Building Confidence by Brother Duke Hansen

             Good morning. If you would, open your bibles and go to the book of Philippians. We are going to be at chapter 1 and will start reading from verse 3. Let's skip by the greetings of the first couple of verses.

        3 I thank my god upon every remembrance of you,

        4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

        5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

        The scriptures establish and illustrate that Paul was an apostle. He went out and he established churches. There's a difference between teaching and preaching. When Paul went out on his missionary journeys, he was preaching the good news. Within the five fold ministry, there is both teaching and preaching, yet there are other churches who have gotten them confused. They would rather have a pastor teach rather than preach. You may be sitting there this morning wondering why that is. I tell you that usually that pastor is merely a name on a church payroll and is beholden to a board of other men. He could preach the word but he would rather teach the word to get paid. 

        As we begin to turn the page from the year 2023 and begin to start on 2024, I wanted to say to you that you are in control of your life. I mean to say that God is not micro managing it. He isn't setting his celestial thumb on you. He's given you the free will to make and choose your decisions. What you need to do in the coming year is you need to learn how to allow, to lean on your patience, and to practice self control. It is entirely up to you in how you progress or fall back, what people you befriend long term, set up boundaries. You need to treat yourself right first. Know your value as a whole and not just one part. 

        6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

        He says to be confident. Be confident and not arrogant. Arrogance and confidence are two different things. Confidence is strength and assurance in things. Arrogance is loud and obnoxious. Arrogance is certainty and proud in their ignorance. When you feel like you lost ground or faltering or if you think you're doing your relationship right, you always need to keep in mind and focus that God is the author and finisher of your and my faith. Be confident that what God started in you is the finisher of it. 

        As we go into the new year, the biggest issue you will face in it, what will mess you up or derail your walk with God is your past. Some of you may have weighted baggage on you and not be aware of it. Not everything God does to communicate to his people is always soft. He doesn't reach out to you roughly all the time either. He will shock your flesh on occasion, to get your attention. We are living in the day and age where there needs to be maturity. You do not need to be lax in knowledge of the scripture and of spiritual things. 

        Be careful what you speak and who you share it with. Too often people lose precious time arguing the inerrancy of God or the Bible with an outright fool. You need to be rooted and grounded as it says in the scriptures. The reason for being rooted is to brace for incoming storms. A relationship with Jesus doesn't mean he brings a hedge of protection around you from all things. He will guide and lead you, protect you from certain harm, but your free will can guide you into the pit if you willfully sin. Look at Hebrews 10:26 for more context as well as 1 John 3:4-10, or James 4:17. I want to give you a start on that because I hear from people often, "It's okay brother if you fail. God's already forgiven you". If you aren't confident on what you're standing on, man will sway your mind with doctrines like once saved always saved, prosperity gospel, or radical grace that's an allowance to live like a heathen here on earth under your will and your rules, yet you expect to get into heaven when you pass. 

        7 Even as it is meet for me to think of this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

        Teaching can inform you. Preaching can move you. You have to be strong in your resolve. Paul was saying he couldn't go what he was going through if he didn't have the confidence in the church overcoming issues and growing their faith. There was a relationship between Paul and the churches. If you think about bonds, if you are attached to the truth. Be wise in what you share with others. Intercede in prayer for others and be prepared to be the light and witness for those you are interceding for.

        In the last part of verse 7 Paul speaks of confirmation. How do we confirm the gospel? You prove it in your life growing and moving forward in the faith.

        8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

        9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement;

        God knows all, sees all, the very intent of your heart. In verse 8, Paul is referring to the love of God. It's not about where you are in life that matters to God or where you came from, it's the finished product. There are things that you need to let go in life for God to really use you. Everything in this world God set in motion. You need to remove the blinders you have on and look outside your own bubble of reality which you control. You cannot afford to live in fear. Look into studying the books of Jeremiah and Daniel. God is not done with you yet. The question to ask this morning is how are you walking? What are you doing to move forward? Paul said I hope you love judgement and correction, for how are you to grow from it?

        10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.

        Back up! Who approves things? You. Not God. God has already returned back to heaven.

        11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

        12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

        Paul was imprisoned for the furtherance of the gospel and not for any act he did. There was a petition for him to have liberty where he would come and go from prison. Be confident that God drew you to the fire and allow impurities burned from you as you walk with him. Build the confidence God has already placed within you. If he started a work with you he will finish the work. You need to have confidence that God loves you and has forgiven you of your sins. The nature of the flesh is to fight and resist. If you can't hear from your best friend a truth, you won't hear from God.