Repetition

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” (Philippians 3:1, KJV)

I remember pastoring in a church for many years and having a group of people go to a Christian conference. They were there for a weekend. When they returned, one of the attendees came to me with great excitement. She reported the great revelation given to her by the speaker. She stated, “The conference was great. The speaker said this.” Then she went on to tell me what the speaker stated that was so eye opening to her. Honestly, I felt a little bit hurt as I thought to myself, “I’ve been preaching the same thing here for years. And now that this other preacher said the same thing, she gets it?” Yet I just responded to her, “Praise the Lord.”

What is the point of this? Sometimes repetition is essential. I thought about it again. Before I was saved in 1983 at least seven times different people shared the gospel message with me to no avail. Yet the repetition paid off. I never really forgot what they said. The Lord just had His perfect timing for the seed to germinate and be harvested in a different season from which it was sown.

There are many reasons that repetition is needed. One is because on the long-term people forget much of what they hear. There are many distractions that often go on in people’s minds, even on Sunday morning. Moreover, sometimes it takes time for people to digest the great truths of God, comprehend and respond. Paul wrote to the Colossians, these words that explain the issue well.

“Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” (Colossians 3:9–10, KJV)

The point is seen in verse ten. The verb renewed, it in the present tense passive voice meaning that believers are “being renewed.” They are being continuously caused to grow in knowledge. The word knowledge, epignosis,refers a precise and correct knowledge through one’s experience with the Lord and His word. Thus, this is an ongoing process essential to one’s growth in Christ. One’s understanding is not always instantaneous. In fact I believe it is the exception for one to hear the deeper things of God and immediately digest them.

Now, this does not mean that we should develop a mantra of repetition when we preach or teach. This repetition within a sermon can be way overdone. However, it has an important role. Paul here is reinforcing the issue of joy. In this verse of Philippians 3:1, Paul begins a conclusion to the letter repeating a theme that he wrote earlier stating, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.” He wanted them to understand the reasons that they had for rejoicing. Joy was not based upon circumstances, but on all the blessings of grace that believers have in Christ regardless of the circumstances. Thus, he repeated things they had heard before and this was for their benefit.

Thus, I rejoice in the fact that though I preach the gospel over and over again, someone somewhere might preach the same thing and reap the harvest. Moreover, on more than one occasion, I have had the blessing of reaping where someone else has sown, and yet it is the Lord who has brought the truth of His word to register in the heart of a person so that God gets all the glory. For it is the His saving grace alone that saves and works to grow one in knowledge. We serve as the messengers.