Keep your eye on the ball Philippians 3:1-16 WBC 10/11/02pm
On day 6 of ill-fated Apollo 13 mission the astronauts needed to make a critical course correction. If they failed they might never return to earth. To conserve power, the onboard computer that steered the craft had been shut down. yet the astronauts needed to conduct a 39 second burst of the main engines. how to steer? Astronaut Jim Lovell determined that if they could keep a fixed point in space in view through their tiny window, they could steer the craft manually. That focal point turned out to be their destination- earth. As shown grippingly in the 1995 movie ’Apollo 13’, for 39 agonising seconds, Lovell focussed on keeping the earth in view. By not losing sight of that reference point, the 3 astronauts avoided disaster.
1 Where’s your FOCUS?
where you focus your attention, devotion… eyes… energies = so important
- Apollo 13 mission and men saved by keeping their eyes on the earth. The one true, fixed point in the direction they needed to go
- I was struck by Wayne “keep your eye on the ball” with Charlotte (I’m useless at footy- and that’s because nobody told me that important fact!)
43% of all statistics are totally worthless !!! 97.3% Of all statistics are made up.
- Not sure this is: 1987 Survey of USA showed over 90% believed in a personal God
o so what’s wrong? Why isn’t that nation… and this nation (50%) the holiest nation on earth???
Indiana Jones & the last crusade- Holy Grail. The ONE thing the baddie lives for. But he can’t take it with him
- dies in horrible disappointment
- films are filled with this kind of ‘dawning’
o Sully in Monsters Inc. Best scary monster- but then realises he’s been part of something horrible. Scaring kids
o they discover… too late… they’ve been focussing on the wrong thing.
Illustr: Towards the end of the 19th Century, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the local paper. It read: Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before, and he died a very rich man.
Actually, it was Alfred’s older brother who had died. A newspaper reporter hat bungled the epitaph,
But the account had a profound effect on Nobel. He decided had lived for the wrong kind of thing: the means to kill people efficiently and for amassing a fortune in the process. So he initiated the Nobel Prize, the award for scientists and writers who foster peace.
Nobel said: Every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph in midstream and write a new one.
Illustr: another such person was a man with a fixation for the power of ‘CRAZY GLUE’:
While visiting the Eagle’s Rock African Safari Zoo with a group of thespians from St. Petersburg, Russia, Demuth tried to demonstrate one of America’s many marvels. Demuth wanted to show the effectiveness of "Crazy Glue" ... the hard way. Apparently, Demuth put about 3 ounces of the adhesive in the palms of his hands, and jokingly placed his hands on the buttocks of a passing rhino. The rhino, named Sally, had been a resident of the zoo for many years. She was not initially startled because she had been part of the petting exhibit since she was a baby.
However once she tired of the petting, Sally began to panic and run around the pen taking Demuth with her. During Sally’s tirade two fences were destroyed, a shed wall was gored, and a number of small animals escaped. Also, during the stampede, three pygmy goats and one duck were stomped to death.
Sally was finally captured and restrained.
(To complicate matters, Sally had not been feeling well lately. Actually, she had been very constipated. The veterinarian had just given her a laxative and some depressants to relax her bowels. James Douglas, zoo caretaker said, "With all the excitement, the laxatives started to take effect and Demuth was repeatedly showered with rhino diarrhoea. I guess you could say that Demuth was up to his neck. Once Sally was under control, we were able to tranquilize her and three care takers, with the help of shovels were able to keep an air passage
open for Mr. Demuth. It took a team of medics and zoo caretakers over four hours to apply solvent and remove Demuth’s hands from the rhino’s buttocks. "It was tricky. We had to work and shield our faces from being pelted with rhino dung, said Douglass. "I don’t think he’ll be playing with Crazy Glue for a while." Vladimir Aolnikov, leader of the Russian troupe, said they were amused by the demonstration and impressed with the power of Crazy Glue.)
So- back to my original question. Why do so any people believe in God,- yet not seem to be any different from anyone else… making the world a better place?
- MANY….MOST (?) people believe in God- but their eye’s not on the right thing. Their focus is elsewhere. It’s off the ball.
Maybe their focus is on GOOD things. Great things. healthy, wholesome, enjoyable things.
- but their focus isn’t on the BEST thing:
“He brushed his teeth twice a day. The doctor examined him twice a year. He wore rubbers when it rained. He slept with the windows opened. He stuck to a diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. He golfed‹but never more than 18 holes at a time. He got at least 8 hours of sleep every night. He never smoked, drank, or lost his temper. He exercised every day. He was all set to live to be 100.
The funeral will be Wednesday. He was only 63. He is survived by 18 specialists, 4 health institutions, 6 gymnasiums, and numerous manufacturers of health foods and drugs. He remembered everything… apart from the most IMPORTANT thing”
- His eye was off the ball. Focussing on the wrong thing
So- here’s what’s wrong with tat 90% statistic . And here’s where I mess up my life, too.
- each of us do, basically
- > we believe in God… but we fail to put Him FIRST
2. Who’s FIRST?
And the trouble is: first is really the ONLY place He can be
- or He’s nowhere at all in our lives.
o if we’re not living FOR Him, we’re not really living with Him at all.
And the THING is. he loves us to much to let other things satisfy us. Even good things.
- so we fill our lives with enjoyment, fun, friends, parties, work, relationships. We even are convinced we’re being good and not hurting anyone
o >> but it just doesn’t satisfy us??? Why not??
because God loves you too much. That’s why.
you can’t let someone you love envelop their lives in GOD things but miss the BEST. Miss the ball
o ’Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home’ CS Lewis in ’The problem of pain’
This is the basic problem with mankind
- right from the start. In the story of Adam:
o trying to have God around- but not put Him FIRST
a bit of niceness. A bit of religion, even.
o thinking we know better… (are better?)… than Him
and then wondering why it all goes wrong
God is first, or He’s nowhere at all
3. Get FORGIVEN!
And here’s the shocking thing. This is WRONG.
You may love the greatest and most best, beautiful and honourable thing
- but if it’s before God –it’s out of place
o it’s IDOLATRY. It’s breaking 1st and most important commandment
o DT 5:6 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. DT 5:7 "You shall have no other gods before me.
o let me assure you: your OWN ‘goodness’ can be that thing that’s in the wrong place!
James Emery White, You Can Experience an Authentic Life, p. 2.: "Whatever you love most, serve most, seek out most, give to the most, worship the most, and care about the most is your god.
Your “god” can be your career, your bank account, the way you look, a particular position or degree, influence, power, or physical pleasure. It can even be something that is considered intrinsically good, yet you allow it to dominate your life more than God – such as your marriage or your family. Your “god” is whatever you allow to control you, to be the ultimate guide to decision making, the place of your supreme loyalty, and the source of your self-worth."
You may feel I’ve clubbed you with a brick, tonight. But I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you the truth- and how to get your life and eternity sorted out!
- sometimes we just don’t hear it unless it’s shouted:
On a sightseeing trip to Florida’s west coast, my husband and I visited an old mansion. In the exquisitely furnished master bedroom, we were surprised to see signs on the bedspread and curtains reading, "WASH HANDS IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHING." We a admired the furnishings from a safe distance, but our curiosity was aroused, so, on leaving, I decided to ask the guard if the fabric had been treated with some harmful preserving chemical. "Oh, no, ma’am," he said, grinning. "There’s nothing on ’em. We just never did have much luck with the `Do Not Touch’ signs.
I really ask you to forgive me: because I hope you know, my intentions are good:
An irate hearer said to Samuel Barnett when he was canon of Bristol Cathedral in England, "I come to church to be comforted, and you sound a fire alarm."
Commenting on this incident, Halford E. Luccock suggested, "Perhaps there was a fire."
So- in one sense: that’s the BAD news! If God isn’t number one- there’s a REAL fire!
But here’s the good news- He’ll forgive you and me at the drop of a hat… at the hammering of a nail. Instantly
- and HELP us to put Him as number one. On the throne. First
- SERIOUSLY. I’m not kidding
o God is eager to forgive. Has provided a way for all our ignoring of Him and idolatry to be forgiven
AND… SURPRISE SURPRISE… it’s Jesus
Fix your eyes on Him. Focus on Him. Find Him. Put Him first
- and the forgiveness comes
- the power comes
4. Get FULLHEARTED
My friends: I’ll tell you, again, what the answer is. Who the answer is
- JESUS
and it’s time to live for Him. It’s time to put Him first. Count everything else as rubbish to Him
It’s time to “find out what pleases Him”
EPH 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
And if you don’t want to (because I don’t REALLY… with ALL of my heart)
- then it’s time to WANT to WANT TO.
o and I promise you, God will do the rest.
o “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and EVERYTHING else will be given to you, too”
Other things MAY have let you down: people, church, ‘quick fix’ theologies
- but Jesus won’t. He’s the one you can look at to steer your life
o the one true reference point in life.
I know Peter is not alone in wanting to do this, tonight.
- but he’s the one showing this publicly. That’s what baptism is
- he’s showing:
- Jesus is number 1. He’s ‘IN CHRIST’
- He’s not gonna live like he did… wants to.
- old self has died.
- He’s been forgiven! Washed away
- He’s gonna live as a new person
Wanna join him???
