Finish the Job

How many in the room today remember the old home improvment show “This Old House” - this is really dating myself

Before HGTV and all the DIY networks, PBS did a home improvment show - it took an entire season, that you had to watch every week to see the progress agonizing little steps in craftsmanship --

I remember watching an entire season and missing the reveal, and this was pre -DVR! Argh

There is nothing like watching a transformation process and seeing the end product —

HGTV realized if you are going to have succesful programs give them the whole thing in one show! None of this coming back to see what it looks like...

The fact is THIS OLD HOUSE was probably more realistic to life, no one is cutting and splicing scenes to make a shortened version.

Sometimes in our lives we feel like God’s work in us is taking forever, or we look at a loved one we are praying for and think will the final product ever appear...

Like a stretched out renovation project, so is our lives -

Philippians 1:6 NLT

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.

Our renovation of our lives won’ hit a full reveal until the Day Christ returns! But that does not mean He isn’t working in our lives!

1. Confidence

I remember a building project for our church in Arizona. We had hired a consultant who in all reality frauded our church somewhat … and a church around the corner at the same time.

Ever have a contractor like that? I am so thankful our experience here at Destiny was so different!!

I lost my confidence in this man’s ability to get the job done not even halfway through the project, and it was a long tortuous year and a half trying to get through that project.

Some people start things that they just don’t know how to finish!

NOT GOD!!!!

I read this week in Ezra how after 70 years the Lord moved on the heart of King Cyrus of Persia to send back the captives to their homelands.

This was a direct result of the Lord’s doing - He had promised Jeremiah 70 years prior to restore Israel to its homeland - it might take a full generation of people before it occurred --- But the Lord KEEPS HIS PROMISES!

The Word CONFIDENCE in the Greek means a

CERTAINTY - or a RELIANT TRUST in another

Think of it like the ability to lean weight on! Idiomatically ---

When you lean on a railing you are trusting it to hold!

This is why you can LEAN ON THE LORD believing HIS PLANS for your life, HIS PLANS FOR THAT FAMILY MEMBERS LIFE though they might be in process, HE IS WORKING!!!!

God is not a contractor that starts a job and abandons it in the middle!!!!

You can be CONFIDENT, CERTAIN that what He STARTS HE WILL FINISH!!!

2. Work

What is the work Christ has begun??

Salvation is a starting point, but sanctification is a process.

The word for work here literally means workmanship… craftsmanship

The Lord is concerned with every detail of our lives, and is molding and shaping us into a vessel of honor for his use.

HE is developing things in our life for

FUNCTIONALITY

BEAUTY

DURABILITY

When James tells us

James 1:2–3 NLT

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

He is talking about building endurance and durability into our lives, crafting us for usability and making something beautiful out of our lives

What is broken down by the effects of this world He is working to make sturdy - what has been worn out over time and tragedy he is using to develop character in us...

Romans 8:28 NLT

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

IF we think of Job who had everything stripped away, I think of a renovation project where we strip off old layers of paint and stain to refinish with beauty and functionality for the current day.

This is the Lord’s work in us - like an old house becoming beautified for a new day...

Having those three things built in

FUNCTION

DURABILITY

BEAUTY

Isaiah 61:3 NLT

3 To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

This passage describes the renovating work of the Lord to make us into his design and for His purposes.

The question is are you surrendering to His handiwork.

Jeremiah 18:1–6 NLT

1 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. 5 Then the Lord gave me this message: 6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.

The Lord wants our lives to be clay in His hands to work us into a magnificent piece for His honor and glory.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Remember that God is making a masterpiece for HIS PLANS ---

Just like when things go wrong on a build site or a renovation is when we have things come up that need to be dealt with in our lives, but the Lord is patient because He is working out the rough spots in our lives.

3. Completion

God will be faithful to COMPLETE IT

He is going to COMPLETE/ FINISH the work!

We don’t know the day, but we know what the day is!!!

The Day CHrist RETURNS

SO, what does that say....?

WHile you are on this earth, the Lord is working in our lives!!!! The culmination of His work will be seen on the day of His return - -

SUPER REVEAL!!!!

We know that Christ is coming back for His church - and we know on that day we will be fully known...

1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT

12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

In that day, we are ready for ETERNITY and not just this life.

We need to gain a greater ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE in our lives rather than just living for today and for the here and now...

This DURABILITY is an ETERNAL DURABILITY

The Lord is preparing us for His ULTIMATE PLANS

Which is to rule and reign with Him in His eternal Kingdom!

Don’t get me wrong, there are moments of completion in this lifetime as well...

When building or renovating an entire house it is always awesome when the bathroom or kitchen is completed so it can function again

God will use us for HIS PURPOSE in this life regardless of our age, when HE is ready...

And he is preparing us for HIS PLANS now...

Just like he prepared Joseph his entire life for a glorious purpose, the Lord will do in us!

CONCLUSION

You may look at your own life today and feel a little discouraged with where you are with the Lord, or maybe you realize you have not been allowing him to form you as He wants...

REST ASSURED - GOD IS WORKING IN YOU

Romans 11:29 NLT

29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.

When God has a plan, and has distributed a gift and a call for your life — he will not revoke the plan!

More often than not He is just waiting for you to surrender so He can ready you and use you because you are seeking His plan instead of your own!