GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS FOR A PASTOR
Good News: You baptized seven people today in the river.
Bad News: You lost two of them in the swift current.
Good News: The Women’s Guild voted to send you a get-well card.
Bad News: The vote passed 31-30.
Good News: The Elder Board accepted your job description the way you wrote it.
Bad News: They were so inspired by it, they also formed a search committee
to find somebody capable of filling the position.
Good News: You finally found a choir director who approaches things exactly
the same way you do.
Bad News: The choir mutinied.
Good News: Mrs. Jones is wild about your sermons.
Bad News: Mrs. Jones is also wild about the "The Osbournes," "Survivor" and
"Texas Chain Saw Massacre."
Good News: The trustees finally voted to add more church parking.
Bad News: They are going to blacktop the front lawn of your parsonage.
Good News: Church attendance rose dramatically the last three weeks.
Bad News: You were on vacation.
Good News: Your biggest critic just left your church.
Bad News: He has been appointed the District Supervisor of your
denomination’s region.
Good News: The youth in your church come to your house for a surprise visit.
Bad News: It’s in the middle of the night and they are armed with toilet
paper and shaving cream to "decorate" your house.
I’ve got some good news for you this morning. In fact, to put it in a nice little package for you, I’ve got some words of encouragement, some words of exhortation, and some examples to follow. And it all comes in this nice little package for you found in Philippians 3, picking up where we left off last week.
If you rememeber, Paul was telling us that we need to rejoice in the Lord. Why should we rejoice in the Lord? Because it is by his grace we are saved. Not in the works of the flesh. All the things that Paul had accomplished in his life. All his laurels that he had to rest on—he counted them as waste. He counted everything that he did for himself as a loss for the cause of Christ. And as we concluded last week, we saw that his overwhelming desire was to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.
Here we get to where we start off this morning in verse 12—and paul tells us that he’s not there yet.
Can you imagine this? When you look at the life of the apostle Paul and what he has accomplished for the cause of Christ, and he states, “I’m not there yet.” He’s been on two missionary journeys to this point in his life, planted several churches, led thousands of people to the Lord, and he is not where he wants to be yet. That is amazing.
Many of you know what our goals are here for the church. 30 new people by the end of the year, a new pastor by June. These aren’t goals so that we can just have a more packed church. Once we hit 30 new people, we aren’t going to say, “THAT’S IT! WE’VE MADE IT, NOW WE CAN RELAX. WE’VE MADE OUR GOAL, AND THAT’S ALL WE HAVE TO DO.”
The apostle Paul, after several “successful” missionary journies, says I haven’t accomplished my goal yet; I’m not satisfied; I’m not perfect yet. Here’s what he does, and this should be words of great encouragement to us this morning, almost 2000 years later.—READ 13-14.
Paul is using running terms here, straining toward, pressing on—it gives the example of a race, and running it to completion.
Many of you know I started to run several weeks ago. I’d run for a little bit, and I’d walk, then run and walk, until I did almost 2 miles. Can I tell you something—I HATE RUNNING! Last night, we played ultimate Frisbee at the Seminary picnic—EXPLAIN IT—I got back and my feet hurt!!! So when I look at this illustration and I think of running, I think of pain, sweat, tears, and something I don’t want to do again!
But I want you to get past the running illustration to look at this one point, and this is your word of encouragement this morning. YOU HAVE A SECOND CHANCE.
It can almost get lost in the illustration, but it is the one thing that screamed out at me as I read this passage. We can skip right over to the pressing on toward the prize, but we can miss the simple truth of verse 13—forgetting what is behind.
Let me stand before you this morning as someone who has a hard time forgetting what lies behind. It can be a spiritual draining, and damaging to sit and dwell on the past. But Paul wanted to encourage us to forget it.
Paul spoke strongly about his past; we saw it last week and this morning—waste, dung, a loss. But notice what Paul says here; he doesn’t say, oh I wish I had it back. Oh the opportunities that I had that I blew. Oh, I’m a failure. Oh, I’ll never be able to do anything for Christ, I keep falling. Oh, I’m not worth it. No, he simply says this—ONE THING I DO: FORGETTING WHAT IS BEHIND.
Brothers and sisters, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve blown it before. It doesn’t matter if you think you are nothing but a failure. It doesn’t matter if you are scared to death of blowing it again—GOD WANTS YOU TO FORGET IT. You have a second chance to start over again, right now, this moment. Forget what is behind.
That’s your word of encouragement. Now, Paul gives us some exhortation.
Paul tells us to forget the past; it’s past, and you can’t change it, God has given you another chance. Here’s what your focus should be—press on.
I watched a soccer game yesterday—Coach Davis—how will he motivate his players?
Focus on the goal…
What was Paul’s goal—READ 10-11. TO know Christ, and the fellowship of his suffering, becoming like him in death, attaining the resurrection of the dead. He kept this focus ever in front of him, and he pursued it with all his might.
His words of exhortation—press on. You see, it’s not enough to just forget the past. Paul isn’t telling us; forget the past so you can re-live it and make the same mistakes. Forget the past; but press on.
And then he says something that’s even more encouraging—READ VERSE 15-17. In other words—this is the way it is. It’s as simple as that; you may fall, but get back up, and press on.
The soccer player yesterday—the goalie—I felt sorry for her. She got hurt bad at the end of the first half. That seemed to keep her from playing as aggressively. Some of you have gotten hurt before, ministering the gospel. Maybe you are approaching it as, God doesn’t want me to be doing that anymore. That isn’t what God tells us, and that isn’t what Paul is saying. He is telling us that we need to forget the past, forget the pain, forget the hurt, forget the failures, forget the missed opportunities. Get up, and get at it! Continue on! But then he says, if you’re not at that point yet, that’s okay, God will get you there.
So we’ve seen words of encouragement, and words of exhortation; now we see the example: READ 17. Look around, see those who are running the race. Follow them, run with them.
In our Greek class, we were STRONGLY ENCOURAGED WITH OUR GRADES to meet with other men to help in studying. The thinking is that you will do better if you work together to learn the language. Here, it’s the same way; come on, join us in this race as we learn to know Christ. Hook up with other believers; let’s do this together.
This is a team sport—we rely upon each other. We don’t have to travel this road alone, we should be running with others. Although I don’t physically run with other people; I probably should, because as the saying goes, “Misery loves company”.
But Paul wants us to follow his example, and not only that, follow the example of those in your midst who are godly—take note of them. These are the people that you want to fellowship with. And let me ask you a question, people. Where are you going to find a room full of people who are trying to run the race; people who want to know Christ.
24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Where do you find these people—hopefully at church! Why do we need this fellowship—there are enemies of the cross, who are waiting to trip us up.
Their god is their stomach, and it caries with it their desires. They see it, they desire it, they follow after it, and that is their God. Kind of like the sea-food diet. You know, the kind where if you see food, you eat it.But these people are only out to please themselves, and they will take you with them if you aren’t careful.
But Paul reminds us—you have a citizen ship in heaven. Just as they have there heart set on earthly things—you have a higher calling. Remember Jesus, the one who ran before you; he is coming again, and will make you to be like Him.
In a few moments, we are going to celebrate the Lord’s supper, and as I’ve told you before, it’s not just a reflection of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. It’s a reminder to look forward to His coming again. And Paul is encouraging us here, keep your focus on Christ.
READ 4:1—forget what is behind (encouragement); press on toward the goal (exhortation); follow me and other godly people (example)—that is how you stand firm.
Perseverance, Endurance, Dedication: The Race
"Quit!" "Give up, you’re beaten," they shout and plead there’s just too much against you now, this time you can’t succeed. And as I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face, my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race. And hope refills my weakened will as I recall that scene, for just the thought of that short race rejuvenates my being. A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well, excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell. They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place. Their fathers watched from off the side, each cheering for his son, and each boy hoped to show his dad that he would be the one. The whistle blew and off they went, young hearts and hopes of fire, to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire. One boy in particular, his dad was in the crowd, was running near the lead and thought "My dad will be so proud." But as he speeded down the field across a shallow dip, the little boy who thought to win, lost his step and slipped. Trying hard to catch himself, his hands, flew out to brace, and mid the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face. So, down he fell and with him hope, he couldn’t win it now. Embarrassed, sad, he only wished to disappear somehow. But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face, which to the boy so clearly said, "Get up and win that race!"
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all, and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall. So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win, his mind went faster than his legs, he slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with one disgrace. "I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race." But, in the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face, that steady look that said again, "Get up and win that race!"
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last, if I’m going to gain those yards, he thought, I’ve got to run real fast. Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight or ten, but trying so hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye, there’s no sense running anymore -- three strikes I’m out -- why try? The will to rise had disappeared, all hope had fled away, so far behind, so error prone, closer all the way.
"I’ve lost, so what’s the use," he thought, "I’ll live with my disgrace." But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face. "Get up," an echo sounded low. "Get up and take your place. You were not meant for failure here, get up and win that race."
With borrowed will, "Get up," it said, "you haven’t lost at all, for winning is not more than this; to rise each time you fall." So, up he rose to run once more, and with a new commit, he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been, still he gave it all he had and ran as though to win. Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again. Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end. They cheered the winning runner as he crossed, first place; head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace. But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, last place, the crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race. And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud, you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd. And to his dad he sadly said, "I didn’t do so well." "To me, you won," his father said. "You rose each time you fell." And now when things seem dark and hard and difficult to face, the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race. For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all. And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall. "Quit!" "Give up, you’re beaten," they still shout in my face, but another voice within me says, "Get up and win that race."
You may have fallen more times then you can count—forget it. Don’t dwell on it. Get up, and follow the example of others—run together. Run, to win the race.
