2. The Beginning Series

FROM START TO FINISH

PHILIPPIANS 1:6

2. THE BEGINNING

Introduction:

Philippians 1:6 (NIV) Being confident of this, that HE who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

In the beginning, God—the great Creator of all, the Master Craftsman of whom we spoke last week—God created the heavens and the earth. Before that, only God existed.

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

The rest of the chapter and the next account the genesis… the beginning of our world as all things were created.

Genesis 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Tonight... we would realize that this God who created the world by the might of his power is a master Craftsman who has unlimited skill, unbelievable experience and creativity and impeccable integrity. And best of all, he has good plans for your life and mine. With great love and passion he looks at our lives and wants to make it all good.

Perhaps you started this year with a determination to be different… to be a better person. You’re tired of the same old junk and mess.

Tonight… consider this—just like the world in the beginning… you were created by God but you are living in Genesis 1:2 and not Genesis 1:31. Your life is without form and void—empty. Pointless—without purpose, meaning, direction—without hope and without God. Created by God but empty.

But now God would speak the word in your life, “Let there be light”, and begin working in your life to create through Christ Jesus something beautiful from the chaos..

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Tonight---I want to consider 3 words from our text in Philippians…

I. The Focus of God’s Good Work > YOU

(He who began a good work in YOU)

My friends, God’s work is very personal and intensely focused. He wants to work in YOU and in ME! This is personal and focused. Often it’s easy to look around and say… “Now THEY need help! How can THEY stand to live with themselves?! Can’t THEY see what they’re doing to themselves and to their family? HE is so arrogant. SHE is so vain… thinks she’s better than all of the rest of us. Needs taken down a notch or two. HE needs to get a grip on himself… His drinking problem. SHE has such a rotten attitude… She’s always tearing people down.”

And on and on we go… finding fault and judging others for their sins, failures, addictions, and hang-ups.

JESUS SAYS >> Matthew 7:1-5 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ’Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

You see, my friend, God wants to work in YOU and in Me personally. And if we would be honest, we would have to admit that YOU and I individually stand in need of God’s help.

The BIBLE SAYS >> All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

>> There is none righteous, no not one.

>> All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way.

And if we would strip off the mask and stop hiding behind excuses and pride… we would have to admit to guilt for willful disobedience of God’s laws. We would see the pain and shame caused by our sin.

The good news is that God wants to begin a good work in YOU! You with all of your potential and possibilities and gifts. You, despite each and every sin and selfishness and act of rebellion against Him. God wants to begin a good work in YOU, my friend. He is the Master Craftsman and has good plan for you… plans to bring peace and hope to your life. He has poured out his love on you.