Not Finished Yet

Preliminary:

Invite to Phil 1:6.

We are interrupting the prayer of Paul

He is giving thanks to God on behalf of the Philippian church as part of the beginning of his letter to them.

We are at Phil 1:6 just reading the one verse

Read: Phil 1:6

Philippians 1:6 KJV 1900

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:

We see here that Paul has a great confidence and assurance in God to do amazing works.

Paul helps us see that God’s work covers at least four areas in our process to becoming what He intends us to be.

I took on a rather ambitious project for a 3 day VBS - it was a wooden candy dispenser

I was short on time and then it didn’t just fit together nicely like it was supposed to -

then they painted the wood and that had to dry - then they painted some more and that had to dry -

I didn’t think I was ever going to get those done.

If it hadn’t been for Travis and Corey sanding and planing the wood with me we would never have finished them. But Friday - as the parents and kids were eating and playing and talking - we finished the last one - what a relief it was to have that job finished.

Sometimes we enter ambitious projects and instead of finishing we just quit -

You ever know of a quitter?

William McRaven was, commander of US Special Force Command, gave an oft-quoted speech at a university graduation in Texas in 2014. He spoke of his experiences in becoming a US Navy SEAL. SEAL training is regarded as being the toughest in the world. McRaven spoke about his Hell Week at Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) training: The ninth week of SEAL training is referred to as Hell Week. It is six days of no sleep, constant physical and mental harassment and one special day at the Mud Flats. The Mud Flats are an area between San Diego and Tijuana where the water runs off and creates the Tijuana sloughs—a swampy patch of terrain where the mud will engulf you. You paddle down to the mud flats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive the freezing-cold mud, the howling wind and the incessant pressure from the instructors to quit. As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class was ordered into the mud. The mud consumed each man till there was nothing visible but our heads. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would quit—just five men and we could get out of the oppressive cold. Looking around the mud flat, it was apparent that some students were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up—eight more hours of bone-chilling cold. The chattering teeth and shivering moans of the trainees were so loud it was hard to hear anything. And then, one voice began to echo through the night—one voice raised in song. The song was terribly out of tune, but sung with great enthusiasm. One voice became two, and two became three, and before long everyone in the class was singing. We knew that if one man could rise above the misery then others could as well. The instructors threatened us with more time in the mud if we kept up the singing—but the singing persisted. And somehow, the mud seemed a little warmer, the wind a little tamer and the dawn not so far away.

Source:

Wes Brendenhof blog, “When You’re Up to Your Neck in Mud –Sing!” (8-9-22)

Paul is confident - completely persuaded - that we have a God who doesn’t quit - doesn’t give in - The job may take him neck deep in mud but HE IS GOING TO WORK!!!

I am so glad that God is still working on me - HE IS NOT FINISHED YET.

We see in our text

First: God Commences A Good Work

God is an initiator - He starts work, he begins, he commences

When God works - He does a GOOD WORK

Work could have begun in Garden of Eden

but that was long before I was around and before the Philippians were around

God doesn’t wait for us to come to Him - before we’re even born God begins to work in our lives.

But God started a good work in Creation

in plan of salvation

In our experiences of salvation

God has begun a GOOD WORK!!!

The Focus of God’s good work is YOU

The nature of God’s good work is IN

Phil 1:6 “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:”

Second - God Confirms His Good Work

It is God’s work and he claims it as His own - and He will work on it.

There is an interesting case that has been going on for years. It involves a Jewish family living in Hungary whose collection of artistic masterpieces was seized by the Nazis. They have been pursing its return for over 75 years.

In fact the judge who is presiding over the dispute wasn’t even born when the crime took place.

The collection is valued to be over $100 million

But it belongs to them - and they are going to pursue it until it is returned -

God’s GOOD WORKS belongs to Him and he’s going to claim and confirm them -

Paul puts it this way

Romans 8:15–16 KJV 1900

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Third: God Conforms His Good Work

Have you ever had hiccups?

I read recently about Charles Osborne - who knew all about hiccups

In fact according to this article the poor man hiccupped nonstop for 68 years

He tried everything even experimental hormone therapy - but nothing worked

Doctors estimate that between the ages of 29 and 96 (how old he lived to be) Osborne hiccupped and estimated 430 million times.

In June 1990 the hiccups suddenly stopped and around a year later Osborne died.

I hope no one here has that many hiccups naturally - and certainly not spiritually

But we have a God who works with hiccups

We don’t give up when we mess up - we get up and keep going

The Potter doesn’t throw away the clay - he starts again

Phil 1:6 should change our life

It reminds us that God didn’t just work in our life and then leave us - nor is he just going to work in the future - but that presently, right now, today HE IS WORKING and will continue to work

This should infuse meaning and purpose

anticipation into every day -

We can ask in our daily devotions - “WHAT IS GOD GOING TO DO TODAY TO DRAW ME MORE INTO THE IMAGE OF JESUS?”

It is also for us to say “YES LORD” GOD, DO IT!!!”

And this MASTER CRAFTSMAN will work with us to conform us into the image of Christ - to become Christlike

Fourth: God Will Complete A Good Work

There is no quitting, no stopping HE WILL WORK UNTIL HE IS DONE

Phil 1:6 “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:”

WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST

He will work on us until HE can say “WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT”

1 John 3:2 KJV 1900

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Sin is worked on here - but the effects of sin will be taken away then

Sickness, Pain, Death, Tears

Revelation 21:3–4 KJV 1900

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

He will complete

I am assured

Yes He’s still working on me -

But there will be a day when he steps back and says “he’s finished”

Philippians 1:6 KJV 1900

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:

I want to cooperate with HIm I want to be compliant to Him I want to say YES to whatever he says and let Him work!!!

My I think we will be surprised with what God will do with us if we will let Him complete the work He has started.