Leaving The Track

By Tennen-Gas - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Our Sunday morning bulletin listed the morning message as “Courageous Leadership,” with scripture from Joshua 23. I had my Bible open to the passage when Pastor changed tracks. That’s why I chose the rail yard for this blog’s graphic. There are many ways to switch tracks.

We have lots of thoughts, lots of plans, lots of work done in a specific direction – when something comes along and changes the track we are on. For Pastor, it was the theme from the previous week’s Youth Camp in Pensacola, Florida. Kenny Baldwin, Senior Pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia, was the speaker during the week and the them was “Driven.” Pastor Baldwin has preached revival at our church in the past and I’ve found him to be a compelling witness.

Of course, our Pastor could not condense a week’s worth of messages into one Sunday message, but from Philippians 3:4-16, Pastor did give a compelling call to consider our own lives.

First, from verse 10: “That I might know him.” Hearing of Jesus, the messages from others who know Him, or at least say they know Him, can be confusing. Was He a great prophet called by God to change people? Is He a myth, no historical records to back up stories made by a group of men? Was He a man, or was He a God? Why do people pray in His name? No one can begin to answer these questions until they get to know Him and his story.

Paul – who was named Saul – knew of Jesus and those who were called Christian because of a title. He knew them so well that he was determined to destroy them and the testimony they gave of Jesus’ birth, life, death and – of all things – resurrection. Put a stop to them and the stories would die a natural death. However, Paul became the widest-traveled witness to his own knowledge of Jesus. He was the most outspoken Apostle. He wrote to the church at Corinth:

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2 KJV)

Paul went from apprehending Christians to determined to know Him.

Second, from verse 12: “I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” That is “I am taken into custody by Christ Jesus.” Ironic, isn’t it? Paul set out to apprehended followers of Christ and ended up “apprehended of Christ.” That’s what we are supposed be, too. As His followers, we are to be caught up in learning about Christ as much as we share what we learn with others.

If you are a Christian, who knows it? How do they know it? Do you know when and why Jesus said:

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:9 KJV)

The third point came from verse 14: “I press toward the mark.” This hold the connotation of a race, and race cars, foot race, or even last week’s “Driven,” uses such examples. Paul uses it as his  goal daily in life, consistent in his message to all the cities he visited. I especially love his message on Mars Hill in Athens in Acts 17, before people who had no idea who he was or why he was there? However, his testimony before Agrippa and Festus in Acts 26 is one of the best sermons anyone can give – a first person view of why Paul believed Jesus’ message. What is your own testimony – why do you accept Jesus – or why do you reject Him?

Three simple points – “That I might know him” is how we learn of Christ. “I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” is when we are captured by Him. “I press toward the mark” is how we live with Christ as the motivation in our life.

After considering these three points, where are you in relation to Christ? Why?