[Part 3 of 5 in the series, "Finding Calm in the Chaos"]
We’re in our Christmas series “Finding Calm in the Chaos.”
I was reading John Baker’s personal testimony the other day and he said something that caught my attention that goes right along with our series.
Baker is the founder of "Celebrate Recovery" at Saddleback Church with Rick Warren. As a Christ follower that struggles with alcoholism Baker tells how drinking was messing up his life and his marriage.
As one of the steps to his recovery he consciously chose to commit all of his life and will to Christ’s care and control. And then he made the statement that caught my attention: “If we don’t surrender to Christ, we will surrender to chaos!” (Celebrate Recovery Leader’s Guide, page 16)
That relates directly to the Hebrew letter in the New Testament, which was written for the Jewish converts to Christianity during the First Century.
They were having a rough time living for Christ because of persecution. They considered turning back because their lives were chaotic so they mistakenly concluded that if they stopped following Jesus and went back to the Jewish religion their lives might become more calm. They thought that if they surrendered to their doubts and fears instead of continuing to surrender to Christ, then they could conquer their chaos.
The truth is, turning back to their old religion would have been a tragic mistake because no religion has anything that even comes close to comparing to God’s “in person” message through His Son Jesus! That’s why Christmas is such a big deal! God became man so that He could communicate directly with human beings through His Son Jesus!
God’s message to the Hebrew Christians of the First Century was all about Jesus! The theme of Hebrews is our theme for this Christmas series and should be our theme year round, “Keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.” Hebrews 12:2a (NLT)
That’s exactly what our current series, “Finding Calm in the Chaos,” is about. It’s what the letter to the Hebrews is about – “If we don’t surrender to Christ, we will surrender to chaos!”
In chapters one and two the writer spoke of how the story of Christmas is God’s greatest communication to us. God coming to us "in person" is better than His prior messages by prophets and angels.
We also saw last week that God’s message to us through Jesus is a better than the Old Testament priesthood because He understands our temptations since He faced AND conquered all of them. No human priest could do that!
Jesus is better than the prophets are, He’s better than the angels are, and He’s better than the Old Testament priesthood. And today, in the third chapter of Hebrews, we see that Jesus is better than Moses is. Follow along with me in Hebrews chapter three.
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. 2 For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.
3 But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. 4 For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. 5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. 6 But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
7 That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. 9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. 10 So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ 11 So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’” (Psalm 95-11)
12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” (Psalm 95:7-8)
16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest. Hebrews 3:1-19 (NLT)
I reminded you last week that Hebrews is “meaty” Scripture. Very little spiritual “milk” served here in Hebrews. But that’s good! This is spiritual prime rib! If you will chew it and digest it, the spiritual affects will be long term!
You cannot grow as a follower of Christ on milk alone. If you stay on milk you’ll remain a spiritual infant. If you want to move forward in your spiritual life you need in order to enjoy God’s best, then you have to feed on the meat of God’s Word.
In this third chapter of Hebrews Jesus is compared to one of the greatest religious heroes of all time – Moses! Moses was a great man of God. The faith he expressed in God and the exploits he achieved for God are legendary. But as great as he was, he was only a servant in God’s house. Jesus is in charge of God’s house.
Right after the Hebrew letter writer establishes that fact he writes this in verse six, “And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. “
Circle that phrase, “keep our courage and remain confident in Christ” I want to focus today on that phrase. I want to talk to you today on the subject, “Becoming a More Confident Person!”
The recipients of this First Century letter weren’t very confident. They were discouraged because of the chaos they were facing in the form of persecution.
But they aren’t the only ones to ever face chaos. We face it today. We need calm. One of the characteristics we’re going to need in order to establish calm is courage. The Hebrews were losing their courage. That’s understandable. We can’t point a finger of accusation at them. They probably had it way harder than we do. The persecution they were suffering for following Christ in the first century wasn’t a picnic.
Their courage was eroding and the Holy Spirit inspired this letter to be written to them to enCOURAGE them – to build up their confidence in Christ. As their confidence in Christ grew, so would their confidence in their ability to remain calm in their chaos.
Before we start chewing this meaty Scripture I emphasize to you the relevance of this topic. Why is it important that I become a more confident person?
A lack of confidence can leave you missing the opportunities in life that God has for you. When we feel like we don’t matter or we’re not important or we don’t measure up – then we often end up acting on our feelings.
You say, "But I wasn’t born with very much confidence."
I have good news for you. You don’t have to be born with confidence. You can learn it.
If you’re fed up with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy and insignificance – today’s Scripture is for you! If you want to know how to become a more confident person in your relationships, on the job, out in the community, wherever, then pay close attention today.
If you want to learn how to believe that you can handle the responsibilities that God has given you in life and not feel inferior or inadequate, then the Scriptural principles we’re covering today are for you!
HABITS FOR BECOMING A MORE CONFIDENT PERSON.
I use the word "habits" because you must learn to instill these things in your daily life. They must become reflexive. These are some things you need to do without discussion.
The reason a lot of Christ followers become discouraged is because they fail to establish good habits. Here are three that will boost your confidence!
HABIT #1. KEEPING MY EYES ON JESUS.
I’m more confident when Christ is in clear focus.
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. 2 For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house. Hebrews 3:1-2 (NLT)
Once again, this is the main component to remaining calm in chaos. Circle that phrase, “Think carefully about Jesus.”
The Bible says a lot about our thinking and how it affects all of our life. Everything we do is affected by our thinking.
The Hebrew Christ followers were thinking about turning back to the prophets, angels and priests of the Old Testament. They were thinking about turning back to the man who received the law from God – Moses.
God says, “Don’t look at the prophets, or the angels, or the priests, or even Moses! Look at my Son, Jesus!”
The same thing applies to us today. We can’t maintain our confidence if we’re looking anywhere else than at Jesus.
a. If I’m going to be a confident person I can’t look back.
It’s ironic that the Hebrew Christians of the First Century wanted to look back to Moses. He was a great man but on the subject of having confidence he wasn’t the best example.
When God called him to go talk to Pharaoh he was so lacking in confidence that God had to allow his brother Aaron to do some of the talking for him. Moses wasn’t confident on several other occasions and we’ve all failed before. And often its because we looked back.
Don’t think about the past in any way that will negatively impact the present. Don’t live off of past successes and don’t just dwell on your mistakes, your sins, your failures or the bad things that have happened in your life.
If you’ve confessed your sins to God then don’t let the devil or anyone else make you dwell in the past. Don’t let others keep bringing up your past. Don’t fret over the hurtful things others have said and done to you in the past. Anyone who stays focused on those things will lose their confidence.
When I wallow in the past and dredge up painful memories all over again I only work against myself. That’s why Jesus said, "Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn’t worth a thing to God’s kingdom!" Jesus – Luke 9:62 (CEV)
You may never have plowed a field but you can imagine how foolish it would be to try and plow straight rows if you were always looking behind you. Your life is the same way. God can’t bless you like He wants to or use you like He wants to if you’re always looking back.
Paul gives an encouraging word on this to the Christ followers at Philippi.
12-14I’m not saying that I have it all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
15-16So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it. Philippians 3:12-16 (Msg)
Paul had been a terrorist before coming to Christ. His main goal in life as a zealous Jew was to arrest and kill all the Christians he could. He could have let that keep him awake at night with regret but he didn’t look back at the mess his life use to be. He looked ahead. He was focused on the goal of achieving all God had for him.
If I’m going to be a confident person I can’t afford the luxury of looking back.
b. If I’m going to be a confident person I can’t look down.
Feeling sorry for myself never got me anywhere in life. In the Word of God we are always challenged to have an attitude of faith, expectancy, and assurance! In the Bible we are given hundreds of uplifting, encouraging, and positive promises! Promises like…
"You will keep the man in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3 (NLV)
I can remain calm in any situation if I will keep my mind on Christ! I don’t have to give up! I don’t need to turn back and I certainly don’t have to go through life with my head down – all discouraged and defeated!
In his book, “The Wonders of the Word of God,” Evangelist Robert L. Sumner tells about a man in Kansas City who was severely injured in an explosion. His face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands. He was just a new Christian, and while others worried about how this tragedy might overwhelm him with discouragement, one of his greatest disappointments was that he could no longer read the Bible.
Then he heard about a lady in England who read Braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books of the Bible in Braille. Much to his dismay, however, he discovered that the explosion had also destroyed the nerve endings in his lips.
But one day, as he brought one of the Braille pages to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised characters and he could feel them. Like a flash he thought, “I can read the Bible using my tongue!” At the time Sumner wrote the book, the man had “read” through the entire Bible four times!
If I’m going to be a confident person I can’t afford to waste my precious brainpower on my past mistakes or my present troubles. I can’t look back and I can’t look down. I need to look up to Jesus. I need to think carefully about Jesus. And when I remain focused on Jesus I’ll remain calm in my chaos!
The second tool for confidence building is found in verses 7 and 8.
HABIT #2. KEEPING MY HEART TENDER.
I’m more confident when my heart is tender.
7 That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:7-8 (NLT)
When my life is battered and baffled by the disorganization and confusion of chaos I’m tempted to become cynical and hard-hearted.
My warped human thinking goes something like this: – "It hurts too much to care anymore - so I won’t let myself care at all.” But if my heart is hard God will not be able to work with me, and the harder my heart gets, the harder it is for me to do right. God wants me to have a tender heart, a teachable, pliable, moldable heart.
If you try to mold a lump of clay that has already hardened it will only resist your efforts and crumble into little pieces. The clay has to be soft in order to be moldable. If God is going to be able to do something in my life I have keep a tender heart.
So how do I keep a tender heart?
What do the Scriptures teach?
a. Learning what I should from past blessings will help keep my heart tender.
Here’s a biblical example.
After Jesus had fed the 5,000 He sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee in a boat. A storm arose and even though they were rowing as hard as they could they weren’t making any headway. We can all identify with how they must have felt. We’re doing the best we can to keep our heads above water and don’t seem to be making any progress.
About this time they see Jesus walking on the water and they’re terrified because they thought it was a ghost. But Jesus told them not to be afraid.
51 He came over to them and got into the boat. The wind stopped. They were very much surprised and wondered about it. 52 They had not learned what they should have learned from the loaves because their hearts were hard. Mark 6:51-52 (NLV)
Circle that phrase, “They had not learned what they should have learned,” and the phrase, “because their hearts were hard.”
They should have learned to trust God in adverse circumstances. They should have learned that the God who miraculously fed them when they were hungry was not going to let them drown. But they weren’t tenderhearted enough to learn from past blessings.
My guess is that their hearts were tender when they were seeing Jesus feed all the hungry people with five loaves and fishes – but their hearts became hard again when they got on the storm-tossed sea.
Haven’t you ever had God answer a special prayer for you and your heart became so tender towards God and spiritual things. Or you had this great worship experience and you were on cloud nine. Then an unexpected bill comes in the mail. Or you get laid off at work. Or one of your relationships experiences a setback. Or, it could be one of a million different disappointments or heartaches.
You’re rowing and rowing and rowing and not making any headway in your storm! The waves are crashing all around you and it looks dark and desperate. And you make the classic mistake of letting your heart get hard again. You forgot all about that answered prayer or that fantastic worship experience.
My confidence takes a beating when I fail to learn what I should about God’s great love and care for me. As I remain confident and steadfast in His love and care for me I remain encouraged – even in the middle of life’s storms!
Another thing that will help me keep a tender heart:
b. A passion for God’s Word will help keep my heart tender.
The Old Testament story of King Josiah and the national revival experienced under his reign illustrate this.
Josiah was already leading a project to repair the temple and restore worship when one of the priests involved in the project found the Word of God! In those days the Scriptures were written on scrolls and the people had been neglecting reading them under previous administrations. But when Josiah heard about them finding the Word he wanted to hear what it said.
The bad news was the Scriptures brought to him contained warnings of God’s discipline to be carried out on His people because of their gross disobedience through idolatry and other sins. When Josiah heard this he cried and ripped his clothes (that’s what you did in those days to show you were upset) and God sent him this message through the prophetess named Huldah.
19Because your heart was [tender and] penitent and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation, [an astonishment and] a curse, and you have rent your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. 2 Kings 22:19 (Amp)
I wonder sometimes. Is the Word of God so readily available to us that we take it for granted? In Josiah’s day no one had been reading the Scriptures because of the reign of ungodly kings. Does the Word of God have to become scarce before we become passionate about what it says?
God give me the passion of the man I spoke of earlier who read the Bible repeatedly with his tongue!
I have two good eyes to read with and two good hands to hold the Word of God. I have the Bible in multiple translations and paraphrases. I can access the Scriptures on my computer and I have at my disposal hundreds and thousands of great books written about the Bible by men and women who have studied it and researched it and lived it! But until I develop a personal passion for the Bible, the Word of God, I won’t have the tender heart I must have in order to be the confident person I need to be!
But let’s tie this all together with one more confidence building HABIT. Not only must I think carefully about Jesus and keep a tender heart…
HABIT #3. KEEPING OTHERS IN MY PLANS.
I’m more confident when my plans include others.
12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. Circle that phrase, “warn each other every day.” Hebrews 3:12-13 (NLT)
The Greek word translated “warn,” is “parakaleo.” It literally means, “to call near, to invite, invoke, to comfort, to exhort.” Every day we are supposed to be calling one another near. Followers of Christ are supposed to be involved in encouraging one another when needed.
a. I think of others because they need it.
What happens to someone who doesn’t have others to encourage them on a regular basis? They are more easily discouraged and more susceptible to temptation. These verses say that we should “warn each other every day…so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.”
Earlier in this chapter the writer talked about not letting our hearts get hard. One of the best ways for me to keep my heart tender is by having reciprocal relationships with others. “Warn each other every day.” I warn others, that is, I call them near and I comfort them when they need comfort and advise them when they need advice, and others call me near, and comfort and advise me when I need it.
What does this have to do with helping me become a more confident person?
b. I think of other because I need it.
This is pretty simple. If I’m not involved in the lives of others then they are not able to be encouraging me on a regular basis.
The first generation of Christ followers practiced this in Jerusalem.
The believers met together in the Temple every day. They ate together in their homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts. Acts 2:46 (NCV)
The first generation of Christians got together every day. What was the result? Happiness and joy!
But by the time the second generation of Christians came along the letter of Hebrews written to them had to remind them of the vital importance of getting together with other believers on a regular basis. Even on a daily basis!
In one generation they had already become so discumbobulated by persecution that they stopped including others in their plans!
We saw last week that in order to overcome the devil, fear of death, and temptation we have to take up our cross and die to self, “daily.” Jesus said that if we want to be His followers we must take up our cross “DAILY.” The life of the Christ follower is not just about worshipping on Sunday. It’s about a “daily” self-mastery by staying close to Jesus where we can lean on Him and His strength.
This Scripture tells me that there’s something else I must be doing every day in order to maintain my courage. I must be involved in daily encouragement with others.
It’s classic for someone to neglect the worship gatherings and the Bible studies and the small group meetings of the church and then say something like, “I just don’t feel like I’m a part of the church. I feel alone.” Of course you do.
You took yourself out of the mix. You allowed yourself to become distracted by the chaos of life and you became negligent of the vital habit of including others in your plans. Pretty soon you lost your confidence.
This Hebrew letter contains the classic encouragement on including others in my plans.
"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
Don’t be one of those people that neglects meeting together with other Christ followers. When and if you do you’re confidence level will sink as your insecurity soars.
Have you heard God’s voice today in this Scripture?
"The Holy Spirit says, "TODAY when you hear His voice don’t harden your hearts." (Verses 7-8)
Which habit or habits do you need to begin or recommit yourself to TODAY?
1. Christ in clear focus.
2. My heart tender.
3. Others included in my plans.
