(My anniversary message in Kaunlaran Christian Church)
Happy Anniversary and Congratulations!
Brethren, Philippians 3:12-14, your text today is a life verse of most of the winners and successful persons and organizations. This church is one of them because you will not reach this age (26 years) if you did not succeed.
I knew the history of this church. I know your struggles. And I knew how you succeed in the midst of many trials you’ve faced since the beginning. Although not all of them!
Our text today reveals what you should do to continue this ministry. And the Scripture suggested three very important things:
I. SET OFF from the past
(don’t be in bondage, don’t let your past hinders your life)
We are special beings in that God has given us the ability to remember.
Your memory may be your friend or your enemy. Negative things or positive…
Most of the times we dwell upon the negative and begin to feel sorry for ourselves. But not only the negative things, even some very pleasant things hinders
us to move on.
Story of Israelites in the wilderness.
When they experience trials, they looked back to Egypt.
“…Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? And they said to each other, we should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Numbers 14:3b-4
You see, those things can cripple us & hold us in bondage to the past.
llustration.
In a Nike advertisement some years ago, a voice came over the television saying, "I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Those words were spoken by Michael Jordan, by most standards the greatest basketball player ever to play the game. (Sermoncentral.com)
Illustration. President Abraham Lincoln
Was defeated for the state legislature in Illinois in 1832
He was defeated for Congress in 1843
He was defeated for Congress again in 1848
He was defeated for the Senate in 1855
He was defeated for Vice presidential ticket in 1856
He was defeated again for the Senate in 1858
He became president in 1860 and lives on history as one of the GREATEST PRESIDENTS IN UNITED STATES.
(Sermoncentral.com)
That is why Paul said, "I forget about what lies behind." Paul had a lot that was behind him. Paul had a very bad past.
He persecuted the church. He used his authority to kill Christians. By his own admission he said, "I am chief of sinners." He could have walked around all his life with this tremendous burden of guilt crippling him & he would never have become the great apostle we know & love today.
But Paul said, "…forgetting what is behind…" In other words, "Do not retrieve our past from our memory, it will hinder us to go ahead"
II. CLING ONTO the present
(adhere/hold onto the present)
Please notice verse 13 again. Paul said, "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do:". Notice that Paul did not say, "one thing I will do." He didn’t say, "one thing I’m going to do," or "one thing I will get around to someday." He said, "one thing I do."
Paul was living and acting in the present. Many people today try to live in the future. Do you know what the busiest day in the world is going to be? It’s not Christmas. It’s not the day before and after your Anniversary. It is "someday." Everyone in the world has something scheduled to do "someday."
I’m sure that we’ve all made plans for "someday," but the fact is, SOMETIMES "someday" never come through.
Paul is the ultimate example of living each day to the fullest -- living each day as if it were your last. When he was imprisoned in Rome, he didn’t sit there resting, thinking about all the things he would do when he got out of jail. He wrote letters to churches, sang praises to God, and even converted some of the people who had imprisoned him! Paul used everyday to the uttermost.
“whatever your hands find to do, do it”
Benjamin Franklin once said, "Do you love life? Then do not squander time for that is the stuff that life is made of."
Perhaps, the saddest example of procrastination (pagwawalang-bahala) is found in the life of the Roman Governor Felix, who listened to Paul "speak about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, ’Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.’" (Acts 24:25).
Never again did Felix listen to God’s word. Once he had put it off for a time, as with so many things in life, that time never came. We all ought to be more like the psalmist, who wrote, "I hastened and did not delay to keep Your commandments" (Psalm 119:60).
What if there were no church tomorrow because we were too busy to worship God today? What if God could not hear your prayers tomorrow because you were too busy to pray today? What if there were no Bible tomorrow because you would not read His Word today?
What if there were no forgiveness tomorrow because you did not stop sinning today? What if there were no invitation tomorrow because you did not respond today?
Do not dwell in the future. Most people failed to attain success because of unsure future!
“Your success tomorrow begins today”
It was Abraham Lincoln who first said, "The leading rule for a man of every calling is diligence; never put off until tomorrow what you can do today."
Cling onto the present, Harapin ang kasalukuyan!
III. KEEP UP for the future
(Don’t remain on your stand, keep on going)
You’re doing something in the present while investing in the future!
There are 2 kinds of persons who do not invest for tomorrow
A. SOME PEOPLE FEAR THAT THEY MAY NOT ACHIEVE THEIR GOAL
Illustration: I remember Florence Chadwich, aged 34, on July 4, 1952 waded into the water off Catalina Island and began her 21 mile swim toward California. If she completed her journey, she would be the first woman ever to accomplish this feat. The water was ice cold, and the fog was so heavy, that Florence could hardly see the boats in her own party. Sharks often began to attack Florence as she swam and men armed with rifles in the boats surrounding her had to drive them off with carefully aimed shots. But the constant numbing cold of the water was her toughest problem. Fifteen hours after she began, she asked to be taken out, her muscles sluggish and unresponsive due to the frigid water.
Her mother and trainer, alongside in the boat, told her they were near land. They encouraged her not to quit. But as she looked ahead, all she could see was the dense fog.....so she gave up and asked to be taken out of the water. When they pulled her out, she was only a half mile from the California cost! Only a small fraction of her journey was incomplete....she almost did it. Later, when Florence’s body began to thaw, the shock of failure finally hit her.To a reporter she blurted out, "Look, I’m not excusing myself. But if I could have SEEN the land, I might have made it."
Two months after her failure, Florence Chadwick walked off the same beach into the same channel and swam the distance, setting a new speed record, because she could see the land.(Sermoncentral.com)
All of us can identify with Florence because we get discouraged if we can’t see where we are going..... We are all irritated if we feel we are not making any progress in life.
o In sending our children to school ...
o In serving the Lord ...
B. SOME PEOPLE FEEL THEY HAVE REACHED THE SPIRITUAL MOUNTAINTOP
Its enough, I have done my best ...
But here Paul was not satisfied for his present accomplishment: "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on..." v.12
"I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do..." v.13
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call ..." v.14
Obviously, we know Paul did many things. He made tents. He preached sermons & established churches. He healed the sick. He wrote books. He did a lot of different things.
He CONTINUE to strives for excellence! How about you brethren?
Illustration
The Greeks Olympic is unique. The winner is not the one who first who reach the finish line with torch but the one who first reach the finish line with torch still lighting. (Sermoncentral.com)
REMEMBER THIS …THE BEGINNING IS NOT VERY IMPORTANT IN THE RACE
E.g. There are many devoted Christians today who back out the race. Think about you co-members before...
THE END IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE RACE
· And manatili hanggang wakas...
· I have finish the race ... (Tazmanian runner)
Look ahead, keep up the future
CONCLUSION
We’ve just gone through another year in this church in which he reminds you again that "He is faithful to you.” Imagine, you have gone through this 26 years of age?. Now you can maintain this ministry by the truth Paul is telling you today:
1. Set off from the past 2. Cling onto the present 3. Keep up for the future = SCK (Kaunlaran Christian Church)
Illustration
One time an expert on the subject of time management was speaking to a group of students.
After speaking to them for a while, he said, “Okay, it’s time for a quiz.” He set a one-gallon, wide mouthed jar on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks & carefully placed them, one at a time, inside the jar. When the jar was filled to the top & no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”
“Really?” he said. Then he reached under the table & pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel into the jar & shook it , causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
Then he smiled & asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them said.
“Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table & brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in & it filled all the spaces between the rocks & the gravel. Once more he asked, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water & began to pour in the water until the jar was filled to the brim.
Then he looked back at the class & asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand & said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit something more into it!”
“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”
What are the big rocks of your life? They should include these: spending time with Him in Prayer, seeking His guidance for your life through Reading His Word and Using our gifts to serve Him. I know its hard to do these in your life!
But the most important rock that we need to put in first into our lives is ---JESUS, the rock of our salvation!
This morning, God’s invitation is offered to any & all who would accept Him & receive Him as the Lord their lives.
