That I Might Know Him - Part 3 — Peter Brandon

Reading from verse 11, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Notice the word attain, not as I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended, this one thing I do for getting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Pressing Toward the Prize of Christlikeness

Now from 15 to the end he is dealing with the prospect. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded, and if in anything ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Brethren be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us as an example. For many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.

Notice this, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things. For our conversation, our behaviour, our citizenship, or it can be translated our politics, is in heaven.

From whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Therefore my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord. We have looked at the cost, we have looked at the content, knowing the power of his resurrection fellowship with him in suffering, being made conformable unto his death.

So that when he comes again, when the Lord Jesus comes, we have been fully developed in him. Then he goes on to speak about comprehension. Now this is the comprehension of the contents, in other words, the way in which we are going to arrive at that position.

Very interesting. And you will notice now that he uses three words. He uses the word attain, he uses the word apprehend, and then he uses the word the prize or the goal. And if you bear in mind it's a race, and the idea of attaining simply means when a man is going to run a race, he's got the object before him.

Then when he is running, he is apprehending, that means he is appropriating all the strength. And then if he wins, he gets the prize. Now if you bear that in mind, that's what the apostle has before him.

Now the word comprehend that I have used refers to knowledge and it refers to experience. In the Greek, so that the scholars inform me, it's a beautiful word. It's the idea of a bird flying, and it sees some food, and it takes the food.

And then it goes into the crop, or some of it does. And then it goes right into the constitution of the bird. Now it's the food that goes into the constitution of the bird that this word means. Now I don't want to worry you with the offerings, but there is something very beautiful in the burnt offering.

Do you remember the poor man that could only offer a fowl? The feathers were not offered, nor was the crop. What does the crop speak of? Undigested food. In other words, head knowledge, crop knowledge, it's cast on the east side of the altar.

Now my dear friends, what he is talking about now is that word that gets right into us so that it becomes a part of us. Very interesting in Colossians and Ephesians. In Ephesians Paul speaks of being filled with the spirit.

Now I want to take up that next week because that's life. But in Colossians he doesn't use that expression. Do you know what he says? Let the word of God dwell in you richly. In other words, not the crop knowledge, but the knowledge that you have apprehended that has become a real part of you.

So really that's the meaning of the word comprehend. Now what about these three stages? Attain means the object in view. Therefore all of us should have the object in view and that is that Christ should be formed in us.

You see that's Christianity. It's not basically the externals. The externals are good if we live them out. But it's the great thought of Christ being formed in each one of us. And you know there's nothing more beautiful.

Nothing more lovely than to see a group of people full of the loveliness of the Lord Jesus. You will never see anything more beautiful than that in society whilst you are living upon this earth. Then secondly he uses the word apprehend.

And that means exactly what we said when we were talking about the word comprehend. It means to take hold of something so that it becomes a part of you. Now there's a wonderful illustration of this in the Old Testament.

Jacob Wrestling for the Blessing

And it's concerning that man that we all love because he's all like us. That's Jacob. I love Jacob. Because he started off bad and he finished good. And it's wonderful to think that that old shepherd walked in the presence of the great old Pharaoh.

And he put his hands on his head and blessed him. And the one who blesses is greater than the one that gives the blessing. And that was Jacob. There was a time when the Lord met him and we all made that at Jabbok.

And we read that the man of God wrestled with Jacob. Now what does that mean? Forgive me doing it. He got hold of him. He held him. And he said you're mine. And thank God the Lord Jesus has got hold of everyone of us like that.

And there's no power in the world that can take us out of that grip. He has apprehended us. So that we might apprehend him. So Jacob said something beautiful. He said let me go for the day breaketh. That was a kind of a teasing.

And he said I will not let thee go except thou bless me. Can you see it? A double apprehension. One moment the man of God the Lord Jesus lays hold on him. And the next moment he lays hold upon the man of God saying I will not let thee go except thou bless me.

But then I know what some of you are saying. How do we lay hold on him? By faith. What is faith? Now unfortunately I must go into this when we are preaching the themes of the gospel. It's not just sitting on a chair.

It's not just getting on a bus and putting faith in the bus driver. It's not even getting on a plane and putting faith in the plane and the pilot. And instead of the chair being the object. Instead of the bus being the object.

Instead of the plane being the object. It's the Lord Jesus. Do you know what that's called in the realm of logic? Mathematical probability. You do that by instinct. When you sat on that form. You just sat on it.

But what is faith? Now that's what we've got to learn. It comes from the Greek word Pistio. That means three things. To know what you believe. To trust what you believe. Here it comes. And to appropriate and make it your own what you believe.

So you say it's mine. And what's the illustration used in scripture? Abraham. You know when he was nearly a hundred. God said to him he was going to have a child. And he looked at Sarah. And all her productive organs were dead.

As we say in London. Dead as a dodo. Absolutely dead. And when he went and told his servants. And he had hundreds. I'm going to have a child. They must have said his marbles are going. You see. It was impossible.

But this man did something that was wonderful. He believed in God. He apprehended him. And he stood on the promise. And said it's done. In other words. The promise became a real part of him. Have you got it?

Now apprehending is that. It's laying hold upon Christ. So that he becomes a part of you. And it means standing on his promise. And saying it shall be done. Now I know how you feel sometimes. When it comes to a point of Christ being formed in you.

And you feel that you are so much unlike Christ. You begin to say. How can this really be done? The spirit of God is in you. And all he wants you is to take that act of faith. And apprehend. What does that mean?

You take up your stand at the cross. And you say. I cannot fully understand it. But I believe that I have been crucified with Christ. And I stand upon it. And therefore I'm going to reckon myself to be dead indeed under sin.

That's the first thing. Secondly. I look up and say the Lord is risen. And there's all power. And I look within me. And I realize that the Holy Spirit is there. And I have the faith to say. I believe you can form Christ in me.

And that's the way to run the race. Reckoning yourself to be dead to sin. And here it comes. Alive unto God. And the Holy Spirit within you. And all the time you are reckoning. You are apprehending. And you are running well.

And you are getting your second breath. And you are coming near the end of the tape. And quite frankly you are well in front. So that is apprehending. Now what is the goal? The goal is when you stand before the Beamer.

The Goal: Christ Revealed in the Glorified Believer

And as you stand before the Beamer it will be a wonderful day. You will stand there in grace with a glorified body. And then you will see what you did in the body. And all the stresses. All the strain.

All the suffering. All the reckoning. All the apprehension of the death of Christ. And the resurrection of Christ. All that's been produced by faith in grace. You will see Christ coming out of it. And you will say.

Thank you Lord. Thank you. Some of you who have been through deep sorrow. Some of you who have been through deep water. Some of you who know what it is to have a spiritual bomb in your life. And everything has been blown to smithereens.

And you have come through it. You will see it in that day. And worship the Lord. It is Christ being formed in you. You see he is not preparing us for earth. He is preparing us for the eternal days. And what a wonderful moment that will be.

Well that's the comprehension. There's many things I would like to say about the upcalling. But we haven't got time. Now we come to the prospect. And the prospect is the coming of the Lord Jesus. That should ever be before us.

The Imminent Coming of the Lord Jesus

And may I say this. I believe the Lord is coming. Very. Very soon. You know if you were in Europe. And you could see the whole of Europe coming together. And if you were in the country. And many Christians were praying that judgment would come on Britain.

Because only before I came. They lowered the age of homosexuality. And it's come. God's answering prayer. We are living right in the last seconds of the last days. And quite frankly I don't think I shall ever be back in Australia.

Not because I don't want to. But I'm expecting the Lord to come. Very shortly. So that's the prospect we're going to finish with. Now you will notice. In the prospect. There are three aspects. There's an example of the prospect.

And that's seen in verse 14 down to 18 and 19. And then there's an explanation of the prospect. That's seen in verse 21. And then there's an exhortation of the prospect. And that's seen in verse 20. Now let's get through that.

And then we will close. Now as far as the examples are concerned. There are only two. Good and bad. Let's look at the good first. Verse 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded. And if anything be otherwise minded.

God shall reveal even this to you. Now that word perfect worries many people. It comes from a strange Greek word. That means to fulfill. And if you would like to stretch it. It means to fill. And the word fill means to be mature.

It's like the idea if you're a gardener. And there's two beans. One may be 14 inches long. Full. And the other might be all withered. Not full. Now that's what the word means. Perhaps a better illustration.

I was once staying with a couple of boys in Canada. And they had a gym. And one was a weight lifter. And he weighed 18 stone. He was about 6 foot 3. And he didn't have an ounce of fat on him. And I used to go down the gym.

And see this fellow working. And he used to pick up these weights. And it was marvelous. And then when he went one day. How stupid can an older man be. I thought I can do it. And I went. Got it there.

And then I got it there. And then I was straining. My knees were buckling. Then I got it there. And I got stuck. And thank God he came in. And took it from me. One day I was down watching the boys. And I was watching his brother.

Forgive me saying this. He was 12. And he was a real weed. He was like a skeleton. And I was eyeing them up and down. You know you do it don't you. And the mother came in. And she read my thoughts. And she said.

I know what you're thinking of Peter. How did they come from the same stock. And that's what I was thinking. And then she said this. When he fills out. He'll be as big as him. And I said some hopes. Well would you believe it.

She never forgot it. About five or six years later. They were at a wedding. And would you believe it. She sent me a photograph. And there's that weed filled out. As big as his brother. Massive. You see beloved.

There are many Christians. Who have never grown. Can I say it. They're weeds. But this word matured means. You apprehend. So that you're filled out. And what with. The beauty. And the loveliness. Of the Lord.

Now that's the meaning. Of the word matured. And that's the object. That he has in view. Then you will notice. These examples are not only perfect men. Matured men. Filled out men. Nevertheless where unto we have already attained.

Let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing. Now the word attained there. Has to do with ambition. It has to do with achievement. But achievement that's yet to come. In other words. There they were appropriating.

The power of his resurrection. Appropriating the fellowship. But his sufferings. Appropriating too. Being made conformable to his death. So in a sense they've arrived. But there's much more to come. They're the examples.

And then you will notice. They're model examples. Verse 17. Brethren be followers together of me. And mark them which walk so as you have us. As examples. May I say this please. You are an example. I am an example.

Christian Maturity Demonstrated Through Godly Examples

Now if I can share this with you. Please take it to heart. All the ministry I give. That's not practical. Will never bless the Lord's people. If I am not living out this ministry. In my own home life.

It's meaningless. We help people by example. Now may I say this to elders. You are an example. And what we must say is this. If they all followed me. If they followed you. What kind of thing would they do?

Now when you come to your retirement. Don't pray that God will give you an autumn. Because in the autumn in my country. The leaves fall off the tree and it's all there. When you get to the end of your life.

Pray for a spiritual springtime. And this what's happened in my country. People got to a certain age. They threw the sponge in. They went to the seaside. And many of them died. Don't do that. Be an example right to the end.

And God will bless you. And remember this. That people follow the walk of a man. Far more than his worth. But then you have the bad example. Notice what he says about them. It's quite awful really. For many walk of whom I have told you often.

And now tell you even weeping. That they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Whose end is destruction. Whose God is their belly. And whose glory is their shame. And whose mind earthly things. Now can you see this.

And this is very important indeed. He's talking about the coming of the Lord Jesus. He's talking about these good examples. And then he gives us a description of the bad example. Now why? Just before the Lord Jesus comes.

Iniquity is going to abound. And the love of many shall wax cold. So we must say if we're living in the last seconds of the last days. I'm either going forward or I'm going back. Now that's a fact. All of us should be saying that.

Deception, Doctrinal Drift, and the Bad Example

As far as our local churches are concerned. It's revival or removal. We're living in the last times. And then we must tell ourselves. There's going to be great deception. Now I believe that these people were not the Judaizers.

That they were the Gnostics. Who mix philosophy with theology. And they basically thought that some of the things we called sin were not sin. And that we ought to go in for the things of the world. And enjoy the world.

In other words they were saying. That the sin that we speak of is not basically sin. In fact it was an encouragement to sin. Now my dear friends we're beginning to see that today. We're beginning to see liberal ideas coming among the assemblies.

We're beginning to see people doubting inspiration. Verbal inspiration. We are beginning to see people who will spiritualize the miracles. But will not believe in the miracles. We are beginning to see people who don't believe in preaching the blood.

And we're beginning to see people now that tell us there's a heaven. But hell is an alienation. Now all that is the deception of the last days. In other words these people didn't lose life. Whose God is their belly.

Can you see it? They were wanting to gain life. Not losing life. So you have two examples. You have a good example and a bad example. Now could I speak to the young people. Don't follow the bad examples.

They'll offer you the world. And all the gimmicks of the world. But they'll lead you astray. Follow godly men and women. And god bless you. Then he goes on about the explanation of his coming. Look at verse 21.

Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. Now you will notice here it's the subjective idea of the Lord's return and not the objective. Now why? In Thessalonians we have the objective point of the Lord's coming.

And he says the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. What a moment. We've seen in our studies there in the early morning at Toowoomba. That it's going to be a resurrection shout. It's going to be a gathering shout.

And praise God all the labels will fall off. Isn't that wonderful? All fall off even Marks and Spences and things like that. Everything will fall off. And then it's going to be a great triumphant shout.

It will be a shout of triumph when we shall move right in the domain of the devil. Now I believe this that when the Lord Jesus said to Peter upon this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

He was speaking right in the presence of Satan. And when he completes his church he'll take it right in the realm of the devil. And he will repeat it all over again. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And not one will be lost. And Satan and all his hosts will see the many sided glory of the church of God. And then into God's presence we go. Now what about the subjective idea? Well the subjective idea is this the dead in Christ shall rise first and who will raise them?

The Holy Spirit. And if the Lord Jesus Christ came now he will change our body. Now note this and we can almost close. When the Lord Jesus comes the same Holy Spirit has been forming Christ in you. Got it?

Resurrection, Transformation, and the Glorified Body

Year by year forming Christ. Bringing pressure upon us to form Christ. Teaching us to crucify that old nature called the flesh. Forming Christ. Everything he brings upon us is to do one thing to form Christ in us.

God loves us so much that he wants us to have the best prize ever. And that's why he brings all these pressures upon us. He wants us to be formed in Christ. Now when the Holy Spirit hears the word shout.

I think he will say Hallelujah. In fact I'm sure he will. And the same Holy Spirit that has been changing your personality and transform it. Will immediately change your body. No evolution in that. That's why you can't be a theistic evolution when you believe that.

Because he is going to change even the dead. Decompose dust. If you like a more scientific word they are atoms. He will bring them all together. And with it he will make a completely new body. And then he says by the working.

Whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. Now what does that mean? When the Lord Jesus comes we shall have a glorified body. And we shall get a glorified state. And we shall be in a glorified sphere called the city four square.

I wish we could talk about it. Dear friends the city four square will be a million times more beautiful than the millennium. The millennium will be wonderful. But there will be death. Millennium will be wonderful but there will be drought sometimes.

If they do not come up and worship. Oh yes it's going to be a marvelous time. But in that city four square where the church of God will be. It will be absolute perfection. And some of us probably nearly all of us will be able to come and go according to the bidding of the Lord.

We shall be able to come with a body that can be seen and not seen. We shall have the power of levitation. It will be a glorious moment. And we shall see the millennium in the way in which the people in the earth will never see.

But really dear friends our final state is the eternal state. When there will be a new heaven and a new earth. And everything that's out of gear with God. The Holy Spirit will subdue. Now do you see the mighty power that's in you.

Can you grasp it? This mighty power that's within you. So powerful that when the Lord comes this body he will change immediately. Let's ask him to so work on us that the beauty of the Lord will be seen in each one of us.

Before he comes. Now the exhortation. Now in the second chapter he wanted us to be lights. And that's what we are to be. Lights in the world. And what kind of light? It seems luminaries. It means stars.

Living as Lights While Awaiting Christ's Return

Now some stars burn out. So the astronomer tells me. I think everyday about 2000 stars burn out. But this is not a star that burns out. This is a bright light that continues in a dark place. You know I was caught out terribly last week.

But what a wonderful lesson I learnt from it. A brother was telling me a story of a man that had a dream that he went to heaven. And he looked upon the earth and it was so dark. He said to the angel. Why is it so dark?

He said the coming of the Lord is very near. Hmm. And then he said as he looked. He saw a beautiful light. So magnificent. That it caused him to weep. He said what are those lights? He said they are the saints.

Whose bodies are full of Christ. They are light. He says when I go back to earth. Would you give me their name and addresses? I would like to write to them. So he was given their name and addresses. And he wrote to thousands of people who were light and commended them.

And then the brother said to me. You know what was in the letter don't you? I said no. He said didn't you receive one? Brother shook me. Have you got it? Beloved. Are we light? Oh let it be that we may be a light for the Lord to all our neighbours.

Then he wants us to have life. Now brothers I am so glad I am not here just for teaching. You know you can teach and teach and teach and teach. And you will understand when I say this. It makes that much impact on the faith.

I have seen it. Where we are we have Saturday lectures all over the Shire. But there are divisions. There is coldness. There is unhappiness. You see it just rolls off us. But when you preach the gospel what a difference.

Gospel Life and the Call to New Birth

You know one night there at Toowoomba. We have been seeing a man coming every night. And I will never repeat this again. Because I don't believe the Lord wants us to talk about the blessing. And here is an assistant headmaster in a senior school.

And first of all he was a little critical. Then you could see conviction coming upon him as he was coming every night. And then last Saturday I was speaking on the subject. What does it mean to believe?

And we got to the point where I said it's a matter of stepping out in complete faith and abandonment. And trust Christ. And then I said don't wait till the end. If God has spoken to you switch off from me and trust him now.

And I saw him do it. I went to his head. I could see his lips moving. And I saw something else that I'm not going to mention. But his eyes were very misty. Then I saw his head coming up. And he was full of joy.

And on Thursday night as he was going out he said this. Mr. Brennan I want to say that Jesus Christ is my saviour and Lord. I said but when Kevin? He said Saturday night. I said I saw it happen. Now beloved we're going to have some gospel meetings.

Let's all join in. Let's not be shall I say sectarian or concerned about our own little group. Let's join in. Let's bring the unsaved so that before the Lord we can see life coming to precious souls. Wouldn't it be lovely to see in this building night after night souls born again.

You see the coming of the Lord is near. These are the last seconds and let's throw everything in it. And then lastly let's be looking for his coming. Now what does this mean look? It's the idea so the scholars tell me and with this I will close.

Watchfulness and Readiness for the Lord's Coming

Of waiting for a friend and he's late. You know what it is when you cook a lovely dinner and they're late. And you're walking backwards and forwards waiting for them. And then you're saying to the children.

Clear up the mess put that away. Keep the place tidy they may be here any moment. Yes that happens. Then all of a sudden the man says I think they're lost. And he goes out and this would only apply to an Easterner.

And he stands on his toes. He's on a little hill. And he stretches his neck and he's looking to see if he's coming in the distance. Now that's the meaning of the word. Get on your toes. Stretch your neck be like a giraffe.

And look for his coming. Beloved are we doing that? Are we standing on our toes? Looking for his coming. One of the stories I love is concerning old Shackleton the explorer. And he wanted to reach the North Pole.

And he got there. His men came ashore with all the stuff. And they had forgotten implements that were absolutely essential. So he did something that was very risky. He says I'm going back. And I shall be here in five days time.

But the ice was closing in on them. Unfortunately the fifth lake came. And everything was frozen. There was Shackleton so near. And yet there was this ice pack. Shackleton was a believer in God. And he prayed that there might be good weather.

And an unusual thing happened. A thaw came. But it only came within an hour. And he went in with his boat. And they were all ready. Quick he says get on. We've only got twenty minutes. And they were out.

And just as they were getting out. They could see the ice closing on them. And he said to one man. Who was a sergeant and said. How is it you were all ready? He said the lieutenant told us everyday. Pack up your sleeping bag boys.

He may be here. And everyday he said. Pack up your sleeping bag boys. He may be here. Brethren. Got it? Pack up your sleeping bag. He may be here. Today.