The Importance Of Completion
October 12, 2008
Scripture:
Isaiah 53:8 - “He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people He was stricken. ”
Psalm 22:30-31 - “A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, they will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this.”
Synopsis:
Every movement in the earth is initiated by a defining moment. Unfortunately, not every movement creates momentum that translates into progress. There is a new movement happening in the world that is at least partially defined by the recent collapse and propping up of the world banking system. This movement has also been characterized by the decline and redefining of religious institutions as we know them, especially in the realm of Christianity. This movement has not been named as of yet, but it is certainly causing change that could translate into progress as long as we as believers follow it through to completion.
Completion is defined as: to fill, to furnish or fulfill. When a believer is operating in the will and plan of God, they are filled with purpose, furnished with what they need to carry out that purpose and find fulfillment in the process. This is why Jesus said, “It is finished,” when he died on the cross, fulfilling the purpose for which he was created. However, his completion of his purpose was the defining moment that galvanized the movement that ultimately created the momentum and spread of the church. Unfortunately the church movement has only made sporadic progress at best, continually losing focus of its purpose which is to make disciples and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ by declaring his completed mission to the next generation.
If we use the game of football as an analogy of the church in action, a completion is a successful forward pass, the purpose of which is to make progress down the field of play and into the end zone for a touchdown. In order for a completion to happen, there must be a “passer” and a “receiver,” both of which agree on the play called in the huddle. Spiritually, the church’s Sunday morning assembly is the “huddle” where the pastor acts as the “passer” and each congregational member is a “receiver.” If there is competition or confusion in the huddle, there is no chance for a completion. Religion has created competition and confusion in the church and as a result the completion of the church’s mission has been subverted. In this season of change God is calling from the sideline for “passers” and “receivers,” to abandon the religious game plan and refocus on His strategy of completing the work of declaring Jesus to the next generation.
