Where is Your Confidence?

Where is Your Confidence?
Philippians 1:3-6
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Paul begins his letter with words thanking God for the Philippians’ “partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

His love for this congregation was exemplified in his regular prayers for them.

One of the chief grounds of this affection was the Philippian's eagerness to work with the apostle in gospel ministry.

an artist called a friend in and asked him to comment on a picture he was painting. He said this is my masterpiece.

It is beautiful. The man said I guess I don't see what you see. It just looks like dabs of different colors to me, without form or anything. The artist said, Oh I forgot.

I'm seeing it as it will be when finished. You are seeing it as it is now.

Paul's joy in these people at Philippi was that he was seeing them by faith.

Not as they were, but as they would be when God's work was done. He was looking at them with the eye of faith. He was sure that He who began a good work in them was going to finish it.

He was seeing these Christians as they would be and he thanks God it's going to happen.

Many times, when we are discouraged, utterly despair of being what we must be doing. But we must be aware of the deceitfulness and subtlety of the flesh.

Even when we want to do what we are called to do, we end up deceiving ourselves. we find ourselves to be in utter sense of futility for the work of the gospel is dependent upon us largely.

In those moments, let us try to remember this verse, being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah !!

What a comforting Verse - in our times of despair. It elevates our spirit to skyrocket for the faith that paul wishes we all have.

Sometimes we don't want to be what God wants us to be, but it's being done in us despite us being reluctant.

God knows how to bring us into the circumstances that will make us willing to be made willing if He needs to. It's a great consolation to recognize in whose hands we are.

The impression we get often is that our main task is to keep Christianity going. This is absolutely incorrect. The early Christians gave the very clear impression that it was their faith in Christ that kept them going.

Some tell us that we can lose our Christian life, but if this is something we can lose, then it must be based on some human factor.

 Rather, this rests upon a person who is capable of doing the work, and who has promised to complete it. Thanks be to God who is able to keep us from falling.

Joy is 'the serious business of heaven. It is a consequence of being preoccupied with the living and indwelling Christ, confident that He will complete His redeeming work in us and through us.

 Are we there yet? No, but God isn't finished either.

Let us pray

Lord, keep me from the folly of thinking that it is the crusade I launch or the activity that I fulfill or my busyness that accomplishes your will today, rather than what I am in Jesus Christ, and all the love that you are flooding through my soul, into my experience and actions. Help me to understand that it's you who will help me accomplish what you desire of me. I submit. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Blessings & Prayers 

Pastor. Bobby Leonard