7-18-04
Title: Commitment
Text: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12)
Bible Reading: Philippians 3:7-21
Introduction:
Please refer to our text for today; Philippians 3:7-21, in your bulletin.
We’ll read it after I give you a brief background for our lesson.
The Philippian letter is Paul’s testimony to the Church at Philippi.
It gives great insights into his personal life.
We already know some things about the apostle.
Such as; he was born to a well to do family, and he grew up in the city of Tarsus.
That’s why he was called Saul of Tarsus before God changed his name to Paul.
He was educated in the best schools, and he was taught by a famous teacher by the name of Gameleal.
As a young man, he lived as a respected Pharisee.
He studied the scriptures from the time he was a child, and he was proficient in the Hebrew language and traditions.
Since he was born in the Roman city of Tarsus, he was a Roman citizen.
That will become important in the future.
Paul called himself a Pharisee of Pharisees, meaning that he was a Pharisee in the strictest sense.
He tried to keep all the laws of God and all the customs and traditions of the Jewish faith.
But later, in one of his letters, he confessed he was a slave to religion and unable to keep all the commands of God.
He believed, along with the Jewish leaders, that those who followed Christ were enemies of his religion.
And he was convinced it was his duty to stamp it out.
At this time Christians were called “The Way.”
They were persecuted and even killed for refusing to deny Christ.
Paul was the leader of the movement to eliminate Christians.
He dragged men and women from their homes and sent them to the Jewish Council to be punished and jailed.
But, one day everything changed.
He was given papers from the temple in Jerusalem which gave him the authority to arrest Christians living in Damascus.
However, Paul never arrested any Christians in that city, because Jesus met him on the Damascus road.
He spoke to Paul, and then struck him blind.
Paul fell to his knees in the middle of the road.
He now knew that all his life up to this point was committed to the wrong cause.
Jesus was the Messiah; He was the Son of God.
When he could speak again, he called Jesus “Lord.”
He was changed forever.
It was because he now had faith in Jesus, who had chosen him to take the message of the gospel to the Gentiles.
The subject today is commitment.
Paul was just as committed to working for Jesus, as he was as a Pharisee and persecutor of Christians.
There are only two points to our lesson for today.
1. I want you to listen to Paul’s testimony of commitment.
2. I want you to look at the practical considerations of this commitment.
The lesson will conclude by asking, “What would happen if every believer in this room decided to press on in his or her relationship with Jesus?”
We can all follow Paul, as an example of commitment to serving Jesus.
Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians, because he wanted them to “press on” despite troubles and hardships.
He uses a personal pronoun over 100 times in this short Epistle.
He’s talking about himself.
It’s his personal testimony of how important Jesus is to him and that he intends to press on serving God as long as he is able.
At this time, Paul is in the worst physical condition of his life, but he is in the best spiritual condition.
This letter to the Philippines was written from a Roman jail following the perilous journey mentioned in Acts 27.
Still, Paul is confident, positive, and committed to Jesus.
We can learn some things from Paul, who demonstrated such a great attitude toward life regardless of his circumstances.
For example; Paul tells us how to live confidently in the face of the worst storms.
In several of his Epistles, he writes about all the hardships and suffering that he had to endure.
It’s a long list, so he is certainly qualified to talk about the storms of life.
He’s a good example, because he was never discouraged; he always pressed on.
He also tells us how to keep our lives fresh and meaningful.
That’s the abundant life that Jesus said he came to give believers.
It involves obedience and committing our lives to following Christ.
But, many people do not enjoy life because they have “stale” commitments.
They are committed to the wrong thing.
Their job, family, status in life and enjoying themselves takes priority over honoring God.
He is not number one in those peoples lives.
There’s another reason why people don’t enjoy life.
They think they have done enough for God.
They have been faithful and served the Lord, but now they are old, so they say, “Let someone else do it. I have done enough.”
When a person feels that he or she has arrived, that person is in danger of becoming stale.
Now, you can follow along as I read the text for our lesson.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.
18 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:
19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame— who set their mind on earthly things.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
As we read the verses, did you listen to Paul’s testimony of commitment?
He used phrases like “I press on” and “reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”
They make me think about an athlete, who is preparing to run a race.
Did you ever see the movie, “Chariots of Fire?”
It’s about a man nicknamed the “Flying Scotsman.”
Eric Liddell was a missionary kid born in China.
When he was 7, his parents enrolled him in a boarding school in Britain and he spent most of his childhood separated from them.
But school officials encouraged him to devote himself to sports and young Eric soon developed an athlete’s physique.
He also began flexing his spiritual muscles rising early each day to meet the Lord in prayer and Bible study.
When Eric entered the university he broke one record after another in sporting events.
His sister wrote their parents in China saying, “Every week he brings home prizes. We’ve nowhere to put them all.”
As his fame grew, a Scottish evangelist named D. P. Thomson eyed him as an intriguing prospect for the ministry.
He invited Eric to share his testimony with a group of men, and on April 6, 1923 Liddell made his debut in public evangelism.
By the time he arrived at the Paris Olympics that summer, Eric was known worldwide as a powerful athlete and as an outspoken Christian who despite refusing to race on Sundays could win the gold metal.
But fame didn’t stop him from following his parents to China.
He arrived there as a missionary in 1925.
When the Japanese invaded in 1937, he remained; and in 1943 he found himself captive in a Concentration Camp outside Peking.
Conditions were horrible.
Eric ministered day-by-day praying with the sick, coaching the children and witnessing to the lost.
But, Eric became sick, and at times, his head throbbed.
Eventually, he began to visibly weaken.
On February 21, 1945 he died.
An autopsy revealed a massive brain tumor.
A camp survivor was asked the reason for Liddell’s influence at the camp.
She replied that every morning at 6 A.M. he would rise and light the peanut-oil lantern on the little dormitory table, just enough to illuminate his Bible and notebook.
There he would silently meet God at the start of each new day.
“It was the Flying Scotsman’s lifelong habit,” she said, “and the secret of his power.”
His life is a wonderful example of a person that pressed on, because he was completely committed to serving God.
Do you Remember Paul’s spiritual journey?
In Acts 9, there’s the account of his conversion on the road to Damascus.
Then in verse 17, he says that he was baptized and filled with the Spirit at Ananias’s home.
The verse says, “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
He was saved and now he had the Holy Spirit within.
He would receive the power and guidance from the Spirit that he needed to serve God
Toward the end of his ministry he could rightfully declare he was obedient to the call of God (26:19).
Once, when his life was threatened, he said, “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (26:19).
Paul poured himself into the work of God.
He was obsessed with accomplishing all he could for the Lord.
All his energy and thought went into his work.
But still he confesses, “I have not arrived”.
To have “arrived” means we have gone over the crest of the hill.
We are either going up,we have reached the top, or we are going down.
This is why it is so important that we understand “the need to strive for more of Jesus’ attitude.
The evidence of Jesus at work in a person’s life is that they become increasingly more like Jesus in their attitude and actions.
But, no one can do it alone or even with human help.
It takes the assistance of the Holy Spirit and a personal commitment to follow Jesus.
And it also takes confidence that the One who has brought us to this point in life, will not leave us now or in the future.
Our security doesn’t depend on us; it in God’s hands.
Our commitment and confidence doesn’t keep us saved, but rather its God’s power and commitment to us that does it.
Paul knew that he would not achieve perfection, but that didn’t stop him from moving in that direction.
Perfection means complete maturity.
Paul knew he had not arrived.
I believe he agreed with Peter who said, “…grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18)
Paul talked about the simple life—if we could get the Christian life down to where it should be, it would really be an uncomplicated life.
Paul had whittled his life down to this point.
He said he is leaving his past behind him with all his mistakes, not letting it handicap him for the future.
Paul lived for the day, but he prepared for the future by growing and developing his relationship with Jesus.
This attitude of confidence in God is a sign of being “saved by grace.”
It’s true, we are saved by grace.
It is God’s grace that saves us, but we obtain His grace through Faith in Jesus Christ.
Salvation doesn’t come from anything we do, or we would be able to boast about it.
It’s totally all of God.
But here’s something some folks don’t know, “We grow spiritually by works.”
The Bible states that we are saved unto good works.
We all know we are not saved by doing good deeds; rather, we do good deeds because we are saved.
In fact, one of the works of the Holy Spirit is to lead us to do good deeds.
The good things we do are a product of the Fruit of the Spirit.
Here’s a sad fact of the Christian life, “Those who do not grow spiritually begin to die spiritually.”
Your ability and desire to serve God can be compared to a muscle.
If you don’t use it, it will atrophy and waste away.
We all have to exercise our faith or it will eventually die.
Paul certainly exercised his faith.
He took the Gospel message to common people, and to those who lived sinful lives, and even to kings.
He said he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, since it leads to salvation.
He committed his entire life to Jesus.
At this point, let’s turn and look at the practical considerations of this commitment we have been talking about.
The first thing for you to consider is this: We must forget what is behind (v. 13).
Paul has taken note of his journey to this point.
He talks about his life in verses 4-7.
He begins by giving us his pedigree.
Paul claims to have more ground for boasting than anyone else.
He said he was circumcised when he was eight days old and that he was from the stock of Israel.
Paul’s parents were Jews descended from the tribe of Benjamin.
He said he was a full-blooded Jew from Hebrew parents, who practiced Hebrew customs and characteristics.
Paul was educated at the feet of Gamaleal in Jerusalem and was proficient in the Hebrew language and the Hebrew Scriptures.
He was a Pharisee with a great passion for persecuting Christians.
Paul was a fanatic for Judaism and a fanatic against Christianity.
He was the ring-leader of the movement against Christianity from the death of Stephen until he was converted himself.
Paul was a conscientious, relentless, persistent persecutor of the Christians.
He even observed the fine points of the law.
He was blameless, faultless, and beyond reproach.
He knew and practiced the rules of the rabbi.
He scored one hundred percent in Judaism.
But all these things did not save him, justify him, give him peace, or bring him into fellowship with God.
He said, “Those I counted loss for Christ.”
All those things were on the wrong side of the ledger.
They were like worthless stock, and Paul gave them up and renounced them all for Christ, and he had no regrets.
We read that he refuses to live in the past.
Verse 13 said, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (v. 13).
Paul said he was going to forget those things which were behind him.
That included both his old pre-Christian life and his previous progress as a Christian.
He had no time for the past and he paid little attention to the present.
His future goal claims all of his attention and all his efforts.
Friends, it is good to forget all those things that hinder us and to remember all the things that helps us.
It’s a good idea to reflect on our journey, but we must always realize that there is a greater journey ahead of us.
We must follow the Good Shepherd down through the valley of death, and then we will live with Him forever.
The second thing I want you to consider is this: we must always reach forward (vv. 13-14).
This expression “always reaching forward” clearly presents the picture of someone who is committed to winning.
There was an article in the Baptist Beacon about commitment.
It reported that Tom Elliff, a past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, recently spoke on the need for sacrificial commitment to Christ.
His words are convicting; he said, “If we continue to buy what we want, drive what we want, eat what we want, and live where we want, then we have not submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ and God can’t do with us and through us what he wants to do.”
Too often we want convenience and commitment to be one and the same.
The bottom line is that we need to be committed to Christ to the point that He is not only our Savior, but also our Lord.
The Lordship of Jesus Christ is a goal that “we must always reach forward” to attain.
If He is your Savior and Lord, you are a winner.
Remember, It is not enough just to start to run a race; we must reach the finish line triumphantly.
If you are going to win the race, you can’t look over your shoulder to where you’ve been, and you can’t let what’s going on around you distract you from the goal; instead, look at Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Conclusion
I have a question for you, “What would happen if every believer in this room decided to press on in his or her relationship with Jesus?
We need the type of commitment that a runner named John Akhwari showed during the Olympic marathon race in 1968.
He gave the world a clear picture of true commitment.
John Akhwari was running for Tanzania, and although he didn’t win the race, he won the hearts of all who saw him run.
Akhwari was injured by a fall early in the race.
Most runners would have conceded defeat and dropped out of the race to receive proper medical attention, but on this cool night in Mexico City; John Akhwari picked himself up and quickly bandaged his bleeding leg.
The injury took its toll, but this determined Tanzanian wasn’t going to quit.
He kept running even though he was miles behind the main pack.
Finally, more than an hour after all of the other runners had finished, John Akhwari limped into the stadium that was now almost completely empty of spectators.
Slowly, he jogged the final lap and crossed the finish line in virtual solitude.
Bud Greenspan, a respected commentator, watched the spectacle from a distance.
He was so intrigued by the heroic finish that he walked over to this physically depleted young man and asked why he continued the race after sustaining such an injury.
John Akhwari replied, “My country did not send me nine thousand miles to start the race.
They sent me to finish the race.”
Commitment means giving your best until the job is done, even when the conditions are harsh.
Paul found the life of inner satisfaction that we all seek, because he pressed on despite his circumstances.
His life is a good example for us to follow.
At the end of his life he could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith.”
He was satisfied since he had completed what Jesus called him to do.
This passage tells us how he achieved that satisfaction.
Join me in following Paul’s example as expressed in verses 15-17.
Press on for Jesus regardless of your situation.
Be faithful to your calling and think about the prize that lies ahead for you.
Then perhaps one day you will hear the Savior say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
Amen.
