THAT I MAY KNOW HIM: Philippians 3:10-11

[Music] what is your highest goal in life and in death i want you to think about that question in two different ways what is your highest goal externally highest goal thing you want to accomplish and then i want you to think about that question internally spiritually speaking your internal life who you are in in your heart and in your soul what's your greatest external goal and what is your greatest internal goal as we come again to philippians chapter 3 we're reminded that a christian's greatest internal goal is to know jesus more the a christian's greatest internal spiritual goal is just that i would know jesus more i would experience him more not only know more about him but it it means to know him to have fellowship with him more and if you're in christ that is your highest goal i'm not saying it should be it just is your highest internal goal but you may just be living in a contradiction there is no higher goal spiritually for anyone than to know jesus christ more and there is no higher goal externally than to glorify god in everything that you do so if you're a christian let me just tell you this is your highest goal externally and internally and then you have to figure out am i living and thinking in accordance with what god has said my highest goal is i'm not talking about the goals you set for yourself the goals you set for yourself may be bogus because they're not what god says this is the goal so externally your highest goal is to glorify god in everything that you say and everything that you do internally your highest goal is to know jesus christ more and so you just ask now am i living in accordance with what is reality paul is and paul sets before us in these few verses what the goal of the in the internal goal of the christian actually is now we're looking at verses 10 and 11 and this is really we're dropping in here because as this local body we've been moving very slowly through this letter that paul wrote in 62 a.d to some people in philippi but we're taking it step by step because every single word is inspired by god himself so when you read the bible you're reading what god says to you that comes through men and through their personalities and even in this passage through paul's own experience and he's talking about his internal life every word is still the word of god so as we study through this i want you to go back and look at verse 7 and read verse 7 through 9 with me so that when we get to verse 10 we're reminded or in the we're in the proper frame of mind you may notice verse 10 starts in the middle of a sentence we therefore need to read what's before that and be reminded of it so i want you to read this building up to verse 10 and 11. look at verse 7. paul writes but whatever gain i had i counted as loss for the sake of christ indeed i count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing christ jesus my lord for his sake i have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish trash in order that i may gain christ and be found by him or be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in christ the righteousness from god that depends on faith and now in verse 10 he's going to get back to what he had already said saying i just want to know jesus the surpass i gave up everything just so i could know jesus personally and now he's going to say it again it's not enough for paul to say the surpassing worth of knowing christ jesus my lord and then in verse 10 again he's going to say oh that i may know him he wants to know jesus and so this is the first thing that i'll point you to mark this down in your mind knowing jesus more more and more and more is the highest internal spiritual goal of a saint no higher goal can you set for yourself because that is your highest goal if god has saved you for christ's sake knowing jesus more is the highest internal goal of a saint look at the first part of verse 10. he says it again that or so that i may know him this is an experiential knowing right you remember this is not a knowing more facts about jesus merely though you have to you must you keep growing in your understanding and knowledge but this is a personal knowing that i may know christ that i may know him this is the highest internal goal that's why paul keeps coming back to it psalm chapter 27 verse 4 the psalmist sings this and this is something that some of you can agree with psalm 27 4 and some of you can't and if you can't don't despair but cry out to god that he would give you this desire that you would have in your heart what you should have that you would feel what you should feel and some of you are going to go i got that a little bit some of you are going to go i don't really have that at all and some of you are going to go yes psalm 27 4. one thing have i asked of the lord one thing have i asked of the lord that will i seek after that i may dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the lord and to inquire in his temple if i can ask god one favor is what the psalmist is saying this would be it that i may have fellowship with him that's what he means by i may dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life and it's more than just having a nearness to the lord he says and gaze upon the beauty of the lord i just want to know him that's the same thing that paul is saying in philippians 3 10. this is the highest internal goal of the saint to know jesus more jesus is the bread that always fills yet you always want more jesus is the water that always satisfies but you always want another drink you must go further up and further in you must keep pressing on to know him more this is the internal goal why must i read the scriptures and pray why must i fast and read books why must i be in community with others and listen to preaching why must i confess my sin and put my sin to death why must i take the lord's supper in faith so that i may know him more this is the means by which you will know jesus more there is more joy hear me there is more joy there is more happiness there's more delight there's more satisfaction there's more assurance than you have ever experienced and so like at the end of c s lewis epic series the chronicles of narnia i say to you as lewis does to the reader further up and further in go further up and further in you can just keep going you think you enjoy jesus now you can enjoy more tomorrow there's no cap on joy if you're in line with the true internal goal of a christian to know more go get him this is why you read this is why you pray this is why you must be diligent because there's more happiness to be had and god is glorified as you enjoy him more richard sims said joseph in the dungeon israel and egypt daniel among the lions the three children in the fire paul in prison feared not danger for what cared they so long as they knew god was with them and therefore they rejoiced now mark this down sims says if we have christ we have all and if we want christ we want all because knowing jesus more is the highest internal goal of a saint so i ask you again what is your highest goal if your goal is to know jesus more you're not going to be disappointed there's more of him to be enjoyed that's why paul keeps going that i may know him now look at the second part of verse 10. i want you to follow paul's logic we need to follow his argumentation as we slowly move through these two verses all of this that i've said that i may know him and then he is going to continue and the power of his resurrection that i may know jesus and the way it is written is i may know jesus and i may know the power of his resurrection and i may share in his sufferings becoming like him in his death all of it is building on i want to know him more and the second thing that he says at least in what we're looking today is no experience the power of his resurrection what's resurrection it's life after life after death it's eternal life after death lazarus was not resurrected not in the specific sense why because he died again the little girl that jesus said talithakumi which means sweetheart get out of bed and he brought her back to life that's not necessarily a resurrection that's a resuscitation why because she died again resurrection is when you're raised to never die again jesus is the first one to ever be resurrected from the dead to eternal life never to die again jesus died for sin was buried mummified essentially being wrapped in hundreds of pounds of burial cloths and three days later was raised from the dead took off the burial cloths folded them up and put him back where they had laid his dead body walked out of the grave preached for 40 days and then ascended back to heaven jesus died he really died and then he was buried and then god raised him from the dead this is the power of his resurrection nobody comes back from death that doesn't happen but jesus did nobody breaks the power of death but jesus did look at the resurrection of jesus and see one of the greatest displays of the power of god bringing up his son never to die again and now paul is saying look paul is saying i want to know jesus and i want to know experience the power of his resurrection jesus resurrection power so the question then is what is that what is it to know experience jesus resurrection power this is what paul wants to know this is what he wants to experience this is therefore what you and i should want to experience so what is it i think paul means three things at least three things first being saved is experiencing resurrection power being saved is experiencing jesus resurrection power first peter 1 3 god has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead being saved from your sin which in the scripture calls it being born again you're dead in your sins and then god causes life to come and you are born again not physically but spiritually that's to experience jesus resurrection power so if you're in christ you have experienced jesus resurrection power as god said come alive and you no longer dead in your sin came alive in christ you started desiring what you should you saw jesus as worthy and you repented of your sin trusted in jesus and you want to follow it if that's you at all god has caused that to happen in you and that is you experiencing in your life resurrection power god raises you spiritually from the dead just as he raised jesus physically from the dead so i think paul means that but he's already experienced that so of you if you're in christ if you haven't then you're not a christian yet if you haven't been born again you're not a christian if your mind hasn't been changed if your heart hasn't been changed so that you want to obey jesus and you trust him and depend on him alone then you're not a christian because that's what happens when god causes you to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead no resurrection power then you're not a christian you just need to know that's what you need to happen to you you need to be born again not just you need to be jesus says you must be born again you have to have something happen to you that you can't control george whitefield in preaching all throughout the americas in the 1700s was constantly hitting that you must be born again you must be born again you must be born again you need god to change you and that happens as you hear the gospel you hear that you're a sinner you hear that you deserve hell you hear that jesus came to the earth became a man in order to live without sin and go to the cross bearing our guilt and being punished for us and then being raised from the dead so that everyone who comes to faith and trust in him will be saved you hear that message and then god will cause something to happen to you that you're just different you're changed you trust jesus you want to follow him that's the new birth whitfield just always said you must be born again and some lady came up to him after he preached and said preacher why are you always saying to us you must be born again and what did he say because you must be born again you must be and if you have been you have experienced jesus resurrection power if you haven't been well you need god to do to you what he's done for other christians you need god to do to you spiritually what he did to jesus physically is anything too hard for god you have no hope outside of him so if you have that i don't know if i've been born again i don't think i have been just ask god to make you alive can you even pray that prayer ask him make me alive give me a new heart you may find that you don't have those desires unless he's already caused that to happen if you're in christ you've experienced jesus resurrection power so being saved being born again also when paul speaks of the power of his resurrection he wants to experience this we need to understand that being sanctified is experiencing jesus resurrection power sanctification is the process by which god makes you more like jesus that's what sanctification is he sets you apart more and more from unholiness to holiness to trust in yourself and your self-righteousness to trust in jesus alone confidence in him kills your pride makes you humble kills your stinginess makes you generous god is making you more like his son jesus christ that's sanctification you have a part in it but it's god who's ultimately doing it to you and as he makes you more like jesus he's exercising jesus resurrection power and making you more like his son consider romans 8 11. if you've never stared into this verse just stare in it memorize it and you should go oh my goodness god is doing that in me to me i remember one of one of you when god caused you to be born again and then shortly after that in studying through romans chapter 8 you came up to me and talked to me after the sermon and you're just mind blown that this is what god is doing in me hear it if the spirit of him who raised jesus from the dead dwells in you which if you're a christian he does god the holy spirit dwells in you if the spirit of him who raised jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised christ jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies do you hear me if you are in christ the same spirit that raised jesus from the dead lives in you and the promise is he will give life to your bodies do you need spiritual strength and stamina to keep going and keep trusting jesus and keep following jesus you have the promise the spirit will give you resurrection life what a promise so you need to know that as you're being sanctified it's going to be very painful because you're constantly going to be confronted with your own sin and that you fall so utterly short of god's standard and god convicts you of your sin and you want to put it to death and follow jesus that that's hard but you need to know the promises the spirit will keep giving you life the same spirit who raised jesus from the dead paul i want to know the power of his resurrection i want to experience the power by which god raised jesus from the dead you experience that as god makes you more like jesus every time you put your sin to death every time you're tempted and by god's grace cut the head off that temptation with the sword of the spirit that's only because god the holy spirit is giving you resurrection power to do it every time you fail you sin and you are convicted and you cry out to god in confession and repentance and then you resolve to forsake your sin and live for jesus every time you repent that's god working his resurrection power in you the only way you're convicted of sin is because the same spirit who raised jesus from the dead dwells in you and is giving life to your mortal bodies you want to know that more ask god to sanctify you more commit to working out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is god who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure and find that you're going to experience jesus resurrection power more and more i think the direct context of what paul is saying in verse 10 is my third point point as far as what is this what does he mean to know the power of jesus resurrection i think most literally in this passage he means this being sustained in suffering is experiencing jesus resurrection power i think the direct context of what he's saying that is what is first of all i think in paul's mind when he says i want to know him and the power of his resurrection because the next two things he's going to say is all about suffering for jesus sake i think what he's saying is being sustained in the midst of suffering for jesus sake is experiencing jesus resurrection power he's upholding you as you suffer for his sake oh to know him and the power of his resurrection have you suffered for the sake of jesus why did you not abandon jesus when that any kind of persecution or pressure came why didn't you just say forget this i thought the christian life was all about getting stuff and just being let off the hook and people are going to like me and i'm going to succeed in my job and my bank account is going to grow and i'm going to get physically healed and then persecution comes why didn't you just go forget this it's because jesus is sustaining you in the midst of suffering by his resurrection power do you know the resurrection power of jesus christ have you been born again are you being sanctified or are you kicking against the goads and fighting against what god is actually doing in you but you get convicted of sin and then you well i'll just put that off or as god sanctifies you and you're convicted of sin you go i need to cut the head off this snake are you being sustained or have you been sustained in the midst of suffering if so you do know the power of jesus resurrection if you're in christ you absolutely know it in some sense you may just not have realized it now i hope and pray you are thinking okay knowing jesus more is the highest internal goal of a saint can you give me some how-to's how how can i know jesus more are you asking that in your own mind and heart have you been thinking that maybe as we've been going through philippians how can i know him more i have that desire or as one of you i got to talk to the other day he said i desire to have that desire well that is the desire if you desire to have the desire to desire jesus just get rid of the first part that means you do desire you just you want to know him more how now i can give you a lot of ways but i'm going to give you the ways that paul says in this passage and i think it's going to be a bit different than what most of us would say off the cuff how can i know jesus more like well read your bible and pray and these are all true by the way hear preaching take of the lord's supper be in christian community meditate on the word of god memorize the word of god read good books that will help you better understand and apply the word of god all those ways are true how do i know jesus more do all those but what does paul say what does he say in philippians 3 the next part of verse 10. i'm going to put it like this you will know jesus and his power more as you share his sufferings becoming like him in his death and before we get into that don't try to make it say make paul say something that he doesn't say he says something that you should feel really weird about until you understand it it's the same type thing he says in colossians chapter 1 verse 24 he says you christian share the sufferings of christ that means you have the literal word means you have fellowship in jesus sufferings what and then he says becoming like jesus in his death off the bat you should go uh-uh paul paul says in colossians 1 24 i am filling up the afflictions of christ the afflictions that were lacking are being filled up in me that should make you feel weird god i can't be like jesus in his death what do you mean i can share in his sufferings if you understand the cross appropriately this these verses should make you go no i can't suffer in the way that jesus suffered and he doesn't mean that you're going to suffer for the salvation of people it's not what he means so we've got to ask in what ways do christians become like christ than his death make this clear not in salvation but in suffering that i may share his sufferings becoming like him in his death should christians expect to suffer in this life should we expect to suffer in this life or is it 50 50. ii timothy 3 12. indeed all who desire to live a godly life in christ jesus will be persecuted say it again for those in the back indeed all who desire to live a godly life in christ jesus will be persecuted while evil people and imposters will go from bad to worse deceiving and being deceived what's paul's answer should christians expect to suffer for jesus sake i don't mean suffer in general i don't mean suffer because you're a jerk and then people are mean to you because you're a jerk i don't mean that i mean suffer because you're being faithful to jesus that's what paul means yes you should expect it paul says everyone who desires to live a godly life will be persecuted richard sibs again said let no christian therefore promise himself immunity from crosses let no christian therefore promise himself immunity from crosses that means don't you ever think for a second that you won't suffer for jesus sake if you're in christ you will it's just a matter in what degree or in what way you will have you promised yourself a lie have you promised yourself that you will be immune from being reviled by sinners for jesus sake if you avoid persecution i can't help but say in second timothy 3 12 you're avoiding persecution by avoiding being godly you speak as you should you live as you should you will be persecuted so we should expect suffering and then paul says that is one of the ways we know jesus more you want to know jesus more suffer for his sake you want to know the power of his resurrection speak and live in godliness and you will be persecuted and therefore you will know jesus more and you will know his power more you keep living a protected closed mouth christian life you won't be persecuted and you won't be godly and you won't know jesus like you should i want you to understand what he's saying here share his sufferings becoming like him in his death two things and i pray that god just stamps this writes this in your mind and on your heart and you would leave today your heart just singing for joy because of these two things when you suffer for jesus sake it is not you they are persecuting so much as it is christ in you that's why that's why you suffer for jesus sake that's why you're persecuted that's what paul is talking about we may share his sufferings that means suffer in the way he suffered for the reasons that he suffered jesus did not suffer because he fed the poor jesus suffered because he said unless you repent you're going to be killed like the people who were killed when that tower fell on them in siloam unless you repent you're going to be destroyed by god for your sin that's why they killed him and because he said i am god so when you say jesus is god and he demands your obedience he demands you to repent and believe the gospel and his arms are open he says go to him when you say that you'll be persecuted just in case you haven't figured this out yet people do not like being told that they are sinners whose only hope is jesus christ people who are not born again don't like that but it's the only way god will cause them to be born again is if you tell them the truth but hear this when you suffer for jesus sake it's not you they are persecuting so much as christ in you that's why jesus says in john 15 20 a servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me they will also persecute you that's what he means is they're persecuting you for my name's sake if they persecuted me they're going to persecute you because you're going to be telling them the truth about me and you're going to be doing what i told you to do so you need to be comforted with that truth as you suffer for jesus sake it's not you so much that they're persecuting as much as christ in you persecuted christians are the collateral damage of the sinner's war against their creator suffering saints are really just caught in the crossfire because they're holding the banner of their king and they're marching in his army it's not you so much as christ in you second as we suffer for jesus sake and share his sufferings hear me jesus feels it did you hear me you understand what i'm saying when you suffer for jesus sake when persecution happens to you jesus feels it what does jesus say to the apostle paul when he was still called saul of tarsus he knocks him off his horse he's about to convert him what does jesus say to saul saul saul why are you persecuting christians you know he doesn't say that what does he say soul saul why are you persecuting me that is not just jesus missing the mark it is jesus saying when christians are persecuted i feel it you're persecuting me that's why the scripture speaks of the saints as the body of christ and he is the head christ is the head we are his body that's not just a metaphor used to help us understand how we should work together as the church though it is used in that way it's a metaphor that jesus uses to help us understand he cares about you and when you are affected he is affected because he has united himself to you why are you persecuting me when you are persecuted for jesus sake jesus feels it this should give you such joy such strength because your savior has bound himself to you he has attached himself to you so when you weep he weeps when you're happy he's happy when you're persecuted he feels it too does not the head suffer when the foot is struck does not the head hurt when the hand is cut does not the mind feel pain when the ears are boxed it does and christ your head feels it that's how much he loves you that he has bound himself to you he being the head you being the body if you're in christ he feels every blow both physically and emotionally that you endure on account of your faithfulness to him oh how honorable it is to share in the sufferings of christ when you when you suffer for his sake because of your faithfulness to him you need to be thinking and not think it blasphemous you need to be thinking i'm sharing in the sufferings of my lord jesus christ feel weird for a second and then realize this great promise and this is what paul wants this is what he endures this is a way that you will more know the resurrection power of jesus because you know they're really persecuting him and you know that he is united to you and feels it and says even of you why are you persecuting me an honorable position we have how sympathetic of a high priest you have who is interceding for you every moment of every day and he says i feel your pain you can come to me in addition when you suffer when you're persecuted for jesus sake you can go to him in prayer you can cry out to him and know that he understands everything you're going through will any of us suffer to the extent that jesus suffered in the flesh i don't think you can go beyond it will any of us suffer spiritually like jesus suffered on the cross paying for our sin no you know you can go to him and he will say my child i know i know and i'm with you and i'm going to sustain you and i'm making you more like me in my death so i think this sermon it's like no jesus resurrection power suffering and then it should go way back up jesus is with me in my suffering and he's i'm gonna experience his resurrection power even more as i share his sufferings i think many christians don't experientially know the resurrection power of jesus because as god is sanctifying them they're running the other way a lot of times they're closing their ears when the spirit is convicting them they're putting it all in the back burner so you don't know the resurrection of power of jesus as he's sanctifying you because you're fighting against your sanctification you're not working out your own salvation with fear and trembling you're working against what god is doing both to will and the work for his good pleasure i think that's why a lot of christians you don't experience the resurrection power of jesus and then others i think you don't experience his power because you don't do or say anything that would ever lead anyone to persecute you so if that's you let's just use the carrot you want to know jesus more you want to know his resurrection power then share his sufferings and become like him in his death being persecuted for your faithfulness to him fellow soldiers wherever they meet typically find camaraderie especially those who served in the same war how much more for those who have been wounded in the same war why why can a world war ii veteran who has a purple heart meet another one who has a purple heart and they don't know each other from adam and have just fellowship immediately and camaraderie because they share one another's sufferings and so for you one of the ways you know jesus more is to share his sufferings becoming like him in his death obey him in word and deed speak the truth in love that's all it's going to take you live in holiness and you tell people the truth the persecution will come you just wait and as you wait know that i'm going to be more like jesus once i'm persecuted i hope some of you want to know jesus so badly that you can't wait to be persecuted for his name's sake that's how badly you want to know him more now verse 11. here's the next point i want to draw your attention to you will know jesus fully when he vindicates all your sufferings and raises you from the dead this is verse 11. you will know jesus fully no more veil no more i want to know him more you will that's what paul gets to in verse 11. knowing resurrection power becoming like him in his death sharing his sufferings but that's the way we know him and then he thinks to the very end of everything when jesus comes back and raises up his saints to eternal life and he gives them new glorified bodies no more sin no more sorrow death itself is swallowed up in victory that's how paul ends this little section in verse 11. read it and i may know him in the power of his resurrection and share his sufferings becoming like him in his death verse 11 that by any means possible i may attain the resurrection from the dead you will know jesus fully when he vindicates all your sufferings and raises you from the dead this is the promise what paul is saying that i may or that by any means possible i may attain the resurrection of the dead he's not saying that through my works i i gain it or if i'm good enough or serious enough then jesus will resurrect me no that's not really what he's getting at what he's getting at is whatever i have to go through in my life whatever it is i will go through whatever i must to get to jesus to attain the resurrection from the dead when jesus gives me a new glorified body and raises me to eternal life and makes me perfect in his presence paul's saying sharing his sufferings and becoming like him in his death i'll go through whatever i've got to if i can get to the resurrection whatever it is i'll endure it all that's what he means and the promise for us is as you're going to suffer or as you already have suffered you need to know this this is your future if you're in christ god will one day raise you from the dead you know how the story ends already and that will also sustain you in your suffering in addition he will vindicate all your sufferings what does that mean he will show plainly that you were on the right side of history and those who persecuted you for christ's sake it will be made known that christians were actually right and that those who persecuted were on the wrong side of history so when when you hear those kind of debates and talk people talk like that nowadays the whole woke critical race theory intersectionality garbage that's being spewed in our nation and adopted in churches they're saying things like this well if we don't get on board with this we're going to be on the wrong side of history nope because you're in disobedience to what god says in his word and we know what god said is says in his word is always going to eventually be on the right side of history i don't care what americans think about me in 50 years i care what christ thinks about me well you need to see in this that your sufferings will be vindicated he's going to raise you from the dead never to die again any suffering you go through you don't really have to defend yourself so much you don't have to vindicate yourself before men christ will do that in the end so be freed from that be free from always having to defend that you were thinking and doing the right thing sometimes you can just let it go say truth will out christ will make all things new and he will even resurrect me and he will vindicate all your sufferings outside of christ you need to realize this all your labor is in vain if you're not in christ all of your labor is in vain there's you've never done one thing that will matter if you're not in christ not one the only thing you've ever done is sin that which does not proceed from faith is sin you're missing the mark totally but if you're in christ or if you will come to him none of your labor for his glory is in vain first corinthians 15 58 therefore my beloved brothers be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the lord knowing that in the lord your labor is not in vain why because one day jesus is going to come back and if you have faith in him he's going to give you the resurrection from the dead so nothing you do for his glory is in vain no exertion you spend to be more like christ and to suffer for his sake is in vain lastly i want you to look at verse 11 flip that around a little bit i want you to see the serious language he uses and to apply this and so we will end today with a go and die go and suffer for his sake why does he say that by any means possible i may attain the resurrection from the dead he's talking about perseverance in the faith whatever i've got to persevere through in whatever i've got to experience whatever i've got to go through if the end is resurrection from the dead with jesus christ i will go through it all but notice that he's just make sure that we understand he doesn't say i will share his sufferings because i know jesus is going to resurrect me he doesn't merely say that that by any means possible i may attain the resurrection from the dead he's talking about persevering going through it all no matter what it is so that we stay with jesus we don't abandon him so let me say two things if you would persevere in the faith you must exercise holy violence not physical violence if you would persevere in the faith and say with paul by any means possible you must exercise holy violence i think this verse i'm about to read to you like people act like it's not even in the new testament or if they do read it they try to explain it away matthew 11 12 from the days of john the baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force what does that mean it doesn't mean persecution it doesn't mean herod is going to kill john the baptist that's not what he means he means those who are following jesus those who are marching towards heaven they're doing it with violence with such exertion and determination and passion that it would be called holy violence he says those take the kingdom of heaven by force he's talking about those who are forcing them their way into the kingdom of heaven they're saying jesus is the prize i will endure whatever i have to do or endure if i can get to jesus open up your reformation study bible by rc sproul and see him getting it wrong he says it wrong it's okay i can say that i get a lot of things wrong sprole gets this verse wrong you know who gets it right john mcarthur john calvin thomas watson i just finished reading a book called heaven taken by storm the whole book is about that one verse when i started reading it was like i don't even know this verse is in the new testament i think i just kind of breezed over it but it communicates the same exact thing that paul is saying when he says by any means possible i will do whatever i must to get to the resurrection and so it is in matthew 11 12 the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force and so i say to you if you would persevere in the faith you must exercise holy violence you don't drift toward holiness you march toward holiness you row the boat toward holiness if you're not serious you're drifting towards the world the flesh and the devil you must be holy violent in your following jesus second if you would persevere in the faith you must look to jesus christ alone for strength and stamina if you would persevere if you would say with paul that by any means possible i may attain the resurrection from the dead you must look to jesus christ alone for your strength and stamina let us lay aside every weight hebrews 12 1-2 and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to jesus the founder and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising its shame look to jesus the founder and finisher of your faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and now for the joy that's set before you in the resurrection of the dead go and share his sufferings becoming like him in his death father god we thank you for your word we ask you to impress your word upon us we mean stamp it on our minds and in our hearts so that we may memorize your word be transformed by what you say in your word we ask you to save sinners cause them to be born again so that they trust in jesus christ alone and be forgiven and counted righteous sanctify your saints discipline us if we're kicking against the goads discipline us so that we may share your holiness give us such strength and stamina as we look to christ wanting to know him more and experience the power of his resurrection as we share his sufferings becoming like him in his death i ask you to equip us these saints who are together as ecclesia muskogee equip us to be sufferers for the sake of christ help us to be comforted knowing that jesus feels every blow because he is our sympathetic high priest help us to enjoy you to glorify you as the highest goals both internally and externally do this in us we ask do this passage make this passage a reality in our own minds and hearts that we would say with paul i just want to know jesus more and the power of his resurrection and that by any means possible i may attain the resurrection from the dead do that in us we ask in jesus christ's precious name and if you agree with that say amen

Channel: Ekklesia Muskogee

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Id: m5aIhj_qbZs

Length: 63min 12sec (3792 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 20 2020