Behind and Before
Philippians 3:
Philippians 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,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
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I. The Deficit – “…Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended…”
Clarke observes that: In spite of any gifts or graces or honors that he has received, he still is incomplete until that day when he finishes his course and receives his crown from the Lord. Paul was keenly aware of his deficiencies. Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
DEAD OR ALIVE?
ILL -When elderly Adele Gaboury turned up missing four years ago, concerned neighbors in Worcester, Massachusetts, informed the police. A brother told police she had gone into a nursing home. Satisfied with that information, Gaboury’s neighbors began watching her property. Michael Crowley noticed her mail, delivered through a slot in the door, piling high. When he opened the door, hundreds of pieces of mail drifted out. He notified police, and the deliveries were stopped. Gaboury’s next-door neighbor, Eileen Dugan, started paying her grandson $10 twice a month to mow Gaboury’s lawn. Later Dugan’s son noticed Gaboury’s pipes had frozen, spilling water out the door. The utility company was called to shut off the water. What no one guessed was that while they’d been trying to help, Gaboury had been inside her home. When police finally investigated the house as a health hazard, they were shocked to find her body. The Washington Post (10/27/93) reported that police believe Gaboury died of natural causes four years ago. The respectable, external appearance of Gaboury’s house had hidden the reality of what was on the inside. Something similar can happen to people: We may appear outwardly proper while spiritually dead. All sorts of religious activity may be happening outside, while the real problem is missed: spiritual death on the inside.
SOURCE: Vialo Weis, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 3.) Contributed by Gerald Flurry
II. The Determination – “…but this one thing I do…”
The sole business and concern of my life, the thing that I am devoted to, the thing that occupies my thoughts, hope, dreams, plans and aspirations is this journey that I am on. Nothing else takes precedence over it.
PRAY TILL YOU GET COOKIES
ILL - We should be like the 3-year-old boy (that Paul Harvey told about) who went to the grocery store with his mother. Before they entered the grocery store she said to him, "Now you’re not going to get any chocolate chip cookies and so don’t even ask." She put him up in the cart & he sat in the little child’s seat while she wheeled down the aisles. He was doing just fine until they came to the cookie section. He saw the chocolate chip cookies & he stood up in the seat & said, “Mom, can I have some chocolate chip cookies?” She said, “I told you not even to ask. You’re not going to get any at all.” So he sat back down. They continued down the aisles, but in their search for certain items they ended up back in the cookie aisle. “Mom, can I please have some chocolate chip cookies?” She said, “I told you that you can’t have any. Now sit down & be quiet.”
Finally, they were approaching the checkout lane. The little boy sensed that this may be his last chance. So just before they got to the line, he stood up on the seat of the cart & shouted in his loudest voice, “In the name of Jesus, may I have some chocolate chip cookies?” And everybody round about just laughed. Some even applauded. And, due to the generosity of the other shoppers, the little boy & his mother left with 23 boxes of chocolate chip cookies.
Jeff Strite in "The Power Of Persistent Prayer" on www.sermoncentral.com.
WHY AM I SO EXHAUSTED?
ILL - I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the rubbish bin under the table, and notice that the bin is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the rubbish first. But then I think, since I’m going to be near the mailbox when I take out the rubbish anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of soda I’d been drinking. I’m going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the soda can aside so that I don’t accidentally knock it over. I feel the soda getting warm, so I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the can, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water. I put the can on the counter and find my reading glasses that I’ve been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I’m going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I’ll be looking for the remote, but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the living room where it belongs, but first I’ll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall, trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day, the car isn’t washed, the bills aren’t paid, there is a warm can of soda sitting on the counter, the flowers don’t have enough water, there is still only one check in my check book, I can’t find the remote, I can’t find my glasses, and I don’t remember what I did with the car keys. Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I’m really tired.
III. The Direction – “…forgetting those things which are behind…”
Barnes sees an allusion: here undoubtedly to the Grecian races. One running to secure the prize would not stop to look behind him to see how much ground he had run over, or who of his competitors had fallen or lingered in the way. He would keep his eye steadily on the prize, and strain every nerve that he might obtain it. If his attention was diverted for a moment from that, it would hinder his flight, and might be the means of his losing the crown. One of the saddest episodes in the Bible is used by the Lord in Luke’s gospel as He teaches about the Kingdom. Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. Looking behind is dangerous and can be deadly.
BURN THE SHIPS
ILL - In the 1500’s there was a commander named Cortes who was trying to conquer the Yucatan Peninsula for its gold. To prevent retreat Cortes ordered his ships to be sent to sea and scuttled so they could not retreat. How where they to get home? They weren’t--they would either win or perish!! Sometimes when you make a decision to move forword you need to burn all ships of retreat. If you are getting married or are married, you need to burn all ships to any former boyfriends or girlfriends. If you are starting a new job then you need to put all your effort into that job as if you will never get another one. In our ministry it was not until I scuttled all ships to the past in making any income that the Lord opened the floodgates. In an 8 week period our devotional increased by 60%. Many people signed up to give monthly and my spirit felt refreshed. It didn’t make sense on paper to burn all ships to making income, but that is what I felt God telling me to do. I was not trusting God when I was trying to make ends meet in my own strength. When I finally let go and relied upon you and the Lord for our provisions God made many things happen.
IV. The Devotion “…reaching forth unto those things before…”
The Greek word åðåêôåéíïìåíïò points out the strong exertions made in the race; every muscle and nerve is exerted, and he puts forth every particle of his strength in running. He was running for life, and running for his life.
A LIFE OF RESOLUTIONS
Jonathan Edwards, the 18th-century revivalist, sat down at age 17 and penned 21 resolutions by which he would live his life. Throughout his lifetime he would add to this list until, by his death, he had 70 resolutions. He put at the top of his list: "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions…. Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week." Edwards didn’t casually make New’s Year’s resolutions with an expectation of eventually breaking them. Each week he did a "self-check." He regularly summed up how he was doing and sought God’s help in the process. Christ calls us to commit to actively work at becoming conformed to His image. This coming year resolve to be come a person committed to a godly transformation. If you faithfully do this, you will see your life begin to focus on the spiritual rather than on the passing, material world.
Jan Brown in ChristianityToday.com. Connection. Citation: http://www.christianitytoday.
com/moi/9k6/dec/9k6024.html
V. The Destination“…I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus…”
Some of us are like the man Chuck Swindoll describes:
DRIVING VERY FAST
ILL - In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", Pastor Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley. Some of you might recognize the name Thomas Huxley as a man who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity in Europe in the mid 1800’s. Huxley was in Dublin, Ireland and was rushing to catch a train. He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver, "Hurry, I’m almost late ... drive fast." The driver did exactly what he was told. Off they went at a furious pace. Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes assured that at this quick pace they would surely get to the train station on time. But after a few minutes passed, Thomas Huxley sensed something was very wrong. Huxley opened his eyes, glanced out the window and realized that they were going in the opposite direction of the train station. Then he began to wonder, "Did I tell the driver where I wanted to go?" Thinking that perhaps he had not given the driver complete directions, Huxley called out to him, "Do you know where you are going?" To which the driver replied, "No, your honor, I do not. But I am driving very fast!"
This humorous story illustrates the sad plight of the majority of people in today’s society. They are "driving very fast," but they do not know where they are going.
(From a sermon by Allen Calkins, The Significance of the Gospel, 11/24/2009)
AIMING AT THE RIGHT TARGET
ILL - Some of our deeds are of great value, especially those done in dependence upon God for His glory and honor. Some of our deeds are worthless. They accomplish nothing of eternal value and will be quickly forgotten after we are gone. Matt Emmons had the gold medal in sight. He was one shot away from claiming victory in the 2004 Olympic 50-meter three-position rifle event. He didn't even need a bull's-eye to win. His final shot merely needed to be on target. Normally, the shot he made would have received a score of 8.1, more than enough for a gold medal. But in what was described as "an extremely rare mistake in elite competition," Emmons fired at the wrong target. Standing in lane two, he fired at the target in lane three. His score for a good shot at the wrong target? – 0. 8th place. It doesn't matter how accurate you are if you are aiming at the wrong goal. My friends, I'm afraid many of God's children are going to get to the end of their lives and find that they have been aiming at the wrong goal. They have been aiming for a comfortable life, and they may have hit the bull's eye, but there will be no medal. Oh, they'll get into heaven because of their faith in Christ, but there will be no reward from a Father who will fairly evaluate the value of each one's work.
(From a sermon by C. Philip Green, The Holiness of Grace, 4/29/2011)
