Learning to Trust God’s Process

Series Introduction

I want to start a short series this morning on the book of Philippians.

And were going to stay here for a few weeks…

so i would encourage you over the next few weeks to spends some time in the book.

Its short.

You can read it in one sitting.

And I would encourage you to read it, and ponder it, and study it, maybe even read it through different translations..

and Just let the Lord Speak to you through it.

Paul

Paul, the founder of the church at Philippi is writing to the church from prison here.

A church that is considered by theologians to be the purest and most sincere churches of the early churches..

and he’s writing from prison.. on his way to his impending death in Rome..

To encourage the church and give them some wise adivice..

Listen

and so over these four messages I want us to spend time listening to his advice

and applying it to our lives..

because the advice he is gives is kingdom advice and good for us all..

so lets dig in..

Today

I wanna start in chapter 1 today..

Philippians 1:3–11 ESV

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

would you pray with me?

the Start

in 1 Samuel 16 a journey starts for a boy named David.

as a teenager, David is out in the field one day when someone comes to get him and tells him

You need to come home, the prophet Samuel is here to see the family and refuses to do anything until you arrive..

Of course David comes running home.. and Samuel will do something that will change the very course of his and israel’s future..

Samuel anoints David to be the next king of Israel..

while the remaining king is still very much alive and sitting on the throne..

In fact, it would be another 15 years until David would begin to reign as any kind of king..

the process begins..

The Process

During this time David would face different tests and trials

Ranging from tending too and defending sheep…

to Defeating the giant Goliath..

to Soothing the kings demons with his worship..

then becoming his number one enemy…

Alone

David would spend most of the time between anointing and rule running for his life from his predecessor Saul..

living in way he never chose to live..

far from those he loved

Hiding in caves..

acting crazy to escape his enemies..

Fighting for his life..

and eventually partnering with the enemy just to stay alive..

Opportunity…

At one point in 1 Sameul 24 David even has the opportunity to take things into his own hands..

and quicken the fulfilment of the inevitable future..

He could make himself king…

one day

He is hiding in a cave from Saul..

and Saul comes in to go to the bathroom unknowing David is there..

David sneaks up behind him..

and cuts off a piece of his robe..

but contrary to the advice of those who are with him..

He spares Saul's life and decides its not his job to make room for his calling on the throne..

rather David understands that it was god who began this process

and it will be god who bring things about in his own time..

WE see David trusting the process and promise of god in this one event

Fulfillment

Eventually, God in his faithfulness brings about the promise of the crown in 2 Samuel 5..

Where after the death of Saul..

People come and get David and take him back to become king of part of the kingdom at first and eventually the entire kingdom..

but god uses these process between davids anointing and crowning to prepare him for the 40 year rule he will hold in Israel..

Lesson

The story of Davids life holds many lessons for us all…

but the lesson I want to focus on today is a lesson that is played out in many different forms through scripture as well ..

Its the lesson of learning to navigate Gods process..

Over and over

We find this lesson in the life of almost every person and group in scripture..

Abraham leaving his home and starting a family..

the children of Israel and the 40 year wilderness journey were in Gods process..

then later while they were held in babylon.. They were again in part of gods process..

The coming of Jesus himself was a part of gods process…

The disciples found themselves in Gods process..

god

What is gods process?

Gods process is the journey between when God begins something in our lives.. and God fulfills something in our lives..

Between

its the journey of the in between..

between promise and fulfillment..

between spoken and done..

Between anointing and walking

Between beginning and end..

We find the process of God..

Different Ways

And we are all in gods process in different ways..

and you may be in more than one process..

Because each one of us has something in our life that God is working our in and through us..

Even if its just the basic process God is working out in all christians to prepare them for eternity….

Today

I want to remind you today..

Just like David.. like the Disciples..

You are living in the process of god..

and I want to encourage you this morning that when god starts something..

He will be faithful to finish it..

Even if the process isn't always pleasant..

and our job is to trust him in the process..

When god starts something.. He will finish it.. We just need to trust him..

Pastor Paul

in Philippians 1 Paul is writing as a pastor to one of his churches..

The Church

Paul is writing to The church at Philippi located in the roman colony of Philippi

This was a special church for Paul

because like i mentioned it was the first church Paul planted in Europe

And Paul is now writing from prison..

To encourage the Philippian church not to give up…

but to press on.. and keep going..

telling them that the Same God who began this good work in them..

if going to faithful to complete it..

That he is faithful in the process of making them the people he has purposed for them to be..

A pastors desires for his sheep

We find a very pastorly Paul here..

He shows great concern and love for the philippians..

And in the passage we just read, we see his heart and desire to see the church continue to grow.. and reach the Goal God has set for them in being complete in christ..

Says

Paul says.. I am trusting that the same god who saved you is going to grow you..

and look at verse 9-11

Philippians 1:9–11 ESV

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul says im sure that the same god who started this thing in you..

is going to finish it.. and bring it completion..

and when the day of Christ comes.. your going to be ready..

Your going to abound more in love..

Your going to grow in your descernment..

Your going to be pure and blameless..

filled with all the fruits of righteousness..

and your going to glorify god..

PAUL IS SAYING YOUR NOT THEIR YET..

BUT IM CONFIDENT GOD IS GOING TO BRING YOU THERE..

BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL IN THE PROCESS..

HES THE ONE WHO STARTED IT..

AND HES THE ONE WHO WILL BRING IT TO FURRITION..

Paul is saying he’s faithful in the process..

he will see you through..

God’s Process

Like Paul, I want to remind you this morning that gods got you in His process..

He is working things out in your life for your good..

he is working things out to make you the person he desires you to be..

To help you be who he has called you to be..

and to fulfill your purpose in this earth..

and ultimately he is working out your life so that when your day comes you will be ready to meet your savior..

Because he is god of the process from beginning to end..

Lets look deeper for a moment at verse 6..

and look at how god is lord of the process..

God is the originator.

First notice its god who paul says begins the work in us..

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

and what he is trying to accomplish is the perfection of your faith..

Philippians 1:6 ESV

and your eventual transition to your eternal home.. …

the foundation of spiritual growth is recognizing that it is god who both begins and brings our faith to completion..

he is the one who started it..

Salvation

if were talking about salvation..

It was god who brought conviction on our heart through the holy spirit to draw us to himself..

It was God who revealed the truth of salvation, again through the holy spirit, so we could be saved..

and It was God, through jesus, who made a way for that salvation..

Calling..

If we talk about calling and purpose

we know its god who calls the believer to purpose..

Its god who puts gifts and abilities in our lives..

Its god who starts it..

Growth.

If we talk about growth..

we know that god allows us to walk into situations that stretch us..

And he allows it because he knows we are going to grow..

GOD IS THE ONE WHO BEGIN A PROCESS IN OUR LIFE..

AND HE DOES SO WITH THE PURPOSE OF BRINGING ABOUT GREATER PURPOSE IN US..

IN GROWING US..

AND BRINGING US TO COMPLETION..

its god who begins the work in us..

God is the middle, or the facilitator..

but god is not just the beginning..

He is also the facilitator of our process..

the orchestrator..

look what paul says..

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Paul does just say that god will be there at the end of what he started..

He said he will bring it there..

Philippians 1:6 NLT

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.

God is the one in the middle of the process working things out!

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

What ever process God has begun in your life..

I can assure you.. he is in the middle working things out..

in romans paul says it this way..

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

God is working things out..

Taking it into our own hands..

lets be honest though..

we dont like the process..

we dont want to wait on the process..

many of us would have killed saul in the cave and slept well..

because we knew we were justified.. he was trying to kill us ..

and after all we were helping god..

Thats what davids friends told him..

but david knew different..

He knew it wasnt his place to help god bring about the process..

it was his place to trust god..

and if were not careful, in our impatience we can act.. thinking were helping god..

when in reality we are only trying to help our selves..

and it can get us into trouble..

Saul

remember thats how saul got in trouble in the first place..

samuel waited longer than saul wanted to come sacrifice..

and saul took matters into his own hands.. and made the sacrifice..

and god stripped the kingdom from him for his disobedience..

Israelites..

Remember the israelites the first time they came to the jordan in the wilderness?

They refused to go in..

and so god told them they would not take the land ..

and they insisted on going anyways to fight..

and many of them died..

because they thought they could skip the process..

God does not need our help in the pocress.

He needs our trust and obedience..

HE WILL BRING IT TO COMPLETION IN US..

God is the facilatator of the process.

he is working things out for our perfection..

God is the one who starts the process..

He is the one who facilitates the process..

and he is the one who will bring it to completion..

God is the finisher

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

God knows what he is trying to accomplish

and he will not fail in accomplishing it..

Philippians..

For the philippians..

paul reminds them that the process he began in them..

is ment to bring them to the place of being ready for the day of jesus christ..

The coming of the lord..

or their going home to the lord..

us

The same is true for us..

but God is also working out the other processes in our lives..

And he will bring them all to completion..

he started it and he will finish it..

god starts it.. sustains it.. and finishes is..

So what is our part?

Our Part

That doesn't mean god does it all..

we have a part as well..

If God is the beginning, middle and end of the process.. what is our job?

simple, and yet horribly difficult..

Obey

First were called to obey God..

to do what he asks of us in the process..

like it or not..

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

If god tells us to do it..

were called to do it..

Trust

Secondly our job is tor trust him..

and let him work it out..

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

gods not asking for us to figure things out..

Philippians 4:5–7 ESV

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Our Job is to trust god..

not to figure out how to make things happen faster..

Walk

and finally, were called to keep walking..

Philippians 3:13–15 ESV

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

we have to press in..

Ending

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

God has started something good in you..

And he will bring it to completion..

My question to you today is do you trust him?

are you letting him work things out?

or are you trying to work things out on your own?

Proverbs 16:9 ESV

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

gods the only one who will finish what he has started..