Embracing Suffering: The Path to Knowing Christ

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Father this is a very strange desire on Paul's part that he would want to know Christ in such a way that he tastes not only the power of his resurrection but the pain of his sufferings so that he could even be like him in his death and if this is the way we should live which it is I pray that we would know what that means in Jesus name amen. [00:49:19]

Whatever gain I had I counted as loss so verse seven count loss for the sake of Christ for Christ indeed I count everything as loss verse 8 a count loss I count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus for worth of knowing Christ for his sake let's let's Circle that I count everything as loss. [00:01:57]

For his sake I have suffered the loss so verse 8 B suffer loss of all things and count them as rubbish 8 8 C count rubbish so for his sake I've suffered loss so put for Christ's sake and I count them as rubbish so three four in order that I may gain Christ to gain Christ and be found be found. [00:03:00]

I count all the works of the flesh all the pedigree all the things I used to boast in I count them as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ so it's no surprise here that he says I do all of that that I may know him this is basically bringing us back to this most powerful statement of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. [00:06:23]

I count everything is lost because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ and I do it that I may know Christ if it's of if it is such worth of course I want to know him now what's the direct object of know here three things one him and two The Power of his resurrection and three the sharing of his sufferings. [00:06:57]

I want to know his power I want to know the the fellowship and the partnership of his sufferings I want to be come like him that's the kind of knowing he wants and that's the kind of knowing we ought to want not just about Christ that you can learn from books but to know Christ by standing with Christ in his power by sharing in his sufferings. [00:08:37]

Isn't it interesting that he puts power first and then lest we misunderstand what it would be like in this life to share the power of his resurrection he says to share his sufferings wouldn't you think that it might be a power to avoid these sufferings wow if I have resurrection power if I have in me the very power that enabled Jesus to rise from the dead. [00:09:14]

This is power to suffer power to suffer power to suffer you see that that's the mark of a true Christian that's the mark of a true Apostle Paul didn't want to take a different route to Heaven than Jesus did he wanted power oh yes there's no living of the Christian Life without divine power indeed the kind of power that raises people from the dead. [00:09:48]

It takes that kind of power to share sufferings and become like him in his death so what does that mean we turn there next time. [00:10:24]

I counted as loss so verse seven count loss for the sake of Christ for Christ indeed I count everything as loss verse 8 a count loss I count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus for worth of knowing Christ for his sake let's let's Circle that I count everything as loss. [00:01:57]

For his sake I have suffered the loss so verse 8 B suffer loss of all things and count them as rubbish 8 8 C count rubbish so for his sake I've suffered loss so put for Christ's sake and I count them as rubbish so three four in order that I may gain Christ to gain Christ and be found be found. [00:03:00]

I count all the works of the flesh all the pedigree all the things I used to boast in I count them as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ so it's no surprise here that he says I do all of that that I may know him this is basically bringing us back to this most powerful statement of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. [00:06:23]

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