Don’t worry---
message is not as long as it looks. I’ve included a lot of extra
scripture in the printed message so you can read it at your leisure.
The spoken message is much shorter.
EVERYONE NEEDS CONFIDENCE, BUT FOR
THOSE OF US WHO ARE SICK—AND THOSE WHO ARE SERVING TIME IN
PRISON—CONFIDENCE IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY TO GET US THROUGH OUR
DAYS.
HOWEVER, CONFIDENCE IN OURSELVES ALONE WILL DO
IS NO GOOD.
Anyone with
a reasonable amount of intelligence realizes that he or she does not
have the knowledge or the power to deal with every single situation
in life. Often, we are faced with decisions that seem impossible to
make on our own.
AND CONFIDENCE IN OTHER PEOPLE, NO MATTER HOW GREAT
AND STRONG AND POWERFUL THEY ARE IS NOT ANY GOOD EITHER.
PSALM 118:8-9 (NLT)
It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.
9 It is better to trust the LORD than
to put confidence in princes.
WE
NEED TO BE CONFIDENT IN GOD
When we
understand the character of God and our relationship with Him, we
can walk in the kind of confidence we need.
We can be confident in our relationship with
God, because we are in covenant with Him and He is a covenant
keeping God.
When we accept
Jesus as our Savior, we enter into a Covenant relationship with Him.
It becomes His responsibility to complete the work in us—to
bring us through. That’s such a relief, because that means that the
ultimate burden of our maturity and perfecting does not rest on our
shoulders. We could never do it. But, God not only can—He will!
Philippians
1:6 says: For I am confident of this very thing, that he who
began a good work in you will perfect <perform> it until the day of
Christ Jesus:
Philippians
1:6 (AMP)
And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a
good work in you will continue until the day of Christ Jesus - right
up to the time of His return - developing (that good work) and
perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
WHY IS THIS VERSE SO IMPORTANT TO US? BECAUSE IT LETS US KNOW THAT THE
LORD HIMSELF WORKS IN US AND FOR US TO BRING ABOUT HIS PURPOSE.
THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO ATTAIN WHAT GOD HAS FOR US! WE
MERELY NEED TO COOPERATE WITH HIM.
DON’T LOOK TO YOUR OWN ABILITIES—YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.
LOOK TO JESUS.
Hebrews
12:2a [KJV]
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
NASB)
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.
AMP
Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the
Leader and Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our
belief], and is also its Finisher, [bringing it to maturity and
perfection].
SO—WE CAN HAVE
CONFIDENCE—ASSURANCE. WE DON’T HAVE TO CONSTANTLY WORRY ABOUT
WHETHER WE’RE GOOD ENOUGH.
I. HAVE
CONFIDENCE IN GOD
A.Psalms 118:1
Give thanks to the LORD; for He is good: for His lovingkindness is
everlasting. 2 Let Israel now say, that His lovingkindness is
everlasting.
8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence
in man.
9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence
in princes.
14 The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my
salvation
Psalm 118:14 [TLB] He is my strength and song in the heat of
battle, and now he has given me the victory.
B.
Psalm 71:5 For Thou art my hope; O Lord GOD, Thou art my
confidence from my youth. 6 By Thee I have been sustained from my
birth; Thou art He who took me from my mother's womb; My praise is
continually of Thee.
C.
Proverbs 3:26 For the LORD will be your confidence, and will
keep your foot from being caught.
D.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is
God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness
to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His
commandments.
E.
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ was faithful as a son over his house
whose house are we, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of
our hope firm unto the end. 14 For we have become partakers of
Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance <confidence>
firm unto the end;
F.
Hebrews 10:35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence,
which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance
<patience>, so that, when you have done the will of God, you may
receive what was promised.
G.
I John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we
have confidence before God. 22 And whatever we ask, we receive from
Him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are
pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment, that we
believe in the name of his Son Jesus HaMashiach, and love one
another, just as He commanded us.
H. I John 5:13
These things have I written to you who believe in the name of the
Son of God; in order that you may know that you have eternal life 14
And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask
any thing according to his will, he hears us: 15 And if we know that
he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that
we have the requests which we asked from him.
II.
HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE CHARACTER OF GOD AND HIS INTENTIONS
TOWARD US.
Romans
5:10 (AMP) For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled through the death of His Son, it is much more certain,
now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (Daily delivered
from sin's dominion) through His life.
WE CAN SEE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IN THE LIFE OF PETER.
John
18:25 And Simon Peter
stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou
also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not. 26 One
of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear
Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? 27
Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
PETER ONCE
DENIED BEING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS. BUT THE KEEPING POWER OF GOD WAS
MANIFEST. PETER REPENTED OF HIS DEED AND WAS PRESENT AT THE DAY OF
PENTECOST (SHAVUOT) IN THE UPPER ROOM AND DELIVERED AN ANOINTED
SERMON SO POWERFUL THAT AT ITS CONCLUSION, 3000 PERSONS GAVE THEIR
HEART TO GOD AND WERE IMMERSED. (ACTS 2:14-16; 38-41)
Acts
2:14 But Peter, taking
his stand with the eleven, raised his voice, and declared to them,
Men of Judaea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known
to you, and give heed to my words: 15 For these men are not drunk,
as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Acts
2:38 Then Peter said to
them, Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Jesus
HaMashiach for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive
the gift of the Ruach Hakodesh. 39 For the promise is for you, and
your children, and to all that are far off, as many as the Lord our
God shall call. 40 And with many other words he testified and kept
on exhorting them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation.
41 So then those who had received his word were immersed: and there
were added that day about three thousand souls.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS JONAH
- see the book of Jonah
Even though Jonah ran away, and refused to do God's bidding at first,
God brought him back and used him! god is an expert at restoring and
rebuilding. he knows how to bring us to repentance.
GOD REQUIRES SOMETHING
OF US! WE MUST COOPERATE WITH GOD.
Philippians 2:12b Work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who
is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
III. HAVE CONFIDENCE IN
THE GRACE OF GOD
Ephesians
2:8 For by grace
you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: 9 Not as a result of works, that no one should
boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in
them.
Romans
5:1 Therefore having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by
faith into this grace
in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
2
Corinthians 9:8 And God is
able to make all grace
abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all
things, may abound to every good work:
(AMP)
8And
God is able to make all grace (every favor and
[a]earthly
blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under
all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient
[possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in
abundance for every good work and charitable donation].
(NEW
LIVING TRANS). 8And
God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have
everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
IV.
TAKE COURAGE IN CONFIDENCE
Haggai
2:4
But now take courage, Zerubbabel, declares the LORD; take courage
also, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and all you people
of the land, take courage, declares the LORD, and work: for I am
with you, says the LORD of hosts: 5 As for the promise which I made
(KJV: covenanted) with you when you came out of Egypt, My spirit is
abiding in your midst; do not fear.
Joshua
1:6
"Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide
as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give
them. 7 "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to
do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do
not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may
prosper wherever you go. 8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart
from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that
you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For
then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good
success. 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage;
do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you
wherever you go."
Your
confidence in God will give you the courage you need to face each
day.
CONCLUSION: GOD WILL
DWELL IN US---WE WILL DWELL IN GOD. WE WILL NOT BE FORSAKEN. THAT IS
SOMETHING TO REJOICE ABOUT!!
PSALM
13:5 (AMP)
Amplified Bible (AMP)
But I have trusted, leaned on, and been confident in Your mercy and
loving-kindness; my heart shall rejoice and be in high spirits in
Your salvation.
