We'll turn to Philippians chapter three. We're getting back into our movement through the book of Philippians. Of course, Philippians three is, if you have a life's verse or a life's chapter, most people who have been attending Berean for a period of time know that that is mine, and it's a lot of other Christians as well. It's just a powerful passage. What about the power of shared experience? You've probably met someone, maybe a total stranger, and trying to have a conversation, and it's a little awkward, and you're just trying to find some inroads into their life, and there's not a whole lot in common, and maybe as you're getting ready to give up on the conversation and say, well, have a nice day, they mention something that they have in common with you. Maybe the year before they traveled to this strange little country that most people don't know exists and you happen to have traveled to that country as well. And all of a sudden a conversation, a very lively and excitable conversation ensues. Or maybe it's something a little darker. Maybe you're talking with someone and they've come from a broken home situation. It was very difficult, very troubling, and as much as you try to explain that to someone else who hasn't been through that situation, you can never really explain it, but you meet someone who's gone through it like you have, and there's no need to explain it. It's the power of a shared experience. Maybe it's the sudden loss of a loved one. You can't explain that to someone how it feels, but then you meet someone who's experienced the same, and there's just that instant, powerful, mutual understanding. So if a picture's worth a thousand words, a shared experience is worth a million words, because in essence, you don't need words. That understanding, that mutual understanding is there. So, one of the most mind-blowing realities of all is that every saint has shared experiences with Christ Jesus, specifically through His incarnation, what He experienced on this earth and what we're going to look at, experience being the key word tonight. There are experiences that I, as a younger brother of my elder brother Jesus Christ, experiences that he and I share that, get this, he doesn't even share with his father. The Father has not suffered in His incarnate flesh. He hasn't suffered on the cross. The Spirit of God has not. But there are sufferings that the Son has endured, and I am told that I can be a koinonia, a fellowshipper, with the sufferings of Christ. So there are shared experiences that the saint has with the Son that we don't have with any other member of the Trinity. And so if you think on a human level, the power and the almost immediate intimacy you have with someone who's gone through what you've gone through, and then we have that with the person of Jesus Christ, now we know it immediately and even more so bonds our heart to Christ to know him all the better. And don't you know a person so much more when you've gone through something that they've gone through? They can just tell you the event and you know them so much better because you are familiar with the pain, with the feelings, with all the things that have gone on with that shared experience. Now this is very important because today the church is completely overrun with people who have experiences as their primary authenticator of their walk with the Lord. So, instead of it being the doctrine, it being the Word of God that validates or that authenticates whether or not an experience we've had is of God or not, the experience becomes what is authentic. And then, for many people, it's incidental. or you can kind of take it or leave it whether or not the scripture actually agrees with their experience or not. They had the experience and that's all that matters and you can't tell them otherwise. You show them a passage, well there's a lot of different interpretations of the passage but I know what I experienced. And Paul doesn't do that here. As we get into the aspect of knowing Christ through experience, as strange as that might sound in a Reformed, non-charismatic church for me to say that, as we get into that, we're going to see that Paul does it properly. He has already built and laid the foundation of sound doctrine, of forensic justification. He's established that. So the experience that we can have in and through Christ, by which we know Christ even better, is founded upon the doctrine, the foundation, that he's already established. So Paul is really gonna give us, in Philippians 3, verse 12. 10 and 11, he's really going to give us a proper example of the role of key experiences in the believer's life. So just to kind of catch you up to where we are, the first three verses of Philippians chapter three, He basically restates the fact that to restate this issue for them is not a trouble to them, it's a safeguard for them. In other words, what I'm going to tell you, Philippian church, I've told you before, but it's so important I need to tell you again in this chapter. And of course, the primary issue is that salvation is not by good works, it's not by human accomplishments, it's by the righteousness of Christ and faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. That's the case he's going to make. And then, starting in verse 4, he's inferring that these Judaizers, these Pharisees, Judaizers are around, and they're trying to make the case, oh, you can hang on to Christ, but just add a little bit of good works. And so, Paul says, fine, if you want to play the game of human accomplishments, before I was saved, I had a lot of really great, impressive human accomplishments that would make younger upstarts salvate at the mere sight of me, because I was so accomplished and so powerful and achieved so many things, and I found out that they were actually rubbish, damaging, counterproductive, ruinous, to my effort to merit God's favor. It was total and absolute loss is what he discovered on the road to Damascus. So he sets up all his human accomplishments and then he just sets it on fire. He just watches it burn. They don't mean anything. And in verse 7, we'll pick up with verse 7, he says, whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, not only are they loss, I count them to be loss in view or in light of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count it but rubbish that I may gain Christ." In other words, all the achievements, all the accomplishments, he has lost, and he's happy he's lost them because they're ruinous to a relationship with Christ. If I have one fiber of my spiritual being that says, well, Part of the reason why God accepts me is because I'm such a humble person, is because I've done so many humanitarian things, because I'm such a kind and loving person. If we think there's anything within us that has caused God to warm up to us as rebels, it ruins the gospel. It's no longer of grace. So, He ditches it all, it's all loss. And then in verse 9, he moves into the doctrine of the forensic value. Not only is Christ valuable, but His righteousness that we need is valuable. And he says in verse 9, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. So I am a broken and undone sinner, I'm deserving of hell, there's nothing good within me, and all of a sudden I see the righteousness of Christ, I know he is my only hope, he's my prayer, I need that righteousness to cover me, and that's the forensic justification where we call out for it, we cry out for it, and we are declared righteous. And after Paul establishes the doctrine of justification by faith alone, imputation of Christ's righteousness, then it's almost like this wasn't, I can't say this for sure, but it's almost like it wasn't part of his original intention, because he's already shown that human efforts don't achieve anything, it's the righteousness of Christ, but once he finds himself talking about the righteousness of Christ, he's almost let himself loose in this talk of the value of knowing Christ. and he just sort of goes on the sanctified rabbit trail. Let me tell you about knowing Christ. Let me tell you what it means to know Christ. And so look at verse 10. Verse 10 is where he moves from the forensic gospel of justification into the experience of knowing Christ. So verse 10, that I may know him, so that's the keynote, that's setting the pace, knowing Christ, know him and, and the meaning here really is by means of, the next three things he's going to give are the means by which we know Christ. So that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his suffering, being conformed to his death. So there's three experiences and as Paul experiences them, those experiences cause him to know Christ better. So let's look at these three. The first one is the power of the resurrection, and there's three sub-points under the power of the resurrection. Whenever Paul, really anyone in the New Testament, talks about the believer experiencing the power of the resurrection, the verses will fall under three categories. To experience the power of the resurrection, you experience it either in, number one, your salvation, number two, your sanctification, and number three, your what? Glorification, that's right. It's very predictable. And I hope it is predictable, because that means it's taught a lot in this church. It's just very important. So those are the three ways that I have at my salvation experienced the power of the resurrection. I will experience it in my sanctification as I grow in godliness, and I am experiencing it. And then in the future, I will experience it in my glorification before God. So quickly, let's look at the power of the resurrection in our salvation. Letter A under main point number one, power of the resurrection. Romans 6 forces, therefore we have been buried with Christ through baptism into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father so we too might walk in newness of life. So when I am saved, when I repent from my sins and trust Christ, I am converted. I become a new creature. And the power that converts me, the power that takes me from being dead in my trespasses and sin to being alive in Christ is the resurrection power. The same Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead raises me from my spiritual death. Thomas Manton, an English 17th century Puritan, says, so we feel the power of the resurrection when we feel the operation and virtue of his spirit in quickening us to newness of life. So that's the first experience. I not only know and in faith believe in the power of the resurrection, at salvation I experienced it. I've heard a lot of salvation testimonies in my day, and I've never heard anyone say, oh yeah, I was saved. I had no idea I was saved. You know, 10 years later, it just dawned on me, oh, I got saved 10 years ago. I just didn't know it. You know it. You feel it. You're changed. You have new desires. Everything about you changes. You love the things you hate. You hate the things you once loved. I mean, even when you're saved at a young age, you grow to understand the working of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of the Holy Spirit within you. So it's a bona fide experience. And so when we're saved, we have a shared experience with Christ's resurrection. So I can say I'm a literal participant in the resurrection of Christ. I can share that experience with Christ because he was raised and I was raised. It's the same spirit that raises us both. You know, it's amazing to see secular psychology and just the inventions of man try to change people from their bad habits and from their addictions. And they might, to some degree, succeed in some sort of external, you know, cleaning up or reformation of the individual, but when my mother was down helping Kim and I with little Hannah, we were talking about the power of the gospel. And she was telling me, and I looked it up online and read the full account, but she was telling me of a terrorist, a former terrorist named Saman, who was from northern Iraq, And he was in charge of another group of terrorists, and they would go in and they would invade non-Muslim villages, and they would kill Christians. And in one particular raid, some Christians had been killed, and they took off the body of one of these Christians, a little booklet, and they brought it to Saman. And they said, this is the gospel of Luke, And they encouraged him to read it so he could have propaganda, so he could use it. This is what the Christians believe, it's so ridiculous. And guess what happened when Saman the terrorist read the Gospel of Luke? He ended up getting saved. And there's a lot of testimonies like that. Or, I can't pinpoint it now, but I've read books where in concentration camps there are prison guards who will use the Scriptures for toilet paper. That's what they think of the Scriptures. And guess what? They get saved in the outhouses as they're reading. God has no limits. When His resurrecting power enters a person, they are immediately saved. Just as Christ was immediately raised from the dead, they are immediately raised from the dead. It's sudden, it's powerful. And you know, anytime a person is baptized, that's exactly what we're doing. We're saying, as that person is immersed in the water, we say, buried in the likeness of his death and raised to walk in newness of life. We're identifying with the burial and the resurrection of Christ. So this is the first way that I have a shared experience in the resurrection of Christ. The second way is through sanctification. Because of the fact that I'm united with Christ, My life is His and I'm hidden with Christ and God because I'm united with Him. It is the very power of God that enables me to do the most unnatural things to my depraved nature, which is to live for the honor and glory of God. can't make someone want to live for the honor and glory of God. You can hold a gun to their head and they might go through the motions, but they will not desire in and of themselves. That is a work of the resurrecting power of the Holy Spirit. Colossians chapter 3 verse 1, therefore if you have been raised with Christ, there's my shared experience, if I've been raised with Christ, Keep seeking the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things of this earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." You know, that's been one of those truths that relatively recently, just over the recent years, the depth of it has really hit me where I am not merely an imitator of Christ. I don't merely look at the person of Christ and imitate his character. In so far that I am an imitator of Christ Jesus, I am actually given the character of God, given the Holy Spirit of God. And so anytime I shun evil because of a zeal for holiness in my life, it's the same Holy Spirit that gave Christ a zeal for holiness in his life. It's not just puppeting Jesus, imitating and mimicking Jesus. It's the very same Holy Spirit. Anytime I feel myself strengthened and encouraged by the word, I'm kind of in the pits of discouragement and he strengthens me and hardens my resolve to continue to move forward and serve the Lord. That's the same kind of strength that Jesus received in the 40 days of wilderness temptation in the garden of Gethsemane that helped him face the cross. It's the same Holy Spirit. And that's the same spirit that I'm given. And so as I move through these experiences, and here's really the key to this, as I move through these sanctification experiences, I know Christ better because of it. I know Christ better by the simple fact that The power of Christ is sanctifying me, the same power that strengthened Christ to live in perfect obedience before God. Because I'm increasing the acreage of my shared experience. The more I grow in Christ, the more I have in common with Christ, the more shared experiences I have with Christ, and I come to know him better and better. Galatians 2.20, I have been crucified with Christ, It's no longer I who live, it's Christ who lives in me. See, this verse is saying we're not just merely imitating Christ, even though Paul tells us to be imitators of Christ, but it's much, much more. It's Christ living in me, through me, and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So insofar as I live my Christian life by faith, it is Christ living in me and living out through me. And so I increase my shared experience with Christ. And the third shared experience we have specifically through knowing the power of the resurrection is the glorification, the glorification of our mortal bodies, Romans 8, 11. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the Holy Spirit who dwells in you. First Corinthians 6.14, now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through his power. That's why Jesus is called the firstborn from the dead. He's the first one to emerge from the dead and get a glorified body, and that's gonna happen to me. If I die before I'm raptured, I'm going to be given a glorified body. 1 Thessalonians 4, 16, Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words." So this is the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15, 42. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It's so an imperishable body. It is raised in an imperishable body, just like Christ. It is sown in dishonor, it's raised in glory, just like Christ. It is sown in weakness, it's raised in power, just like Christ. You see the weakness, the frailty of Christ on the cross, but you see the power of the Son of God in the resurrection. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body, just like Christ. If there is a natural body, there will be a spiritual body. So think about it this way. If Adam was beside himself when he saw Eve walking toward him, and he knew this woman was created from, as he says, bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh. This woman was created from my body. If he is beside himself with amazement, how much more is the believer going to be beside himself when he's given a glorified body that's made unto the likeness of Jesus Christ? So we see Christ, and the Bible says, when we see him, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. So the only reason I'll be able to stand in the blazing glory of God's presence is because I have been made, even bodily, not only my character, but even bodily like Christ. And I'll recognize that harmony between my body and the body of Christ, and I'll be more amazed than Adam was when he saw Eve. There will be another mutual experience that we have in sharing the glorified body with the Son of God that we don't have with the Father, that we don't have with the Holy Spirit, and vice versa. So these are all experiences, and that is something, of course, we all look forward to. So those are the three main ways that Paul says that he wants to continue to know the power of the resurrection. I think that's what he has in mind. He has a salvation, sanctification, and glorification. And then he goes on in this verse to say, "...and the fellowship of his suffering." And the word fellowship is koinonia and it speaks of this intimacy, this fellowship you have with another person because, and this is caught up in this Greek word koinonia, because of a shared experience. You have something in common, therefore there's a closeness. So, You know, I don't know if I want to experience the closeness of fellowship with the sufferings of Christ. I like the resurrecting power a lot better. That's a little more exciting. I don't know if I want the koinonia of His sufferings, but told again and again in the Bible that great joy comes out of suffering with Christ. 1 Peter 4.12, You participate fellowship in the sufferings of Christ. To the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exaltation. Rejoice to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ. Tell yourself, tell your unthankful soul to rejoice that you have yet more shared experiences with Jesus Christ. You have more that bonds your heart to His. In 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verses 5 through 10, this is a great example of how Paul shared the sufferings of Christ as he ministered to other Christians. He says, for just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, Well, how would you like that as a gospel invitation? Come to Christ, because the sufferings of Christ will be yours in abundance. But he doesn't stop there. So also, our comfort through Christ is abundant, or so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. So if we're gonna suffer with him, we're gonna reign with him. If we're gonna suffer with him, we're gonna be comforted by him. God's not gonna leave us comfortless. But if we are afflicted, it's for your sake, it's for your comfort and salvation, Or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. And our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our suffering, so also you are sharers of our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction, which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life." When's the last time he said that? Burdened beyond my strength, thought for sure I was going to die. Paul's talking about the Ephesian riot, which came after a great harvest, many people coming to the Lord, shutting down the magic shops and the witchcraft. And remember the seven sons of Sceva and casting out the demons. I mean, good things are happening. All of a sudden, this riot erupts in the streets of Ephesus. He's bad for business, Paul is. The gospel's bad for pagan business. And it got so bad that Paul says, we were suffering, we despaired even of life. Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. That's how certain he was gonna die. Almost sounds like Abraham, taking up Isaac. God can raise the dead if you want, if that's what it comes to. who delivered us from so great a peril and will deliver us. He on whom we have set our hope and he will yet deliver us. So you see in 1 Corinthians 1, 5 through 10, Paul is sort of oscillating back and forth between intense suffering for the sake of Christ, but relishing in the comfort and the deliverance and the glory of Christ. But you don't enjoy the comforts of Christ, If you're not willing to suffer for Christ, if you're not willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of your convictions, then you're not going to enjoy the great comforts that come, the balm, the soothing balm that God rubs into the wounds of His saints who have suffered affliction. So Thomas Manton again says, to find what exceeding joy and comfort it is to suffer for Christ and with Christ is worth more than all the world. So we could put it this way, to the degree that we are brokenhearted, when's the last time you wept for someone that doesn't know Christ? To the degree that you sorrow for the sake of the lost, Didn't Christ weep over Jerusalem for the sake of the lost as He looked ahead to their judgment to come in 70 AD? To the degree that we have experienced being marginalized and seen as sort of the odd person and kind of ignored whether it's at the workplace or something because we're the religious fanatic there. You know, doesn't Hebrews talk about, hey, Jesus was taken outside the camp, so you better go outside the camp bearing his reproach. You're associating with him, and he was the one that was taken outside the camp because the people couldn't stand his presence. So we suffer with him, and we too, to some degree, are going to be taken outside the camp. And so there's many ways in which we suffer. We reach out, we love people, and they lash out against us. It blows up in our face, and this is just a way in which we realize I have more in common with Christ. Praise the Lord. This is more shared interest. I know a little bit more of what Christ has gone through because I'm sacrificing myself for his sake. More shared experience. And then thirdly, he says in verse 10, being conformed to his death. Now, some take this translation as a wish for martyrdom, and the Roman Catholic Church actually thinks if you die the martyr's death, well, I forget, it either shortens your time in purgatory or it's an instant pass over purgatory right into heaven, but it's meritorious, whatever the case. And that was actually a problem. If you read some of the letters of Ignatius and Irenaeus, they actually wanted to die a martyr's death because they believe it was so glorious and honoring to God, which it is, but they kind of teetered on the danger of seeing some sort of salvific merit actually in it. And so they didn't even want to run away. You know, Jesus even instructed his disciples, when persecution comes, flee to the next. They didn't want to flee to the next. They liked the idea of dying a martyr's death. It was a very noble thing. But Paul's not encouraging that here. He's not saying, boy, I really hope I die just like Christ. I get crucified. That would be a way to go out. He's not saying that, and we know he's not saying that, because up to this point, he's been talking in the realm of sanctification. So that I might know the power of his resurrection, that's salvation and sanctification. The fellowship of his suffering, that's in the realm of sanctification. So he's not gonna jump topic and suddenly talk about martyrdom. He's talking about death of the carnal self. What does my flesh want to do? What's the temptation of the flesh? I want to be conformed to the death of Christ insofar that Christ was so obedient that He even was obedient to the point of death. I want to be so obedient that every day I'm putting myself to death, and if it leads to martyrdom, I think every true Christian would say if it leads there, then so be it. Let my obedience before God be that loyal, be that faithful to Him. In 2 Corinthians 4, verse 7, Paul talks about the fact that he dies daily. He says, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power of God will be of God and not from ourselves. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but not despairing, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, not destroyed, always caring about in the body the dying of Jesus. I'm always caring about in my body the dying of Jesus. I'm dying every day like Him, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake." So, as you live the Christian life, every day you're a living sacrifice. Romans 12, right? so that the life, or excuse me, verse 12, so death works in us, but life in you. Paul's saying we die daily so that we can see the life of God thrive in you. But having the same spirit of faith according to what is written, I believe, therefore I spoke, we also believe, therefore we speak. So, he wants this radical commitment, death to self, and as he dies to self, guess what? He has more shared experience with Christ who died to himself for the will and the goal of the Father. And then, this is the last verse we'll look at tonight in verse 11, in order that, so he wants to know Christ, all these things, so that, in order that I might attain to the resurrection from the dead. So, I want to do this so I can attain to the resurrection of the dead, the great resurrection. Now, the Greek word that is used here for resurrection is not the typical word, typically it's anastasis, this is actually exanastasis. And it's only used here, and so it's kind of this debate what it means, but at least it means that Paul is not talking in general terms that include both the resurrection of the believers and unbelievers. He's talking, the prefix here is a limiting prefix. He's talking specifically about the resurrection of believers. In fact, John Gill says it's not the general resurrection of the just and the unjust, which he believed. But he knew that everyone must and will attain to this, even Pharaoh and Judas, the worst of men, they're all in the general resurrection. But the special and particular resurrection of the righteous, the better resurrection. Now John Gill did not believe in the rapture, but he is talking about, he says, Paul is using this word so he can specifically talk about believers being resurrected. And I think if we understand the rapture from Scripture, that would logically have to be what Paul's talking about because that is a resurrection that does not include believers. Paul wants to partake in this very special and specific resurrection. Now don't be confused when he says, in order that I might attain to the resurrection of the dead, he's not saying I'm working for my salvation. I want to know Christ, power of his resurrection, fellowship of his suffering, conform to death so I can gain my salvation and be there at the resurrection of the saints. We know he's not saying that because he just spent the first half of the chapter arguing against works-based salvation. It's all of Christ. This is the typical language of the Apostle Paul, right? His typical language is, run in such a way so that you may win. Well, God has told me that I'm more than conquerors through him. I'm more than a conqueror. I'm already victorious in him. But I shouldn't say, oh, since I've won the battle, I'm just going to coast through this life until I die. No, I run in such a way so that I can win. That's what we do in the Christian life. Even though the victory is already ours, we run. So he wants to do this, he wants to know Christ and have the confidence that he is going to be there in that great resurrection from the dead. Now in closing, I want to make a few comments. Actually, Thomas Manton wants to make a few comments on experience. And I think this is good because, again, this is a solid thinking Puritan, and he's looking at this text, and he's realizing that Paul is moving from the doctrine that we believe in faith. I cannot see the gavel of God's judgment seat drop, and I am declared righteous. I can't see that happen. I can't see my imputation take place. Those are all things that I take in faith, but I know and feel and experience the power of the resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and being made conformable to his death. I feel those things. Those are real experiences. And so, what is the role of experience in the Christian life? Thomas Manton has this little helpful paragraph that I just want to read to you. So, with the last bit of brain power you have today, It's the end of the day, I know, but just muster the last bit of strength and listen to this, because I think it's very insightful. He's talking about these experiences through which we know Christ better. He says, I take it for granted truth that besides the knowledge of faith, there is an experiential knowledge of Christ. In other words, besides what I in faith know to be true about Christ, there's also a way of coming to know Christ that is experiential. It is sometimes expressed in the Bible by the word taste, which is in addition to sight. Well, he explains it. Sight doth fitly express the knowledge of faith, but taste the knowledge of experience. So he says often in the Bible, when you see the word sight, it's referring to faith, which is the eyes of your immaterial self. That's how you believe in faith. You see and believe in faith what God has said to be true. But he said when the Bible uses the word taste, That's something that we actually experience. It's not merely just believing it because God said it, but in addition, it's believing it also because we've experienced it in our life. And then he quotes two verses to back this up. 1 Peter 2.3, if so, be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. So, he's saying, Peter isn't saying, I'm just going to believe the Lord is gracious. No, we should. But Peter's saying, I've also tasted that the Lord is gracious. I've experienced it. You can't argue me out of it because I've experienced the graciousness of God in my life. Psalm 34 8, oh, taste and see how good the Lord is. And this is still quoting Manton. When we either taste His goodness or feel His power, then we have an experiential knowledge of Christ. Many know Christ so as to be able to talk about Him, His birth, His life, His doctrine, His death, His passion, His resurrection, but feeling nothing, they have no real proof within themselves of what they speak, no lively experiential knowledge of Christ. When we find within ourselves the fruits of his sufferings, the comforts of his promises, and the likeness of his death, the power of his resurrection, then we know Christ experientially. He's saying, see, these three things, his resurrection, his sufferings, and being conformed to his death, is so necessary because as we experience them in our life, they're the proof that we've already believed them in our life. Because if we believe them, we'll inevitably gonna experience them. And then after this paragraph, he gives four benefits that come from experiencing God. First of all, we have a more intimate knowledge of Christ. He says you can either know a country by looking at a map, or you can know a country by exploring it. And so in faith, I look at a map and believe that the map reflects the country, but if I go there, if I follow the map, follow my faith, and I go there, and I walk the countryside, now I've experienced the country, and I know it even more. Secondly, it gives a greater confirmation of truth. He says you can tell a person that fire is hot, or you stick your hand in the fire. So when we experience it, it increases our faith. Experience gives greater excitement in the faith. So I can say I believe that God loves me, but once I experience on a daily basis the love of God, then I'm more excited about the love of God. And lastly, it increases our zeal and diligence. And he compares experience to the grapes of Canaan that were given to some of the Israelites before they actually entered Canaan. So what experience is is the taste of heaven before you actually get there. So when I experience the goodness of God in my life, I'm just getting a foretaste of what will be incessant and constant and overwhelming when I am finally and ultimately in heaven. So this is really beautiful. This is exactly what Paul does. He gives us the sound doctrine, and he says embrace it, believe it, stand on it, And as you stand on it and you walk with the Lord, you'll experience him in your life. And it will just turn, in turn it will just strengthen your faith and your walk with the Lord. So it's a very powerful passage. And may we be Christians that not only know what we believe, but because we know what we believe, we find ourself through the grace of God experiencing what we know that we believe. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you, God, for the great depth of truth that is here with the Apostle Paul, and ultimately, Lord, with your Holy Spirit. I pray, Lord, even though we know and are convinced beyond doubt of your truthfulness and the reality of the gospel. I pray as we walk with you, God, that we would truly, truly rejoice in the shared experiences we have with Jesus Christ. May we see the Christian life through that lens. In so many dimensions, what we experience, you have experienced, and we know you more through these things. So, we just praise you, God, and we pray for each of these individuals as they go out this week and continue to serve you. May you keep them from evil and cause them to grow and thrive in Jesus Christ. In your name, amen.