WHAT GOD BEGINS IN OUR LIFE HE COMPLETES

The Apostle Paul wrote,“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

When we give our life to Jesus

• We enter into eternal life• We can be assured that the LORD will never leave nor

forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)• We are adopted into God’s family• God begins the work of sanctification in our life in which

we become more and more like Christ over time, and • We have a God given plan and purpose for our life

I will begin by looking at three Scriptures

The Apostle Paul wrote, “And we know that all things work together for

good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)

Jesus Himself said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and

appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (John 15:16)

The Apostle Paul wrote, “For we are His workmanship, created in

Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

From these three Scriptures we can see that;

• Growing in Christlike character is a big part of our Christian walk “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). One day we will have a glorified body

• That God chose us that we should bear fruit in our life, (fruit that remains), and

• That God has a unique plan for our life that unfolds over time, the “good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10)

AS BELIEVERS WE CAN BE ASSURED THAT WHAT GOD STARTS HE WILL COMPLETE IF WE SIMPLY REMAIN COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIFE

The Apostle Paul wrote, “And let us not grow weary while doing good,

for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9)

The Bible makes it clear that only we ourselves can stop God’s plan for our life from coming to pass

We can be assured that if we commit to following God’s plan for our life, what He starts in our life He will complete

IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS WE READ, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And

lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

In the book of Psalms we read, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the

land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:3-5)

THE BIBLE ALSO MAKES IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE CONTINUALLY IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE AS BELIEVERS

The Apostle Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary

the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

TODAY I WANT TO SHARE SIX IMPORTANT KEYS THAT ARE CRUCIAL TO HELPING US TO

FULFILL GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIFE

However before I look briefly at these keys I will look at the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament

JOSEPH HAD A DREAM OF GREATNESS WHEN HE WAS JUST 17

YEARS OLD “Now Joseph had a dream,

and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.

So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: “There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” (Genesis 37:5-7)

“And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” (Genesis 37:8-9)

“So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.” (Genesis 37:10-11)

AMAZINGLY, OFTEN OUR GREATEST OPPOSITION AND CHALLENGES CAN EVEN COME FROM THOSE WHO ARE CLOSEST AND DEAREST TO US

After this dream of greatness Joseph went through thirteen years of great trials, but he kept being faithful to God and refused to become bitter as he experienced one

injustice after another

AFTER JOSEPH HAD HIS DREAM OF GREATNESS:

• He was thrown into a pit by his jealous brothers and left to die (Genesis 37:24)

• Then pulled out of the pit and sold to some Midianite traders for twenty shekels of Silver. He was then taken to Egypt. (Genesis 37:28)

• Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites. (Genesis 39:1)

• The Lord was however with Joseph, and he was a successful man: and his master saw that the LORD was with him. (Genesis 39:2-3)

• Joseph’s master then made him overseer of his house. (Genesis 39:4)

• Then Potiphar's wife made advances to Joseph

and he fled these advances leaving his jacket in her hands. (Genesis 39:12)

• Joseph was then wrongly accused in front of others for making advances to her. (Genesis 39:14)

• Then Potiphar (Joseph’s master) took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were kept. But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favour. (Genesis 39:20-21)

• The keeper of the prison entrusted Joseph with the authority to look after all the prisoners in the prison. (Genesis 30:22-23)

• Then the King’s Butler and Baker were thrown into the prison and both had dreams (Genesis 40:2-3 & 8)

• Joseph interpreted both their dreams. The Butler was to be reinstated to his position and the baker was to be beheaded.

• Joseph asked the Butler, “But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.” (Genesis 40:14)

• The Butler was restored again to his position as Chief Butler BUT HE FORGOT ALL ABOUT JOSEPH.

• Joseph was stuck in the prison for another two years. (Genesis 41:1)

• Joseph could easily have become discouraged and disillusioned with life.

• THEN PHARAOH HAD TWO DREAMS WHICH NONE OF THE MAGICIANS COULD INTERPRET

• Then the Chief Butler was reminded of Joseph in

prison and told Pharaoh about him.

• “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.” (Genesis 41:14)

• Joseph then interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams which foretold 7 years of great plenty followed by 7 years of great famine. (Genesis 41:25-32)

• Joseph then gave Pharaoh some wisdom on what he should do to prepare for the 7 years of famine which would follow the 7 years of abundance. (Genesis 41:33-36)

• Joseph’s advice to appoint a wise and discerning man to be set over the land of Egypt who would appoint officers over the land, to collect one fifth of the produce of the land during the years of plenty was good in the sight of Pharaoh.

(Genesis 41:37)

• JOSEPH WAS IMMEDIATELY CHOSEN TO BE THAT WISE MAN WHO WOULD BE SET OVER THE LAND OF EGYPT

• “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. “You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” (Genesis 41:39-40)

Here we see the faithfulness of God• What God promised to Joseph in two dreams

came to pass as God promoted Joseph from the prison to the palace in just one day. Also just as was in his dream his brothers were to bow down before him later (Genesis 42:6)

• What God begins in our life He will complete if we like Joseph remain faithful

• It was during the trials that Joseph went through, that God prepared him for greatness

Joseph had an understanding of God being sovereign in all that happened in his life – Both the

good and bad things that had happened to him

We see this when Joseph met his brothers who had sold him into slavery again.

“And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.” (Genesis 45:4-5)

“So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 45:8)

I will now just quickly look at six keys that can help us to see all that God has planned for our life coming to pass so

that our lives bear much fruit

1) Continually maintaining an intimate relationship with the Lord – Apart from Him we can do nothing

Jesus Himself said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot

bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

Everything flows out our relationship with the Lord

If we stay close to the Lord• God will continually renew our strength• We will remain strong in our faith (Act 4:13)• We will become more Christ-like over time• We will retain our peace during the trials of life• We will consistently experience the joy of the Lord• We will continually be filled with God’s love and

compassion for people, and• We will hear God’s voice clearly and receive

guidance to make right choices in life that are in line with His will for our life

Intimacy with the Lord is a key to staying in the will of God for our life

In the book of Jeremiah we read, “For who has stood in the counsel of the

LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?” (Jeremiah 23:18)

The Apostle Paul emphasised the importance of knowing the will of God for our life

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Intimacy with the LORD helps us to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to be

continually in the centre of God’s will for our life This is a great key to seeing God’s plan for our life unfolding and to us not being distracted by other things – EVEN GOOD WORKS which are not what God has planned for our life

The enemy will often bring people into our path who will try and draw us away from God’s plan and purpose for our life – We must be aware of time wasters (Having healthy boundaries in our life is crucial)

Intimacy with the Lord is a key to seeing God’s plan for our life

unfolding

King David wrote, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the

LORD and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24)

Intimacy with the Lord and spending time in God’s Word is a key to remaining strong and focused in

our walk with the Lord and to safeguard us against deception – ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE DAYS THAT WE

ARE NOW LIVING IN

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy

and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

Jesus Himself said, “If you abide in My word you are My disciples

indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)

How important it is that we are continually filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

How important it is that we make time in our busy schedules to seek the LORD to know His unfolding will for our life – That we learn to

involve the LORD in all that we do

In Psalm 46 we read, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be

exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, In

everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Intimacy with the LORD is a key to:

• Maintaining a soft heart and repentant heart

• To overcoming offences. Jesus Himself warned that in the days prior to His return that “many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” (Matthew 24:10-11)

• To keeping our passion and love for Jesus alive and the things of God a priority in our life, and

• To seeing God’s plan for our life unfolding over time

2) The importance of commitment The Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,

immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Having a clear God given vision for our life helps us to remain committed and focused in our walk with

the Lord

The LORD said to the prophet Habakkuk, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets,

that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.” (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

Living a daily consecrated life is a key to seeing God’s unfolding plan for our life coming to pass

Jesus Himself said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him

deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

3) The importance of maintaining a strong faith in God (Having complete TRUST in God’s faithfulness AT ALL TIMES)

In the book of Hebrews we read, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped

for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

The LORD said to Jeremiah when he was in prison

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

• We can depend on God’s ability and willingness to help us in our time of need

• We must simply trust the Lord in all circumstances and keep on just doing what Jesus tells us to do

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

4) The importance of having courage

WE NEED COURAGE:• To overcome our fears• To keep going on during the trials of life• When we experience setbacks or failures in life• When we have been betrayed and rejected by

others for no reason• When we have lost loved ones IT IS DURING THESE TIMES THAT WE NEED TO BE

ABLE TO ENCOURAGE OURSELVES IN THE LORD

The LORD said to Joshua just before he led the Children of Israel into the Promised Land

“Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. (Joshua 1:6)

“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. (Joshua 1:7)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Continually forgiving others is a great key to helping us to move on when others have hurt us or

betrayed us so that we can fulfil our God given destiny

The enemy will always try and offend Christians to take their focus off the things of God and to get them separated from other believers.

Jesus Himself said, “And then many will be offended, will betray one

another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. (Matthew 24:10-11)

5) We need to be connected to other believers (Having fellowship with other Christians is crucial in our walk with the Lord)

In the book of Hebrew we read, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope

without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

6) We need to continually depend on God’s guidance and enabling power in all that we do

• God’s ways are higher than our ways• We need to be continually led by the Holy Spirit• We must learn to do things in God’s strength

and in the power of the Holy Spirit• Being continually filled with the Holy Spirit is a

key to being empowered to minister to others

Jesus Himself said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has

come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)

The Apostle Peter wrote,

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10)

“If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11)

The Apostle Paul wrote, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is

dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18)

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” (Ephesians 3:20)

GOD PROMISES TO FINISH WHAT HE STARTS IN OUR LIFE. IF WE,

1) Continually maintain an intimate relationship with the Lord

1) Continually commit to following God’s plan for our life (Which is a daily choice)

2) Continually put our faith and TRUST in God at ALL times

3) Continually have COURAGE to keep moving on in life and in the things of God when life hurts and when we are experiencing great trials

5) Continually have fellowship with other believers, and

6) Continually depend on God’s guidance and enabling power in our lives

WE WILL SEE ALL THAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR OUR LIFE COMING TO PASS – WHAT GOD BEGAN IN OUR LIFE HE PROMISES TO COMPLETE

We can depend on God’s faithfulness