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Philippians 3:10 All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death,

All we need is to know Christ

Let us yearn to know Christ deeper, more intimately more lovingly

The new year! The reality is a new start. A fresh calendar. Resolutions - things we want to change and/or do better.

Advent, The incarnation Isaiah 9:6. Hints of the Trinity.

Prophecy of Jesus coming.2018

We are called to serve out of the freedom we have in Christ. We may not continue a ministry out of duty. We may serve for maybe, 5 years. The title that we have - we do not own it.

John the Baptist made way for Jesus to minster. He prepared the way but didn't jealously guard his position.

Jesus alone is the head of the church. He came into the world "moved into our neighbourhood", he is our connecting point to God

All we need is to know Christ. Our confidence must be in him alone. We live in the New covenant, freedom in Christ. We are free FOR not FROM.

The freedom we have is to be in fully committed relationship with God. We should be giving our best. Freedom should give us more motivation to be more involved with what Jesus is doing. to know him more and serve him better.

How do we commit our selves - how do we show more confidence in Jesus. How do we become more transformed in our relationship with him.

Phil 3:4-6

The Judaisers are bragging about their pedigree, their Jewishness. Paul corrects them. Paul tells them his own pedigree, Paul had a birthright privileges that the Philippians did not have. He was a prominent man in the Jewish community. And he persecuted the Christians more than anyone else.

These Jews were persecuting the church. And Paul understood. He uses language that the Philippians understood. The Jews are still the people of the circumcision but Jesus changed everything. The special people are now the church. The people of the covenant are now the people of the church of the NEW COVENANT. There was no need to go to the temple because the church is the temple.

So Paul gave his resume, his life experience, his qualifications.

All we need is to know Christ

Phil 3:7-10

Let this be what we want in 2018. To know Christ. The depth of knowing Jesus. We learn the lessons the most when we suffer, when we suffer loss when we hurt, when we hurt. We cannot avoid suffering.

Let Jesus be the Lord of our lives.