THE FINISHING TOUCH
Luke Chapter 14 vs 28-30
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish.
A I look around this church this morning I see what God has given us all. A beautiful place to come and worship God in.
I have walked around, and I have seen how nice to have all the things we do have.
But… God has shown has also shown me there are things here that are just not finished yet. There are still more work to be done and this morning I would like to bring forth and say to this church,
WE NEED SOME FINISHING TOUCHES HERE!
3 things God has pointed out to me that needs to be finished.
#1- As I walked in here this morning, I noticed the DOORS; they need some more work that needs to be done to them. They need some finishing touches to them.
For one thing those doors need sinners to come through them.
Have you noticed that doors open for people to come in and also for people to walk out. One thing is we should always make sure those doors will open.
Have we neglected the fact that doors also keep people shut out, by locking them and I am not talking about the key and lock system but how we treat and invite those that do come through those doors for rest and understanding.
I also said those doors need to open outward and when they do those doors needs servants of God walking out through those doors.
Churches today never look at the doors as a pathway for God’s work. Listen church, that’s the first thing people look at as the enter the house of God here, those doors.
Let’s look at the sinner’s that come in through those doors and provide them with love and prayer and comfort, let them know we are here for them in their time of mercy and salvation.
They are without God! Without Salvation, without that inner peace that dwells in the heart of every born-again Christian. The first and hardest part for any sinner is to grab those handle or knob to those doors of this church.
Wonder why many od us call unsaved people, Lost? Because they do not know where they are going. Somehow, by the grace of God they have found those doors and entered them.
As far as doors go, we need to make sure they can open both ways, in and out. They need God servants to go out those doors and tell people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Listen church, most churches only want those doors to open one way! And that is just to walk in those doors.
Do we all want to just sit back and say, “God sends lost sinners to us”, I’m sorry church it doesn’t work that way, God will bless us when we start to put forth an effort that will bring sinners in through those doors.
WE are called of God to go out and spread the Gospel.
HOLD ON PREACHER… You mean I am going to make time other than Sundays to go about God’s business?
Listen… The answer is easy and should be clear and if you have not heard anything I have said yet, listen closely, Yes, it is, make yourself available to God other than just on Sundays.
Asl yourself this question, do I walk out those doors and want to be a servant of God? Do you want to see sinners come through those doors and knell at these alters and give their life to God?
Those people lives will be changed for eternity church, eternity!
Listen, these doors are not finished, they still need some work done to them. Oil those hinges, make sure they can swing both ways free and easy. Every time you walk past those doors, listen, make sure you are doing Gods will, make sure you go out those doors as a servant for God.
#2 – I noticed that we need some finishing touches on the pews here.
Look around here this morning, do you see any pews that are empty? I see quite a few that are empty.
Those pews needs some work to them by filling them up with people that are seeking God, praying to God, serving God.
I’m sure when the original builders of this church was in the process of building this church, they were deciding just how many pews that they were needing for this church.
I feel they counted up the members then and then look at how many pews it would take to seat them, then they said to one another we need to add more pews for the new members that God will send our way, we need more pews.
As I have preached in churches, I have noticed most Baptist sit near the back of the church, then I ask myself, wonder why they put so many pews so close to the front then.
I had this one lady tell me that the reason Baptist church do this is we like to site at the front of the church…notice where the front of the church is preacher. I look and she was correct, the front was right pat the last pews in the auditorium…
This church needs more work on the pews here. I would love to see every inch of these pews being used.
Hey, you used good money to purchase them, so you might as well get some use out of them.
I have also visited other churches and I have sat near the front and found they had cushions on them, and they were really soft. The wood on the top rails and the outside of those pews looks shiny, just like new. They did not have any scuffs or scratches
I’ll even say you will not have to bend left or right to see the preacher from all those in front of you.
Plus, after a few years, those middle to back pews, that padding on them pews are worn down and you begin sliding back and forth trying to find a soft spot on that pews.
You know if we could finish those final touches on those pews they would all wear out at the same time. Then we could order new ones, all of them at one time.
How do we finish those final touches on those pews?
Great question… first by making sure those doors are finished up and they swing easy. Then making sure they swing out where we can go out and invite people in to sit on these pews.
Also those pews need availability. We need to make ourselves available to God for him to begin working in and through us and to finish what was started here!
In Verse 30, the Bible says, “This man began to build and was not able to finish”
Oh church, what a lost
What a difference this church could be if we were just available to finish what was started here years ago. You may even know or have family members who started building this church, they built it because God called them to do it. Let’s not finish their labor.
They laid the foundation, they built the walls, they built the roof, all we need to do is make sure those pews are filled that they put in for those people.
Let’s be able to finish what they began.
Look what happens if you do not finish what was started, look in Verse 29,
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Church let us never put this church in that position to be mocked at. Let this community know that Union D Baptist Church finishes what they start!!!
I want us to all pray that the doors here work and that the pews are used.
#3- I have seen that this church still needs to put that finishing touch on the ALTER.
These alters needs people who adore Jesus. These alters needs sinners giving their lives to Jesus.
These alters need to have tear stains on them from loved ones pouring their heart and soul out to God.
These alters needs to have imprints of hands and knees as they bring their burdens and cares to our loving Lord.
Let me tell you something here , These alters is not only for the lost sinners to come to Jesus, these alters are for every saint of God that needs that care, warmth and time before God in His house.
These alters needs men, women, boy and girls to pray for God love and mercy to sweep over and through them.
These alters needs members to bow and pray for this church that it will never fail our Lord, it will never fail this community, it will never fail the needs of anyone that needs a touch of God!
These alters need people in it to finish it!
There was this certain church I was in, you would never find one small spot where that alter was not worn out from some saint of God praying. There were stains of tears from those saints of God praying over a matter or a person. There were stains of happiness, joy, and excitement from those that gave God everything they had to follow Him.
Those alters were being used, they were getting those finishing touches.
These alters here needs to be worked on, they are not finished yet. They are way too soft, there are not enough tear stains from some saint crying out to God to move on them or on some certain request they were bringing forth.
Oh preacher if I go down there, people will think I have done something wrong, that I’m a sinner!
First off let me tell you, we are all sinners saved the blood of Jesus.
Second thing is if God moved you to come to these alters to pray over a matter that is burdening you about yourself, a loved one or just a person God has placed upon your heart, then you are allowing God to stir you soul and to use you for God’s purpose.
If God is calling you to come to this alter and you hold back and grab that seat where you are sitting, God’s calling this upon your heart, I’m telling you right now… all you have done is tell God you are not listening or just tell him NO!!!!!!
Listen… I have been in a meeting where just one saint of God went down to pray for another and suddenly that sweet sweeping wind of the Holy Ghost starts to get ahold of people and before I could even count to ten, a revival broke out. Over just one saint of God moving on what God put in their heart!
People start coming forth and souls are being saved, lives are being put back together, man it is the closest thing this side of heaven and it all got started by just one person minding God and getting to this alter. You see God has all of this planned out, He just needs us to abide in what He desires in us.
Another thing I have noticed in the Bible, every time someone has gotten at the feet of Jesus, when they get down at his feet, something great happens. I can’t remember a time in the Bible when someone got at the feet of Jesus that it did not move Jesus with compassion. He moved upon that person, and it moved them for what they needed.
These alters needs God loving, soul winning, thrill to the bone Christians in these alters. I think God can move anytime or anyplace in a service when we get down at the feet of Jesus.
I will tell you right now, these alters are open anytime during the service, it doesn’t have to be at the end, beginning but anytime God tells you to get in these alters, do it, obey God.
I’m not about to stop what God wants to happen in a service. There is a reason why God is pulling that person you down here, I’ll start getting happy, I might even start jumping, man this is when everyone should know God is moving!
I’m tired of just playing church. We need to get into an old fashion God felt,
God praising,
God fearing,
God saving, God loving,
God moving of the Holy Ghost revival church!
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Theses alters needs to be finished
These doors need to be finished
These pews need to be finished
These verses I read to you this morning, He began to build and wasn’t able to finish.
Are you all just going to go home this morning and think to yourself, I will let someone else finish the work that began here years ago.
OR…. Are you going to say, “Lord, you did not quit on me, and I am going to make sure those doors are working, I am going to adjust them where sinners can come in and servants can go out.
I am willing to get those pews filled also. Those that began this church put them in for a reason and that was for people to sit in them, I do not want these pews to go unfinished.
This morning is your chance to help get these alters finished. I need people here to help me and help this community and to help those that are lost and without God to come and pray for these things this morning.
This church is beautiful, but it’s just not finished yet!
We can get at the feet of Jesus and Jesus will be moved with compassion.
Let us finish what was started here. The cost of not doing that could mean a soul is going to Hell. I never want that to happen here at this church.
Church, Verse 30, the Bible says, “This man began to build and was not able to finish”
Do not let us be that man. Let us be able to finish what began long years ago.
