WHY JESUS? The power of Knowing Him
TALK IT OVER
It’s a question that demands answers. Why Jesus?
He wrote nothing. He owned nothing. His entire life was invested in His message, which He left in lives- not in books. That message was simple, yet profound, powerful, and life transforming. On one of His trips, He came into Galilee and announces: “All the preliminaries have been takes care of, and the rule of God is now accessible to everyone. Review your plans for living and base your life on this remarkable new opportunity.” That opportunity? A life built on Him and His teaching. Living at the ultimate level. The question is: When was the last time you felt your life was at its peak?
Why Jesus?
“[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]. That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” Philippians 3:10-13 (AMPC)
One of life’s great challenges is the difference between knowing about something or someone and actually knowing some thing or someone.
Knowing requires an experiential, personal, intimate, relationship with a thing or someone.
“We saw Him with our very own eyes. We gazed upon Him and heard Him speak. Our hands actually touched Him, the One who was from the beginning, the Living Expression of God.” I John 1:1 (TPT)
The word for “touch” is poetic. It comes from a sensory verb meaning “to pluck the strings of an instrument.” It can also be translated “to feel.” It is as though John is saying, “We have plucked the chords of His being and felt what motivated Him, His melody within.”
“This Life-Giver was made visible and we have seen Him. We testify to this truth: the eternal Life-Giver lived face-to-face with the Father and has now dawned upon us.” I John 1:2 (TPT)
John is defining what it means to “know Him.” Here is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God.
God revealed Himself to Job in a way he has never known Him.
When you are willing to surrender your will to His will and declare, “Oh God, You are my God…”(Psalm 63:1) then and only then will you come to know Him. The difference is total surrender. Surrender comes before intimacy.
Knowing about God is information. Knowing God is transformation.
The goal of every believer should be to know Christ in an experiential or relational sense.
Paul is speaking of an intimate, personal relationship with Christ. His desire is to come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection (which it exerts over believers)… He wanted to “gain Christ, to be found in Christ.”
His resurrection brought about the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower us, enlighten us, motivate us, lead us and enable us to experience His sufferings and to be conformable to His death. His resurrection power is for us here and now so we can endure sufferings of this present life.
Resurrections power surges through us as we confront the sufferings of this life.
Discussion Questions:
1. Are you like Paul, desiring righteousness from god through your faith in Christ?
2. How do I have righteousness? Are you striving to have a covenant relationship with Christ?
3. Are you willing to make His story your story, to experience His resurrection power by being filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you a candidate?
Prayer Focus
To know Jesus, we must connect with the sorrow and suffering of the world and bring his power and love to those who are hurting, wounded and and afflicted. Pray that you will learn His story, live His story, and share His love.
Next Steps
Release his resurrection power to those around you as Jesus holds you and you hold Him. Use this resurrection power to give out "Why Jesus?" invite cards this week and be in the moment in your surroundings to know those who need Jesus' love.
It’s a question that demands answers. Why Jesus?
He wrote nothing. He owned nothing. His entire life was invested in His message, which He left in lives- not in books. That message was simple, yet profound, powerful, and life transforming. On one of His trips, He came into Galilee and announces: “All the preliminaries have been takes care of, and the rule of God is now accessible to everyone. Review your plans for living and base your life on this remarkable new opportunity.” That opportunity? A life built on Him and His teaching. Living at the ultimate level. The question is: When was the last time you felt your life was at its peak?
Why Jesus?
“[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]. That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” Philippians 3:10-13 (AMPC)
One of life’s great challenges is the difference between knowing about something or someone and actually knowing some thing or someone.
Knowing requires an experiential, personal, intimate, relationship with a thing or someone.
“We saw Him with our very own eyes. We gazed upon Him and heard Him speak. Our hands actually touched Him, the One who was from the beginning, the Living Expression of God.” I John 1:1 (TPT)
The word for “touch” is poetic. It comes from a sensory verb meaning “to pluck the strings of an instrument.” It can also be translated “to feel.” It is as though John is saying, “We have plucked the chords of His being and felt what motivated Him, His melody within.”
“This Life-Giver was made visible and we have seen Him. We testify to this truth: the eternal Life-Giver lived face-to-face with the Father and has now dawned upon us.” I John 1:2 (TPT)
John is defining what it means to “know Him.” Here is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God.
God revealed Himself to Job in a way he has never known Him.
When you are willing to surrender your will to His will and declare, “Oh God, You are my God…”(Psalm 63:1) then and only then will you come to know Him. The difference is total surrender. Surrender comes before intimacy.
Knowing about God is information. Knowing God is transformation.
The goal of every believer should be to know Christ in an experiential or relational sense.
Paul is speaking of an intimate, personal relationship with Christ. His desire is to come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection (which it exerts over believers)… He wanted to “gain Christ, to be found in Christ.”
His resurrection brought about the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower us, enlighten us, motivate us, lead us and enable us to experience His sufferings and to be conformable to His death. His resurrection power is for us here and now so we can endure sufferings of this present life.
Resurrections power surges through us as we confront the sufferings of this life.
Discussion Questions:
1. Are you like Paul, desiring righteousness from god through your faith in Christ?
2. How do I have righteousness? Are you striving to have a covenant relationship with Christ?
3. Are you willing to make His story your story, to experience His resurrection power by being filled with the Holy Spirit? Are you a candidate?
Prayer Focus
To know Jesus, we must connect with the sorrow and suffering of the world and bring his power and love to those who are hurting, wounded and and afflicted. Pray that you will learn His story, live His story, and share His love.
Next Steps
Release his resurrection power to those around you as Jesus holds you and you hold Him. Use this resurrection power to give out "Why Jesus?" invite cards this week and be in the moment in your surroundings to know those who need Jesus' love.
Recent
Archive
2020
2019
September
November
Categories
no categories
No Comments