Knowing Him

KNOWING HIM

Text: Philippians 3:1-10

Introduction

1. We live in hard times –

2. But none of it compares to what the great men and women of God endured for God.

Hebrews 11:36-38 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy— wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

3. Consider what Paul endured

2 Corinthians 11:24-27 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

4. How could Paul endure all of these things and write to the Philippians

Philippians 4:11 11 . . .I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

5. What could have possible motivated him to keep on keep on in hard times.

6. He had a deep desire that motivated him. It was a desire common to many great men and women.

7. I know that it was his Faith Hope and Love, but let me suggest one more.

8. Throughout Scripture, the great men and women of God say that their passion was to truly know God.

1) Moses said to God:

Exodus 33:18 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”

2) David prayed:

Psalm 42:1 1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

3) And Paul says that his heart longed to

Philippians 3:10 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, The greatest desire of a true Christian is to know God. Every other desire pales in significance to this one .

9. Why should we want to know him? Because of:

1) Who He Is

2) Who He Became

3) Who He Is

4) What He will do

Discussion:

I. Who He Was

A. Many people think that Jesus came into being when he was born as a baby.

B. Nothing could be further from the truth.

C. The first verse of the Bible

Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:26 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

D. Jesus was the one through whom everything in existence was created.

John 1:1-3 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

E. Wouldn’t you like to get to know Abraham Lincoln George Washington, Booker T. Washington, the men and women who risked their lives to create this great nation.

F. How much more amazing would it be to be able to get to know the creator of it all.

II. I want to get to know him because of who he became.

John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A. Give synopsis of the life of Christ his death and resurrection.

III. I want to know Him because of who he is.

A. When you and I became Christians, we rose from that watery grave in newness of life.

B. All of our sins had been forgiven.

C. We were free at last.

D. But the sinlessness did not last.

E. We sin by omission and commission.

F. We sin in word thought or deed.

1 John 1:8 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

G. He has not given up on us.

1 John 1:7 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.