Click here to download in pdf format.
Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (3-5-1992 Cleland Baptist Church)
Paul made known his ambition in Philippians 3:10. Now he
comments of the state of life in Christ. He is grateful for what he has
received, but he still has a long way to go before he realizes and enjoys all he
was saved for.
A word of caution about this passage. Paul does not doubt his salvation. He knew he was saved, in Christ, safe, secure, in God’s family, accepted, under no condemnation, fully justified, and in possession of eternal life. The work of Christ in saving him was completed, but the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctifying him was not complete. His character was not completely changed. He was not yet perfect. His aim was to go “onward and upward”.
Paul was not satisfied with his
present position. Not already attained or perfected. Not apprehended. (N.K.J.V.).
He did not consider himself to have taken hold of the purposes for which Christ
had taken hold of him. Note his description of a Christian – someone Christ
has apprehended, taken hold of. Paul had felt this on the road to Damascus. At
that time he hated Christ and His followers. Then Christ laid hold of him,
arrested him, put His hand out and grabbed Paul. This is an important
description of the Christian life. Whether our conversion was sudden or not, we
are in His grip and power, and we cannot escape it. He has mastered us.
Being a Christian is not a hobby
or an interest we take up. The Lord takes hold of us.
“O love that wilt not met me go”
We are gripped and cannot escape from Him. God has dealt
with us, He has done something to us, He has intervened in our lives, come right
into the centre of our lives and controlled us. If this is not the case, then we
are not Christians. We are not like everyone else with a bit added on. But at
the centre and core of our being the Lord has taken hold of us, and worked a
radical change. We are wholly different now, and have a different outlook.
However long ago conversion was,
we are still aware that he has laid hold of us. We still feel His divine hand on
us. He laid hold of us to save us, forgive us, make us part of His family, so
that at death we will be forever with the Lord. He has also changed our life,
made us like Christ, conformed us to the image of His Son, and we glorify Him in
all we do. We carry out His will, serve Him, know Him and His power, are
delivered from the pollution of sin, and are being perfected, renewed and
sanctified.
Now Paul knew he was safe and
secure, his sins were forgiven and he was justified. But he had not fully laid
hold of all the other things for which the Lord had laid hold of him. The
Lord’s purposes in saving him were not realized to the full. There was still
much land to be possessed, he had a long way to go in the Christian life. This
is remarkable considering Paul’s achievements, the work he had done as a
missionary and letter writer, the suffering he had endured, his mature Christian
character and experience of the Lord. He leaves us all far behind – and yet he
still felt he had a long way to go. There is profound discontent and
dissatisfaction about this man, for he has not seen all God’s purposes carried
out.
What a contrast from us. We are
self-satisfied, and our consciences are asleep. When we compare ourselves to
others, though we say so ourselves, we are not doing too badly. We are content
with things as they are. When we mix with dwarfs, we think we are giants, but
when we are in the presence of giants, we soon see we are dwarfs. If only we
would compare ourselves with God’s Law, and thought about God’s will and
purposes in His Word, then we would not be so easily pleased with ourselves.
One of the purposes of preaching
is to stir us up, “to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable.”
Preaching asks questions, it challenges people to face themselves and to be
honest.
It is easy to have a false
estimate of ourselves. Of the church in Sardis, it was written, I know your
deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead (Revelation
3:1). And the church at Laodicea, You say, “I am rich; I have acquired
wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realize you are wretched,
pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3:17). While we are pleased with
ourselves, we will never make progress. Dissatisfaction and discontent lead to
progress. Our attitude should be that of Job: My ears have heard of you but
now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and
ashes (Job 42:5,6). Or the attitude of Isaiah: Woe is me! I am ruined!
For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and
my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty (Isaiah 6:5).
Do you long to go forward? Would you give everything for that? If you are dissatisfied with your Christian life, you are in good company. Paul knew all about that. It is an encouraging sign; the right conditions are there for making progress.
But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what
is ahead (Philippians 3:13). This was Paul’s secret, he was single-minded
– “one thing I do”. So often with us there are two things, or many things,
that we are preoccupied with. But for Paul everything else was brought under
this one supreme end. There were no distractions, and no side issues.
Concentration was the secret of his power. He was a specialist, who aimed to do
one thing and do it well.
We are so easily distracted, and take our eye off our aim. As far as the past is concerned, we should forget what is behind. Of course we are not to forget our conversion, or God’s goodness to us. But we are not to let life’s failures and successes hinder Him. The failures of the past discourage us (do not forget John Mark, or Peter), and the successes of the past fill us with pride. If we dwell on them, we miss the point that greater things are ahead for us. So do not live in the past, it will hinder your progress. The past is over, let it be. All that matters is the present and the future. When a runner looks back, he loses speed, direction and concentration. So we can be distracted by the past.
We need to reach forward to what
God has in store for us in the future. I press toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14, N.K.J.V.).
Paul’s uses many kinds of
illustrations - military, architecture, agriculture – and here we have an
illustration from athletics. He pictures a chariot race or a foot race. There
would have been months of training. In the stadium there would be the entrance
at one end, and at the other end the goal or pillar, which was the finishing
post, where the judges sat. Surrounded by raised tiers for the spectators. The
race began with the sound of a trumpet, and the runners head straight for the
goal, clearly visible to all. The victor’s prize would be a crown of leaves.
He would receive this coveted prize from the judges, and there would be great
honour for the victor, his family, and his hometown. He would return home in a
triumphal procession. Sometimes there was also a money gift, poets would write
about him, and he would eat at the public expense, get the front row in the
theatre, etc.
Our attitude to the Christian
life should be like the runner in the race who is determined to win the prize,
always pressing on. We cannot do anything to save ourselves, but once we are
saved, effort is involved. We need to be striving onwards and upwards. See
Paul’s keenness and zeal and commitment. He wants to get the prize. Is our
enthusiasm and keenness channelled into the ultimate direction and goal of the
Christian life, is Christ everything? And His will, glory and approval? Are we
aiming to be useful to the Lord? Ever striving to do more? Concerned to be more
Christ-like? Striving to master every sin that besets us? Display every
Christian grace? Do we do this in every detail of life – every thought, word
and action? Am I living unto Him, glorifying Him? Is He at the centre of my
life?
This is a high standard indeed,
but we should not be content with less. Doing His will, consecrating everything,
bringing everything under His authority is the way for the Christian. This needs
to be our objective and purpose. We need to be a people of one supreme purpose
– “One thing I do”. Every aspect of our individual lives and corporate
lives should be brought under this one unifying purpose – to please Him, know
Him, and receive His prize and commendation.
Our prize will not be a wreath
of laurel leaves, but a crown of life, glory and righteousness (James 1:12; 1
Peter 5:4; 2 Timothy 4:8). To hear the master say, “Well done”. The joy of
everlasting life, life in a restored universe, in the presence of Christ and His
saints forever. Whereas only one athlete wins the running race, every Christian
may receive a reward – a crown that will never fade.
Remember that we are not striving under our own resources. He is at work in us. Continue to work out your salvation for it is God who works in you (Philippians 2:12,13). We work, but only because we are being worked upon. This is one of the paradoxes of the Christian life. We daily receive grace upon grace from Christ’s fullness.
The Bible tells us the end of two lives. Saul ended his
life, “I have played the fool” (1 Samuel 26:21). Paul ended his life, “I
have fought a good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7). How will our lives end? It all
depends on whether we have said, “One thing I do”. No man can serve two
masters. Need life to be unified around one supreme purpose. Need to lay hold of
the purpose for which Christ laid hold of us. Not something we drift into. It
requires a definite daily commitment. Churches are dying through lack of
commitment by members. The spectator society has invaded the church.
We need to daily realize who we
are in Christ, and that we are destined for glory. We do not gain instant
maturity, and need to remain committed throughout life. There is no short cut to
the Christian life, so secret formula to instant success. The Christian life is
not a technique, it is a relationship, to be cultivated and developed, day by
day, week by week, year by year.
Daily lay hold of His grace to
live that day for His glory. Plan your life reviewing your priorities, and
seeing where everything is related to Christ.
“Lord make me deaf and dumb and blind
To
all these things that are behind.
Deaf
to the voice that memory brings
With
praise or scorn for many things.
Dumb
to the things my tongue might tell
Of
stumblings or of running well.
Blind
to the things I still might see
When
they come back to trouble me.
Forgetting
all that lies behind
Lord
make me deaf and dumb and blind.
Like
Paul I then shall win the race
I
should have lost, but for thy grace.
Let
me forget all I have done.
Tis
through the Lord the race is won.”
