1. MOTHER’S DAY
Philippians 3:20
May 13, 2012
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

3. The MacArthur New
Testament Commentary,
Copyright © Moody Press
and John MacArthur, Jr.,
1983-2007.

4. The Prophetic Scroll
by Joel Joseph
April 8, 2012
116th Edition

5. Philippians 3:20-21
“For our citizenship is in
Heaven, from which also we
eagerly wait for a Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ;

6. 21 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

7. things to Himself.”
Philippians 3:20-21

8. Christ's return marks the
end of our struggling for it is
then that He will transform
the body of our humble
state into conformity with
the body of His glory.

9. It is then that the eagerly
awaited redemption of the
body will take place
(Romans 8).

10. Spirit was saved.
*Justification (imputed)
Soul has been being saved.
*Sanctification (imparted)
Body will be saved.
*Glorification (completed)

11. Until then, the new creature
(2 Cor 5:17) is incarcerated in
the unredeemed
humanness ("the body of
this death") from which it
longs to be liberated.

12. We believers who live from
Pentecost to the Rapture
will have our spirits joined to
our resurrection bodies at
the Rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

16. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
16 “For the Lord Himself will
descend from Heaven with
a shout, with the voice
of the archangel and with
the trumpet of God, and the

17. dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and
remain will be caught up
together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in
the air, and so we shall

18. always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one
another with these words.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

19. Christ will totally transform
the bodies of all believers to
make us fit for Heaven.
*Our bodies will have a new
schematic; they will be
refashioned and redesigned.

22. Like Christ's resurrection
body, our resurrected
bodies will be recognizable
and we will be able to eat,
talk, and walk, but will not
have the physical

23. restrictions of our present
bodies.
Our bodies will not be
subject to the limitations of
this earth after our
resurrection.

24. After His resurrection Christ
appeared and disappeared
at will, even entering a room
whose doors were locked
(John 20:19).

25. We may be free to travel at
the speed of thought to
anywhere in the universe
just like our Lord and
Saviour did.

27. Paul gives the most detailed
description of believers'
resurrection bodies in
1 Corinthians 15:35-49:
“But someone will say,
‘How are the dead raised?

28. And with what kind of body
do they come?’
There are heavenly bodies
and earthly bodies, but the
glory of the heavenly is one,
and the glory of the earthly

29. is another. So also is the
resurrection of the dead. It
is sown a perishable body, it
is raised an imperishable
body; it is sown in dishonor,
it is raised in glory; it is sown

30. it is sown in weakness, it is
raised in power; it is sown a
natural body, it is raised a
spiritual body. If there is a
natural body, there is also a
spiritual body.

31. Just as we have borne the
image of the earthy, we will
also bear the image of the
heavenly.”
1 Corinthians 15:35-49

32. The combination of :
b) a redeemed spirit
c) a sanctified soul and
d) a glorified body
will enable all believers
to perfectly manifest

33. the glory of God!

34. Sin, weakness, sorrow,
disappointment, pain,
suffering, doubt, fear,
temptation, hate, and
failure will give way to
perfect joy (Matt 25:21),

35. pleasure (Ps 16:11),
knowledge (1 Cor 13:12),
comfort (Luke 16:25), and
love (1 Cor 13:13).

36. JOY
Matthew 25:21
21 “His master said to him,
‘Well done, good
and faithful slave. You were
faithful with a few things, I

37. will put you in charge of
many things; enter into the
joy of your Master.’”
Matthew 25:21

38. PLEASURE
Psalm 16:11
11 “ You will make known
to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness
of joy;

39. In Your right hand there
are pleasures forever.”
Psalm 16:11

40. KNOWLEDGE
1 Corinthians 13:12
12 “For now we see in a
mirror dimly, but then face
to face; now I know in part,
but then I will know fully just

41. as I also have been fully
known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12

42. COMFORT
Luke 16:25
25 “But Abraham said, ‘Child,
remember that during your
life you received your good
things, and likewise Lazarus

43. bad things; but now he is
being comforted here, and
you are in agony.”
Luke 16:25

46. LOVE
1 Corinthians 13:13
13“But now faith, hope,
love, abide these three; but
the greatest of these
is love.”

48. *Salvation involves far more
than mere deliverance from
hell.
*One of God's ultimate
goals in redeeming us is to
transform our bodies

49. into conformity with the
body of His glory. (Phil 3:21)
*We will "become
conformed [summorphos;
the same word translated
conformity in v. 21] to the

50. image of His Son" (Rom
8:29; 1 John 3:2).
“We know that when He
appears, we will be like Him,
because we will see Him just
as He is.” 1 John3:2

51. Our transformed bodies will
permit us finally to be the
perfect creation God
intended for us to be for the
joy of perfect fellowship
with Him forever.

52. These new bodies will allow
us to see God!

53. *In the Beatitudes Jesus
said, "Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they shall see
God" (Matt 5:8), while John
wrote that in Heaven "there
will no longer be any curse;

54. and the throne of God and
of the Lamb will be in it, and
His bond-servants will serve
Him; they will see His face,
and His name will be on
their foreheads" (Rev

57. Our resurrection bodies will
also be perfectly suited for
the eternal service we will
render to God.
Revelation 7:15

58. Revelation 7:15
15 ”For this reason, they
are before the throne of
God; and they serve Him
day and night in His temple;
and He Who sits on the

59. throne will spread
His tabernacle over them.”
Revelation 7:15

60. Lest any doubt Christ's
power to transform
believers' bodies, Paul notes
that He will accomplish it by
the exertion of the power
that He has even to subject

61. all things to Himself.
*Christ will have the power
to rule the millennial
kingdom (Rev 12:5; 19:15;
Isa 9:6; 32:1; Zech 14:9).

62. *By His power Christ will
also transform the earth's
topography (Zech 14:4-8)
and even the natural
kingdom…

63. Isaiah 11:6-9
6 “And the wolf will dwell
with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie
down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young

64. lion and the fatling
together;
And a little boy will lead
them.

65. 7 Also the cow and the bear
will graze,
Their young will lie down
together,
And the lion will eat straw
like the ox.

66. 8 The nursing child will play
by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will
put his hand on the viper’s
den

67. 9 They will not hurt or
destroy in all My holy
mountain,
For the earth will be full of
the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea”

75. 1 Corinthians 15:24-27
24 “ then comes the end,
when He hands over the
kingdom to the God and
Father,

76. when He has abolished all
rule and all authority and
power.
25 For He must reign until
He has put all His enemies
under His feet.

77. 26 The last enemy that will
be abolished is death.
27 For HE HAS PUT ALL
THINGS IN SUBJECTION
UNDER HIS FEET.”
1 Corinthians 15:24-27

78. Paul's point is that if Christ
can subject the entire
universe to His sovereign
control, He has the power to
transform believers' bodies
into His image.

79. Finally, we must focus on
the glorious hope that is
ours at the return of Christ
— the transformation of our
bodies into conformity with
His.

80. Then, regenerated fully in
spirit, soul and body, we will
be suited to eternal, holy
glory and joy!

82. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 “Do you not know that
those who run in a race all
run, but only one receives
the prize? Run in such a way
that you may win.

83. 25 Everyone who competes
in the games exercises self-
control in all things. They
then do it to receive a
perishable wreath, but we
an imperishable crown.

84. 26 Therefore I run in such a
way, as not without aim; I
box in such a way, as
not beating the air;
27 but I discipline my body
and make it my slave, so

85. that, after I have preached
to others, I myself will not
be disqualified.”
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

86. The word, bema, was taken
from the Isthmian Games
where the contestants
would compete for the prize
which was a wreath made of
pine boughs.

88. At least up until the 5th
century BC, the winners of
the Isthmian games
received a wreath of celery;
later, the wreath consisted
of pine leaves.

89. If we are to accept the
traditional date of the first
Olympic Games (776 BC),
we can say that the first
Isthmian Games would have
been held in 582 BC.

90. The Isthmian Games were
held both the year before
and the year after the
Olympic Games (the second
and fourth years of an
Olympiad).

92. So by the time Paul arrived
in Corinth, the Isthmian
Games were 500 years old.

93. Throngs of people from all
over the Roman Empire
flocked to Isthmia, either to
participate in or to watch
the competitions.
(Some stayed in tents.)

94. The basic athletic events of
the Isthmian Games
included foot races,
wrestling, jumping, boxing,
hurling the javelin, and
throwing the discus.

96. Large amounts of money
changed hands, not only
from the gamblers who won
and lost, but also from those
who showered gifts upon
the victors.

97. *In Paul’s time, the crown
(stephanos) awarded as a
prize at Isthmia was made
of pine boughs.
*This fits particularly well
with the phrase, "crown that

98. will not last," or, more
literally, "perishable crown."
*By the time the Isthmian
athletes received their
herbal crown, it was already
wilted.

99. Matthew 6:1-6
1“Beware of practicing your
righteousness before
men to be noticed by them;
otherwise you have no
reward with your Father

100. Who is in heaven.
2 So when you give to the
poor, do not sound a
trumpet before you, as the
hypocrites do in the
synagogues and in the

101. streets, so that they may be
honored by men. Truly I say
to you, they have their
reward in full.
3 But when you give to the
poor, do not let your left

102. hand know what your right
hand is doing,
4 so that your giving will be
in secret; and your Father
Who sees what is done in
secret will reward you.

103. 5 When you pray, you are
not to be like the hypocrites;
for they love to stand and
pray in the synagogues and
on the street corners so that
they may be seen by men.

104. Truly I say to you, they have
their reward in full.
6 But you, when you pray, go
into your inner room, close
your door and pray to your
Father Who is in secret, and

105. your Father Who sees what
is done in secret will reward
you” (with an imperishable
crown, not with a perishable
wreath).
Matthew 6:1-6

109. The judge at the Isthmian
Games made sure that
every rule of the contest
was strictly obeyed
(2 Tim. 2:5).

110. 2 Timothy 2:5 NIV
5 “Similarly, if anyone
competes as an athlete, he
does not receive the victor’s
crown unless he competes
according to the rules.”

112. The victor of a given event
who participated according
to the rules was led by the
judge to the platform called
the Bema.

113. There the celery/pine bough
wreath was placed on his
head as a symbol of victory
(1 Cor. 9:24-25).

114. *Stephanos is Greek for
wreath, crown, reward.
*It literally means “that
which surrounds or
encompasses”.

115. *Crowns are given as rewards
for faithfulness to appropriate
God’s grace and Christ’s victory
in the Christian life.
A crown is a symbol of ruling
power – the faithful Christians
will rule with Christ!

117. *Paul was picturing the
believer as a competitor in a
spiritual contest.
*As the victorious Grecian
athlete appeared before
the Bema to receive his

118. perishable award, so the
Christian will appear before
Christ’s Bema to receive his
imperishable award.

119. The judge at the Bema
bestowed rewards to the
victors.
He did not whip the losers.
We might add, neither did
he sentence them to hard

120. labor.
The Bema is a reward seat
and portrays a time of
rewards or loss of rewards
following examination, but
it is not a time of

121. punishment where believers
are judged for their sins.

122. *He awards us with five
crowns as symbols of ruling
power.
*The elders cast their
crowns at His feet in
worship (Revelation 4:10).

124. Revelation 4:10-11
10 “the twenty-four elders
will fall down before Him
Who sits on the throne, and
will worship Him Who lives
forever and ever, and will

125. cast their crowns before the
throne, saying,
11 “ Worthy are You, our
Lord and our God, to receive
glory and honor and power;
for You created all things,

126. and because of Your will
they existed, and were
created.”
Revelation 4:10-11

127. Trusting God here and now
increases your capacity for
joy there and then (you
create more room for more
glory).

128. Salvation is all about God’s
work for us while rewards
are all about our work for
God (God’s work through
us).

129. You must bear the cross if
you are going to wear the
crown:
bear in order to wear!

130. The Crowns and Their
Significance

131. The Crown of Thorns
Speaks of Christ’s work on
the cross and stands for His
victory over sin, Satan, and
death. (Matt 27:29; Mark
15:17; John 19:2, 5).

136. FIVE CROWNS
2) Incorruptible Crown
3) Crown of Rejoicing
4) Crown of Life
5) Crown of Righteousness
•
Crown of Glory

138. •
The Incorruptible
Crown
A crown given for
faithfulness in running
the race and exercising
self-control in order to

139. serve the Lord and finish
the race.
1 Corinthians 9:25

140. 1 Corinthians 9:25 ASV
25 “And every man that
strives in the games
exercises self-control in all
things. Now they do it to
receive a corruptible wreath;

141. but we an incorruptible
crown.”
1 Corinthians 9:25 ASV

144. The Incorruptible Crown is
earned by being filled with
the Holy Spirit, putting off
the fleshly desires &
appetites of the body, and
turning from worldly things.

145. Those who receive the
Incorruptible Crown will be
“good and faithful”
servants, they will be called
“The Faithful” and they will
rule over many things.

147. (2) The Crown of Rejoicing
This crown is a reward given
for witnessing, following -up,
and ministering to others.
1 Thess. 2:19-20; Phil. 4:1

148. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
19 “For what is our hope, or
joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is
it not even you in the
presence of our Lord Jesus
Christ at His coming?

149. 20 For you are our glory and
joy.”
1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
NKJV

150. The Thessalonians will be
one of Paul’s crowns, and
the effect at the Bema and
throughout eternity will be
rejoicing or exultation over
their presence in Heaven.

153. 10“In the same way, I tell
you, there is joy in the
presence of the angels of
God over one sinner who
repents.”
Luke 15:10

157. The Crown of Rejoicing is
earned by being a soul
winner.

158. Those who receive the
Crown of Rejoicing will be
“faithful and wise” servants,
they will be called “The
Wise” and will rule over all
His goods.