“The Gospel at Work in You”
Philippians 1:1–11
Ok, I can be honest with myself: I need to lose weight.
This isn’t about vanity—it’s about health. I’ve felt it in my energy levels, my sleep, and the way my clothes fit. I remember back in December thinking, “I really need to get serious about this.”
So I made a plan. I thought, “Don’t be like everybody else and start in January. That’s too cliché. I’ll start in February.”
Then February turned into March. March became April. Now I’m aiming for July.
And let’s just say—I’m still in the “planning phase.”
We laugh, but most of us know what it’s like to start something with good intentions… and never finish. A fitness plan. A prayer habit. A reconciliation attempt. A calling. We mean well—but life, discouragement, and distraction all get in the way.
That’s why I am so thankful that Jesus is better at following through than I am.
Paul puts it beautifully in Philippians 1:6:
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
That one verse gives me hope—not because I’m good at sticking with the plan, but because He is.
He doesn’t give up halfway. He doesn’t stall out. He doesn’t abandon the work.
If God started something in you—He intends to finish it.
So if you’ve ever felt stuck in your faith, stalled in your growth, or just unsure of where you stand with God, Paul has a word for you today:
The Gospel isn’t just how you begin—it’s how you keep going. And it’s how you’ll finish.
Let’s begin with this truth:
The Gospel begins the work.
Philippians 1
New International Version
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 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.7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Point 1 – The Gospel Begins the Work
Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work in you…”
I want you to imagine Paul in a Roman prison cell.
He’s chained up, cut off from the churches he loves, uncertain what the next day might hold. And yet, he sits down to write—not a complaint, not a resignation letter—but a letter full of joy and confidence. And in the opening section, he writes these powerful words:
“I am confident of this: He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Paul’s reminding his friends in Philippi of something they may have forgotten in the middle of conflict and pressure:
God started this. Not you. And God finishes what He starts.
I remember when I was in my late teens/very early 20’s—I knew I needed God. I really did.
But I also knew myself. I knew my habits. I knew my inconsistencies. I knew how often I started things and didn’t finish them.
I didn’t have a plan.
But God had a plan.
And that’s how grace works.
Grace doesn’t wait for us to have it all together.
Grace doesn’t ask for a five-year spiritual strategy.
Grace starts showing up before we even know we’re being pursued.
That’s what Paul is saying here: the good work that’s happening in you? God is the One who started it. Long before you understood it. Long before you said “yes” with clarity. Long before you felt qualified.
In our tradition, we call that prevenient grace—grace that goes before. Grace that draws us in when we aren’t even looking. Grace that nudges us toward the light even when we’re still sitting in the dark.
Some of you may be here today and you’re not even sure why. You didn’t plan to be here. You just showed up. You’re not sure what you believe or where you stand. But something—or maybe Someone—has been stirring inside you.
Let me tell you what that is:
That’s not guilt. That’s not coincidence.
That’s grace. That’s God beginning a good work.
And if He started it… He’s not walking away.
Point 2 – The Gospel Sustains the Work
“…will carry it on…” (Philippians 1:6)
God begins the good work, yes. But Paul doesn’t stop there.
He says something even more personal. Even more comforting. He says,
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on…”
Carry it.
I’ve thought about that word a lot. Because if I’m honest—starting something is one thing. Carrying it? That’s the part that wears you down.
I’ve started a lot of things over the years. Goals. Habits. Journals. Diets. Ministries.
But somewhere in the middle, when the results don’t come as fast as I want… I start to lose steam.
Anybody else?
And sometimes—maybe even more often than we’re willing to admit—faith feels that way too.
There have been seasons in my life when I was doing everything “right,” and still felt off.
Dry.
Tired.
Disconnected.
I remember one stretch—years ago—where I’d still show up. Still preach. Still pray with people.
But inside? I felt flat. Like I was pouring out of an empty pitcher.
There were no big moral failures. I wasn’t running from God.
But I also wasn’t chasing Him.
And yet… I still had this quiet sense that I hadn’t been abandoned.
There was a stillness that somehow stayed with me.
It’s hard to explain, but I think you might know what I mean.
That quiet presence that doesn’t push you, but it doesn’t let go either.
It was as if God was saying, “You’re not holding this up. I am.”
That’s what Paul is telling the Philippians from prison.
He's saying:
“I know it feels like things are shaky. I know there’s pressure, conflict, uncertainty. But don’t forget—God didn’t just start this in you. He’s carrying it.”
And what a difference that makes.
Because we’ve all had moments when we wonder, “Have I fallen too far behind? Should I be further along by now? Is this still working in me?”
Paul says yes.
Because the Gospel doesn’t depend on how tightly you’re holding onto God—it depends on how tightly He’s holding onto you.
I love how Paul will later write in this same letter:
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling…”
But then he adds, “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act…”
It’s not one or the other.
Yes, we walk. Yes, we keep showing up.
But all the while, He’s the One carrying the weight.
If I could paint the picture, I’d say it’s kind of like a moving walkway at the airport. You’re still walking—but something underneath you is doing the real work of moving you forward.
There’s grace beneath your feet.
Even when you don’t feel it. Even when you forget it’s there.
So hear me:
If you’re in that “middle place”…
If your prayers are quiet… if your faith feels like work… if you’re still here, but not sure how…
You are not a failure.
You are not forgotten.
You’re not even off-track.
You’re being carried.
And the One who began a good work in you—He’s not asking you to finish it alone.
He’s sustaining you. Quietly. Faithfully. Day by day.
Point 3 – The Gospel Will Complete the Work
“…until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
Paul says God began the good work.
Then he says God is the one carrying it.
But he doesn’t stop there.
“…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Completion.
That’s a big word.
And if I’m being honest, it’s one I’ve struggled with at times—because I know what it feels like to be stuck in process.
Most days, I don’t feel “complete.” I feel in progress.
I still wrestle with old habits, old fears.
I still have moments of insecurity and frustration.
I’ve said it before—“Lord, I thought I’d be past this by now.”
Can you relate?
We live in a world that celebrates polished endings—finish lines, before-and-after photos, graduation caps thrown in the air.
But real spiritual growth doesn’t always look like that. Sometimes it looks like slow obedience. Quiet faith. Lingering questions. A hundred small acts of trust that nobody else sees.
And yet—Paul’s confidence in this verse is unshakable.
He’s not crossing his fingers. He’s not saying, “Hopefully, if you behave…”
No. He says:
“God will complete it.”
When I read those words, I don’t just hear theology—I hear reassurance.
Paul’s not trying to pressure us into doing more—he’s giving us permission to breathe.
He’s saying, “The story isn’t finished yet. But it’s not over. And it’s not in your hands to complete.”
It belongs to God.
And He’s already set the finish line in place: “The day of Christ Jesus.”
That phrase—“the day of Christ”—shows up all through Paul’s letters. It’s his way of reminding us that this story is heading somewhere.
History isn’t wandering. Your life isn’t random.
God is bringing it all somewhere beautiful and whole and right.
There’s a day coming—Paul says—when Jesus will return in glory, and everything will be made new.
Not just the world out there, but the world inside of you.
And on that day, you won’t be unfinished anymore.
You won’t be carrying guilt or regret or questions.
You won’t be wondering if you were ever enough.
Because the One who began a good work in you…
The One who has been carrying you, step by step…
He will finish the story.
Personal Reflection:
I think of people I’ve pastored who never saw themselves as “spiritual giants.”
They didn’t have dramatic testimonies or public ministries.
But they kept showing up. They prayed when they didn’t feel like it.
They served when no one noticed. They gave faithfully. They loved their neighbor.
And in the final season of their life, you could see it: something in them had settled.
There was peace. A quiet joy. Like they were leaning toward that Day—because they knew their story wasn’t ending in disappointment.
They trusted the finisher.
So if you’re here today and wondering, “Is God still working in me?”
If you feel unfinished, rough around the edges, still too far from where you want to be…
You’re not behind. You’re not broken. You’re not forgotten.
You are becoming.
And the One who started this in you—He will finish it.
Not with shame. Not with scolding. But with glory.
And on the day of Christ Jesus… you’ll be whole.
Closing: Trust the Storyteller
So let’s go back to that verse—just one verse.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
It’s one sentence. But it holds a whole life in it.
A beginning you didn’t orchestrate.
A middle you don’t have to carry alone.
An ending that’s already secure.
Maybe you came in today feeling behind.
Maybe you’ve started things and let them fall apart.
Maybe, like me, your 2025 resolution is still in the “planning stage.”
But here’s what I want you to leave with:
The pressure isn’t on you to finish the work. It’s on the One who loves you.
Story:
I once heard someone say:
“God is a better author than I am an editor.”
I think that’s true. Because I can look back on seasons of my life that felt like a mess in the moment—full of delays, doubts, even dead ends.
But with time and grace, I can now see: He was still writing.
There were no wasted lines.
No discarded chapters.
Just a good work… still in progress.
And the same is true for you.
Invitation to Respond:
So here’s the question I want to leave with you:
Are you trusting the One who started your story… to finish it?
You may not feel strong.
You may not have a clear plan.
You may even feel stuck in the middle.
But you are not forgotten.
You are not too far gone.
And you are not done.
The Gospel isn’t just how we begin.
It’s how we live.
And one day, it will be how we rise—whole, healed, and finished in Christ.
And until that day… He will carry you.
Altar Call: “For Everyone Still in the Middle”
I want to invite you into a moment of honesty before God.
We’ve talked today about a good work that God begins, a good work He carries, and a good work He promises to finish.
And maybe right now, you're somewhere in the middle.
Maybe you’ve felt stuck.
Maybe you’ve been drifting.
Maybe you’ve started to believe the lie that God has forgotten you… or that you’ve fallen too far behind.
But the same God who began the work in you…
The same God who carried Paul through prison…
The same God who has carried the Church for 2,000 years…
He is here today. And He is still carrying you.
So if you need to say:
“Lord, I’m tired, but I want to keep trusting You…”
“I’ve drifted, but I want to come back…”
“I’m broken, but I believe You’re still working…”
…then I want to invite you to come.
This altar is not a place of shame—it’s a place of surrender.
It’s not about having the right words—it’s about bringing an open heart.
You’re not here by accident.
You didn’t start this journey on your own.
And you don’t have to carry it alone anymore.
He who began a good work in you will carry it on—
if you’ll let Him.
So come—let today be the day you stop trying to finish the story on your own…
and you let the Author do what only He can do.
Come as you are.
Come and rest in the hands of the One who finishes what He starts.
Closing Prayer:
Gracious God,
Thank You for being the One who starts the work in us—long before we even realize it.
Thank You for being the One who carries us, especially when we feel too weak to walk.
And thank You for the promise that You will complete the good work You began.
For every heart that came forward today—for every story still being written—we trust You.
We surrender the fear of not being enough.
We release the pressure to prove ourselves.
And we rest in the confidence that You are not done with us yet.
Keep shaping us.
Keep refining us.
Keep us anchored in the Gospel—until the day we see You face to face.
In the strong and faithful name of Jesus we pray,
Amen.
