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In a recent sermon at Windsor Chapel, Pastor Andy Straubel referred to the common phrase, “It’s who you know.” The phrase is a close cousin to, “Friends in high places.” Both idioms reflect the pride, satisfaction, and even power and privilege that often comes with knowing someone who is important in the world. And in our current status-focused culture, who you know may matter more than a little. But only for a wink of time.
It can be easy to get caught up in our celebrity-fixated culture. Shoppers spend hard-earned money purchasing tabloid newspapers in order to be more “in the know” about their favorite celebrities. Fans of musical groups wait in endless lines not just to see a performance but with the hope of catching an up close and personal glimpse of one of the its star performers. In a recent Yankee game, a fan caught the first home run ball of a new player. In negotiating the ball’s return for this player, the fan got an opportunity to meet some of the Yankees in the clubhouse after the game.
In the end, though, there is only one relationship that can give us what we truly want and need: a foundational relationship with Jesus Christ. Christ is indeed a friend in the highest of high places! He is our Creator and Redeemer. Because of His death on the cross on our behalf, we are justified in the eyes of the Almighty and are assured of a place in the company of the Triune God for all eternity.
Knowing Christ is about more than stamping our ticket for heaven, or for getting that selfie and sharing it on social media. Knowing Christ is about the ongoing pursuit of a dynamic, intimate relationship with the Lord of the universe. He abides in us, and we abide in Him. We experience the healing power of being fully known and loved anyway. As bond-servants of Christ, we serve a Master who delights in us and who will never leave us or forsake us. We find our identity as we partake in the very nature of Christ and the joy of exercising the gifts He has given us in fulfilling the eternally significant purposes for which we were created. We come to know the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that by faith we can move mountains. And we enjoy the privilege of being son and daughters of the Most High God.
This brings us back to where we began. We can be name-droppers! We know the Creator and Lord of the universe. That puts us in a unique position to declare not only His name but His goodness to others. As we proclaim Christ in what we say and do, we invite others to trade their worldly focus on fame and fortune for the eternal glory of Christ and His kingdom.
“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowingChristJesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ….”
Philippian 3:8
