THE CONFIDENCE WE CAN HAVE AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST
PHILIPPIANS 1:19-21 FOR I KNOW THAT THIS WILL TURN OUT FOR MY DELIVERANCE THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS AND THE PROVISION OF THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST,
20 ACCORDING TO MY EARNEST EXPECTATION AND HOPE, THAT I WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME IN ANYTHING, BUT THAT WITH ALL BOLDNESS, CHRIST WILL EVEN NOW, AS ALWAYS, BE EXALTED IN MY BODY, WHETHER BY LIFE OR BY DEATH. 21 FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN.
INTRODUCTION: EARLIER THIS WEEK I WAS WATCHING AN INFOMERCIAL ON BUYING GOLD. WHAT WAS INTERESTING TO ME WAS THE INITIAL DISCLAIMER CONCERNING WHOSE OPINION WHAT BEING VERBALIZED; IT WAS NOT THE OPINION OF THE STATION AND THE CONSTANT USE OF WORDS LIKE: COULD, MIGHT, POSSIBLY AND OTHER WORDS FO SIMILAR SPECULATION. YET, DURING THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, THE MAIN COMMUNICATOR WAS SMILING AND VISUALLY SHOWING YOU WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF YOU MADE HIS ADVERTISED INVESTMENT.
HARDLY A STIRRING VOTE FOR CONFIDENCE – MIGHT, COULD AND POSSIBLE.
WHAT WE SEE IN THE WORDS OF PAUL IS SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT – CONFIDENCE EXPRESSED IN HIS KNOWLEDGE.
ILLUSTRATION: ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITSYN ONCE SAID AT A GRADUATION ADDRESS IN 1978, “MUST ONE POINT OUT THAT FROM ANCIENT TIMES A DECLINE IN COURAGE HAS BEEN CONSIDERED THE BEGINNING OF THE END.”
PROPOSITION: WE ARE AND CAN BE PEOPLE OF CONFIDENCE
PAUL HAD FIVE CONFIDENCES RECORDED FOR US IN THESE VERSES, AND IT IS THESE CONFIDENCES THAT BROUGHT HIM, AND CAN BRING US REAL JOY!
I. PAUL WAS CONFIDENT IN THE CERTAINTY OF GOD’S PLAN
a. FIRST PHRASE – “I KNOW”
i. GREEK WORD IS OIDA
ii. THE MEANING IS TO KNOW AS A CERTAINTY
iii. PAUL WAS AS CONFIDENT OF THE CERTAINTY OF GOD’S PLAN AS HE WAS OF THE AIR HE BREATHED
AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS ALWAYS MORE AT PLAY. GOD IS WORKING OUT HIS ENTIRE PLAN THROUGH HIS ACTIVITY ON OUR BEHALF. WE ARE ALWAYS PART OF THE BIGGER PLAN OF GOD!
b. BEFORE PAUL WAS EVER IN HOUSE ARREST, HE WROTE TO THE CHURCH ANT ROME AND PENNED THESE WORDS -- ROMANS 8:28 AND WE KNOW THAT GOD CAUSES ALL THINGS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, TO THOSE WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
i. PAUL WAS NOW LIVING IT FOR THE ROMANS WHILE UNDER ARREST
c. PAUL UNDERSTOOD THAT HIS SITUATION WAS ONLY TEMPORARY.
II. PAUL WAS CONFIDENT IN GOD’S DELIVERANCE
a. PAUL UNDERSTANDS HIS SITUATION IN THE SAME WAY JOB UNDERSTOOD HIS
i. QUOTES FROM JOB 13:16 "THIS ALSO WILL BE MY SALVATION, FOR A GODLESS MAN MAY NOT COME BEFORE HIS PRESENCE.
ii. THE WORD TRANSLATED DELIVERANCE IS THE SAME WORD USED TO TRANSLATE SALVATION IN THE OT SEPTUAGINT
iii. PAUL’S SITUATION WAS NOT A PUNISHMENT FROM GOD
iv. PAUL’S SITUATION WAS BOTH THE PROGRESS AND PROCESS OF GOD
b. PAUL WAS LOOKING AT HIS DELIVERANCE FROM CAESAR
i. EITHER THE DELIVERANCE THAT COMES FROM HIS ETERNAL SECURITY
ii. OR HIS DELIVERANCE BY BEING RELEASED FROM CONFINEMENT
III. PAUL WAS CONFIDENT IN THE POWER OF PRAYER
a. PAUL SAW THE DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN PRAYER AND THE ACTIVITY OF GOD
b. SEVERAL TIMES IN SEVERAL BOOKS, PAUL MAKES MENTION OF PRAYER
ROMANS 15:30 NOW I URGE YOU, BRETHREN, BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND BY THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT, TO STRIVE TOGETHER WITH ME IN YOUR PRAYERS TO GOD FOR ME,
EPHESIANS 6:18-19 WITH ALL PRAYER AND PETITION PRAY AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT, AND WITH THIS IN VIEW, BE ON THE ALERT WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE AND PETITION FOR ALL THE SAINTS, 19 AND PRAY ON MY BEHALF, THAT UTTERANCE MAY BE GIVEN TO ME IN THE OPENING OF MY MOUTH, TO MAKE KNOWN WITH BOLDNESS THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL,
1 THESSALONIANS 5:25 BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US.
2 THESSALONIANS 3:1 FINALLY, BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US THAT THE WORD OF THE LORD WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY AND BE GLORIFIED, JUST AS IT DID ALSO WITH YOU;
c. PAUL NEVER UNDERESTIMATED THE POWER OF PRAYER AND NEITHER SHOULD WE
i. GOD COMMANDS US TO PRAY
ii. GOD GAVE US A MODEL FOR PRAYER
iii. GOD MODELED PRAYER FOR US
iv. PRAYER HAS DELIVERED BELIEVERS
v. PRAYER HAS AVERTED CATASTROPHE
EVERY PLAN OF GOD INCORPORATES PRAYER. YOU AND I ARE NEVER FULLY ENGAGED IN THE PLAN OF GOD IF WE ARE NOT PRAYING!
IV. PAUL WAS CONFIDENT IN THE PROVISION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
a. THE WORD TRANSLATED PROVISION MEANS FULL, BOUNTIFUL SUPPLY OR SUFFICIENT
b. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE HELP PROMISED BY CHRIST
c. THINGS THE SPIRIT DOES FOR US
i. THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS FOR US
MATTHEW 10:19-20 "BUT WHEN THEY HAND YOU OVER, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT HOW OR WHAT YOU ARE TO SAY; FOR IT WILL BE GIVEN YOU IN THAT HOUR WHAT YOU ARE TO SAY.
20 "FOR IT IS NOT YOU WHO SPEAK, BUT IT IS THE SPIRIT OF YOUR FATHER WHO SPEAKS IN YOU.
ii. THE HOLY SPIRIT PRAYER FOR US
ROMANS 8:26 IN THE SAME WAY THE SPIRIT ALSO HELPS OUR WEAKNESS; FOR WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY AS WE SHOULD, BUT THE SPIRIT HIMSELF INTERCEDES FOR US WITH GROANINGS TOO DEEP FOR WORDS;
iii. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR SOURCE OF POWER
ACTS 1:8 BUT YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME UPON YOU; AND YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES BOTH IN JERUSALEM, AND IN ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA, AND EVEN TO THE REMOTEST PART OF THE EARTH."
EPHESIANS 3:20 NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY BEYOND ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS WITHIN US,
iv. THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES FRUIT IN OUR LIVES
GALATIANS 5:22-23 BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, 23 GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL; AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW.
V. PAUL WAS CONFIDENT IN THE PROMISE OF CHRIST
a. PAUL HAD AN EARNEST EXPECTATION
b. THE PHRASE “EARNEST EXPECTATION” IS A COMPOUND WORD IN THE GREEK
i. MEANS TO STRETCH YOUR NECK TO SEE SOMETHING
ii. AN EAGER OR LONGING EXPECTANCY
c. PAUL HAD A DEPOSIT – AN EARNEST ON WHAT WAS TO COME, AND THAT IS WHY HE HAD A CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST
i. ONLY GOD CAN GUARANTEE OUR DEPOSITS
JOHN 10:27-28 "MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, AND I KNOW THEM, AND THEY FOLLOW ME; 28 AND I GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO THEM, AND THEY WILL NEVER PERISH; AND NO ONE WILL SNATCH THEM OUT OF MY HAND.
ROMANS 8:38-39 FOR I AM CONVINCED THAT NEITHER DEATH, NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS, NOR PRINCIPALITIES, NOR THINGS PRESENT, NOR THINGS TO COME, NOR POWERS,
39 NOR HEIGHT, NOR DEPTH, NOR ANY OTHER CREATED THING, WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13 NO TEMPTATION HAS OVERTAKEN YOU BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN; AND GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO BE TEMPTED BEYOND WHAT YOU ARE ABLE, BUT WITH THE TEMPTATION WILL PROVIDE THE WAY OF ESCAPE ALSO, SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENDURE IT.
d. FRIENDS, WE ARE HIS MOST VALUABLE ASSET – OUR VALUE – THE DEATH OF HIS SON ON THE CROSS!
VI. PAUL WAS CONFIDENT IN THE PLAN OF GOD
a. LIVING IS CHRIST – I GET TO SERVE MY LORD AND SAVIOR
b. DYING IS GAIN – I GET TO SIT IN THE PRESENCE OF MY LORD AND SAVIOR
c. PAUL WOULD NOT BE PUT TO SHAME
i. MEANING – HIS TRUST IS NOT MISPLACED, WHEN HE PUT HIS TRUST IN JESUS ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD
ROMANS 5:5 AND HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, BECAUSE THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED OUT WITHIN OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WAS GIVEN TO US.
d. PAUL WOULD LATER DESCRIBE HIS TRUST TO TIMOTHY
2 TIMOTHY 1:12 FOR THIS REASON I ALSO SUFFER THESE THINGS, BUT I AM NOT ASHAMED; FOR I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED AND I AM CONVINCED THAT HE IS ABLE TO GUARD WHAT I HAVE ENTRUSTED TO HIM UNTIL THAT DAY.
i. THE FRENCH TRANSLATE THIS VERSE THIS WAY -- "GOD HAS THE POWER TO KEEP THAT WHICH I HAVE DEPOSITED WITH HIM."
e. PAUL UNDERSTOOD
i. CHRIST WAS MAGNIFIED IN HIS SITUATION
ii. CHRIST WAS MAGNIFIED IN HIS PERSON
iii. CHRIST WOULD BE MAGNIFIED IN THE OUTCOME
WHEN WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE PLAN OF GOD AND OUR PART IN IT, WE CAN STILL BE JOYFUL WHEN THE LITTLE DISAPPOINTMENTS COME OUR WAY
