he recognizes his position, amen, I want to preach about that tonight, recognizing our position. When Paul writes this word to the Philippian church, he's talking about something, amen, that he can attain, and that he will attain, amen, but he realizes, he recognizes his position, I've not made it yet, I'm not there just yet, I've still got a ways to go, and I've still got to keep preaching, I've still got to keep pressing, I've still got to keep pushing, now church, listen to me tonight, there's no time to let up, there's no time to back up, there's no time to quit, there's no time to throw in the towel, but it's time we lift up our heads to the Lord and say, I will recognize my position, I've not made it yet, but I've got a prize, I've got a goal to attain, hallelujah, amen, when I look at the life of Paul, I want you to understand, amen, that Paul was a great man of God, God used him, brother Michael, in so many great ways, amen, that Paul's life of an apostle was not an easy life, but even though through all of his endurance, brother Joe, amen, I believe in myself that you would have never heard brother Paul, amen, say these words or these phrases, well, I'm just doing the best that I can, and that's all that I can do, I don't believe you'd ever heard Paul say, well, everything's against me, and I have the hardest time just being a Christian, I don't believe you'd ever heard him say, amen, oh, I just cannot stop this sinning, I'm so weak, amen, it's just so hard, amen, it's got a hold on me, no, I don't believe you'd ever heard Paul say that, amen, but I'm telling you what, amen, oh, I don't believe he'd ever said, nobody cares, everybody's against me, but oh, what we read of Paul is where he said, no, I have not apprehended, I ain't made it just yet, but this one thing I'm going to do, I'm going to forget those things which are behind me, and I'm going to reach for those things which are before my Lord and my God, I feel the Holy Ghost tonight to tell somebody in the house of the Lord, amen, that the Word of God tells us, I have not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the hearts of men what the Lord has in store for His children, you see, tonight, it wasn't just for Paul, amen, but Paul realized, amen, I've got to go, I've got something to attain, but he tells Timothy over there, when he writes to him, he says, Timothy, it ain't only for me, but it's also for all of those who do love his appearance, amen, amen, Paul recognizes his position, amen, he says, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, amen, I ain't made it yet, I've used it many times, amen, and I know that precious dear sister has done gone on, but I use Sister Wanda Hart's testimony a whole lot, places that I go, amen, but I could hear her stand up, amen, there at the highway of holiness, I could hear her, amen, about every service, Brother Joe, when she would stand up, amen, and she'd say those words, amen, Brother so-and-so, I haven't made it yet, amen, I still got a ways to go, I haven't made it yet, church, let me tell you tonight, you've got to recognize your position, you ain't made it yet, you ain't there yet, I'm not there yet, amen, I'm still looking forward to hear him say, enter in, well done, thou good and faithful servant, but we've got to come to a realization, amen, if we're going to, we've got to recognize our position, amen, we've got to recognize there's a goal set before us, there's a prize set before us, the Hebrew writer said it like this, there's a race that's set before you, run this race with patience, he also wrote, he says set aside those things, the weight and sin that does so easily beset you, amen, I'm trying to hurry, amen, I feel like these verses that Paul is writing, amen, he understood that there's a prize before him, that God was preparing him for the prize, as Paul begins to look at his life, I feel like he's taken inventory, amen, for he recognizes his position, amen, but not only does he recognize his position, brother Camden, amen, but the Bible said, he said, I've not apprehended, but this one thing I do, he said, I forget those things which are behind me, brother Quentin, it is a sign of releasing the past, amen, someone said, maybe his mom want to go to senate, amen, I've got a past, amen, listen to me tonight, amen, we've all got a past, amen, that we're ashamed of, amen, we've all got a past that we're not proud of, amen, Paul realizes he had a past also, where he can take you to a place of a road, amen, called Damascus, or on the road to Damascus, amen, where he saw that light that was brighter than a noonday star, amen, Paul had a past that he was not proud of, amen, but he said, I'm going to forget everything which is behind me, I'm not going to stay in the past, I'm not going to live in the past, I'm not going to dwell on the past, but I'm going to forget it all, I preach this here a little while back, amen, I'll stop wondering and move forward, hear me church tonight, amen, I'm telling you, as long as you're living in the past, you'll never go forward, as long as you're holding on to a past, you'll never go forward, it's time to release the past and realize, I've got a goal to attain, I've got a prize that's been set before me, most of us tonight, I believe here that we have a testimony that we're saved by grace and on our way to heaven, amen, there's a great need, amen, for us to avoid the trap of becoming distracted by the events of this life, amen, there's a mark, there's a goal, there's a prize, and we should be striving for that goal in our lives, amen, what did Jesus tell his disciples, amen, he said, strive to enter in at the straight gate, for straight and narrow is the path that leads to eternal life, and he said there's going to be few that find that way, and he said there's a wide and a broad way that many people gets on it, amen, I'm telling you, amen, when you don't recognize your position and you don't forget the past, you're going to get on that broad way, and that broad way is going to lead you to destruction here at Tawau, but I've come to lift up somebody tonight and tell them there's a perfect prize that you need to pursue, there's a perfect prize that's for you tonight, and I'm telling you, it might be salvation, it might be sanctification, it might be the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it might be somebody, amen, that God's got a call for you, but whatever it is, you need to do what Paul did here, he said, I recognize, I know where I'm at, I've not made a chair, but I'm going to do this one thing, I'm going to release everything behind me, and I'm going to set my mind, I'm going to set my forecast, I'm going to get it right on the prize, amen, and not let anything around me distract me, amen, oh my, we've got many examples in the Bible, brother Camden, that's what was, amen, brother Peter, Peter there, the apostle Peter, amen, as he was walking on the water to Jesus, you know the story very well, amen, as he looks at Jesus and says, if it's you, bid me come, and Jesus tells him, he says, come on out here, Peter, amen, and he steps out of the boat, amen, brother Austin, he begins to walk toward the Lord, and while he's got his eye landed, he's got it focused upon the Lord, there ain't no distractions, he's looking at the Lord, but all of a sudden, amen, this is just my opinion, okay, amen, but I believe voices, amen, started coming into his, amen, his head, amen, what in the world you doing, buddy, amen, you're fixing to go under, amen, you're not going to make it to the Lord, he's calling for you, but you ain't going to make it, amen, and all of a sudden, he begins to sink, he begins to go under, he's distracted by things around him, but the prize, the goal, the mark is standing right before him, amen, the one and only, Jesus Christ is standing there saying, come, and he's sinking, but I thank God that he got to a place for the candidate when he got halfway down, and he said, Lord, save me, I've got to make it to the mark, I've got to make it to the goal, I've got to make it to the finish line, I've got to pursue the perfect prize, hallelujah, amen, I've got to pursue the perfect prize, Paul is a prime example of those who are steady, amen, I was reminded, as a psalmist, David wrote, when he said those words, amen, he said, I was in a horrible pit, I was in the mire clay, but he brought me also up out of the horrible pit, out of the mire clay, and he set my foot on a solid rock foundation, oh, church, hear me tonight, as I preach my heart to you, amen, we've got to get steady on the rock, we've got to get steady, amen, we've got to get focused, oh, hear me now, I'm afraid, amen, we've got to do an hour, amen, where people's not focused anymore, amen, they're distracted by this world, amen, they're pulled by this world, amen, they're going different directions, they've got their eye off the mark, they've got their eye off the prize, they've got their eye off the goal, and they've got their eye on something else, oh, my, but I would to God tonight that I would have a church, amen, that would say, I recognize my position, and I'm going to forget the past, but I'm going to do this also, I'm going to realize what my priority is, and my priority is, I must keep preaching, I must keep pressing, I must keep running, I must keep going forward, there ain't no turning back, there ain't going to right or to the left, but I've got to realize, I've got to make heaven my home, amen, hallelujah, amen, Paul recognized his position, and he released the past, amen, but I believe the most important part of this was that last bit there, Brother Quentin, when he said, and I'm going to forget those things which are behind, in reaching forth unto those things which are before, hallelujah, amen, notice he said the word before, amen, I'm going to keep pressing onward, I'm going to keep pressing onward, hallelujah, amen, I'm telling you, church, we've gotten to a distracted hour, amen, we've gotten to an hour, amen, listen to me, I know it's a little tight, amen, but it's right anyway, amen, holiness is still right, amen, I still preach it, amen, it's holiness or hell, amen, we've got to live up to the gods, amen, holy word, I tell you, I heard somebody say the other day, amen, mocking about holiness and holy, oh my, amen, I'm telling you, I wouldn't even want to entertain that, amen, Paul realized, I've got to go, amen, I've got a mark to press toward, amen, I've got a prize to win, but church, I'm telling you what we've got to do in 2024, we've got to get our focus back on the prize, we've got to get our focus back on the mark, amen, when Isaiah, amen, there the Bible tells us, amen, with the year King Uzziah died, Isaiah said, I saw, so the Lord, I lifted up, it is strange, feel the temple, I'm telling you what happened to Isaiah, when he got his eyes fixed upon the prize, when he got his eyes fixed upon the Lord, when he got his eyes focused, he said, I am a man of unclean lips, amen, oh my, he realized, amen, I've got to get things right, I've got to set my priorities, I believe tonight, amen, we've got to get our priorities set, amen, we've got to get it back in line, we've got to realize, I can't go to the right, nor to the left, but I've got to keep going forward, amen, Paul, amen, realized his priority, amen, where he tells us also, amen, he said there, amen, I'm going to forget those things, I'm going to reach forth unto the things which are before, I'm going to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, amen, amen, God was preparing Paul for the prize, and that's exactly what he's doing to us right now, hallelujah, in this race that's been set before us, he's preparing us, amen, he's getting us ready, amen, oh my, Paul realized, I've got to get my priorities right, amen, he must remain pressing on, Paul was doing, amen, his best to live through Jesus, he was pressing forward, the word press, it means to run after something in order to lay hold on it, amen, oh my, my mind goes to the peril, and we read, amen, of the parable of the peril, the peril of the great prize, amen, we read about that, that man, he went out there and he searched, and he sought something, and he found something, brother Quentin, amen, and he sold everything he had, amen, to buy that pearl of a great prize, it was worth everything, whatever he had to lay down, it did not matter what it was, he wasn't going to hold on to it, because he found something that was worth laying everything down for, amen, I'm telling you what, tonight, church, God has something for you, but you may have to get your priorities right, amen, you may have to lay some things aside, amen, you may have to put some things away, come on now, amen, you may have to get the priorities back in line, amen, he tells us, he said, seek ye first the kingdom and his righteousness, and then all of these things will be added unto you, amen, I'm telling you, we've got it backwards so many times, amen, brother Joy Height preached a message, amen, years ago, amen, he talked about Isaac, when Isaac went to dig the wells, amen, amen, he told about how that he got things in order, amen, the first thing he did was he built an altar, amen, he took care of his prayer life, then the Bible said he pitched a tent, he took care of his home life, and then finally, he dug the wells, he had it in order, amen, the first thing was, I've got to build an altar, I'm telling you what, church, if we're going to win the prize, if we're going to make it to the goal, we've got to have an altar, amen, we've got to put things in order, we've got to seek God and his kingdom and his righteousness, and realize, I've got to have it right, amen, God was preparing Paul, amen, but Paul realized, amen, I've got to prepare also, amen, God done done the work, amen, when Jesus at Calvary said those words, it is finished, amen, it was for every, amen, person in this world, amen, but we've got to realize tonight, those three little things, we've got to recognize our position, and understand, we ain't made it just yet, we've still got a ways to go, amen, and we've got to come to a place, amen, where we say, I'm releasing my past, I'm not going to live there anymore, I'm not going to let it haunt me, I'm not going to let it pull me down, I'm telling you what, church, if all we'd done was live in the past, we'd never get anywhere, but we've got to release it, and realize, we've got to get our priorities right, amen, we've got to remain, amen, pressed and torn, that mark, amen, stand tonight if you will, amen, Paul's Christian life, it wasn't a hit or miss thing, amen, he was all out for Jesus, amen, he was, as one man said it, he was in it to win it, amen, he wasn't going to quit, that mean quitting wasn't an option, amen, he wasn't going to back down, amen, but he was going to make heaven his home, amen, we've got to receive the prize, amen, what is that prize, it is from sin to salvation, it is from death unto life, it is from strangers into God's family, it is from wanderers to witnesses, may I remind you that God has blessed us with a great church, amen, I'm telling you, amen, I'll get up here tonight and give you some doom and gloom story, amen, we'll have your head hanging, amen, and say why in the world do we even come to church for, amen, come on now, I've had my share of pastoring, okay, amen, I know, amen, I've heard them get up, amen, I'm being honest with you, amen, as a pastor in my lands, all you're going to do is give the devil 100% of what he's done to you, is that all you came to church for, amen, is brag on the enemy, amen, I'm telling you what, God has done so much for us, my wife sung the song a while ago, when I look around and see all the good things that he's done for me, I tell you what it makes me want to do, brother Camden, it makes me want to press on, it makes me want to keep reaching, it makes me want to just forget those things which are behind me, recognize, release, and realize, I've got a goal to win, I've got a prize set before me, I've got a goal, I've got a heaven to make, and a hell to shun, amen, I appreciate the Lord tonight, amen, may I also remind you, and I am closing, amen, that he has big plans for us here, amen, right here, hallelujah, amen, you know, I don't write things down a whole lot, and I probably should, amen, because I do forget a lot, amen, and I have not forgot what our pastor preached to us some time back here, that there is a Jericho waiting for us, I've not forgot that, I don't think you have either, amen, I'm telling you what, I'm here tonight to pump you and prime you and prep you, amen, I'm here tonight to tell you that God has set a goal before us, God's got a prize waiting, amen, God's got a mark setting for us, and it's time we realize, amen, we've got to make it, amen, we can't back up, we ain't got time to throw in the towel, we ain't got time to give up, we ain't got time to say I quit, we ain't got time to say, well, if he would or she would, amen, but let's realize, amen, it's us, listen to what Paul said, he said, brethren, I count not what? Myself! I ain't made it, boys, amen, but I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do, I'm going to forget those things, and I'm going to press, I'm going to reach, my brother can't do it, my pastor can't do it, my pastor's wife can't do it, amen, my mom and dad can't, but I've got to step up and reach for it! Amen, oh my, I believe tonight, in this altar service, amen, as we get ready to come in here, amen, I believe tonight, it'd be a good night, amen, to just take a look, and take inventory of our lives, amen, that's what I do when I go in that prayer closet at home, amen, I ain't here tonight to brag, amen, but it can't be like going in that prayer closet at home, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, I said, Lord, search me, search me, Lord, for I've got to make heaven, amen, nobody can do it for me, nobody can live it for Anthony, he's got to do it himself, amen, I said, search me, Lord, try my spirit, see if there's any wicked thing, if there's anything in there, you know what it is, amen, I can't point it out to, but you know tonight, if there's anything that's hindering you from the mark, if there's anything that's hindering you from the prize, if there's anything that's weighing you down, pulling you to the side, I'd lay it down tonight and get back up and say I'm running the race for the Lord, I'm not going to quit and I'm not going to lay down, amen, hear me tonight in this altar, remember, amen, where God has brought you from, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen, amen That's what Paul, when he said I'm forgetting those things, amen, he remembered where God brought him from, amen, oh my, yes, I know that we serve the God who casts them into the sea, amen, and separates them as far as east as from the west, amen, but, oh, we've got an enemy who loves to bring it back up, who loves so much, amen, to try to tell us, oh, you know what you used to love to do, oh, yeah, and he tries to get your mind on that, amen, but I want to put him in his place and tell him, oh, yeah, devil, but let me tell you, that's where God brought me from, and I'm not going back to it, I'm not going back to the hog lot, I'm not going back to the rally things, I've come too far to turn back now, I've got a prize, I've got a mark, it's ahead of me, and I'm going to make it, I'm done, I'm done, all right, come, let's come in these altars tonight, amen, let's come in here, amen, church, let's keep pursuing, let's keep marching on, amen, oh, don't give it up, amen, don't give in to the town, don't give in to the temptation to turn away, but keep pressing, keep pressing. I'm going up the road, though steep the climb, still I'm going right on, the rivers I cross may be so deep, till it seems all hope is gone, the clouds hang low, the thunder may roll, still I'm pressing on, I'm going up the road, though steep the climb, still I'm going right on, the rivers I cross may be so deep, till it seems all hope is gone, the clouds hang low, the thunder may roll, still I'm pressing on, I'm going up the road, though steep the climb, still I'm going right on, the rivers I cross may be so deep, till it seems all hope is gone, the clouds hang low, the thunder may roll, still I'm pressing on, I started out, and I'm going to finish this race I have begun, I started one day to follow Jesus, not caring for worldly fame, just when it seemed I was going to die, I'm going up the road, though steep the climb, still I'm going right on, the rivers I cross may be so deep, till it seems all hope is gone, the clouds hang low, the thunder may roll, still I'm pressing on, I'm going up the road, though steep the climb, still I'm going right on, the rivers I cross may be so deep, till it seems all hope is gone, the clouds hang low, the thunder may roll, still I'm going up the road, though steep the climb, still I'm going up the road, though steep the climb, still I'm going I could not make it, my head hung down in shame, the world all around me was offering it's glitter, trying to dim my view, oh but I started out, and I'm going to finish this race I have begun,