The Upward Call

The Upward Call Philippians 3:14b · Week 6 of Pressing On

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Memory Phrase: “…for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14b, NIV)

Introduction: Calls You'd Drop Everything For

I. You Have Been Called

Paul's call came on the Damascus road with “a light from heaven” (Acts 9:3; 26:19).
God “called me by his grace” (Galatians 1:15).
Every Christian has been called (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2).
The question isn't “Do you have a calling?” It's "Is it driving you, or are you drifting?"

II. The Call Changes Everything

The call says no to some things. Paul counted his gains as loss for Christ (3:7–8).
The call sets priorities. “One thing I do” (3:13). God's call belongs at the top of the list.
The call gives direction. “I press on toward the goal” (3:14). A called person is headed somewhere, not drifting.
Our problem may be answering too many calls, so the most important one gets lost in the noise.

III. The Final Call

Anō means “above” or "upward." The call comes from above and calls us upward (Colossians 3:2).
“Heavenward” means Christ and resurrection, not escape (3:20–21).
One day the Judge will call your name and say, “Come up.”
We hear the call at the start, listen for it all our lives, and hear it one final time at the finish.

IV. We Have Been Called

The Philippians gave because “they gave themselves first of all to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5).
The prize is not a building. The prize is Christ. Our improvements serve the call.
A called church says no to some things, sets priorities, and is headed somewhere.

Conclusion: Answer the Call