Becoming Complete
Pastor Brad Brownell
Sept 08, 2024
“Finally, brethren, farewell, become complete”- 2 Cor. 13:11
Another expression of this become complete is to become mature…
4 levels of completeness and looking at the life of Peter.
Luke 22:31-32:
“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren
LEVEL 1: YOU
WITH A SENSE OF COMPLETENESS:
And until you connect with your Creator, you will constantly be on the search for value and purpose. You will constantly be looking at how to identify yourself.
Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
He begins to wrestle with who he identified himself with and in fear, caved in the pressure of the crowd to be accepted rather than see his acceptance in Christ. He was sifted, wishy washy, back and forth, unsure of who he was with or what he was to do…
What things in life sift us in our pursuit to find our sense of completeness? Completeness is not just a place, it’s a position found in the person Jesus Christ!
Colossians 2:10: “In Him you are complete” - That is in Jesus Christ!
LEVEL 2: A SENSE OF
When you feel complete, you feel content.
Matthew 14:27-32 (NKJV):
Be of good cheer, it is I; do not be afraid. And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water’. So He said, ‘Come’ and when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’. And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Him…and when they had got into the boat, the wind ceased.”
When you are sinking in your situation, He is reaching out to you to lift you, not sift you! When Peter was sinking…Jesus didn’t give him a hard time, but His Hand…Peter could be content because He had Christ!
In becoming complete in life look to Jesus.
Paul said in 1 Cor. 3:11 (NKJV)
“No other foundation can anyone lay, then that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ”
LEVEL 3: HAVING A SENSE OF
:
- We go from starting with a sense of completeness in Christ
- To having a sense of contentment found in Him
- To a sense of contribution.
If we look back at Peter, when he denied Jesus, we can see the result of him being disconnected with Christ.
He was intentional and ambitious to make a difference and even die for Christ,
…but found himself sleeping when he should have been seeking God.
…This then led him to “follow Christ at a distance” (Matt. 26:58).
…And sit outside of where Jesus was
“Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard”
We need to ask ourselves the question, what am I living for, and not what am I living in?
And what I am living for is based on Who I am living for…
And Peter made His final choice to follow Christ completely…. Which made Him complete!
And the great news is that in all of Peter’s shortcomings, Jesus never once condemned him.
God says in Phil. 1:6 that we can be confident, that He who began a good work in you, will COMPLETE IT until the day of Jesus Christ!
LEVEL 4. HAVING
You aren’t meant to do life alone – Made for relationships
Yet God says… And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now. – Heb 10:25
Being in a group is always safer just like walking down the street is…
Being in group is always more supportive…
Being in group is always smarter…
“Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” James 3:17-18
2 Cor. 13:11
“Finally, brethren, farewell, become complete”
