He Who Began a Good Work Continues

Devotional

Day 1: Hammer in the Builder’s Hand

A church born during floods and war stands not by human effort but by divine initiative. Just as a weathered hammer builds only when wielded, God’s people become His tools to shape eternity. The work began in 1916 amid chaos because God stirred ordinary farmers and mill workers to start something eternal. Their faithfulness wasn’t about resources but surrender to the One who holds history. The same hands that gripped plows and hammers now pass the baton to us. What God starts, He sustains. [42:59]

“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 1:6, CSB)

Reflection: What “hammer” has God placed in your hands—skills, relationships, or opportunities—that He’s asking you to surrender for His work? How does knowing He sustains what He starts change your willingness to act?

Day 2: Candle in the Storm

A flickering candle survives wind because its flame depends on a source beyond itself. For 110 years, Birkmont’s gospel light has endured cultural shifts, leadership changes, and personal imperfections. Storms test but never extinguish what God kindles. The wax may drip, the wick may bend, but Christ’s flame outlasts every gust. Our calling isn’t to perfect the candle but to shield the fire. [48:23]

“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7-8, CSB)

Reflection: Where have you been tempted to hide the flame of Christ to protect it from life’s storms? How might your cracks and imperfections actually magnify His light?

Day 3: Empty Chairs and Full Hearts

Sixty-three thousand empty chairs in Burke County represent souls yet to hear “I surrender all.” The church’s mission falters when preferences outweigh passion for the tattooed, the outsiders, the ones sitting alone. Revival begins when an empty seat at Walmart matters more than our comfort. Every chair prayed over becomes a throne for grace. [57:18]

“Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.’”
(Luke 14:23, CSB)

Reflection: Who is the “bald man with a demon tattoo” in your life—someone whose difference makes you uncomfortable? What practical step will you take this week to pull a chair closer to them?

Day 4: Drifting Downstream or Rowing Upstream

Churches die one inward-focused decision at a time: prioritizing cemeteries over missions, budgets over baptisms, preferences over prodigals. Like a river current, complacency carries us away unless we row hard toward the lost. The Philippians stayed alive by giving, sending, and partnering—never letting the oars rest. [55:17]

“So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:6, CSB)

Reflection: What subtle drift—a grudge, a comfort, a neglected prayer habit—is pulling you downstream? What intentional “upstream” choice will you make today to realign with Christ’s mission?

Day 5: Baton in an Open Hand

The 1916 founders didn’t finish the race—they passed the baton. A church’s legacy isn’t in its anniversaries but in its willingness to release control to the next generation. Buildings age, but God’s work marches through toddlers in Sunday school, teens at block parties, and young parents learning to lead. Our grip loosens so His kingdom tightens. [01:02:12]

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us.”
(Hebrews 12:1, CSB)

Reflection: What baton—a prayer tradition, a ministry role, a story of faith—are you holding too tightly? Who needs you to place it in their hands this week?

Sermon Summary

Paul opens Philippians with thanks and joy, then anchors everything in one promise. “He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” The text makes the source plain. He started it. Not a pastor, not the founding families, not community need. God moved in 1916, in the middle of a world war and a flood, and picked up ordinary men and women like a carpenter picks up a hammer, and built something that could not build itself. If He started it, He owns it. If He owns it, He sustains it. The church is not a personality project, it is God’s church. He died for it. He directs it. He decides.

The nature of the work shows up in the word good. The good work is not bricks or programs. The good work is salvation, sanctification, evangelism, gospel witness, a community being changed by Jesus. For 110 years the good work has looked like the Scriptures taught, children raised in the faith, missionaries sent and supported, sinners called to repentance, funerals and weddings held under the cross, and people answering the call to ministry. The picture is a bent candle. The wax is not perfect, the wind has pushed it, the storms have blown, the culture has shifted, but the flame is still burning.

The confidence of the work rests on God’s completion. He does not fold when the attendance board dips or retire when leadership changes. He does not panic when the culture drifts or the wrong folks get into office. He carries His work through surrendered people. That is why the danger of drift matters. Inward drift shows up as more concern for buildings than neighbors, more love for preferences than lost people, Burger King church, have it your way. It sounds like Toby Keith theology, talk about me and mine. The text pushes outward. The Philippian church partnered, sent, gave. Intentional hearts do not float downstream. They open the gift and hand it to others.

So the images stack up and press a choice. A wrapped gift only looks pretty if it stays wrapped. The gospel must be given. Empty chairs are not furniture, they are 63,000 unreached neighbors. That stranger with the skull tattoo is not a threat, he is a story God is still writing. The baton is not a trophy, it is a trust. The promise holds. The work runs until the day of Christ Jesus, not until anyone gets comfortable. The call is simple. Renew personal revival. Reclaim an outward focus. Raise the next generation. Keep the main things the main things, and let the flame burn.

Key Takeaways

1. God starts, owns, sustains church God’s ownership frees the church from chasing personalities and trends. If He began the work, then the church answers to His voice and moves at His pace. That confidence releases courage in hard seasons and humility in fruitful ones. The source is the anchor, and the anchor holds. [41:34]
2. The good work is spiritual Buildings age, but gospel change endures. Salvation, sanctification, and witness are the real metrics, measured in lives turned toward Jesus and homes steadied by grace. Keep the pulpit and the classroom hot with Scripture, and the flame will keep burning through every storm. [46:04]
3. Completion rests on surrendered faithfulness God finishes what He starts, but He carries it through yielded people. Scoreboards and moods rise and fall, yet faithfulness keeps showing up, praying, giving, serving, inviting. Surrender is not passivity, it is steady obedience when applause fades. [49:15]
4. Outward focus beats inward drift Inward churches calcify around preference, while outward churches keep doors and hearts open. Mission is not a stunt, it is conversation, hospitality, and stories that make room for God to work. Keep praying by name, keep opening the gift, and watch empty chairs become testimonies. [55:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[37:04] - 1916 roots in a hard world
[39:16] - Still here amid wars and floods
[40:10] - Philippians 1:3-6 read and prayed
[41:34] - He started it, He owns it
[42:36] - Hammer in His hands
[46:04] - The good work: gospel change
[47:44] - Bent candle, steady flame
[49:40] - God finishes, no attendance boards
[51:21] - Drifting signs and Burger King faith
[53:04] - Block parties are for stories
[55:42] - The wrapped gift must be opened
[57:03] - Empty chairs and 63,000 neighbors
[59:43] - Tattooed stranger meets Jesus
[61:36] - Until the day of Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Philippians 1:3-6 (CSB)
I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Observation questions

What does Paul mean by "he who started a good work in you" in Philippians 1:6? How does the sermon connect this to God’s role in the church’s history? [41:34]
The sermon describes the church as a "bent candle" with a steady flame. What does this metaphor reveal about the nature of God’s work in imperfect people and circumstances? [47:44]
According to the sermon, what are specific examples of "inward drift" that churches must avoid? [51:21]
How does the Philippian church model an outward focus, and what practical actions did they take (based on the sermon)? [54:49]

Interpretation questions

Why does Paul emphasize God’s ownership of the work in Philippians 1:6? How does this truth free the church from anxiety over cultural shifts or leadership changes? [49:40]
The sermon warns against treating church like "Burger King" (have it your way). What does this analogy reveal about the dangers of prioritizing personal preferences over mission? [51:47]
The empty chairs symbolize 63,000 unreached neighbors. Why might physical symbols like this help believers refocus on evangelism? [57:03]
How does the story of the man with the skull tattoo illustrate the difference between judging outsiders and seeing them as stories "God is still writing"? [59:43]

Application questions

What is one area of your life where you’ve been tempted to treat church like a "personality project" (relying on leaders or programs) instead of trusting God’s ownership? How can you shift your focus this week?
The "bent candle" metaphor acknowledges imperfections but celebrates God’s sustaining flame. Where have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life or church despite struggles? Share a specific example.
Identify one "empty chair" in your life—a person or group far from God. What is one intentional step you can take this month to share the gospel with them? [57:03]
The sermon warns against inward drift, like prioritizing buildings over neighbors. What is one practical way your small group can serve the community this month to stay outwardly focused?
The tattooed man’s story required prayer and courage. When have you hesitated to engage someone who looked or acted differently? How can you prepare your heart to see others as God does? [59:43]
The baton of faithfulness is passed through generations. Who is one younger believer or child you can intentionally encourage or mentor this month?
Revival starts when "empty chairs mean more than preferences." What is one personal preference you’d be willing to set aside to make room for someone new in your church? [58:13]

Sermon Clips

But to know it and not to do anything about it is drifting. We must share the gospel, being intentional to share the gift with others. This area needs the gospel. Your neighbors need the gospel. Your husband, wife, son, or daughter, mom, or dad need the gospel. That student that you deal with that that deserves every spanking that he or she has never gotten needs the gospel. You know, I put down here you see these empty chairs? And they symbolize the 63,000 people yet to be reached in Burke County. [00:56:23] (54 seconds) #ReachTheUnreached63k

What do you mean it doesn't work? Well, we they ate our food. They played on our rides, and nobody gave their hearts to Christ. Nobody joined the church. We got all that backward, y'all. Those block parties and things like that. Aren't you all about to have one, Greg? It's an opportunity for you to have God's stories with our community. Amen? Well, you know, they act like they're enemies of Christ. You know why? Because they are. So was I before I met Jesus. And y'all, so were you before you met Jesus. [00:53:14] (36 seconds) #OutreachIsOpportunity

Here's one. More concern for the members preferences than the community and finding ways to reach them. You see, some of us think church is like Burger King. Have it your way. Have it your way. Have it your way at Burger King. You know the problem with that? Makes a great commercial, but it's not biblical. You know, I love this there was this theologian and his name was Toby Keith. He wrote this great song. I wanna talk about me, talk about I, talk about number one, oh me, oh my. [00:51:21] (48 seconds) #CommunityOverPreferences

But here's the when's the last time you've invited a lost person to church that wasn't a high attendance day? We have to do that every week. Amen? When's the last time you shared your faith? Now maybe some of you here today are here because I heard there's gonna be good food. And your mama or your daddy or your grandparents brought you to church and you've never met this Jesus, and you've never received this gift. Best thing that happened in my life is when Jesus came in. Somebody unwrapped this gift and explained it to me. [01:02:54] (43 seconds) #InviteAndShareFaith

Luke, the wrong people get in office and God says, we got a problem and he pulls the angels together. What are we gonna do? He doesn't do that. He's just faithful. Brothers and sisters, like you're to be faithful no matter what comes our way. But here's the difference. He carries it on through surrendered people. surrender all. I surrender all. So you see, if we drift inward, we are drifting away from where God wants us to be. What are some signs of a drifting church? More concern for the buildings than for the community. [00:50:37] (45 seconds) #SurrenderSustainServe

Now the people make up the church. Amen? The people are the church. We are the church. But did any of y'all die for Bertmont Baptist Church? No. It's not the people's church. It's God's church. He is the one that makes decisions. Right? Because he owns it. He sustains it. You know, one of the things that happens in a in ministry a lot, we'll say things like, oh, well, I went on down there to Justin Cunningham's church. I went on down there to Jerry Gamble's church. [00:44:48] (35 seconds) #GodsChurchNotOurs

If you ever hear a preacher say, I'm all perfect and I'm just exactly like I'm supposed to be, he's a lying dog. You know, you got issues, I got issues. But we're to face them together and remain remember to keep that flame of Christ burning, burning, burning. Because it's God's good work. Number next, the confidence of the work. Look at verse six. I'm sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion. [00:48:32] (39 seconds) #KeepTheFlameBurning

It's I love that picture of that candle. You see, the candle represents the gospel flame of Burkemont. And guess what? Y'all ain't perfect. at your neighbor and say, you ain't perfect. Don't say that to your wife, man. Somebody said I did. Whoo. Duck. Did you duck? And you ain't so perfect. None of us are. Right? It that flame y'all, it's been patterned. It's gone through storms. The storms have blown. The culture has shifted, but what? It still burns. still burns. [00:47:52] (40 seconds) #GospelFlameStillBurns

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What is the source of the church's work?

What marks a church drifting inward?

What practical steps renew personal revival today?