TITLE: IT IS FINISHED
SCRIPTURE: ST. JOHN 19:30a
I want to use the “A-CLAUSE” of this very familiar text this morning as I bring my first sermon of this New Year. I want to place my focus upon the words spoken by Jesus, however; our attention will be on the IMAGERY OF THE VERSE WITHOUT DIRECT REGARD TO ITS CONTEXT. Want to thank Rev. Frank W. Lawson, Sr. for delivering such a powerful sermon last week on the first day and first Sunday of this New Year. He provided us with the focus that we need as we embark upon another journey together in the year 2012.
So here we are, at the second Sunday of 2012. I wonder how we’ll do this Year? Will we be as busy? Will we make any better use of our time? In 357 days, when this year is over, will we be looking back with JOY, or with REGRET? Will we be looking at the future with ANTICIPATION, or with DREAD?
To answer these questions, I will continue to build upon the PATH that Rev. Lawson began to lay on last week. I call your attention to the word spoken by Jesus – FINISHED. Finishing! This is one of the HARDEST THINGS FOR MAN TO DO. Man is a great starter, we are quick to embark upon things that need to be done but lack the strength many times to carry it through. Man though his intentions are TRUE and SINCERE lacks the ability to finish what he starts. MAX LUCADO - states that, “Our Human tendency is to quit too soon our human tendency is to stop before we get to the finish-line.”
I know that we don’t like to admit it but our inability to finish what we start is seen in the smallest of things like:
• A partly mowed lawn
• A half read book
• A letter begun but never completed
• An abandoned diet
• A car up on blocks
• Or it shows up in the most painful of areas: like an abandoned child
• A cold faith
• A job hopper
• A wrecked marriage
• An Unevangelized world
As we begin the initial stages of this year we need to have a CLEAR FOCUS as to where we are heading. In our life we are TEMPTED TO QUIT so many times because of the odds and enemies that have come to STOP OUR SUCCESS in God. We have allowed too many OBSTACLES to hinder our SUCCESS. I believe that too many of us are here this morning and feel like QUITTING - remember that JESUS WAS TEMPTED in every point as we are - yet without quitting! He felt like quitting but pressed to victory. It is Finished is not a cry of defeat but a cry of RELIEF – VICTORY – FULFILLMENT.
We have played right into the hands of the Adversary. ST. JOHN 10:10 “THE THEIF COMETH NOT, BUT FOR TO STEAL AND TO KILL, AND TO DESTROY: I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, AND THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY.” We get defeated in the “a-clause” of this verse and never make it to what God has in store for us which is an Abundant life. We were defeated by the devil last Year:
• Stole somebody’s Joy Last Year
• Killed someone’s Dreams and Desires Last Year
• Destroyed someone’s Destiny and Goals Last Year
How many of us this morning NEED A NEW START DURING THIS NEW YEAR? Many of us here have made many MISTAKES along the way in our lives as Christians. We have experienced many SETBACKS and FAILURES during last year. We allowed the devil to Fool us – to Trick us and Defeat us. We have allowed some of our failures from last year to ENSLAVE US to the point that we never enjoy the full Christian life that God has given us to enjoy.
Here is a NEWS FLASH - The Devil will REMIND US OF OUR PAST in order to keep us from enjoying the life that God gave us to live. The Devil does not want you to have a fresh start in this New Year. Made sure you did not Finish Last Year Strong, therefore; cannot start this Year on a High Note. That’s why he continues to remind you of all that you did wrong last year so you will START RIGHT AND FINISH WRONG.
• We can’t get a breakthrough on Sunday Mornings because of the Past
• We can’t shout on Sunday Mornings because of the Past
• We can’t even Wave our Hand because all we see is our Past
• We can’t even smile most Sunday Mornings because of the Past
• We can’t get into the message on Sunday Mornings because of the Past
We need to understand that GOD IS FAR MORE INTERESTED IN OUR FUTURE THAN HE IS IN OUR PAST. Some people think that God is stuck on their past. That all He wants to do is remind them of the things that they have done wrong.
• God is more interested in your future than He is with your past
• That’s where you’re going to spend the rest of your life
• God wants you to spend it in the Future
• What He has in store for you
Perhaps that is where you are this morning. You are focusing so much on Last Year that you can’t see the Possibilities that are before you this Year. You feel that you have made so many mistakes - you have failed God so many times that this Year already looks like last year – 2011.
• Just when God was about to Bless you last year – You Quit
• Just when the Angels showed up with a Blessing with Your Name on It – You Quit
• Just when we were about to round the curve in our life and get a glimpse of the Finish Line – we Quit
• The devil wants to ensure we do it all over again this year
Other people can HURT us, other people can HARM us, and other people can SCAR us. But the only person that can hinder your life from moving forward is You. NOBODY CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. You have a choice and that is you can choose how you’re going to respond to those hurts. The Bible says that the starting point is to just be honest and accept responsibility for my part in my failure to go forward. PROVERBS 28:13 “HE THAT COVERETH HIS SINS SHALL NOT PROSPER: BUT WHOSO CONFESSETH AND FORSAKETH THEM SHALL HAVE MERCY.”
You get a fresh start this New Year. The starting point to starting over is to be honest and face up to the problems, that most of the problems in my life, most of the failures, are my fault. It is hard to get people to admit when they are wrong.
• People do not like to admit, “ I made a mistake, and I blew it ”
• God says, “That if we admit the mistake, if we admit our failures, and if we admit our sin, then we get another chance to move forward in this life
We must have the attitude as we move into this New Year that It Is Finished. Whatever I went through last year - It Is Finished. Can I FOOTNOTE here for a minute? THE WAY YOU THINK, DETERMINES THE WAY YOU FEEL. That’s why the adversary is always ATTACKING OUR MIND.
• And the way you feel determines the way you act
• If you want to change where you are in life, just change the way you think and it will inevitably change your landscape
• If you are depressed, discouraged and distressed it may be because you’re thinking depressed, discouraged and distressing thoughts
• That’s your choice
• You don’t have to think those thoughts
• If you’re acting in fearful, worried ways it’s because you’re thinking fearful, worried thoughts
• It will keep you Down and missing all that God has in store for you this year
If I have to refocus my thoughts to start over to get a fresh start, that means I have to stop thinking some old patterns. Which memories are you still rehearsing that keep you from having a fresh start already this year? You have to say It Is Finished. Let go of those things. The more you hold on to that memory, the more you rehearse it, it continues to stunt your spiritual growth. You have to change your mind and let go and get rid of those painful, hurtful memories of shame and guilt and other things. You have held on to them long enough – It Is Finished.
We must not allow ourselves to be bogged down by our past failures any longer. Dwelling on our past will stop us from moving forward into all that God has in store for us this Year. I believe that the start of the New Year is a good time for us to rise to that challenge.
Perhaps there are some things we are holding on to this morning some things we regret that we did last year. We’ve all experienced regret over the past. It takes many forms:
• Regret over relationships
• Regret over divorce
• Regret over broken relationships of all kinds
• Regret over bad career moves, missed business opportunities, poor vocational choices
• Regret at not following God’s call
• In general, regret over all kinds of sins and their consequences
Regret is also unhealthy when it leads to an ATTITUDE OF HOPELESSNESS. "What difference does it make? I’ve already messed up. I’ve already destroyed God’s plan for my life. No matter how hard I work, I can never have anything more than SECOND BEST. So why even try?" The result of this attitude can be just giving ourselves over to do anything we want, including sin, with no attempt to obey God. Why follow God, or why keep his commands, when the good life He had planned for us is out of reach, lost forever because of our sin?
Let’s ensure that we don’t carry our BAGGAGE into the New Year. Let’s ensure that we are Finished With It. Perhaps you are still struggling with That GRUDGE you have been holding onto – Let It Go. Leave it in 2011. A grudge is an UNFORGIVING SPIRIT THAT LEADS TO UNFORGIVING ATTITUDES AND UNFORGIVING ACTIONS.
• Harboring a grudge is about nursing a dislike for someone
• What you need to know is that grudges are dangerous because they are destructive
• Grudges destroy marriages
• Grudges break up families
• Grudges ruin friendships
• Grudges split churches
Let’s be honest enough to admit that one of the scandals of the Church is the grudges that Christians hold against one another. Today if you know you are holding a grudge against someone, then God has something to say to you. He says “It Is Finished.” I want to remind you that grudges are not just destructive they are also SELF-DESTRUCTIVE. When you hold a grudge against someone you will hurt yourself as much and perhaps more than you will hurt the person you are holding it against.
You have to let it go – leave it behind in last year (2011). This does not mean that the Pain did not happen - does not mean we pretend it did not happen. God does not ask us to condone it, to pretend it didn’t matter. What God asks you to do is to FORGIVE THE GRIEVANCE. That means to acknowledge how wrong and painful what was done to you was but to decide to forgive person who did the wrong to you.
I am absolutely certain that there are people here who need to give up their grudges and forgive the grievance they have against someone else.
• Some of you need to forgive the grievance you have against your parents for what they did or didn’t do
• Some of you need to forgive your children for the same reason
• Some of you need to forgive a partner for emotional or physical abuse
• Some of you need to give up the grudge you have against someone at work because of the way they have treated you
• Some of you need to give up the grudge that stems from an argument you had with someone
• Some of you probably need to give up grudges you have against other people in this congregation
• God says in His Word that the deep-seated resentment you have against that person has to go
• What better time to make that difficult decision to forgive than the start of a new year?
• Just say It Is Finished
God has great things in store for you in this New Year of 2012! – IF YOU WANT THEM. But unless you reach out and take them they’ll never be yours. All of 2012 belongs to you, it’s yours and it’s there if you want it. No matter what your past may be your FUTURE IS SPOTLESS. Don’t dwell on the challenges of last year. We were watching the FIESTA BOWL and everyone was Cheering for Oklahoma State Cowboys except for one person as we enjoyed the game at my parents home. Cowboys never lead for the entire game, trailed and continued to rally back but never take the lead. The game appeared to be over and due to a missed field goal attempt by the opponents the game went into Overtime. Once again the Oklahoma State Cowboys looked as though they would be defeated. The opposing team missed another field goal, the Cowboys would take possession and quickly score and win the FIESTA BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP.
Understand my point, which is not about being an OU or OSU fan – it is about Never Giving Up in spite of what it looks like. 2011 May have Knocked You Down, but it did not Knock You Out. The Adversary Threw his best shot, but here you are. IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL GOD SAYS IT’S OVER. All that we went through last year we can say like MARVIN SAPP:
• When I look Back Over All You Bought Me Through
• I’m Stronger
• I’m Wiser
• I’m Better
• So Much Better
• Just Say It’s Over
• Just Say, I’m Glad It Is Finished
Each new year is a representative thing. It represents to us that there is a whole range of NEW OPPORTUNITIES for us; an unlimited chance to have a better life. This New Year is PREGNANT WITH POSSIBILITIES. So many times we hear Christians say, this year will be like all the Rest, nothing changes. I encourage you DON’T BEGIN THIS YEAR ALREADY DEFEATED.
-Whatever baggage you had last year, leave it there – It Is Finished
-Whatever hang-ups you dealt with last year, leave it there – It Is Finished
-Whatever disappointments slowed you down – It Is Finished
-Whatever Crosswords hurt and stagnated your progress – It Is Finished
-Whatever Disappointments came your way – It Is Finished
-May have lost a lot last Year, stop dwelling on it – It Is Finished
-Still Hurt by the way the talked about you last year - It Is Finished
-Mistakes that you made and will have to deal with, deal with it – It Is Finished
-Friends walked out on you – It Is Finished
-Relationship ended poorly - It Is Finished
-Bad Choices and Decisions you made, did not kill you – It Is Finished
-Still feel bad about Cussing that Person out, you’re still Saved – It Is Finished
-Don’t Carry Your Mess into this New Year – It Is Finished
-Dwelling on your aches and Pains, You Shall Live and Not Die – It Is Finished
-No more Tears – It Is Finished
-No more Complaints – It Is Finished
-No more Headaches – It Is Finished
-No more Sleepless Nights - It Is Finished
