God is a Finisher
Adrian Thornton

Every year in July, we spend time focusing on what it means to be good stewards of what God has put in our hands. Specifically, we focus on our building as well as our own personal finances.

The word ‘building’, though, can sound a bit impersonal. It’s good to remember that the building we meet in and are paying off is our HOME. It’s not a church (church=people), and it’s not just a building, but it’s our home.

This message is about encouraging us to keep investing in our home. We aren’t debt-free yet and still have a way to go. Here is a quick recap of the purchasing of our property and where we are at now:

In 2012, we had around $700,000 in the bank and purchased our current property and building for $1,100,000. We spent about $250,000 on renovations, which left us with a loan of $640,000. So far, we have paid off just over $200,000.

In Philippians 1:3-6, Paul says, “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Paul is talking about the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the people in the church of Philippi.

We can apply Paul’s encouragement to us because the process of owning our own building began with a word from God in 2012 to “start a building fund and buy a building”.

God is a starter and a finisher! He is the “Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 21:6). The author of Hebrews says Jesus is “the pioneer and perfecter of the faith” (Heb. 12:2). The word ‘perfecter’ means consummator and finisher!

Isaiah prophesies, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Is. 55:11). What started with a word from God in 2012, will come to completion as God promises.

CALL TO ACTION
Knowing that God is a finisher, I want to encourage us to continue working with God in bringing to completion what He started. Here are two call-to-actions I want to invite you to:

[ 1 ] Generous, faithful, & sacrificial giving.
Our church has been built on the incredible generosity of many faithful people who give into the life of Citylife Church. We believe in putting the Kingdom first and trusting God as we live in obedient generosity.

On Sunday, the 27th of July, we will receive our annual offering that goes directly towards our building fund. I encourage you to pray and ask God how He would like you to respond. Visit our Citylife website for how to give into our Stewardship Offering.

[ 2 ] Help us expand the vision of our home by opening it up for use to our community.
Our home has a lot of potential to be utilised during the week and generate additional income to help pay down the loan. If you believe you can help facilitate this, we would love to hear from you. Speak to your cell leader about taking the next step.

Below is Sunday’s message on YouTube.