I don't know why this morning when I was preparing, I was thinking how to address this body all the time. So I was going to say good morning church, which I will say. Good morning church. And I'll say good morning to those who are here who are not part of Christ's church. I'm hopeful that God will grant you repentance, even today, that you might be saved. This past Monday I spent quite a bit of a day reading to and listening to sermons about what's going on at Harvest Bible Chapel up in Chicagoland. I think Rolling Meadows is their main campus and they're pastored by a man named James McDonald. And as I spent that day just kind of reading about that, God edified me much. It helped me to consider my own life, the life of the elders of this church, our church, how we function. So it's very useful in that way. I don't know James MacDonald and nor am I any authority in his life. And I will trust that God will do whatever God will do with Harvest Bible Chapel, James MacDonald, the elders, all of them. What I want to do is address us about how we deal with sin. Because when I was What I was struck by through that reading and learning and listening process was the lack of really dealing with sin in a biblical way. So, what do you consider this morning? How do you deal with sin? What do you call sin? Do you call it mistakes, backslides, struggles? Do you call it problems? As James MacDonald called it a few times, talking about his own life. What do we call sin? See what the Bible says about sin. It says much about sin, but a few passages. 1 John 1, 8 and 9 says this, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. John was writing this to combat the false teachers of that day that didn't deal with sin. They didn't talk about their own sin. They didn't even acknowledge they had sin. And John was writing it against that kind of a false gospel, a false church that was being created that didn't deal with sin. Does that sound familiar? How many churches, institutions called churches, just don't deal with sin? Don't preach about it? Don't talk about it? Don't want to deal with it. If we deny the reality and the consequences of sin in our lives, then we're not saved. It says if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Now, very few people say, I don't have any sin. But very few people I find calling sin, sin. The word sin, hamartia. We've looked at this before, but hamartia means this. To be without a share in. To miss the mark. To be error, to be mistaken. To miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor. To do or go wrong. And then to wander from the law of God. To violate God's law. Sin. That's what the word means. To miss the mark. To err. To wander from uprightness. To wander from the law of God. Sin is anything that violates God's law. Anything that goes against His spiritual commands is sin. What does sin beget? Romans 6.23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. For the wages of sin are Martyr, missing the mark, erring, wandering from uprightness, wandering from God's law or commands, the wages of that is death. And what brought this to my mind that I want to address us this morning about this, as James MacDonald is talking to his congregation, 18th, I think, of November of last year, I think is the date it was. There have been allegations leveled against him, one of which was that he was known to and seen going into casinos to play high stakes poker. That was one of the things he was alleged, and there was pictures, and it was kind of common knowledge. And he started out his message talking about the two extremes of legalism and liberalism. He talked about legalism. And he had grown up in a church where you don't drink, you don't swear, you don't gamble, That doesn't sound like legalism to me. Sounds like things you don't do because God would have you not to do them. Anyway, he talked about legalism and how some people contend towards legalism. And he talked about liberalism and how some people contend towards liberalism. And liberalism, as he described it, was people that say, you know, I don't... I have freedom to do what I want to do. As long as I'm not directly sinning, I have freedom to do whatever I'd like to do, and over here in the area of liberalism. And then he asked for a show of hands of who tended to be more legalistic, and a couple did, and then a show of hands of who's more liberalist, which he claimed himself to be, more of a liberalist. And most of the hands went up, and he said, OK, the ones who don't like being told to raise your hand, you're a liberalist. And then he joked about that some. And he said, I land on the side of liberalism. And then he went in to address some of these things, like playing poker, gambling in a casino. Now, how he described that was, he said, years ago, I started to play poker in my basement with some friends. It was a, he said it was replacing, he had been a competitive athlete in college, and some of that competitive nature, he wanted to replace, so he replaced it with that. And he said, and I played poker in public places from time to time. So the issue, as I saw it, was he was gambling in casinos, and he reduced that to playing poker in public. Because playing poker in public sounds a lot worse than, I gamble in casinos in high stakes poker games. Lessening the sound of it. Here's a man who had preached many sermons against gambling. So he didn't use the word gambling. Playing poker in public. Because of the hypocrisy that would be there if he called it gambling. A form of a lie is to take something and to make it sound different than it actually is. So, there's that. He addressed the allegations. that have been brought against him. There have been lots of people in James MacDonald's ministry through the years that have left. And allegedly, he can have some fits of rage. Admittedly. Outbursts of anger and some fits of rage. And not controlling his tongue and dressing people down. So, as he's addressing this in this discussion with his congregation, He wrote a book in 2000, and he said in that book, God said, James, you need to work on your problem of outbursts of anger and frustration. In 2005, 2006, I saw much progress. And then he went on to say in 2008, 2009, I relapsed. Never once did he call it sin. I have a problem of outbursts of anger. I have a problem of fits of rage. And I need to work on that. And God wants me to work on that. But I relapsed. And then he went on to blame the people around them for breaking their word and how they broke their word and that made him mad. He shouldn't have gotten mad, but he was just upset because people broke their word to him. Went on to excuse his problem. I'm too intense, he said at one point. Any of you wonder about my intensity? And he got a chuckle out of the group. He talked about his failure. But he didn't talk about his sin. The reason I'm addressing you with this is not about James McDonald. I'm trying to show you how not dealing with sin, there was no confession of sin. There's a discussion of failures, relapses, problems. I'm just too intense. All those things. Look, let's call sin, sin. Let's start addressing sin as sin in our own lives. First and foremost, is sin. Outbursts of anger, fits of rage, is sin. And it's called an outburst of anger or a fit of rage. I was sitting with Roy in our meeting, and as I was discussing this with him, Roy has a tendency to talk about being grumpy, or being upset. And as I revealed to him that those are fits of rage and outbursts of wrath, he broke down crying. Because grumpy doesn't sound so bad, does it? Can't even find it in the Bible, can you? But sense of rage, and outbursts of anger, and wrath, that's in the Scriptures, and that's sin. See, it's not getting sideways, or being irritated. See, at the heart of that, when you're angry, you're murdering someone. And just because you're not doing anything outwardly, in here, that irritation, that frustration, it's sin. It's discontent. You find whatever words you want to put on it, but use a biblical word. So you'll understand. So I'll understand it's sin. Gossip is sin. Oh, I shouldn't have said that. Yeah, I know, I talk a little too much. No, you're a gossip and that's sin. See, it's a biblical word with a biblical reality. Children, you don't obey your parents. That's sin. Children, are you hearing me? You don't obey your parents and that's sin. Husbands, when you're harsh with your wives, That's sin. And if I do that, and I'm hearing men say, I was harsh with my wife, or using different words, yeah, I got a little upset. Yeah, I said things I shouldn't have said. It's sin. And then, most of the time what happens is, men then go on to comma, but here's why I did that. Yeah, I yelled at my wife, but I'm so tired, Pastor, of what she continues to do, I just don't know what else to do. So, I'm grumpy, comma, because my wife makes me grumpy. Does that sound like confession of sin? It doesn't to me. Why? When you don't submit to your husband's. It's sin. Yeah, you know, I didn't do what he asked me, but I'm just so tired of his attitude. No, I sinned by not being submissive to my husband. Whatever. You put it in there. You know, Kirsten is understanding, as we're walking through this, that her eating is sin. It's not just a struggle. It's not just a trial. Trials are what come from outside. It's not consequences of our sin. That's sin. And it needs to be dealt with as sin. And we need to confess our sins. Not confess our struggles, and our trials, and our relapses, and our backslides, and all that. Our sins. And then, if He is faithful, He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Confess our sins without the excuses behind it. Don't report our struggles and then give all the excuses. It's what I heard when I listened to James McDonald's sermon. It was a man that had no repentance. Didn't even sound very remorseful. Did not call sin, sin. Was not broken by it. It did not appear at all because he didn't even qualify it as a sin. And then he rationalized why he did what he did. And I don't want anybody to focus on James McDonald, including me. I want us to consider that in our own lives. Do we call our sin, sin? And then do we not go on to rationalize it? Deb and Jerry had a discussion with Deb this week. Jerry had asked her to do something. He wasn't asking her to sin. She didn't agree and didn't like the decision. And wanted to talk to me about why the decision was wrong. And because I love Deb, all I told her was, you're in sin. And as I talked to Jerry, Jerry, you did not get any counsel for that. You did not get wise counsel. You're in sin. But let's just call sin, sin. And let's not try to rationalize and justify why we're in sin. Yeah, boy, I've got this addiction, and I just can't get rid of it, and evidently it's my cross to bear. No, it's sin. It's idolatry. Any addiction is idolatry. And it's sin. And if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. See, we call sin something different, and we deceive ourselves that we're not in sin. Then the truth is not in us. Did you track with me? We call our sin something different than sin, which denies we're in sin. We're deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins... Remember, confess is not just a verbal affirmation. Confess means to come in agreement with. Call sin, sin. Understand the consequences of sin. Call it what it is, understand it for what it is, confess it. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Beloved, we must, we must start to use biblical words to describe our actions when they're sinful and call sin, sin. And understand the consequences of sin. And then we need to confess that sin by God's grace. Then he will cleanse us from that unrighteousness. And if you're in the habit of calling sin something different and that's just what you do, then you need to consider if you're even right with God. OK, back into Philippians. Paul's epistle to the church at Philippi. We're going to be in verses 4-11 today in chapter 3. I'm just going to read verses 1-3 to kind of bring us up to where we are here. Finally, my brethren, Paul says, rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord. What does that mean? Does it mean to be happy? No, it means to have joy. Have joy in the Lord. Have joy about our relationship to God through Christ. So everything, we should rejoice always. Nothing wrong with happiness, but remember, happiness is a reaction to an external happening. That we get happy. It's happenstance. And happiness is temporal, and it comes and it goes. And there's nothing sinful about being happy. There is something sinful about being unhappy. But to have joy is to remember who we are with God through Christ. And to be joyful in that. Always. Rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you is safe. He says, look, repetition. I've written this stuff before. I keep writing it because repetition is good. And he's repeating what he had talked about in chapter 1. He says, beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the mutilation. He says, look out for false gospels and false religion. Beware of those. Stand against those. For we are the circumcision who worship God. So he says, we are actually the ones who are saved. We are truly circumcised because our hearts are circumcised. And here's what our lives should look like then. For we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Then he's going to come into verse 4 to expound on no confidence in the flesh. Glorifying in Christ only. Verse 4, Though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin. A Hebrew of Hebrews. Concerning the law, a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church. Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted lost for Christ. Yet indeed, I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Paul says the only true gain is knowing Christ. In verse 4 he says, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. Paul was letting these readers know, if anyone thinks they have reason to think they're right with God because of anything they have done or accomplished or are, He has the most of anybody to think that way. Remember, he's addressing these mutilations, these Judaizers, who are saying, which we'll look at in a little bit, that new Christians have to have Christ and circumcision, Christ and the ceremonial laws. They're adding to Christ. And Paul's saying, if anybody's going to hang their hat on human standards, it would be me. He had a list of credentials. It would have been very impressive to any Jew reading his epistle, or any Gentile who understand Judaism. Certainly the Judaizers, those false prophets, those dogs, those evil workers, those mutilators of the flesh, certainly they would understand what he was saying. That his credentials were impressive. But Paul in this section knows they're meaningless. So let's look at Paul's meaningless credentials. Paul's meaningless credentials, verses five and six. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, concerning the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. These credentials I've categorized in three, I've put in three categories. Ceremony, bloodline, and religious accomplishment. First, ceremony. Paul says, if anybody can have confidence in the flesh, it's me, and here's why. Circumcised the eighth day. He starts with circumcision because this was a big deal. These Judaizers were claiming these Gentiles who got saved had to have Christ and they better be circumcised. So he starts with circumcision and says, hey, I'm circumcised on the eighth day. This was a defining rite for Jews. It was part of a covenant that God had made with Abram. Genesis 17, 10, 12. This is my covenant, which you shall keep talking to Abram between me and you and your descendants after you. Every male child among you shall be circumcised and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins. And it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male child in your generations. He was born in your house or brought with your money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. So Jewish males, from the beginning of the covenant, from the beginning of the race, from the beginning of a tribe called Israel, a nation called Israel, Jewish males were circumcised on the eighth day, or circumcised as they proselytized, as they became Jews. So, Paul says, look, I did this. I am this. I was circumcised on the eighth day. I've got that ceremony. And it is meaningless. I put it in the loss column. In the loss column, we're going to see a lot of things in the loss column and one thing in the gain column. And the loss column is ceremony or circumcision. And how that's relevant to us today is baptism. Infant baptism or adult baptism. is ceremony. That loss, if you're counting on it for salvation, it's meaningless. Roman Catholic mass, meaningless. Taking communion, meaningless. It's in the loss column as far as being right with God, as far as salvation goes. It doesn't get you anything. Paul says, I was circumcised on the eighth day. And it goes in the lost column. No ceremony that is of any consequence to achieve salvation or right standing with God. Paul was making this really clear to those Judaizers, those mutilators of the flesh, who were demanding that new believers be circumcised. Paul says another of his meaningless credentials was bloodlines. bloodlines. He says, circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin. Paul was not some Gentile who was converted to Judaism. He was a member by bloodline of the nation of Israel, God's chosen people. Exodus 19 5 through 6 now therefore if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant Then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people For all the earth is mine, and you shall be my kingdom of priests and a holy nation These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel Israel was God's chosen people and Yes, they would keep his commands, which many of them didn't, so not all Israel is Israel. But Israelites were the only ones who could be right with God. And Paul says, I was born in the nation of Israel. I was born under that covenant. I am a Jew by birth. In Romans 3, Paul says, what advantage then has the Jew? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way. chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. The Jews were blessed to be God's people. The Jews were entrusted with God's Word and God's Mosaic Law. Nobody else got that. Paul was saying, look, I have pure bloodlines, but my genealogy is meaningless. It was of no gain. It goes in the lost column. He says, of the tribe of Benjamin. Not just an Israelite. Paul was part of a special tribe, or a highly thought of tribe. Kind of the top of the heap. Benjamin was the son of Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel. Benjamin was the only son of Jacob's born in the promised land. So to be from the line of Benjamin was special. That's got even a special category, sub-category, under the category of Israel. Saul, Israel's first king, was a Benjamite, 1 Samuel 9, 21. And Saul answered and said to them, Am I not a Benjamite of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? Am I family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me? Saul says, I'm a Benjamite. I'm top of the heap. That's the bloodlines that Paul had, whose name was also, by the way, Saul, not to be confused with King Saul, but he was named after King Saul. He became Paul after salvation. Hopefully you can remember all that it really gets confusing when you read your Bible, if you think Saul in the New Testament is the same Saul that was the first king of Israel. The Apostle Paul was originally named Saul because he was out of the tribe of Benjamin that he was named after King Saul, but his name became Paul after he was saved. Okay. Also, when the promised land, back to this Benjamite thing, when the promised land was divided among the twelve tribes, Jerusalem, the holy city, was in the land that was allocated to Benjamin. Again, to show this special nature of being a Benjamite. Judges 1.21, But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem. So the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. So Paul was not just any old Jew. He was not a Jew that was a Gentile that became a Jew. He wasn't a proselyte. And not only was he born the right bloodlines being a Jew, he was born into the nation of Israel or Abram seed. He also was from the tribe of Benjamin, which gave him even some higher credentials. That was a special tribe. So Paul's saying if it's about bloodlines, I got the best of them. But that's meaningless. Family status doesn't mean anything for salvation. I don't care if your last name's Graham. It doesn't guarantee salvation. Jonathan Edwards. I don't care if you're a descendant of Jonathan Edwards. That has no bearing. It's meaningless. I don't care if your name's Reed or Bokoma. There's no bearing on that. It's meaningless. If you're trying to chalk up bloodlines, Madeline, if you think you're going to be right with God just because your parents are saved and you're a yod, it's not going to work that way. Your bloodline means nothing. Pure Dutch means nothing. But over in Northwest Iowa, it means something if you're pure Dutch Reformed. Matter of fact, the bulk of his children were the first Dutch to marry outside of Dutchdom. See, and Paul's saying, look, I'm a pure Benjamite. Not only am I from the tribe of Benjamin, my ancestors have never bred outside of Benjamin, the tribe of Benjamin. So I am fully Benjamite. So I'm an Israelite and I'm a Benjamite purebred. It means nothing. It's meaningless. Children, you're going to grow up in a culture around here at Grace Fellowship Church, where you're going to know who God is, and you're going to watch people love God. And someday, you are maybe going to count on your knowing, your understanding of God, as thinking you're right with God. Because you're my son, or Cal's son, or Bob's son, or Nick's son, or a relationship to somebody. It's meaningless. Your bloodlines are meaningless. No matter how godly your parents are, children, you have your own relationship with God. Paul goes on to say, Hebrew of Hebrews, Acts 22, 3, I am indeed a Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel. taught according to the strictness of our Father's law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today." Paul is saying, I'm super Jew. I was circumcised Jewish Israelite by pure Benjamite, trained by Gamaliel, who was the most respected rabbi there was. So he was trained by the best of the best. That training under Gamaliel was part of his religious accomplishment. We look next at his religious accomplishment. And what Paul is going to say is this religious accomplishment that I'm about to talk about. Lost Column. Paul was a Hebrew of Hebrews. Concerning the law of Pharisee. Concerning zeal persecuting the church. Concerning the righteousness which is in the law. Blameless. Concerning the law of Pharisee. Saul. was a Pharisee. Paul, remember, became Saul. Saul was a Pharisee. To the Sanhedrin, Paul said, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. When he's testifying to King Agrippa in Acts 26.5, he says, they knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. The strictest sect of Judaism, I lived a Pharisee. And Pharisees were the cream of the crop. Pharisees were the one who understood the law the best. They not only knew the law of Scripture, but they also knew all the rabbinical law. Pharisees, if you remember, as we went through the book of Matthew, Pharisees were elite. They were the elite spiritual religious people in Judaism. Even more than the Sadducees. The Sadducees were more business-like. These Pharisees, they were the top of the heap of spiritual knowledge, of religion, of doing religion. Saul was at the top of that heap. But he's saying it's in the lost column. I don't care if you're a Pope. I don't care if you have a doctorate in theology. I don't care what, how religious you are. I don't care if you go to, I don't care if you every day do all the religious activities you could possibly do. It's meaningless. It goes in the lost column. No use to salvation. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church. Acts 8.3, as for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Saul was so religiously zealous, he wanted to crush Christianity. He thought he was serving God. His misguided love for God, in his misguided love, because he was the top of the heap, he was trying to crush Christianity. because there was an uprising against God. Acts 9, 1 and 2. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the way, whether men or women, by the way, the way is what Christianity was called, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Acts 26, 9-11. Again, he's talking to King Agrippa, and he's giving more of his meaningless religious accomplishment. Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem. And many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests. And when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme. And being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities." So Paul says, I was so zealous, loved God so much, that I persecuted the church. Again, I was the Jew of all Jews. I accomplished much religiously. I was trained by Gamaliel. I reached the top of my profession as a Pharisee. I was one of the main persecutors of Christianity. I had lots of religious accomplishment. And he says, he goes in the lost column. He goes on to say, in concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. No one could look at his life and find blame. He lived so much by the law that he was found blameless. He said, look, you think you're religious. You think you can put some confidence in the flesh. I could put more confidence in the flesh. I was super religious. I was super Jew. I was born with the right bloodlines. I was trained by the right people. And I reached the top of my profession. I was a cardinal. I made it. He had more credentials than anyone else. And it was all worthless, rubbish. They were all in the lost column. Paul now is going to go on and describe what is the one and only thing that matters to him, or any Christian, the one and only thing that goes in the gain column. This is the game column, the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. The surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Before I go to that, some of you may be watching, who cares? Who cares? Paul was telling them and he's telling us, there is no way you can be religious enough, good enough, the right bloodlines. You can't do. Anything you do or did outside of Christ is in the lost column. Why are you saved? Well, because I'm a good person. Lost column. Well, I've been going to church my whole life. Lost column. Well, I was baptized. Lost column. Well, I really do. I go to church four times a week and I pray every day and I read my Bible. Lost column. Well, I went and got theologically trained and I have my masters in divinity. Lost column. But what things were gained to me These I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law that I used to follow very well, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection of the dead." Paul counts all things, not just the things he just mentioned. So not just religious accomplishment, but see here's what we talked about a little bit yesterday in men's Bible study. Before Christ, anything you did or accomplished that you thought was good is rubbish. It's rubbish. And we have a really hard time with that because we love ourselves and we love our life. And we think we've done some good things. As I told my dad yesterday, he was a horrible father and a horrible basketball coach. And he doesn't necessarily like to hear that. Rubbish. And if he wants to put in the game column his parenting and his coaching, he's got it in the wrong column. That's true of any of us. By God's grace, again, nothing perfect about me in this area. However, by God's grace, I can't stand my past. It's why I don't talk about it much. You don't hear of my accomplishments in the world. They've sickened me. I cannot put any hope in those. All things, a loss for what? Compared to what? Excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. Excellence of the knowledge of the Messiah, of the Savior, of the King of Kings. Excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. Excellence of the knowledge, the Greek words are, hupereko genosis. Hupereko genosis. Hubareko, surpassing value, surpassing greatness. So he's saying, stack everything up you want, and the surpassing thing, the greatest thing, the thing of most value, this knowledge, this Gnosis, it means knowledge, understanding, or acquaintance. That word acquaintance is important. Knowledge, understanding, or acquaintance. Paul says, so listen, of Christ Jesus my Lord. Now Paul had lots of knowledge about God, didn't he? He was trained by Gamaliel. He knew the Old Testament. He had memorized the Pentateuch. He knew lots about God. He knew about Jesus Christ. He lived not long after. He was persecuting followers who were preaching this gospel of Christ. He knew of Jesus Christ. But see, this gnosis, as we're going to look at, is far more than intellectual knowledge. It speaks of acquaintance with, relationship to. This knowing of Christ, Paul says, prior to me knowing Christ, in this intellectual, this intimate way, prior to having this relationship with Christ, everything I did before that, all things I did, rubbish. All my religious accomplishments, all of my wealth, anything I did, rubbish. Knowing Christ surpasses them all. Knowing Christ. Gnosis. That is a noun. The verb form of the word is used throughout the New Testament, and the noun is too, but the verb form is in John 10, 14. Jesus says, I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep. and Him known by my own. Christ's people know Him, and He knows them very intimately. The verb form of gnosis used in John 17.3. Now listen to what He says here. And this is eternal life. To go to church every Sunday. To read your Bible regularly. To study under the best Theological training. That's eternal life, right? To be a good person. To get baptized. Here's what he says. And this is Jesus. And this is eternal life. That they may know you. Know. Know you. The only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Eternal life equals knowing God and knowing the Savior Messiah. Everyone in here this morning knows something about God. Many of you in here this morning know lots of things about God. But he's not talking about knowing about God. He's talking about knowing God. Christine is not here this morning, but Christine is excited because all she's learning about God. And I pray that knowledge of God will lead to actually knowing Jesus Christ. But you can know all you want to about God. You can know all you want to about Jesus Christ. That's not the same as knowing them. that equals eternal life is not knowing about Christ. It's about being in an intimate relationship, having experienced Christ. Paul used this same word, 2 Corinthians 4.6, For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, knowing by experiencing, intimately knowing Christ. Same word, Ephesians 117, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Most everyone, like I said in here, but most everyone you will speak to knows about God. They know about Jesus Christ. Most people you'll speak to. Paul's day, that was true also. Look what he says in Romans 121. Because they all knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful. but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." They knew God, but didn't glorify Him. Sarah knows God. My daughter knows God. Knows a lot about God. Knows a lot about Jesus Christ. Learning more all the time. But doesn't glorify Him as God. Listen, do you know God intellectually? Or do you know God intimately? Do you know Jesus Christ experientially, and intimately, and relationally? Or do you know about Jesus Christ? To know God is a relational, experiential, life-changing event. The Old Testament Septuagint. You know what the Septuagint is? That's the Greek rendition of the Old Testament. The word genosis is used often. And it's translated for the Hebrew word Yadah. Yadah. Here's the word Yadah or Gnosis in Greek, Genesis 4.1. Now, Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived. Knowing is speaking of sexual intercourse. Knowing Adam knew Eve. It's intimate. He didn't know about Eve. He knew her. The word yada. It's used in Amos 3 too. When talking about the Israelites. You Israelites only have I God known. Yada. Did God know all of His creation? Of course he did. But he intimately knew the Israelites. God only knew Israel. Knew Israel in the sense of Yada or Gnosis. So all of Saul's efforts, all of his column over here that he puts in the lost column, all these things that the listener would have thought would have been gain, all these things these Judaizers would have put much Much positive thinking towards. Much weight in. All of those efforts to being right with God and knowing God were worthless. But knowing Jesus Christ as the Messiah, as the Savior, and as the King of Kings. When did Saul come to know Christ? When did he become Paul? Look at Acts 9, 1 through 9. Then we'll go down to 17 and 18. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. So here he goes. Going to Damascus to get more Christians to take him and put him in prison and vote that they would die. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? Then the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goats. Saul experientially, intimately, came face-to-face with Jesus. He knew all about God. He knew all about Jesus. He was out there persecuting those who believed in Jesus. He knew the whole story. He knew the whole Gospel. But finally, he came face-to-face experientially and intimately with Jesus Christ. And knew Him. Jesus made Himself known to Saul. Right? Jesus made Himself known in an intimate way to Saul. See, some of you, at least for me as I was getting ready, this might bring tears into your eyes and your thoughts, because here's the thing. You were riding along. I was riding along hating God. And then Jesus made Himself known to me. I've been going to church for a year and a half. I've been in church up to the age of 13. I knew quite a bit about God. I knew about Jesus Christ. And by His grace, September 11th, I came to know Him intimately, relationally, experientially. And it was a life-changing event. My life has never been the same. Glory to God. So, he trembling in astonishment said, Lord, what do you want me to do? Then the Lord said to him, Arise and go into the city, and you'll be told what you must do. And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no one. Then Saul arose. So they heard it, but didn't experience Christ. Then Saul arose to the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was there three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. So Saul knew all about God. more than most people, but until God's grace was poured out through his life to experience Jesus Christ, until Jesus Christ made himself known, there was no way for Paul to get right, Saul to get right. Verse 17, And Ananias went his way and entered the house. And laying his hands on him, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales. And he received his sight at once and he rose and was baptized. Saul encountered Jesus Christ. King of all kings. And the Holy Spirit filled him. And he was now empowered. He was saved. He knew Jesus. Gnosis. Back to verse 7, But what things were gained to me, these I have counted lost for Christ. Yet indeed also I count all these things lost for excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. All these things, I have suffered the loss of all things, all meaningless, they all go in the lost column. All of my efforts to be right with God, all of my bloodlines, all of my training, all of my do-goods, lost column. All of my accomplishments, lost column. All of my ceremony, all of my baptism, I mean, my circumcision, all of that, lost column. All those things. They're rubbish. The word for rubbish is scubalone. Scubalone. Any refuse, as the excrement of animals, dung, rubbish, dregs. Look, Paul uses some pretty strong language here. It's translated rubbish. It means dung, manure, excrement of an animal. All this stuff that y'all think means something, you Judaizers that are reading this, you Gentiles who are listening to, all that stuff is dung. All my accomplishments are dung. Manure. Of no value unless you're a cattle farmer. I suppose it might have some value. It's important that we understand the language that Paul is using. To show how much he's trying to say, this stuff is worthless. Knowing Christ is our only claim to righteousness. Our only claim to greatness. Our only claim to accomplishment. Is knowing Christ intimately and relationally, life changingly. There's four things that Paul goes on and now lists as gains that we receive if we know Jesus Christ the Lord. First, we gain Christ's righteousness. Paul says, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousnesses, which is from the law, But that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. Paul had been very good at following the law and the additional rabbinical law. He was blameless. But that righteousness was self-righteousness. What self-righteousness is, is anything we want to put in a column that says we're right with God because of this. Anything we want to put in a column that says we're right with God because of this is self-righteousness. It's based on something we've done or have, or our credentials. That's self-righteousness. He gained Christ's righteousness through faith that was given to him by God. So as he gained Christ, the only thing that matters, the rest of it is dung. As he gained Christ, he gained Christ's righteousness. Paul was super Jew. Super religious guy. But fell far short of God's standard. Romans 3, 19 and 20. Now we know that whatever... This is Paul. Now we know that whatever the law says, It says to those who are under the law, like he used to be, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. The law that he was under showed the whole world to be guilty before God. And anybody who wants to boast in any of this list should be stopped. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. What the law did to Paul and to anyone who saved, the law showed Saul that he couldn't hit the standard. The standard that couldn't be met. That's what the law revealed to him. Gave him knowledge of sin. Romans 7, 9-13, Paul's testimony there. I was alive once without the law. So before I knew about the law, I was alive, I thought. But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. In other words, when I saw the law, I saw that I couldn't hit that mark like we talked about earlier. I fell short of that mark. I sinned. The law revealed to me, I'm dead. I can't do this. I can't get right with God. And the commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it, killed me. So, I tried my best to follow the law, and that killed me. Because I can't. I couldn't. Therefore, the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death in me? Certainly not. But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin, through the commandment, might become exceedingly sinful. The law showed him his sin. It showed him he was dead. And he was very devoted to Judaism. He was very religious. Listen, following religion, no matter how well you do it, is death. There is no life in following religion. Some people need to hear this. You try to follow the rules and think that will save you. All religious action falls short of the mark. The law of God killed Saul. And then he came to know Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5.21, And when he knew him, for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Paul saw that his righteousness was death and that he had had to receive the righteousness of Christ. That's why it goes in the gain column, because now Christ's sin was imputed. Paul's sin was imputed on Christ and Christ's righteousness was imputed on to Paul. That's what happens for us. When we understand our sin, and understand we can't hit the mark, and that we can't be good enough, and that we are hopeless and helpless and wretched, separated from God because of our sin, we fall on the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross, and then His righteousness is imputed upon us. The same with Peter. Peter says, "...who himself bore our sins in his own body on a tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes we were healed." When we truly know Christ, when we truly know Him, then God sees us righteously. He sees us without all that sin. We receive Christ's righteousness when we know Him, blameless before God, but only if we know Him. All of our righteousnesses are filthy rags. Everything we want to put in the gain column should go in the loss column. The only thing that goes in the gain column is knowing Jesus Christ intimately, experientially, and life-changingly. That's the only thing that can go in the game count. And when we gain that, we gain Christ's righteousness. We are now right before God. Not because all of this, because this can't get us there. But because of this. When we know Christ, we gain His righteousness. Next, we gain the power of the resurrection. The power of the resurrection. Paul says that I may know Him. and the power of His resurrection that I may intimately, experientially, life-changingly know. Not about the resurrection. Everybody in here knows about the resurrection. But if we know Him and we know the resurrection, then we receive the power of His resurrection. Paul knew there was no power in the law. He had lived it better than anyone. Paul knew there was no power in the flesh. Romans 7.18, For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, nothing good dwells. For to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. I can't do it. There's no power in the law. There's no power in my flesh. All the power. all the powers from knowing Christ and having His righteousness and peace in Him, and then Paul having the Holy Spirit. Once we're in touch with the Holy Spirit, once we know Christ, then the Holy Spirit then lives in us, and the power of the resurrection is now available to us. What is the power of the resurrection? What is the power of the resurrection? Paul says this, Romans 6, 4 through 14, and listen, he's going to say the power of the resurrection is the power of salvation and the power of sanctification. The power, grace, God's grace, the supernatural power to salvation and the supernatural power to sanctification is what Paul's going to say is the power of the resurrection. Therefore, we were buried with him through baptism into death. that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, For he who has died has been freed from sin." Back up to verse 4, walking in the newness of life. Back to verse 8. Now, we've died with Christ, we believe that we also shall live with Him. Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all. but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lusts, and do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you. For you are not under the law, but under grace. Paul says, look, when you know Christ and the power of His resurrection, the power of His resurrection is one. Sin has no more control over you. No more dominion over you. No longer will you pay the penalty for that sin. And no longer do you live under the power of that sin. If you know Christ, Gnosis, then you have the power of the resurrection, the very power that brought Him to life. That very power now you have, I have, we have, to live to Christ and not to live to sin. The power of the resurrection is God's grace. It's the supernatural power to salvation and the supernatural power unto holy living. Second Corinthians 12, 9. And he said to me, this is after Paul says, hey, get rid of this trial I have, get rid of this thorn, get rid of this thing. Three times, and he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in weakness." Paul says, therefore, most gladly I would rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. When we understand, like Paul, the weakness of the flesh to overcome temptations and trials, but we understand the power of Christ lives in us, then we can be victorious. And if we know Christ, we've received the power of the resurrection. We've gained that. We can bear up under any trial and any temptation because of the power of Christ. But we first have to understand the hopelessness of our flesh. Paul goes on to say, we also gain fellowship of Christ's sufferings. Fellowship, koinonia. Like-mindedness, likeness, sharing. Verse 10, that I may know him in the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death. What does Paul mean the fellowship of his sufferings? He means two things, kind of like we just looked at before. We gain the benefit of those sufferings. So if we fellowship or share in the sufferings of Christ, then we share in the benefit. And what is the benefit that was wrought At the cross, payment of sin. So we benefit, we get the benefit of our sins being forgiven. That's how we fellowship in his sufferings. We gain the benefit that his sufferings accomplished, as well as the benefit of suffering ourselves. We gain the benefit of suffering ourselves. John 15, 18 through 20, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. We too will be persecuted and hated if we know Christ. This is the thing I would like to ask some of these men who have these best-selling books and huge churches and everybody loves them. I would like to ask Rick Warren. Who hates you? Who's persecuting you? for Christ's sake. Look, Paul says, if you know Christ, you will gain Christ, and when you gain Christ, here's the things you will gain. So you will gain the fellowship of the sufferings. You will gain the benefit of suffering for Christ's sake, for the sake of the gospel. 2 Corinthians 1, 5-8, for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, See, there's an assumption there. Paul says the sufferings of Christ, so for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us. In other words, they do. We are suffering for Christ. Definitionally, if we're Christians. You have to ask yourself, are you? If you know Christ, you will. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. See, also, not only are we going to suffer, that's a given, also the consolation of that suffering. What is the consolation of the suffering? The benefit that was achieved with the suffering. Salvation. Now, if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation. Which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. or if we are comforted, it is your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. We who suffer for our faith will also partake of the result of Christ's suffering, right standing with God. So when we know Christ, intimately, experientially, life-changingly. When we know Christ, then we will suffer. We will be hated and persecuted. That's the benefit we get. And we also get the benefit of what those sufferings accomplished. 2 Corinthians 12.10 Paul says this, Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, In persecutions. In distresses. For Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I take pleasure. I take pleasure in the benefit of suffering. For Christ's sake. Not sin-induced consequences. Not that kind of suffering. There's lots of sin-induced consequences that we have that we want to label as suffering. That's not what is being said here. What's being said here is suffering for Christ's sake. What is for Christ's sake? The spreading of the gospel. The same thing He did, save that which was lost. So we're going to suffer for Christ's sake. And we're going to suffer infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, and distresses. Ask yourself, are you or are you even willing to suffer? To share in Christ's sufferings? Everybody wants to share in the benefit or the accomplishment of the suffering. Everybody wants to share in salvation. But ask yourself, are you willing to sharing Christ's sufferings? Is it gain in your life? Do you have the gain of being hated and persecuted for Christ's sake? Do you have that benefit? Because if you know Christ, you will. I will. If there is no suffering for Christ's sake, then you need to consider if you know Him. Know Him. Not know about Him. Know him experientially, intimately, life changingly. And one of those tests is, am I suffering? Am I willing to suffer? Do I suffer for his sake? Paul tells Timothy in 2nd Timothy 1, 8, Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God. Suffer like I'm suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works." He didn't save us because of this list. He saved us this way, and he's called us then to a ministry. Not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed as a preacher and apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, for this reason." For what reason? The spreading of the gospel. He says, for this reason, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until the day." Paul tells Timothy, dude, look, you're going to suffer, you want to suffer, you should suffer, you're going to share in the sufferings as you preach the gospel, as you spread the gospel, as you share the good news of Christ. See, institutions called churches that think they're spreading the gospel and everybody loves them aren't. Most people don't love the message of the cross. It's foolishness to those who are perishing. Many go on that road. Few find the road. But they don't want to suffer attendance loss. They don't want to suffer budgets that have to be met. They don't want to suffer not being able to be on the most popular TV show and sell your best new seller. Are you, am I, suffering for Christ's sake in the spreading of the gospel? Are you, am I, suffering for Christ's sake in the spreading of the gospel. Paul says to know Christ's gain, you'll gain his righteousness, you'll gain fellowship, you'll gain power of his sufferings, and you'll gain fellowship in his sufferings, power of his resurrection. And then also, lastly, you will gain eternal life. Paul says, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. The if isn't a question. It's a statement that Paul knew that was true for him and all the saints. The other thing we gain when we know Christ is we gain eternal life. Look at 1 Corinthians 15, 50 through 58. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then we shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your stain? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable always, abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain." We will inherit eternal life. We can't keep the law. It shows us our sin, and the victory over sin is in knowing Christ. Victory over sin equals eternal life. And remember in John, eternal life equals what? Knowing. Intimately, experientially, life-changingly knowing Jesus Christ. Paul says in this passage, we've got a lost column. It's fleshly credentials. It's religious achievement. It's proper bloodlines. It's good work. If any accomplishment, that's the lost column. And we have a gain column. And the gain column is knowing Christ. Knowing Him intimately. Knowing Him experientially, relationally. Knowing Him life-changingly. That's the gain column. And in the gain column then, what are we going to get? We're going to get His righteousness. We're going to have the power of the resurrection. The power to live a right life. The power over death. We're going to fellowship. We're going to get the fellowship of His sufferings. We're going to get the benefit of His sufferings and we're going to get the benefit of suffering ourselves as we spread the Gospel. And we're going to get eternal life. Philippians 3, 4-11. Though I also might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, concerning the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. and be found in Him. And if I am found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Closing thought. There is no way that anyone can work hard enough to get into the kingdom of heaven. The Apostle Paul makes perfectly clear that all of his earthly credentials were worthless. That the only thing of value is to know Christ. Do you know Christ? If you do, you'll be a humble servant living in the power of Christ for God's profit. You'll be spreading the gospel. If you do not know Christ, then you are aimlessly trying to be good enough to attain salvation and it will not happen. If you do not know Christ, then you are aimlessly trying to be good enough to attain salvation and it will not happen. Trade in all of your credentials. Repent of your sin and know Christ. To know Christ, we must know our sin. And we do that by comparing it to God's law. To know Christ, we have to know the consequences of our sin. Look, if you think you know Christ and you've never experienced mourning over your sin, if you can go around day to day now not mourning over your sin, not confessing your sin, then that's not knowing Christ. If we aren't suffering for the preaching of the gospel, for the spreading of the gospel, then we haven't attained the gain that comes with knowing Him. I know we don't check out on this because some of you in this room, you think you're right with God. I might think you're right with God. I just want you to think about that. Do you have a list of reasons why you think you're okay? And you rattle off those reasons in your brain when you try to justify your salvation? Or do you know Christ? Have you had a life-changing, relational, experiential, understanding, face-to-face encounter that changed you completely, and now you are gaining and sharing in all those things that we will get? Christ's righteousness, the power of the resurrection, fellowshipping in his sufferings, and eternal life. Ask yourself, don't just pass over another week and just say, good sermon, I'm good. Some of you ought to be affirmed and thankful and praising God that you have no list. It is Christ alone. Not just because I know it. Everyone in here knows it's Christ alone. Every single one of you has the knowledge it's Christ alone. You know about that fact. But do you know that? Or do you go back over here to prove your salvation, to assure yourself you're okay? Father, I am so humbled that your son, you caused me to know him, Father. to know Him in a way that I count all those things as dung prior to Christ. Anything I ever did, none of it worthy of anything. Manure. Father, the only credential I have, the only thing that I can hang my hat on, the only thing that I can boast in is Christ. Christ, Him crucified, resurrected, Christ living in me. Father, I pray that you would search the hearts today of everyone in this room. There are some in here, Father, who they know this isn't true of them. That you would break them, Father. That you would cause them to be broken. They would stop being so pompous and arrogant in their sin. Beg you for mercy, so they too could know Christ. Father, this congregation, this group today, Father, search our hearts. Affirm in us that we know Christ. We know you. Or show us that we just know about you.