God Finishes What He Starts And So Should You

Title of today's sermon is, God Finishes What He Starts, So Should You. I'll start with the story of ancient Israel and how it started with a promise. Not with a people, but with a promise. In an act of incredible faith, Abraham, at God's direction, put a knife to his son Isaac's throat to offer him as a sacrifice. And God stopped him. God stopped Abraham, and he said this. Genesis 22, verse 16. Genesis 22, verse 16. And said, By myself I have sworn, saying the Lord. So God is saying here, I am making a proclamation. Because you have done this thing and you have not withheld your son, your only son, blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore and your descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies and the most beautiful promise of all. Verse 18. In your seed, that's Jesus Christ, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed my voice. God started Israel with a promise. And God finishes what he starts. God gave that same promise to Isaac. Turn over to chapter 26, Genesis 26, in verse 4. And God said, I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven. I will give your descendants all these lands. And in your seed, all nations of the earth will be blessed. The same thing he promised to Abraham. God is letting us know this promise will last. And he gives it to Isaac also. And then to Jacob, Genesis 28, in verse 12. Then he dreamed a dream and behold, this is Genesis chapter 28, in verse 12. And behold, a ladder was set up on the earth. And its top reached to heaven. And there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham, your father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie, I will give you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth. So here's the same exact promise two generations later.

You shall spread abroad from the west to the east to the north and the south, and in your seed, that's Jesus Christ, all families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. And there is a prediction that things are going to go wrong, and they're not going to stay in the land forever, which did happen. I am with you and I will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave until I have done what I have spoken to you. God made a promise. He started something in the seed of Abraham, and God finishes what he starts. God said that he would finish what he started, so Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all their descendants had this great commission, and they were supposed to fulfill this promise. Although they they could not do that without God's Holy Spirit. Forgive the little pop here, I'm going to open the water. Aluminum water.

It works. So they were to become this model nation. When God made a promise to them, they actually had to participate in the promise. Notice Deuteronomy chapter 4. God gives them their side of the story. God tells them, yes, here's my promise that I will finish. Now here's what I expect of you. Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 5. Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the Lord my God commanded me. Now what is the book of Deuteronomy? Deuteronomy means essentially the retelling of the law. This is 40 years after 40 years of wandering the wilderness and the generation that crossed through the Red Sea is now dead except for Moses, Caleb, and Joshua.

Moses will die on Mount Nebo and only Caleb and Joshua will be the two survivors that passed through the Red Sea. So this is the retelling of the law to the next generation. This was the generation just on the cusp of going into and taking the promised land.

So we're reading instructions just before God fulfills the promise that he gave to Abraham, at least in part, by giving them the land. So back to chapter 4 verse 5. I have taught you the statutes and the judgments just as the Lord my God commanded me. Moses is telling the crowd here that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess.

Therefore, and listen to their commission, listen to their part of fulfilling God's promise. Be careful to observe them, for this is your wisdom, your understanding. For who? For them alone? No. The very next phrase is critical to their commission. In the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, surely this great nation is wise and understanding people. Their commission was to be a model nation for other nations to follow and join. It wasn't about race. They're not a super race. This was about God's faithfulness. God's promise. For just Abraham's descendants, remember the original promise.

All nations will be blessed. This has always been God's focus. But ancient Israel failed. Miserably failed. And now they are scattered all over the world, because the children of Israel followed the dictates of their own evil heart. They failed. But God never fails. He finishes what he starts. And he will actually bring them back after the Great Tribulation, as we've heard already in this feast. Let's review Jeremiah 30.

Ancient Israel did a miserable job of being a model nation. They took in all the pagan gods and did all the things that the people that didn't follow, God did. They traded the truth of God for a lie, but God never fails. Jeremiah 30 in verse 10. Therefore, do not fear, O my servant Jacob. You see, God remembers his promise. And says the Lord, Nor be dismayed, O Israel. For behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return. Have rest, be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid.

And what will God do with these survivors? Jeremiah 30, drop down to verse 18. Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob's tents and have mercy on his dwelling places. The city shall be built up upon its own mound, and the palace shall remain according to its own plan. Solomon's palace was torn down when Nebuchadnezzar wiped out Jerusalem. And this beautiful palace that took him about 13 years to build and lasted for centuries was the home of the kings of Judah until Nebuchadnezzar tore it down.

And he burnt it to the ground, and there is no trace of it left. But God says one day that palace is going to remain, and it will not be burned down. Then out of them, verse 19, shall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of those who will make Mary. And do you remember the promise that God gave to Abraham? God finishes what he starts. Here it is again, predicted in Jeremiah. And I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish, and I also will glorify them, and they shall not be small.

Drop down to verse 22. You shall be my people, and I will be your God. Even though they failed, God did not. And that's what God wants from you and I. Notice God's character, that no matter what other people do, God's character doesn't change.

And no matter what people do to you and I, we are not judged on how we are treated by other people. We are judged on how we treat other people.

I appreciated the Bible study today and greeting one another. I think that's a fantastic idea, and I want to suggest that these song leaders at the two-minute warning encourage us to greet each other, you know, every morning at the two-minute warning. Song leaders, please do that. I also appreciated the grandmother's comments there. The sage wisdom from Grandma. That was good stuff.

But that is God's character. God does not change his character just because other people fail. He's still the same faithful, loyal, loving God that he always was. Once again, Israel is going to become a model nation that God intended him to be all the way back in Deuteronomy chapter 4. God made a promise to Abraham. He passed that promise on to Isaac, and he passed it on to Jacob, and then all the descendants. And in Isaiah chapter 27 in verse 6, it says, Those who come, he shall cause to take root in Jacob. Israel shall blossom, bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. Now, what is fruit? Fruit is what the plant produces. And what Israel will produce, the holiness that they will produce, will fill the whole world. And that was the original promise that God made to Abraham. That in your seed, the whole world will be blessed. That was the point the whole time. God is bringing many sons to glory. Israel will finally be the model nation that God intended him to be from the very beginning. God finishes what he starts. The sates will lead them and rule with Christ. And we will hear more about that during the feast, I'm sure. And God will call people to Jerusalem, and he will finish what he started in Deuteronomy chapter 4. Let's go to Jeremiah chapter 3 and verse 17. Jeremiah 3 verse 17. At that time, Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord. All the nations, all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their own evil hearts. And in Deuteronomy 4, he instructed Israel to specifically be set as an example to the world that the world would follow and say, surely this nation is a wise and understanding people. And that will happen, despite the fact that Israel failed to keep their end of the bargain. That's God's character. And that character is supposed to become our character. That is how you and I are supposed to be. No matter what happens in life, no matter how other people treat us, we remain and grow even more to become God's people. In the millennium, God's going to make that happen. And beyond, he finishes what he starts. And he has started something in you. We heard already this feast, Philippians 1, verse 6. It's good to review scriptures. Let's go back there. Philippians 1, verse 6. Being confident in this very thing. Philippians 1, verse 6. That he who begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Again, an assurance that God finishes what he starts.

But you remember when God expected a response from ancient Israel? He also expects a response from us. And that's what I want to talk about in the balance of the sermon today. Is what is our response to God's loyalty to us? To Jesus Christ's loyalty to us? What should our response be?

I want to answer that by recounting an incident where Jesus was interacting with people along a road from one town to another. And we have a record of thousands of people who followed him during his ministry on the earth. And many of them just paid him lip service, and he addressed that. He's looking for wholehearted commitment. Let's look at the example of three men who paid Jesus' lip service in Luke, chapter 9. Luke, chapter 9. Let's go there, and let's start in verse 57. Luke, chapter 9, verse 57. Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to him, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go.

But was he sincere? Jesus Christ perceived that he was not. And instead of giving him a pat on the back and an attaboy, he gave him a warning instead. Listen to the warning, brethren, because this warning is for you and me. In verse 58, Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds have the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. I want to give a quote from Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible on this verse. Matthew Henry says, quote, this must be the resolution of all that will be found, Christ's disciples indeed. They follow the Lamb, wheresoever he goes, Revelation 14 verse 4, though it be through fire and water to prison and death.

Let's read what Matthew Henry was referring to in Revelation chapter 14 verses 3 through 4. Jesus did not give that man a pat on the back and say, attaboy, thank you for saying with your mouth, I will follow you, Lord. That's not what he's looking for. Revelation chapter 14 verse 3, they sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders, and no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth, a very special choir indeed. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins, spiritually speaking, physically also, but spiritually much more important. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. This is what Matthew Henry was talking about. It doesn't matter what happens to you in life. Wherever you go, Jesus Christ is expecting 100% wholehearted commitment. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. So Jesus' answer to the young man who promised to follow him anywhere was not an encouraging one, but rather a warning. He's not looking for people to give him lip service. That's not our side of the deal. He's looking for people who make a total commitment to finish what you start. Here's the kind of commitment that God and Jesus Christ are looking for in you right now. The Apostle Paul said it. It's one of my favorite scriptures. Galatians 2, chapter 20. Galatians 2, 20. I have been crucified with Christ. In Romans 12, the same author, the Apostle Paul says, be a living sacrifice. Not the one-time hero that dives in front of the bullet and you don't have to do anything else. You're done. It's every single day you sacrifice. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live. Mr. Light was talking about in the Bible study about not doing it just for yourself. It's no longer I who live. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith in the Son of God. I like the original King James Version. It says, the faith of the Son of God. There's a big debate in the scholarly realm, whether that's faith in or faith of. I lean toward faith of. You know why? What did Jesus Christ do for us, even though he didn't want to do it and he asked the Father to take this cup from him if it was possible? That's how much faith you and I are supposed to have. The faith of Jesus Christ. When you frame it that way, you realize how much of a commitment that's on our side of the equation.

The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. And that is expected of you and me. God is looking for total commitment. Now, we're in this parable in Luke 9. Let's go back and see what the second man said to Jesus.

Verse 59. And he said to another, follow me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. And Jesus said to him, let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and preach the kingdom of God. This is easy to misunderstand. Jesus would not have commanded a man to abandon his father's funeral. So what did this mean? Let's go for a little explanation here. This is deferred discipleship. Procrastination. It's not wrong to bury your father. In fact, it was the law of God that you bury a dead man that day. And I won't take time to show you that, but we have examples in both the Old Testament and New Testament, where Jesus even interacted with and made sure people were buried on the day they died because that was God's law. Which means this man's father was not dead. The man was saying, I'm going to follow you later. Let me finish my life first.

Let me ask you a question. What's more important than eternity? What do you have in this lifetime that will cause you to procrastinate and grow into become like God now? Matthew 6 and 33. Probably a memory scripture for all of us. Let's consider the words carefully. Matthew 6, verse 33 and 34. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. And that's what this young man was doing. Sufficient for the day is his own trouble. You know, the word first in verse 33 is an ordinal number. So if there's a first, it means that there's a second and possibly third priority in your life. So he's not saying don't take care of your daily needs. He's not saying that the kingdom of God is your only priority. He said it is your first priority. That you do not let anything you do in your daily life supersede becoming like God. Nothing, not job, not family. He made that very clear in other scriptures. So he's not saying don't take care of your daily needs, but rather he is saying don't let the care of your daily needs be first. Christians should put first things first. Those who are to be firstfruits that we read in Revelation chapter 14. Focus first, not only, but first on their spiritual growth and preaching the gospel to the world. Then they can have concern with themselves in their daily tasks. So make following God your first priority. No delay. And then we come to the third man. This third man was a little different. His objection was subtly different. Luke chapter 9 verse 61. And another also said, Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid farewell to those who are in my house. Now this sounds very similar to let me go bury my father, but it is different. Verse 62. Notice Jesus' response. Jesus said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. I'd like to read from the Jameson, Faucet, and Brown commentary on this one. Quote, As plowing requires an eye intent on the furrow to be made, it is marred the instant one turns about. So will they come short of salvation who prosecute the work of God with a distracted attention? I thought that was an amazing comment from a commentary. They actually said, You will lose your salvation if you take your eye off the mark. You do not hear that very often.

With distracted attention and divided heart. In the quote still. Though the reference seems chiefly to ministers, the application is general. The expression looking back has manifested reference to Lot's wife. It's not actual return to the world, but a reluctance to break with it. End quote. Wow. Great observation. One foot in the church and one foot in the world. Oh, you're not reluctant like the second man. No, you come along with Jesus Christ, but you're not all in. You lead a double life. And Jesus Christ says to that, nay nay. What the man was really saying to Jesus was, he would only share some of his life with Jesus, but not totally break from the world. This wasn't delayed discipleship like the man who intended to bury his father. He wasn't putting Jesus off for a while, but rather he wanted to play both sides. One foot with Jesus, one foot in the world. The question I have for us today in this beautiful setting in Colorado is, what will you compromise? Do you come to church but participate in the pagan holidays and parties at work, or with your neighbors, or with your family? You come to the feast, but will you also go to the holiday dinner that you were invited to? Do you participate in the world to fit in sharing your loyalty between God and the world? Matthew 13, verse 22. Now he who received the seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

Never compromise in your life. And if you're doing it, make the commitment in your mind. It's a simple decision. Stop compromising. Never compromise with what God's word tells you to do just so you can fit into the world. Finish what you start.

God made a promise to Abraham that through his seed all nations would be blessed. He said that Israel would be a model nation, and yet they failed. But God never fails. He finishes what he starts. And he started a work in you, and he will finish it.

But rather than doing it all for you, he has placed an expectation on each one of us. And in Philippians 1, we saw that Jesus will finish that work in us. And on our side of the equation, in Luke 9, we see three warnings from Jesus about our part in finishing what we start. One, make a total commitment, not a half-hearted one. Two, make God your first priority without neglecting your other priorities in life. Three, never compromise or share your heart with both God and the world. In Luke 9, Jesus is telling us to finish what we start by being all in.

Why did Jesus give these three warnings in Luke 9? I think it's to let us know that life doesn't instantly become easy when we follow Jesus Christ. And if you've been in the church for more than a year, you realize that. There will be difficulty. There will be challenges. Do your part. Don't hold back and don't compromise. But rather be all in, and He will finish what He started in you. No matter what life throws at you, no matter who criticizes you, just focus on the kingdom and set your hand to that plow and finish plowing your row. Let's conclude with a passage in Hebrews that encourages us to never fear the journey that we're on. I think this is a good place to end the sermon. Hebrews 13, verses 5 and 6. Let's go there.

Hebrews 13, verse 5. Let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me? With God as your helper, go from this feast of tabernacles and do not live in fear. God won't leave you. Don't leave Him. Finish what you start.