Knowing Jesus

Title: Knowing Christ

Text: Philippians 3:3-11

D.T In order to love Jesus, we must seek to know Jesus!

Introduction: Chris McCandless story

Emory University graduate, from a well off family

Left his life, legacy, and titles behind to live as a vagabond

Abandoned his vehicle and hiked across America

Eventually made his way to Alaska where he lived out of a bus

McCandless would eventually be found dead of apparent starvation.

The story of McCandless has been the center of mixed opinions, some have said his pursuits were noble, others have said he was delusional, others believed him to be suicidal. What seems to be clear is this “Chris McCandless found something he believed worth losing everything for.” The plight of Chris McCandless is something the apostle Paul would understand. In our text today he is going to admit that same idea. The apostle Paul found something worth losing everything for. However it wasn’t simplicity, or nature as it was for McCandless. Instead Paul discovered he was willing to lose everything for the sake of Jesus.

READ Philippians 3:3-11

Philippians 3:3–11 ESV

For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 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, in order that I may gain Christ and 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— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul starts off this passage with a challenge. If you believe you have reasons to place faith in yourself, I assure you I have more. I was a big deal. Paul goes on to explain how he was the poster child for what it means to be a pharisee. If the Pharisees had propaganda posters, his face would have been front and center. His face would have been on any piece of literature published. If the 1st century had google his name would have been the first result if you googled “Pharisees.”

This is where Paul’s story shares similarities with that of McCandless. Like McCandless he found something that was worth losing everything. His titles, his fame, his reputation. In the eyes of Paul this was a worthwhile loss, something he would gladly lose for the sake of Christ. Let’s look at all the examples that Paul speaks about losing everything for the sake of Jesus. It’s the primary action of what is happening in this text.

Paul mentions that everything he lost for the sake of Christ was rubbish, or garbage. The Greek word Paul uses is called “Skubalon” which describes excrement, refuse, or dung. The King James bible is the only one that translates this word into dung.

When Paul uses this word, he’s not really using it as a means to measure and appraise the value and worth of what he lost. Instead this measures a chasm or a distance. The distance between Paul and his life and Jesus is so great, that when you compare the 2, it seems like excrement when you place it beside Jesus.

Paul still seemed to value what he left behind, otherwise losing it would not be described as suffering. However as Paul states clearly “Knowing Jesus is worth losing everything”

What does it mean to know Christ? According to Paul, knowing Christ involves three things. To know Jesus (his grace, gospel, mission) to share in his sufferings, and knowing the power of his resurrection.

We can come to know things in 2 main ways. First is through obtaining knowledge either by reading or listening to the personal account of others.

I know that Pearl Harbor was on December 7th 1941 because I read that knowledge for myself

I know that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on 11/22/63 because of historical accounts and personal accounts.

The second way we obtain knowledge is through experience. This week Roman learned that it hurts both him and me when violently bashes his head against mine. He came to know this through experience, through his own 5 senses. He could have gained this knowledge through the personal account of others, however he instead elected to know through experience.

Paul wishes to know Christ through experience Because Paul knows that experiencing the salvation of Jesus is bigger than what can be obtained through book learning! It can’t happen without book learning first, but it also can’t be limited to book learning. Who can remember what it’s like to experience the salvation of Jesus that we first read about in the bible? To experience his grace and mercy. You know that in order to really know Jesus, you must experience his grace and mercy.

When Paul says he wants to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. Is he saying he wants to experience what it’s like to physically raise from the dead? Yes. However it would be a mistake to limit this to the physical. When Paul says he wants to know the power of his resurrection, he’s also referring to the spiritual.

In Ephesians 2 Paul says we were spiritually dead in our sins. However Christ through his salvation we are raised from the dead. Right? We say this in baptism dead to sin, buried with Christ, raised to live a new life right? When Paul says he wants to know the power of Christ's resurrection he’s saying he wishes to understand the power that gave his once dead spirit new life.

Paul wants to know and understand Jesus more than anything. Even though it means he will have to share in his sufferings, he wants to know and understand Jesus, his savior. So much so that he's willing to leave everything behind in it’s pursuit and call it loss

Why does Paul wish to know Jesus so intensely? Because he loves Jesus. Do we love Jesus the same way? Do we wish to know him in the same way? To know him, his power and resurrection along with his sufferings? Because that’s what it really means to love Jesus! In order to love Jesus, we must seek to know Jesus!

Over the past several weeks we’ve been in a series we call “Welcome home” Every week we discuss principles which will help us accomplish the goal of making Central Church known as a welcome home in the community. These principals make up the pillars which hold up a welcome home. The last attribute we add to this pillar is love, this love is made up of 2 factors. The first factor is loving Jesus. In order to love Jesus, we must seek to know Jesus! When we seek to make Central Church a welcome home, we don’t seek to accomplish this on our behalf. Rather we do this on behalf of its host Jesus Christ. How can this ever be a welcome home if we don’t know and love the host?