Sermon Snippet – One Thing
INTRODUCTION – For the last two weeks, we have been considering the Biblical teaching about simple faith, about “the simplicity [singleness of purpose] that is in Christ” (II Corinthians 11:3). The Apostle Paul had to learn about this central concept of Christianity, as he discusses in his brief spiritual autobiography in Philippians 3:3-14.
1. PAUL HAD DEVELOPED A SINGULAR FOCUS
At this point in his ministry, Paul was imprisoned and had just a few years to live before his martyrdom. He had spent more than twenty years serving Jesus in Asia Minor and in Europe. He had come to the point where he could say that his life was about “one thing” (verse 13). Of course, Paul did many things. He was a tentmaker (Acts 18:3), using that trade to support himself when churches could not help him financially. He was a vigorous defender of the Christian faith, an energetic missionary, a long-winded preacher (remember Etychus? Acts 20:9-11), and an apostle with great authority within the rapidly growing Church. He was also a church planter and an astute and voluminous theologian. His towering intellect prompted the Apostle Peter to say that his writings included “some things hard to be understood” (II Peter 3:16). All of these things and more, though, had been placed under the big tent of “one thing” in Paul’s life. Each Christian is called to this focus.
2. PAUL WAS DRIVEN BY FORGIVENESS
The old, pre-Christian Paul impressed people (verses 4-6). He had all of the credentials to gain access into the institutions of power and into the homes of the elites. However, he came to see that his pride in his resumé was sin: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ… [I] do count them but dung [garbage], that I may win Christ” (verses 7, 8c). In simple terms, he had been self-centered but became Christ-centered. He realized that, when Jesus forgave him on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-6), all of those worldly sources of pride were forgiven: “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17b). Sir William Osler understood our need for free, full, and forever forgiveness: “The load of tomorrow added to that of yesterday, and carried today, makes the strongest falter.” May each of us know the absoluteness of Christ’s forgiveness. When He embraces and enfolds us into His eternal family, He takes our sins and places them behind His “back” (Isaiah 38:17), while we remain in His “everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27).
3. PAUL WAS DRAWN TO THE FUTURE
The Apostle was always “reaching forth” (verse 13); he was striving to be more like his Savior (unlike Martha in Luke 10:38-42, who was just striving). When I was coaching, I encouraged the athletes to set three goals: one that was achievable, one that could possibly be achieved if everything went really well, and one that seemed out of reach. The idea was to avoid self-satisfaction if the first two goals were attained. Spiritual self-satisfaction is a contradiction in terms. Paul knew that his life had a continuing purpose, and he was going to continue to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (verse 14).
CONCLUSION – We cannot have appropriate focus until we first have forgiveness. The chorus of an older hymn well states the personal nature of Jesus’ forgiveness: “But this one thing I know: that when the crimson flow dropped to the earth below, it fell on me. My eyes were opened wide, I saw Him crucified, and knew for me He died on Calvary.” Each one of us must trust in Jesus for His eternal salvation. Remembering the fullness of His forgiveness and pressing forward, we can then sharpen our focus onto the “one thing” that matters and bring everything else under that all-encompassing umbrella.