To proclaim the word of God to the best of my ability. And so, Lord, we give you the praise, we give you the honor, we give you the glory. For truly this is the day that the Lord has made, and we shall rejoice. Amen. Anybody feel like rejoicing? Anybody be glad in it? Are you glad in your rejoicing? Are you glad in this day? Or are you still bogged down with things that trouble you?

When I come into the presence of the Lord, things start to happen, things start to move. I won’t be before you long. Coming from Philippians chapter three—a very familiar passage of scripture. Philippians chapter three, verse ten. But I would like to read maybe verses one through seven. However, I didn’t bring the right Bible this morning, so I’m not going to do that. Amen.

The Bible reads that I may know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death. God’s word is already blessed. For many weeks, we have been studying the book of Philippians. Elder Beecham has done a fine job explaining the book of Philippians, and we give God the praise for him. We give God the praise and honor because it’s not easy preparing lessons week in and week out. And we thank you for your participation.

Paul’s primary desire was to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. Paul gave up many things—including status, wealth, family, and luxury—because he believed that knowing Christ was the most important thing in his life. The question today is: Do you feel like knowing Christ is the most important thing in your life? The Apostle Paul considered all his earthly achievements and accomplishments as nothing but dung.

We live in a world flooded with data and information—facts, figures, people, places, and things that we never encountered in centuries past. Sometimes, we think we know people because of this information, but we don’t. Often, we don’t even know the loved ones in our own homes and families. Am I right about it?

J.I. Packer, a great author of Christian literature, said there’s a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. When you truly know God, you have a desire to serve Him. When you really know God, you boldly share Christ with friends and strangers alike. When you truly know God, you find contentment in your heart, even in challenging situations. Billy Graham once said his prayer in life was to help people find a personal relationship with God, which comes through knowing Christ.

But how do we know Christ? You have to experience Christ for yourself. You can’t rely on someone else’s experiences—what your mother told you, what your father told you, or even what the preacher told you. You must find out for yourself. Many people wear crosses around their necks but don’t understand what the cross means. They wear wristbands asking, “What would Jesus do?” But if you want to know what Jesus would do, you need to read. Second Timothy 3:16 says, “Study to show yourself approved, not unto man, but unto God.”

Knowing Christ involves more than head knowledge. It’s not just about facts, figures, and locations; it’s about a personal experience of His love, forgiveness, and guidance in our lives. By faith, we lean, trust, and depend on the Almighty God, which leads us into worship, praise, and intimacy with Him. David, Moses, and Enoch—all ordinary men—had a deep desire to be in God’s presence. Do you share that hunger?

Paul emphasized the importance of being made conformable to Christ’s death—desiring to live a life patterned after Him. Much like Play-Doh takes the shape of an object pressed into it, we too should allow our lives to reflect the pattern of Christ. Paul wanted his life to be so aligned with Christ’s that even his death would mirror the Savior’s. Do you want to live that kind of life?

As I close, the question remains: Do you want to know Him, or just know about Him? Does knowing Christ truly matter to you? To know Him deeply, to experience the power of His resurrection, to partake in the fellowship of His suffering, and to conform to His death—is this your desire? Today, you have the chance to enter into this incredible relationship with God. Accept Christ by faith and live your life with Him forever. He gives us victory over sin, death, and the grave. Knowing Him is the most important thing you will ever know in your life.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Here are the scriptures referenced above:

1. Philippians 3:10
   “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”
2. John 3:16
   “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
3. 2 Timothy 3:16
   “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
4. Isaiah 54:17
   “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”
5. Ephesians 6:12
   “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
6. John 16:33
   “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
7. 1 John 4:4
   “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
8. Matthew 27:54
   “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
9. Philippians 4:13
   “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”