Preaching through Philippians

 

TOPIC:‌“Paul - The Disciplined Runner”

                 by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

 

TEXT:‌Philippians 3:12-14

 

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”(3:14)

 

‌The Christian life is conceived by the Apostle Paul in the verses before us as that of a runner. Perhaps he was thinking of the Grecian games and the Greek runners at this point. Paul pictures himself as a runner in a race. To him, there was a goal to reach and a prize to win. Here I am reminded of his words to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” (I Corinthians 9:24, NIV).

 

‌Certainly one of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is standing still instead of moving forward. To Paul the Christian life was not stationary, but steady. Not motionless, but moving. Not anchored but advancing. Let us consider some of the things needed for a race as the runner speeds towards the goal.

 

I.

 

‌Consider, first of all, there must be a COURSE. Paul writes in verse 12: “but I follow after.” Again in verse 13: “and reaching forth.” In verse 14: “I press toward the mark.” These are all expressions of what Paul was writing to Timothy when he stated: “I have finished my course” (II Timothy 4:7).

 

‌The athletic arena, the running track, in which we run is the road of life which stretches out before our eyes. Usually, but certainly not always, the course we run is at least seventy years in length. It is not a sprint, but a long distance race. It is a marathon. The course is not finished in a day, but takes a lifetime to complete.

 

‌As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul, this experienced veteran, had been on the course for more than thirty years, ever since he entered the race when he was converted to Christ outside of those Damascus walls. There Christ started him on the way. And let us never forget as believers that God Himself selects the road, decides the way, and chooses the path each one of us must go. And God did that for Paul and it was a very difficult course he had to travel.

 

‌Listen to his track record. Paul suffered for Christ not only at the end of his life, but he suffered throughout his life as well. He was a prisoner at Philippi (Acts 16:23), at Jerusalem (Acts 21:33), at Caesarea (Acts 23:23, 24), and at Rome (Acts 28:16). At Iconium he was arrested. At Lystra he was stoned. At Corinth he was blasphemed. . . .