A FAITH THAT ENDURES
Philippians 1:6
INTRODUCTION:
Good morning. I hope you’re all doing well. As usual, it’s great to see you here today! Thanks for making this worship service a part of your weekly schedule.
Last week a few of us were able to take in a baseball game at the Furman field after church. It was a beautiful day, I wish more of you would have been able to join us. But we watched as the teams battled back and forth, until finally — the Furman Paladins put the NC Aggies away. It was a great game.
Well, it got me thinking — in baseball, when the guy who throws out the first pitch is also the guy who throws out the last pitch, it’s called a complete game. One pitcher from beginning to end. Now, that didn’t happen last week. They went through a few pitchers during the game. In fact, its pretty rare for a pitcher to pitch a complete game. One of the best at this in our day was a Philadelphia pitcher who retired from MLB in 2013, his name was Roy Halladay. This guy was amazing. He actually pitched 67 complete games throughout his lengthy career.
Now, a hundred years ago this was a little more common. But today — it just seems to be much more rare. During the early days of the 1900’s, there was another guy that was a lot like Halladay. He seemed to finish what he started. He pitched for the Chicago Cubs — between 1901-1906. And during that time, he did the unthinkable. He actually pitched 187 consecutive complete games. His name was Jack Taylor. And here’s the thing…in that day, when a manager handed the ball to a pitcher, the expectation was, “You’re going to start the game; you’re going to finish the game.”
This days, the game has changed a lot. And so, very few who start the game ever finish it! It’s pretty common for ball clubs today to pay pitchers $20 million dollars or more a year, and never expect any of them to finish! Finishing is a rarity in baseball today! In fact, if a pitcher goes six innings…(not nine, not eight, not even seven), just six innings…and only gives up three earned runs or less, then he gets credit for something called a quality start.Isn’t that incredible? You don’t have to finish. Just give us a quality start, and then we’ll bring in a relief pitcher from the bullpen to relieve you so that you don’t have to finish the game!
When I served on staff at Woodland Church in Brownstown, MI (a suburb of Detroit), we had a pretty large pastoral staff — and all us would sit together just off the right side of the platform (at the front). And somehow, that area became affectionately known as the “Bullpen”. Now, I’m not sure who started it…or why it seem to stick. But, it did! But here’s the thing — I used to wonder, if one of us were preaching and we were really struggling…and things just weren’t going very well, would it have been appropriate for one of the other pastors to step up, put the arm around the guy preaching and say,
“You know son, I’m sorry. You just don’t have it today, so I’m going to bring in a RELIEF PREACHER to finish this message.”
Could you imagine? I’m sure there were times I could have really used that kind of support! Hopefully that’s not something that we need around here. But think about it. Wouldn’t it be nice to have that kind of support in other areas of our lives?
- For instance, in marriage! Let’s say you’re having a “DISCUSSION” (argument) with your spouse and it’s just not going well. Men, wouldn’t it be great if there was someone on your side…just waiting in the bullpen of your home to step up and say,
“Listen, I think you’ve had enough today…why don’t you go rest in the dug-out and I’ll step in as the RELIEF HUSBAND. And I’ll take things from here.” I’m just saying! It was just an idea!
- Or maybe during a challenging parenting moment! Come on…you know you’ve all had them. When you’re worn out and tired and unable to think clearly. When it you know that you’re about to speak out of frustration and anger rather than love. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could look to the bull-pen and they send someone out to be a relief parent in that moment? Just an idea . . .
- Or maybe you’re at work — and your struggling on the job. Rather than getting fired, or reamed out, or sent home by your boss, wouldn’t it be great if a “relief worker” could step up and give you a break?
Well, the truth is — real life doesn’t work that way!
In this life we’re never graded on how we start — but how we finish! Finishing is what it’s about. And not just finishing — but finishing well!
Let me ask you, have you ever started something well only to quit, and then later look back and wish you’d finished what you’d started?
- Maybe for you it was that you started working on a degree, but the process of education became hard, so you quit.
- Or maybe for you it was music lessons or learning to dance or developing a craft. Maybe you started well — and had great intentions, but somewhere along the line things got to hard and you quit.
- Or maybe you volunteered someplace or you began a new job, but it was just too challenging. Maybe you felt like you were swimming upstream, and so you decided to give up.
- Maybe you resolved to do something good like work out or eat healthy or get in shape, or maybe stick to a budget, or something like that — but it was just too hard, and it was easier to just give up.
Maybe you’ve experienced this type of thing in life — and now, you look back on it all, and you wish you would have handled things differently.
Well, there’s good news for you. This morning I just want to share one single thought with you. And regardless of what else you do today…when you leave here — I’m confident that this thought is going to settle down deep into your heart — into your spirit!
And it’s this: IN FAITH — YOU CAN BE A CONQUEROR! You don’t have to become a casualty and end up somewhere on the sidelines wishing you were still in the game. IN FAITH — YOU CAN EXPERIENCE VICTORY and OVERCOME THE PITFALLS BEFORE YOU! Because IN FAITH — GOD WILL BE YOUR STRENGTH. When you’re feeling weak and tired and are ready to give up, HE WILL BE YOUR PORTION! And while we have a tendency to give up to quick, GOD ALWAYS FINISHES WHAT HE STARTS!
That’s the story that Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 1.
In fact, many people consider this to be one of the greatest passages — and verses in the entire Bible. And what’s so astonishing about this — is the context in which it was written. Some of you know that when Paul wrote the book of Philippians (the most positive and encouraging of all his letters), he did so from the inside of a prison cell.
The very fact that he served Christ and proclaimed Him to others, led the people of Paul’s day to falsely accused and wrongfully imprisoned. And so, he was bound and chained in Rome and faced an uncertain future and possibly execution. And yet, in the book of Philippians, Paul is brimming with joy and enthusiasm as he serves Jesus.
And in Philippians 1, he writes:
1 “This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons. 2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Philippians 1:1-6 (NLT)
Listen again to verse 6, where Paul says:
6 … God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
Now, I want to spend what is left going through this one verse phrase by phrase. And I hope that when we leave, we’re all going to rest with confidence in God’s ability to make our faith a CONQUERORS FAITH!
I think the most important word in this sentence is the first phrase.
1. “ GOD WHO BEGAN…”
“God who began…”
Notice that Paul does not say, “I am convinced that you who started a good work in you will be faithful to complete it,” because you didn’t start anything. Paul says, that it was “GOD”… the creator of all things who began this work in you!
This journey of faith that you’re on wasn’t of your making! This is not not journey, not your story and what you’ve done…it’s His! This is HIS STORY! History is His story. You’re not self made…God has done this great in you!
Now, to the church at Philippi who first received this letter, this fact would have been real clear to them. Because while Paul initially brought the message of Jesus to them — that was never his intent. And they knew this. Acts 16 tells the story of how the Holy Spirit changed his plans and led him to the city of Philippi. God gave him a vision. He was going somewhere else, but God directed Paul to Philippi.
And the people in that city knew this. And so, when Paul says it was God who began this good work in you. They knew that to be true!
When Paul arrived in Philippi, he began preaching out in the open air — and a woman named Lydia heard the message and responded. She was a gentile businesswoman. She was Greek. But the bible tells us in Acts 16 that “The Lord opened her heart.”
The Lord blocked Paul’s travel, the Lord opens this woman’s heart, and she becomes the first believer in this town. After this, she invited Paul to her house to share the story with her family. And that’s the beginning of this communities experience in faith! And from there, the message of Jesus spread all throughout the continent of Europe! And so, in this letter — Paul begins by reminding them (and us) that our journey of faith began with God. But notice that Paul didn’t say, “God who is done.” Because He’s not. He’s really just begun. God has just begun His work in you! He’s not finished…there’s still more to come!
As I was writing this message — I was reminded of the song: God of this City! And’s words ring out so true as it says:
Greater things are yet to come, and Greater things are still to be done…in this city!
And they are — because God has just BEGUN! He is God of this city – but He’s also God of you and me! So, what does all of that mean?
It means that He’s not finished with you yet. It means that you are a work in progress. That means you will have to be patient. It means you’ll have to wait. And I know that this can be a hard thing to do…because we do not like to wait!
You know, more than any people in the history of the world, we battle with patience…because we are not good-waiters. We are always in a hurry. We live in a horn-honking, microwaving, Fed Ex-ing, fast-food eating, express-lane shopping, hurry-up — all the time world!
We don’t like to wait. But waiting seems to be one of God’s favorite tools in developing our character — and making us into CONQUERORS OF FAITH!
The prophet Isaiah put it this way. He said,
“. . . those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength.”
Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)
The implication is that if we will wait on God, not losing hope, and not giving in to despair, but standing strong as we trust in God, then He will do something so good within us that it will make us stronger than even and renewed for His glory!
So, get this — “waiting time” is never “wasted time!”And we can be certain that the “God, who began … will not stop short when it comes to our faith!
Look on at next phrase in this passage. It says, “God who began…” What?
2. “…THE GOOD WORK WITHIN YOU…”
Let’s repeat that one.
“God, who began the good work within you…”
Paul gets very personal here! He says, this is not just the God who did good works in nature, or the good works through Israel, or good works in Jesus, or even good works in Paul. But this is the God who began the good work within you!
Here’s the thing…God did this in YOU! (N U)
Now, this is real important because in any significant area of your life, it’s just a matter of time until you run into your own inadequacy. And the more important the task is, the sooner you’ll run into it, and the more painful it will be.
A guy by the name of Charlie Shedd, a Christian writer and speaker, said one time, “Before we had kids, I used to travel across the country, teaching a lecture that I called: The Ten Commandments for Raising Perfect Children. And then after my wife and I had our first child — I changed it to: Ten Hints for Parents. Then after our second child, I renamed the teaching: A Few Tentative Suggestions for Fellow Strugglers.
And then he said after the arrival of our third child, I gave up speaking on the topic altogether.”
If you’ve ever felt inadequate, there is a real simple reason why. Because you are inadequate. And so am I. It’s kind of a funny thing. It doesn’t take too long for us to realize that most of the challenges we face in life are bigger than we are.
When it comes to living a life of FAITH in Jesus — we can’t do that alone either!
But that’s okay – because we don’t have to. We have Christ in us. John tells us in 1 John 4:4,
“Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world!”
1 John 4:4 (NASV)
So, folks — don’t give in to despair or give up in defeat…because, in FAITH — you are an overcomer in Christ! And, Christ in you makes you more than the sum total of your own strength!
In fact, Paul would put it this way in 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT) — he says,
“…I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT)
So you see, our inadequacies are really opportunities for God to do greater things through us. Because, as Paul writes, “God, who began the good work within you…”
The redemption of your character, the forgiveness of your sin, the giving of your spiritual gifts, the growth of the Fruit of the Spirit, the fulfillment of your purpose, all of this is just the beginning. And He’s doing it in you!
Well, let’s go a little further. Paul says, “God, who began the good work within you,“…
3. “…WILL CONTINUE HIS WORK UNTIL IT IS FINALLY FINISHED…”
He’s not done. And He won’t stop short! You can be certain that God is no quitter! And so, as Paul says:
“God, who began the good work within you will continue His work until it is finally finished…”
This reminds me of the hymn GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS:
Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou for ever will be
Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me
“God, who began the good work within you will continue His work until it is finally finished…”
Because He is FAITHFUL!
You know, in the Old Testament days when people would come to know God, they never got tired of praising His faithfulness.
When Moses was giving his final words to Israel (in Deuteronomy 7:9), he said,
9 Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.
Now, I’m not always that way. And neither are you. At times we fail to keep our promises. But not God! He’s always faithful — in everything He does!
I ran across a story several years ago that was published in the LA Times.
The story told of a man who went back and visited his boyhood home after more than 20 years of being away. And after looking through the rooms of the house, that he found his way to the attic and continued going through old boxes and family heirlooms. He eventually found one of his old jackets. When he put it on, he found an old stub — or claim check in his pocket. It was actually a claim check for a pair of shoes he had taken in to get repaired 20+ years earlier and neglected to go and pick up.
So, on kind of a whim, he decided to see if the old shoe repair place was still in existence. And to his surprise…it was. So, just as kind of a joke, he went in and handed his claim check to the clerk at the counter…and without a word, she turned and walked to the back. After looking for the shoes for a few minutes, she returned and said, “They’ll be ready next Tuesday.”
Here’s the thing…isn’t that just the way life goes sometimes? Empty promises…unmet expectations!Now, contrast that with this scripture…
“God, who began the good work within you will continue His work until it is finally finished…”
Here’s the good news — when God is involved, whatever He begins, already has the end in sight!
And when it comes to your life and your future — God will not fail you. He will be faithful! And that’s why Paul concludes this verse this way:
“God, who began the good work within you will continue His work until it is finally finished…”
4. “..ON THE DAY WHEN CHRIST JESUS RETURNS.”
Paul gives us one of the most powerful statements of all, and he tells us where the finish line is at.
He doesn’t say that. “God who began this good work in you will continue His work until it is finally finished…” — when you die. He didn’t say that. He didn’t say because this story isn’t just about you…it’s about His Kingdom and His plan to save the world — the entire planet.
What he said was that this work within you will be completed — and finalized on the day that Christ Jesus returns! That’s the day it will all be made complete! When Jesus comes back, and He will return. This thing we call FAITH started with Him and it will end with Him.
He is in the bullpen of our lives. And He’s all warmed up and ready to go! He was the Starter, and you can be certain that He will be the Closer. For He is the Alpha, and the Omega. The first and last. He is the Author and the finisher of our faith.
And that day is coming. It hasn’t come yet.
So whatever you do, don’t quit now:
- Maybe you’ve been praying for somebody for years…and nothings happening! No response. But don’t quit now!
- Maybe you’re a parent, and you don’t know what to do. You have a son or daughter that is rebelling and it’s killing you. Maybe you want to give up or withdraw your heart. But don’t quit now!
- Maybe you’re facing a spiritual battle and living for God has been very difficult for you. Don’t quit now!
- Maybe you have been unable to make you marriage work – and you’ve thought repeatedly about walking out. Don’t quit now!
- Maybe you’ve been sick and you’re ready to give up hope. Don’t give up. Keep trusting in God.
- Maybe ministry has been difficult for you and you’re really considering stepping away from your calling. Don’t quit now! Don’t give up!
I remind you…
“God, who began the good work within you will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
And folks, when that day comes, I believe there will be a whole lot of people who look back on this life that is over so fast, and who will say, “Thank God, I didn’t quit.”
Would you bow your heads with me this morning? I think what the Spirit of God wants to do is encourage you today! So, would you listen to His voice and hear Him whispering to you right now, “You are My son. You are my daughter. And I love you!”
So, don’t lose heart — and don’t give up! For God is with you! And He will complete the good work that He has begun in you. Whatever weighs you down or burdens you in life — God assures you that it won’t have the last word. For God is faithful! And you can trust Him.
Let’s pray:
Now, heavenly Father, just like a healing balm, just like oil over troubled waters, would You breathe Your encouragement and Your life on these today? We are staking everything on you and your Word. And we thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for the good news of your work in our lives. Make us CONQUERORS IN FAITH! We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen!
*Please note: much of the inspiration for this message came from notes I had taken during a message preached by pastor and teacher, John Ortberg many years ago.