“He Is Able To Bring All Things Under His Control”
Philippians 3:17-21
Sermon Series: “He Is Able”
Introduction: What do you believe the future holds for the world? What do you believe the future holds for you personally? These are very important questions, and they greatly affect the way we live.
1. God will subdue and order the whole world under His control (v. 21b) [Daniel 7:13-14, Romans 8:18-25, Revelation 19:11-21]. The word, “working,” refers to God‟s supernatural power. According to Kenneth Wuest, “the word „subdue‟ is the translation of a Greek military term meaning „to arrange under one‟s authority,‟ as a general arranges his regiments in orderly array before himself.” This is the future of the world that will be accomplished through the return of Jesus.
2. Jesus will return and transform us into His likeness (v. 20- 21) [1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 35-58; 1 John 3:1-3]. When Jesus returns, we will receive new, glorified bodies and become like Him. Titus calls this our “blessed hope.”
3. This is bad news for some people and good news for other people (v. 17-20). You cannot stay neutral about Christ‟s cross.
A. We can reject Jesus and live for ourselves (v. 18-19). Or
B. We can trust Jesus and live for Him (v. 1-17). When we do this, we are citizens of heaven (v. 20, see Ephesians 2:1-10). Our response is demonstrated in part by how we live and whether or not we are eagerly awaiting Christ‟s return.
Conclusion: Do you eagerly anticipate the return of Christ or do you dread it? Do you even think about it? Are you worried about the future or hopeful about the future? Are you more focused on earthly things or the things of God? Where do you stand in regard to the cross of Jesus Christ?
