“Another Church Fire” 2 Timothy 1:1-13
I want to talk about church fires.
What did the pastor say when someone told him the church was on fire? Holy Smoke!
The story’s told …
The pastor of the Mennonite church and the Fire Chief both died and arrived at the pearly gates at the same moment. The Fire Chief passed through right away and the pastor told St. Peter that he knew the man as a totally sacrilegious, depraved, discredit to the human race. The pastor asked, “Why was he allowed to pass through before me?”
St. Peter replied, “Dear pastor, your case has been examined thoroughly. Through the years, as you preached from the pulpit, most people fell asleep. But when the chief sounded the alarm, everybody prayed! And he’s seen more churches on fire than you have.”
Maple Grove had four fires. I showed slides of the destruction of the December 1967 fire.
One Church Member was quoted in History of Ohio & Eastern Conference, “Our church didn’t burn; it was only the building.”
There have been a number of times that Maple Grove was really on fire.
THINK ABOUT THIS
Malibu Presbyterian Church burned in Mid October of last year – the next Sunday the congregation met in a theatre – over 600 in attendance – the largest crowd the church has ever seen – there wasn’t room for everyone to squeeze into the auditorium. Church leaders announced that the services and programs would continue in various locations as they sorted out what to do.
Pastor Greg Hughes told the congregation, "I think God will bring us to a new place where we will glorify him on that hill again." Hughes added, "You want to see a church on fire, I'll show you a real church on fire," prompting wild applause. There was an excitement, an enthusiasm, a unity that the church hadn’t seen in years, maybe never before. The church burned, but now, the church is on fire.
There are destructive forces at work against the church, but, if we are a faithful church, we will be able to withstand them.
Jesus told Peter, “You are Peter (rock) and on this rock (peter), I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Mt 16:18)
We need to be solidly grounded (like a rock) in the Lord Jesus Christ –and we will succeed as a church. Nothing can destroy us.
Paul, “No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 3:11)
In today’s scripture passage, I want to focus on verses 5 to 8 of 2 Timothy chapter 1.
A. TO BE “ON FIRE” FOR GOD, WE MUST HAVE “A LIVING FAITH”
Where did Timothy get his Faith – passed down by his grandmother and mother. (v.5)
This is the most natural evangelism – to pass your faith to your children and family members.
In our Men’s Prayer Group – we talked about the difficulty in sharing our faith with those closest to us. Yet these are the people most important to our lives. It doesn’t make sense.
Sometimes I’ve heard parents wonder, “Why don’t my kids have the passion for God and a strong faith like I do?” “Why have my children wandered from the Lord?”
It’s a real concern.
We know that Timothy’s dad wasn’t a believer (Acts 16:1). I’m sure that concerned Timothy.
v. 5 – Paul is reminded of Timothy’s “sincere faith”
Sincere – genuine “without wax” Latin – “sine cera”
The phrase comes from a practice where people would hide the cracks in cheap pottery with wax in order to pass the pottery off as being worth more than it actually was. Quality products were often stamped with the words sine cera to show it had not been doctored. It would be similar to those products today that are stamped, “all natural” or “100% pure”. Paul is reminding Timothy of his faith that is pure and genuine.
Where did the faith come from?
It first lived in Lois, his grandmother
And it lived in Eunice, his mother
And now lives in Timothy
Greek word “enukesen” – “lives”
Related to “dwelt” in John 1:14 “and the word became flesh and lived with us”
What does Timothy have living in him?
As set of rules or doctrines? Is it perfect church attendance? An exact confession of faith?
No – he has a living, breathing faith. It’s alive. It’s a faith that comes out in his life. Wherever he is, whatever he is doing … his faith is evident in his life.
To be “on fire” for God, we need to have a living faith.
B. TO BE “ON FIRE” FOR GOD, WE MUST USE OUR GOD GIVEN GIFTS
v. 6 – “Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.”
(the laying on of hands is the recognition by the church of these gifts – in timothy’s case, ordination to ministry)
A flame will go out if it’s left on its own.
William Booth (Founder of Salvation Army), “The tendency of Fire is to go out; watch the fire on the altar of your heart.” Anyone who has tended a fireplace fire knows that it needs to be stirred up occasionally.
v. 6 “Gift of God” Gift = “charisma” (Gk) from “charis” (grace). It’s a free gift, given to us, to use.
Paul wrote to Corinthian Christians, “Each one has his own gift from God” (1 Cor 7:7). Everybody has “charisma”
This is a special ability, talent, personality trait – that is to be used for God and his Church.
There are lists of them (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4)
These gifts need to be discovered, developed, and put into practice. Otherwise they don’t do us, or God, any good.
The “fire” starts with the living faith and spreads when our Spiritual gifts are being used.
C. TO BE “ON FIRE” FOR GOD, WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO SHARE OUR FAITH (NOT TIMID)
One of Paul’s regular literary practices is to make a negative statement followed by three positive ideas.
v. 7 - “God did not give us a spirit of timidity”
But God did give us a spirit of
1. Power
2. Love
3. Self-discipline
Timidity (lit. cowardice, KJV = “fear”) – we aren’t to be cowards when it comes to our faith and using our spiritual gifts.
v. 8 – “Don’t be ashamed to testify about our Lord.”
How many of you are afraid to let your faith show through in your daily living?
Do your neighbors know you are a Christian?
How about the people where you work, where you shop, where you do your banking?
We should have “a spirit of power” (gk. “dynamis”, is root for dynamite, explosive)
It’s interesting that Paul doesn’t just list power.
Power (dynamis), love (agape), self-discipline (control of the self)
This is a significant combination; all three are necessary to keep the others in check.
Power alone can be destructive.
We’ve seen the destructive power of fire (in our church history, recently in the Coatesville area)
Perhaps we know faithful and “spirit filled” people who have destroyed churches and the lives of others? [I’m not going to give examples – you know them]
That’s a “spirit of power” (v. 7) unrestrained. (It’s explosive and dangerous)
Power needs to be tempered by Love and self-discipline
Jn 13:35 everyone “will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Fire can be used to destroy lives – or it can be used to warm homes, cook food, or take a rocket ship to the moon.
Love will channel the power for good use
Self-discipline will restrain the power against destructive use
CONCLUSION
Paul told Timothy to “fan into flame” the faith living in him.
A flame needs to be with other flames to keep burning.
To put out a campfire – spread the coals out.
To re-ignite a campfire – push the coals together.
St John of the Cross “The soul that is alone … is like the burning coal that is alone, it will grow colder rather than hotter.”
Do you look around and see others growing spiritually colder. We shouldn’t move away from them, we should put ourselves tighter together.
Opportunities this coming week – to help us “fan into flame” the fires of our faith.
Youth Sponsored Sports Dinner (Fri)
Birdsong Family (Sat and Sun)
Xtreme Worship (Tue)
Church Family Night (Wed)
I knew ROGER BARLOW, SR (his son is responsible for many of the Coatesville fires) when he was a kid.
What if my family witnessed to him, shared with him our faith?
There’s a Poem, “Prayer for an Arsonist” by Martha Kauffman published in the January 1968 Maple Breezes.
Here are some excerpts: “Lord, be with the arsonist today. Let him meditate on the dangers encountered by the firemen … let him see himself. He, too, is Thy child … Did none of us show to him the importance of serving Thee? Forgive us if we are at fault …” [I’ll send you the whole text if you want]
To be able to share your faith …
You need a “living faith” acting in your life.
You need to recognize, develop and use your spiritual gifts.
You need to not be timid or ashamed, but act in power, love and self-discipline.
God calls us, like Paul to Timothy, to “fan into flame” our faith.
Then our church and our lives will be “on fire” for the Lord.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A MUSING FROM PASTOR STEVE for February 24, 2009
The following was reported on a church sign: “With all the risks that some people take, they should take out eternal fire insurance as soon as possible.”
SUNDAY MORNING
A lot of folks were missing on Sunday morning. The women’s retreat, small group retreats, sickness and family gatherings kept many from gathering in our sanctuary. There were almost as many visitors as church folks present. I hope you take time to greet our visitors and the new folks who have been attending. We don’t have official hospitality assignments, but any of us could invite folks to dinner.
Brett E and crew did a great job leading in worship. It was nice to have Collin at the drums; we need to get the young folks using their talents for the Lord. I didn’t know that Bret D could play the piano.
I hope everyone wasn’t too bored with the slides from the 1967 church fire. I talked about a positive church fire and how we all need to “fan into flame” our God given gifts (2 Tim 2:6). I’m thankful for each of you and the God given gifts you use in your life and in the church.
PRAYER CONCERNS
In addition to the concerns listed in our bulletin, we can lift up Jen Umble’s surgery on Tuesday (today) in Dayton, OH. We can thank God that Danny Miller walked away from a terrible auto accident on Friday (his car was totaled). Morgan Umble leaves Costa Rica and returns to St. Croix on Friday. The sharing time is an important part of our worship.
LENT
We’re not particularly a liturgical church, but I did recognize that lent starts on Wednesday. The children helped me plant an amaryllis bulb (thanks Mildred!). We’ll watch it grow during lent and be challenged to grow spiritually as Easter approaches. This Sunday we can be challenged to have our faith grow through re-commitment to the Lord.
BIBLE QUIZZING
The Quizzers had a challenging evening at Forest Hills. It’s great to see so many going to cheer them on (even if it’s mostly parents who will take them home afterwards). Next Sunday they are at Akron Mennonite. Jeff, Rhonda and Erin are doing a great job with the kids.
WE HAVE A BUSY WEEK COMING UP! There are many opportunities for fellowship and spiritual renewal.
Friday Night we’ll have a great time and fellowship with the Youth Sports Dinner and Auction. Call RuthAnn with your reservations if you haven’t already done so. This should be a lot of fun!
Saturday night the Birdsong Family will have a Youth Oriented Concert. They’ll be in the schools during the week and hopefully we’ll have a good crowd. The concert begins at 6:30 pm. Invite your friends and neighbors.
Sunday morning I’m looking forward to the Sunday School elective. Thanks to Gwen for facilitating this class; they’ll meet in the sanctuary. After that the Birdsong Family will lead us in worship. This is another great opportunity to invite friends and neighbors. The Gospel message will be presented. Ken is doing a great job coordinating these things. I think we still need rooms for the Birdsongs for Sunday evening.
There is no Sunday evening service – a number of difficulties led to this decision. We’ll have House of His Creation at another time.
Tuesday is Xtreme Worship. Dave Klingensmith, associate pastor at Sandy Hill, will speak. It should be a challenging evening. Nolan & Nori and crew are doing a great job with this.
Wednesday is Church Family Night. The Evangelism & Service Commission have a fun and challenging evening planned. There will be a Church Family Feud that will include all ages.
The morning of Friday, March 6 we will gather in the fellowship hall for World Day of Prayer. Sarah Mechler, missionary to Mongolia, is our speaker. The announcement says it’s for the women, but I don’t think they will turn the guys away.
We can only be renewed as a church if we meet together. I encourage you to bring your friends and participate in as much as you can.
PENNY POWER
Bud Eby’s Sunday School Class is collecting pennies for Penny Power. There are two large bottles in the foyer for your pennies. These will be taken to the MCC Relief Sale in Harrisburg in April. I’m thankful that Bud’s class has taken on this project.
TEL HAI
On Monday the Leadership Team met with folks from Tel Hai Retirement Community: Joe Swarts (CEO), Tim Herr (Chaplain) and our own Matt King (board member). Maple Grove was key in starting the Tel Hai ministry, but our relationship has changed over the years. We talked about ways we can work together in ministry.
LEADERSHIP LISTENING MEETINGS
I often say this is not the pastor’s church or the elder’s church, it is the church of all of us. We held our third listening meeting with Erin’s SS class this week. Each group brings a unique perspective – Maple Grove is a wonderfully diverse congregation, with lots of ideas, hopes and dreams. I’m also finding out that we also have a lot of talent that is not being used for the Lord. Please pray for the leadership team as we continue to seek the Lord’s direction for our congregation. This week we will meet with Bill’s class. We need to “fan into flame” our faith for a useful fire that is not a destructive burn, but provides energy for ministry for the Kingdom of God.
Here’s the full text of the poem/essay I quoted parts of on Sunday.
“Prayer for an Arsonist” by Martha Kauffman
Dear Lord, we thank Thee for fire: its warmth, its beauty, and usefulness when kept in its place. But we can’t understand what pleasure anyone can get from lighting a building dedicated for worshiping Thee. Maybe we don’t need to know why. Help us to say “Thy will be done.”
Lord, be with the arsonist today. Let him meditate on the dangers encountered by the firemen. Or let him feel the agony of a fireman overcome by smoke. May he in some way see the needy who will not get the quilts and sewing circle materials. Let him think of the amount of time, money, and inconvenience involved before the building can be used again.
Most of all, let him see himself. He, too, is Thy child. Does he not know that he was born to bring honor to Thy name?
Did none of us show him the importance of serving Thee? Forgive us if we are at fault. Just as men worked to clean the debris, so let our hearts be cleansed.
May the fire of Thy Spirit burn within us, so that our love and prayers will go out to others, even to the arsonist who lit the match. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen!
(This was written after seeing a clean-up crew working at Maple Grove Church a few weeks after the December 9, 1967 fire.)
Thank you for your prayers and for all each of you does for our Lord as part of our Maple Grove family. St. John of the Cross wrote, “The soul that is alone … is like the burning coal that is alone, it will grow colder rather than hotter.” I thank the Lord that I can be a part of the Maple Grove Church fire!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Steve Crane
Ben Franklin is credited as saying this at the signing of the Declaration of Independence: “We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hand separately.” There’s some truth to that for the church as well.
SUNDAY MORNING
A lot of folks were missing on Sunday morning. The women’s retreat, small group retreats, sickness and family gatherings kept many from gathering in our sanctuary. There were almost as many visitors as church folks present. I hope you take time to greet our visitors and the new folks who have been attending. We don’t have official hospitality assignments, but any of us could invite folks to dinner.
Brett E and crew did a great job leading in worship. It was nice to have Collin at the drums; we need to get the young folks using their talents for the Lord. I didn’t know that Bret D could play the piano.
I hope everyone wasn’t too bored with the slides from the 1967 church fire. I talked about a positive church fire and how we all need to “fan into flame” our God given gifts (2 Tim 2:6). I’m thankful for each of you and the God given gifts you use in your life and in the church.
PRAYER CONCERNS
In addition to the concerns listed in our bulletin, we can lift up Jen Umble’s surgery on Tuesday (today) in Dayton, OH. We can thank God that Danny Miller walked away from a terrible auto accident on Friday (his car was totaled). Morgan Umble leaves Costa Rica and returns to St. Croix on Friday. The sharing time is an important part of our worship.
LENT
We’re not particularly a liturgical church, but I did recognize that lent starts on Wednesday. The children helped me plant an amaryllis bulb (thanks Mildred!). We’ll watch it grow during lent and be challenged to grow spiritually as Easter approaches. This Sunday we can be challenged to have our faith grow through re-commitment to the Lord.
BIBLE QUIZZING
The Quizzers had a challenging evening at Forest Hills. It’s great to see so many going to cheer them on (even if it’s mostly parents who will take them home afterwards). Next Sunday they are at Akron Mennonite. Jeff, Rhonda and Erin are doing a great job with the kids.
WE HAVE A BUSY WEEK COMING UP! There are many opportunities for fellowship and spiritual renewal.
Friday Night we’ll have a great time and fellowship with the Youth Sports Dinner and Auction. Call RuthAnn with your reservations if you haven’t already done so. This should be a lot of fun!
Saturday night the Birdsong Family will have a Youth Oriented Concert. They’ll be in the schools during the week and hopefully we’ll have a good crowd. The concert begins at 6:30 pm. Invite your friends and neighbors.
Sunday morning I’m looking forward to the Sunday School elective. Thanks to Gwen for facilitating this class; they’ll meet in the sanctuary. After that the Birdsong Family will lead us in worship. This is another great opportunity to invite friends and neighbors. The Gospel message will be presented. Ken is doing a great job coordinating these things. I think we still need rooms for the Birdsongs for Sunday evening.
There is no Sunday evening service – a number of difficulties led to this decision. We’ll have House of His Creation at another time.
Tuesday is Xtreme Worship. Dave Klingensmith, associate pastor at Sandy Hill, will speak. It should be a challenging evening. Nolan & Nori and crew are doing a great job with this.
Wednesday is Church Family Night. The Evangelism & Service Commission have a fun and challenging evening planned. There will be a Church Family Feud that will include all ages.
The morning of Friday, March 6 we will gather in the fellowship hall for World Day of Prayer. Sarah Mechler, missionary to Mongolia, is our speaker. The announcement says it’s for the women, but I don’t think they will turn the guys away.
We can only be renewed as a church if we meet together. I encourage you to bring your friends and participate in as much as you can.
PENNY POWER
Bud Eby’s Sunday School Class is collecting pennies for Penny Power. There are two large bottles in the foyer for your pennies. These will be taken to the MCC Relief Sale in Harrisburg in April. I’m thankful that Bud’s class has taken on this project.
TEL HAI
On Monday the Leadership Team met with folks from Tel Hai Retirement Community: Joe Swarts (CEO), Tim Herr (Chaplain) and our own Matt King (board member). Maple Grove was key in starting the Tel Hai ministry, but our relationship has changed over the years. We talked about ways we can work together in ministry.
LEADERSHIP LISTENING MEETINGS
I often say this is not the pastor’s church or the elder’s church, it is the church of all of us. We held our third listening meeting with Erin’s SS class this week. Each group brings a unique perspective – Maple Grove is a wonderfully diverse congregation, with lots of ideas, hopes and dreams. I’m also finding out that we also have a lot of talent that is not being used for the Lord. Please pray for the leadership team as we continue to seek the Lord’s direction for our congregation. This week we will meet with Bill’s class. We need to “fan into flame” our faith for a useful fire that is not a destructive burn, but provides energy for ministry for the Kingdom of God.
Here’s the full text of the poem/essay I quoted parts of on Sunday.
“Prayer for an Arsonist” by Martha Kauffman
Dear Lord, we thank Thee for fire: its warmth, its beauty, and usefulness when kept in its place. But we can’t understand what pleasure anyone can get from lighting a building dedicated for worshiping Thee. Maybe we don’t need to know why. Help us to say “Thy will be done.”
Lord, be with the arsonist today. Let him meditate on the dangers encountered by the firemen. Or let him feel the agony of a fireman overcome by smoke. May he in some way see the needy who will not get the quilts and sewing circle materials. Let him think of the amount of time, money, and inconvenience involved before the building can be used again.
Most of all, let him see himself. He, too, is Thy child. Does he not know that he was born to bring honor to Thy name?
Did none of us show him the importance of serving Thee? Forgive us if we are at fault. Just as men worked to clean the debris, so let our hearts be cleansed.
May the fire of Thy Spirit burn within us, so that our love and prayers will go out to others, even to the arsonist who lit the match. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen!
(This was written after seeing a clean-up crew working at Maple Grove Church a few weeks after the December 9, 1967 fire.)
Thank you for your prayers and for all each of you does for our Lord as part of our Maple Grove family. St. John of the Cross wrote, “The soul that is alone … is like the burning coal that is alone, it will grow colder rather than hotter.” I thank the Lord that I can be a part of the Maple Grove Church fire!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Steve Crane
Ben Franklin is credited as saying this at the signing of the Declaration of Independence: “We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hand separately.” There’s some truth to that for the church as well.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sermon Synopsis for February 8, 2009
“Are You In Love?” John 21: 15-19
St. Valentine’s Day is coming. Maybe you heard …
A woman woke up one morning and told her husband, “Last night I dreamt that you gave me a pearl necklace for Valentine’s Day. What do you think it means?”
He said, “You’ll know tonight.”
That evening he came home with a small package beautifully wrapped and gave it to her. She opened it to find a book, entitled “The Meaning of Dreams.”
Have any of you been in love?
What happens when you fall in love?
A comic strip from the 1980s explains it this way
[Calvin & Hobbes Cartoon]
Frame 1: Calvin says, “What’s it like to fall in Love?”
Frame 2: Hobbes, “Well … say the object of your affection walks by …” Calvin, “Yeah?”
Frame 3: Hobbes, “First, your heart falls into your stomach and splashed your innards.”
Frame 4: Hobbes, “All the moisture makes you sweat profusely.”
Frame 5: Hobbes, “This condensation shorts the circuits to your brain, and you get all woozy.”
Frame 6: Hobbes, “When your brain burns out all together, your mouth disengages and you babble like a cretin until she leaves.” Calvin, “That’s Love?”
Frame 7: Hobbes, “Medically Speaking.” Calvin, “Heck, That happened to me once, but I figured it was cooties!!”
There is the Scientific Explanation: Neurochemical processes that involve hormones, dopamine, oxytocin, pheromones, endorphins, etc.
Basically, scientists tell us that, love has less to do with the heart, and more to do with the brain and glandular excretions.
Scientists have been trying to explain love rationally for decades.
But, can love be explained rationally? I don’t think so.
All of this scientific stuff can kill the mood.
John 21 – the final chapter of the book. This is the place to make the last impression, the final emphasis, the main point you want to get across – the one people will go away with, remembering.
The story of the encounter of Peter and Jesus seems like an odd way to end the Gospel of John.
BEYOND SALVATION
Chapter 20 of John ends with these words: (v.31) “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
The purpose of this book is so that we may believe (put our faith in Jesus)
Through faith we have eternal life.
This needs to be established first – we are saved by grace (God’s free gift), not by anything we have done (our works).
The Gospel of John deals with who Jesus is. What has he taught? What has he done? What he said. It explains why we should believe him, believe about him, and believe in him.
Chapter 21 is for our life after salvation – after receiving his grace and truth. After the resurrection.
Some think that after you receive salvation, that’s it. You’ve got the story straight; you believe in Jesus, you’re saved. You don’t need to worry about anything anymore – you have your free pass to heaven.
John teaches something a little different. After we have received these things, we are to now respond to the conversion of our lives – with action! A full relationship with Jesus leads us to works of love.
Christianity needs to move from our head (intellect) to our heart (emotions) to our hands and our feet (actions).
Jesus needs to be more than a concept, a set of beliefs. Jesus needs to be in a relationship with us. This is a relationship of love. It’s a relationship that causes us to follow him every day. It’s being in love all the time.
WHAT DOES JESUS WANT?
We see Jesus and Peter after breakfast.
Jesus asks, “Do you love me?”
Think of all the things Jesus could have asked Peter.
Service, commitment, martyrdom, etc.
But he asked him if he loved him.
LOVE
Love is a word that we often use, but it’s difficult to define it precisely.
It’s important because it describes the very nature and being of God.
“God is Love” (1 John 4: 8, 16)
Jesus commanded his disciples to love God (Mark 12:30; Deut 6:5)
Jesus also let his followers know that people would know that they are his followers if they loved each other (John 13:34, 35 for example)
Love is the test of our spiritual life.
Ship navigators (of old) depended on a compass to help determine his course.
A compass shows him his directions because it always points north. This is possible because a compass is so constituted that it responds to the magnetic field that is part of the earth’s makeup. Just as a compass is responsive to the nature of the earth so the Christian is responsive to the nature of God and just as a compass naturally points north so a believer will naturally practice love because love is the nature of God. Love is visible and can be very easily seen in the way we behave.
Greeks used 4 words for “love,” three of which are found in the New Testament. [see C.S. Lewis, “The Four Loves” for a deeper explanation]
Storge (στοργη)– not in NT, a fondness for another person, “like” (acquaintances, buddies, friends)
Philia (φιλια)– friendship, a strong feeling of affection and concern for another person. (BFFs, brothers / sisters, etc.)
Eros (έρως) – emotional, romantic love for opposite sex. (couples)
Agape (αγαπη) – the love of God. God’s love. An unconditional love for another, not dependent on reciprocation or repayment. It’s a deep, abiding love. [Hebrew = hesed]
First time
Jesus asks peter (v.15) “do you truly love (agape) me more than these?”
These = other disciples? Other disciples love? Fish (his job)?
Knowing Peter’s pride, it was probably asking if he loves him more than the other disciples did.
Peter responds, “You know that I love (philia) you.” “I’m fond of you; I love you like a brother”
Peter had grown close to Jesus, like part of the family. They lived together, ministered together, had fun together – they were like family.
Second time
“Do you truly love (agape) me?” (v. 16)
Once again, Peter responds the same, “You know that I love (philia) you.”
Third time
“Do you love (philia) me?” (v.17)
Peter (impatient), “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (agape) you.”
Peter’s response, acknowledges what Jesus wanted to know. The depth of his love: like a brother, like God’s love.
Peter had “brotherly love” for Jesus, but he needed to have “unconditional love”
The bottom line – Do you love Jesus?
If we could narrow down everything we learn in the Scriptures, that question is the one that needs to be pressed into your conscience: Do you love Jesus?
IT’S NOT: are you fond of Jesus? Do you love him like a brother? Do you have a great concern and affection for Jesus?
IT’S: Do you love Jesus with the depth of the love that God has for you?
How deep is God’s love?
Jesus, “I love you this much.” And he stretched out his arms and died for us.
Jesus to Peter, “Peter, Do you love me that much?”
Jesus to us, “Believer, Do you love me that much?”
Do you love Me? Do you agape Me? Is your heart set upon Me and are you trusting in Me for all things, in every circumstance and season in your life?
Are you trusting Me for your ministry?
Are you trusting Me for your work?
Are you trusting Me for your daily bread?
If the answer is no, yet you desire to trust Him, don’t be surprised when you find yourself having distractions in your life taken away without your own doing.
Peter has to wrestle with this issue. He presses Peter and shows Him the difference between the kind of love He requires and the kind of love Peter was at that moment, because of His past denial, capable of.
Peter is the man that was loved by Jesus, cared for, taught, provided for by Jesus. And it Jesus darkest hour, he falls asleep in the garden.
This is the guy that follows Christ and sees His trouble and instead of saying yes to those that asked about his relationship with Jesus, he lies and denies he ever knew Him.
Peter sees Jesus tortured, he sees Jesus crucified for his sin, he is there at the burial and is there when the tomb was found empty. He has seen the risen Lord and now God makes him breakfast and asks him do you really love me?
HOW DOES JESUS KNOW WE LOVE HIM?
How do we show our love?
Good gifts: Chocolates, dinner, cards, gifts, flowers, jewelry, etc.
Better yet: Good deeds, cleaning up our mess, helping out, etc.
Jesus tells Peter, “If you love me, do something with that love?” (Actions speak louder than words). Love is a verb – action. It’s not just an emotion of the heart, it is a verb of action.
Love is something you do, not something you describe.
It’s not enough to have a great theology, a sound doctrinal position, all the knowledge of the Bible. We need to put it into action – God is love, and so we must be love.
Jesus response to Peter was the same, “Feed (care for) my lambs (sheep)”
Isaiah (53:6), “All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.”
Care for others; don’t just think about Peter; think about all the other sheep under God’s care.
What does that mean for you?
For Peter it meant his life (vv. 18-19 – indicate that Peter would give his life for his love for the Lord). Peter was that much in love with Jesus – he’d give his life for him.
When Mother Theresa was alive a reporter writing an article on her life watched her as she cleaned up a neglected outcast in the slums of India with her bare hands. After watching her for some time he remarked in disbelief “I would never do that even for a million dollars”. “Neither would I,” replied Mother Theresa. She was performing a duty out of love and not for money. She was saying yes to Christ’s question “do you love me?”
The world has known many people who are said to be great lovers, but, without doubt, the greatest lover of all is God Himself.
Have you ever been in love?
You know the feeling – you’d do anything for that person …
Are you in love with Jesus?
St. Valentine’s Day is coming. Maybe you heard …
A woman woke up one morning and told her husband, “Last night I dreamt that you gave me a pearl necklace for Valentine’s Day. What do you think it means?”
He said, “You’ll know tonight.”
That evening he came home with a small package beautifully wrapped and gave it to her. She opened it to find a book, entitled “The Meaning of Dreams.”
Have any of you been in love?
What happens when you fall in love?
A comic strip from the 1980s explains it this way
[Calvin & Hobbes Cartoon]
Frame 1: Calvin says, “What’s it like to fall in Love?”
Frame 2: Hobbes, “Well … say the object of your affection walks by …” Calvin, “Yeah?”
Frame 3: Hobbes, “First, your heart falls into your stomach and splashed your innards.”
Frame 4: Hobbes, “All the moisture makes you sweat profusely.”
Frame 5: Hobbes, “This condensation shorts the circuits to your brain, and you get all woozy.”
Frame 6: Hobbes, “When your brain burns out all together, your mouth disengages and you babble like a cretin until she leaves.” Calvin, “That’s Love?”
Frame 7: Hobbes, “Medically Speaking.” Calvin, “Heck, That happened to me once, but I figured it was cooties!!”
There is the Scientific Explanation: Neurochemical processes that involve hormones, dopamine, oxytocin, pheromones, endorphins, etc.
Basically, scientists tell us that, love has less to do with the heart, and more to do with the brain and glandular excretions.
Scientists have been trying to explain love rationally for decades.
But, can love be explained rationally? I don’t think so.
All of this scientific stuff can kill the mood.
John 21 – the final chapter of the book. This is the place to make the last impression, the final emphasis, the main point you want to get across – the one people will go away with, remembering.
The story of the encounter of Peter and Jesus seems like an odd way to end the Gospel of John.
BEYOND SALVATION
Chapter 20 of John ends with these words: (v.31) “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
The purpose of this book is so that we may believe (put our faith in Jesus)
Through faith we have eternal life.
This needs to be established first – we are saved by grace (God’s free gift), not by anything we have done (our works).
The Gospel of John deals with who Jesus is. What has he taught? What has he done? What he said. It explains why we should believe him, believe about him, and believe in him.
Chapter 21 is for our life after salvation – after receiving his grace and truth. After the resurrection.
Some think that after you receive salvation, that’s it. You’ve got the story straight; you believe in Jesus, you’re saved. You don’t need to worry about anything anymore – you have your free pass to heaven.
John teaches something a little different. After we have received these things, we are to now respond to the conversion of our lives – with action! A full relationship with Jesus leads us to works of love.
Christianity needs to move from our head (intellect) to our heart (emotions) to our hands and our feet (actions).
Jesus needs to be more than a concept, a set of beliefs. Jesus needs to be in a relationship with us. This is a relationship of love. It’s a relationship that causes us to follow him every day. It’s being in love all the time.
WHAT DOES JESUS WANT?
We see Jesus and Peter after breakfast.
Jesus asks, “Do you love me?”
Think of all the things Jesus could have asked Peter.
Service, commitment, martyrdom, etc.
But he asked him if he loved him.
LOVE
Love is a word that we often use, but it’s difficult to define it precisely.
It’s important because it describes the very nature and being of God.
“God is Love” (1 John 4: 8, 16)
Jesus commanded his disciples to love God (Mark 12:30; Deut 6:5)
Jesus also let his followers know that people would know that they are his followers if they loved each other (John 13:34, 35 for example)
Love is the test of our spiritual life.
Ship navigators (of old) depended on a compass to help determine his course.
A compass shows him his directions because it always points north. This is possible because a compass is so constituted that it responds to the magnetic field that is part of the earth’s makeup. Just as a compass is responsive to the nature of the earth so the Christian is responsive to the nature of God and just as a compass naturally points north so a believer will naturally practice love because love is the nature of God. Love is visible and can be very easily seen in the way we behave.
Greeks used 4 words for “love,” three of which are found in the New Testament. [see C.S. Lewis, “The Four Loves” for a deeper explanation]
Storge (στοργη)– not in NT, a fondness for another person, “like” (acquaintances, buddies, friends)
Philia (φιλια)– friendship, a strong feeling of affection and concern for another person. (BFFs, brothers / sisters, etc.)
Eros (έρως) – emotional, romantic love for opposite sex. (couples)
Agape (αγαπη) – the love of God. God’s love. An unconditional love for another, not dependent on reciprocation or repayment. It’s a deep, abiding love. [Hebrew = hesed]
First time
Jesus asks peter (v.15) “do you truly love (agape) me more than these?”
These = other disciples? Other disciples love? Fish (his job)?
Knowing Peter’s pride, it was probably asking if he loves him more than the other disciples did.
Peter responds, “You know that I love (philia) you.” “I’m fond of you; I love you like a brother”
Peter had grown close to Jesus, like part of the family. They lived together, ministered together, had fun together – they were like family.
Second time
“Do you truly love (agape) me?” (v. 16)
Once again, Peter responds the same, “You know that I love (philia) you.”
Third time
“Do you love (philia) me?” (v.17)
Peter (impatient), “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (agape) you.”
Peter’s response, acknowledges what Jesus wanted to know. The depth of his love: like a brother, like God’s love.
Peter had “brotherly love” for Jesus, but he needed to have “unconditional love”
The bottom line – Do you love Jesus?
If we could narrow down everything we learn in the Scriptures, that question is the one that needs to be pressed into your conscience: Do you love Jesus?
IT’S NOT: are you fond of Jesus? Do you love him like a brother? Do you have a great concern and affection for Jesus?
IT’S: Do you love Jesus with the depth of the love that God has for you?
How deep is God’s love?
Jesus, “I love you this much.” And he stretched out his arms and died for us.
Jesus to Peter, “Peter, Do you love me that much?”
Jesus to us, “Believer, Do you love me that much?”
Do you love Me? Do you agape Me? Is your heart set upon Me and are you trusting in Me for all things, in every circumstance and season in your life?
Are you trusting Me for your ministry?
Are you trusting Me for your work?
Are you trusting Me for your daily bread?
If the answer is no, yet you desire to trust Him, don’t be surprised when you find yourself having distractions in your life taken away without your own doing.
Peter has to wrestle with this issue. He presses Peter and shows Him the difference between the kind of love He requires and the kind of love Peter was at that moment, because of His past denial, capable of.
Peter is the man that was loved by Jesus, cared for, taught, provided for by Jesus. And it Jesus darkest hour, he falls asleep in the garden.
This is the guy that follows Christ and sees His trouble and instead of saying yes to those that asked about his relationship with Jesus, he lies and denies he ever knew Him.
Peter sees Jesus tortured, he sees Jesus crucified for his sin, he is there at the burial and is there when the tomb was found empty. He has seen the risen Lord and now God makes him breakfast and asks him do you really love me?
HOW DOES JESUS KNOW WE LOVE HIM?
How do we show our love?
Good gifts: Chocolates, dinner, cards, gifts, flowers, jewelry, etc.
Better yet: Good deeds, cleaning up our mess, helping out, etc.
Jesus tells Peter, “If you love me, do something with that love?” (Actions speak louder than words). Love is a verb – action. It’s not just an emotion of the heart, it is a verb of action.
Love is something you do, not something you describe.
It’s not enough to have a great theology, a sound doctrinal position, all the knowledge of the Bible. We need to put it into action – God is love, and so we must be love.
Jesus response to Peter was the same, “Feed (care for) my lambs (sheep)”
Isaiah (53:6), “All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.”
Care for others; don’t just think about Peter; think about all the other sheep under God’s care.
What does that mean for you?
For Peter it meant his life (vv. 18-19 – indicate that Peter would give his life for his love for the Lord). Peter was that much in love with Jesus – he’d give his life for him.
When Mother Theresa was alive a reporter writing an article on her life watched her as she cleaned up a neglected outcast in the slums of India with her bare hands. After watching her for some time he remarked in disbelief “I would never do that even for a million dollars”. “Neither would I,” replied Mother Theresa. She was performing a duty out of love and not for money. She was saying yes to Christ’s question “do you love me?”
The world has known many people who are said to be great lovers, but, without doubt, the greatest lover of all is God Himself.
Have you ever been in love?
You know the feeling – you’d do anything for that person …
Are you in love with Jesus?
Friday, February 6, 2009
Sermon Synopsis for February 1, 2009
“Football and Faith” Philippians 3:12-21
Does God care about sports?
Did you know that the church can be like football?
Half Time: Time between Sunday school and church.
Huddle: Pastor & Elders meeting before the service.
Home Field Advantage: where regular-attenders think they should sit, when visitors take the place where they usually sit.
Screen Play: using the video projector.
Draw Play: what children do with the bulletin during worship.
Benchwarmer: those who do not sing, pray, work, or do anything but sit.
Backfield-in-motion: making a trip to the back (bathroom or water fountain) during worship.
Draft Choice: choosing to sit next to the open window.
End Zone: the pews (end, get it?)
Interference: talking during the prayer.
Trap: you’re called on to pray or speak and you are asleep.
Coin Toss: what usually ends up in the offering plate.
Staying in the pocket: What happens to some money that should be put in the offering plate.
Quarterback sneak: the child getting his coin back out of the offering plate.
Instant Replay: the pastor loses his place in his notes and repeats part of his sermon before he realizes it.
Punt: point in the sermon where the pastor realizes that he’s lost the attention span of most of the congregation, and he veers off from his sermon in desperation to try to regain the attention of the congregation.
Punt return: congregation’s response to the pastor’s punt.
Two Minute Warning: when you realize that the sermon is just about over and you start gathering up your children and belongings.
Two Minute Warning: the pastor’s wife (or an Elder) looking at her watch in full view of the pastor.
Extra Point: what you get when you tell the pastor that his sermon was too short. Or, what happens 20 minutes after the pastor says “in conclusion.”
Overtime: Sermon continues past 11:45 am.
Sudden Death: what happens to the attention span when the preacher goes into overtime.
Illegal motion: leaving before the closing prayer is finished.
End Run: getting out of church quickly, without speaking to anyone.
Blitz: the rush to area restaurants following the closing prayer.
Blocking: talking with your friends at the door out of the sanctuary, keeping others from leaving.
Halfback option: The decision of 50% of the congregation not to come back to the evening service. (half come back)
Flex Defense: The ability to allow absolutely nothing that was said during the sermon to affect your life.
Touchdown: someone comes to Christ.
INTRODUCTION (PRE GAME)
The Apostle Paul used a number of sports analogies to help us understand the Christian life.
Most of them had to do with races. I imagine if he were here with us today he would be talking sports.
Jews were prohibited from participating in Greek / Roman sports. That’s probably why Jesus didn’t give any sports examples. Paul was a missionary to the Greeks – he had to enter their world.
Kind of like an Eagles fan going to Pittsburgh.
The Apostle Paul used these sports analogies, to draw attention to the way he divided up the world. (Not Steelers fans or Cardinals fans), but those who followed Jesus and those who didn’t.
Can you make a Steelers fan out of an Eagles fan?
You see, Paul changed from being a fanatic for Jewish fundamentalism to being a fanatic for Jesus.
Paul begins chapter 3 of Philippians by defending his credentials against false believers and teachers. He tells us that he used to be like them, but everything is a loss compared to the greatness of knowing Christ (3:7). His conversion brought a new assessment of his goals and gave him an overwhelming desire to know Christ and to follow Christ more fully. Paul tells us he hasn’t fully arrived as a Christian, but Philippians 3:12-21 tells us how he’s working on it.
CHOSE THE RIGHT TEAM
Which team will win?
Does God care who wins the Super Bowl?
(Sports Illustrated, Jan 26, 1998, Article by William Nack)
We have a lot of questions. Who is going to win? Does God know? Who does God want to win?
John 14:14 “I will do whatever you ask in my name”
There are players praying to win (on both sides)
James tells us, “God hears the prayers of a righteous man”
There are good Christians on both teams
Is one team more faithful? Why did that particular team win?
Think about those Sunday afternoon heroes. After an amazing touchdown, they kneel in the end zone and offer a brief prayer or groups of players bow in the middle of the field at the end of a game.
Post game interview:
“Great game, Joe”
“Thanks, Bud. The first thing I have to say is that I owe it all to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We sure kicked some butt out there today. Whoo-whoo!”
I have to confess, this makes me feel al little weird. It’s great that public figures acknowledge the importance of faith in their lives. I’m not sure Jesus helps anyone “kick butt,” on or off the field. Maybe it’s just me.
God can intervene in human affairs:
The late, great Reggie White, defensive end for the Packers and the Eagles and also a Christian minister. Reggie didn’t like people who thought that God didn’t take part in determining the outcome of games. "How do they know?" he asked. "They're not God. They can't find anything in the scriptures that proves it." He noted that the Bible is filled with evidence of God's decisive role in human conflicts. "God intervened in David's fight with Goliath," he said. "When Jesus died, [God] intervened in Jesus's victory over death."
I doubt that God is taking sides in today’s Super Bowl
God wants us to be on the right team
Phil 3:12 “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
Paul was on the wrong team – but an encounter with Jesus turned him around – it put him on the right team. This is something that God does care about! God wants all of us to be on his team.
Two teams: Phil 3:18- 20
“Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ”
“Their destiny is destruction”
“Our citizenship is in heaven”
(He’s not talking about the Steelers vs. Cardinals here)
It’s important to be on the right team.
ARROGANCE CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS
Did you ever come across an annoying “Steelers” fan?
They can be exasperating. (Eagles fans too, we won’t mention Cowboy fans)
Did you ever come across an annoying Christian? (Jesus’ fan)
Paul 3:12 Just because he’s on the right team, “he’s not perfect”
I don’t believe that you can aggravate or annoy anyone into believing in Jesus.
Here’s something from the Ladies Bible Study (Beth Moore, Breaking Free, student book p. 17)
Speaking of the divisions between God’s people (Northern Kingdom of Israel and Southern Kingdom of Judah)
Which do we tend to enjoy the most? God-given victory or our foe’s defeat? Our attitude can be a litmus test. Does victory humble us and bring us to our knees in thanksgiving to God, or does victory make us proud and arrogant toward those less victorious?
DIVISIONS CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS
Jesus put together a “team” of disciples.
One of his great concerns (John 13 Prayer) was “that they be one”
“That they play together as a team”
Paul says, “I’m in Christ”
Phil 3:17 “Join with others in following my example”
Be on the right team. “Jesus Christ took hold of me.”
FORGET WHAT IS BEHIND
Paul continues with some advice.
Truth: The hurts and the pains of the past can keep you from going forward.
Paul has a lot of baggage in his past – persecuting Christians. Imagine the guilt that goes along with something like that.
Phil 3:13 “forgetting what is behind”
Greek word “forget” does not mean obliterate from your memory, but a “conscious refusal to let them absorb his attention and impede his progress.” (Expositors Bible Commentary)
Football teams – watch video of past games. They study the past; they learn where they went wrong. There is humiliation, there is asking forgiveness, there is looking at yourself openly and honestly …
But when they take the field – these things are in the past – they realize that what they need to do is not “get over the bad things we did in the past,” as much as moving forward toward a victory.
Those bad things in our lives (as individuals or as a church) can cause us a lot of pain.
Jesus wants us to put them behind, so they are not a stumbling block to going forward.
PRESS TOWARD THE GOAL
What is the objective of a football game?
At the end of the game, what is the most important thing?
To have the most goals scored
Teamwork, focus, attitude, knowing the plays, etc. are all great things and are part of the game, but the winner is determined by the one who reaches the goal the most (who scores the most points)
3:13 “straining toward what is ahead” (present tense) (gk. Putting everything you have into it)
3:14 “press on toward the goal” (present tense) (gk. Putting your might into something despite obstacles and oppression)
3:14 “called me heavenward” (past action for present response) (gk. A forward motion towards our eternal destination)
Paul is telling the early Christians, “Don’t forget the goal of all of this living the Christian life”
Pay attention to the details, but don’t get so muddled down in the details of every play and the daily grind that you forget where you’re headed.
CONCLUSION:In a little while the game will be over. In the end one team will emerge victorious. It may be the Steelers, or maybe the Cardinals…A trophy will be rewarded,Rings will be presented,Cash will be given,Glory will be bestowed,Advertising contracts will be awarded,And one team will have bragging rights for a year.Yet today a greater game of importance is being played, and you are a key player on the field. You have the opportunity to play for eternal rewards. You can win a prize that will never dim. The outcome is up to you.
Press on toward the goal!
God wants you to be a Super Bowl Christian.
Does God care about sports?
Did you know that the church can be like football?
Half Time: Time between Sunday school and church.
Huddle: Pastor & Elders meeting before the service.
Home Field Advantage: where regular-attenders think they should sit, when visitors take the place where they usually sit.
Screen Play: using the video projector.
Draw Play: what children do with the bulletin during worship.
Benchwarmer: those who do not sing, pray, work, or do anything but sit.
Backfield-in-motion: making a trip to the back (bathroom or water fountain) during worship.
Draft Choice: choosing to sit next to the open window.
End Zone: the pews (end, get it?)
Interference: talking during the prayer.
Trap: you’re called on to pray or speak and you are asleep.
Coin Toss: what usually ends up in the offering plate.
Staying in the pocket: What happens to some money that should be put in the offering plate.
Quarterback sneak: the child getting his coin back out of the offering plate.
Instant Replay: the pastor loses his place in his notes and repeats part of his sermon before he realizes it.
Punt: point in the sermon where the pastor realizes that he’s lost the attention span of most of the congregation, and he veers off from his sermon in desperation to try to regain the attention of the congregation.
Punt return: congregation’s response to the pastor’s punt.
Two Minute Warning: when you realize that the sermon is just about over and you start gathering up your children and belongings.
Two Minute Warning: the pastor’s wife (or an Elder) looking at her watch in full view of the pastor.
Extra Point: what you get when you tell the pastor that his sermon was too short. Or, what happens 20 minutes after the pastor says “in conclusion.”
Overtime: Sermon continues past 11:45 am.
Sudden Death: what happens to the attention span when the preacher goes into overtime.
Illegal motion: leaving before the closing prayer is finished.
End Run: getting out of church quickly, without speaking to anyone.
Blitz: the rush to area restaurants following the closing prayer.
Blocking: talking with your friends at the door out of the sanctuary, keeping others from leaving.
Halfback option: The decision of 50% of the congregation not to come back to the evening service. (half come back)
Flex Defense: The ability to allow absolutely nothing that was said during the sermon to affect your life.
Touchdown: someone comes to Christ.
INTRODUCTION (PRE GAME)
The Apostle Paul used a number of sports analogies to help us understand the Christian life.
Most of them had to do with races. I imagine if he were here with us today he would be talking sports.
Jews were prohibited from participating in Greek / Roman sports. That’s probably why Jesus didn’t give any sports examples. Paul was a missionary to the Greeks – he had to enter their world.
Kind of like an Eagles fan going to Pittsburgh.
The Apostle Paul used these sports analogies, to draw attention to the way he divided up the world. (Not Steelers fans or Cardinals fans), but those who followed Jesus and those who didn’t.
Can you make a Steelers fan out of an Eagles fan?
You see, Paul changed from being a fanatic for Jewish fundamentalism to being a fanatic for Jesus.
Paul begins chapter 3 of Philippians by defending his credentials against false believers and teachers. He tells us that he used to be like them, but everything is a loss compared to the greatness of knowing Christ (3:7). His conversion brought a new assessment of his goals and gave him an overwhelming desire to know Christ and to follow Christ more fully. Paul tells us he hasn’t fully arrived as a Christian, but Philippians 3:12-21 tells us how he’s working on it.
CHOSE THE RIGHT TEAM
Which team will win?
Does God care who wins the Super Bowl?
(Sports Illustrated, Jan 26, 1998, Article by William Nack)
We have a lot of questions. Who is going to win? Does God know? Who does God want to win?
John 14:14 “I will do whatever you ask in my name”
There are players praying to win (on both sides)
James tells us, “God hears the prayers of a righteous man”
There are good Christians on both teams
Is one team more faithful? Why did that particular team win?
Think about those Sunday afternoon heroes. After an amazing touchdown, they kneel in the end zone and offer a brief prayer or groups of players bow in the middle of the field at the end of a game.
Post game interview:
“Great game, Joe”
“Thanks, Bud. The first thing I have to say is that I owe it all to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We sure kicked some butt out there today. Whoo-whoo!”
I have to confess, this makes me feel al little weird. It’s great that public figures acknowledge the importance of faith in their lives. I’m not sure Jesus helps anyone “kick butt,” on or off the field. Maybe it’s just me.
God can intervene in human affairs:
The late, great Reggie White, defensive end for the Packers and the Eagles and also a Christian minister. Reggie didn’t like people who thought that God didn’t take part in determining the outcome of games. "How do they know?" he asked. "They're not God. They can't find anything in the scriptures that proves it." He noted that the Bible is filled with evidence of God's decisive role in human conflicts. "God intervened in David's fight with Goliath," he said. "When Jesus died, [God] intervened in Jesus's victory over death."
I doubt that God is taking sides in today’s Super Bowl
God wants us to be on the right team
Phil 3:12 “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
Paul was on the wrong team – but an encounter with Jesus turned him around – it put him on the right team. This is something that God does care about! God wants all of us to be on his team.
Two teams: Phil 3:18- 20
“Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ”
“Their destiny is destruction”
“Our citizenship is in heaven”
(He’s not talking about the Steelers vs. Cardinals here)
It’s important to be on the right team.
ARROGANCE CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS
Did you ever come across an annoying “Steelers” fan?
They can be exasperating. (Eagles fans too, we won’t mention Cowboy fans)
Did you ever come across an annoying Christian? (Jesus’ fan)
Paul 3:12 Just because he’s on the right team, “he’s not perfect”
I don’t believe that you can aggravate or annoy anyone into believing in Jesus.
Here’s something from the Ladies Bible Study (Beth Moore, Breaking Free, student book p. 17)
Speaking of the divisions between God’s people (Northern Kingdom of Israel and Southern Kingdom of Judah)
Which do we tend to enjoy the most? God-given victory or our foe’s defeat? Our attitude can be a litmus test. Does victory humble us and bring us to our knees in thanksgiving to God, or does victory make us proud and arrogant toward those less victorious?
DIVISIONS CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS
Jesus put together a “team” of disciples.
One of his great concerns (John 13 Prayer) was “that they be one”
“That they play together as a team”
Paul says, “I’m in Christ”
Phil 3:17 “Join with others in following my example”
Be on the right team. “Jesus Christ took hold of me.”
FORGET WHAT IS BEHIND
Paul continues with some advice.
Truth: The hurts and the pains of the past can keep you from going forward.
Paul has a lot of baggage in his past – persecuting Christians. Imagine the guilt that goes along with something like that.
Phil 3:13 “forgetting what is behind”
Greek word “forget” does not mean obliterate from your memory, but a “conscious refusal to let them absorb his attention and impede his progress.” (Expositors Bible Commentary)
Football teams – watch video of past games. They study the past; they learn where they went wrong. There is humiliation, there is asking forgiveness, there is looking at yourself openly and honestly …
But when they take the field – these things are in the past – they realize that what they need to do is not “get over the bad things we did in the past,” as much as moving forward toward a victory.
Those bad things in our lives (as individuals or as a church) can cause us a lot of pain.
Jesus wants us to put them behind, so they are not a stumbling block to going forward.
PRESS TOWARD THE GOAL
What is the objective of a football game?
At the end of the game, what is the most important thing?
To have the most goals scored
Teamwork, focus, attitude, knowing the plays, etc. are all great things and are part of the game, but the winner is determined by the one who reaches the goal the most (who scores the most points)
3:13 “straining toward what is ahead” (present tense) (gk. Putting everything you have into it)
3:14 “press on toward the goal” (present tense) (gk. Putting your might into something despite obstacles and oppression)
3:14 “called me heavenward” (past action for present response) (gk. A forward motion towards our eternal destination)
Paul is telling the early Christians, “Don’t forget the goal of all of this living the Christian life”
Pay attention to the details, but don’t get so muddled down in the details of every play and the daily grind that you forget where you’re headed.
CONCLUSION:In a little while the game will be over. In the end one team will emerge victorious. It may be the Steelers, or maybe the Cardinals…A trophy will be rewarded,Rings will be presented,Cash will be given,Glory will be bestowed,Advertising contracts will be awarded,And one team will have bragging rights for a year.Yet today a greater game of importance is being played, and you are a key player on the field. You have the opportunity to play for eternal rewards. You can win a prize that will never dim. The outcome is up to you.
Press on toward the goal!
God wants you to be a Super Bowl Christian.
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