No Parking! Keep Moving!

All drivers at some time or other experienced the lovely frustration of driving around trying to find a parking spot. Sometimes you need to park in order to transact whatever business or appointment is pending. Sometimes you just park!

Our life as believers and disciples of Christ is viewed as a constant journey with one goal. Paul's life was a constant forward motion for Christ. His whole life's purpose and goal is revealed in the words he wrote:

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 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, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:7-21 KJV

Paul's life was a constant reaching forth, ever forward to that goal. From the moment of that unforgettable Damascus road encounter when he asked "Lord, What wilt thou have me to do?", Paul never looked back! As mentioned before this Christian life is a constant journey. The way is obstacle ridden and tribulation filled, so that it appears difficult at times, especially when observed through the natural eyes. We will be tempted constantly to slow down, and come to a complete stop. We may end up parking with no desire to move on. Reaching forth (extending oneself) and pressing forward (pursuit), takes effort of will, and determination of faith!

You get nowhere by quickly by continuous parking!

Where have you parked your life? Illegal parking brings with it certain penalties such as tickets, towing, charges and fines. As disciples of Christ we need to be aware of where we have a tendency to park!

You are defined, not by the circumstances in which you find yourself, but by your reaction and response to those circumstances!

1. SOME OF US ARE PARKED BY OUR PAST EXPERIENCES

If we constantly dwell in the past we'll never fit into the future!

Sometimes we can become so attached to our old ways of doing things, and traditions become so dear, that we either fail to see or fear to see what God is doing, or wants to do with His people. We therefore dig our heels in, and bend our heads in stubbornness, resisting the tug of the Holy Ghost, and in process losing all that God has planned for us!

All the time we appear to be active. We are actually busy moving here and there in the physical world getting things done, with every appearance of success, but spiritually we have been parked at the same spot most of our lives. It's like we are on a spiritual treadmill…much activity yet stationary…going nowhere!

Remember the Israelites were busy for forty years but got nowhere? Do you know why? They refused to forget the things left behind. They refused to reach for the things ahead that were promised by a God. They had no desire to press forward to the destination intended for them by God.