Philippians 3:10-11
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-What does it mean when you say you know someone?
-Can mean that you have a very close relationship with them
-Can also mean that you are an acquitance
-Can also mean you know about an individual
-Paul stressed that He knew Christ and that He desired to know Christ more
-Paul had already expressed the great value in knowing Christ
8 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, in order that I may gain Christ
-Now Paul zeroed in on his desire to know Christ fully
-This is Paul’s ultimate desire - to know Christ fully, to be perfectly united with Christ
-relationship with Christ is of matchless worth
-What would knowing Christ fully mean? What more is there to know of Christ?
-What is meant by knowing Christ? Is it just to have knowledge of Christ?
-the word know in the Greek can have many translations, but seems to be closer to intimacy
-the idea of entering into a deeper relationship with the Lord
-so how? How could Paul know Christ more? How can we know Christ more?
-It is not just an intellectual knowledge, but one of understanding and experience (use example of Kendra)
-Just a reminder of the context here
-You must know the power of the resurrection and His sufferings
-Why?
-It is only in the gospel that we can know Christ, it is only in a living relationship, the fact that Christ is the risen Lord, and that through the resurrection of Christ we have been given and risen to new life
-What sufferings?
13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
-Why did Paul mention resurrection first?
-What is intended with the power of the resurrection?
-Is it the power in Christ’s resurrection, or the power of Christ to resurrect believers, or the fact that power is in the resurrected Christ
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
-fellowship of His sufferings
-fellowship = participation
7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
-What does this mean?
-Paul uses the word to show the sufferings that all Christians participate in as part of the sufferings of Christ
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
-idea of the persecution, sufferings, that all Christians must go through
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
becoming like him in his death
-what does this mean?
-it is the participating in sufferings, being strengthened in the power of his resurrection in which Paul is being conformed to Christ’s death
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
-it is the idea that as Christians we have been incorporated into Christ, that we share in the events of his death, resurrection, ascension, and future glory
-being buried with him, made alive with him, made to sit with him, suffering with him, glorified with him
-But what is the nature of the conformity?
-for Paul to self-identify with Christ crucified, an anticipation of bodily death, the martyrdom that is to come
-for us it is the dying with and rising with Christ teaching that we find throughout Paul’s letters
-we are continually being conformed to the death of Christ because it is the gospel, it is the way in which we become like Christ through His righteousness and His sanctifying work
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
-Paul looked on with the hope of the resurrection
-What was his intentions with “by any means possible?”
-Is it that Paul doubted the resurrection?
-Or is it that he knew now how, whether it be by his martyrdom, or the return of Christ
-So how are we to know Christ more?
-We are to bask in the gospel, share in the sufferings of Christ, know the power of the resurrection - and live for Christ, be sold out for Christ, serve Christ by serving others, be kingdom focused and not worldly focused
-What is your ultimate desire? Is it to know Christ more?
