REVOLUTIONARY SIMPLICITY AND PERSEVERANCE

REVOLUTIONARY SIMPLICITY AND PERSEVERANCE Philippians 3:12-14 August 10, 2008 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction Today we come to the sixth message in the series on Radical Simplicity. We started with Time and Wallet as two key areas of stewardship that call for radical simplicity. Your Church was next, followed by two more personal applications: Personal Discipleship and Spirituality. This morning our focus is on how genuine spiritual simplicity calls for stubborn persistence on our part. Winston Churchill once said of persistence: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” In September of 2004, on the 25th anniversary of their first record release, the rock group U2 became eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are aware of the great honor it is, but the band members decided not to become caught up in the accolades and accomplishments of the past. "I suppose if people want to shower you with honors, the only reasonable thing to do is accept them," said bassist Adam Clayton. Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. then added: "But it does feel premature. We're trying to stay focused on the big prize." They confess that they are stubbornly committed to the radically simple calling of serving and glorifying God with all that they are. And they traded the side-track of more fame for the grand goal. That is a perfect parallel with the apostle Paul’s comment in our text this morning. Before we proceed, though, a quick side road, because when we look at a phrase like “stubborn persistence” we are tempted to think it’s all up to us, and we can cultivate mature Christian faith through our hard work. That would be wrong. But equally wrong is the other extreme—thinking that since we are unable and God has to do it for us, we are therefore totally passive agents in the process of growing in our Christian lives. No passage brings balance to these extremes like Philippians 2:12 -13 - …continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. The key to rightly interpreting this passage is, first of all, to understand that fear and trembling means a respectful desire to please God and not a cowering worry about divine retribution if we fail to reach perfection. Secondly, we need to clearly see whose power is at work in this process. Note the highlight: for it is God who works in you. He is bringing His divine power into our lives and through us to accomplish His good purpose. His power is available to us in two ways – He works in us causing us to will His good purposes, and He works in us empowering us to act according to His good purpose. It is not all up us in our own strength to please God. He gives us the want to and the can do. That is, God through His Spirit living in us, gives us the ability to desire to do His will, and He gives us the ability to accomplish. But as is always the case, He waits for our agreement with Him, and He does not treat us as robots, making us walk in obedience without our own will at work in the matter. His power—our Yes. It is our Spirit-enabled cooperation, our faithful agreement with Him that allows His divine resources to flow into and through our lives. When we express our faith-filled “yes” to God He goes to work, giving us the will (the want-to, the desire) to do His will, and He gives us the power to act on that decision. Now, with that concept firmly in mind, turn just one page to the right and let’s consider Philippians 3:12-14 and the radically simple concept of persistence. Paul has just finished rehearsing his personal history—the good, the bad, and mostly the ugly—and closed out that section with a statement of his own radically simple goal: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (3:10-11) Healthy Perspective on Your Past Now he says (verses 12-13): Not that I have already attained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. The words fairly drip with humility. Paul takes great pains to assure us readers that he is not Super-Christian, and he hasn’t “arrived” at any level of maturity worth mentioning. He is in process. (verses 13-14): Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Like an Olympic sprinter, forcing his body forward to break the tape, utterly unconcerned with the rest of the race he’s run, but straining to win the prize, Paul says All I want is the prize! “The prize” – Paul’s abbreviation for the great, compelling, absorbing reward of the Christian life. He wants to rise in the resurrection to meet the Lord and be with Him forever. He wants no obstruction in his way, nothing to slow him down or hinder him. Let there be no distractions. One thing I do – I move persistently through the process of my personal maturity to reach the goal. There are three ingredients to this persistence that stand out in these three verses. The first is very clear: forgetting what is past. This is why Paul rehearsed all of his accomplishments earlier in the chapter. He had thought those things were all good, but he discovered they weren’t part of God’s purpose. So, he said, I consider them rubbish! (3:8) The seemingly good things in our past—things we’ve done that we might gloat over—are dangerous if we’re interested in the radical simplicity of God’s purposes in our lives. There is no place for pride in this process. The late Henri Nouwen, a best-selling author and professor, recalls his first days at L'Arche, a community for the mentally and physically disabled, in Toronto: The first thing that struck me when I came to live in a house with mentally handicapped people was that their liking or disliking me had absolutely nothing to do with any of the many useful things I had done until then. Since nobody could read my books, they could not impress anyone, and since most of them never went to school, my twenty years at Notre Dame, Yale, and Harvard did not provide a significant introduction. My considerable ecumenical experience proved even less valuable. Not being able to use any of the skills that had proved so practical in the past was a real source of anxiety. In a way it seemed as though I was starting my life all over again. In the same way, when we enter the kingdom of God, all our achievements won't matter. What God cares about is who we are—do we have faith in Him? Not only do we need to forget about the good things in our past, but there is much is our past that is not so good, even really bad.Like Paul, we need to forget about them, too. It is dangerous for us to keep looking back with regret or guilt or shame. Why? Because, if you are a Christian, you have been forgiven of all those things through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus declared, You are forgiven the moment you turned your life over to Him in faith. You are to utterly depend on what Jesus did! A guy complained to his buddy that whenever he argued with his wife, she got historical. His friend said, "You mean hysterical." He said, "No, historical. She dredges up the past and reminds me of every time I've failed her in the past." Focusing on our dead past is a “drag” to our persistent progress in God’s purposes. A man and his son were sharing a ride on a bicycle built for two. Dad was up front as they made their way up a relatively small hill, and he thought to himself, “I must be out of shape—this is killing me.” Once at the top they stopped for a rest, and he commented on what a tough hill it was. His son said, It sure was! And I was scared we’d roll backwards so I kept my brake on the whole way! I’m not suggesting that we act irresponsibly regarding our past—there are often things we should learn, restitutions we should make and repentance that needs to happen. But, we need to be reminded that the only one who wants us focused on our sinful past in unhealthy ways is the devil. He is the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10) and he will do all he can to get you stuck in unnecessary remorse and guilt so you won’t move forward in God’s purposes for your life. A woman walked past the pet store and there was a caged parrot on display in the doorway. The parrot said, “Hey, lady!” She stopped and said, “What?” The parrot said, “You’re ugly!” Miffed, she walked on. The next day she came by the store and the same parrot said, “Hey, lady!” “What?” “You’re ugly!” This was too much, so she went in to complain to the manager who promised her he would properly scold the parrot and he was certain it wouldn’t happen again. The next day on her way home from work she warily passed in front of the pet store. There was the parrot, looking at her. She kept walking, and she made it past the parrot without him saying a word. As she breathed a sigh of relief, she heard, “Hey, lady!” She stopped, turned in a huff, and threateningly said, “What?!” The parrot paused, then said, “You know!” That’s just what the devil does. He keeps desperately throwing in our face trumped up charges, reminders of our past sins and failures—things Jesus has already ransomed us from—and he calls us names! All the while we’re distracted from our goal—that of growing into the full image of the Lord Jesus. Don’t let him bully you any more. Declare all your past sins and failures covered by the blood of Christ, forget what is past and move on! Bold Anticipation of Your Future The great preacher, Philips Brooks, said, You must learn, you must let God teach you, that the only way to get rid of your past is to make a future out of it. God will waste nothing. I’ve said it before at least a dozen times, but I love the truth of it so much I’ll say it again. The Christian is the only one who truly can be an optimist. You know, I don’t like that old choice we’re given by the proposition of an eight ounce glass with only 4 ounces of water: is it half empty or half full. Any dunce knows it’s half empty and half full. I just say, “It looks like I need some more water!” A man stopped to watch a Little League baseball game. He asked one of the youngsters what the score was. "We're losing 18-0," was the answer. "Well," said the man. "I must say you don't look discouraged." "Discouraged?" the boy said, puzzled. "Why should we be discouraged? We haven't come to bat yet." Christians, we should lean into our futures, learn to live expectantly and say loud and clear, “We’re just now coming up to bat!” Living expectantly means more than just believing in religious doctrines; it means more just than trusting your life to God. Living expectantly is faith on its tiptoes. Living expectantly means believing that life in God is worth living, believing that ministry will never become routine for you, believing that in God you will never experience the dullness of the daily. Live in the expectancy that in your life God will do new things that will transcend your past and make all of your future a joyous adventure. Let’s do a lot less pouting by the putrid pools of penitence, and a lot more rejoicing on the roadway of resolve in the purposes of God for our lives. We have not just the privilege and opportunity of being positive in our lives, we are obliged to it! We’re on our way to a perfect, blissful eternity with the Lord—let’s lean into it! Our future is certain; our hope is sure; our policy is paid up; our ticket is bought. Stop living like a spiritual pauper! Your life is an adventure in living faithfully for Him. He was just a little boy. His mother died when he was just a baby. His father, in trying to be both mommy and daddy, had planned a picnic. The little boy had never been on a picnic, so they made their plans, fixed the lunch, and packed the car. Then it was time to go to bed, to rest before the picnic the next day. But he just couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned; the excitement was too much for him. Finally, he got out of bed, ran into his daddy’s room and shook him awake. His father woke up and saw his son. He said to him, "What are you doing up? What's the matter?" The boy said, "I can't sleep." The father asked, "Why can't you sleep?" "Daddy, I'm excited about tomorrow." His father replied, "Well, son, I'm sure you are, and it's going to be a great day, but it won't be great if we don't get some sleep. So why don't you just run down the hall, get back in bed, and get a good night's rest." He trudged off down the hall to his room and got in bed. It wasn't long and his son was waking dad again. Harsh words almost blurted out until he saw the expression on his son’s face. The father asked, "What's the matter now?" The boy said, "Daddy, I just want to thank you for tomorrow." When I think of my past and the fact that while I was still a sinner, my loving Father sought me, caught me, bought me and brought me into His kingdom, I am overcome. Knowing the blessings of His salvation, experiencing the indwelling presence of His Spirit and knowing the blessed hope that awaits me, I want to say, “Father, thank you for tomorrow.” Not only heaven in the distance, but the thrill and abundance of kingdom life on this planet. The joyous adventure of growing more and more into the image of Christ, moving along a perfect course planned out by God just for me—wow! As we studied last week, we are moving from one glory to another. (2 Cor. 3:18) Stubborn Persistence in Your Present After nine seasons, the popular sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond broadcast its final episode in May of 2005. The star of the show, Ray Romano, went from life as a struggling stand-up comedian to one of the highest-paid actors on television. At the conclusion of the last day’s filming, Romano spoke to the studio audience, reflecting on his past and his future. He read from a note his brothers had stuck in his luggage the day he moved from New York to Hollywood, nine years earlier. “My older brother Richard wrote, ‘What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?’” said a tearful Romano. “Now I’m going to work on my soul.” Isn’t your loving God worthy of your best efforts? Don’t you think He deserves at least our willful cooperation with His indwelling Spirit? He has called us each to a radical simplicity: to listen to His will and then to do it—one day at a time. Perhaps what we are called to do may not seem like much. But consider what one scientist has called "the butterfly effect": even a butterfly moving its wings has an effect on galaxies thousands of light-years away. The God who made the butterflies and the galaxies, not to mention the energy, gravity and atomic infrastructure that makes all that happen can and will translate all your service to His glory, and carry through on His promise to welcome you to heaven? In May, 1982, in Baltimore, a lanky shortstop named Cal Ripken played the first game of what became known as "the streak." The 6' 4" fielder was considered too tall for the position. Yet he just kept plugging away. 2,131 games later, he set the all-time record for consecutive games played by a major-leaguer. Greatness comes not just from ability, but also from persistence. There are challenges and difficulties in this life, sure. But God’s Word promises His children that in Christ we have all we need for life and godliness through His great and precious promises. (2 Peter 1:3-4) It’s too easy to become discouraged. But it is also rewarding to work through them in God’s grace and power. “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins—not through strength but by perseverance.” Don't you love to see people who have difficulties use them to their advantage? Jay Leno has this huge pointed chin, and when he laughs about it, he's even funnier. Woody Stevens was a little man, but he became a jockey, then a horse trainer, who won the Belmont five times. Mel Tillis is a stutterer, but instead of going into hibernation, he comes out to laugh at himself, and it endears him to us even more. I read somewhere that high heels were invented by a woman who got tired of her boyfriend kissing her on the forehead. Don't you love it when people look for creative ways to deal with their discouragement? For years William Wilberforce pushed Britain's Parliament to abolish slavery. Discouraged, he was about to give up. His elderly friend, John Wesley, heard of it and from his deathbed called for pen and paper. With trembling hand, Wesley wrote: "Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? "Oh be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery shall vanish away before it." Wesley died six days later. But Wilberforce fought for forty-five more years and in 1833, three days before his own death, saw slavery abolished in Britain. When Handel wrote the "Hallelujah Chorus," his health and his fortunes had reached the lowest possible ebb. His right side had become paralyzed, and all his money was gone. He was heavily in debt and threatened with imprisonment. He was tempted to give up the fight. The odds seemed entirely too great. And it was then he composed his greatest work--Messiah. Could we not say of Handel that the Spirit entered into him and set him upon his feet? So you’ve blown it a few times. You’ve failed to live up to the will of God. You’ve fallen, but the Bible says, The Lord upholds all those who fall (Psalm 145:14) and the wicked are brought down by calamity, but though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again… (Proverbs 24:16) Somebody asked Winston Churchill one time, "What most prepared you to lead Great Britain through World War II?" For a period of time, Great Britain stood virtually alone against Nazi Germany as it dominated the Western World. This was Churchill's response: "It was the time I repeated a class in grade school." The questioner said, "You mean you flunked a grade?" Churchill said, "I never flunked in my life. I was just given a second opportunity to get it right." Jonas Salk attempted 200 unsuccessful vaccines for polio before he came up with one that worked. Somebody asked him one time, "How did it feel to fail 200 times trying to invent a vaccine for polio?" This was his response: "I never failed 200 times at anything in my life. My family taught me never to use that word. I simply discovered 200 ways how not to make a vaccine for polio." We are called by God and empowered by God to live the adventure of the radically simple faith life. So . . .Forget the past; Boldly anticipate your future with Him; and Stubbornly persist in His purposes for you; For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.     [Back to Top]