PASTOR DARRYL BAKER

Philippians 3:13-14
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

A key to moving forward into all God has for your life is to forget what is behind. If you hold on to your past you will remain there. In the Old Testament the first generation of the children of Israel once delivered out of Egypt kept looking back to Egypt, and they did not go forward into the promise land God had for them. Only Joshua and Caleb let go of the past and entered that promise.

Stop thinking about, talking about, and focusing on your past and what is behind you. Stop seeing the person you used to be and start seeing in scripture who God has made you to be. Leave the past, yours, and others where it belongs, behind you. Do not allow past hurts and failures to get your attention. Forgive everyone and release them from any wrong they may have done. Don’t beat yourself up for wrongs you have done, just repent, and move forward.

Paul knew this all to well, for his past life was one in which his faith was in his own righteousness and not God’s. He also had been a major player in persecuting the church until Jesus revealed Himself to Paul. If you hold on to the past, you will only hinder your ability to enter into what God has ahead for you. When you let go of the past you can then move forward by faith into all God has already prepared for you to walk in.

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… and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Every believer has been seated together with Christ at the right hand of the Father. This is recognized as a position of authority over all the powers of darkness. It is the same position of authority Adam had before he sinned. Adam was given authority over all the earth and God told Adam to use that authority to walk in dominion upon the earth.

You have been seated with Christ far above all principalities, powers, might, dominion, and every name that is named. Not a little above, FAR above! Through Christ we have been restored back to the place of dominion that God had given Adam. This authority means you have been given delegated power, God’s power. You exercise your authority over satan and all his works by faith in the name of Jesus, the name above all names.

We need to fully understand our position in Christ, the authority that has been given to us, and exercise that authority through a bold faith-filled declaration of the name of Jesus. We are to trample on all the power of the enemy as Jesus declared in Luke 10:19. Romans 5:17 tells us we are to reign in this life through Jesus Christ. So don’t allow the powers of darkness to rule over you. By faith from your position in Christ, use the name of Jesus and keep them under your feet where they belong.

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Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Here in Hebrews 12:1 it tells us about the great cloud of witnesses that are an example to our walk of faith, who many are listed in the previous chapter of Hebrews 11. Then we are told of several key things that will help us to follow the example they have set in our faith walk with God. Let’s examine them together.

The first one mentioned is to lay aside every weight. When you look at the meaning of this word it refers to what a runner would do when running a race. They would take of any extra clothing or items that would slow them down in running their race. We must lay aside anything that is hindering us from developing our faith in God and running our race with Him. For example, if we are feeding on worldly things on TV, social media, ungodly friendships, etc, these things are going to hinder our faith. If you spend your time on things that do not build your faith and keep your faith in God strong, they are hindering you from trusting in Him.

Then he mentions laying aside sin that so easily ensures us. Do not normalize sin in your life. Sin robs us of our confidence in God (1 John 3:21). So lay aside any sinful action and repent when you do sin. The third thing mentioned here is to look unto Jesus, which the wording refers to giving Him your undivided attention. Simply put, He is the Word made flesh, so stay in fellowship with Him through the Word, and choose to focus on what His Word says instead of anything seen in the natural realm. Do these three things and you like those who have gone before us can live a life of trust in our God.

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Acts 15:37-40
37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.

In the above set of scriptures, you sadly have an event that takes place all too often in the body of Christ. Paul and Barnabas whom God had called to work together to fulfill God’s purpose in preaching the gospel were preparing to go back to the churches they had already been to so they could check on them and see how they were doing. John Mark on that first journey at one point had left them and gone back to Jerusalem. It was dangerous work, and he had not stayed with them.

As they are preparing to go again, Barnabas wants to take John back with them, but Paul who had become the leader of the team did not want him to go. Good leadership is not going to allow someone who is not prepared to risk the mission that needs to be fulfilled, knowing also they may be affected. But Barnabas was determined to get his way, and this caused contention between him and Paul. Instead of staying with Paul whom God had called him to work with, he took John and went off on his own.

Paul chose Silas, and sadly you do not hear about Barnabas through the rest of the book of Acts, but you do read about Paul and Silas. Silas had come to where they were in Antioch, and you find out that the Holy Spirit had led Silas to remain when others had departed going back to Jerusalem because God knew He would need a replacement. Paul’s proof he had heard from God was the leaders in Antioch commended Paul. When you know God has connected you with the church body and the leadership He has for your life, stay where He planted you, for it is God who places us in the body where He has called us to fulfill our god-given purpose.

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Galatians 6:15
For neither is circumcision [now] of any importance, nor uncircumcision, but [only] a new creation [the result of a new birth and a new nature in Christ Jesus, the Messiah].

Circumcision was required of Abraham and all his men and was then to include all males on the eighth day after their birth. This cutting away of the flesh was a sign they had a covenant with God. Under the New Covenant, there were some who insisted that even though one was born again, they were still to be circumcised. As Paul reveals in the above verse it is no longer of any importance, for under this New Covenant it is the inward change of the new man, this new creation of the human spirit that matters.

This new birth of the human spirit is how one experiences the cutting away of the old fallen nature, and you enter into a covenant with God. Man has always tried to change the inward man through outward actions. But if that were possible, you would not have needed Jesus. God came to change us, and change the way we live our life, but that change comes from the inside out.

Colossians 2:11 – In him you were also circumcised. It was not a circumcision performed by human hands. But it was a removal of the corrupt nature in the circumcision performed by Christ.

Here we are told that the old fallen nature was cut away in Christ when our spirit was reborn. It is this new nature within, the new man that we are to now develop through the renewing of the mind that will change how we live on the outside. By the renewing of your mind through reading the New Testament of who you now are in Christ, you are transformed outwardly to no longer be conformed to the ways of the world.

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Galatians 5:6
…the only thing that matters is faith working through love.

It is true faith, a faith that believes, speaks, and acts; united with the knowledge of God’s love for you, compelling you to love, that means everything. Love, the God kind of love, is a choice. God’s love is not based on feelings, but on actions. God’s love is not lip service, but is revealed through our deeds, how we live. Never forget, for your faith in God’s Word to work for you, you must walk in love. If your faith is not working the first place you should check is your love walk.

If you have gotten out of love, said something you should not have said or done something you should not have done, go to that person and repent and get right back in love. Jesus gave us the formula for walking in the love of God. We are to treat others the same way we would want them to treat us, no matter how they treat us. So, when you think about how you are treating other people you should ask yourself, is this how I would want them to treat me. Are these the words, actions, and attitudes I would want from them.

It does not matter how others have treated you, for God’s love is unconditional. It does not place a condition on others to love you before you love them. On the cross Jesus gave us the greatest example of love, asking the Father to forgive those who had crucified Him. Looking to His example on the cross reminds us of how much He loves us. So, if you want your faith in God to work for you, choose to walk in love, for your faith depends on it.

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Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

We are all one in Christ. God is no respecter of persons, but a respecter of faith. He has no favorites, for He sees all the same through Christ Jesus. What pleases Him is when we believe His Word, speak His Word, and act as if His Word is true because it is. God does not do special favors for some; God sees us all the same because we once born again are all children of God, and therefore a part of His family.

In Acts 10:34 Peter declared that God shows no partiality, for Jesus was anointed by God and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil. Jesus has not changed, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. For all who put their faith in Him, they are able to receive from Him what He has provided. Don’t ever fall for the lie that God only heals or blesses certain people. Everyone in God’s family are equal heirs to all of God’s promises.

If you had a radio and you were trying to pickup a certain station but were unable to hear it, you wouldn’t call the station and tell them there must be a problem on their end. You would instead adjust the dial on your end until you picked up their signal. That signal is available to all, but you must be on the same frequency. So, it is with God. Once you get in faith through hearing and meditating on His Word, you can receive what He has already provided for you. Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to Him who believes”. What God has promised in His Word He will perform for all who put their full trust in Him.

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Mark 4:40
But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

One of the most detrimental things to faith is fear. Let’s look at some keys from scripture of how we can walk in victory over fear. In the above scripture Jesus reveals to His disciples that they were afraid because they had no faith. He had gotten into a boat with them and had said they were going to the other side. A storm came up and they were afraid they would perish. The reason they were fearful is because they had their focus on the storm, and not on what Jesus had said. Once Jesus had said to go to the other side, they should have known they could do so for God had spoken. Focusing on the storm instead of His Word allowed fear to come.

In another example of this where Jesus had told His disciples to go over to the other side, He then came walking on the water. Peter getting out of the boat with his focus on Jesus began to go to Him. But then He took his eyes off of Jesus, he became afraid and began to sink. Jesus said to Peter he had little faith. This was the result of taking his eyes off of the Lord and focusing on the winds and waves. Whenever we take our focus off the Word of God and focus on what we see in the natural, fear will come.

In 1 John 4:18 we are told there is no fear in love, for perfect (mature) love casts out fear. When you take the time to develop a close relationship with the Lord, you mature in your knowledge and belief of His love, and that love will cast out fear. Stop focusing on the storms of life. Get your eyes focused on the Word of God, and take the time to develop an intimate relationship with the Lord. If you do these things, you can defeat fear.

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Ephesians 6:14-17
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;….

The battle ground for every believer is the mind. If you want to win this battle, you need to understand the armor God has given to you, and how that armor helps you to overcome every wrong thought that comes. To have your armor on you must walk in the light of what it is, actively using it every day. It is our new lifestyle of living as a believer in Christ.

You should have on the belt of truth, having a clear understanding of God’s Word through daily fellowship with God in His Word. His Truth will protect you from deception. You should have on the breastplate of righteousness, walking in the revelation of your right standing with God given to you through salvation. Knowing this will keep you from the lie of the enemy that you are not right with God. The gospel of peace should be a part of your life every day knowing the good news, that you have peace with God.

You should also be continually hearing the Word preached, keeping your shield of faith in place to quench all the fiery darts of the devil. You should live each day mindful of the hope of salvation that is to come, looking to the return of Christ, and therefore overcoming hopelessness. Last but not least you should have the sword of the Spirit working for you by confessing God’s Word just as Jesus did in overcoming every temptation that comes.

Christianity is not a lesson learned, but a life to be lived. Walk in the reality of the armor you have been given and you will be ready for every battle of the mind and walk in victory. You can listen to our full series on this by going to: http://www.cffchurch.com/media/series/ycjfqqq/winning-the-battle-of-the-mind

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2 Corinthians 5:19
It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).

The word reconciliation means to make an exchange, to restore to favor with God. Jesus became our substitutionary sacrifice by being made sin so that we could be made righteous. What Jesus is we have become, for He became what we were. Once born again we can stand in the presence of God without shame, for we have become one with Christ. God was in Christ completing this work on the earth. In the eyes of God every sinner got saved at Calvary when Christ became sin, therefore God is not keeping a record of the sinners’ sins.

This is what “not counting up” their sins means. What will send a sinner to hell and eternal separation from God is not receiving Christ as their Savior. It is the sinful nature within that is the root of the problem that has them separated from God. All who are born again now have a message to share with sinners. It is not their sins that is keeping them separated from God, but the sinful spirit within. Their sins are the result of that sinful nature.

So, when you witness to a sinner don’t focus on their sins, because God Himself is not counting up their sin. Help them to understand God has already provided reconciliation for them. All they must do is receive Jesus as the Lord of their life. Rejecting Him is what Jesus said would damn them for eternity. This is the message about reconciliation He has committed to the church to share with the whole world.

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