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God's Good Work in Us

Sermon by John O. Reid

God has initiated a profound work in those He calls, and He is committed to completing it. As stated in Philippians 1:6, He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. This assurance reflects His unwavering determination to shape and perfect us for His Kingdom. He will not fail in this endeavor, for it is His responsibility to bring to fruition what He has started. The process of perfection is not without challenges. God, as a loving Father, works diligently to refine us through trials and corrections, ensuring that His purpose is accomplished in us. As seen in John 1:12-13, those who receive Him are given the right to become children of God, born of His will. This divine calling means He will shape, teach, and develop us fully for the roles He has prepared for us, doing so with mercy and love. Examples like Job illustrate this process. Despite immense suffering and loss, Job was unaware that God was perfecting him through these trials. In Job 42:5-6, he acknowledges his newfound understanding, stating, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Ultimately, God's work in Job resulted in a deeper relationship and abundant blessings, showing that perseverance under trial leads to a positive outcome. Similarly, the journey of Israel in the wilderness, as described in Deuteronomy 8:2-5, reveals God's intent to humble and test His people to know their hearts and to teach them reliance on His word. This pattern of testing and refining continues with us today, as God works to make us a peculiar people, exemplary in righteousness. In John 15:1-2, God is depicted as the husbandman who prunes every branch that bears fruit to make it bear more. This pruning involves removing hindrances and encouraging greater diligence, often through trials such as health issues or personal losses, to purify our motives and actions. Hebrews 12:6-7 reinforces this, stating that whom the Lord loves, He chastens, dealing with us as sons to produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness. God's attitude toward us in this process is one of immense compassion and mercy. Psalm 103:8-14 highlights His patience, graciousness, and understanding of our frailties, ensuring that He will complete the job of perfecting us while extending compassion. His ultimate goal, as expressed in Hebrews 12:10, is for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Our response to God's work should be one of endurance and willingness to change. As James 1:12 declares, blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life. We must trust in God's purpose, understanding that He who began this good work in us will faithfully bring it to completion.

From Start to Finish

Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)

God has laid the foundation of the earth, and will maintain and mend until the project is completed, promising to remain with us from start to finish.

From Start to Finish (Part One)

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker

The Bible contains seven instances - in Isaiah and Revelation - of God declaring Himself to be 'the First and the Last' or 'the Beginning and the End.'

Thank You for Finishing What You Start!

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We should be thankful to God for His Holy Spirit, spiritual blessings, fellowship, as well as God's promise that He will finish what He has started.

God's Workmanship (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's creation did not end with the physical creation or our election, but God continues to work, giving us the motivation and the power to do His will.

Giving Flows From the Focused Work of God

Sermonette by Mark Schindler

If God's people keep their focus upon His purpose for them as outlined by His Holy Days, they will be able to accomplish the work God has given them.

Snapshots (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Even if a present snapshot of our lives looks dismal, it cannot reveal what happens next. What happens next is in God's hands—and He finishes what He starts.

Snapshots (Part Three)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Among the greatest challenges we face is not to let a bad snapshot—or even a whole progression of them—convince us that the journey is not worth continuing.

Staying With the Puck

Article by Charles Whitaker

A hockey puck changes direction almost constantly, and a hockey player has to move with it. This analogy explains how we must follow God when He changes things.

Deuteronomy (Part 6)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God is absolutely faithful to finish what He started, knowing the end from the beginning. Our strength is dependent upon the relationship we have with God.

All in All (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

While we are not yet 'all in all' with God's purpose for us, we will, if we yield to our calling and sanctification, become at one with God.

Our Spiritual Wilderness

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

Time after time, the children of Israel accused Moses of leading them to their deaths, failing to trust God in spite of His track record of provision.

The Measure of a Man in the Completed Canvas

Commentary by Mark Schindler

God is the consummate artist, incorporating in His saints what seems to be a random jumble of dot and dashes, consisting of moments spread out on a canvas.

Those Best Prepared to Suffer with Him

Sermon by Mark Schindler

We must learn to seek God's will and purpose for us, avoiding the temptation of Hezekiah who feared death more than trusting God to decide his expiration date.

Christ as Redeemer

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The idea of redemption is that of 'buying back,' of paying the cost—often a steep one—to restore someone or something to a former condition or ownership.

Our Awesome Destiny (1993)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Man's destiny is to have dominion over the entire universe. Preparation for this awesome responsibility requires faithful stewardship over God's gifts.

Our Awesome Destiny (2000)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Through a miraculous combination of knowledge plus the spirit of God, we realize that our destiny is to be a part of the divine Family.

God Has Faith in You

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. Reid

It can be encouraging to us that our patriarchs and the prophets had serious doubts, but God overrode all their fears in accomplishing His purpose.

God Our Provider

Article by Charles Whitaker

God's providence in building the Tabernacle of Meeting serves as an encouraging example for modern Christians collaborating with God to build His church.

Deuteronomy (Part 5)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's faithfulness is the foundation of our faith. We cannot live by faith unless we believe we have a God who is faithful in everything He does.

Deuteronomy (Part 2) (1994)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Deuteronomy, which is to be reviewed every seven years, provides us with vision and instruction for living in our spiritual Promised Land.

Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Eight) Cultivating the Fruit of Faithfulness

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

The only tangible measures of faith is faithfulness, trust, and loyalty to God. We don't need to ask God for more faith, but rather work on being faithful.

Trial by Fire

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Like a loving parent, God brings just the right pressures to bear to bring about necessary change in His children. Each trial has a place in His purpose.

We Are Saved in This Hope

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The Scriptures assure us that by combining God's redemptive acts from the past, we are to have an ardent hope in the future, anticipating eternal life.

He Who Overcomes

Sermon by John O. Reid

Just as fighting to escape its cocoon strengthens the butterfly, our calling requires effort above what the world has to endure to become free of Satan's cocoon.