Sermon Central
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Preparing To Build - Part 7 Series
Contributed by Jonathan Falwell on Aug 23, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: Good Intentions vs Genuine Commitment
Seeing The Vision
Good Intentions vs Genuine Commitment
Today, we are continuing in our series, Preparing To Build…Seeing The Vision…Living The Dream! Today we are getting very close the completion of our building project. We are getting closer and closer to that final product, to that dream, of what we want to build. We are so excited about what we are doing. We are so excited about being able to finish what we’ve been working on.
Today, you’ll notice that we are in the finishing stages. The roof is on, the walls are up, this thing is almost done. However, one of the most important elements of where we are right now is in the finishing touches. You see, it’s not that tough to nail the boards together, it’s not that tough to slap on some plywood. What is incredibly tough and incredibly important to the value of what we build, is how well we do the finish work.
Last week, we talked about not losing our focus of where we are headed. Of not losing focus of the finish line. We must stay committed to the project, committed to the job at hand. We talked about how the END IS WORTH THE BEGINNING!
Today, we talk about how to hit the finish line. How do we complete the work we’ve set out to do? How do we make sure that what we dreamed about, what we planned on doing, what we’ve been talking about, actually happens?
Our theme verse for this series has been:
1Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Steadfast, immovable in the word of God. Being anchored on Christ, the solid rock, our foundation. Notice that being anchored in Christ is a choice that we make. The verse doesn’t tell us that we will be steadfast and immovable, the verse tells us that we SHOULD be steadfast and immovable. In other words, how we finish, how we complete the job, is completely dependent on us!
That commitment to follow through is critical if we are to have victory in Christ. That commitment to finish the race, to finish well, is vital to the results we will see. We will not see victory, we will not see our vision or our dreams come true, unless and until we do the finish work…according to God’s plan.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you about the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. How in John 6:66 it says: From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Why? Because they lacked the commitment to follow through. They lacked the commitment to finish the work. They lacked the commitment finish well.
Last week, I told you about Demas. How in Colossians, he was a faithful worker with Paul. How in Philemon, he was still a faithful worker. But then, in 2 Timothy 4:10, it states that: for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed…
What happened? Demas lacked the commitment to follow through. He lacked the commitment to finish the work. He lacked the commitment to finish well.
Another example, Judas. We all know that Judas was a disciple. He was following Christ. But then, it says in Luke 22, that Satan entered Judas. And the rest is history. How did Satan enter Judas? Because Judas wasn’t focused on the finish line. He lacked the genuine commitment to finish the work. He lacked the commitment to finish well.
In fact, if you read through 1 and 2 Timothy, you will notice an interesting fact regarding the believers of that day. You’ll notice that many lacked the genuine commitment to finish well.
I Timothy 1:6 “…some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk.”
I Timothy 1:19 “… some having rejected the faith and have suffered shipwreck.”
I Timothy 4:1 “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”
I Timothy 6:10 “….some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
“Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.”
Now, listen to his description about believers’ commitment level to Christ in II Timothy at the end of his life:
II Timothy 1:15 “As you know, all from the province of Asia has deserted me.”
II Timothy 4:16 “At my defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me.”
It started the “some”…then it waned to “all.”
Why? Because they lacked Genuine Commitment.
So, we know that in order to complete the dream, in order to finish the project, in order to get the job done right, we must be genuinely committed to the finish line.
