God Finishes What He Starts Series

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.