Pastor’s Pen Pulpit HAPPY NEW YEAR

January 1, 2006!

OUR SUPREME GOAL FOR 2006

Philippians 3:10

“…that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being confomed to His death.”

In Philippians 3:10 the apostle Paul expresses His supreme goal in this life: TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST MORE INTIMATELY! To more and more make Him the center of his life. If He is the center of your life the circumference will take care of itself. Our problem many times is that we are attempting to pull together a life that is falling apart and we are not sure where the center of our life is.

To know Jesus Christ is more than having Him as a close acquaintance. It is to enter into an understanding and an experience of His PERSON, His POWER and HIS PERSECUTIONS. These don’t come in individual packages. You can’t have one without the others.

HIS PERSON –You come to know someone by reading about them. You also get to know someone by spending quality time with them…cf Luke 10:38-42 (Mary & Martha). To know someone in this way suggests that THE MORE YOU COME TO KNOW THEM, THE GREATER INFLUENCE THEY HAVE IN YOUR LIFE!

1. You begin to think their thoughts –Phil 4:8

2. You begin to actually take on their characteristics – cf 2 Cor. 3:18.

3. You begin to enter more sympathetically into their cause – Phil 1:21

HIS POWER – William MacDonald in his Believer’s Bible Commentary states: “The Power of His resurrection. The power that raised the Lord Jesus from the dead is set forth in Scripture as the greatest display of might which the universe has ever seen (Eph 1:19, 20). It would seem as if all the hosts of evil were determined to keep His body in the tomb. God’s mighty power defeated this infernal army by raising the Lord Jesus from the dead on the third day. This same power is placed at the disposal of all believers (Eph 1:19), to be appropriated by faith. Paul is stating his ambition to experience this power in his life and testimony.”

Christ’s resurrection placed Him in a realm outside of this world’s influence – outside of death’s devestating mastery- Cf Romans 6:9. By virtue of the Christian’s co-participation in His death, burial and resurrection we find ourselves spiritually in this new realm of existance and with this resurrection power accessable to us – cf Romans 6:1-11. A part of Paul’s goal in knowing Him was to know the power of His resurrection. Is there a formula that will help you and me to enter into this reality?

The more we begin to think His thoughts, and take on His characteristis, and enter more sympatheticaly into His cause – the more we will find our life infused with His power –cf Acts 4:13 (NIV) “and when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” There must be a consistency in quality time spent with Him if we are to know His power. You can’t consistently neglect the Word of God and in a moment of crisis “give it the old magic rub” and expect Jesus Christ to emerge as a genie to do your bidding. Daniel spent the major portion of his life building an intimate relationship with his God. Then when the lion’s den came he was prepared to step right into his crisis. cf also Daniel 11:32.

HIS PERSECUTIONS –Also you will begin to enter a little more into the fellowship of His sufferings. You will gradually begin to identity with the minority. You will begin to take your place with a rejected Savior and you will gradually come to know what all of that means …….Col 1:24; Rom 8:17.

BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH – It is only as we come daily to consider ourselves as co-participants in His death, burial and resurrection can we really become a blessing to others – cf John 12:24,25.

So God bless each of you in this coming year. May He use you as never before as you make it a major goal to get to know Him better.

Love to each of you in our living Savior and Lord,