Focusing on Expectations (Podcast)

Focusing on Expectations Podcast by Dr Pastor John MacArthur for Grace to You

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Let’s open our Bibles this morning to Philippians chapter 3, Philippians chapter 3. We return for part four of this series out of this chapter called “Reaching for the prize,” pursuing the prize. The text to which we have given our attention for several weeks is verses 17 through 21. Let me just remind you of that text by rereading it for you, Philippians 3:17: “Brethren, join in following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us; for many walk of whom I often told you and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite and whose glory is in their shame who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory by the exertion of the power that He has, even to subject all things to Himself.”

Going back from verse 17 which we just read all the way back to verse 14, we focus on the key to this passage. Paul says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” We’re talking about pursuing the prize, pursuing the goal, living your Christian life in such a way that it demonstrates that your single great passion is to be like Jesus Christ, that’s the prize, that’s the goal Paul so lived. If you go back in to verse 8 he said, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” In verse 10 he said, “I want to know Him. I want to know the power of His resurrection. I want to know the fellowship of His sufferings. I want to be conformed to His death.” In verse 11 he said, “I want to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” And that brought him in verse 13 to say, “There’s only one thing I do,” verse 14, “I press on toward the goal.”