December 30, 2012

Starting and Finishing Well - A Complete Game

Series: The Church Topic: Discipleship Passage: Philippians 1:1–1:6

Well, we come to the end of the year and the start of another. This is a time to always evaluate life - how we finished 2012 and how we hope to start 2013. Since the Mayans were wrong and it’s not the end of the world I guess we should look at how we are living our life because Jesus promised that one day the world will end or our life will end. I particularly want us to think about starting the Christian life and finishing well. Life is not about quality starts. It’s about finishing well.

Let’s think for a moment. Did you ever start something and quit, and then look back on it and wish you’d finished? You start working on a degree, but education is hard, so you bail out. Or you volunteer someplace but it’s challenging. You resolve to do something, get your body in shape, stick to a budget, but it’s hard and it’s easier to just give up. Or you’re in a relationship and things get bumpy. The marriage gets difficult and you feel like you’re swimming upstream so you decide to stop.

Then later you look back on it and think, “Lord, I wish I’d handled that differently. I wish I would have pushed on.”

There is good news in the first chapter of Philippians verses 1-6. Paul is so thankful for two things that continually moves him to prayer. He thankful for our participation in the gospel – having received the gospel and actively giving of ourselves to spreading it. He is also thankful and confident it Christ that God will finish what He has started in us.

The gospel has the amazing power to transform us. Don’t listen to the whispers of the evil one that we are quitters. Let’s trust in Christ to complete His gospel in us.

other sermons in this series

May 11

2008

Philosophy

Speaker: Jerry Witham Passage: John 1:1–1:14 Series: The Church

May 4

2008

Gospel For Asia

Passage: 2 Timothy 2:2–2:7 Series: The Church

Apr 27

2008

Mission

Speaker: Jerry Witham Passage: Psalm 96:1–96:13 Series: The Church