Good morning, Drawing Near to God community! Recently, I had the honor of preaching at my home church, St. Andrew’s in Mt. Pleasant. The title of my sermon was Pressing On, with the focus Scripture being Philippians 3.1-16. Here are some of the key points from the sermon, which you can listen to on the St. Andrew’s website or on our mobile app.
The Apostle Paul exhorts Christians to press on in their journey with Christ (Philippians 3:1-16). Although the upward call of God in Christ Jesus most likely refers to that point when physical death comes and your spirit is called upward into full fellowship with Christ, until that
time, we are called to continue pressing on in spiritual growth. Sometimes, though, we become stuck in our spiritual progress and seem unable to press on. Scripture reminds us that in these times we must:
- Wake up/stir up (Ephesians 5:14)
- Rise up in the power of the Holy Spirit (Ezra 10:4; Isaiah 60:1; Hebrews 12:1)
- Grow up in Christ (Ephesians 4:18)
Here are some life applications as you reflect on how this applies to you and your life:
- Are you stuck in your spiritual journey?
- Are you in a season of high stress, overwhelming circumstances or feeling flat-lined?
- Can you identify the obstacles that cause you to stay in the same place?
- Are you willing to ask the Holy Spirit to stir you up and empower you to rise up and change your course?
- Have you identified spiritual mentors to aid you in getting unstuck and pressing on in your call?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!
