Tonight, we gather to give thanks to God for sport, and particularly for the friendship and fellowship we enjoy through the Bowling Club. While I haven’t thrown any bowls here yet, I was first introduced to bowls at the age of 8, when my great-aunt Rebecca brought me along to the Cathedral club in Dromore. I played for about 12 years or so, then took it up again when we moved to Fermanagh, playing for the Aghavea church team. Hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to play in the near future.
As I was preparing for this evening, and thinking about playing bowls, our Bible reading from Philippians came to mind. When you’re playing bowls, you count up, or you keep the score; there is the only thing that counts - being close to the Jack; and there’s the way you aim for it. Score, what counts, and aiming. And those three elements of bowling are the things that the apostle Paul talks about in relation to his life.
So first, let’s think about the score. In a friendly match, or when you’re having a practice night, it doesn’t really matter what the score is. But, this week as the tournament has been progressing, and especially tomorrow night when the finals are being held, the score is very important. It’s how you know who’s winning, who’s succeeding.
And in terms of life, Paul outlines in verses 4-6 the points he has scored, the reasons he had confidence in the flesh. He lists his religious achievements - the things that showed how successful he was. He was circumcised according to the Old Testament law; he was a Hebrew of Hebrews, his parents were Israelites from the tribe of Benjamin. Those things were given to him, but the next ones he chose to pursue - he became a Pharisee, a strict follower of the law; in terms of his zeal, he persecuted the church, because he thought they were false teachers; and as for legalistic righteousness, doing what he could do to obey the law, he was regarded as faultless. For a religious person, this was a high score.
We might also try to score ourselves highly, even if we use different categories - the charity work we do; the help we give to people; our paying in to church; or whatever it is that we might think - that’s in my good book. That's to my credit.
A few months ago, the team I was part of won our section of the Fermanagh Churches League. Section D, mind you, the lowest section on the league - and it wasn’t because of anything I had done. We made it to the playoffs. As our team was playing, I was keeping an eye on the scores on the other mats. And over on the far mat, their scoreboard was ticking over nicely. I was thinking to myself - our rink over there is doing well, that’ll help our overall score. And then I happened to be watching as an end finished, and I realised that it was the other team scoring all those points! The high score I thought we had was actually against us.
And that’s what Paul realised about putting his confidence in the flesh, what he could achieve: ‘But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.’ And on over in verse 8 he says that he considers them ‘rubbish’ - or dung. The things he prized, his high score, he now realises it’s useless, something to be rid of.
And he says that, because he now knows the one thing that counts above everything else; the only thing that matters. On a bowling mat, the only thing that matters is being close to the Jack. Well, the apostle Paul says that the only thing that matters in life is being close to the Lord Jesus. ‘What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’ Knowing Jesus is the only thing that matters for Paul, the only thing that counts.
And the way he does that isn’t by his own achievements, it’s only by faith in Christ - and receiving a right standing with God. The Lord Jesus is the one who gave himself for you; he came to this earth to rescue you from your sins by dying in your place. He freely offers us his righteousness as we trust him.
Verse 10 summarises what being close to Jesus, being in Jesus, knowing Jesus is all about: ‘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 of the dead.’
The one thing that counts - knowing Christ, and the power of his resurrection - having the power that raised Jesus from the dead living and working in our lives. And we think - yes, I’d like that. But we stop there. Knowing Christ, and his power, we’ll have some of that. But Paul goes further. To also have the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings. As we follow Jesus, knowing him and his power, we may also experience suffering and hardship. But it is in the way of the cross that we experience the resurrection; it is in our own sufferings that we experience the power of Christ and the grace of Christ to keep and sustain us.
This was the thing that mattered in Paul’s life. So what is the thing that matters most in your life? Is it the same? Or are you living for something different?
To get the score, you need to be close to the Jack. And to get close to the Jack, you need to aim. You have to see where you want your bowl to go, forehand or backhand, how tight to the stick, and how much weight. The skip can tell you so much, but it all comes down to your aim.
In verses 12-14, we see what Paul says about his aim in life. He realises that he isn’t there yet; he hasn’t made it yet; but in the meantime, ‘I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.’ And there in verse 13 we see the ‘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.’
When I was learning to drive, I had this bad habit of not turning around when I was reversing. I’d just kind of try to see in the mirrors, but it was more of a keep going till you feel the bump or hear the bang. And my driving instructor gave me some valuable advice - you wouldn’t look out the back window when you’re driving forward, so don’t face forward when you’re reversing. Look the way you’re going.
And that would probably work on the bowling mat too. You wouldn’t try to bowl backwards. So look the way you’re going, and go for it. Forget what lies behind - whatever the score might be; whether yesterday has been good or bad or indifferent, press on today! Strain towards what is ahead. Aim forward towards the goal, and win the prize of the heavenly call.
As we press forwards, looking to Jesus, the prize is already in reach. Christ Jesus has taken hold of us, and God has called us to it. It's yours for the taking as you trust Jesus and receive him as your Saviour and your Lord.
The bowling mat helps us think about:
1. the score - the things you think are for you might be against you;
2. and the only thing that matters - being close to Jesus, knowing him;
3. and the aim - pressing forward to be with Jesus. So what’s stopping you? Tonight we have this opportunity to get to know Jesus, perhaps for the first time - don't waste this opportunity. Get to know the one who gave himself for you. I'd love to introduce you to him. Or maybe you are already a Christian. May God's word to you tonight is to reevaluate your score, what you're depending on for salvation; and to refocus our aim, and press on towards the one thing that really counts - knowing Jesus.
This sermon was preached at the Bowlers' Service at the end of the St Matthew's Bowling Club Tournament in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday 15th October 2017. St Matthew's Bowling Club meets on Monday and Thursday nights, and new members are always welcome!
