God is all-powerful. He can do all things as we saw this morning that He can do anything. He really can. God can do anything. Whatever He wants to do, He can do. God's not threatened by man. God's not threatened by philosophy of this world. He's not scared of it. He's not nervous. He's not slumbering. He's busy working in the hearts and lives of people that others may know Christ. Amen? And so it's really, really important. It's all about knowing Him. It really is. I'm hoping that's your heart's desire. Do you know Jesus? And you say, yeah, preacher, I know Jesus. I know Him so well." Okay, well, praise the Lord. That's great to hear that you know Jesus. But understand, knowing Jesus is never coming to an end. Amen? It doesn't come to an end. We'll never know all things about Jesus until we are with Him in glory. Amen? Then we'll know all things. Then we'll see Him as He is. And then we'll know all that what Jesus has said and done here on earth and we'll know all that what we need to know because we're going to be with Jesus and we'll know everything. Amen. It's all about knowing Him. I hope you really know Him and that you knowing Him that it makes an impact in your life. I hope it's really true in your life that knowing Jesus does make a great impact. Pastor or preacher You're emphasizing knowing because it's all about knowing Him. Amen. It really is. You know we've been looking at the book of Philippians and it's a powerful, powerful book. A powerful letter that Paul had written to other churches of what God was doing in hearts and lives of others. Amen. And that's what I see here. I see a letter being written here in Thompson. I see lives being touched. I see lives that can change because of the power of Christ in their life. Amen? And it's so important. So we've been seeing many things in the book of Philippians. We see at the beginning Paul's prayer life. You know it takes prayer in ministry. It really does. It takes a lot of prayer. You gotta pray. I hope you're praying. I hope you're wanting to see God do something because prayer moves the hand of God. It really does. Prayer moves the hearts and lives of God's people. And so we see in the book of Philippians just a great message, a great letter that's being written. Prayer changes things. You know it's also about a person of the ministry, amen? The person of the ministry is Jesus, amen? It's all about Jesus. It's not about one person. It's not about a man, a physical man. It's not a carnal man. It's about a spiritual man. It's about Jesus living in your life, amen? It's really the person of ministry. But we're going to see this morning the power in ministry. You've got to have power in ministry. You've got to have power in the gospel. It really is important. There's got to be power in a mission that the church endeavors to take. There's got to be power involved. Amen? There's really got to be power. And so it's really, really important. So turn your Bibles to Philippians chapter number three. Philippians chapter number three this morning. As we slowly come to an end to this conference, my heart has been just thinking about the gospel. My heart has been thinking about just Jesus. And what I see in the book of Philippians, it's all about Jesus. It's all about the gospel. You'll see, yes, a lot of times people note that this book is all about joy. But where does true joy truly come from? Well, it comes from Jesus. That's where joy comes from. It's all about knowing Him. It's all about allowing His joy to be really manifested in and through our lives. It really is vitally important. It really is. And so, as we look here, dear believers, in Philippians chapter number three, I want to begin reading here in Let me just get to my notes here. Philippians chapter number 3 and I want to begin reading here in verse number 10. Philippians chapter 3 and verse number 10 and the Bible says that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering being made conformable unto His death. if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that which also I am apprehended of Jesus. Let's pray. Father, I do thank you so much for your love and mercy and your continual grace in our life. And I pray, dear Holy Father, that you have your will and way. I pray that your Holy Spirit would illuminate our hearts, illuminate our minds. Teach us, I pray, dear Holy Spirit of God. I give you thanks, dear Lord Jesus, for all that you will do in our hearts. Help us now to be receptive to thy word. This is a holy time where you can work, where you can change false perceptives, false ideas, and false things that we think that are right, which maybe were wrong. And so, Father, I pray that you would just be all honored and glorified in Jesus' precious and most holy name, I pray. Amen. You know, as we see here, dear believers, it's so vitally important to understand knowing Him. You know, that was Paul's greatest adventure in his life. Greatest heartbeat was all about knowing Jesus. I hope that's your heart here this morning. It's all about knowing Him. It's really all about letting the person of Christ flow through your life. And so, confidence is found in Jesus, is where it is. Confidence is found in Jesus. Hope you have confidence in Him. Amen. Because that's where the focus is. Confidence is found in Him. Confidence is not found in the flesh. It really isn't. Because Paul said earlier, here in this chapter, he says, He talks about not having confidence in the flesh, not having confidence in your pedigree, not having confidence in your persuasion. But he says here in verse number one of chapter number three, Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, to write the same things to you. To me, indeed, is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of concision. And so Paul was saying, hey, It's really important, dear believer, that you don't put confidence in your fleshly ability. You don't put confidence in your psychology or your philosophy of life because it's going to lead you down the wrong path of life. It truly will. And when Paul says, hey, if anybody could trust in the flesh, I could trust in the flesh more than anyone. He's saying, hey, he says there, though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man think that he might trust in the flesh I more. He says, hey, I can trust in the flesh more than you can because of my pedigree. because of my philosophy. He says, I know so much about the Jewish religion. I know so much about my pedigree, where I came from, where I stemmed from, where my family was positioned. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, amen? He really was, and he was of the tribe, as we could continue reading, circumcised, the eight days talk of Israel, tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, touching the law, a Pharisee concerning zeal persecuted the church, touching righteousness, which is in the law, blameless. And so if he had something to boast about, if he had something to say, hey, I know something in life, I know a lot of things, but understand, you know, all those things, what did he say? But what things were gained to me, those I count lost for Christ. So it doesn't matter if you come from a very prestigious family, you glory in your pedigree, it doesn't matter. If you come from a rich and wealthy family, it doesn't matter. You come from a poor family, it doesn't matter. You come off the streets, it doesn't matter. Whatever you own, whatever you have, what Paul says, hey, It's all counted lost for Christ. You got a big nest egg in your bank account? Compared to Jesus it means nothing. It absolutely means nothing. It means nothing to Jesus. You got a couple thousand dollars, you got a couple hundred dollars, you got a couple of dollars. Those couple of dollars, those couple hundred dollar bills, those couple thousand dollar bills, that doesn't mean nothing to Jesus. Paul says, hey that's all, I count that all lost for Christ. Doesn't mean anything, really doesn't. And he goes on to say, yea, doubtless, and I count all things but lost for the excellency and the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. He said, I've lost everything. Jesus saved me from all that stuff. Jesus saved me from my wealth. Jesus saved me from my pedigree. Jesus saved me from my philosophy. Jesus saved me. Because to Him, it was all about knowing. It was all about knowing a God that loved Him. You know, you know God, understand, the devils even know God. Even the devil's angels know God. You know before he came out this way my wife and I had a great opportunity to witness to a couple and God had been slowly building that relationship is what He'd been doing. He'd been slowly building This relationship with this hunter. He's a hunter. He's an avid hunter. You know, the hunters here, you would love talking with him, because he knows a lot about hunting. A lot. He's been to Africa twice, hunted zebra, hunted water moccasin, or ox, or whatever they call them. I don't know what they call them over there. But all kinds of stuff from Africa, he's shot. He's been up in the Yukon caribou hunting. And he's a whitetail hunter, elk hunter, moose hunter. He loved hunting bear. He loved hunting bear. You know, he would tell stories about, you know, he wasn't scared of bears. I'm terrified of bears. I, you know, I run the other way. I see them, I want to run. You know, would I run if I was in the bush hunting bear? No. I would be ready with my bow or ready with a high power to ready to take it down. But he had many stories, a lot of stories. You just guarantee hunters, you would love to just be sitting on. He knew so much. He knew so much. And he says, I believe in Jesus. I believe that he's real. And the thing that really penetrated my heart was that he hoped that God would forgive him. and led him into his hell, even though he believed in Jesus, believed in God. You understand that people can believe in God, believe that Jesus is real, but they're not saved. They're lost. How do you know that? Well, I know I was a person that believed in God. I was a person that believed in Jesus, and yet I was a religious man lost on my way to hell. didn't know Him. You know it's really important. You know we can say we believe God. We can say that we know God. But do we really know Him? Do we really know by the testimony, yes, God saved my soul. God's made me whole. Do we really know Him? And so I was just so stirred as I was listening to this man. I love questions. He had so many questions to ask about God. He would ask, why did God send Jesus at the time that He did? Good question. Why did God use Israel? Why couldn't He use another nation? Good question, isn't it? Yeah, I thought it was a great question. Why did God send His Son? Couldn't He have sent someone else? Couldn't He have done some type of miracle so that people would know that God is? Well, you can look in the Bible and you can find that, you know, where God writes about, you know, the rich man in hell and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom. And we can see that, you know, where that rich man would say, hey, God, Father Abraham, would you not just send someone from the dead so that they would believe in me? Would you believe in God? Would you send somebody to believe in you, dear God? The guy was saying, why doesn't God do miracles today? God does a miracle every day when a person gets saved. That's a miracle. When a person repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, that's a miracle of God that takes place. When people are sick and they're healed, God strengthens their body and they get healthy again. That's a miracle. You're saying, why? Why doesn't God do miracles today? Why can't we see all these wonders? Why can't we see what the Bible writes about there when God reparted the Red Sea? Why can't we see that again? Why can't we see those miracles happen? Why can't we see the ark? Why can't we see the flood again? Miracles, great wonders in the world. A lot of great questions. This gentleman had a lot of great questions. He believed in a God. He believed in the God. The God of heaven. But the one thing that kept on coming up, I hope that he'll forgive me and let me into heaven. And the one thing that kept on coming up is that you can go to heaven. It's all just believing in Jesus to save your life. It really is all about Jesus saving one's life because that's the most important part. It really is. It's all about knowing. Paul says, hey, I know. I've been apprehended. Jesus saved me. I count all these things. It doesn't matter my pedigree. It doesn't matter my family. Your family, where your family is, I don't know where your families are. First time being here, I don't know what you faced in your family, what has gone on in your family, where your family is positioned in the community, your status, whatever. Paul says, hey, it doesn't matter. My family was very successful in the Jewish religion. but all that was dung. He says there, he says there in Philippians chapter number three, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung. They were a waste. All those things, you know, dear believer, all the things that we trust in, that we think, oh, if I have If I have a nice truck, big house, you know, quad, snowmobile, boat, all this stuff, people will notice, hey, I'm successful. But understand, God doesn't look that way. He doesn't look at your bank account. He doesn't look at your things that you have. Paul, so Paul, he considered all those things, it was nothing. You can't take it to heaven. you can't take your gold brick to heaven. If you do, understand it's going to be probably put in a place where it's empty on the streets of gold. I don't think so. So we find, dear believers, that Paul says, hey, I count all that but it doesn't matter. All the pedigree, all the philosophy that I know, all the substance that I have was nothing compared to the excellency and the knowledge of Jesus. Knowing Jesus changes a life. It really does. Knowing Jesus makes life worth living? You know, people today that had something, you know, we've got events happening over there too, just as much as you've got all kinds of different things happening over here, where people find no hope. What's life worth living? Have no hope. People take their lives. because no one cares about them. No one say, hey, how you doing? You know, people are struggling. You know, the people that are working today in the stores around here today, you go into those stores, those people that are punching those buttons on the screens or on the till, do you know that that person has a soul? That person has struggles. That person needs Jesus. That's what that person needs. God really worked on my heart about that. Last week I was in the store and I was at a till at Noel Frills. God really prompted my heart just to be an encouragement to this young lady. And lo and behold, I didn't recognize her right away. And then she goes, you're Pastor Fair, aren't you? You're Michaela and Esperanza and Isabella's father, aren't you? I said, yeah, I am. She goes, oh, I've been to your church, been to an activity. It had been a long time. My girls are regularly always witnessing to that young lady. She's confused about life, thinking that it's all about the life of Riley. It's all about, hey, let's just have fun. Life is more than just fun. Well, I would say what's the greatest fun is knowing Jesus. And so, I just was an encouragement to her and I let her know that I'm going to be praying for her. And, you know, people need to know that you care. Amen? You know, it's all about knowing Him. Apostle Paul knew this because it was all about the excellency and the knowledge of Jesus that impacted his life, made such a great change. It's all about that power. of Christ in your life. And so confidence, as I mentioned, is found in Jesus. It really is. And so we see, dear child of God, you know we've got to consider that we've lost everything. As Paul, he says, I've lost everything. I count everything but lost. And that we found something great. We lost something, but we found something greater than what we lost. Consider yourself that this morning. Do you look upon your life, you look at your life and you say, yeah, I've lost everything for Jesus. Well, have you? Have you lost everything for Jesus? Have you given your life? Have you given all? Paul said Paul gave everything. Well, yeah, that's the Apostle Paul. No difference. You're a sinner saved by grace. You can serve God just as much as he can serve God. No, I can't. Well, the Bible tells you you can. The Bible says in Philippians chapter 4, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Amen? You can do anything in the power of Christ. It's just a matter of letting Jesus empower your life. It really comes down to that. So we have to understand it takes prayer, it takes the person, but it takes power for missions to go forward. And that power comes from Jesus, is where it comes from. It doesn't come with your ability. It doesn't come with your pedigree. It doesn't come with your status. It doesn't come with your philosophy. It comes with Jesus. And what the Apostle Paul is, where he's going with this, and he says, That it's all about knowing him and so that's the most important part and you look there in verse number nine Being found in him. Are you found in Jesus this morning? Yeah preacher. I'm found in Jesus. Amen. Praise the Lord I'm glad that you're found in Jesus, but I'm telling you if you're here this morning, you don't know Jesus Christ is your personal Savior I understand Jesus is looking for you He wants you to be saved. He wants you to know Him in a way that you'll never have known a God before. Amen? And it's really, really important. And so we see, He says, "...and being found in Him, not having mine own righteousness." He says, hey, the righteousness that I have, it's not this self-righteousness of the law. It's not this self-righteousness of the Pharisees. It's the righteousness of some person in his life. Some person who is dwelling in him that's being manifested, that is being reflected in his life is what's taking place. Amen? And so he says, "...being found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ." You know, it's through the faith of Christ that we have the righteousness of Christ in our life. It's so important. It really is the righteousness which is of God by faith. by faith. You know, we are saved by faith. Amen? According to Ephesians 2, verses 8-10, we're saved by faith. Amen? We're saved by the work of faith. But then also, we also see that this faith is also a ruler. Amen? This faith is one that wants to take control of our life. Now it's really important to let this faith take control because when we look at the Bible it says, but that which is through the faith of whom? Christ. It's the faith of Christ dwelling in you. It's that faith that saved you, it's that faith that's ruling you, but also understand it's also the faith that you please God with. According to Hebrews 11, verse 6, it is impossible to please God. It's impossible. But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, God. So what do we do? We've got to We've got to really let faith work through our life because it's the faith of the Son of God that's working now in you and what He wants to reveal through you. And Paul says, hey, he goes on to say, that I may know Him. That's what it comes down to in a person's life. It's all about knowing Him. I know Jesus. Amen. Praise the Lord that you know Him. But what about those who do not? Are you going to let the power of Jesus shine through your life that others may believe? Oh, it's so important. It really is. Oh, you've got to see. He can't see that. Oh, you've got something in the way and you've got to let Jesus show you and teach you. I remember some time ago going through some struggles in my life. And you know, we all go through struggles, amen? I know I do. I struggle a lot. I struggle with me is what I struggle. I'm the biggest struggle in my life. Well, I don't struggle with me. Well, tell me how you do it so that I don't struggle with me, amen? Because I struggle with me. I do a lot of struggling. Well, that doesn't sound like you're on victory side. No, I'm not. The only way I'm on victory side is when I am focusing on Jesus. When I'm letting Jesus be the fortitude of my life. Amen? So important. Letting the faith of Jesus to be in control. Amen. He says, Paul says, hey, let Him know Him. Amen. Let Him know Him. It's all about knowing Jesus in your life. Because when you start really knowing Jesus, I'm just thinking, you know, back, I was struggling so much in my life. It was back in 2019. that's not that long ago. That's just before the pandemic. Just before the pandemic. Back in 2019. God let something come into my life, a struggle. And it's really important when we struggle in life that we respond correctly to those struggles. It really is important. When we are negative, to those struggles, understand that's a work of the flesh. That's when we get all bent out of shape and we just say, well, and you get mad and angry and bitter and just get carnal. Just really get a bad attitude. Right? Yeah. When we don't respond correctly, we react. There's a reaction. Because we don't like to have struggles, right? We don't like to have any struggles. Don't. I don't like struggles. I'm allergic to them. I really am. I'm allergic to struggles. You know, if I could run the other way, I would. But I can't. When God allows those struggles to come my way, you know what he says? I'm going to just stretch your faith a little bit more. I remember that so many times with Brother Cook. You know, he would tell stories. He would tell stories about, you know, the things that would happen in his life. And he would have a car breakdown. And then he'd go, God, why this again? So many times, car breaking down here, car breaking down there. That was something that was a tool that was always in his life that God would always get his attention. Or something else would come in his life. And, you know, he just said, Lord, you teach me what you want me to know. And that's really important. I think back there in 2019, God was doing something in my heart. And I'm ever grateful from that point on, because he's been doing that. What Brother Cook was saying, teach me, Lord, what you want me to learn. And that's so important. It's all about learning about who Jesus really is in your life. Because what He's trying to do is trying to help you to be more like Him. It's what He's trying to do in your life. is so important. It really is. I was going through this struggle in my life. It affected me so much. I was getting discouraged. I was getting my family discouraged. And I was an infection of discouragement is what I was. Be careful of being an infection of discouragement. because it will harm other people. It doesn't build people up. It really doesn't. It brings people down. It just brings more discouragement. It just brings more diversity. It just brings more chaos in one's life. It really does, amen. It really does. And so what happened that day, I remember it so well. So well, it was almost like salvation. I remember the day I got saved. I remember the day that when Brother Cook led me to the Lord. It was like, this is kind of like that day, you know, where I got right with God. That's what I did. I got right with God. I was an infectious, discouraging person. And I understand, I was a pastor, church planter, started a church, two years, and I was discouraging people. I was getting so discouraged. And yet I was supposed to be a help, and I'm trying to help people in my discouragement. It was really an oxymoron, it really was. It really was an oxymoron. Helping people, and yet I'm discouraged. Helping people, and yet I'm getting negative, and I'm just getting bent out of shape, and I'm just like, God, you're gonna have to do something in my life so something changes. Sure enough, it wasn't God's fault. A lot of times that's what we do, we blame God. That's what we do, we blame God. And God really hit my heart that day. And I got down underneath the table in my office, got as low as I could, and I just said, God forgive me. I've been too selfish. I've been an infectious, discouraging person to my family. I was a hypocrite. Preacher, we're honest with God. We've got to be honest. Can we be that honest with God in our lives? So important. I'm going to close here soon. came to the point in my life that I said, God, not me anymore, but you. You teach me. I want you to shine forth in my life. I don't want me anymore. And that's a really important place to be. Yeah, I was saved. I knew God. But I'm telling you, When I got on my knees that day, I said, Jesus, you take control now. No longer me. You now teach me how to live your life in me and through me. And it's so important, it really is, to really let Jesus live through your life. It's all about knowing him, knowing that power, the power of Christ in your life. It's really important. Do you know Jesus that way, a preacher? I don't know if I know Christ that way. I hope you do. Because once you start going down that road of knowing Jesus that way, it's a fundamental change. It really is. You'll see things happen that you can't explain. because now it's the power of God doing something in your life. It's not your ability. It's not your power. It's not your philosophy. It's not your pedigree. It has nothing to do with that. Paul says, hey, that's all done compared to Jesus. God just let it all go. You know, let it all go, dear believer. Really let it go. and let Jesus have his will and way in your life. So important. Let's pray. Father, I do thank you so much for thy loving kindness and thy mercy, oh Lord. I pray, dear Holy Father, you take the two fish, five loaves, and you multiply it, that you be glorified. In Jesus' name I pray, pastor. I heard a message, and there was an evangelist years ago, and he tells a story of those men that went to go see the Akha Indians down there in South America. They were cannibals, and they killed these missionaries. And someone was talking, and they said, yeah, he died on this date. This gentleman said, no, he didn't die on that date. He died years before in a church when he died to self. He put Christ first. That I may know him. It all gets back to what is the day that I die and I stop living for me and I start living for Jesus. It's the power of missions. If I can have Mrs. Pat come forward please, we'll have a time of invitation that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. You know what? The closer we get to Jesus and stop living for me, the more sweet fellowship I enjoy. God's been putting that upon my heart so many times. The closer you get to Jesus, the greater the joy. Not that there's no problems, but the greater the joy. You can't take it when you're abiding in He who is the very source of joy. You can't get away from him. And so as the music is gonna play here shortly, I just wanna challenge you, number one, do you know for sure, is there a time in your life, or a season, you say, I think I was saved around this time, but I know for sure, I put my faith and trust. It's not a belief in Jesus, the devils believe in Jesus and they tremble. But have you put your faith in Jesus Christ? Ask him to forgive you of your sins and be your savior. No other savior, only Jesus. You ask him to forgive you, you know what, he will. He'll welcome you with open arms. There is no one, it doesn't matter what you've done, what your past is like, He'll forgive you. And Christian, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. I gotta die to myself and my wishes and my wants. And it's what all of Jesus wants. Not what I think, not what me, not what I the pastor think for your life, it's what God wants for your life. Because it's not about me, it's all about Jesus. God's got a plan for my life. He's got a plan for your life. You must be surrendered and dead to yourself. As the music plays, I trust you just pray and talk with God. If you need to come up front and kneel up here, maybe you've been that discouragement to those around you. How about it's time that we just die to self and say, Lord, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me? May we learn to walk in the goodness of our great Savior, Jesus Christ. As I spoke about last week, is your Jesus real? I trust that that would be true in your life. And so, as the song will play through, a moment of silence to pray and talk with God. Music comes to a close here shortly. I trust that was an encouragement. It sure did encourage and challenge my heart. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, we love you. Lord, you love each and every person here. It's not by mistake the mission conference happened this week. It's not by mistake anyone came today that came. Father, you have worked it out. Father, I pray that we would learn to bask in the light and the joy of knowing Jesus. And so, Lord, we thank you for showing up and showing us your word and helping us to walk one step closer to thyself. Father, we do thank you for the challenges and the trials and the hurts in our own lives because, Lord, it's one other thing to show us we don't have the strength in our own lives. We got to get back to you. Father, thank you for the trials that as you showed, Brother Pastor Fair, Lord, I pray that we'd go out and Lord, radiate the love of Jesus. Thank you for all that you'll do. Missions happens when we know you and God, I pray that you'd help us to be greater missionaries for you here. And should God call someone somewhere else, Lord, may they go there as well. Lord, may we die to self, exalt