Knowing Jesus

Knowing Christ

By Apostle Felix

1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 

1 Corinthians 2: 1 – 5

Apostle Paul was a man who had experienced Jesus in a phenomenal way. A man taught by the Lord, Himself and yet he wanted to know Christ more. He was still longing to know Christ more and more. This was a man that had received the gospel in the way we know it today. Unfortunately, the church has been deviating from the gospel Paul preached to another gospel. Paul’s message was loud and clear, the message of Christ and Him crucified. Everywhere Paul went, he preached this same gospel of Christ.

28 Christ is our message! We preach to awaken hearts and bring every person into the full understanding of truth.

29 It has become my inspiration and passion in ministry to labor with a tireless intensity, with his power flowing through me, to present to every believer the revelation of being his perfect one in Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1: 28, 29

Christ is the message of the church. It is the message of Christ that determines whether the gathering is the church of Christ or not. Mentioning His name is not enough. It is the message that establishes the name of Christ in people’s lives. There are men in Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and Portugal that have been named Jesus. However, the name Jesus that they have been named after does not have power or authority at all. The reason is the person carrying the name is not the same as the person the Bible preaches. The power is in the message or rather the knowledge of Christ. Paul put it in this way….

16  I refuse to be ashamed of sharing the wonderful message of God’s liberating power unleashed in us through Christ! For I am thrilled to preach that everyone who believes is saved—the Jew first, and then people everywhere!

Romans 1: 16

Power in church has been mistaken for the falling down in church services. In Jesus’ services, none fell down as Jesus taught and prayed for the people. The only time people fell down was when the soldiers came to arrest Him. The falling down of people is not a good yardstick for determining the power of God in a church service. The yardstick should be the message of Christ that has the power to transform lives.

10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.

Philippians 3: 10

Apostle Paul’s prayer and desire was to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. It is the knowledge of Christ that culminates into power. The problem lies in desiring power without the knowledge of Christ. Any power that is demonstrated without the knowledge of Christ should be questioned. Even in Jesus’ time, the religious people were asking for a sign when Christ was with them in person. They rejected Christ. The masses followed Jesus because they were fed. They came running after Him not because they wanted to know Him but because they wanted some free hand outs from Him. They wanted miracles! Miracles are not a monopoly of the kingdom of God, but the message of Christ is.