God Finishes What He Begins - Part 2: But Are You Resisting or Yielding?

Philippians chapter one and again, we'll finish what we started last week. God always finishes what he starts and he will certainly do that in the lives of his children who have put their faith and trust in him to save them from their sin and give them a home in heaven. God is doing a work. He has a work. He has a purpose.

You know, God didn't just save you to take you to heaven because if that was the only reason he saved you, where would you be? Heaven. You'd be in heaven but you're not. You're here. So, God must have other purposes in our life.

The Bible says, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. So, God desires that we as children would bring glory to him while we are here on this Earth before we go home to be with him in heaven. Paul writes to the Philippians, he says, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Always in every prayer of mine for you, all making request with joy. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.

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. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear heavenly father, we thank you. The promises of your word. We thank you for your sacrifice on the cross.

That we by grace through faith, your sacrifice, and your resurrection, come to know you. As our Lord and savior. We thank you Lord for the opportunity to praise you today, to lift up the name of Jesus. Lord, we pray as we do that, that you would also work in our heart and life. Help us to see areas, Lord, that we are holding back from you.

Lord, conform us into the image of your son. Make us to be more like you. And in so doing, give us love and joy and peace and all the other fruits of the spirit that are ours in Christ Jesus today. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.

Amen. As we saw last week, Paul was excited to see what God was already doing in the lives of the believers in Philippi and he thanked God for it. He didn't thank the Philippians for it. He thanked God for what he was doing in the believers in the city of Philippi. Moreover, Paul rejoice as he made request in prayer for the believers there.

He rejoice as he prayed for them knowing that what God had started in their lives as his children. He would most assuredly what? Finish. In verse six again, it says, being confident of this very thing, that he that is God which hath begun a good work in you will perform it, complete it, finish it until the day of Jesus Christ. We don't always finish what we start but God always finishes what he starts and Paul says, I make request my prayers for you with joy.

Knowing that God is gonna finish in you what he started. As we discovered in God's word, we cannot and do not save ourselves. We cannot and do not save ourselves. The Bible says, our righteousness are as filthy rags in Isaiah sixty four six. Does the rag clean itself?

No. No. Somebody else has to. And we are as that filthy rag in sin. And who it is?

Who is it that can bring cleansing into our life? It's not us. It's who? God. It's God.

Through Jesus Christ work on the cross. We cannot and do not save ourselves. That alone is the work of God by grace through faith in his son, Jesus Christ. His shed blood on the cross for our sins. His resurrection from the grave.

That is the gospel. God has done it. Not us. Not you. God has done it.

Jesus Christ did it. When he hung on that cross and just before he gave up the ghost, he says, it is Finished. Finished. He said, it is finished. What was finished?

The price of our redemption was finished. The payment was made. And all of those who come to him in faith. To receive Jesus Christ as savior. That payment is applied to our account.

Before God that we might be declared justified in heaven. We cannot and do not save ourselves. God does. It is not our job to keep ourselves saved either. For God has promised that he will keep us saved.

Who have placed our faith in him. Until the day we stand before him complete, that is perfect. God has promised that he will keep us. First Peter chapter one, one of my favorite passages of scripture. Says, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy, according to his mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively or living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

To an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you. Verse five of first Peter one, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. How are we kept? We are kept by the power of who? We're kept by the power of God.

We're kept in God's grace. We're kept in in God's family and we are reserved. God has reserved a place for us in heaven that is ours because we are kept by his power. If it were up to us, we'd be in trouble. We're in trouble to begin with because we're all sinners.

That's why we need a savior to save us, forgive us, and cleanse us from all our sin. We're not saved by our works and we're not kept by our works. We're kept by his power until the day that we stand before him complete. So while we are on this earth, God is working in us day by day to perform, to complete his work. His work in conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ his son, Romans eight twenty nine.

It is not always an easy path. It is not always a smooth path. But we can be assured it is the right path and that God will keep us on it and that's what we looked at last week. God starts what he finishes and if you have placed yourself in his hands by faith, he says, I will deliver you to the home that I have prepared for you. You can trust in me.

That's what salvation is all about. Not trusting in me but trusting in him. However, it is also important to note that as God does his work in us, we have a choice day by day to yield to his work or to resist. His work. We have a choice whether we're going to yield to what God is doing in our life or whether we're going to resist what he's doing.

It is God's work but it is our part to yield to that work as the clay yields to the hand of the potter. We're told in scripture. He is the potter and we are the clay. If you would look up on the screen here at Hebrews thirteen seventeen. There, the writer of Hebrews says, obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves or yield yourselves to them.

For they watch for your souls as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you and I wanna focus on the last part of that verse in particular. For that would be unprofitable for you. Well, what would be what is unprofitable for us? Well, this is what's unprofitable. For we who are God's children who have come to Christ by faith to resist his work in our life and refuse to yield to his authority, to his word, to his work in us, by his spirit and by his word and by others that he has placed in our life to assist us in learning and applying God's word to our life.

If we resist his work, then that is unprofitable here. It is harmful. It is injurious. It's not unprofitable, harmful or injurious to God. It is harmful, unprofitable and injurious to who?

To us. If we choose not to submit ourselves to God's authority, to his word, to his spirit, to the teaching of his word. We need to be soft hearted. We need to be willing What authority? God's authority.

And the authority of those that he's placed in our life who teach us his word including his spirit, godly parents, and preachers, and teachers, and other leaders who declare God's word, who seek to assist us in learning and applying it to our lives. You know, sometimes being a pastor is exciting and full of joy and it is and there's nothing I would rather be doing than be right here doing what I'm doing. But sometimes it can also be frustrating because you preach the same thing, sometimes it seems like over and over and over again and nobody what? Nobody gets it. You know, something and God reminds me when I start feeling that way that I am that way too.

I am just as thick headed and hard headed as everybody else. And it seems like sometimes that God just keeps knocking and we just we just not listen. But we need to start listening. And we need to start yielding our lives to God's word. If we refuse, it will be unprofitable to us.

If we yield ourselves to him, we will experience the fullness of joy and peace. And success and love that God has promised. To his children. He wants that for you but we must yield ourselves to him. Have you ever heard how foolish it is to bite the hand that feeds you?

Sure you've heard that phrase. Well, when we refuse to yield to God's love and his will in our lives, that is exactly what we are doing and we are the ones who get harmed in the process. Who gets harmed the most? When you bite the hand that feeds you. Well, the one who is need eating because it isn't taking the food from the one that wants to what?

Feed Feed you. You see, God wants to feed you. He wants to feed you from his word and by his spirit. He wants to do wonderful work. He's working in your life.

Why are you resisting? Because we're stubborn. Because we refuse to see things from God's way because we just don't trust him and I mentioned this before the revival. We, it's a matter of trust. We do not make it hard for God but we make it hard for ourselves.

God will not be halted by our resistance to his will but we will find life miserable and difficult. When it is meant to be joyful and happy. Christ said, I came not just to give them life but to give them life more abundantly. God wants us to have an abundant, fulfilled, joyful, happy life as his children. But have you ever met a miserable Christian?

Say, no, Christians are never miserable. I've met many miserable Christians. Times in my life I've been one. How does that happen? We have the spirit living inside our heart.

We have his word. We have his his promises of a home in heaven. Why would we be miserable? Because we're fighting him because we're resisting him, because we're not yielding to him. It brings turmoil to our heart when it should be filled with joy.

I have told my children and and other children. I was youth pastor for twelve years. If you will just obey and do like you're told, then everybody will be more happy. Yeah. If you'll just do what you're told, then we won't have to go through this for the fiftieth hundredth or two hundredth time.

You won't have to get a lecture. You won't have, to get, something taken away. You won't have to get punished. I don't want to punish you. It makes me miserable and it makes you miserable.

So, if you would just what? Listen. Just listen. If you would just obey, then everybody including you would be more happy. You know something?

That's what God says to us too. We think, well, that stupid kid. Why doesn't he listen? Doesn't he get it? We're that kid.

Sometimes, that's how we act. You want to have the the overflowing with peace and joy of the Lord in your life? Well, first, you have to know him by faith but secondly, you need to yield yourself to interest at heart. He wants to give you joy. We have to start yielding.

Stop resisting. It isn't any fun paddling upstream. And no matter how hard you fight as a Christian, you cannot fight God's current forever. But you can certainly wear yourself out trying. You ever met a burnt out Christian?

I met them too. How did they get burnt out? Well, in many cases, it's because they've been paddling upstream. They've been fighting God rather than letting him have his way in their life. So, they're tired.

I think some Christians stay out of church for years thinking that if they they stay away from God, God will let them be. But if you're a child of God, if you've been saved by his grace through faith in his son, he's not going to let you be. It will never happen because he said in his word to his children, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Now, he put that there to bring comfort but if we're running from God, it brings the opposite. Discomfort because God says, I'm not going to just let you be.

I'm going to hold on to you. That's our God. When we're not faithful, he still is. So, just Get it over with. Get right with God now so you can enjoy his love and leadership in your life for years to come.

Stop shooting yourself in the foot. And let God have his way because his way is best. Let's look at a few other passages on the subject. Now, let's start with Romans twelve one and two. I, excuse me, I concluded the service last week with this passage.

I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now, God's will for everyone of us is what? Good and acceptable and perfect. How do we prove that? Well, we prove that when we yield ourselves to him.

When we give our life, our bodies a living sacrifice and we get out of the driver's seat and let God get in the driver's seat and direct our life which now belongs to him. Paul says, we are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are whose? His. Gods.

Gods. We belong to him. As his children. So, get out of the way. Move over.

Let God. Let God take control. He will not steer you wrong. Our prerogative is simply to yield to the Lord and let him direct us. Let him to guide us.

His will is perfect and he will not fail us. First Peter 114 through 16. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lust and your ignorance but as he which hath called you as holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation or conduct because it is written, be you holy for I am holy. What is God expect of his children? This is what God expects of us.

He expects of us to not look at the world and our life before Christ and to envy it and to be pulled back towards it and to resist him but he expects us to yield ourselves to him. Rather than going back to our old ways and yielding ourselves to the flesh and the allurements of the world, we must yield ourselves to a holy God and his holy spirit to walk that is live daily according to his word that we might become more holy like unto him. Now, who is going to do that work in us? God is. You can't do it without who?

Without God. He says, without me, you can do nothing. Philippians four thirteen says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and if Christ lives inside your heart, your life by faith, and if you yield yourself to him and you can do whatever he has. You can become more holy. You can get victory over sin.

It works because God works not because I work because he works. He will make us more like him. Second Timothy three fourteen through 17. It's a mouthful but let's I was just going to put fourteen and fifteen but I think I have to put the whole package here. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned.

This is Paul writing to Timothy, a convert of Paul's and now a trained minister but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of knowing that thou hast whom thou hast thou hast learned them and that of a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction, and righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished, or equipped unto all good works. What is the key to salvation? It is the gospel. Where do you read the gospel?

Right here in the word of God You're a sinner, I'm a sinner. If we die in our sins, we'll be lost forever. Because our sins demonstrate we're guilty. The God so loved the world that he saved his only begotten son, that's Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins. That we through faith in him might be saved.

And receive God's gift of everlasting eternal life but God's word doesn't stop there. God's word continues. To instruct us on how to live the Christian life, to bring glory to God, how to live the Christian life, to experience the fullness of joy that God wants for his children. That's why the Bible doesn't end with the gospels. But it continues on.

With the epistles and through the book of Revelation. Everything that you need to live a godly, God honoring, successful, happy life is found here. Now, if you want to know how to do the plumbing in your house, you're going to have to find a plumber or a handbook on plumbing and if you want to know how to fix a motorcycle, you're going to have to find a mechanics book on fixing a motorcycle but if you want to know how to get to heaven and how to live a happy, successful life, everything you need to know is right here. God's given it all to us and it is profitable for instructing us in every way of righteousness in our life. In God's will, that we might be thoroughly that is completely equipped.

To do the good works that God. Has for us who know him as savior. But we have to yield to his word. It's not simply enough to know it. You have to what?

Follow it. James says, but be you doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own self. For he that be a hearer of a word and not a doer is like unto a man that beholds his natural face in a glass or in a mirror. For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightway forget it what manner of man he is. What James is saying is this, if you get up in the morning and you're all disheveled and you go and you look in the mirror and you go, oh, look, I'm a mess and then you turn around and you walk away and you go about your life and you don't do anything about it.

What good did it do you? How many people know the gospel that have never received the gospel by faith. One day, they'll stand before God at the judgment. God will say, I never knew you. Apart from me, you that work in equity and how many times as Christians, as God's children, do we read God's word and it says, this is unprofitable for you and we just go about doing it anyway.

And it brings misery here when God wants to bring joy. James chapter four verses six to eight but he give it more grace Whereof he say it? God resisted the proud but giveth grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh or near to God and he will draw near or nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, purify your hearts, you double minded. How do we cleanse our heart, our our hands, and how do we purify our hearts? By drawing near unto God. By yielding, by submitting ourselves to God and his word, God does a mighty work in our life.

But if we resist him, then we don't see the fruit and we miss out on the joy that God has for us. If you wish to experience the fullness of Christ's joy and the fruit of the spirit to that abundant life that Christ told his disciples about. And we need to learn to trust the hand of the potter and yield ourselves as the clay. Else, we will become miserable, ineffective, and even bitter. Children of God.

And that is not what he wants for you. That is unprofitable. If we yield ourselves to him, he says this, Matthew six thirty three, but seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. All that you need to make you happy and fulfilled in life. God says, I will provide it.

If you will seek me first. If you yield yourself to me All those things you strive for, all those things you worry about. God says, if you will just seek me first, I will provide those things. Psalm thirty seven four, delight thyself also in the Lord. To do those things that are glorified, to please him.

Delight thyself also in the Lord and he will give thee what? May I see that? The desires of thine heart. What do we desire? We desire to to be loved.

Do we not? We desire to be at peace. We desire to feel satisfied. Full of joy. That's what every human being desires.

There's only one who can give it. Fully. And that's Jesus Christ. And even as Christians, who have Christ and the Holy Spirit. If we do not yield ourselves to him, we won't experience all of it that God has to give but we can.

We'll just learn to delight in him. If we resist him, then we read these things. Turn if you would Hebrews chapter 12. I I am getting near the end of my message, alright? Hebrews chapter 12 verses five to 10.

If you turn with me If we yield to him, he will add all these things unto us. If we'll yield to him, he will give us the desires of our heart. But if we as his children, resist him, then he will chasten us because he hates us. You think that's the truth? I hope not.

Do you chasten your children or discipline them because you hate them? No? Why do parents chasten and discipline their children? Because they love them. God will do the same for us.

And chastening isn't pleasant. But sometimes it's necessary. Hebrews 12 verse five and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasten it and scourgeth every son whom he receive it.

The writer of Hebrews says, don't faint, don't don't give up, don't don't go high, don't get angry. When God is chastening you, realize that it's for your what? Good. You're good. Because he loves you.

Receive it. Yield to it. Stop fighting it. For whom the Lord loveth. Verse six, again, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If he endure chase, if he endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what is son is he whom the father chasteneth not If God doesn't ever chasten you, well, then you might want to stop and think for a minute Was there a time when I truly trusted Christ as my savior? Am I a child of God? Because if God's not chastening you, then there's something wrong. If when you're doing wrong, you don't feel guilty, then there's something what?

There's something wrong. If you're a child of God, then God is going to chasing you. He's he's going to use the sword of the spirit, the word of God. To convict us. So that we'll turn from the way that brings misery to the way that brings what?

Joy. To the way that brings dishonor to our God and brings glory to our father. Look, if you would in first Corinthians eleven, first Corinthians 11. I read this passage last week on Sunday night because we were celebrating the Lord's table, communion, and that's what this passage is regarding in verses 22 down through verse 26 but we'll start there in verse 26. It says, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come.

Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the blood, body, and blood of the Lord but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause, many are weak and sick among you and many sleep. Now, Paul uses the word sleep as a metaphor for the death of a Christian because we are not gone, Okay? Our body is asleep until the day of the resurrection.

Our soul goes to be with the Lord. Our body goes in the ground and one day we who know Christ as savior, that body will be raised. It will be changed in a moment. And we will spend eternity with Christ in a new glorified body. First Thessalonians four, first Corinthians 15.

So, he uses the word sleep. So, who was Paul talking about here? The saved or the unsaved? He's talking about the saved because he uses the word sleep for death but Paul says this, if we would examine or judge ourselves based on the word of God and at the conviction of the holy spirit, then, we will be filled with joy and we will be profitable servants of the Lord but if we refuse to examine and judge ourselves, our our sin, to confess it, and see it as it is and get it right with God. If we're determined that we're going to fight, then God says then I will have to chase it.

And I will have to judge you. And like talking to my children which is better. For you to judge yourself and choose to fix it and get right and do the right thing. Or to put me in a position where I have to do it. Which is more pleasant?

Which is better? For you to choose. Now, God's going to finish what he started in you. God wants, God wants it to be a pleasant journey For you, his child. He wants to be glorified Your blessing and your reward.

Here, as well as in heaven. He wants to be glorified in that way. Not glorified. In his chastening of you. But we have to learn to yield to him and stop resisting him.

When God speaks to us, we need to listen. We need to be willing to confess our sins. That he might cleanse us of all unrighteousness. So, how are you doing? Which category do you fit in?

Are you yielding? Are you resisting? But let's go back for just a moment. I have three questions in closing. Here they are.

First of all, are you a child of God? For you see, if you do not know Jesus Christ by faith, if you have not come to Christ and repents in faith and trusted him as Lord and savior, you still bear the punishment for your sins and you do not have a home in heaven. And if you die and go out into eternity without him you will spend eternity in a place called the Lake Of Fire. Are you a child of God? Have you come to him in repentance and faith and received his gift of eternal life?

Are you trying to get to heaven on your terms? Your way. And by your works. You say, but pastor, we're all sitting in church this morning. That's not us.

I don't know that And sad to say, I know there's a lot of churches that aren't really teaching the truth today and there's a lot of people sitting in those churches that think the way they get to heaven is by doing good works, by keeping the law, doing the works of the church. The Bible says, by the works of the law, shall no flesh be justified in his sight and Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me. Whereby grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast. When did you receive that gift?

If you haven't and you don't have it. But you can. Today, you can receive God's gift by faith. You can be saved And become his child. That's what God wants most of all.

Question number two, if you are a child of God, are you yielding to him? Submitted to his word, Doing your best by his grace to live according to his word and for his glory. If so, you should have a settled peace and joy in your heart and life. No matter what life throws your way. Now, none of us are perfect.

None of us have arrived. Paul said so of himself. We won't till we get one day to heaven but generally speaking, how are you doing? You're the only one who can answer that question. That is you and God.

Number three, are you resisting God in some area of your life? Yes, God will finish his work in you. Yes, God will keep you safe in the ark of his unfailing love and mercy but you will not know the peace and joy or begin to feel secure in him as long as you are fighting your heavenly father. And resisting your will. Is there something today that God has put on your heart and said, yes, Lord.

I know you've said this way of living is wrong. But I've been doing it anyway. Will you confess that before him? Do right Maybe you're resisting his word clearly and you know it. It tells you in his word that what you are doing is sin.

You need to give it up If you don't, he will chasten you. Until you honestly confess and let him deal with it. You know, you can do that today. You can can do that here. You can do that when you go home.

You can do it. Tomorrow, when you're dealing with another problem, he's always there. He will never want. Leave you nor forsake you but you need to deal with it. It doesn't just go away.

You know what I'm talking about. It doesn't just go away. You have to what? You have to deal with it. Maybe you're resisting his will and you know it.

I've been there. It's not a fun place to be. I knew the Lord was calling me into ministry when I graduated from high school but I was determined I was going to be a physicist. So, I went to college to be a physicist and for two years, I my major was physics. That second year in particular, I was the most miserable I have ever been in my entire life because God was tugging and I kept saying, no.

No. No. I kept telling God, God, you don't know what you're doing. God, I can't get up in front of people and talk. It scared me to death.

Still does. But you know something? God is able. When I finally gave in to the Lord, he gave me a peace that I haven't lost. Oh, there's ups and downs just like everybody else.

Are you resisting his will? Surrender, let him have his way. He doesn't make mistakes. Maybe you're just complacent and unresponsive to him, too distracted by the things of this life to care what your heavenly father thinks. You will never be happy that way.

He will never let you be. Will you fix your eyes on Jesus? Get your eyes off the things of the world. Lay up for yourselves treasure where? In heaven.

And not upon earth. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your word. We thank you Lord for the promise that those who come to you by faith that you will keep us by your grace and power to the day we stand before you complete in Jesus Christ but Lord, you desire to do so much for us here, today. Lord, that our lives might bring glory to you but also that our lives might be filled with joy and happiness and peace and love.

Lord, help us to see that our resistance to you is only robbing us. What you have for us and what you want for us. Lord, help us to confess our sin, to yield ourselves to you and to your word, to your authority in our life. As the one who has purchased us by your blood on Calvary's Cross. And we pray most of all, Lord, if there's one here today that is never received your gift of eternal life.

By grace through faith in your son that they would do that today. Lord, if they're trying to get to heaven on their own good works, I pray that you help em to see that it's only by your grace we can be saved. Through faith in your son. And receive that gift that only you can give. If we give this hymn of invitation, please help them to come Please work in our life and help us Lord to confess any sin to you Lord that we're holding back today In Jesus name, amen