What He Starts He Will Finish

Text:

Philippians 1:3-6:

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

 

Theme:

What He Starts He Will Finish

 

Introduction:

• The Epistle to the Philippians was written by Paul during the two years when he was “in bonds” in Rome, probably early in the year A.D. 62 or in the end of 61. The church at Philippi, of Macedonia, was the first-fruits of European Christianity.
  • Therefore, Paul was close to the church in Philippi, as he frequently writes, and the church in Philippi was close to him.
  • Although a typically poor community, the church at Philippi alone of all the churches helped him by their contributions, which he gratefully acknowledges.
    • The least giving the most
    • The fewest giving the greatest
    • There’s always the faithful few!
  • Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian church as a point of encouragement to a well-established congregation.
    • Walking the path of Truth and Righteousness can be a toilsome journey and leave you weak.
    • We need the Word of God to revive us!!
• Our text is the portion of scripture that presents Paul sharing and intimate moment with his small, fledgling church in Philippi.
  • Verse 3 à “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,”
    • Paul is THANKFUL for them…how often can we say that about other folks
  • Verse 4 à “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,”
    • Paul comforts them that he keeps them in his PRAYERs
  • Verse 5 à “For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;”
    • Paul has always desired their FELLOWSHIP in Christ!!!!!
  • Then Paul shares a powerful Word with the church in Philippi in Verse 6…
    • “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
      • Insightfully spoken, Paul knew that they were getting tired and doubted their being able to “keep it up”.
      • The Bible offers encouragement like this in many well-known scriptures:
        • Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
        • Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
        • Psalms 30:5, “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
        • Matthew 10:22, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
      • But, this scripture of our text is very unique in that it references our START and our FINISH
        • START à We all know where we came from!
          • Birth à Psalms 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
          • Rebirth à Psalms 18:19 (2Samuel 22:20), “He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.”
        • FINISH à We have to know where we are trying to go…HEAVEN!
          • James 1:12, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
• At this verse we find our struggle…I have started but will I finish???
  • First of all let us pay homage to the old gospel tune that addresses this concern… “I’m Going Through”

I’m going through, yes, I’m going through;

I’ll pay the price, whatever others do;

I’ll take the way with the Lord’s despised few.

….I’ve started in Jesus, and I’m going through.

• The old warriors knew that they were “Going Through”…but HOW DID THEY KNOW

• It is easy to say that WE MADE IT, but it is sometimes hard to proclaim that I WILL MAKE IT!
  • Once again we find Paul’s words…

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

• We know now from these wisdoms of letter and song that…

WHAT GOD STARTS GOD WILL FINISH!!!

Body:

• The first point to note is that our START and FINISH are in God!!
  • Revelation 22:13, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
    • God is Alpha and Omega
      • God is the start and the finish as in the Greek alphabet…starting with ALPHA and finishing with OMEGA
    • God is the Beginning and the End
      • Beginning à Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
      • End à 1Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
    • God is the First and the Last
      • Isaiah 44:6, “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
  • Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
    • Jesus is the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our FAITH
      • Author à Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe….”
      • Finisher
        • 1Peter 1:9, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
        • 2Timothy 3:15, “….salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
• The second point to note is IF our START and FINISH are without God
  • Without God life gets WORSE!!!
    • 2Peter 2:20, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”
• The third point to note is WHEN our START and FINISH are with God
  • With God life gets BETTER!!!
    • As Job can testify, sometimes it has to get worse BEFORE it gets better!
      • Job 42:12, “So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.”
    • Be encouraged! It’s gonna get better!!!
      • Romans 8:28, “And we know (e.g. “being confident”) that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
      • Ecclesiastes 7:8, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
    • With God, we can say as the old hymn says…it is SWEETER THAN THE DAY BEFORE!!

 Ev’ry day with Jesus, Sweeter than the day before;

Ev’ry day with Jesus, I love Him more and more;

Jesus saves and keeps me, He’s the one that I adore;

Ev’ry day is sweeter, Sweeter than the day before.

Conclusion:

• The Believer must SPEAK the end at the beginning…
  • Speak Life!!!! è Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
  • Speak it AS IF!!!! è
    • Isaiah 46:10, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”
    • We SPEAK “THE END” from “THE BEGINNING” è SPEAK IT!!!!
      • When we get tired along the way… SPEAK IT!!!!
      • When others try to block our way… SPEAK IT!!!!
      • When the way gets dark and dreary… SPEAK IT!!!!
      • When don’t think that we are going to make it… SPEAK IT!!!!
• Just Hold On!!!
  • Hebrews 3:14, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;”
    • What we FELT in the beginning will hold us til the end!!!!
    • What we KNEW in the beginning will hold us til the end!!!
    • What we SAW in the beginning will hold us til the end!!!!
  • As the old gospel song says…

Now let us all go back

Go back to the old landmark

Now let us all go back

Go back to the old landmark

Now let us all go back

Go back to the old landmark

And we’ll STAY in the service of the Lord!!!!

#377