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Sermons from Philippians |
FAITH IN FOCUS |
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A Christian leader once took a Russian friend to see a World Series baseball game. At the end of the game, he asked the Russian what he thought of the game. The Russian answered that he had never before seen such first-class dedication to a secondary cause. Many a believer's life could be described as having first-class dedication to secondary causes. As Thomas Carlyle said of Thomas DeQuincey, "He was full of bankrupt enthusiasms." The problem is not a lack of enthusiasm, but a lack of enthusiasm for the right things. We are full of enthusiasm for our favorite sport and team. We get excited about certain hobbies, opportunities, and events. But in many cases we are giving first-class dedication to secondary causes. Years ago, Dr. J.B. Gambrell, a Baptist pastor and Southern Baptist leader in Texas, was in court to testify in a lawsuit. Dr. Gambrell was known for his wisdom and down-home way of putting things. He was on the witness stand and described one of the principals in the lawsuit as lacking gumption. Whereupon the rather pompous attorney for the other side asked for an explanation of the word "gumption." Dr. Gambrell slowly replied, "A little gumption rubbed on the nose of a hound dog will keep him from barking up a tree which the coon has left." There are many people that need what Dr. Gambrell called "gumption" for they are spending their time barking up empty trees. Paul was not a man barking up empty trees and neither was he a man that gave first-class dedication to secondary causes. He was a man that gave first-class dedication to a first-class cause. Paul was a man with a faith in focus. The concentration of his life was on the supernal and the dedication of his life was for the eternal. He had fixed in his heart on what the heart should be fixed. The objective for which he lived became the object on which he looked. Paul spoke of his "earnest expectation" and his "hope." The words were used in secular writing of a watchman who kept looking into the darkness for the first gleam of a distant beacon. The words "earnest expectation" come from a compound of 3 words which speak of looking away from what may be right at hand and totally concentrating on another object. Paul was saying, "This is the focus of my life." Paul is describing the things that were important to him as a Christian. He is informing us what the chief concerns of his life were. What were the things Paul was focused upon? What is it that Paul was so passionate about? Notice in our text the 3 things that were on Paul's mind, things that were on his mind when he awoke in the morning and over which he lingered as he prepared for sleep. First, we see that:
1. THE DREAD OF HIS LIFE WAS
THAT Paul desire was "that in nothing I shall be ashamed." The statement literally means, "that I shall not be a disgrace or put to shame in anything." A great fear of Paul's life was that he would do something that would bring dishonor on the name of Christ. Paul thought of: A. The Shame That Could Be Brought On His Life. Paul was well aware of the potential and possibility of failure in his life. He knew that he was not above committing sin and not above certain sin. It was ever on his mind that he was not some he-man, but a man, and there was always the potential for failure that would bring shame and disgrace on his life. Paul said in 1Cor. 9:26-27, "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." The word "'castaway" means "worthless, unapproved, rejected." The picture is of an athlete that is disqualified and unapproved for an event. Paul did not want to be disqualified. He knew that the body could be a wonderful servant but a terrible master. Therefore he kept his body under "subjection" - literally "slave driver." It means to be subdued, enslaved. He controlled his desires instead of letting his desires control him. Thomas Costain, in his history "The Three Edward's," describes the life of Raynald Ill, a fourteenth-century duke in what is now Belgium. Grossly overweight, Raynald was commonly called by his Latin nickname, Crassus, which means, "fat". After a violent quarrel, Raynald's younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him. Edward captured Raynald but did not kill him. Instead, he built a room around Raynald in the Nieuwkerk castle and promised him he could regain his title and property as soon as he was able to leave the room. This would not have been difficult for most people since the room had several windows and a door of near-normal size, and none was locked or barred. The problem was Raynald's size. To regain his freedom, he needed to lose weight. But Edward knew his older brother, and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods. Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew fatter. When Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer: "My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills." Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and wasn't released until after Edward died in battle. By then his health was so ruined he died within a year.. .a prisoner of his own appetite." Many believers are a prisoner to their own fleshly, carnal, and sinful appetites. Instead of being victorious over sin, they are the victims of sin. It is these uncontrolled and unbridled appetites that pull us away, pull us in, and pull us down. Furthermore, he thought of: B. The Shame That Would Be Brought On His Lord. Paul's great fear of failure was not only the shame that it would bring to his ministry, but also the shame it would bring on his Master. The story of King David's great sin is a familiar story. It marred his life and marked his name. But even worse was the dishonor it brought to God. We read in 2 Samuel 11:27: "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." David's sin displeased the Lord. We also read that when the Prophet Nathan confronted David with his sin, he declared in 2 Samuel 12:14: "Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies Of the LORD to blaspheme..." His sin also dishonored the Lord. That was a constant dread and fear of Paul. That he would bring ruin to his ministry and reproach to his Master. He knew that sin would bring shame on his life and on his Lord. Our pursuit ought to be that of Psalm 119:11: "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against Thee." Our prayer ought to be that of Psalm 119:37: "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken Thou me in Thy way." Our purpose ought to be that of Psalm 119:80: "Let my heart be sound in Thy statutes; that I be not ashamed." We also see that:
2. THE DETERMINATION OF HIS LIFE
WAS THAT Paul expressed the focus of his life was that he would declare Christ "with all boldness." The word "boldness" refers to a freedom of speech with an unfailing courage. Paul is talking about being a fearless and bold witness for Christ. We see that Paul wanted to: A. Constantly Preach Christ In As Many Places As He Could. Paul wanted to preach Christ everywhere he could. He didn't want a city or country to not hear that Christ the risen Lord had died for their sins. He had 20/20 vision for the world. W.E. Sangster said of preaching, "It is not a human address, but a divine pronouncement." J.H. Jowett said of preaching, "We are not appointed to give good advice, but to proclaim good news." Burning in Paul's heart was this divine pronouncement and it had to be proclaimed everywhere he could. Someone has written;
Furthermore, we see that Paul wanted to: B. Courageously Present Christ To As Many People As He Could. He not only wanted to preach Christ everywhere, but also to present Christ to everyone. He wanted every place to hear the story and every person to meet the Saviour. He wanted to be a bold witness for Christ. Many of you remember the Wendy's commercial, "Where's the beef?" The little lady that asked the questions was Clara Peller. Joe Sedelmajer, a producer of commercials, was filming a scene in a Chicago barbershop when he discovered that nobody had hired a manicurist. He sent an assistant to a local beauty shop to find one and she returned with Clara Peller, an octogenarian manicurist who had worked in a nearby salon for 35 years. She looked at Sedelmaler and said gruffly: "How ya doin', honey?" Sedelmaier realized he had found a "natural." "She's a counterpart to all those sweet little old ladies," he explained. In 1984, Sedelmaler convinced Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers to design an ad campaign around Peller, who growled the catchy phrase, "Where's the beef?" Almost immediately, Wendy's sales jumped 15%. The slogan "Where's the beef?" entered the popular lexicon when Presidential candidate Walter Mondale used the phrase against his Democratic rival, Gary Hart, in the primary campaigns. Meanwhile, the 82-year old Peller became an instant star with a national fan club. She ended up making $500,000.00 for the Wendy's ad, plus merchandising. Before she passed away in 1987 Peller said "I made some money, which is nice for an older person, but Wendy's made millions because of me." The question I ask you is whether or not anyone spiritually has benefited from you? Wendy's may have millions because of Clara Peller, but will heaven gain any souls because of you? Someone has said, "A Christian must keep the faith but not to himself." Another has said, "People are more ready to shrink from sinners than they are from sin." Let me ask you something. Do all people need to be saved? Does the person you work with or live beside need to be saved? Have you ever asked if they were saved? Do you care whether or not they are saved? Lastly, we see that:
3. THE DESIRE OF HIS LIFE WAS
THAT Paul said, "so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death." Paul not only wanted to serve Christ by a clean life, and share Christ by a courageous life, he also wanted to show Christ by a conformed life. The Psalmist said in Psalm 34:3: "0 magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together," and in Psalm 69:30 "I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving." Mary said in Luke 1:46 "My soul doth magnify the Lord." It was Paul's desire as well to magnify the Lord. The word "magnify" literally means to make large. It was used in a figurative sense to exalt or glorify. This suggests two things about Paul's desire to magnify Christ. First, it suggests: A. A Life That Exalts Christ. Years ago, J.H. Jowett, early one morning during one of the great Northfield meetings that Moody held each summer, preached to the men from Jerry McCauley's mission. These men were all "down and outers" from off the streets in New York. Before Jowett preached, one of the men prayed for him. He prayed, "Oh, Lord, we pray for our brother. Now blot him out! Reveal Thy glory to us in such blazing splendor that he shall be forgotten." That was Paul's prayer that he be blotted out! He wanted Christ to be honored, praised, and glorified in his life. He didn't want to be admired, He wanted Christ to be adored. He didn't want people complimenting him, he wanted people captivated with Christ. Considered to be one of the greatest military minds and leaders, Gen. Stonewall Jackson of the Confederate army, was accidentally shot at Chancellorsville, by his own men. Soldiers of the 18th North Carolina mistook him and those with him as Federalists. They opened fire. Gen. Jackson sitting on his horse, Little Sorrel, was hit; a bullet shattering his left arm at the elbow, another bullet pierced his left hand and wrist, and another lodged in his right hand. When Gen. Lee heard the news, he sent Jackson a note which read, "General; I have just received your note, informing me that you were wounded. I cannot express my regret at the occurrence. Could I have directed events, I should have chosen for the good of the country to be disabled in your stead. I congratulate you upon the victory, which is due to your skill and energy. Very respectfully your obedient servant, R.E. Lee, General." When the note was delivered and read to Jackson, he turned to the wall for a few minutes and then looked at Lees aide and said, "General Lee is very kind, but he should give the praise to God." Secondly, it suggests: B. A Life That Exhibits Christ. As I said, the word means "to make large." Paul is talking about Christ being exhibited and revealed through his life. One writer translated Paul's statement, "My body shall be the theater in which the glory of Christ shall be exhibited." Paul wanted his body to be a showcase for Jesus. He considered himself an earthly frame for a heavenly picture. It matter not whether it be through life or death, he just wanted Christ to be magnified. Now there are two ways something is magnified. First by the means of a telescope. A telescope takes that which is far away and brings it near and visible. Then there is a microscope. It takes that which is invisible and makes it visible. Paul wanted the Christ Who was seated in heaven to be seen on earth. He wanted Christ to be visible and vocal through his life. He wanted Christ to be realized and actualized in his life. Our lives ought to be like a magnifying glass for the Lord Jesus so others can see the characteristics of Christ. I once read about a statue of Christ that was damaged in a bombing raid. The hands were both broken off. They first intended to repair the statue by replacing the hands, but then thought otherwise. Instead of replacing the hands, they put an inscription on the statue that said, "He has no hands but our hands." If this world is going to see Christ they will see Him in our lives. He will be revealed through our bodies. Our hands must be His hands, our eyes His eyes, our mouth His mouth our feet His feet. Is your faith in focus? |