Philip: Look Before You Leap
Adult study
The Master's Cabinet
Lives Of Faith And Service
I know of an incident that happened a few years ago in New York City. Imagine in your mind the scene. It is the morning rush hour. The subway car is crowded with business people dressed in suits and carrying leather briefcases, and an unshaven man in a shabby-looking coat bumps into a man as the train pulls into the station.
Instinctively, the businessman feels his pockets and discovers his wallet is missing. When the subway doors open, the grubby-looking individual starts to step off the train when the businessman grabs his shoulders and says, "Give it to me!"
The man in the shabby coat gets a terrified look on his face. He lunges out of the subway car, and the businessman is left holding the shabby coat as the doors close and the train pulls out of the station.
The businessman realizes that everyone is watching him. He starts going through the pockets of the old coat and says to no one in particular: "Maybe ... maybe he put my wallet in his coat."
As he goes through the pockets he discovers they are empty! When he gets off the train, he tosses the old coat in a garbage bin. He goes to his office and calls his credit card company to cancel his cards and issue him new ones. He calls about getting another driver's license issued, and he borrows a few bucks from a colleague to make it through the day ... That evening, when he gets home, his wife says: "Honey, I've got dinner almost ready. I figured you would be hungry when I noticed that you left your wallet on the dresser this morning."
That is how problems start in our world. Someone leaps to a conclusion without pausing to think. Someone puts two and two together and comes up with five. Someone believes the worst about another without even pausing to check the facts. The most dangerous people in the world are those who decide too quickly, those who reach a conclusion based on faulty evidence, those who leap to a conclusion without looking.
One member of the Master's Cabinet, Philip, could never be accused of this fault. When Jesus said, "Follow me!" Philip was not quick to respond. Philip had to mull it over in his mind. Philip had to think about it. Philip withheld his answer until he had an opportunity to talk it over with a friend. And it was only after carefully looking and thinking that Philip dared to take the leap of faith.
Although Philip was a member of the Master's Cabinet, we know very little about him. His name means "lover of horses." He came from the little town of Bethsaida. He is not a very colorful individual, and each time we see him in the New Testament, he is being true to his nature of displaying caution.
Philip is a disciple that many of us can identify with because he is as totally human as we are. He is a man of solid worth. He is a man of strong character. He is a man of healthy caution. He is a man who knew it was important to look at a situation, to analyze the situation, and mull it over in his mind. Then, and only then, after he had looked at the situation very carefully, would he leap into anything new.
Today, there are a few things I want us to think about as we look at Philip and his tendency to look before leaping.
1.
Philip Looked Before He Lept Because He Was Naturally Hesitant.
So often, when we look at these men who served in the Master's Cabinet, we want to make them out to be unique. We want to make them out to be extraordinary. We want to make them out to be holier-than-thou. We want to make them out to be saintly and religious. However, in reality they were just common and ordinary people who were fishermen and merchants and tax-collectors. They were people like you and me.
When we look at Philip, he was an individual who was naturally hesitant. He had trouble making up his mind on major issues. Every time Philip is mentioned in the Bible, you get a clear picture of a man who was having trouble making up his mind.
When Jesus called Philip to be a disciple, Philip withheld his answer until he thought it over. When the Greeks came to Philip with a request to see Jesus, Philip would not make a decision until he talked to Andrew. When Jesus asked Philip how to feed the 5,000, Philip was hesitant to believe that it was even possible.
Philip's mind was not closed; he was simply reluctant to make a decision. This is also our problem. We want to keep looking and looking, but never leaping. There may be a decision to be made, but we are reluctant to decide. This is a common human failing.
General George McClellan was Abraham Lincoln's commander of the Union Army for a while. Lincoln kept urging him to go into action. Lincoln kept urging him to get his army moving. Lincoln kept urging him to engage the enemy.
But, McClellan kept waiting and waiting. He had several excuses. He was hesitant to make a decision and begin a battle. Finally, the President had enough and he sent a letter saying:
My Dear General,
If you do not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a while.
Yours respectfully,
A. Lincoln
It is very easy to postpone making a decision. We have a tendency to look and look and never leap. There is something very intriguing about just looking, but never deciding.
Aaron Burr was one of the greatest men in American history. He was the Vice-President of the United States. He ran for President on one occasion. And yet, his name is remembered as a traitor to our country. The turning point in his life came when he was a college student at Princeton University. It was during a religious emphasis week that a speaker challenged every person to open up his life to Jesus Christ.
Aaron Burr thought about that decision. It is said that he stayed up late that night, pacing the floor, thinking about opening up his life to Jesus. But, by morning, he still had not decided and he went on with his life. He faced the ultimate question of his life and he couldn't make a decision.
I believe that the most important decision that we have is in deciding whether or not we will accept God's love in Jesus Christ. But, we are cautious. We are hesitant about making such a decision. There are a lot of people who are procrastinating in the arena of faith. They are saying: "I don't know enough about the Bible." "I'm not good enough." "One of these days, I'll open up my life to Jesus." They are cautious. They are hesitant. They are adept in postponing their decision.
In the musical, The Music Man, the professor tries to get the librarian, Marian, to go out with him. She wants to go out with him, but she is hesitant and she keeps putting him off by saying, "Please, some other time. Maybe tomorrow."
The professor is persistent and keeps asking. But, after being put off again and again, he finally looks at her in exasperation and says, "Pile up enough tomorrows and you'll find that you have collected nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays."
This is what we do when we keep putting off our decision about Jesus Christ. We may be naturally hesitant about such an important decision. We may want to postpone our decision until we are more sure. But, all that we are doing is collecting a lot of empty yesterdays when we fail to make a commitment of our lives to Jesus Christ.
Have you been hesitant about making a decision within your life for Jesus Christ? Have you been looking and looking and looking, but remain reluctant to commit your life to him? Isn't it about time to stop looking and take the leap of faith by committing your life to Jesus Christ?
2.
He Looked Before He Lept Because He Wasn't Going To Look Back.
A few years ago, I had a wedding and the young groom was extremely nervous. Now, most grooms are nervous, but this young man was so nervous that he kept pacing the hallway. He was wringing his hands. He was perspiring or sweating so much that rivulets of perspiration were rolling down his cheeks and it was the middle of winter. Thinking he might be sick, I asked him, "Are you all right?"
"Yes, sir," he replied, "I'm fine."
"Well," I said, "you seem very nervous."
He smiled and said, "You know, I'm not just as enthusiastic about this marriage today as I was yesterday."
This is one of our worst faults. We make a decision for Christ, but there is very little enthusiasm. We give ourselves. We make a leap of faith. We make a commitment. Then, we have second thoughts. We look back and think, "Maybe I really was not ready to make that decision."
How often have you tried to second-guess one of your decisions? How often have you looked back and said, "Maybe I made a mistake." "Perhaps it was the wrong choice." "I wish I hadn't done that."
Most of us have a habit of looking back, and second-guessing is counterproductive to making our decisions work successfully. If we decide we are going to be Christians, then we can't look back. Once we choose Jesus Christ as our Savior, then we must look forward and live for him.
This is what Philip teaches us. He was slow in making his choice for Jesus, but once it was made, he would not look back. He became totally committed to Jesus Christ. He tried to live for Jesus.
When he told a friend about how Jesus touched his life, the friend, Nathanael, sarcastically asked, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip did not argue with him; he simply said, "Come and see." Philip was so totally committed to Jesus Christ, his life had been so transformed, that he was not looking back, but telling others, "Come and see for yourself."
Philip became so dedicated to Jesus Christ that others could see something of Jesus in his life. Archaeologists, excavating the ancient city of Hierapolis, uncovered an ancient inscription in the ruins of a building which identified the building as a church. The inscription said: "The church of Philip, the Apostle of Jesus Christ."
Once Philip made the leap of faith, he did not look back. In spite of his shortcomings, he became so committed to Jesus Christ that others could see something of Jesus Christ in his life.
This is what we are called to do! We are called to make the leap of faith and become so committed to Jesus Christ that others see something of his love in our lives.
The church I pastored in Oklahoma City was fairly near the medical school. One young doctor was doing a rotation at Children's Hospital. He was assigned to care for a nine-year-old child. The child was running high fevers and would occasionally have a convulsion, and this young, inexperienced doctor was doing all he could to help this child. The child was frightened and sick. The doctor would talk to him and tease him. The doctor even found himself singing to help calm the boy down as he ran a series of tests to try to figure out what was wrong.
At one point, the little boy looked up at the doctor and asked, "Are you kin to Jesus?"
At that moment, the doctor realized for that one frightened child in the hospital, he had been the living presence of Jesus Christ.
Are you living in such a way that others can see something of Jesus Christ in your life?
Have you made that leap of faith by committing your life to him?
Prayer
O God, help us to make that leap of faith and begin following Jesus Christ in our lives. In his name. Amen.
Instinctively, the businessman feels his pockets and discovers his wallet is missing. When the subway doors open, the grubby-looking individual starts to step off the train when the businessman grabs his shoulders and says, "Give it to me!"
The man in the shabby coat gets a terrified look on his face. He lunges out of the subway car, and the businessman is left holding the shabby coat as the doors close and the train pulls out of the station.
The businessman realizes that everyone is watching him. He starts going through the pockets of the old coat and says to no one in particular: "Maybe ... maybe he put my wallet in his coat."
As he goes through the pockets he discovers they are empty! When he gets off the train, he tosses the old coat in a garbage bin. He goes to his office and calls his credit card company to cancel his cards and issue him new ones. He calls about getting another driver's license issued, and he borrows a few bucks from a colleague to make it through the day ... That evening, when he gets home, his wife says: "Honey, I've got dinner almost ready. I figured you would be hungry when I noticed that you left your wallet on the dresser this morning."
That is how problems start in our world. Someone leaps to a conclusion without pausing to think. Someone puts two and two together and comes up with five. Someone believes the worst about another without even pausing to check the facts. The most dangerous people in the world are those who decide too quickly, those who reach a conclusion based on faulty evidence, those who leap to a conclusion without looking.
One member of the Master's Cabinet, Philip, could never be accused of this fault. When Jesus said, "Follow me!" Philip was not quick to respond. Philip had to mull it over in his mind. Philip had to think about it. Philip withheld his answer until he had an opportunity to talk it over with a friend. And it was only after carefully looking and thinking that Philip dared to take the leap of faith.
Although Philip was a member of the Master's Cabinet, we know very little about him. His name means "lover of horses." He came from the little town of Bethsaida. He is not a very colorful individual, and each time we see him in the New Testament, he is being true to his nature of displaying caution.
Philip is a disciple that many of us can identify with because he is as totally human as we are. He is a man of solid worth. He is a man of strong character. He is a man of healthy caution. He is a man who knew it was important to look at a situation, to analyze the situation, and mull it over in his mind. Then, and only then, after he had looked at the situation very carefully, would he leap into anything new.
Today, there are a few things I want us to think about as we look at Philip and his tendency to look before leaping.
1.
Philip Looked Before He Lept Because He Was Naturally Hesitant.
So often, when we look at these men who served in the Master's Cabinet, we want to make them out to be unique. We want to make them out to be extraordinary. We want to make them out to be holier-than-thou. We want to make them out to be saintly and religious. However, in reality they were just common and ordinary people who were fishermen and merchants and tax-collectors. They were people like you and me.
When we look at Philip, he was an individual who was naturally hesitant. He had trouble making up his mind on major issues. Every time Philip is mentioned in the Bible, you get a clear picture of a man who was having trouble making up his mind.
When Jesus called Philip to be a disciple, Philip withheld his answer until he thought it over. When the Greeks came to Philip with a request to see Jesus, Philip would not make a decision until he talked to Andrew. When Jesus asked Philip how to feed the 5,000, Philip was hesitant to believe that it was even possible.
Philip's mind was not closed; he was simply reluctant to make a decision. This is also our problem. We want to keep looking and looking, but never leaping. There may be a decision to be made, but we are reluctant to decide. This is a common human failing.
General George McClellan was Abraham Lincoln's commander of the Union Army for a while. Lincoln kept urging him to go into action. Lincoln kept urging him to get his army moving. Lincoln kept urging him to engage the enemy.
But, McClellan kept waiting and waiting. He had several excuses. He was hesitant to make a decision and begin a battle. Finally, the President had enough and he sent a letter saying:
My Dear General,
If you do not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a while.
Yours respectfully,
A. Lincoln
It is very easy to postpone making a decision. We have a tendency to look and look and never leap. There is something very intriguing about just looking, but never deciding.
Aaron Burr was one of the greatest men in American history. He was the Vice-President of the United States. He ran for President on one occasion. And yet, his name is remembered as a traitor to our country. The turning point in his life came when he was a college student at Princeton University. It was during a religious emphasis week that a speaker challenged every person to open up his life to Jesus Christ.
Aaron Burr thought about that decision. It is said that he stayed up late that night, pacing the floor, thinking about opening up his life to Jesus. But, by morning, he still had not decided and he went on with his life. He faced the ultimate question of his life and he couldn't make a decision.
I believe that the most important decision that we have is in deciding whether or not we will accept God's love in Jesus Christ. But, we are cautious. We are hesitant about making such a decision. There are a lot of people who are procrastinating in the arena of faith. They are saying: "I don't know enough about the Bible." "I'm not good enough." "One of these days, I'll open up my life to Jesus." They are cautious. They are hesitant. They are adept in postponing their decision.
In the musical, The Music Man, the professor tries to get the librarian, Marian, to go out with him. She wants to go out with him, but she is hesitant and she keeps putting him off by saying, "Please, some other time. Maybe tomorrow."
The professor is persistent and keeps asking. But, after being put off again and again, he finally looks at her in exasperation and says, "Pile up enough tomorrows and you'll find that you have collected nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays."
This is what we do when we keep putting off our decision about Jesus Christ. We may be naturally hesitant about such an important decision. We may want to postpone our decision until we are more sure. But, all that we are doing is collecting a lot of empty yesterdays when we fail to make a commitment of our lives to Jesus Christ.
Have you been hesitant about making a decision within your life for Jesus Christ? Have you been looking and looking and looking, but remain reluctant to commit your life to him? Isn't it about time to stop looking and take the leap of faith by committing your life to Jesus Christ?
2.
He Looked Before He Lept Because He Wasn't Going To Look Back.
A few years ago, I had a wedding and the young groom was extremely nervous. Now, most grooms are nervous, but this young man was so nervous that he kept pacing the hallway. He was wringing his hands. He was perspiring or sweating so much that rivulets of perspiration were rolling down his cheeks and it was the middle of winter. Thinking he might be sick, I asked him, "Are you all right?"
"Yes, sir," he replied, "I'm fine."
"Well," I said, "you seem very nervous."
He smiled and said, "You know, I'm not just as enthusiastic about this marriage today as I was yesterday."
This is one of our worst faults. We make a decision for Christ, but there is very little enthusiasm. We give ourselves. We make a leap of faith. We make a commitment. Then, we have second thoughts. We look back and think, "Maybe I really was not ready to make that decision."
How often have you tried to second-guess one of your decisions? How often have you looked back and said, "Maybe I made a mistake." "Perhaps it was the wrong choice." "I wish I hadn't done that."
Most of us have a habit of looking back, and second-guessing is counterproductive to making our decisions work successfully. If we decide we are going to be Christians, then we can't look back. Once we choose Jesus Christ as our Savior, then we must look forward and live for him.
This is what Philip teaches us. He was slow in making his choice for Jesus, but once it was made, he would not look back. He became totally committed to Jesus Christ. He tried to live for Jesus.
When he told a friend about how Jesus touched his life, the friend, Nathanael, sarcastically asked, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip did not argue with him; he simply said, "Come and see." Philip was so totally committed to Jesus Christ, his life had been so transformed, that he was not looking back, but telling others, "Come and see for yourself."
Philip became so dedicated to Jesus Christ that others could see something of Jesus in his life. Archaeologists, excavating the ancient city of Hierapolis, uncovered an ancient inscription in the ruins of a building which identified the building as a church. The inscription said: "The church of Philip, the Apostle of Jesus Christ."
Once Philip made the leap of faith, he did not look back. In spite of his shortcomings, he became so committed to Jesus Christ that others could see something of Jesus Christ in his life.
This is what we are called to do! We are called to make the leap of faith and become so committed to Jesus Christ that others see something of his love in our lives.
The church I pastored in Oklahoma City was fairly near the medical school. One young doctor was doing a rotation at Children's Hospital. He was assigned to care for a nine-year-old child. The child was running high fevers and would occasionally have a convulsion, and this young, inexperienced doctor was doing all he could to help this child. The child was frightened and sick. The doctor would talk to him and tease him. The doctor even found himself singing to help calm the boy down as he ran a series of tests to try to figure out what was wrong.
At one point, the little boy looked up at the doctor and asked, "Are you kin to Jesus?"
At that moment, the doctor realized for that one frightened child in the hospital, he had been the living presence of Jesus Christ.
Are you living in such a way that others can see something of Jesus Christ in your life?
Have you made that leap of faith by committing your life to him?
Prayer
O God, help us to make that leap of faith and begin following Jesus Christ in our lives. In his name. Amen.
