THE BEGINNING CAN BE BETTER THAN THE END:
- Almost everyone can make a good beginning; but he can also wreck whatever he is doing before he gets very far.
- This is illustrated profoundly by some of the most common relations of life. Marriage, student life, business, and even congregational activities. Compare Philemon 24; Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:10.
- What I’m saying is not intended to disparage a good beginning in any worthy endeavor; but if final success is to be had, it must be remembered that a good beginning alone will not accomplish the desired end.
CONTINUOUS GROWTH IS NECESSARY:
- The statement from Ecclesiastes 7:8 is true if and only if growth accompanies the process.
- The end of physical things is not better than their beginning, because there is no spiritual development involved, and they end in ruin and decay. Automobiles, houses, our bodies. Ecclesiastes 12:1.
- The life of Paul, from his conversion until his death, is a great illustration of the value of continuous growth. 2 Timothy 4:6-8.
THE LONG-RANGE VIEW INCLUDES BOTH THE PURPOSE AND THE PLANS:
- The reason that the end is better than the beginning is because God’s will has been accomplished. So often, at the beginning, we consider many things against us; but after we have had time to view them in a fuller light, we readily see how they contributed to our progress. Romans 8:28; James 1:2-4.
- The lives of Jesus and Paul had glorious endings because they always kept their eyes on their goals. John 5:30; Heb. 12:2; 2 Cor. 5:9; Phil. 3:13-14. The plans for their lives looked toward definite purposes.
- The fact is, No plan should be undertaken until the purpose we intend to accomplish is well understood.
- God has made known both his purpose and plan for our lives. Heb. 12:1. Inasmuch as he has endowed us with the capacity for choice and responsibility, there are some things that we must do ourselves as Matt. 25:14-30 well teaches.
- Some practical illustrations:
- Rearing a child. We should determine first what kind of man or woman we want the child to become; and then, under God, make our plans and do all we can to reach that goal: Prov. 22:6. “The child is the father of the man” – Wordsworth
- What do we want our congregation to accomplish? Eph. 3:21; 4:16; 1 Tim. 3:15. It is our responsibility to see that the church comes as near to doing what God has ordained for it, as it is possible for us to do. Revelation 2:1-7.
- As individuals. Each of us has a self to live with, a character to build, a God-given personality to develop; and we are to have a truly better ending than our beginning, we must get God’s point of view, and then order our whole life according to His purpose. Ezekiel 22:14; Matt. 24:4-13.
the late Wayne Holland
from a sermon preached at:
Hiawassee, GA 09/18/1983
Roxboro, NC 09/09/1990