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PRESSING
FORWARD!
Philippians 3:10, 13-14
INTRODUCTION
The
focus that the Lord has impressed me to make today in our message to you
as a church, is not so much upon doing(that is pressing toward) but
of being(that is knowing Him).
For before you do,
you me first be. We
often mistakenly equate activity for spirituality!
Spirituality is not so much doing something for Him as being
something in Him. Some
times because we are not “being in Him” we try to make up for
it by “doing for Him”.
A good
illustration of this truth is described by the characteristics of Mary and
Martha. Martha was a
“doer” and Mary was a “be-r”.
One was “troubled about many things” and the other “had
chosen the good part!”
So,
before you attempt to press forward as a church, that is “do”
something for God, make sure that first you choose wisely the
“good part” of “being” something for God!
MAIN BODY(Philippians 3:10)
I.
“That I may know Him”
A.
Greek: ginosko= to know experientially
Note that it not to know about Him but rather to know HIM!
B.
Is this to say that Paul did not know Jesus?
No, for he had already given his firm testimony when he exclaimed:
“ I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep
that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”
C.
Paul wanted to know Jesus in a personal, relational
way not just an historical, factual way.
He wanted to know Jesus experientially.
And the only way one can have this kind of “knowing
relationship” is to be with a person daily, moment
by moment. You learn this
by walking together just as the disciples on the Emmaus Road
when they asked Jesus to “abide with them.”
Jesus broke bread with them and it was then that their eyes
were opened and they knew(ginosko) Him.” No wonder they exclaimed, “Did not our hearts burn within
us as He walk with us in the way?”
II.
“And the power of His resurrection”
A.
Greek: dunamis = released energy, ability, power
B.
Romans 8:11 “The Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwells in you!”
C.
Paul wanted to know experientially the “power” that
raised Jesus from the death and as we have just seen in the Scripture that
the “power” is the Spirit of God!
Thus if we are to know experientially this “power”, we
must first of all know that the Spirit dwelleth in us.
Secondly, we must be empowered by the Spirit.
Thirdly, we must learn to walk in the Spirit and be led by
the Spirit.
III.
“And the fellowship of His suffering, being made comformable
to His death.”
A.
Greek: koinonia = sharing in common, communion, “Two fellows in
the same ship!”
pathema = suffering, bodily
condition, a state of being affected by death
summorphoo = To make of the same
form
thanatos = death
B.
Again, the best commentary on Scripture is the Scripture!
In Galatians 2:20 it states, “I am crucified
with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me.”
CONCLUSION
Now,
in “knowing Him” as Paul described in Philippians 3:10 ,
you as a church are then ready to “do for Him” what is
described in Philippians 3:13-14 as you press forward toward the
goal of a greater future with confidence in the Words of Jesus when He
said in Matthew 16:18: “Upon this rock(Jesus), I will
build my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it.”
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