TEXT:
Phil 3:13 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, (KJV)

Phil 3:13 No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, (TLB)

INTRO.
What are we supposed to forget?  I believe Paul is speaking here of forgetting the things which would hinder him from going forward.  This could include past successes, past failures, and past hurts.

I. FORGETTING PAST SUCCESSES

  A. SOME BELIEVE THEY HAVE "APPREHENDED"
    1. Many supposedly mature Christians are lazy and not serving the Lord anymore.
    2. They feel that they have "apprehended" or that they have become all they "should be."
    3. They feel that they have done their part.
    4. Now, they think it is up to everyone else to finish the job.
    5. Perhaps they taught a Sunday School class for a while.
    6. Perhaps they drove a church bus for a year or two.
    7. Maybe they led a women's Bible study in their home at one time.
    8. Now, they think they have done all they needed to do.
    9. They believe they have earned the church's or the pastor's ETERNAL respect.
    10. Now they sit with their trophy on the shelf of their mind and expect everyone else to work
        while they take an advisory position.

  B. PAUL SAID THAT HE HAD NOT "APPREHENDED"
    1. In essence, Paul said that he had not arrived yet.
    2. This apostle of the faith said that he, himself had not become all he should be.
    3. What had he done?
    4. He had built churches all over Asia Minor.
    5. He had won 1000's to Christ.
    6. He had suffered numerous persecutions.
    7. He had been whipped, beaten, and stoned.
    8. He had won  the respect of the then known world.
    9. Yet, he wanted to forget all of that in order to not be hindered in his efforts to further serve
        the Lord.

  C. THE EXAMPLE OF A FAITHFUL MAN OF GOD
    1. We have several retired preachers in our area.
    2. Some of them feel that they have done their time and that now they should only be asked to
        give counsel and advice to various churches.
    3. Those who think like this are generally cantankarous, selfish, and arrogant.
    4. On the other hand, most of our retired preachers are quite different.
    5. Some of them visit the sick; they work to win the lost; and some teach Sunday
        School classes.
    6. These faithful men of God avoid any type of confrontation with their current pastors.
    7. They are a real joy to be around.
    8. They count not themselves to have apprehended.
    9. They have forgotten their successes in the past and are still pressing toward the mark, even
        though they are well up in years.
    10. One of them, Rev. Willis Deerman is in his mid-80's.
    11. I put much more stock in the counsel of men like Willis Deerman and Willie Boyd (men
        who retired but never quit) than I do the counsel of a dozen others who think they have
        arrived or who act as though they have "apprehended."

  D. THE PROBLEM WITH THOSE WHO THINK THEY'VE ARRIVED
    1. If someone thinks they are perfect, then they have no reason to change.
    2. The day we think we have done enough is the day we quit serving the Lord.
    3. It is also the day that our fruit starts rotting on the vine.

II. FORGETTING PAST HURTS

  A. PAUL FORGOT ABOUT PAST HURTS
    1. Paul was obviously a man who forgot about past hurts.
    2. As I read through the book of Acts, I see an endless cycle in the life of Paul.
    3. He goes to a city and preaches in the synagogue.
    4. There is success with some opposition.
    5. The opposition grows worse.
    6. Revival breaks out.
    7. Paul is beaten and run out of town.
    8. He goes to the next town and you would think the man had never been beaten a day in his life.
    9. He goes right back into the synagogue and preaches the gospel to the Jews again.
    10. There is some success and some opposition.
    11. On one side, the opposition grows worse and on the other side, revival breaks out.
    12. He is physically beaten or whipped and yet he is so full of life and so filled with the Holy
        Ghost, that he just goes to the next town and starts all over again.

  B. MOST MODERN DAY CHRISTIANS AREN'T LIKE PAUL
    1. Most modern day Christians are ready to quit the ministry over one little argument.
    2. They get their feelings hurt and it takes them 3 to 5 years to get over it.
    3. They have not suffered near what the Apostle Paul suffered but their reactions are
        totally different.
    4. In essence Paul said, "Just Forget it!"
    5. These modern day wannabes say, "Never!"

  C. NO SKIN OFF OF HIS BACK?
    1. Some modern day Christians say, "Well, it was no skin off of his back to keep going."
    2. In Paul's case it literally was "skin off of his back."
    3. They literally beat the skin off of his back, but he kept working for Jesus.
    4. He forgot the hurts and went on with what the Lord had called him to do.

  D. IS IT THE LORD'S WILL?
    1. Many Christians take any type of persecution or suffering as some sort of sign from the Lord.
    2. They say, "We must not be in God's will or else we wouldn't be having these problems..."
    3. But Paul essentially said, "Just forget it!"
    4. He went on with the Lord's work in spite of the trouble.

  E. SOME LAME OFFENSES OF THE MODERN CHURCH GOER
    1. Modern day church people get their feelings hurt easily.
    2. They get their feelings hurt if they don't get asked to do what they want to do.
    3. Then, they never forget it.
    4. They write their blessings in the sand and they write their offenses in granite.
    5. The wimpy Christians of today get offended over the least little thing.
    6. If they don't get asked to sing a special, they're offended.
    7. If they don't get voted onto the church board, they get offended.
    8. If they don't get asked to teach their pet doctrines in a Sunday School class they get offended.
    9. Even if they are not anointed to teach, they still get the idea that the pastor or the church
        leadership is against them.
    10. They get mad and go to another church.
    11. But not before they try to get even for an offense that was never intended.
    12. The ways they try to get even generally prove that they had no business ever teaching a
        Sunday School class for any Bible believing church.

  F. CHRISTIANS ARE SUPPOSED TO FACE PERSECUTION
    1. Today's Christians wimp out when it comes to witnessing.
    2. They are so afraid that someone might say something derogatory to them or about them.
    3. Someone might get offended if they pass out a tract.
    4. Bless God if someone gets offended at you for doing the will of God!
    5. Jesus said that we WILL be persecuted.
    6. If we are not being persecuted then something is wrong.
    7. If we don't have somebody mad at us then something is the matter with our Christian walk!
    8. We should FORGET the war stories we have heard or experienced and go on with our
        calling to witness!
    9. When the Lord guides, He provides and He is definitely guiding us through His Word to
        be witnesses. (Acts 1:8)

III. FORGETTING PAST FAILURES

  A. PAUL FORGOT ABOUT HIS PAST FAILURES
    1. If anyone ever had a failure, it was the apostle Paul.
    2. He started out with the biggest failure that anyone could imagine for a servant of God.
    3. He started out persecuting the Lord and His church.
    4. Jesus said, "Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou me..."
    5. Paul could have just said, "I blew it, I might as well quit."
    6. But he didn't!
    7. He went on to be one of the greatest church leaders of all time.

  B. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES
    1. We all make mistakes at some time or another in our lives.
    2. We do the wrong thing.
    3. We stick our foot in our mouth and say the wrong thing.

  C. GOD GIVES US ANOTHER CHANCE
    1. I believe this is why God made days and seasons, in order to help us forget about our
        mistakes.
    2. Each day is a new opportunity with God.
    3. That's why we are taught in the Psalms to say, "This is the day that the Lord hath made, I will
        rejoice and be glad in it."
    4. It is a new start.
    5. It is a chance to forget about yesterday's failures and move ahead with God's plan.

        1John 1:8-9 says: "If we say we have no sin we decieve ourselves and the truth is not in
        us, but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
        us from all unrighteousness."

    6. We do make mistakes.  We do sin.  But God has made a way for us to be set free from them
        and to be cleansed so that we can start all over.

  D. GOD FORGETS
        Isaiah 43:25 says: "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake,
        and will not remember thy sins."
    1. Did you know that God forgets?
    2. That's what it says in Isaiah 43:25.
    3. He forgets on purpose.
    4. He chooses to blot out and to "FORGET" our sins.
    5. If God forgets them, then why do we still remember them?
    6. We should repent (turn from our sins) and forget about them, just like God does!

CONCLUSION:
We need to forget our past accomplishments, our past hurts, and our past failures and go on to serve the Lord!