A Closer Look- Philippians 3:7-21

I’m going to be straight with you, that is just who I am. God is stirring something inside my heart and I’m not sure what it means or how far it goes. We just recently passed the one year mark for our ministry here at FBC Perrysburg and I have had to step back and try and take a critical look at the past year. My desire is to see this ministry grow not just in number but in relationships with Christ. To make disciples! Have we been successful in our mission?

Looking at my life I have to ask, am I being the best husband, father, youth pastor, friend, servant of Christ that I can be? These are some of the many questions I have been asking. As I go to the Lord in prayer I have thrown these questions out on the table. Trembling I have asked, “Is there something I am doing/not doing that is hindering this ministry?” God is good, and He is gracious. He has placed us here because this is where we are supposed to be, this much I know for sure.

I know that we can always do better, that is a part of constantly becoming more like Christ, but that is not the main point of my questions. Am I being a stumbling block or a building block? Am I leading others closer to Christ, or keeping them from Him? I know me, inherently I am selfish, and I am a sinner. Even though Christ has changed me and I am a new creature, I still wrestle with this temporary suit of flesh. Why do I pay so much attention to the groans and whims of it? My heart seeks with everything in me to diligently and closely follow Christ, forget self and be used by God in whatever form or fashion that He sees fit. But I am weak, my flesh is weak. This is no excuse.

As I am reading over the past few paragraphs it dawns on me that someone may think I am about to reveal some big secret or some major change; I am not. I just want to say that I am hungry, hungry for His righteousness. Hungry to be more like Christ! I do not want to waste my life with things of this world that have no lasting value, no eternal significance. Yet as I look at the energy and time I devote to these things and their acquisition, I get a little sick. I wonder if I am building up castles of sand in this life, only to see them quickly vanish with the tides.


So what is important now? I’m not saying that you or I should radically abandon everything, and move to India. I’m not even saying that we should radically stop buying a $4 coffee or playing video games. All I’m saying is that we ought to radically abandon our lives to Jesus Christ; every square inch, every crevice, everything that we hold dear. And if you are like me, we should re-do this often. I encourage you to do a self-inventory, and to go before the Lord for an evaluation. So that we can see through His eyes, love through His heart, and touch the nations with His grace.

Step Out the Door - Philippians 3:12-17

Not that I have already obtained 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. 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. Philippians 3:12-17

This morning I intended to get up at 6:30 am so I could run.  But 6:30 am came and went and I was still in bed, followed by 7:00 am. Finally at 7:30 am I managed to pull myself out of bed; I felt tired, discouraged, and the last thing that I wanted to do was walk out my front door and run.   As I sat in my chair putting on my socks and running shoes I contemplated several times just staying home and not running today.  After all, let me remind you “I hate to run” and once again my running partner didn’t show up.  So against every ounce of my physical body (around 3520 oz. if I calculate right) I walked out the door, pushed through the dread, the lack of motivation, and pressed on.  

I would like to tell you that what happened next was that I ran 3 or 4 miles at a great pace, but my mom taught me lying is bad.  I jogged along and made it about .6 (6/10ths) of a mile before I had to slow down to a walk and catch my breath, after a few minutes I turned around and ran the .6 mile back home.  I got home out of breath, and covered in sweat! But I had done it; I had overcome another day of running and am one more step toward my goal of being a healthier and better fit example to my children and my youth.

So what does all this running mumbo jumbo have to do with anything?  Well I continue to see week after week people who have the ability to overcome obstacles and do great things for God via their local Church, missions, etc.  Yet they won’t make the commitment to step out of their comfort zone or their own agendas.  They are just too busy and too comfortable to make obedience and service to God and others a priority.  

I can’t run far, or fast, or even well, but I am running.  I’m not a great teacher, great preacher, or great witness, but I think I am getting better as I continue to do those things.  It doesn’t matter whether you are 8 or 80, there is something that you can do to press on and become closer to God.  Today will you step out the door that God has placed in front of you, press on, suffer through and become victorious?    Let me tell you again, “I hate to run, but I love the way running makes me feel!” 

Walk before you run, run before you sprint; no matter the pace, no matter the distance, step out the door and keep moving forward!

“It’s the job that’s never started that takes the longest to finish!” J. R. R. Tolkien

Run Well! - Hebrews 12:1

This morning I got out of bed at 6:20am.  That is a big deal for me because I am not a morning person, I’m not even an afternoon person.  However this morning I got up and went running with a friend.  On top of not being a morning person I’m not a runner. Anyone who has seen me lately can tell that I haven’t been running in a while…a long while.   But I got up this morning and went running, it was horrible; I couldn’t breathe, I felt like I was going to lose the coffee I shouldn’t have had before running and it was altogether miserable.    At least it was for a while.  After I had laid on my couch and recovered, had breakfast and coffee along with a good “Jesus” conversation, followed by a shower, I felt like a million bucks!   It was hard but I had accomplished just a small little victory.  I intend to get up again tomorrow and suffer a little more.

Starting to run when you haven’t in a long time is hard work; you have to press through the pain and the desire to give in and give up.   You have to be committed to work through side pains, lack of breath, shin splints, etc.   It takes time to get in a grove where running is enjoyable (they tell me it gets that way at some point) and what once seemed like an unattainable task is simple.   You have to pay the price to overcome obstacles.

It is not surprising that Paul compares the Christian life to running a race…

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Walking with Christ is not always easy, make no mistake it is the best, the most joyful, really the only true way, but it is not always easy.  Sin and guilt creep in and weigh us down, some people step in and try and trip us up (sometimes succeeding).  We fail, we hurt, we cry… but we go on!   The race is already won and like my friend Matt was with me all the way this morning, Jesus is with us all the way. He will direct us, encourage us, chastise us, but never leave us; He loves us!

Start running, keep running, and run well!

Bodily Exercise and Godliness - 1 Timothy 4:7-8

I started thinking a week or so ago about my health and my weight.  I am a youth pastor, so how does the way I take care of my body effect the way people view my ministry? I know that the focus should be on the eternal versus the temporal (1 Tim. 4:7-8) but I believe I should start taking better care of the body (or temple if you will '1 Cor. 6:19') that God has entrusted to me.  I am horrible about eating what I want and trading exercise for slothful, self indulgent behavior; this certainly does not lead to the godliness that Paul was telling Timothy to focus on. What message am I sending my children, my wife, my youth and the families of the Church, or the lost, about the importance of being good stewards of what we have been given? If it isn't important to me, will it be important to them?   It is no secret that not exercising and not eating right leads to bad health, disease and loss of quality of life. I think it is time that I start realizing this now and do my part to be a good steward of my own body so that I may teach others the importance of doing this as well.   If we have to chose between bodily exercise which profits a little 'or' godliness that profits eternal, I will take the godliness every time. But who says we have to chose?  I think Paul was saying that both are good, just don't let the former outweigh or cause you to lose sight of the latter! Now is the time to change!

In all labor there is profit, But mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23(NASB)