03 LIVING JOYFULLY IN LIFE
GOD FINISHES WHAT HE STARTS
PHILIPPIANS 1:6 FOR I AM CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFECT IT UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS.
PROPOSITION: WE CAN HAVE JOY IN OUR WALK WITH GOD BECAUSE GOD HAS PROMISED TO FINISH WHAT HE HAS STARTED WITH US.
INTRODUCTION: RIGHT NOW, OUTSIDE THE CHURCH WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT UNDERTAKING WITH THE ROAD. MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF DEBRIS AND DIRT HAVE BEEN MOUNDED, MOVED AND DISPOSED OF IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THIS ROD PROJECT. IF THE DELAY, DETOUR AND CONGESTION HAVE NOT AFFECTED YOU YET, JUST WAIT – IT WILL! YOU SEE, WE ARE ALL LOOKING FOR THE PROJECT TO BE DONE SO WE CAN HAVE THE NORMAL BACK IN OUR LIVES. THINK FOR A MOMENT, WHAT IF THEY JUST STOPPED RIGHT NOW AND LEFT THE PROJECT UNFINISHED. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
WE LIKE TO HAVE OUR PROJECTS FINISHED. WHEN WE FINISH SOMETHING, IT BRINGS US A SENSE OF JOY AND CONTENTMENT. THE SAME IS TRUE, IN A SENSE WITH GOD; HE IS WORKING TO “FINISH” US. NOW THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT THIS IS THE GOD WILL FINISH US BECAUSE HE HAS SAID HE WILL FINISH US.
1. THE CONDITION OF CONFIDENCE
a. CONFIDENCE IS THE GREEK WORD PEITHO
b. IT MEANS TO CONVINCE, HAVE CONFIDENCE IN AND TO TRUST
c. IT IS ALSO CAUSATIVE – BECAUSE I HAVE OR SINCE I HAVE CONFIDENCE
d. THIS IS A CONFIDENCE THAT PAUL HAS DIRECTED TOWARDS GOD
HEBREWS 2:13 (NASB)
13 AND AGAIN, "I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM." AND AGAIN, "BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME."
i. GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN
PSALM 20:7 SOME BOAST IN CHARIOTS AND SOME IN HORSES, BUT WE WILL BOAST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, OUR GOD.
ISAIAH 31:1 WOE TO THOSE WHO GO DOWN TO EGYPT FOR HELP AND RELY ON HORSES, AND TRUST IN CHARIOTS BECAUSE THEY ARE MANY AND IN HORSEMEN BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY STRONG, BUT THEY DO NOT LOOK TO THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, NOR SEEK THE LORD!
ii. GOD IS THE ONLY ABSOLUTE
1. SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY IS NOT TRUSTWORTHY
2. GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT TRUSTWORTHY
3. IN REALITY THEY ARE POOR SUBSTITUTES FOR GOD
IT IS OFTEN TRUE THAT MAN WILL SEEK TO FIND A SUBSTITUTE FOR GOD RATHER THAN SUBMIT TO GOD. WE CAN NEVER HAVE A TRUE CONFIDENCE IN GOD IF WE WILL NOT SUBMIT TO HIM.
JUST THINK, HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD DARE TO BUNGEE JUMP IF THEY DID NOT HAVE CONFIDENCE THE ROPE WOULD HOLD THEM? HMMMM
e. THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONFIDENCE, HOPE AND JOY
i. WHEN WE ARE CONFIDENT OF SOMETHING THEN WE WILL PUT OUR TRUST IN WHAT WE ARE CONFIDENT IN
ii. WHEN WE FIND SOMETHING TO HAVE TRUST IN, THAT PLACING OF TRUST WILL BRING US JOY.
iii. THE PROBLEM TODAY IS WE ARE SUBSTITUTING THINGS FOR GOD, PLACING OUR TRUST IN THEM AND ULTIMATELY WE ARE DISAPPOINTED.
1. WE DO THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN
2. FINALLY WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE WILL NOT RISK THE HURT ANYMORE.
iv. CONFIDENCE IN GOD BREAKS THAT CYCLE
1. PROMISE TO NEVER LEAVE OR FORSAKE US
HEBREWS 13:5 MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHARACTER IS FREE FROM THE LOVE OF MONEY, BEING CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE; FOR HE HIMSELF HAS SAID, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"
2. YOU CAN SEE IN THIS VERSE THAT THE CONFIDENCE WE CAN HAVE IN GOD’S PRESENCE IS IN DIRECT CONTRAST TO THE CONFIDENCE WE SHOULD NOT HAVE IN OTHER THINGS!
f. WE NEED TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE TRULY CONFIDENT WITH THE WORK OF GOD IN OUR LIVES
i. HERE IS HOW WE KNOW WE ARE THERE
ii. WE ARE STILL ENCOURAGED IN WHAT GOD IS ULTIMATELY DOING IN OUR LIVES EVEN WHEN WE COME ACROSS TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY. GOD IS STILL MAKING US PERFECT!
iii. WHEN WE CAN DO THIS WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK!
2. THE FOCUS OF CONFIDENCE
a. PAUL SAYS THE FOCUS OF HIS CONFIDENCE AND THE FOCUS OF OUR CONFIDENCE SHOULD BE GOD.
b. GOD IS DETERMINED TO DO A GOOD WORK IN US
i. WE ARE THE FOCUS OF GOD’S WORK
c. GOD FINISHES WHAT GOD STARTS – THAT IS WHY WE CAN BE CONFIDENT IN HIM
ROMANS 8:38-39 FOR I AM CONVINCED THAT NEITHER DEATH, NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS, NOR PRINCIPALITIES, NOR THINGS PRESENT, NOR THINGS TO COME, NOR POWERS, 39 NOR HEIGHT, NOR DEPTH, NOR ANY OTHER CREATED THING, WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.
JOHN 10:27-28 "MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, AND I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME; 28 AND I GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO THEM, AND THEY WILL NEVER PERISH; AND NO ONE WILL SNATCH THEM OUT OF MY HAND.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-9 WE ARE AFFLICTED IN EVERY WAY, BUT NOT CRUSHED; PERPLEXED, BUT NOT DESPAIRING; 9 PERSECUTED, BUT NOT FORSAKEN; STRUCK DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYED;
2 CORINTHIANS 4:14 KNOWING THAT HE WHO RAISED THE LORD JESUS WILL RAISE US ALSO WITH JESUS AND WILL PRESENT US WITH YOU.
d. SALVATION WAS THE ACT OF GOD TO OBTAIN US AND ALSO THE ACT OF GOD TO REMAIN US
i. THE WORD BEGAN – ENARCHOMAI IN THE GREEK
ii. USED ONLY TWICE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT; HERE AND IN,
GALATIANS 3:3 ARE YOU SO FOOLISH? HAVING BEGUN BY THE SPIRIT, ARE YOU NOW BEING PERFECTED BY THE FLESH?
iii. BOTH USES APPLY TO SALVATION
iv. GOD IS THE FOCUS OF OUR CONFIDENCE BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN HIS WORK IN OUR LIVES SINCE WE CAME TO HIM IN FAITH.
e. GOD HAS DETERMINED TO DO A WORK IN US, AND IS ALL ABOUT DOING IT
ROMANS 8:28-29 (NASB)
28 AND WE KNOW THAT GOD CAUSES ALL THINGS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, TO THOSE WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
29 FOR THOSE WHOM HE FOREKNEW, HE ALSO PREDESTINED TO BECOME CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, SO THAT HE WOULD BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN;
i. THE GOOD WORK GOD HAS DETERMINED IS TO REPRODUCE CHRIST IN US
3. THE JOY IN CONFIDENCE
a. CONFIDENCE IN THE EXTENT OF THE PROCESS
i. BEGAN
ii. UNTIL THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS
1. NOT A REFERENCE TO THE JUDGMENT OF CHRIST
2. RATHER A REFERENCE TO THE RETURN OF CHRIST FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TRUSTED IN HIM.
b. CONFIDENCE IN THE CONTENT OF THE PROCESS
i. THE WORK OF REPRODUCING CHRIST IN US IS CALLED SANCTIFICATION
ii. SANCTIFICATION CAN BE DESIGNED AS: THE PROCESS OF DISCOVERING HOW SINFUL WE ARE AND LEARNING TO TURN TO CHRIST FOR FORGIVENESS AND CLEANSING
c. WHAT THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION DOES TO AND FOR US
i. IT LOWERS OUR OPINION OF OURSELVES
1. ALLOWS US TO SEE OUR WEAKNESSES, FRAILTY AND SINFULNESS
2. ALLOWS TO RELY ON GOD TO A GREATER DEGREE
Job 42:2 "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
ii. WHAT I CANNOT DO IN MY OWN STRENGTH I CAN DO IN GOD’S STRENGTH!
iii. I GAIN GOD’S STRENGTH BY NOT RESISTING THE WORK HE IS DOING IN MY LIFE
THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA SAYS IT THIS WAY, ….”WE COME NOW TO THAT ASPECT WHICH IS CENTRAL FOR CHRISTIAN INTEREST, SANCTIFICATION AS THE MAKING HOLY OF LIFE, NOT BY OUR ACT, BUT BY GOD'S DEED AND BY GOD'S GIFT. IF HOLINESS REPRESENTS THE STATE OF HEART AND LIFE IN CONFORMITY WITH GOD'S WILL, THEN SANCTIFICATION IS THE DEED OR PROCESS BY WHICH THAT STATE IS WROUGHT.”
AND THINK FOR A MOMENT, WHAT BETTER JOY IS THERE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THEN TO BE WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE?
SOME THOUGHTS TO WORK ON:
IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS GOD IS WORKING ON IN YOUR LIFE, YOU NEED TO TRUST THAT GOD IS DOING JUST THAT.
IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON AROUND US, WE ARE THE FOCUS OF GOD’S ATTENTION, DIRECTION, AND ENERGY.
MY JOY AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST IS ENHANCED BY SUBMITTING TO THE WORK OF GOD IN MY LIFE AS A BELIEVER.
