Do You Know Him?

Text:  Philippians 3:10

¹⁰ ‍That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;‍ ¹¹ ‍If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.‍ ¹² ‍Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.‍ ¹³ ‍Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,‍ ¹⁴ ‍I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.‍ ^[1]

One asked Socrates why it was that Alcibiades, who was so brilliant and able a man, had traveled so much, and seen so much of the world, was nevertheless so unhappy a man. Socrates replied, “Because wherever he goes Alcibiades takes himself with him.”

The Apostle Paul sacrificed everything for one sole reason:  just to know Jesus Christ in the greatest and fullest way possible.  He was willing to sacrifice  country, kindred, honor, liberty, comfort, and life itself just to know Jesus.  Paul is not praying here as a sinner, but he is praying as a saved person who simply wants to know Jesus Christ in the fullest way possible.

Paul enjoys the full understanding that his sins have been forgiven and that he is in Christ.

It is one thing to get saved according to Acts 2:38 and it’s another thing to go on into Christian maturity and really get to know the Lord.  This requires a consistent prayer life.  That is when and where we truly get to know Him.

It is impossible to get to know Jesus without first getting saved.  Getting saved is the first step.  But once we get saved, we must go on in our journey to know him.

Can I tell you that it is perfectly normal and right for a saved person to have the desire to know Jesus.  If a Christian does not have the desire to know Jesus, then there are issues holding them back that need to be dealt with.

Pretend with me for just a moment that we are living under the rulership of the Roman emperors.  We have been captured by Roman soldiers and dragged from our native country.  We have been sold for slaves, whipped, cursed at, spit upon, beaten, and imprisoned.  There is even the possibility that we could be made spectacles in an amphitheatre somewhere with the gladiators.  The crowds would come flocking with delight, tens of thousands of them, hoping to see a Christian ripped apart by a skilled swordsmen or the claw of a hungry lion.

At times it would only be single Christians standing alone before the crowd, facing raging beasts.  You are certain that the conflict is way too difficult for you to handle, so you tremble and shake.  You are paralyzed with fear, but all of a sudden a deliverer appears.  An unknown hero leaps from among the multitudes, and comes to your rescue.  The deliverer takes on the huge beast on your behalf without even flinching.  The fear is placed back on the lion as it whimpers back to its den in pain and fear.

Your deliverer picks you up, smiles at you, and says to be of good courage because you are free.

Now, knowing what your deliverer has just done for you, doesn’t it stand to reason that we would want to get to know our deliverer?  Absolutely!

When the guards would tend to you, surely the first question that would come to your mind would be, “Who was my deliverer?”

Immediately you are led to an incredible mansion where you receive personal medical attention.  You are then clothed with the finest Italian apparel,  and you are brought to a marvelous dinner table spread with the finest food prepared by world class chefs. After dinner you are escorted to a private suite where you can nap on extremely soft down blankets.  The next morning you are taken care of by people who guard you from evil and provide for your needs.  You are treated like a king. As the days and weeks go by, your needs and wants are supplied.  Everything you ask for you receive.  All the while, your curiosity has continued to grow:  and you ask the people who have been waiting upon you: “Who is responsible for treating me with all of this hospitality?  Who is showering me with all of this kindness?  I must know him!

They might reply, “Isn’t it enough that you have been delivered from the hungry lion?  That is exactly why I want to know this deliverer!!

The people might reply, “Your wants are so well taken care of, so why are you overtaken with curiosity concerning the deliverer?  If your clothes wear out, there are more, and the table is well prepared long before your are overcome with hunger.  What more do you want?”

Your reply is, “But it is because everything is taken care of that my soul longs just to know my delivering friend.”

Imagine waking up one morning to find a token from your friend.  Your curiosity knows no bounds.  Someone informs you that your hero who has done so many things for you that you have seen, he has also done multitudes of things which you have not seen which were even higher proofs of his affection.

You are told that your hero was wounded, imprisoned, and scourged for your sake because His love for you was so great and not even death itself could destroy it.  You are informed that at every moment he is occupied with our interests, Why?  Because he has promised that where he is, there you shall also be.

When we know that He has done so much for us, we will want to find him, fall at his feet, and bless him forever and ever!  Why?  Because he saved our lives!

Some might say that it is enough to simply know that He loves us and to have daily proofs of His goodness, but that is not enough for the child of God who is really hungry to Know the Lord.

Tell him that the tokens of love may satisfy me for a while, but I am sick of love and I must know Him.

If all a man did was to send his wife flowers from a distance, pretty soon she would get tiered of just flowers and she would be longing for her husband to come home!

Child of God, do you know Him?  Are you on a hot pursuit for Him? Is knowing Jesus Christ your all-consuming passion?   Don’t settle for anything less than the best of what God has to offer – and that is knowing Him in a real and deep way every day of your life!

If you want to begin this lifelong journey, then this altar is open!