God Finishes What He Starts
February 8, 2016 | by: Dave Maniquis | 0 Comments
Posted in: Sermon Questions
PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY GROUP GATHERINGS
Sermon: God Finishes What He Starts - February 7, 2016
Series: Philippians – Finding Joy in the Circumstances of Life
Speaker: Pastor Anthony Orzo
Sermon Questions Prepared by: Teachig Elder Dave Maniquis
Launching Discussion: Are you the type of person who completes everything you begin or do you discontinue if obstacles become too great?
Main Passage: Philippians 1:1-6
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (NIV)
Cross Referenced Passages: Romans 5:8, Luke 18:9-14
Sermon Questions:
1. The sermon provided a biblical definition of “God’s Holy People” as it refers to all the people of the true Church who have been set apart by God*, to wholly devote their lives to Jesus.
Has there been a time, perhaps even now, when you have shown acts of benevolence to others and service to the church and yet felt less devoted in your heart and mind toward God?
- If so, how does the knowledge that being set apart by God as holy help to relieve you of guilt or doubts about having a genuine relationship with Jesus?
*For further treatment of Holiness see Word number 2 under 52 Words Every Christian Should Know.
2. The sermon used the New Testament illustration of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14. It highlights two contrary dispositions concerning a person’s approach to God. One based on personal “moral” performance, the other on repentance and the self-awareness of their inability to work their own way into God’s favor.
Okay, so you understand that you cannot gain God’s favor through moral performance. Nonetheless, owing to difficult circumstances in your life, have you ever felt that God still “owed” you because of your faithfulness to Him?
- Have you ever felt that it was unfair that God has allowed certain circumstances and struggles in your life compared to others who appear less devoted to God than you? If so, explain.
3. Point II of the sermon was that “If you want joy in your heart you must rest in the truth that God has promised* to finish the good work he has started in your life.”
The key point of the message about Philippians 1:6 is that God’s promise is “inherent” in His intention of completing his purposes for His Kingdom purposes, for His glory and which includes goodness for you if you are in relationship with Him by being in His Son Jesus Christ.
Anthony stated in his message that, “It’s recognition that God is a God of completion. He’s a God who always finishes what He starts. This promise is a particular one that is meant to encourage us in our Faith and in the work of the Faith. It’s the promise of Christian perseverance that we can rest in when life gets tough; when fear and doubt seek to sit on the throne of our hearts; when serving Jesus loses its luster; when our faith gets stale.”
How does the knowledge that God has every circumstance in your life working for His eternal purposes, His glory and for your good, encourage you to persevere in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds?
- Does it totally encourage you or only by a certain degree? Explain your response.
- How will this knowledge help you to make changes in your life that you realize should be made?
*The Merriam-Webster offers these definitions of promise:
- A statement telling someone that you will definitely do something or that something will definitely happen in the future.
- An indication of future success or improvement.
- A reason to expect that something will happen in the future.
4. There is always a danger of staleness developing in our own Christian walk of faith. That can even translate into a view that there’s staleness in the church. Nothing could be further from the truth. RCPO is beyond its 5-year life. Jesus gave it birth, it has learned to walk and talk, cry and smile. It’s still growing up under Jesus’ loving care. And now it’s moving into the next chapter of its growth as the body of Christ.
Near the conclusion of his sermon, Anthony shared the many incredible things that God has done in and through Restoration to “make good on his promise” of bringing his faithful disciples to fulfill His purposes. And these just in the past year alone!
Yet, how does “finding joy in life’s circumstances” by resting on God’s promise to complete what He has begun show you that you “need to regularly celebrate what God has started in your life personally but never at the expense of what He still wants to do through your life?”
- How do you think what God has started in your individual life of faith in Jesus translates into what He is doing corporately in His church; at Restoration?
- How do you intend to be a continued part of that with the understanding that God completes what He begins, regardless of what it might look like in the end?
5. The conclusion of the sermon suggested a defining personal appraisal that you must reflect on with God in order to know if you can experience the “Joy in Life’s Circumstances.” It’s this: “ask God to show you if you really believe He is the Author and Finisher* of your faith.”
How can we fall into the trap that only believes have of this biblical truth inasmuch as we acknowledged Him as the Author but ourselves as the finishers?
- After hearing this week’s sermon and reflecting on Philippians 1:1-6 what are some steps you plan to take in order to “experience the reality of what it means to believe in God’s promise of completion deeply enough that it creates in you" what Anthony describes as a “wellspring of unassailable joy?”
*Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2–3 NIV)
