|
Home
Directions
Ministry
Elders
Deacons
Missions
Youth Ministries
Congregational News
Minutes of Meditation
About The Church
Activities in the Brotherhood
Bible Corres. Courses
Pond Ladies Activities
Bible Class
Links
Photos
Calendar
Appointments to Serve
Sign
our Guestbook
View our Guestbook
Email Us
Schedule of Services
| Sun Bible Classes |
9:30am |
| Morning Worship |
10:30am |
| Evening Worship |
6:00pm |
| Wed Night Worship |
7:00pm |
|
Great Expectations
Philippians 3:8-16
Tabitha and I are excited to be here with you at
Pond. We are thankful for the opportunity to labor with such fine
Christians. You have already made us feel welcomed and loved and
we thank you for that.
As I begin my work alongside brother James, I have
many expectations. I am looking forward to getting to know each of
you. I am confidant that the church at Pond will continue to do
great things for the Lord. I know we will continue to grow in
physical number, in Christian love and, most importantly, in spiritual
strength and knowledge of the truth.
The apostle Paul had great expectations as well.
Paul knew that material possessions would perish. He understood
that earthly fame and accomplishments do not truly satisfy. His
expectations were not worldly in nature but spiritual. Paul's goal
was to obtain "the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."
That which is excellent is superior. Paul
realized that fully knowing Jesus as Lord and Christ was superior to
anything else he could accomplish. Paul counted all of his earthly
accomplishment as loss and pressed "on toward the goal for the prize of
the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14)
The goal Paul had set for himself could only be
obtained through faith. He knew he could never reach it alone;
that it was beyond his capabilities (Phil 3:9). What is it that
must be attained by faith? It is the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
"Christ Jesus" is a post-resurrection designation of
our Lord indicating that the resurrection proved Him to be superior to
all created beings. Indeed he is the very Creator and Sustainer of
life itself (John 1:3; Col 1:17). To know the human Jesus to be
Christ is ultimate knowledge. To know Him by personally following
Him is the ultimate this life has to offer. We cannot have a
relationship with Christ unless we make him out Lord as well as our
Savior.
Paul also desired to "know him, and the power of his
resurrection" (Phil 3:10). Knowing and obeying Christ as Lord and
Savior imparts to us the same power Jesus demonstrated when He broke
loose the bonds of death. This is what Jesus meant by "everlasting
life" (John 3:16).
There is, however, a condition to be met. We
must be "made conformable unto his death." In order to obtain "the
resurrection of the dead" we must die to ourselves in order to serve God
(Phil 3:10-11). We are active in achieving our ultimate goal as
Christians by putting Christ's will above our own in our daily lives.
Thomas Sneed
Pond Church of Christ
|
|
|
