Power Through Focus

August 21 1988 AM

Philippians 3:7-11 "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection ... 3:13 "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."

Paul's goal was not centered in power. But you have to believe that power was attractive to Paul. And Paul was conscious of the need of power. And in Paul's central purpose, aim, goal in life, power was there!

And Paul would say to us that God can and will see to it that the greatest power in the universe is available to us. Real power! Power for doing the greatest task possible to humankind!

I. POWER TO CHANGE THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER/SEEKER

"... if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection from the dead!" Paul wanted to share the full quality of eternal life with Jesus Christ!

  1. Paul experienced this power: When he was struck down on the Damascus Road, Paul reported that Jesus said to him: (Acts 26:18 " I am sending you to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me.") And we may be certain: Paul's mission was also Paul's testimony.
  2. There still is no better summary of how God's power begins to work in the life of faith than this Paul spoke to Agrippa that day. God's power does this:
    1. This power is the only force that can open blinded eyes to the reality of sin, to the deadliness of sin, to the realities of heaven, and hell, and eternity. Without this power such things are foolishness.
    2. This power is the only force on earth that brings spiritual LIGHT. It enables us not only to see, spiritually, but it gives us spiritual direction. [Like Christian in Pilgrim's Progress, seeing, following, finding the "Light."]
    3. As we walk in this light, the power is the only force that can assure us of being RELEASED from Satan's power! It breaks the slave-holder's grip. It sets the prisoner of sin free!
    4. And this power not only lets us walk away from the power of sin— it makes us righteous in God's sight! It is the ONLY genuine way to be absolutely free from the GUILT OF SINS!
    5. And, finally: this power brings us into a 'FAMILY RELATIONSHIP' with God! We receive inheritance among the holy ones! We have the privilege of belong to God's great family!
  3. There is no other power that can take selfish, enslaved sinners, and make them loving, kind, Christ-like followers of Jesus. THAT is real power! [But that is not ALL that there is to this power Paul wanted to know. Christians do not simply live for themselves!]

II. THIS IS POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS PRESENT WORLD

  1. Paul had always been interested in power. He had been an activist before he became a Christian. He, Paul, was going to set the world straight!
  2. And after Paul was convinced, convicted, converted— he still was interested in changing his world! But now Paul was willing to do it on God's terms.

    [ Our teens came back from D.C. two weeks ago saying: "Let's go M.A.D.!" Go and Make A Difference! And they CAN! But it takes real POWER to M.A.D.!! ]

  3. And make no mistake— spiritual power is REAL POWER! It is greater than the obvious things like bulldozers and rocket boosters and number crunchers ... powerful as they really are!

    Spiritual power lies in the spirit that lies behind the WORDS, or behind the ACTIONS, or even just behind the PRESENCE !

    Not all spiritual power and force are for good: For example WORDS can cut both ways!

    A selfish or evil spirit can give words power to warp a life for years!

    [ How careful we need to be with the WORDS we say in the four walls of our homes! What tremendous influence WORDS have on those we love! ]

  4. The SPIRITUAL POWER of which Paul was speaking comes when the Holy Spirit INHABITS His Church! When the WORDS we speak, and the DEEDS we do, and even the SPIRIT we manifest are consciously lived out in the light of a single focus, or purpose: TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST!

III. POWER ALWAYS RESULTS FROM DISCIPLINE (Focus)

  1. This is true even in secular concepts. The present generation of "movers and shakers" ... the YUPPIES ... focuses directly on power itself! It sees the future as being influenced by giant corporations. It is willing to set aside all other values for financial independence and for the chance to set policy in a major corporation. Family loyalties/ corporate loyalties/ children/ marriage/ — all must give way to ambition: GIVE ME POWER!
  2. But the Christian approach to power is radically different! Instead of focusing directly on POWER— it focuses on loving and knowing God! We may not always be conscious of the raw power released in and through our lives, because power comes as a by-product of seeking and knowing and loving and OBEYING Jesus Christ!

[ Too often, however, Christian's "focus" is much less intense, much more "casual" than the selfish, driving ambition of people seeking worldly power! But Paul says: THIS ONE THING I DO! ]

Conclusion:

And what a difference it makes where the focus lies!

What a contrast in spiritual powers!

[A young man from a refined family, brilliant— named ALBERT (Speer)— had opportunity to be the architect for his nation ... to design great buildings. The glory and sheer power of it grasped him— he became Minister of Armaments, brilliantly controlled millions of slaves, prolonged WW II two years, perhaps — and in the solitude of Spandau prison acknowledged that POWER WITHOUT REGARD TO MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES IS TOTALLY CORRUPTING! We remember Albert Speer, if at all, with revulsion and waste!]

(Several other young men have had similar opportunities. No doubt some have died unnoticed except for God. But Joseph and Daniel both kept God ahead of selfish ambition— and both are remembered with great joy.)

But in that same generation with Albert there was another young man— also from a good family. His name was DIETRICH (Bonhoffer.) He, too, had opportunity to play ball with the Nazi regime and corrupt his church. he chose, rather to (ultimately) die for Jesus Christ! And we recall Dietrich Bonhoffer with admiration. To this day he influences young men and women!

Paul said: I must know Christ! And I will have His POWER! And YOU may have this power, too— when you can say with Paul: THIS ONE THING I DO!

Prayer

EH 75 Jesus, My Strength My Hope