In the early Nineteenth Century, John Loudon McAdam developed the means of laying solid roads. This development encouraged the vision of Thomas Telford who foresaw the desirability of a self-propelled road vehicle. McAdam was the first to suggest that major arteries should bypass the towns and villages to gain speed of access to distant places. Telford hoped that private vehicles which already could speed fifteen miles an hour might shrink and unify the United Kingdom and bring progress and profits to pockets of rural poverty.

Now, in the spirit of our psalmists who break up their psalms with that little word Selah, pause a minute and think about the possibilities of introducing automobiles one hundred years before they really became available? What happened? Local merchants refused to allow the by-passes to be built, railway magnets realized the monopoly to be gained from limiting access to their own rail system. And coaching and canal companies fought hard against the progress of public roads and private vehicles. They all had a good thing going and didn't want to loose the exorbitant profits to be made from limited access!

Now, the idea we are pursuing here this morning involves power, prestige and position. Years ago a man developed the process we call Xerox copying. It took over twenty years to get the technology to the common man. In the same way, it took the Apple Corporation to make computing simple and equally available. We have also only to consider the huge resistance to selling VCR equipment in the last decade. The media were actually able to get a regional Federal Court to declare the use of a VCR machine unconstitutional.

However, the Supreme Court had a more common consensus to know when technology had already outrun political ability to confine and control it. Now what has this got to do with our series on Religion and True Faith? Three words that I mentioned earlier: power, prestige and position.

To the abuse of those, let me add a fourth word: Religion! Is it not true that even as corporations, governments and institutions in general have abused their power, prestige and position, so too have most religions as well? Religions in general unfortunately, like the communist party have tended to pursue a policy to maintain themselves in power, prestige and position. Even a religious, non-religion like secular-humanism enjoys its lock hold on public attitudes, policy and beliefs in our time and place.

You see, even when mankind tries his or her hardest to be noble and above board, there is always a fatal flaw in every human institution, they are run by humans. From history, we well know that the Christian Church has often been less than perfect. Unfortunately even Christ's Church has become a religion of power, prestige and position. In the perfect Name of Christ the Church has often proposed infallible persons, doctrines and plans. More than once in history, churches have proposed that membership in their body guarantees salvation, or only their sacraments are effective!

Those churches I would maintain have become religions instead of the true faith. Even our own brand of Calvinist orthodoxy can become religious in some extreme forms. This is what we as the body of Christ must earnestly try to avoid. Let us carefully remember the mind of Paul in our passage from Philippians today.

It is this tendency to religiosity is what he is condemning in verses two and three. There were within the early Christian Church those who wished to continue the religious practices of Judaism. Paul says, no - that is what I formerly was, now I belong to Christ. Yes, Paul gloried in being a Hebrew amongst Hebrews. He had attained the highest training, position and authority within the religion of Judaism. But ... knowing Jesus Christ is more important! May I say Amen to that thought and mirror the witness of Paul in my own.

As you all have heard more than once, I am fortunate to have been born in a Covenant family of several generations. I am of the people of Scotland, of the clan of Forsyth, a Presbyterian of Presbyterians; in regard to the law, a Calvinist. By grace I was delivered from a religious organization. You see, all that I am by tradition and birth is of no importance! Eight generations of Scots Presbyterianism has accomplished nothing unless it delivered me to Christ.

Yes, like an increasing number in our time, I love the system of doctrine described in The Westminster Standards. For thirty years and more, my father and I have measured our orthodoxy in the faith against the system described in beloved confession. And yet, if through it all I had been found by Christ, it would all have availed me naught.

Once upon a time there was a man who owned a pristine copy of a rare automobile. Every week he would be seen in the drive way washing and waxing the machine. Regularly he would be known to sit outside with the top down listening to the car radio. But, he never ever drove anywhere because there was no engine under the hood. His precious automobile never accomplished what it was designed for _ he never went anywhere with it. Isn't that what cars are for to deliver you someplace safely with a minimum of danger in a reasonable amount of time?

Well, in a similar way _ isn't that the purpose of our system of doctrine: to deliver us to faith in Jesus Christ? I know of at least one or perhaps two young men who were converted by my efforts to Calvinism. But, they have not yet become Christians. We have to be aware that while there are many people who are looking for a religion, not all are looking for nor wanting to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Look at what Paul says in Philippians 3: 7-8 "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, 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 is by faith."

Now the challenge that I would bring to you from this text today is this: let us not again build up a system of religion that does not deliver men and women, and boys and girls to Jesus Christ. Yes we may certainly affirm the great doctrines of the Church which tell us about the character and love of God who sent Jesus into our midst to save us from sin and bring us into His eternal Kingdom. But let us be careful that in explaining those doctrines we do not begin to believe that the system itself is somehow religiously divine!

If we do, then like the merchants, coachmen and railroaders of the last century we may put up obstacles to progress within the Christian faith. Many times I have known Calvinists to turn off serious seekers after Jesus Christ. Yes, providentially I know that some people will be offended at any specific thing we may say.

One lady that I once witnessed to balked at the word Trinity and once I used that word I could persuade her no further. On other occasions I am certain that while a person was interested in the truths I understood, my poor attempts in pushing our system of doctrine turned them off. Our proper goal, like Paul's is to know Jesus Christ and to make Him known to others. In closing I would challenge each of you to make these words of Paul you own most earnest desire:

"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." May this be accomplished in all of our hearts. Amen.