February 24, 2013
Lent & 30th Anniversary Celebration
- Philippians 3:12-14
- Rev. Jim Capps
Interview of Barbara Luther- Charter Member of ZPC
Wonderful Day! Great Church
As I thought of the new Senior Pastor who will be coming to this place, hopefully, in 6-9 months, I thought about coming to Southport Presbyterian where I served for 13½ years. Their Pastoral Nominating Committee like we will be electing next week, had looked for someone who would be like a Joshua to them, taking them over the Jordan River into the Promised Land.
They had outgrown their old facilities, where they had lived life together since 1954 on 7 acres next to an elementary school. They had purchased and done the site development for a 30 acre site just off of I-65 in an area where a hospital along with lots of other building was going to take place. It was a fantastic setting for a church campus to be built.
Yet, once on board, I realized that not everyone shared the enthusiasm of the PNC with whom I had related in the whole call process. There were lots of people who were very attached to their old site because they had experienced many of significant life events there. Plus, they didn’t have enough money to build much and the most they had ever borrowed was $75,000.
Finally, one day it hit me, we were like a new church development, starting all over but with 1100 members and 600 people in worship. What an exciting prospect! We were able to build $7M worth of buildings as well as keep the old campus. We tripled our space for doing ministry.
At the same time, we started 6 new ministries, some of which came as the direct result of doing a survey of all of the organizations in the community asking them how we could meet the needs they saw being unmet . Like a new church plant or development, it took everyone’s help to get it going. Everyone was needed. It was one of the greatest “faith lifts” of many of our lives. I’ll talk about some of what happened a little later.
One of my reasons for reminiscing, came a few weeks ago as I was thinking about us as a church here at ZPC. We can lament that there are empty seats with a diminished budget and a smaller staff OR we can pull together and start all over again with the same kind of joyful passion about which Barbara spoke a few minutes ago. It’s kind of “back to the future” only with phenomenal resources. For a new start-up church, we have between 450 and 500 worshippers a week, a great staff, fantastic facilities in a strategic location and nearly a $2M budget. WOW! Without being unduly optimistic, wouldn’t any new church plant or start-up love to have that kind of beginning?
On this special day when we celebrate our 30th Anniversary as a church, let’s capture the passion of the Apostle Paul who finds himself in a prison cell in Rome. Of any Christ Follower in the then-known world, Paul had a reason to rest on his past accomplishments. Likewise, no one would have blamed him if he was a bit discouraged with his situation and possible execution. Far from a pity party, Paul’s words speak volumes to us about our attitudes during this season in our history here at ZPC.
Read Philippians 3:12-14
Prayer
WHAT DOES PAUL SAY ABOUT THE PAST?
Again, like ZPC, Paul has experienced God’s activity through him in a glorious way in the past. If I were interviewing Paul like I did Barbara a few minutes ago, I have no doubt but that he would celebrate the past as he remembered all of the truly amazing, miraculous, seemingly impossible acts of God using Paul in a major way.
All you have to do is read the Book of the Acts and you readily find all for which Paul could and would celebrate with gratitude. Paul did more to advance Christ’s Kingdom, especially to the Gentile world, of anyone who has walked the face of this earth.
With that said, notice his words, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect or mature.” Far from bragging or resting on past laurels, Paul exhibits that wonderful attitude which realizes that the more God uses you, the smaller and more humble you feel.
Several years ago, I saw Billy Graham interviewed by David Frost. Winding up their time together, Frost asked something like, someday when you stand before God, how will you feel? Graham’s answer was something like, he will feel so ashamed for all the mistakes I made and the opportunities he missed.
In verse 13, Paul also writes, “Forgetting the past.” What did he mean? Certainly, I believe he could have been talking about not resting on past laurels. Not walking backward into the future looking at the considerable achievements of yesteryear. I also believe that he is thinking about anything which would slow him down in the present or keep him from accomplishing God’s purpose for him in the future.
While gratefully celebrating God’s marvelous activity in the life of this church during the first 30 years, what might that mean for us at ZPC?
Certainly, with the phenomenal success as a new church development, ZPC was one of the great success stories in the country. Very few churches accomplished what you did here at ZPC. We could spend the rest of our time here talking about success stories here on the corner. Paul would say to us, you can’t rest on your laurels, looking longingly at the past as you move into the future.
Likewise, we can’t dwell on some of the difficult events of situations of the past. For example, if we allow ourselves to be caught up in grief for the loss of past relationships, programs, numbers, we can render ourselves ineffective as we move into the future.
When we view the past we might harbor bitterness about the way things were done or words which were spoken. We may feel unfairly maligned or disrespectfully dismissed and are finding it very hard to let go of what happened. It is crucial to come to the point of releasing it whatever it may be.
Sometimes, we can’t forget the mistakes or sins of the past. We allow guilt to paralyze us. We must rest in the gracious mercy of God and move into the future.
Whatever it may mean for each one of us, we must be “Forgetting what lies behind.” Have you done that? Is it a problem for you?
WHAT DOES PAUL SAY ABOUT THE FUTURE?
Twice in this short passage, Paul uses the verb to “press on.” In both cases there is that future dimension as he passionately stretches or strains for the future and accomplishing God’s purpose for him. In the imagery of a runner in a track meet, he is stretching out as far as he can toward the tape at the finish line.
First, he is pressing on to take hold or grasp of that for which Christ has taken hold or grasped him. I think he is talking here about spiritual maturity and desiring with every fiber in his being to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings.
In essence, Paul is saying that he deeply desires to grow in his relationship with Jesus, so that he is more and more like Him all the time. Certainly, Paul knew that growth took place as he studied the Bible that he had, as he prayed and meditated, as he worshipped, and as he faithfully served Christ by serving others.
Are we pressing on to grasp the One who has first reached out and grasped us? Or, have we become lackadaisical, not even close to “pressing on” to grow in the relationship with Jesus? Maybe we are like the Church of Laodicea in John’s Revelation. We are just “lukewarm” and not really hot or cold. Like a glass of lukewarm Pepsi or Coke which has lost its fizzle, could it be that God would like spit us out of his mouth?”
The second “pressing on” comes in verse 14 when Paul writes, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Again, with every fiber of energy he can muster, Paul is straining or stretching forward toward the finish line when he will be face to face with the Lord Jesus whom He has tried to serve here in this life on this earth. That goal, as long as he has life and breath to live here on this earth, is to be fruitful. Being fruitful, ultimately, is helping others find our Jesus and become His passionate disciples.
Paul was driven in the most creative ways in trying to communicate the good news of Jesus to people who had never heard. For example, he connected with the philosophers in Athens in one way and a young man named Timothy, in the backwater town of Lystra, in a completely different manner.
Not too long after Paul wrote these words, as he was executed for his faith in Christ, he pressed on past his last finish line. Jesus was on the other side with “Well done! Good and faithful servant! Now enter into the joy of your salvation.”
What about us? Are we straining with every last bit of energy we have to creatively make disciples and then send those disciples out into a broken world? Is there a sense of urgency about sharing the good news of Jesus? Or, are we so wrapped up in our own lives and agendas that it’s not even on our radar screens? Are we even concerned about God’s “bottom-line” of fruitfulness?
After being married in 2010, our daughter, Becky, moved to Orlando where she really knew no one. Since she was hoping to have a child, she did not seek a new call as a Presbyterian minister. Not long after settling, she had “mono” and was tired and home most of the time. Her constant companion was her husband Austin’s big cat named Beghera. He was particularly special to her since she did not have a pet growing up.
Well, around Thanksgiving, Beghera somehow got out and it was on Becky’s watch. She was heart-broken, searching for him high and low in the neighborhood. Tears swelled up in her eyes every time she thought of what might be happening to him since he had never been out on his own and had been declawed.
When we were in Orlando at Christmas, she was still putting food out for Beghera along with one of his favorite toys, hoping he would come home. On several evenings just after dark, I went out with her as she passionately called for a Beghera and shined her light in the darkness. Every night she returned in tears for the lost cat whom she hoped would be a pet to our 10-month old granddaughter, Dulaney.
I was deeply moved by her passion for searching for a lost cat out there in the danger and darkness of night. Then it hit me. Do we have the same kind of passion as we seek people who may feel lost in the darkness of our world? Are we moved to tears because people we know haven’t experienced the transforming power of Jesus Christ in their lives?
It was in early January, one Saturday morning, I was in my study at home reading when Alice’s phone rang and she answered it in the family room. While I couldn’t make out all the words in the half of the conversation I heard, I could tell by the tone of Alice’s voice that something wonderfully momentous had transpired. You guessed it. The prodigal cat had been found. While He did not exactly come home, Becky was told by a neighbor of his whereabouts and she went out after him. There was great celebration! The lost had been found and was safely home.
How much greater the celebration when God uses us to introduce someone to Jesus and an eternal relationship is established. Introducing someone to Jesus truly is one of the greatest joys of this life because the impact goes far beyond this life.
APPLICATION
Sisters and brothers, dream with me of what would happen if with the same attitude of Paul in Philippians 3:12-14, ZPC was willing to go back to the future. With the same kind of joyful excitement, God would re-form us here in this place.
Paraphrasing I Corinthians 2:9, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, the heart has not even begun to dream of what God has in store for those who love him.”
As I dream of what could happen here in this body in the days and years ahead if we were willing to go back to the future, my mind’s eye goes back to a couple of vignettes at Southport when we moved to a new campus and became like a new church plant.
One Sunday evening after a new membersinquirers class, it was about 9:00 and the outside doors had just been locked. As I walked into the Gathering Place, I saw some people at the main doorway. It was a very cold night and I was concerned that someone’s car had broken down. So I went to the door.
When I asked if there was anything I could do to help, rather sheepishly, the 2 couples asked if they could pitch a tent right there in the doorway. I asked why they wanted to do that and they replied that they wanted to first in line for the open enrollment for our school the next morning. The next morning, with a wind chill factor of 8 below, there were 40 people standing in line to be able to get their children in our school which had nearly tripled in size since our move to the new ministry site. Interestingly, both of those couples at the door that evening later joined our church.
Not long after we had moved into our new facilities with this new attitude, it was apparent that we needed a dining room for the school, but also for all kinds of other ministry opportunities. We had a food ministry which was going strong, but we needed more room. In a way that none of us could have imagined, we felt that God called us to build a very nice dining room with our people doing most of the work.
A carpenter, who felt God calling him to seminary, became the project manager and much of the money came in through 2nd mile giving. I’ll never forget a day in January when the wind chill factor was 12 below and there was a large group of our men bundled so that only their eyes were showing, putting up the walls for that building. Built with half the funds, without doubt it was the best built and is now one of the most used spaces on that campus.
In the recent Richmond Hill explosion on the Southside, because they had moved on that property in that community, Southport Presbyterian has had the privilege of stepping up to help and minister to those people. Most of the TV feeds showing meals served, clothes distributed and other acts of love and compassion, have come from that dining room. Praise God for a group of people who were willing to start all over and become involved in an adventure of God working in their midst.
As I think of what God is going to do here, I think of Vision 2020, which can become our opportunity to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.