Bobby Bosler: Welcome to the Thee Generation Podcast. I’m Bobby Bosler and I’m speaking to you today from Menominee Falls, Wisconsin. Today, our guest is a young man who has traveled with me for a couple weeks back in 2012. He’s a graduate of Baptist College of Ministry and is currently in Warsaw, Indiana, with his wife, assisting Pastor Don Williams, his father, at Believer’s Baptist Church.

Stephen had our team in a couple of summers ago for the Kola Clash there, and God did a great work. And he’s currently up here in a seminary class at Baptist Theological Seminary. And we thought since he was here and since I know he is passionate about Thee Generation, we ask that he would share a burden with you. So, Stephen, why don’t you share what God has put in your heart for the young people?

Well, let’s take our focus to Philippians chapter 3 and verses 10 and then 13 through 14. I want to just talk about the matter of where your focus is. And if I could put that into a question, where is your focus as you listen to this podcast? In Philippians 3, verse 10, it says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death.

Going down to verse 13, it 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, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God. The first question I’d like to ask today is just, do you know Jesus? And I get that question from verse 10. Paul states here, coming off of verses 7, 8, and 9, where he talks about the things that he counted gain.

He counted loss for Christ. He doubtless I count, in verse 8, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And now coming off of those verses, 7, 8, and 9, in verse 10 he says that I may know him. Paul knew his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And can I ask you, do you know Jesus? And I’m not talking about just a knowledge of him, just knowing about him. Because most of you listening, the very fact that you are listening to this podcast reflects the fact that you do know Jesus. The fact that you have somewhat of a desire, some type of a desire to know him.

But I’m talking about a deep knowledge. Do you know his plan for your life? Do you know his desires for your life? Do you know his heart and his burden for your life?

Because that’s when you begin to know Jesus in a deeper sense of the word know. A few things, or a couple things rather, that will happen when you know Jesus. We find in verse 10, you’ll know his power. Paul says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection.

I’ll tell you, when you start to know Jesus, you start to see his power in your life. You start to see miracles that only Jesus can do. You start seeing lives changed around you. You start seeing your own life changed in those areas where you thought it was impossible to see that change.

You start to see his power. But not only do you see his power, you start to see his sufferings. It says in the second part of verse 10, and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death. We don’t like to talk about this part as much, but the truth is, when you start to know Jesus, you start to see his sufferings.

You start to see what he went through for you. And I’ll tell you, as much as we try to stray from this, young person, we ought to delight in the fact that we can and that we will suffer for Jesus Christ. Think about all that he did for you. Think about the suffering that he endured for you on the cross when he took all of your sins, past, present, and future, on himself.

Not only yours, but everybody else around you, past, present, and future. He endured a lot for you. He endured more than you can imagine. We ought to delight in the fact that we can and will suffer for him.

But I don’t want to just stop there. I want to go down and ask just another question. Do you feel that you’ve arrived? As you listen to this podcast, do you feel that you’ve arrived in your knowledge of Jesus Christ?

In verse 13, Paul says, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. I count not myself to have arrived. I don’t feel like I understand everything, like I know everything there is to know about Jesus. You know, Paul had, if any of us, Paul had the right to say, hey, I count myself to have arrived.

You know, Paul was a very knowledgeable man. He had training. He had personally come and seen Jesus Christ. He had a relationship with him like none of us, or many of us rather, can’t even comprehend.

Paul certainly, if any of us, could have said, I have apprehended. But he says, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. We see his humility here. And may I simply just challenge you to not think of yourself as having arrived, because there’s much more to learn about Jesus.

But moving on to the final question here, do you know where you are headed? Where is your focus in life? In the second part of verse 13 and verse 14, he talks about this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark. First of all, have you forgotten those things which are behind?

First John 1.9 says if we confess our sins, he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Young person, if you have confessed your sin, which I trust that you have, and you’re not harboring sin in your life, do not for one moment allow Satan to use that thing, that sin, that struggle, that bondage to ensnare you. Don’t allow him through his lies to hold you back with that thing which is behind. With Paul, I challenge you to cry out, I am going to forget those things which are behind.

Why can you forget those things which are behind? Because if you’ve confessed them and forsaken them and God has forgiven you, I’ll tell you what, God has forgotten those things. He’s not hanging on to them and you need not hang on to them either. But there’s another challenge along with this in these verses here.

In verse 14, he says, I press toward the mark. And to verse 13, reaching forth unto those things which are before. There’s a focus that is forward, a focus that is moving on, that is pressing forward. This is moving towards the goal of higher ground.

In the familiar hymn, we sing often, it says, I’m pressing on the upward way. New heights I’m gaining every day. Still praying as I’m onward bound. Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

As you forget those things which are behind, I challenge you to press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. To reach for that higher ground each and every day in your relationship with Jesus Christ. Do not for one day become content with where you have come. Do not for one day become content to where the Lord has brought you in your journey with him.

Constantly beyond that process, moving forward, moving toward Jesus Christ, knowing him afresh, learning who he is afresh, spending time in prayer with him. Don’t let Satan distract you with the things that are behind and focusing on them, but also don’t be content with where you are today. Allow Jesus Christ to move you forward. Reach forth to those things which are before and press onward.

Let Christ be your focus, your goal. This is truly a daily choice. You know, I’ll tell you, as a young person, you have a choice every day. Am I going to fit in with the world around me?

Am I going to fit in with my friends? Am I going to be content where I am? Am I going to focus on the things that have ensnared me, the things that are behind me? Or am I going to look to Jesus Christ and press toward the mark of a high calling?

This is a daily choice. You’re either going to spend time with the Lord in prayer or you’re not. You’re either going to read your Bible and allow the Lord to speak to you through his word, or you’re not. You’re either going to witness for him, be a testimony for him, a bold witness for him, or you’re not.

I’ll tell you, you’re not on your own in this. And you can’t blame Jesus Christ for failure in these areas. If you go into chapter 4 of Philippians in verse 13, the Bible says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. You can’t blame Jesus Christ for failure because he has promised that he will always, always enable you.

He will always give you the strength to do that which you cannot do on your own. So let me ask you once again this simple question. Where is your focus today? Is it on your past? is it on your present and and just simply being content with where you are today or is your focus on jesus christ is your focus on that which he has called you to do to be a witness for him to develop a relationship with him to be that channel of living waters to those around you i’ll tell you that’s what jesus wants to do he wants you to have a life of power a life of miracles, a life of reproduction, but it’s only going to happen as your focus is on him.

Amen. Thank you for that, Stephen. You know, it’s really tempting sometimes to overcomplicate things, but I think if we all just recognize that every part about our walk and service for God is rooted in an absolute love relationship with Jesus. Great question.

Where’s your focus? And I trust here today that you, as you are focusing on Jesus, are totally surrendered to him and totally dependent upon him to do all that he’s called you to do. Thanks for listening.