“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” [1]
Have you ever heard a preacher lionized by other Christians as “the greatest preacher since the Apostle Paul?” We each have our favourites when it comes to the pulpit; and ultimately, we Christians compare whoever happens to be under our rhetorical microscope to the Apostle to the Gentiles. Let’s admit something up front concerning Paul’s oratorical abilities—in terms of public speaking, the Apostle does not appear to have been a notable speaker. Certainly, he didn’t hold an exceptionally high opinion of himself. The Apostle honestly assessed his rhetorical abilities when he wrote in his first letter to the Church of God in Corinth, “Even if I am untrained in public speaking, I am certainly not untrained in knowledge. Indeed, we have in every way made that clear to you in everything” [2 CORINTHIANS 11:6 CSV].
And you may recall that in an earlier letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul wrote, “Christ did not send me to baptise but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” [1 CORINTHIANS 1:17]. The Apostle was rather blunt in his assessment of his ability at public speaking; and he did not overestimate his abilities nor overstate his prowess as a preacher.
When we speak of someone as the greatest preacher since the Apostle Paul, we are inevitably praising that individual’s ability to present a powerful sermon that captures and holds our attention. But Paul was not a trained speaker. He didn’t correct his detractors when they said, “His bodily presence is weak, and his speech is of no account” [2 CORINTHIANS 10:10b]. And yet, no one underestimates the impact of Paul’s ministry. He not only carried the message of Christ to far flung regions of the Empire, but he inspired multitudes of other followers of the Christ to likewise deliver the message of life. Within his lifetime, the Gospel of Christ had reached the farthest outposts of the Empire, even reaching such distant pagan regions as India, China and Japan. A major motivator of this worldwide outreach must be recognised to have been Paul, the thirteenth Apostle.
Paul definitely made an impact on the world. He motivated, and continues to motivate, Christians to pursue the will of God with radical abandon. Paul could honestly say, “In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation” [ROMANS 15:17-20].
HOW I GOT HERE — “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own” [PHILIPPIANS 3:13a]. The Apostle to the Gentiles appears to have been confessing that he had not arrived. He knew that some things he accomplished in his life would be recognised as good. He was not unaware of what he had accomplished: the cause of Christ had been expanded significantly; many people had come to faith in the Son of God; churches had been established where there was no church before he had preached in those locations; and errant teaching had been confronted. Paul recognised that God had worked in his life. Paul had served faithfully, and Christ had used him in His work.
Nevertheless, the Apostle knew that he had not done this alone—others had been necessary to accomplish what was done. Paul was quick to give credit to those faithful men and women who laboured with him in the demanding work of advancing the cause of Christ. Paul knew he was not a one-man show. In the letters he wrote to the various churches and individuals, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy each received well-deserved praise. Paul was quick to note Titus’ work on behalf of others and spoke of his trust in this young man. He had high praise for Epaphroditus when he was writing to the congregation in Philippi. When Demas had stood with Paul in the hard place, he was recognised as deserving praise. Likewise, when Demas revealed his love of this present, dying world, he was exposed for his perfidy. Whatever the Apostle may have meant by this statement in the text before us, we must never imagine that he was stinting in giving praise to those who laboured together with him in advancing the cause of Christ.
Perhaps Paul was thinking of some of those fellow saints who had toiled with him as the message of Christ was spread across the Empire. We can be reasonably certain that he was well aware of Timothy and the way in which the younger man invested his life in the work of the Saviour. Paul commended Timothy to these Philippians when he wrote, “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also” [PHILIPPIANS 2:19-24].
We know that Paul held Epaphroditus in high regard. In this same letter he praised this man, writing, “I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me” [PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30].
Though Euodia and Syntyche were bickering, previously these women had each laboured side-by-side in the Gospel with the Apostle. Now, he appealed to a man named Syzygus to intervene in an attempt to resolve the conflict [see PHILIPPIANS 4:2]. Clemente, and a number of other unnamed individuals had worked with Paul to ensure that the work in Philippi would not only be established, but that it would be extended beyond the city.
Though Paul was undoubtedly grateful for each of those individuals who had laboured with him in advancing the cause of Christ, it was the Risen Saviour Himself Who ensured that he would accomplish the work to which he had been appointed. Christ had called Paul when he was a violent persecutor of the faithful. The Lord had appointed the Apostle to this holy service. The Master had enabled Paul to preach with power and with clarity.
In a letter to another congregation, the Apostle testified, “I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written,
‘Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.’”
[ROMANS 15:18-21]
Despite opposition to the message of Christ the Lord, despite the work of false brothers who sought to hinder the work, despite desertions by those who should have stood with the Apostle, Paul could testify, “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” [2 TIMOTHY 4:17-18].
The Apostle had faced hardship—and you might imagine that he was alone. But Paul was not alone. Here, he testified, “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me.” And that will be our testimony when we serve the Saviour. We will accomplish nothing on our own. We need to remember Jesus’ teaching concerning His presence and His provision. Jesus taught us, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” [JOHN 15:1-5]. Focus on that one teaching and let it guide your service—“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” How true!
You may recall that Paul challenged the Christians of Corinth, “What do you have that you did not receive” [1 CORINTHIANS 4:7b]? It is a pertinent question. Whatever they might have imagined themselves to be, they were nothing without the input of others. And that holds true for us as well. Who you are, the way in which others see you, is dictated to an amazing degree by the training you received in your early years from your father and your mother. Teachers helped shape who you are. For better or for worse, friendships have helped shape your life. I pray that your pastors have influenced you for good and for God’s glory. I assuredly pray that my ministry has built you up to Christ’s glory. The point is that God has used many people to bring you to this point in life.
Think back over your life since you became a follower of the Risen Saviour. Recall the individuals who invested time and prayer in you to bring you to the point where you now stand. Perhaps there was a godly mother or a believing father who prayed for you and taught you right from wrong. What would your life have been without their input? Some follower of the Christ said that you needed your own commitment to Christ as Master over life. Surely you’re not forgetting that individual who lovingly told you of Christ? There was a Bible teacher who pointed to the Word, revealing the will of God to you. You quite likely reflect much of what you were taught by those who invested their lives in teaching the Word of God. I have no doubt there was a godly shepherd, a pastor who spent hours in prayer for you, hours to prepare and to deliver the Word so that you would grow strong in the Faith of Christ the Lord. Have you considered how unprepared you would be for this Christian life if that godly man hadn’t given his time for you? And this doesn’t even begin to account for the members of the various congregations to which you have belonged, individuals who prayed when you struggled to advance in the work of Christ, individuals who supplied strength when you were weak and rejoiced with you in every victory. None of us can boast of having made it on our own.
We have witnessed God build a church here. It is not all that it should be, and it is not all that it shall become; but it exists today because the Lord has blessed. If you imagine that the existence of this church is because of the Pastor, you’re wrong. Neither is our presence the result of the deacons. It should be apparent that multiple people invested their lives. The multiplied prayers of each of you, together with the prayers of others who have passed beyond the boundaries of this life were instrumental in building this congregation. It would be impossible to name all the gracious men and women who gave their time, their moneys, their labours, to ensure that a church would be established in this place. We did it together; but we didn’t do this alone.
Some of those who laboured as we began services that would lead to the formation of this congregation deserve commendation and recognition. However, some, though they did work hard in earlier days, became enamoured with this present world. Tragically, some of these individuals wanted more recognition for themselves, or they were somehow led to believe that they deserved power over the congregation. Thus, in a fit of pique because they couldn’t have their way, they quit serving God and left the assembly which they had tirelessly toiled to build. As they were leaving, they let the pastor and other members of the congregation know that they would teach us a lesson by no longer recognising that a congregation of the Lord is just that—the Lord’s! Some of these poor souls sought out and found a place that permitted them to take their ease.
The attitude manifested by some of these dear souls fairly screamed that if they can’t have their way, they’ll just sit and soak in their sourness. I am aware that some of these individuals still speak of their love of the Saviour, but their lives speak loudly of their love of self; and I hope they indeed love the Saviour. What must be admitted by us today is that such self-centred acts do not take away from the fact that the Lord was watching over the assembly and building His church just as He promised. And even those who disappointed us were used by the Saviour to ensure that a church would rise; thus, none of us can say we made it on our own. What must be confessed is that our God was always at work among us, overruling even the evil that some intended. Without question, Christ has the glory for all that has been done here.
We give thanks to the Master for each individual who laboured here to build a congregation to the praise of the Saviour. We grieve over each one who was wounded and forced to retreat from the battle, or each one who has dropped out of the battle, whatever their reason. In a similar manner we grieve over each one who felt he could no longer walk with us in harmony. The former we pray will be healed and again stand firm in the cause of Christ, whether with us or with another assembly. The latter we pray will be instructed by the Spirit of Christ to turn from their own self-willed walk and humble themselves to again walk in unity with us as we endeavour to advance the Kingdom of our Saviour. We feel pain for each of those erstwhile friends who no longer walk with us; however, their absence does not change the reality that the Lord was at work, using even those who grew increasingly disgruntled because they couldn’t have their way.
I am always glad to pay tribute to people who were influential in my life; the influence of each of these godly individuals combined to make me into the man I am. My own dad was highly influential. He was a godly man who took very seriously the presence of the Risen Lord directing his life. Some of my earliest memories are lying in bed at night and hearing my dad as he knelt by his bed, pleading with God for his sons. He, in turn, was influenced by his dad, my grandfather, who was a pioneer preacher in southeast Kansas. My grandad always counselled me to honour God and to serve Him. These two men had an impact far out of proportion to their stature in the world, guiding me toward the Faith of Christ the Lord. I honour them to this day.
Doctor James L. Higgs was my first pastor after I came to faith. Later, I was privileged to work under and learn from Dr. Higgs in San Francisco. He was a powerful preacher and a man of God. He encouraged me greatly in my pursuit of walking with the Saviour. Like Dr. Higgs, Dr. W. A. Criswell was a powerful influence in guiding me in my walk toward the high calling of a minister of the Risen Christ. Both of these godly preachers revealed the power of the pulpit when the message of Christ is proclaimed boldly. Both of these men were expositors of the Word, and I have always sought to emulate them in the preaching of the Word, applying both scholarship and biblical zeal. I have endeavoured to be true to the Word, to approach the preaching of the Word by investing time in study of the Word and in time spent in the presence of the Saviour.
When any student of the ministry of the Word is questioned, they will undoubtedly recognise Dwight L. Moody as an outstanding luminary in the constellation of notable servants of the Living God. Moody was already being used by the Lord in a powerful fashion when a British revivalist provided what was almost a throwaway line during a conversation with Moody. Henry Varley had said to the American evangelist, “Moody, the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him.” [2] Though he said nothing at the moment, Dwight L. Moody was deeply challenged by Varley’s words, and from that point in 1872 Moody laboured mightily to be that man. There is no question but that the quote holds to this day; and I would challenge each one hearing my words this day to take to heart the challenge that stirred Moody so deeply. “THE WORLD HAS YET TO SEE WHAT GOD WILL DO WITH A MAN (OR WOMAN) FULLY CONSECRATED TO HIM.” My challenge to you would be to become that man, or to become that woman.
I sincerely pray that each of you who are now listening will become that outstanding woman or that outstanding man who is fully consecrated to the Living God. When you do become that powerful individual, I am quite confident that you will joyfully confess that you did not become the individual you will have become through your own efforts. You will know that others preceded you and that you have stood on the shoulders of giants, most of whom are not recognised for their greatness by those associated with this dying world. But you will know that many people contributed to make you the powerful individual you have become. And in all things associated with your life, the Risen Saviour will receive the glory.
PRIORITIES — In our text, and in multiple instances throughout the letters he has left us, the Apostle Paul has made it evident that he had done nothing on his own—whatever accomplishments may have been ascribed to him were because of Christ’s mercies. He pushed on for one great purpose, which was to glorify the Lord Who redeemed him. Paul wrote, “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” [PHILIPPIANS 3:13b-14].
That testimony is humbling for us as Christians, for Paul has testified in these verses that one thing served as the guiding principle in his life. He spoke of “one thing” that drove him to excel in the work he performed to advance the Faith. Let’s think about that. Whenever we hear the name “Paul,” the thoughts of most Christians turn to Jesus. Paul consistently declared the grace of God revealed in Christ the Lord. He continually pointed people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Letters he wrote compel us to think of Christ because Christ was central to each of those letters. Remove the references to the Christ and none of Paul’s writings make sense. No, Paul was not the Christ, nor did he ever present himself as anyone other than a servant of the Risen Saviour. However, his desire, the north star of his life, was his deep desire to become more and more like Christ, while pointing others to Christ the Lord.
The names of some people certainly cause us to think of the impact of their lives. When you hear the name “Einstein,” words such as “genius,” or “theoretical physics,” or concepts such as “unified theory” are likely to come to mind. We recognise Albert Einstein as a man who pursued a full understanding of how the universe works. When you hear the initials MLK, it is natural that you think of dedication to racial equality, dedication to a colour blind society that accepts people without reference to their race. And when we hear the name “Paul,” we think of advancing the cause of Christ, we think of dedication to the will of the Risen Saviour. Paul was a “one thing” man.
The choices we make reveal our belief. Our life is a demonstration of what we believe; everything else is mere talk. If Christ is a priority in your life, that will be evident in your relationships and in the conduct of your life. Perhaps you will recall what the Apostle said concerning Christ and the church to which his listeners belonged. As Paul reminded the elders of the Ephesian congregation of their responsibilities, he said, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” [ACTS 20:28]. A church does not belong to the elders, nor does it belong to deacons. In fact, your church does not belong to you! It is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ—He purchased it with His own blood!
Elsewhere, instructing husbands concerning their responsibility to their wives, Paul cautions those men, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body” [EPHESIANS 5:25-30]. Priorities, gentlemen; and your model is Christ and His love for the church. For all of us, our priority as followers of the Christ is Christ Jesus our Lord. If He is our priority, all else falls into place.
Well, let’s think about priorities in the life of the Apostle. And where better to look than right here in this letter to a congregation he loved! This Letter to the congregation in Philippi is effectively a “Thank you” letter. Paul hadn’t visited this congregation in ten years when they sent him a love offering while he was in prison. It is one thing to remember your missionaries; it is another thing to refresh them when they are being assailed.
What a letter the Apostle wrote. He is in jail, but you won’t find even a hint that he is prepared to whine. Listen to him as he opens this letter. “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
“Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” [PHILIPPIANS 1:12-21].
Take a moment to savour what we have just read. Paul speaks of “what has happened to me.” What had happened? He had intended to come to Rome where he would take a missionary offering that would allow him to go to Spain so he could plant more churches. Drawing the Letter to the Roman Christians to a close, Paul wrote, “I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while” [ROMANS 15:24]. To preach Christ was his aspiration, but his situation was incarceration.
How Paul got there is incredible. It is the sort of stuff about which you wouldn’t dare make a movie. He was almost killed by a religious mob, put on a ship that sailed through a perfect storm leading to a shipwreck that left him on an island in the Mediterranean, and at last brought him to Rome in chains. He was in chains because as a Roman citizen, he had been compelled to appeal to Caesar because a religious mob was intent on perverting justice and executing him.
Your aspirations do not necessarily reflect your situation. You have a goal, a dream, and you prepared to fulfil that dream. Something may have happened and your dream was not to be. Now, you have a vague, gauzy memory of what you once hoped would be, but the reality is far different. You now feel crushed and disappointed. However, you need not be in this condition.
Consider the Apostle in prison. Is he crushed, bitter, angry? He had reason to be disappointed, but as you read this letter you see quite a different expression by Paul. He is a “one thing” man, and this momentary reversal is a mere speedbump on the road to glory. Listen again as the Apostle considers his situation, exposing his true aspiration at the same time. “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” [PHILIPPIANS 1:12]. His situation was actually pushing the Good News of Jesus forward! How so?
Because he was in prison for preaching the Good News of Christ, Paul’s situation was known throughout the entire imperial guard. This was Caesar’s secret service, and the Apostle had a captive audience. They may have thought that Paul was imprisoned, but they were the ones who were imprisoned so that they could not avoid hearing the Gospel. Can you imagine what it must have been to be chained to Paul for four hours at a time? Those imperial guards couldn’t serve their time guarding Paul without hearing a message about Jesus and how He was raised from the dead. Day-after-day, these guards would we chained in four-hour intervals to a man with one great aspiration of speaking about Jesus! Writ large over Paul’s circumstance was something that changed everything: “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
It is easy to overlook something significant that occurs in VERSE THIRTEEN. Paul testifies that the reason for his incarceration has been trumpeted throughout Caesar’s secret service, but the reason for his imprisonment because of Christ has become evident “to all the rest.” All Rome was talking about the reason Paul was imprisoned. When Roman senators gathered to conduct the business of state, the gossip in the forum cloakroom ran something like this. “Have you heard about that little Jew named Paul? He is in prison because he says someone named Jesus was crucified and then raised from the dead!” Women shopping in the market for foodstuffs for their households gossiped about that little Jew who claimed that a man named Jesus had been crucified and then raised from the dead. Even children as they played would make up ditties about a little Jew who claimed Jesus was raised from the dead. “All the rest” were talking about Jesus who had been raised from the dead!
What is your aspiration? What is your aspiration when people think of you? Your name will come up at times, and when it does, your aspirations will define you. “That Kurt, you know he has built a great company in these past years.” “Yeah, but you know what really marks him is that he is always talking about Jesus and how He is going to come again.” “That Lynda, you know she is still working in that dental office.” “That’s true, but you know she is always ready to tell you about Jesus and how He is able to change your life.” Your aspiration will be evident by how you live!
GROWING TOGETHER — “Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained” [PHILIPPIANS 4:15-16]. Let’s turn our attention again to what is written in the text. Paul was urging mature saints to hold to this truth.
I’ve been blessed to have known some “One Thing” people during my pilgrimage and during the days of my service before the Master. These are individuals who blessed me, just as they blessed many others. Many people would not have considered these men and women to stand out among the names of some of the great servants of God I’ve known; but each one made a great impact in the lives of others.
One such individual was a man named Benny Delmar. Benny was a rather short, dumpy man who walked with a sort of waddle. First impressions can be deceptive. My first impression of Benny was anything but impressive. His suit was usually rumpled; it matched what was left of his hair. I would suppose that many people would describe Benny as frumpy; no one would ever mistake him as being “with it.” After years of living in his car, his girth had expanded to an uncomfortable size. When he walked, he didn’t stride so much as he shuffled, with kind of a waddle from side-to-side. His speech was best described as a sort of self-depreciating style, even a kind of “Ah, shucks” way of speaking. But what he had to say was always worth hearing.
After graduating from Southwestern Seminary, Benny briefly pastored in a western state before accepting a challenge to plant churches in the Northern Plains of the United States. When I met Benny, he had personally established over 125 churches that were still extant in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota, Arizona and Colorado. Anyone who could plant that number of churches, or even a fraction of such a number, was someone worth my time. What such a man had to say was worth hearing.
I was privileged to ride along with Benny across Wyoming and into Montana, witnessing him as he worked. He would go into a community where there was no Baptist church, or possibly no church or any sort, and he would begin to chat up some of the local residents. Before long, he would have searched out a few people who had a background of being churched but who were no longer attending services. Soon, Benny would have initiated a Bible study. After a few weeks of study and having gained the confidence of those he was teaching, he would mention the need for a church. Soon the people would meet and form a church. Then, Benny would help the new congregation call a pastor and a church would result. Throughout those vast northern plains are churches that Benny personally established or that grew out of a church that Benny established. One man evangelised a vast swath of those states.
I recall a time when I was serving as the Director of Encounter Missions for the Criswell College. I invited Benny to speak to the assembled study body. Benny shuffled onto the stage before those students and in what can only be described as pronounced shyness, he spoke about his work of spreading the knowledge of Jesus throughout the Northern Plains. The students grew restless as Benny spoke that day; they didn’t realise their privilege in hearing what they were hearing. They were used to hearing great preachers, men who were noted for their pulpit oratory, men who were noted as pastors of megachurches. And no one would ever mistake Benny for an orator.
When Benny finished speaking that day, George Davis, the Dean of Students, stood to speak briefly to the students before they were dismissed to go again to their classes. Doctor Davis told the students that they had been in the presence of greatness. He didn’t try to make Benny something he wasn’t; he didn’t try to gaslight the students into thinking they had heard great oratory. He simply said, “You have heard a man of God who loves the lost. You just feel that if you punched him, everywhere you punched, love would pour out.” That’s the power of a “One Thing” man.
On another occasion I listened to a man who pastored one of the largest churches in America, and I confess that I was disappointed when I first heard him speak. Homer Lindsay, Jr. pastored the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida. At that time, it was a megachurch that was recognised throughout the Southern Baptist Convention. My brother spoke of Zacchaeus in that message, and he seemed almost to ramble as he spoke. As I listened, I realised that I was comparing him to some of the great orators who passed through the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas. Homer Lindsay was just a man focused on teaching the simple truths of the Word so that those who heard him would understand that God speaks through His Word.
As I listened that morning, I recalled the words the Apostle to the Gentiles wrote to the saints in Corinth. “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” [1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-5]. As Homer Lindsay spoke, I realised that I was hearing the voice of a “One Thing” man. The Spirit’s rebuke compelled me to see with new eyes. Does that one seek the Lord’s honour? Then what is said is a blessing bestowed upon all who hear. Does that one exalt himself? Then the words that are spoken are just so much wind.
I was blessed by a woman named Sue Dollin. I knew her for far too brief a time, but she blessed me greatly during that very brief period that she ministered to God’s people. Mrs. Dollin was quite elderly when I met her. She was discouraged that she was unable to minister among the children as she once did. However, she could do one thing, and that was to pray for those who served the congregation. And what power was revealed in the prayers she offered. She could do but one thing, and she did it well. Through Sue Dollin, Christ was glorified and many people heard the message of life. Christ was alive for her, and He lived to be glorified through her prayers.
But enough of individuals whom I may have known in the past. What about you? What one thing that identifies you, reveals your aspiration? I’m speaking to men and women whom I love in this holy Faith. No doubt you are known as decent people, you work hard and you will leave a mark on those who have known you. One way or another, your life will leave a mark on the lives of others. Your children and your grandchildren will hold a memory of you and what drove you, a memory that fades far more quickly than any of us might imagine. A day will come when they have only a hazy remembrance of you and what you stood for.
But I’m speaking to the heart of one someone, or perhaps there are a few, who hear the message and the Spirit of God has stirred you in ways you could not have imagined. To you whom the Spirit has confronted, I’m pleading for you to ensure that your aspiration is Christ’s will and that all who know you will be compelled to acknowledge that whether they believe in Christ or not, they will know they have been in the presence of a “One Thing” person when they were with you.
Listen to Paul as he weighs alternatives while incarcerated. “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” [PHILIPPIANS 1:21-23].
What happened to the Apostle? How did matters turn out for him? We know from reading the letters he wrote to Timothy that he had a hearing before Nero, and then he had a second hearing when nobody stood with him. One day, one of those imperial guards came to that prison where Paul was imprisoned. He looked down through a grate into the cell where Paul huddled in the cold and the dark. Was that guard a Christian? I’d like to imagine that this member of the Praetorium Guard had believed the message Paul preached. And he said, “Brother Paul, I’ve come to tell you what I don’t want to tell you. I’ve come to take you where I don’t want to take you.”
I can only imagine that Paul responded, “That’s okay, my brother. You know how I have told you, ‘To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’ I’m ready.”
Paul would have been led out of the south gate of the wall of Rome. The pavement would have led to a place called the Three Springs. Awaiting Paul was a Roman axman with a large halyard ax. For one moment, the ax was raised high above the executioner’s head, the light glinting on the ax as it was poised in the air, and then it swung down in a huge arc, striking the little man in the neck. For one brief moment it was the light of the sun shining on the metal of that ax, and the next moment it was the light of glory shining in the face of Christ Jesus.
The reality for the Apostle Paul, and the reality for each child of God, is revealed in the words written to another congregation. “We are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” [2 CORINTHIANS 5:6-8].
“Let those of us who are mature think this way,” and I would hope that you are one of those mature individuals who are able to think this way. It’s not too late to become that “One Thing” man, or that “One Thing” woman. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Cited in Mark Fackler, “The World Has Yet to See…,” Christian History Magazine-Issue 25: Dwight L. Moody: 19th C. Evangelist (Christian History Institute, Worcester, PA 1990)
