Broadway Christian Church ·Columbia, Missouri

Morning Worship ·May 22, 2005

Prayer of the Day

As on a first day you began the work of creating us, so on this first day, Dear Lord, refresh and remake us.  As this day begins a new week, let our lives begin again because of Jesus, who shows us your loving power.  Amen.

Scripture
Philippians 3:4-14

Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else.  I was circumcised – had my faith marked in my flesh – when I was eight days old.  I’m from the nation of Israeland the tribe of Benjamin.  I am a true Hebrew born of Hebrew parents.  As a Pharisee – a leader of my religion – I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses – all those things that are found in the Bible.  As for zeal, I persecuted – made trouble for those first Christians.  I did everything that the law demands in order to please God.

I was faultless, but Christ has showed me that what I once thought was valuable is now worthless.  I have given up everything else and count all that as garbage.  All I want is Christ and to know that I belong to him.  I am no longer trying to make myself acceptable to God by my own efforts or by obeying various rules and regulations.  All I want is to know Christ and the perfection that comes from faith in him.  I want to know the power that raised him to life.  I want to share in his sufferings and become like him even in his death, so that somehow I may also be raised from the dead some day.

Now I have not reached my goal.  I have not attained all of this, but I do press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  And so, I forget the past and strain ahead to what is still to come.  I am racing to the finish line for the prize God calls us to receive in Christ Jesus.

Message
Get Over It!
Rick Frost

It all started on the screened-in porch of our Florida room.  Jack and Jerry brought their Les Paul guitars and a Fender amp.  J.D. brought his drums, and I plugged in my hand-held microphone.  We were all of fifteen years of age, and that day we wanted to make music.  The sounds of our time were shaped by people that some of you remember: Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Ray Charles, and, of course, James Brown and the famous Flames.  (Where were you all?)  We did our best to imitate these folks.  We practiced, and we played.  The neighbors screamed and hollered.  We practiced, and we played.  Pretty soon the locals liked us.  In fact, they loved us.  We were the first real rock-and-roll band on Edway Island, the first ever.  What a claim to fame!

We played all the best venues in town, the high school dances on Friday night, the Island Teen Club, Sunday afternoons at the public beach, New Year’s Eve at some big club in Sarasota.  Can’t you just hear the CD now?

Well… It also happened that this was about the time I got introduced to Janice (which is another story), who introduced me to Richard, who introduced me to Jesus, who called me to ministry.  I was 16 at the time.  A couple years later, Jerry and I, from the original group, went to the same university.  We put together a band at Florida State, and you know what?  It did really well.  But RCA never called.  It didn’t really matter, because I was hooked anyway.  Ministry was my passion. 

I remember discovering at age 18 there were commentaries to the Bible.  It just opened up a whole new world to me.  I committed myself to ministry when I was 16, and I basically never looked back.

Well… I suppose everybody looks back and sort of wonders, “what if?”  What if that really successful college scene had caught a break and gone national?  What if RCA had really called?  But the truth is, as you know, you can’t give your best to the life that’s in front if you are always looking back, if you are always thinking about what could have been.  I think sometimes you have to get over yourself and let some stuff go.  Even if you were pretty good at some stuff, you need to let some things go in order to find a more excellent way, a life worth really living.

Let me ask you a question to help us get into that a little bit.  Who today is the complete package in baseball?  Who is it?  You all know more about this than I do.  Anybody?  [The congregation responds with a name.]  People keep throwing that name around.  I don’t know who that is.  OK.  Let’s try one we might know.  Who’s the complete package in golf?  [The congregation responds, “Tiger Woods.”] 

I want you to know that, in his day, the apostle Paul was the complete package in the religious sense.  He really was an amazing person.  He tells us in his text today, “If anyone has reason to brag about his or her stuff, I’ve got more reason than anybody.  And the reason is, I’ve had it all.  I was born in the tribe of Benjamin, that was the youngest, most favorite tribe of all of Israel.  It produced some incredible prophets, people like Jeremiah, a privileged class of people.  I was circumcised on the eighth day of my life just like I was supposed to be, a Hebrew of Hebrews.  When it comes to the laws of God, I went to the best schools.  I had the best teachers.  I knew the laws of God.  I practiced those laws to the letter.  When it came to righteousness, to doing what is good, and right, and moral, and just, I was exhibit A.  I was not just the good guy.  I was the star of stars.  And then, I met Jesus, and I gave all that stuff away in exchange for knowing him, for making him the center of my life, for serving him.”

You see… What I want you to hear, folks, is something very, very important.  Paul did not give up a lousy, bad life in order to become a Christian.  Paul gave up a very, very good life in order to become the person he became.  Paul became a Christian for no rational explanation that I can think of.  As far as we know, he didn’t have a falling out with his local synagogue.  There is not a terrible event in his life where he sort of blew it, and he was trying to make up for it.  He didn’t wreck his marriage.  He wasn’t strung out on drugs.  I don’t think so.  He didn’t lose his life savings on E-Bay.  It was too early for that.  Paul was not a candidate for the Dr. Phil Show.  Paul had it all.  He was the Pharisee of Pharisees.  He was well known.  He was respected.  He was smart.  He was Type-A.  He was smart as a whip.

Then, he gave it all up.  “Whatever I have gained,” he said, “whatever I’ve achieved, I’ve come to regard all of that as so much rubbish, garbage, because of Christ.  I gave all that up.  Why?  Not to just give it up, but in order to know the surpassing value of Christ Jesus.”

You see… It’s not about believing, folks.  It’s not about affirming.  It’s about knowing.  What do I have to do to know?

Paul dedicated his life to the spiritual gifts God had given him.  First and foremost, he was an evangelist.  Paul made Christians.  That’s what he did.  He did that with ordinary people – people like you and like me.  He couldn’t help it.  It’s what he did.  He was really, really good at it.

I went to a dance recital last Friday night.  You know how those things are – 600 kids, and three and a half hours later…  There was this little kid, about half the size of the people in her group.  She was maybe half the age of the other kids.  But let me tell you, when that young thing got on stage, she was electric.  She was absolutely electric.  I don’t even know her name.  The little girl dances as much as they will let her dance, but on the off days, when she can’t dance, she talks her Dad into taking her to the studio.  He reads a book, so she can sit at the doorway and watch the classes going on.

Folks, magnetism is contagious.  That’s Paul.  That’s Paul with people.  That’s Paul with Christ.  He is magnetic, contagious, focused, driven, so much so that by the time he wrote this letter that I read part of to you today, this is the guy who found himself in jail.  He is writing this letter sitting in jail.  He’s under arrest in Rome.  He’s a long, long way from home.  He’s awaiting trial for his life.  He is awaiting his own execution.

Some see this.  They read this and think, “How sad.  What a waste.  All of that energy, all of that drive, all of that devotion, all of that potential, all of that ability.  What could Paul have done?  What kind of life could Paul have had?  Did he have to give all that up in order to know Jesus?  Couldn’t he have just kept all of the things he had going and still have known the Christ?”

Can’t you just hear Paul’s response to that?  I think Paul would say, “Look, you know, when you meet Jesus something happens.  Something changes.  Jesus is not some accessory you just add to your already successful lifestyle.  He’s not someone you squeeze into your schedule when you’ve got the time or when it’s convenient.  He is not the provider you write a check to for services rendered.  He’s a person, a living Spirit that dwells deep inside of you.”

When you meet Jesus, something changes.  Now, basically what changes is that you find yourself starting to want to live like he lived.  Your plans change.  Your perspective, your outlook changes.  The way you think about things, the way you see things changes.  Much of what you once thought was important changes.  Some of the things you thought you couldn’t live without suddenly become really trivial.  Do you know what I’m talking about?  You meet Jesus, and things change, and the truth is that if you want him to dwell in you, you have to make some room.  Something has to move over.  You have to get rid of some stuff.  You have to get over some stuff.  Well, you don’t have to, but the amazing thing is, you find that you want to.  There is a big difference.

Folks, I do not want you to think for a moment I have this all figured out in my life.  Those of you, who know me, know better.  Lord knows I have my issues.  I am concerned about my future, my health, my effectiveness, my security, my family’s well being, just like you.  I want to be successful and useful and desirable.  I want to enjoy my life just like you do.  I want to make a difference.  I’d like to leave a legacy just like you do.  I want all of that and a lot more, and I want Jesus to dwell in me.  Do you see the problem?  There’s just not enough room.  I have some hurdles I have to get over if I’m going to see that race to the finish.

Now, here’s what I want you to hear.  I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but I do know this.  You are either in the race running, folks, or you are sitting on the sidelines watching.  You can’t do both.  You may be sitting on the sidelines, watching, thinking that someday you’re going to get out there and get going on the track.  Or, perhaps you did that one day.  You say, “Gosh, I did that.  I’ve done that, and I don’t need to be out on the track any longer.  I want to sit and watch.”  Someday you are going to make some changes in your life.  You are going to grow that seed that is planted in your soul someday.  Some say, “I’m going to do something about my prayer life, my ministry, my church, and I’m going to do something about my stewardship someday.”

Do you know several weeks ago we sent out over 500 confidential questionnaires to our people, and we asked your opinion about the future ministry of this church?  Do you know how many we got back?  Sixty-nine!  Sixty-nine people are going to make decisions about the direction for a thousand.  I know you are busy.  I know you are swamped.  There’s just not much room.  Please, today, before you leave, the questionnaires are out there on a table.  Fill out the questionnaire.  Put your name on it so it counts.  It’s not going to count if you don’t put your name on it, because today is what matters.  Not someday.  Today!  Today is all we have.  There is no day but today. 

There’s no day but today to get over the hurdles that are in our lives.  Sometimes there are good hurdles.  There are people in this room who have some big hurdles to get over, because life is not working very well for them.  But you know what?  As I look out over this room, there’s a ton of folks for whom life is going amazingly well, wonderfully well.  And those good things can be just as big a hurdle folks as the tough things to get on with the race that God has put before us.

Paul says we don’t have time to live in the red.  There is one who is worthy right now of your very best, one who gave his time, his talents, his treasures, his body, his life on a cross for you, for me so that we might have life now and have it always in all of its abundance, in all of its fullness now and forever.  But it all starts here.  We have to make room.  We have to get over some stuff, so we can make room inside for him to dwell.

Did any of you see that great old movie, Chariots of Fire?  It’s a great story.  It’s a great film.  Some of you will remember, it’s about a gentleman by the name of Eric Lidell.  Eric Lidell was a deeply committed Christian, but he was also a remarkably gifted runner.  In fact, he was so gifted he represented his country on the Olympics track team the year the story took place.

There was only one problem.  One of the races he was scheduled to run was to be run on a Sunday, the Sabbath of the Lord, the day that was supposed to be set aside for holy rest, the day where you are supposed to gather around the Table of the Lord, a day that is supposed to be set aside and kept sacred.  Eric, being a deeply-devoted Christian, knew he couldn’t run on Sunday.  For some of us running on Sunday is no big deal.  But for Eric, it was.  He could not compromise that fact.  He couldn’t live with it.  He knew that.  So, according to the story, he was given a choice.  He could either run on Sunday, or he could run on Thursday.  But if he ran on Thursday, he had to also run two other races that were also scheduled that day.  He knew if he tried to run all three races on the same day, it would likely cost him the gold medal he had spent so much of his life preparing for.  But Eric’s life was guided by someone who lived within him.  It was something he could not compromise.  It was a sacrifice he was willing to make.  It was a hurdle, you see, for him personally.  He was willing to jump over it.

Do you know how many of our children in this church are not in Sunday School, and they are not in worship, because there are athletic and other activities that require their presence on Sunday mornings if they even want a chance of participating?  Who makes that decision?  Do you think it’s about time some parents got together with some other parents in this community, who can get a whole ton of other parents organized to get some changes made?  The last time I counted, there were several hundred churches in this community with the Lord’s name on them.  Who makes the decision, and what do the parents of this community have to say about it?  Well… That is just an illustration.

Where does the power come from to run the race?  Paul says it comes from within.  It comes from that Living Spirit of Christ that is in us.  When you make room for him, he comes in.  When you honor him, he honors you.  When you run the race of faith, you can actually feel God’s power, which is spiritual power operating in you.  You actually can feel God’s pleasure.  Have you felt God’s pleasure?  You know that is a really, really good feeling.

Paul says, “Don’t get me wrong.  It’s not easy.  It’s tough.  It’s hard.  It takes everything I’ve got, but I want you to know I’m going to give it my best shot.  I’m digging in as deep as I can, because I want to break the tape.”

How many of you listen to country music?  Let’s have a show of hands, please.  Don’t be bashful.  I know you are there.  You know what I love about country music?  It just sort of says it.  It’s pretty straight forward and plain.  I don’t know who did this song.  It’s been around for a while.  It’s the usual thing.  What is usually the topic of country music?  Your pick-up, your dog, prison, your woman, something else.  This song I’m talking about is about a relationship that just couldn’t get it together.  Commitment wasn’t there, so finally one of the parties says something that was the chorus:

Bye, bye, love, I’ll catch you later.
I got my foot down on the accelerator,
With the rearview mirror torn off.
I ain’t never lookin’ back!

You know… Paul said, “I don’t know when I’m going to get to the finish line, but I want you to know I’m not going to look back.”

I’m not looking back.  There is no intermission.  Today is all I have.  Today, some how, some way, I am going to try to be like Jesus.  It sounds like a good thing to live on.  Today!  Just today.  One day at a time.

Call him crazy.  Call him obsessive.  Call him radical.  Call him fanatical.  He has been called worse.  Call Paul whatever you like, but his real name is Paul.  In case you haven’t gotten acquainted with him yet, the fact of the matter is, he did look a lot like Jesus.

And we all say together… “Amen.”

Benediction

Sustaining God, press us onward, push every hindrance aside, help us to walk your path, run your race to know you more.  Amen.