Today's Topic: Press On!

Last Sunday, we spoke of becoming friends of the eternal God! That is a tremendous grace, the most wonderful experience in our lives. God is also our lifelong guarantee! Although God treats us as friends, reveals Himself to us, tells us His plans, and tells us the future of the world so that we can know Him and walk in His will! Knowing God is endless. It is like a person who discovers a treasure filled with all kinds of jewels. The foolish take a little and leave, while the wise continue to dig, gain, and pursue! What they gain is extremely rich!

So today – I want to share with you one of the most important character traits: press on! Press on to know our God, press on to possess more of Jesus Christ Himself, press on to live out God's good will for us!

Our church has gone through thick and thin, and along the way, there were times we wanted to give up, times we wanted to leave, times we felt unhappy, but because we all have a common vision and a common mission, we are still here today, because we have a heart that presses on!

In fact, it is not difficult for you to see that I have developed the habit of pressing on since I was a child. From elementary school to middle school, from middle school to university, then graduate school, and later working, until today, as a pastor, many times I have stumbled and crawled to get here. It has been very hard. Take these years of building the church, even those who have left the church know how wholeheartedly I have served. I have hardly taken a day off! If I were to give myself a summary, it would be to press on. Sometimes, I think about it and lament how tiring and difficult it has been, but then I think, isn't it precisely because of pressing on that I enjoy what I do? As Ecclesiastes says, Ecc 5:19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. I thank God for allowing me to enjoy the joy in my labor, until now. I have a conviction in me, to be the best Christian! Whether we can achieve it or not is not the issue, the issue is whether we want to! I want to be the best Christian, I long to be the best Christian! I also have a conviction in me, to build a glorious church, to build a church of elite soldiers. It doesn't matter if we can't do it, but that is what we want! When we think like that, God will accomplish it for us! Amen!

I hope that brothers and sisters will inherit this little bit of my advantage – that is, to press on! Especially in the matter of believing in the Lord, we must press on even more! I have times of frustration, times of crying, times of wanting to give up, but I pick myself up and continue on the road of pressing on! I also know that brothers and sisters, like me, have times of frustration, times of wanting to give up, but I know that you also have a heart that presses on! Let us cheer each other on! Let us cheer together! Forgetting what is behind, striving for what is ahead, running straight toward the goal that God has set for us, until we see the face of the Lord! That is the most important quality of a person!

A few days ago, I was thinking about whether I was living a tiring life. Later, I realized that those who press on live more easily than those who do not press on. When I realized this, I was very grateful! I discovered a rule: those who press on run ahead. Although those who run ahead in a race are tired, those who chase behind are even more tired. Those who study well are not tired, those who do not study well are even more tired! Those who do well at work are tired, those who do not do well at work are even more tired. Christians who please God are tired, but those who do not please God are even more tired! - The conclusion is, we have no good choice, choose to press on!

We have recently been reading Rick Joyner's The Final Quest. He describes climbing the holy mountain of God! His words are very encouraging to me. When he climbed higher, the battle became more powerful, the higher he climbed, the easier it was to climb, the higher he climbed, the less likely the enemy was to shoot him!

Therefore, brothers and sisters, today, we are still in a very low position, so we are very hard. When we press on, quickly climb to the top of the mountain, enter the garden of the Father's love, everything will become so beautiful, and the battle will also become beautiful! The difficulties we face today, the problems our brothers and sisters face, the solution is to press on!

Come, let's look at today's scripture.

Scripture: Philippians 3:12-17

Phl 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Phl 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, Phl 3:14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phl 3:15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Phl 3:16 Nevertheless, whatever we have attained, let us walk accordingly. Phl 3:17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

The Context of This Passage – Paul Faced Many Difficulties, and the Church Faced Many Challenges

Paul – Imprisoned, lonely, and Epaphroditus, who cared for him, almost died from illness.

The Church – Facing intimidation, factional disputes, false gospels, and spiritual warfare.

Therefore, Paul said that he longed to depart and be with the Lord!

Faced with such great difficulties, how can we triumph?

The theme of Paul's letter of Philippians – Striving for eternal goals!

Warfare is Inevitable

From Genesis to Revelation, it is all about warfare.

Exodus – Warfare

Numbers – Warfare (Internal power struggles, external military conflicts)

Joshua – Warfare

Samuel – Warfare

Kings, Chronicles – All warfare

David – Warfare, victory – David's Mighty Men

The Church – Warfare, until the final battle at the end of days!

Victory in Warfare is Necessary to Receive Blessings!

Without fighting spiritual battles, one cannot obtain them.

The devil must be driven out.

The Kingdom of God is fought for and won.

Our Vision – Elite Army Church

Seeing the needs of this generation

Seeing God's calling on us

Knowing why we live

Why are we blessed among us?

Do not lose the vision

A life that has lost its vision,

A life that has lost its direction

A life that has lost its meaning

Strive to Pursue, Be an Elite Soldier of Jesus Christ!

Counter-terrorism – Countries are establishing special forces

Fighting tough battles

Putin – Terrorists – In the airport, in the toilet (die in the toilet)

Elite soldiers, France – Black suits, America – Navy SEALs, Delta Force, Britain – G-men, Russia – Alpha

China – Eastern Sword, Eagle, Night Tiger

Bin Laden – Special forces

An era of spreading terrorism – Special forces

In spiritual warfare, strong elite soldiers are needed to strike against the forces of darkness of the devil.

The devil hates churches like ours the most! We not only strike in traditional ways, but also lay down an inescapable net.

God's standard – A standard of no compromise!

When we strive to pursue being like God, pursuing the practice of God's word, what happens? Supernatural things happen!

To please God – Strive to pursue! Restore the glory of God in us.

For all have fallen short of the glory of God!

Rooted in Truth – Truly Knowing God!

The life of a Christian

Pursuing in the Bible, the word of God

Pursuing in truth

Pursuing in drawing near to God

Pursuing in unity

Not advancing is retreating

Live an Extraordinary Life

What God has prepared for us is what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived.

Being ordinary is not God's will!

John Bevere Extraordinary Life

The life of a prince!

God in our lives,

Pursuing excellence

Above and not below

Making your name great

Looking forward to a wonderful and extraordinary life

Being bullied is all excellent – If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles

God's clear presence – The result is transcendence. To be a friend of God, one must pursue excellence

God calls us not to be the same as the people of the world

David – Lived an extraordinary life. Is it easier to live victoriously, or easier to live in defeat?

The church – Must strive to pursue!

Seeing my son, striving to pursue, I am happy! Research report,

Conclusion – Strive to Pursue, Obtain Christ!

Philippians 3:7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. Philippians 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

Matthew effect