162.Rock Goes The Gospel - Metalica "Nothing Else Matters"

"Nothing Else Matters" is a power ballad by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released in 1992 as the third single from their self-titled fifth studio album, Metallica. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well as top-ten positions on many European charts. "Nothing Else Matters" was featured as a playable track in the music video game Guitar Hero: Metallica. Recognized as one of Metallica's best known and most popular songs, it has become a staple in live performances. The song has been covered over forty times.

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

I never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know

So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No nothing else matters 




Band members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett wrote this. According to Hetfield, he wrote the song about a girlfriend he once had, but when he looks back at it, he can't remember why he wrote it. Now, Metallica just considers it a song about their fans, because nothing else matters but their fans. The orchestration in the song was arranged by Michael Kamen, who also conducted the San Francisco Symphony orchestra. This song appears on Metallica's 1999 live album S&M, which was recorded with the San Francisco Symphony orchestra. James Hetfield has cited the band's constant touring as an inspiration for this song. They wrote pieces of the song on their tour bus and in numerous hotels. This is one of the few Metallica songs where James Hetfield played the guitar solo rather than Kirk Hammett. Hetfield explained this song to Mojo magazine December 2008. Said the Metallica singer: "It's about being on the road, missing someone at home, but it was written in such a way, it connected with so many people, that it wasn't just about two people, it was about a connection with your higher power, lots of different things." Hetfield added: "I remember going to a MC's Clubhouse in New York, and they showed me a film that they'd put together of one of the fallen brothers, and they were playing Nothing Else Matters. Wow. This means a lot more than me missing my chick, right? This is brotherhood. The army could use this song. It's pretty powerful."

So many things matter to people in today's world. Money, Position, Power or the things people own or the things people do, or the things people say. Most of these things don't really matter in the end though. For me the one constant thing that matters is all wrapped up in relationships. It's love....to love and be loved not because of what I bring to the table, but because of who I am that's what really matters to me. In this mornings devotion we will be exploring this thought a little further as we look at life in relationship with God.  In Paul's letter to the Philippian church we find in chapter 3 vs 7-14 Paul is speaking of something that really matters to him RUNNING THE RACE -For him nothing else matters.

According to Paul, the Christian life is just like a race. And like a race, you can run it in one of two ways. You can be a SERIOUS runner – like Paul. His eyes are on the goal. He’s straining towards the line. To win the prize. Nothing else matters! King Jesus loved him. King Jesus had saved him. Even when he was persecuting him. And King Jesus will RESURRECT him, and bring him to GLORY. And so Paul’s going to give him EVERYTHING as he runs for that goal. His mind is on heavenly things. And he’s not going to get bogged down along the way/ by earthly distractions. And although the race can be tough, Paul couldn’t imagine anything else. Because the race of the serious runner is one of joy and purpose and progress and power. Your feet might be throbbing, your lungs aching, the muscles in your legs burning. But your focus is on the FINISH LINE. On the PRIZE. That’s the race of the serious runner.

And then there’s the OTHER type of runner in the Christian race. The BACK OF THE PACK SLACKER. They’ll tell you they’re in the race, but their mind is on everything BUT the finishing line. Paul says their mind is on EARTHLY THINGS. Lots of other things matter!  It’s the pretty things along the way that grab their attention. The bright lights, the expensive shop fronts. Or the fun and parties along the way. And they can’t think about glory, and resurrection bodies THEN, because all they can think about are the distractions NOW. About pleasure and promotions and profit. Rewards that rust and break and disappoint. And they forget why they began the race in the first place. They lose sight of the finish line.

When it comes to YOUR Christian race – which are you? A serious runner, or a back of the pack slacker? How hard are you RUNNING? Whichever you are. Take the advice of Paul. And follow his example. Run with determination, keeping your eyes on the prize. There’s nothing HARDER, but there’s also nothing BETTER. Or more SATISFYING.

Keep knowing Christ more (10-11)  - NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

And the key to the whole thing for Paul is back up there in v10. “I want to KNOW CHRIST” That’s what DRIVES him. He’s already said it back in v8. There’s nothing worth MORE than knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. Everything else is RUBBISH. He’s not saying that he DOESN’T ALREADY know Christ. Just that he wants to know him BETTER. Every Christian knows SOMETHING of Christ. But the goal of the race is to KNOW HIM BETTER. Because Christianity ISN’T knowing about a BOOK. Or knowing a set of rules. Or words to songs. It’s about knowing a PERSON. A living, active, powerful person. To think his thoughts. To know his mind. To experience his presence. To understand more and more of his love and his power and his priorities. That’s what Paul wants. To know Christ more. And he goes on to give us some specifics. The two events in Jesus’ life on earth that DEFINE who he is. Look there at v10. I want to know Christ and THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION/ and the fellowship of sharing in HIS SUFFERINGS, Jesus is BOTH the resurrected Saviour/ AND the suffering servant. He’s both the victorious God, and the weak and frail human being. He’s the mighty Lion of Judah/ who is ALSO the slain lamb. And for Paul to KNOW Christ/ is to know those qualities in his OWN LIFE. BOTH of them. To know Christ better/ means to EXPERIENCE the power of Christ’s RESURRECTION. And to join in Christ’s SUFFERINGS. I can understand wanting to know the power of Christ’s resurrection. Everyone wants to see a bit more VICTORY in their life. But what about “sharing in his sufferings”? It’s a big call, isn’t it, for Paul to say that he wants to know the fellowship of SHARING IN CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS.

The key, I suggest, is keeping the two sides together. Power of resurrection AND participating in sufferings. Not either/or. Some Christians like the FIRST phrase. For them the Christian life is all about VICTORY. Being in Christ is about SUCCESS and POWER. Powerful spiritual gifts. No excuses. No weakness. Victory over sin. Over sickness. Victory in witness. In relationships. Victory in wealth creation, or possessions. But that’s not knowing Christ. Some Christians are more drawn to the second phrase. “Fellowship of sharing in his sufferings”. For them the Christian race is more about endurance than enjoyment. A miserable, world-weary, stoic, defeatist attitude. Slugging it out in the trenches. They see this life as a trade-off for heaven. They’re prepared to be miserable NOW, compared to eternal happiness. They live with little sense of Christ’s presence and power. Or the assurance and joy and peace he promises. But that’s not knowing Christ either. The key to knowing Christ is to keep the two together. In fact, it seems to me, that ONE is the key to the OTHER. It’s only by personally experiencing the POWER that raised Christ/ that Christians are ABLE to share in his sufferings.

Gordon Fee, in his commentary, puts it like this “Paul was so certain of Christ’s RESURRECTION/ and thus of his own, that he could throw himself into the present SUFFERING / with a joyful and thankful abandon – not because he ENJOYED suffering, but because Christ’s resurrection had given him A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE on present suffering / as well as AN EMPOWERING PRESENCE whereby the suffering was TRANSFORMED into intimate fellowship with Christ himself (Fee, 331)

You see, when we became Christians, God made us new people. And gave us His Spirit. And it’s His SPIRIT who gives us the STRENGTH to run a cross-shaped race. To run through suffering. A race that’s IMITATES what Jesus experienced. And imitates the way he DEALT with it. We run a cross-shaped race as we LISTEN rather than REACT to criticism and ridicule. When we show PATIENCE to keep our mouth closed. Or when we show SELF-CONTROL to say No to the immoral choice everyone else thinks is fine. The LOVE to put the needs of OTHERS before ourselves. The PERSEVERANCE to keep going in the tough relationship. All because we’re following the way of the cross. A cross-shaped life will show God’s POWER/ as we SUFFER for the sake of others, and for the sake of Christ. That’s what Paul wants resurrection-power for! Listen to how Paul describes it in 2 Corinthians 4. He’s talking about the treasure of knowing Jesus and the power of the gospel. And how it’s a treasure that’s found in modest, weak containers like us Christians. (2 Cor 4:7-11 NIV) But we have this treasure (the treasure of the gospel) in JARS OF CLAY to show that this ALL-SURPASSING POWER is from God and not from us. {8} We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; {9} persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. {10} We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. {11} For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.

God’s POWER is revealed in the Christian/ as he SUFFERS like Jesus/ on the way of the cross.

And as the Christian follows Jesus through suffering, he becomes more LIKE him. Look at the logic of v10. I want to know … the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, BECOMING LIKE HIM IN HIS DEATH,

As we take on the LIFESTYLE of Christ, we also take on the CHARACTER of Christ. The fruit of obedience is Christlikeness. It’s literally that we “share in the shape of his death”. We are moulded into the shape of servants/ as we follow THE SERVANT KING. As we pour out our lives in his service, and the service of others.

Keep your eyes on your prize (12-16)  - NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

And just like, for Jesus, resurrection followed suffering. So too for Paul. V11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

The race might be about suffering, and following Christ. But the finish line is his RESURRECTION. He’s CERTAIN of it. He doesn’t know what turns the road will take, how many hills there are ahead (That’s what the “somehow” means). But he DOES know that his own resurrection is the finish line. When his aching, beaten, weary body will be transformed into something GLORIOUS.

And even though Paul can’t WAIT for the finish line. He doesn’t make the mistake of thinking he’s arrived already. Look at v12. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect..

I remember watching a Cross Country race a number of years ago. For runners it was not about being a sprinter, it was about good endurance. Their coach may have said to them before the start, “Don’t worry if people sprint right at the start. They’ll run out of puff. You know how far 3 km is. Just take it nice and steady. Run your own race.” And the Christian race is like THAT. It’s immature to pretend you’ve made it/ when you’ve still got a long way to go. But Paul’s not like that. He knows he’s still got a long way to go. That’s what MATURITY is.

But what’s he talking about? What’s the “all this” he hasn’t obtained yet? It’s the complete knowledge of Christ, and complete Christ-likeness that he hasn’t achieved. He’s not COMPLETE, or PERFECT, or MATURE, or perhaps even FULLY-EQUIPPED. The word for “perfect” can mean all of those things. And you can see that Christ-likeness is what he’s talking about when you look at the second half of that verse. It’s tricky, but it’s beautiful. V12. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect/ but I press on to take hold of that / FOR WHICH Christ Jesus took hold of me. In other words, I’m working towards the goal which is the very reason Christ chose me to begin with. My job-description is to be Christ-like. That’s why Christ chose me and took hold of me. And that’s what I’m working towards. Following him. Becoming like him. Living FOR him. And I do it as I live a cross-shaped life of suffering and service empowered by God’s Spirit – the same Spirit who raised Jesus.

Press on to take hold/ of THAT FOR WHICH Christ Jesus took hold of you.” Take hold of Christlikeness. Take hold of a life which glorifies Jesus. Aim to be more like him every day. In word and thought and deed.

And that’s a goal Paul is SINGLE-MINDED about. Look at HOW he presses on. V13. But ONE thing I do: FORGETTING what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, {14} I press on toward the goal to WIN THE PRIZE for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ONE thing. Pressing on. And he does it by FORGETTING what’s behind. That’s failures AND victories. Forget past hurts, and disappointments, and discouragements. They can sap the LIFE out of you. Make you BITTER. People who’ve laughed at you, or rejected you. And you wonder why you’d ever bother doing THAT again. Forget past sins. God’s forgiven and forgotten them, so why are YOU dwelling on them? But the way to press on/ is to forget what’s past. And sometimes we need to forget THE VICTORIES TOO. Especially if they make us complacent and proud. And make us trust in our own abilities. And make us think we’re further along the race than we really are. Don’t look back. Press on toward the goal. And keep your eyes on your prize.

What’s the prize? From the context it’s probably Christ himself. We know Jesus now only A LITTLE. But COMPLETE and INTIMATE knowledge is what’s waiting for us at the finish line. That’s the prize. Eternal fellowship with Jesus. Resurrection. And turning up to the throne of judgment. And King Jesus is there. And he says, “Good friend. I’ve been waiting for you. I ran the race. And although it was tough, you followed after me. “Well done, good and faithful servant. I can’t WAIT to spend eternity with you. Enter into your rest. You should see the party I’ve got ready for you!” That’s a prize worth striving for!

Keep clear of bad examples (18-19) - NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

And yet there are plenty of people who DON’T strive for it. Who DON’T press on. They’re too interested with the scenery along the way. The back of the pack slackers. And Paul’s HEART-BROKEN by them. They’re probably people who are known to the Philippians. They probably even call themselves Christians. Notice in v18 how Paul’s shed many tears for these people, and how he’s warned them many times before. And yet, Paul sees their Christian race differently. They think they’re in the race, just not TOO SERIOUS. Not TOO radical. Keeping some perspective. Taking time to stop and smell the roses. But Paul says they’re not SLOW COACHES in the race. They’re NOT EVEN IN THE RACE. Look at the end of v18. They’re “ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST”. And look at why in v19. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. Compare that to PAUL, whose destiny is HEAVEN, whose God is his Saviour, and whose glory is his resurrection.

And while Paul wants to KNOW CHRIST. Anything else BUT Christ occupies their minds– their minds are on earthly things. They’re headed for destruction. Self-satisfaction is the ultimate goal. And the things they should be ASHAMED of, they GLORY in. I’m sure we’ve all experienced THAT. As we listen to workmates telling us how much they got back as a tax refund, and how they did it. Or about what they did on the weekend. How drunk they got. Who they slept with. Things they GLORY in – BRAGGING of – they should be ASHAMED of. But there are even more SUBTLE things. Things that we Christians can glory in. They’re things that should be SECONDARY, but they’ve become PRIMARY. How much money they’re house is worth, or how much they spent on that new dress. How they can’t WAIT to get the partnership. How studying for that qualification becomes the most important thing. Or how proud they are of their son’s new job. Or sporting achievement. But when you ask how the son’s Christian walk is going. They becomes strangely quiet. Their glory has suddenly become shame. What about YOU? Are you a serious runner like Paul? Or a back of the pack slacker? What do YOU glory in? Press on. Take hold of the very thing which was the reason Christ took hold of you. Christlikeness. Knowing Christ. In his sufferings and power. Forget the past. Strain forward to win the prize.

Keep your perspective (3:20-4:1) NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

And if the glory of earthly things is distracting you, then shut your eyes, and imagine this final image. It’s how Paul finishes the chapter. Keep your perspective. Forget the glory of earthly things. Imagine instead the glory of resurrection bodies. As citizens of the new Jerusalem. With Jesus on his throne. The glory of no more crying or sickness or pain or death. Hope for the finish line. The heavenly city. V20 But our citizenship is IN HEAVEN. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, {21} who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Run for THAT prize. Pursue THAT goal. Live for THAT vision. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.