and
the fellowship of his suffering.
being made conformable to his death. Phil. 3
On Thursday, Bill Clinton became the
President-elect of the United States. It
was probably one of the most publicised event in recent days. How did he get there ? It was not an easy
road. His father, a salesman died two months before he was born. His mother remarried, and his stepfather was an
alcoholic who often beat up his mother.
But Bill stood up for her and carried the burden of the household. in 1963, Bill met his hero, the charming and
popular President John F Kennedy. From
that day onwards, Bill had only one goal and that was the white house. He
wanted to the same popular well liked president that Kennedy was. That was his goal,
Everything that followed, his studies, his careers, everything was
geared to reach that goal. That story of Bill Clinton and fulfilment
of his dream can be repeated a thousand times over by men and women down
through history.....something or someone caught their eyes at a crucial moment
and they were never the same again.
being made conformable to his death. Phil. 3
On Thursday, Bill Clinton became the
President-elect of the United States. It
was probably one of the most publicised event in recent days. How did he get there ? It was not an easy
road. His father, a salesman died two months before he was born. His mother remarried, and his stepfather was an
alcoholic who often beat up his mother.
But Bill stood up for her and carried the burden of the household. in 1963, Bill met his hero, the charming and
popular President John F Kennedy. From
that day onwards, Bill had only one goal and that was the white house. He
wanted to the same popular well liked president that Kennedy was. That was his goal,
Everything that followed, his studies, his careers, everything was
geared to reach that goal. That story of Bill Clinton and fulfilment
of his dream can be repeated a thousand times over by men and women down
through history.....something or someone caught their eyes at a crucial moment
and they were never the same again.
For Paul that fateful moment came on the
road to Damascus... Full of zeal and fury, Paul wanted to go down in history as
the most zealous Pharisee of his day - the one who was to root out this new
religion called the Way - to bring to an end this madness of a group of men and women who claimed
that their leader who was crucified and killed publicly still to be alive. He was going down to Damascus to arrest
everyone who was crazy enough to follow this Jesus. But the same Jesus he
wanted to get rid of met him and his life was changed. No longer did he want to boast of his
religious superiority and perfection. No
longer could he have confidence in what he could do. The fact that Jesus
knew him and loved him and wanted him to follow and serve him was now the one
thing that has eclipsed everything else in his life.We read in verse 8 : What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ ....
and then in vs. 10: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering.
For Paul it was not sufficient just to have that encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. The consuming passion of his life was to know Jesus better, to know and experience his power and to share in Jesus suffering .
What is the consuming passion of your life ?
or my life ?
Is there one thing that you strive for far above everything else ?
Would you like Paul make that the passion of your life - to know Jesus ?
Doesn't Paul already know Jesus ? I suppose there is a degree of knowing a person. If I say that I know Graham Wise quite well. Alison Wise will probably laugh and said No, you don't really know him...I do I live with him and I know how he ticks.....And I will have to agree......
The word "know": ginosko in verse 10 is a
word that describe an knowing through experience. The amplified version goes like this: That I
may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him,
perceiving and recognising and understanding the wonders of his person, more strongly
and more clearly.I suggest that there are two ways:
a. objectively knowing about him - through
reading documents about him, principally the Bible, and seeing what he does
b. subjectively, in encounters with him.
a. Objective encounters:
* A very important way of knowing Jesus is to read the scriptures.
The main reason being that the whole scripture, both
the Old and New Testaments are about him. The scriptures tells about his
life his work what he said and how he feels.
It gives us his hearts passion for people he loves. It tells of his
anger against those who have impure motives. It tells us about the very close
relationship with his father. Not only
is it a factual account of Jesus life, but the very words of scriptures has his
life breathed through them by the power of his spirit.
But I don't seem to get much out of the reading. Probably not at present, but you are preparing a store house for your soul that that will sustain you through in times of famine and difficulties, and enables you to distinguish the voice of Jesus from other voices in the subjective encounters.
* To observe what he does : b. subjectively, in encounters with him.
a. Objective encounters:
* A very important way of knowing Jesus is to read the scriptures.
The main reason being that the whole scripture, both
the Old and New Testaments are about him. The scriptures tells about his
life his work what he said and how he feels.
It gives us his hearts passion for people he loves. It tells of his
anger against those who have impure motives. It tells us about the very close
relationship with his father. Not only
is it a factual account of Jesus life, but the very words of scriptures has his
life breathed through them by the power of his spirit. But I don't seem to get much out of the reading. Probably not at present, but you are preparing a store house for your soul that that will sustain you through in times of famine and difficulties, and enables you to distinguish the voice of Jesus from other voices in the subjective encounters.
i. In nature: in creation. It never ceases to amaze me to see his handiwork. Most of us are quite used to planting a seed and seeing it to be transformed to become a plant.....and yet out of a lump of soil and a tiny seed comes flowers of a thousand different colours.....of thousands of different designs..... You say because the architects blue print is in the seed. If I gave you the architectural plans of the flowers and a lump of soil, would you like to build me one of these ? He takes pleasure to transform things of little worth into things of great beauty. And that gives me hope.
ii.
But even as it is wonderful to see that in plants, it is even more amazing to
see what he does in people. People
damaged by sin, their own sin, others peoples sin, and God breaks in and bring
a restoration and rebuilding process. People like Joni who had a back injury while diving and became a
quadriplegic, helpless and utterly dependent on others to dress and feed her
wash her; and yet one of the most encouraging person ever to walk this
earth. God has replaced the anger,
disappointment, bitterness, with joy and hope and love.
b. Subjective encounters:
i To spend time with Jesus. Now this differs
for different people. For some it may mean taking two days off and have a
retreat in some quiet and beautiful setting, meditating on the scriptures and
speaking and listening to Jesus like what some of our ladies have done
recently; for others it may mean
creating a space in our hearts, away from noises, to quietly talk to Jesus, and
to quietly enjoy him and listen to what he said: this can occur in the middle
of clatter of dishes at the sink, or at the ironing table, or walking the dog,
or pacing up and down supervising an exam;
yet for others it may mean getting up really early, and as the sun
gradually rises in the distant hills, you open your heart to the Lord in
praise, worship and expectation.
i To spend time with Jesus. Now this differs
for different people. For some it may mean taking two days off and have a
retreat in some quiet and beautiful setting, meditating on the scriptures and
speaking and listening to Jesus like what some of our ladies have done
recently; for others it may mean
creating a space in our hearts, away from noises, to quietly talk to Jesus, and
to quietly enjoy him and listen to what he said: this can occur in the middle
of clatter of dishes at the sink, or at the ironing table, or walking the dog,
or pacing up and down supervising an exam;
yet for others it may mean getting up really early, and as the sun
gradually rises in the distant hills, you open your heart to the Lord in
praise, worship and expectation.
ii.
But the most powerful way of getting to know Jesus is to walk with him, to work with him, and get on
with it in the nitty and gritty of daily life.
And in the most unexpected circumstances, like the two disciples
thoroughly discouraged and disappointed walking back from Jerusalem to Emmaus,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them.
I used to get very angry looking at the
FOOTPRINT Poster, partly it had become too commercialised. But partly, because
I did not believe what it said. But I
have seen God's hand on my life, coming at a time when I was all too ready to
give up, or to sink into utter despondency.
It became through people who hardly knew what I was going through and it
came repeatedly in such of variety of ways that I had no doubt it
was God. That makes the pain and disappointment worth while going through. And I think I begin to see and feel the heart
of Jesus through times of fiery trials.
Not only did Paul want to know Jesus
better. He wanted to know and to experience the power of his resurrection. What does that mean ?When we mention the word POWER , what is your first impression ? Nuclear power, explosion over Hiroshima, power lines coming over high pylons, dynamite, explosion, control, politicians....What is the first word that came to your mind ?
Power in todays world can mean control, manipulation, keeping people under your control.....
But the resurrection power Paul is talking about probably means
i. power to set us free from - dynamite power
ii. power to set us free to - enabling power
i. power to set us free from:
Think about Paul and Barnabas both in jail in Phillipi. They were both behind bars. Their feet and possibly hands were both in stocks. Their backs were bleeding from the whipping earlier on in the day. But instead of grumbling they sang praises to God. And God responded with a gigantic earthquake that shock the foundation of the jail. So much so that the jail doors flew open and their stocks broke and the prisoner were free. That's dynamite power......
Think of Legion, the man who was possessed with many demons. He met Jesus, and Jesus commanded the demons to leave. And he was set free. Set free from demonic power. A man who was born blind and Jesus made clay out of his spittle and made him to go and wash in the pool of siloam. And he came back seeing.
What about Lazarus ? Lazarus dead for four
days, immobile, smelly, all bound up But Jesus called him and Lazarus came out
dragging the grave clothes. We too can
be immobile, bound, blinded, under the power of the enemy and his
spiritual emissaries.
But God wants us to experience that
resurrection power. I think that is good
news.
ii. power to do things for:
But God's power not only sets us free
from things that bind us, He gives us the power to do things that we normally
are unable to do. Corrie Ten Boom
was of the prisoners at a German concentration camp. Like many others, she went through torture,
and pain and suffering and shameful treatment under the German officers. Both her parents died as did her sister. But
she was released and was alive. After
the war, she met the German officer who came to hear her in one of the meetings
in which she testified how God enabled her to go through the suffering at the
camp. As the German officer introduced himself and stretched out his hand to
Corrie, Corrie hesitated. Could she really forgive this man who was her
tormentor ? It was only a short period
of hesitation, then she held his hand.
The love of Christ won through. Corrie was able to forgive and accept her
enemy.
This is resurrection power. Well beyond what we normally could do. It sets us free and enables us to love and be loved Free to understand and experience the love of Jesus and to allow that to overflow to others. Not because we must but because we can.
This is resurrection power. Well beyond what we normally could do. It sets us free and enables us to love and be loved Free to understand and experience the love of Jesus and to allow that to overflow to others. Not because we must but because we can.
Read in Eph. 1: 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be
enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the
riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great
power for us who believe : That power is like the working his might strength
which he exerted in Christ when he raise him from the dead and seated him at
his right hand in the heavenly realms...far above all rule and authority and
power and dominion and every title that can be given..... also Eph 3: 17 to 19.
And the fellowship of sharing his
suffering..... Most of us don't mind knowing Jesus, experiencing his love,
knowing and experiencing the life - giving power of his Spirit..... But when it comes to suffering..... well you
first. So Paul, are you crazy ? why do
you want to share in Jesus suffering ?I suppose it is part and parcel of knowing Jesus.... I cannot fully know Jesus and his heart without going together with him into suffering.....
In what ways did Jesus suffer. I would suggest probably in three ways.
I. Jesus suffered the persecution, the rejection, the misunderstand, the shame and disgrace and pain of the cross. The extent of his suffering is hard to measure.
II. Jesus suffered the separation from his
father as he hung on that cross. As he
carried every single
sin in eternal past and present and future, every horrific
crime, every curse of the law, the Father could not look on his Son and for six
hours, the whole earth was darkened. And
in that dark silence, Jesus suffered alone, for you and for me.
III. Jesus also suffered as he looked on
the suffering of his people, his own creation.
He wept over Jerusalem as he saw its coming destruction. He wept when Lazarus died. He knew and felt your pain, my pain. He knew and felt for the mothers of children
in Ethiopia as they starve to death, or the father of a family of six who sold
their last buffalo and hence their only means of survival because the children cried and
had no food.
There is no way we can suffer as Jesus
suffered for the sins of the whole world.
He and He alone can only do that and he has completed it once for
all. But Paul could and I can and you
can risk our lives and reputation to share the gospel as Jesus did, so that
others will come to know that life changing experience of know Jesus as Lord of
our lives. We too can share in the
suffering of others in our world, to bring hope and justice and love to people
with the heart of Jesus and his servant spirit.
So that whether it is in the streets of
Calcutta, or in the rubbish dumps of Manila, or the red light district in
Amsterdam, or in night clubs in Bangkok or in the inner suburbs of Wellington,
We may cry as Jesus cried, we may love as Jesus loved and we may minister the
healing touch out from his suffering and caring heart.That was Paul's ambition. To know Jesus, to experience his resurrection power, to share in Jesus suffering. What is yours ?
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