unashamed…

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead¿8¿ Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3.7-14)

This week at our denomination’s annual gathering, the theme was for pastors to hold the line, incarnate the gospel within our own lives, stay the course, and re-up to the shepherd’s heart and life that is the foundation of our calling. These messages drew me back to this testimony of the apostle Paul. It remains one of the most encouraging, motivating, and challenging passages of Scripture for me and countless others. Years ago, Bob Moorehead, former pastor of Overlake Christian Fellowship east of Seattle, was inspired by it and penned the following reflection: I hope you are inspired, motivated, and challenged by the witness of these two men as I am:

I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made...I am a disciple of Jesus, I won’t look back, go back, hold back, let up, slow down, back away, hesitate or be still! My past is redeemed, my present remade and my future re-aimed. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, dwarfed goals, deficient faith and cheap grace.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, prestige or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my gift is grace and my God is good...my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear and my power sufficient. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, distracted, deterred or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, wilt in the heat of the battle or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, or burn up until I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, worked up and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. I walk in good company; I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until He comes, give until I drop, preach until all know, stay until all go and work until He stops. And when He comes to get His own, He’ll have no trouble recognizing me...my colors will be clear.

May we all, regardless of calling or vocation hold the line, incarnate the Gospel, stay the course, and re-up to serve under our Shepherd Jesus.