Sermon Response Guide
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE:
Philippians 3:10-16
10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But 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 upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Key Points
- Jesus gives us a new ambition: to know him.
- To know Christ is to become like Christ.
- As we behold Christ, we are becoming who we were created to be in Christ.
- Life in Christ is not seeking to obtain something we’re not, but rather, revealing what Christ has already accomplished in us and for us.
- 3 values of our new ambition in Christ:
1) Progress over perfection:
Give yourself and others grace. We’re all a work-in-progress in the hands of God.
2) Present over past:
We must process our past so we can let go of it and be faithful in the here and now.
3) Prize over possessions:
There is no greater prize than knowing Christ Jesus our Lord – sharing in his sufferings and in his resurrection power.
Memory Verse
Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” -Philippians 2:7 ESV*
*Note: Through the rest of this sermon series, “All Things New,” we will be working together as a faith family to memorize Philippians 2:3-11. Each week, we will introduce a new verse to memorize while encouraging one another to remember the preceding verse(s) from the previous week(s).
This week, try to recite Philippians 2:3-7 together:
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
Questions for Reflection
Take time to reflect and respond to these questions on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or with trusted friends or family members:
1: If someone asked you, “What is the goal or ambition of your life?” How would you respond? If your ambition is “to know Christ,” how would you explain that to someone?
2: How does your new ambition in Christ compare to your old ambition(s) apart from Christ?
3: In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers writes, “The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.”
What do Chambers’ words mean to you, and how have you personally experienced them in your own life? How are you challenged and encouraged by Chambers’ words?
4: If we dwell on the past without God, we’re met with failure and shame. If we focus on the future without God, we’re met with anxiety and worry. What are some practical ways we can seek to live in the presence of God in the present?
5: Read Matthew 6:19-21. As you read the words of Jesus, what is the Holy Spirit impressing upon your heart?
6: Look up the word “treasure” in the dictionary. What stands out to you about the definition of the noun? What about the verb?
7: Where do you think you have the most room to grow when it comes to Jesus being your treasure who you treasure?
8: How is God inviting you to respond to what you have learned today?
Pray
Lord, we confess we are still not all we should be. Help us to focus all our energies on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. By your Spirit, empower us to press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which you are calling us in Christ (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT).
