THE LIFELONG PROCESS OF KNOWING CHRIST
PHILIPPIANS 3:10-11 THAT I MAY KNOW HIM AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS, BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH; 11 IN ORDER THAT I MAY ATTAIN TO THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD.
INTRODUCTION: THE PROCESS OF KNOWING CHRIST IS A LIFELONG ENDEAVOR. KNOWING CHRIST IS MEANT TO BOTH DRIVE AND CONSUME OUR LIVES. TOO OFTEN, DISTRACTIONS AROUND US CAUSE US TO LOSE FOCUS ON TRULY KNOWING CHRIST. THE RESULT IS THAT WE SETTLE FOR SOMETHING FAR LESS, ALLOWING OURSELVES TO BECOME CONTENT WHERE WE ARE, AND IN THE PROCESS, MISSING A DEPTH OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD THAT SHOULD BE OURS.
THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THE WAYS WE ARE TO KNOW CHRIST.
PROPOSITION: WE NEED TO KNOW CHRIST BETTER.
I. KNOWING CHRIST THOUGH PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
a. THE DISTINCTION OF CHRISTIANITY
i. WE HAVE A RISEN SAVIOR
ii. OUR GOAL THEN IS TO KNOW OUR RISEN SAVIOR
1. PERSONALLY
2. INTIMATELY
3. EXPERIENTIALLY
b. THE GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIVING IS TO KNOW CHRIST
i. THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THREE WAYS OF KNOWING SOMETHING
1. OIDA = "TO COMPREHEND MENTALLY." -- INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE
2. EPISTOMAI = "TO KNOW BY ACQUAINTANCE, BY FAMILIARITY, OR CONTRACT." -- CONTACT KNOWLEDGE
3. GINOSKEIN = "TO KNOW BY EXPERIENCE." THIS WORD INDICATES THE MOST INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF ANOTHER PERSON. – KNOWLEDGE AS A RESULT OF DEEP INVOLVEMENT
ii. GINOSKEIN IS THE TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE IN OUR TEST – TO KNOW BY EXPERIENCE
1. WE DO NOT REACH THIS LEVEL THROUGH BIBLE STUDY, PRAYER, OR FELLOWSHIP IN THE CHURCH
2. WE DO NOT REACH THIS LEVEL BY INTELLECT OF RAW KNOWLEDGE
3. WE REACH THIS LEVEL BY INVOLVING OUR LIFE IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST.
c. THE WAY ONE KNOWS CHRIST AT THE GINOSKO LEVEL
i. COLOSSIANS 3:1-2 THEREFORE IF YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED UP WITH CHRIST, KEEP SEEKING THE THINGS ABOVE, WHERE CHRIST IS, SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. 2 SET YOUR MIND ON THE THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THE THINGS THAT ARE ON EARTH.
1. MUST HAVE THE DESIRE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT CHRIST
2. EXERCISE OUR MINDS TOWARDS CHRIST
3. SEEK WITH IMPULSE AND DIRECTION
ii. BY OUR DAILY PRACTICE TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
iii. BY A CLOSENESS TO AND INTIMACY WITH CHRIST – LEVEL OF OUR INVOLVEMENT
IF YOU ARE HERE TODAY, YOU ARE EXPERIENCEING OIDA TODAY. YOU MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING EPISTOMAI TODAY, BUT YOU ARE NOT KNOWING CHRIST IN A GINOSKO FASHION!
II. KNOWING CHRIST THROUGH THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION
a. CONVERSION – COMING TO CHRIST IS DEFINED AS PASSING OUT OF DEATH AND INTO LIFE
i. SPIRITUAL DEATH TO SPIRITUAL LIFE
ii. DEAD TO UR SIN NATURE AND ALIVE TO A NEW LIFE
b. THE FIRST STEP IN CHRISTIAN GROWTH AND WALKING WITH CHRIST IS TO KNOW CHRIST AS SAVIOR.
c. LIVING IN RESURRECTION POWER IS ACHIEVED THROUGH BECOMING MORE DEAD TO THE WAYS OF THE WORLD AROUND US AND MORE ALIVE IN OUR CHRISTLIKENESS.
d. TOO OFTEN WE STRIVE TO LIVE THE CHRISTIN LIFE IN A “WHITE KNUCKLE MODE”
1 CORINTHIANS 2:14 BUT A NATURAL MAN DOES NOT ACCEPT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, FOR THEY ARE FOOLISHNESS TO HIM; AND HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY APPRAISED.
ROMANS 7:19 FOR THE GOOD THAT I WANT, I DO NOT DO, BUT I PRACTICE THE VERY EVIL THAT I DO NOT WANT.
ROMANS 7:22-24 FOR I JOYFULLY CONCUR WITH THE LAW OF GOD IN THE INNER MAN, 23 BUT I SEE A DIFFERENT LAW IN THE MEMBERS OF MY BODY, WAGING WAR AGAINST THE LAW OF MY MIND AND MAKING ME A PRISONER OF THE LAW OF SIN WHICH IS IN MY MEMBERS.
24 WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM! WHO WILL SET ME FREE FROM THE BODY OF THIS DEATH?
i. THE RESULT OF WHITE KNUCKLE CHRISTIANITY IS THAT WE WILL FAIL. WHITE KNUCKLE FAILURE ALWAYS RESULTS IN GUILT
ii. PAUL UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE ARE THREE GREAT POWERS IN THE WORLD
1. THE THIRD GREAT POWER OF HIS DAY WAS THE ROMAN EMPIRE
2. THE SECOND GREAT POWER OF HIS DAY (AND OURS) IS THE POWER OF SIN
3. THE FIRST GREAT POWER OF HIS DAY (AND OURS) IS THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION
e. LIVING IN RESURRECTION POWER IS LIVING WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THROUGH CHRIST I HAVE THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME THE RESISTANCE OF SIN IN MY LIFE BECAUSE THIS POWER IS FAR SUPERIOR TO THE POWER OF SIN.
RESURRECTION POWER IS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING IN MY LIFE – ROMANS 8
NO CONDEMNATION
FREEDOM FROM THE LAW OF SIN
DIFFERENT MINDSET
III. KNOWING CHRIST THROUGH PARTICIPATING IN HIS SUFFERING
a. WHAT WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT IS PARTICIPATING IN CHRIST’S SUFFERING FOR OUR SINS
i. WE CANNOT DO THIS
ii. RESERVED FROM CHRIST ALONE
b. SUFFERING THAT MAY COME FROM BEING MISUNDERSTOOD, BEING RIDICULED BY THE WORLD, OR EVEN PERSECUTED FOR OUR STAND FOR JESUS CHRIST
c. DOES NOT AFFECT THE BELIEVER WHO COMPROMISES HIS FAITH FOR WHAT THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER
d. CANNOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH BOTH THE WORLD AND WITH CHRIST
e. WHEN WE SPEAK OF “FELLOWSHIP” WITH REGARD TO SUFFERING, WE ARE SPEAKING OF PARTNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION.
WE CANNOT BE A SILENT PARTNER IN OUR WALK WITH THE LORD AND EVER HOPE TO TRULY KNOW HIM
f. SUFFERING HAS A WAY OF DRIVING US CLOSER TO GOD, NOT FARTHER AWAY.
THE ONLY SURVIVOR OF A SHIPWRECK WASHED UP ON A SMALL UNINHABITED ISLAND. HE CRIED OUT TO GOD TO SAVE HIM, AND EVERY DAY HE SCANNED THE HORIZON FOR HELP, BUT NONE SEEMED FORTHCOMING. EXHAUSTED, HE EVENTUALLY MANAGED TO BUILD A ROUGH HUT AND PUT HIS FEW POSSESSIONS IN IT. BUT THEN ONE DAY, AFTER HUNTING FOR FOOD, HE ARRIVED HOME TO FIND HIS LITTLE HUT IN FLAMES, THE SMOKE ROLLING UP TO THE SKY. THE WORST HAD HAPPENED; HE WAS STUNG WITH GRIEF. EARLY THE NEXT DAY, THOUGH, A SHIP DREW NEAR THE ISLAND AND RESCUED HIM. "HOW DID YOU KNOW I WAS HERE?" HE ASKED THE CREW. "WE SAW YOUR SMOKE SIGNAL," THEY REPLIED.
THOUGH IT DID NOT SEEM SO AT THAT MOMENT, THE PRESENT SUFFERING OF THE FIRE WAS THE INSTRUMENT TO ANSWERED PRAYER AND HAPPINESS FOR THE SURVIVOR.
DO WE SERVE THE LORD OUT OF CONVENIENCE OR CONVICTION? WHAT WE DO WHEN WE SUFFER GIVES US THE ANSWER!
IV. KNOWING CHRIST THROUGH OUR PREVIEW OF ETERNITY
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
a. THE WORD RESURRECTION IS AN INTERESTING WORD. IT MEANS TO BE SEEN AS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CORPSES. TO BE ONE WHO LIVES AMONG THE DEAD
i. OK, NOT A ZOMBIE!
b. PAUL IS NOT SAYING HE WANTS TO BE FIRST IN THE RESURRECTION THAT TAKES PLACE AT THE RAPTURE.
c. PAUL IS NOT SAYING HE WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE SECOND RESURRECTION. THAT ONE IS A RESURRECTION TO JUDGMENT.
d. PAUL IS SAYING THAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EXPRESSION OF KNOWING CHRIST IS TO BE THOUGHT OF AS A RESURRECTED PERSON NOW.
i. ONE WHOSE LIFE IS SO RADICALLY DIFFERENT THAT IT IS A WALKING TESTIMONY TO THE POWER OF GOD IN THE WORLD.
HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE, WE START LIVING WHAT WE KNOW.
MAKE SUNDAY YOUR TRAINING MANUEL ON LIVING, NOT YOUR TEXTBOOK ON LEARNING.
