Forgetting What Is Behind, Pressing On Toward What Is Ahead
Pastor Tan Thai · Dec 26, 2020
This sermon based on Philippians 3:12-14 calls believers to release the chains of the past — whether failure, hurt, or past glory — and to press forward toward God's purpose with focused determination. Pastor Thái Quang Tấn argues that only by forgetting what lies behind can a Christian complete the race of faith with perseverance and concentration.
The sermon opens with an illustrative story of two friends, one of whom is trapped between anxiety about the future and regret over the past, leaving him paralyzed in the present. This image leads into Paul's teaching in Philippians 3:12-14, where Paul acknowledges he has not yet reached perfection but resolves to do one thing: forget what is behind and press on toward what is ahead.
The pastor analyzes three chains of the past that the enemy uses to imprison people: past failures and mistakes accompanied by the question 'what if'; nostalgia for a former time of success and glory; and the painful memory of criticism and contempt from others. He draws on multiple biblical examples — Adam, Noah, Joseph, and Peter — to show that no one escapes failure, but the key question is how one handles the past. A short story about a character named Jacob by Tennessee Williams serves as a vivid illustration of the tragic consequence of being imprisoned by the past to the point of no longer recognizing reality standing right before one's eyes.
The second part focuses on the meaning of pressing forward. The pastor explains that the Greek word diōkō is used for both 'pressing on' and 'persecuting,' emphasizing the idea of pursuing a goal with focused, undistracted intensity. Paul once used that same focus to persecute the church, but after his conversion he directed it toward the heavenly prize. The images of a magnifying glass and a laser beam are used to illustrate the power of concentrated focus.
The pastor concludes that the Christian life is a long-distance race, not a sprint. Those who finish the race are not necessarily the most gifted or spiritually strong, but those who intentionally focus and persevere in God's strength even when they stumble and fall. The closing appeal encourages the congregation to rely on the power of God's Word, the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and the encouragement of fellow believers in order to live fully for the purpose God has set before them.