The Sermon Quiet Confidence by David McGee
Sep 13, 2015
Quiet Confidence (33:25)
Referenced Scriptures: Philippians 1:1-7,9-12,18-20,27; Philippians 2:1-5,12,14; Philippians 4:4
Audio
Click To View Notes & Scriptures
-
The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Philippians 1:1-7,9-12,18-20,27
1) Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
2) Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord, Jesus Christ.
3) I thank my God whenever I remember you,
4) always in every request of mine on behalf of you all making my requests with joy,
5) for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now;
6) being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
7) It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.
9) This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;
10) so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ;
11) being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
12) Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the gospel;
18) What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.
19) For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20) according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.
27) Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the gospel;
Philippians 2:1-5,12,14
1) If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion,
2) make my joy full, that you be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;
3) doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
4) each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
5) Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
12) So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
14) Do all things without murmurings and disputes,
Philippians 4:4
4) Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, Rejoice!
The WEB Bible is provided by Public Domain.
Click To View The Sermon's Machine Transcription
This is a machine transcript of the sermon. It won't be completely accurate of what's said in the sermon.
We're looking at the book of flip eons and of course I'm not going to speak on the entire book but there's a number of verses in Paul's letter here to the church and Philip why that create this confidence and I en led The message this morning quiet confidence and quiet confidence is not that we don't say anything that we keep our mouth shut. That's not what is implying it is that there is a confidence inside of us that we are able to face the difficulties that we have in life. Now we would like for us to not have any difficulties you know but there isn't any life that doesn't have problems and of course the varying degrees of them depend on who we are and where we live. I mean for for us you know we really don't worry about having a drink of water. We usually don't worry about what we're going to eat we usually don't worry about how you know being shot as we walk out in the streets you know we don't think of that very much we worry about you know not being able to buy the latest in the greatest not being able to face problems at work or neighbors or you know whatever we have those types of of problems that we face but in third world countries. Forget what the statistic is if you have fifteen dollars in your pocket you are wealthier than eighty percent of the world's population so if we would we would look at this and say whoa you know what of our one of the problems that we face one of the difficulties that we have and we're not being tortured and tormented and placed in prison because we have faith or belief in Jesus Christ we we have an urance that is with us and in the Paul is writing here and to the church's Philip I and Paul is writing from prison now and the last few weeks I've had this realization and I've shared with you that Paul is doing something in prison that at that time period makes very little sense. Paul is in prison writing letters to people who can't read. You know the educated population of that time is very minimal so the if you're going to have an impact on a particular area or particular region you need to be there and you need to talk you need to speak you need to put this in the hearts and minds of people by speaking preaching and teaching but Paul is in prison writing letters to hopefully areas that there will be someone there who can read. Who will take the literature the letters that he is writing and be able to disperse it to that community but little does Paul realized that he is going to have an effect upon the the church from that moment forward to the time that Jesus returns and we're being affected by Paul's ability and Paul safe to face adversity and do so with an understanding that is in charge. Same in that we don't do that very well we don't we don't if we have adversity we think 's against us you know the world is falling apart you know somebody doesn't believe like I believe in oh my goodness it's going to destroy the planet. Do you know hasn't lost control. That hasn't lost control of anything you know when Pharaoh wouldn't let the people go mow cysts showed up as a deliverer. Whenever we had difficulties and you know in even in Babylon and the meat in Persian I am pyre when they were facing difficulties there was Daniel there was a thief. Three Hebrew children shed wrecked me shakin the Bendigo You see they've These are individuals. Shadrack mission to be shakin to Bendigo these are individuals who are very high prominent officials who made a state a stand that they were not going to bow down to the image of never can is are there to stand for their faith in a faith doesn't bring something out of us it's not really there and faith is not necessarily standing out in the crowd. Faces let not standing not of going along with things that defile our relationship with And so the three were children they didn't bow down but they had a quiet confidence. That they were able to say to the King Our is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace but if he doesn't be it known onto yoking we're not going to bow down. Now this was in a blue Geraint you know of in your face type of stance in like we think of it today I can you know we're now bound on to hear you. This was war of a grace initiative inside of their heart that they were able to speak the truth because if they survive the furnace they're going to have to the at ude that they portray going into it is the same at ude there for train coming out of it and in our lives what is the at ude that we have going into something is to be the same at ude we have coming out of it because we know that is the victor we know that is more we are more than conqueror is in crisis. So therefore we face the obstacles with a quiet confidence and urance. King were not bowing down to your idols are doesn't permit that and our is capable of delivering us from the fiery furnace but we want you to know that if he doesn't we're not bowing down. Things haven't changed. If delivers us or doesn't deliver us things don't change. He still in charge. See this is a quiet confidence that we have. If things change or they don't change it's OK whether I live or whether I die I belong to it's OK when I face the difficulties I am more than a conqueror in Christ so therefore it's OK that I face the difficulties it's OK that I face these things because I'm going to have the same faith going in as I have coming out whether I'm in heaven or here before you came on OK things are all right so the king you know in order to make sure they die in the furnace he makes it ten times hotter. OK Now if the furnace is capable of burning. People up making it ten times harder. Isn't going to make it more burning. You know we're going is center a Q. but we're going to do it faster you know we're going to burn you up quicker. You're going to die bout the same time but we're going to burn you up quicker. So they throw the and so Shadrack me check in Bendigo in the fiery furnace and what happened what happened. Nothing the king looks into the furnace and says Didn't we throw three people in there why are there for people walking around why are there for people walking around and one isn't like any of the rest and see in our lives the quiet confidence is we are walking around in the fire of our trials but we're not consumed by them we are not consumed by the trial the only thing we lose is the things that are tying us up sometimes we don't know that we're tied up sometimes we don't know that we're in bondage. Until we find ourselves in the middle of the trial and there we find a confidence that is in charge and I am free. I am free from the trials of my life and the song one hundred twelve in the songbook is well with my soul you know you know story guy wrote it over the place where his this wife and family went on ahead of him and I believe I don't have his wife with all of his children drowned at that spot when the ship went down and while he was over that spot where the ship went down he wrote the song it is well with my soul. You see quiet confidence though sorrow alike see below zero ll the he was there in the ocean and he was being in that spot where his family had perished and he wrote about the security that he had in his faith in . And in our alliances we are in the fiery furnace as we are in the trials we find that is there with us we're not separated the trials can separate us from the difficulties can't take away what has given us what has given us is what is given us the strength in the piece and the courage to step forward and if they hadn't thrown the three Hebrew children into the fiery furnace these guys are not children they're in her twenties probably by now maybe even little or a little older they would have walked in because they were not afraid of going into the fire and that's the quiet urance that we have as we face our daily activities and daily lives when things come out of the you know sidelines and blindside us you know it's OK It's all right. is in charge he has a plan and is going to work this out in my life. Well Paul is in prison and he's written this his this scene from prison now what do you think could be a theme from somebody writing letters from prison. Let's talk about Joy you know let's be joyful while we are in prison he was wrongfully accused and he's in prison and he staying there and he knows that he's staying there but he is related to the IF let vs is this confidence that joy is the dominant theme of this letter. Joy is the dominant theme so the secret of this Joy is grounded in his relationship with Jesus Christ what a novel idea that our relationship with Jesus Christ is the framework the strength for us to face to be joyful in our hearts and live as we face life now we today we like to seek happiness happiness how many like to be happy you know happiness is like opening Christmas presents you know that's the happiness I like Christmas press your Christmas presents. Run will be happy if I get her a gift for her birthday you know should be happy. And if I don't give her the right gift she'll be really happy because she remembered today sermon in she'll say yes I thank you for my husband and his wonderful attributes of not knowing what I need. And of course if you want thing you go buy it yourself you know not really but we have this but we like happiness we like to be happy and we you know and we are a society of happiness if you buy the right clothes you have the right hair do you drive the right car if you don't have hair you shave it all off but if you where the right clothes you have the right amount of money to work in the right neighborhood your work right job you live there you are happy that you're not because happiness is something that is very fleeting and it is placed upon emotions and you can be the have all the most wonderful things in the world and still not be happy so it's tossed this type of happiness is tossed with everyday living it is a loose of. As sand flowing through our fingers it just kind of takes on a life of its own and comes and goes and we can be happy and sad but so happiness then is about cir stances and about happenings in joy joy is about a relationship a secure relationship. See this is where we find the apostle Paul and his writings here to the church of Philippa that he has a secure relationship with Jesus Christ that he knows he is exactly where he is supposed to be and that he is living out his life exactly as Jesus wants him to and so he writes about joy in a prison in and you know being chained to guards and you know doesn't have the freedom to come and go. He's changed his there and he's in prison and he writes about joy because he knows that he's in his relationship with Jesus Christ he is safe. In our life we are to recognize that we are safe in our relationship with Jesus Christ that we are forgiven our name is in his book of life that he will never leave us nor forsake us that in his strengths I M H drone in my weakness I find strength in my poverty I find riches in my humility I find his glory because it is bringing these things into our life and so as we see ourselves week we're not focusing on our weakness we are focusing on 's strength to touch our hearts our minds are thinking with his word you know there was these in I was thinking of this the other day. Imagine it. Is this god like big things you know I like big things you know I just like big things. We drive down the road I'll pull over and watch a tractor you know I love those big machines there is a machine harvesting corn and it's like six heads across and this this this is a powerful machine it's going great to the field is grinding up the corn and blowing it into tracks you know trucks that go along and I pull over and watch poison that beautiful. Yeah death the other day that it's really nice you know you go out west and you get these comb binds Hugo thirty feet across you know and they're going to the fields I'll pull over Wow Look at that. I like big things and I was saying Well he's you know he's not in the big things and I thought well you know is in the big things. How big is our Sun How big is did they know I don't know this for sure but I thought I heard somewhere that there are stars that are as big as our solar system I mean that's pretty big that our solar system is millions of like years across then there's a whole bunch of solar systems. likes big things. Yes my kind of god. Big things. But he's also interested in the molecules in the melech molecular molecular whatever the smilin molecules. The molecular structure of things putting things together you know into the tiniest of microscopes in the one hundred thousands of a magnification and it's all that he can he put it all together. He puts all together from the infinite detail to the magnificent structures a solar systems in gravity and in all that kind of stuff that goes on in are all around us so is interested in the very little things that happen in our lives. He's interested in a very big things that happen in our lives but in all those sayings is the relationships that I am secure that I am safe. It runs deep. It run strong in is a quiet confidence in the urance of 's love in me and in my life and as we look at these things. This quiet confidence that has for us in chapter one. Starts out Paul to Timothy servant of Christ Jesus is writing a letter he's writing at the tema thing is his friend to all the saints in trees ascribed to Philip I so I was writing it. Tema thing them if he's going to take it to the church of Philip Pirates of the town of Philip I could have said this is too David Frum Paul to the town of Wimber I thank every time I remember you are each other some people you don't thank for. Under certain people that have made the do not pray for a list you know the ones that are difficult. Who haven't grown in their spiritual relationship. Heard one lady say that there are there are saints that has wonderfully disguised this stupid. Who drive cars. That this one person. Comment that's not mind of somebody else but we we know that we're not we have we're not we're supposed to be and we do foolish things and we make foolish mistakes and and everybody does and we have to leave room for that to happen. We have to leave room for people to fail because we're going to fail we're not going to we are not perfect and if you think you're perfect just wait awhile you'll find out you know once I thought I never made a mistake and then of course I didn't so I was perfect. That's true you know you've known me long enough to know he ain't perfect. Where he's delusional he thinks he's perfect but says impulse says to them I thank upon every time I remember you know I'm sure there are people at the church or Philip why the Pauls is saying you know what you need to get these people out. No you need to realize that everybody has a purpose and a plan some of us haven't got there yet but that's OK I'm going to thank for them anyway because the basis of thanksgiving and rejoicing and joy is not how people are but what we believe that is going to make them and take them that same belief in that same perspective this of ourselves to when we look in the mirror you see if I can give this grace and mercy to other people I could give it to the person in the mirror because I'm not perfect so therefore I thank for allowing me not to be perfect and I thank that he is going to do a work in me and he's not done yet and so I can thank for people that he's not done with yet and I was thank for them or pray for them that will continue the work that he's doing. And he says in all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day you people have been supportive of me from day one and of the ministry and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your town you have been outstanding. Verse seven it is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I have you in my heart for whether I am in change or defending and confirming the gospel all of you share in 's grace with me so whether I'm in chains or whether I'm free you're all part of this grace journey 's grace is on the in 's grace is on you I am in prison you're not but the grace of is on us both. How about that the grace of is on those who are walking thrown into the fiery furnace in the grace of is upon us as we read about them because as your day is so show your face be as your day is whatever your day needs 's faith 's grace is going to be there to match that level of need you know in in hospice I explain to people that were never lives are changing you know and you know before in life we make decisions for years six months and maybe have to rethink them but in the last days or so of a person's life change their life and their needs can change very rapidly and I said our goal in helping taking care of your loved one is that wherever their need is that's where we want to be in our care for them you see and in our everyday life. Were ever your need is is there you know. Ha I really blew it I did this god is there this really went well it's great. is there now is that while they really have a problem. is there you see this is surance that comes into my life is the urance that cottage here and no matter what my level of deed is is there whether I am being thrown into the fiery furnace or whether I have to have a quiet confidence to say KING We're not buying down we're not going to bow down to your your idol because we don't have any other god but the Lord Jehovah. So we can't bowed down to your idol and we want you to know that our is capable of delivering us from you and this fiery furnace but if he doesn't he's still So do what you must and that's the quiet confidence that we have that our life is not out of control our world is not out of control and you know the people who try to take control. has a way of bringing about his will and His plan. Paul says in verse nine he says and this is my prayer that you love that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight did you know knowledge and depth of insight people know a lot but they don't know how to make it apply insight wisdom got Paul is telling them this congregation here that people see people feel that Paul is out of the will of People feel that Paul has missed it because he's in prison he shouldn't be in prison he should be here preaching and teaching us because we needed so therefore he blew it and Paul is telling them in the litter I want you to have more knowledge and I want you to have more insight. Wow what a combination. Knowledge and insight. People know a lot but they can't figure out how it fits. One of my favorite shows is big time R.V.. On the Travel Channel. Case you want to watch it sometime. There are these two ladies that are going to the Kentucky Derby and are going to rent an R.V. to go party OK And so one of them gets behind the wheel and the guy's going to teach them how to drive and he says Now remember that you don't turn this thing until your hips are past where you want to you know you don't turn to your hips are where the cone is still go OK. Starts off runs over the comb and she was on the road he says now you have to start your turn early because you want to miss the cone she goes straight ahead runs over the cone. Nickel and she say no she stopped in the we'll baton when she can't drive. So the other one decides to drive and she did OK but the idea is I forgot where I was gone but anyhow. Get consumed with the R.V. all talking about blonds there was this lady that I wasn't talking about loans. Well there was this Russian there is this American and there was this blonde. OK so the Russian says we were first in e. American says well we were first on the moon. Blonde lady says we're going to the first ones on the sun. Hand since they both of them look at it and said You can't go to the sun through hot she says yeah we know that we're going to night. OK. loves us. Here we are. loves us and anyhow he looked at this and he says that we have more knowledge and depth of insight. So it isn't enough to know what we should do we have to learn how to put it into practice. So here is this driver trying to teach somebody how to drive and they have knowledge Yeah you gotta wait for the I know that but they didn't do it they had knowledge but they didn't have the understanding in the wisdom enough to do it. So in our life we are doing this very same thing. Rejoicing in the Lord to be confident we have this knowledge but we don't have the insight that helps us to be healthy to be joyful in difficult places we don't have we have knowledge I mean I've heard this all my life rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice and that's layer later on him Philippians we hear that all the time but we have that knowledge but we don't hear we don't have the insight to apply it to our difficult places and we need more insight and more faith that in my difficult places and times I am believing that is going to give me the strength the knowledge the understanding the wisdom. To do the right thing at the right time. First eighteen Yes and I will continue to rejoice for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the whole by the Spirit of Jesus is by the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I'm rejoicing that I'm in prison and he says I am praying and rejoicing because I know that this is going to work out to my deliverance. Our umption is out of prison. Paul's message is to live is Christ to die is gain. I'm going to be delivered from this place from this prison either by death or by opening the doors the three Heber children is going to deliver us from the fiery furnace either by death or by keeping us in the flames and you know the king looks in these seas for walking around he says. One looks like the Son of Paul says it's going to be given us by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Verse twenty seven. Whatever happens. Conduct yourselves and a matter manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Whatever happens. Conduct yourselves worthy of the message of Jesus Christ you see when we believe in when we rejoice when we thank when we step back and let people do their thing we are conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of Jesus were not living our life for other people were living it for Christ in other people share in it. We're living our life for Jesus and he is doing the work and us and everybody around us can parti te in it. Remember puts me together with you Lord. Gr ed me into the vine. Lets the strength the spirit of that is in the vine in the in the vying go out into the branch which is me. Allow when I'm experiencing let me focus on your goodness and your love and your grace and your mercy you are in control in the matter what happens in this life no matter what happens in my life I am thinking and thanking you for your presence for your wisdom for your guidance verse chapter two verse one if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ if any comfort from his love if any fellowship with the spirit if any tenderness and comp ion then make my joy complete by being like minded having the same love being one in spirit and purpose. If we really want to please we seek to be one with one with on one another we seek to allow to work in our lives and through our lives and finally brothers first three chapter three verse one finally my brothers rejoice in the Lord it is no trouble for me to write this same thing to you over and over and then. What else it's flippin for for for rejoice in the Lord always and I will say it again rejoice so Paul in prison riots about Joy writes about confidence. Writes about love. Writes about how the is at work in all these things and he just proclaiming the joy of sitting in a prison cell. Knowing that his his place is going to work this place in his life is going to work for his deliverance. is that work for us. Delivering us from the fiery furnace or through the fiery furnace he is capable of doing it all but we just need to focus on his love and His grace His mercy. Good give us knowledge but also give us the insight. To apply it to our daily lives. A min so we stand. is interested in the big things and the little things and all the little things in our life and all the big things so allow to touch our hearts and our minds. Insights with our words and our thoughts and when we fail get up. Allow 's Spirit continue to teach and give us knowledge and insight aimin father sank you for your blessings and thank you for your word. Thank you for the insight of your word in your spirit the making of the application of these truths to our daily lives we are so grateful. Thank you for loving us and for giving us thank you for purpose. Thank you for strength to accomplish purpose thank you for insight thank you for watching over us. Thank you that nothing can ever separate us from you. Thank you that no matter what happens we will continue to keep on our eyes focused on you knowing the Lord you are the author and the finisher of our faith all things will fit together like a puzzle for our life. We thank you that you are working all things we pray we praise we give thanks in Jesus name Amen. bless you. Quiet Confidence We're looking at the book of flip eons and of course I'm not going to speak on the entire book but there's a number of verses in Paul's letter here to the church and Philip why that create this confidence and I en led The message this morning quiet confidence and quiet confidence is not that we don't say anything that we keep our mouth shut. That's not what is implying it is that there is a confidence inside of us that we are able to face the difficulties that we have in life. Now we would like for us to not have any difficulties you know but there isn't any life that doesn't have problems and of course the varying degrees of them depend on who we are and where we live. I mean for for us you know we really don't worry about having a drink of water. We usually don't worry about what we're going to eat we usually don't worry about how you know being shot as we walk out in the streets you know we don't think of that very much we worry about you know not being able to buy the latest in the greatest not being able to face problems at work or neighbors or you know whatever we have those types of of problems that we face but in third world countries. Forget what the statistic is if you have fifteen dollars in your pocket you are wealthier than eighty percent of the world's population so if we would we would look at this and say whoa you know what of our one of the problems that we face one of the difficulties that we have and we're not being tortured and tormented and placed in prison because we have faith or belief in Jesus Christ we we have an urance that is with us and in the Paul is writing here and to the church's Philip I and Paul is writing from prison now and the last few weeks I've had this realization and I've shared with you that Paul is doing something in prison that at that time period makes very little sense. Paul is in prison writing letters to people who can't read. You know the educated population of that time is very minimal so the if you're going to have an impact on a particular area or particular region you need to be there and you need to talk you need to speak you need to put this in the hearts and minds of people by speaking preaching and teaching but Paul is in prison writing letters to hopefully areas that there will be someone there who can read. Who will take the literature the letters that he is writing and be able to disperse it to that community but little does Paul realized that he is going to have an effect upon the the church from that moment forward to the time that Jesus returns and we're being affected by Paul's ability and Paul safe to face adversity and do so with an understanding that is in charge. Same in that we don't do that very well we don't we don't if we have adversity we think 's against us you know the world is falling apart you know somebody doesn't believe like I believe in oh my goodness it's going to destroy the planet. Do you know hasn't lost control. That hasn't lost control of anything you know when Pharaoh wouldn't let the people go mow cysts showed up as a deliverer. Whenever we had difficulties and you know in even in Babylon and the meat in Persian I am pyre when they were facing difficulties there was Daniel there was a thief. Three Hebrew children shed wrecked me shakin the Bendigo You see they've These are individuals. Shadrack mission to be shakin to Bendigo these are individuals who are very high prominent officials who made a state a stand that they were not going to bow down to the image of never can is are there to stand for their faith in a faith doesn't bring something out of us it's not really there and faith is not necessarily standing out in the crowd. Faces let not standing not of going along with things that defile our relationship with And so the three were children they didn't bow down but they had a quiet confidence. That they were able to say to the King Our is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace but if he doesn't be it known onto yoking we're not going to bow down. Now this was in a blue Geraint you know of in your face type of stance in like we think of it today I can you know we're now bound on to hear you. This was war of a grace initiative inside of their heart that they were able to speak the truth because if they survive the furnace they're going to have to the at ude that they portray going into it is the same at ude there for train coming out of it and in our lives what is the at ude that we have going into something is to be the same at ude we have coming out of it because we know that is the victor we know that is more we are more than conqueror is in crisis. So therefore we face the obstacles with a quiet confidence and urance. King were not bowing down to your idols are doesn't permit that and our is capable of delivering us from the fiery furnace but we want you to know that if he doesn't we're not bowing down. Things haven't changed. If delivers us or doesn't deliver us things don't change. He still in charge. See this is a quiet confidence that we have. If things change or they don't change it's OK whether I live or whether I die I belong to it's OK when I face the difficulties I am more than a conqueror in Christ so therefore it's OK that I face the difficulties it's OK that I face these things because I'm going to have the same faith going in as I have coming out whether I'm in heaven or here before you came on OK things are all right so the king you know in order to make sure they die in the furnace he makes it ten times hotter. OK Now if the furnace is capable of burning. People up making it ten times harder. Isn't going to make it more burning. You know we're going is center a Q. but we're going to do it faster you know we're going to burn you up quicker. You're going to die bout the same time but we're going to burn you up quicker. So they throw the and so Shadrack me check in Bendigo in the fiery furnace and what happened what happened. Nothing the king looks into the furnace and says Didn't we throw three people in there why are there for people walking around why are there for people walking around and one isn't like any of the rest and see in our lives the quiet confidence is we are walking around in the fire of our trials but we're not consumed by them we are not consumed by the trial the only thing we lose is the things that are tying us up sometimes we don't know that we're tied up sometimes we don't know that we're in bondage. Until we find ourselves in the middle of the trial and there we find a confidence that is in charge and I am free. I am free from the trials of my life and the song one hundred twelve in the songbook is well with my soul you know you know story guy wrote it over the place where his this wife and family went on ahead of him and I believe I don't have his wife with all of his children drowned at that spot when the ship went down and while he was over that spot where the ship went down he wrote the song it is well with my soul. You see quiet confidence though sorrow alike see below zero ll the he was there in the ocean and he was being in that spot where his family had perished and he wrote about the security that he had in his faith in . And in our alliances we are in the fiery furnace as we are in the trials we find that is there with us we're not separated the trials can separate us from the difficulties can't take away what has given us what has given us is what is given us the strength in the piece and the courage to step forward and if they hadn't thrown the three Hebrew children into the fiery furnace these guys are not children they're in her twenties probably by now maybe even little or a little older they would have walked in because they were not afraid of going into the fire and that's the quiet urance that we have as we face our daily activities and daily lives when things come out of the you know sidelines and blindside us you know it's OK It's all right. is in charge he has a plan and is going to work this out in my life. Well Paul is in prison and he's written this his this scene from prison now what do you think could be a theme from somebody writing letters from prison. Let's talk about Joy you know let's be joyful while we are in prison he was wrongfully accused and he's in prison and he staying there and he knows that he's staying there but he is related to the IF let vs is this confidence that joy is the dominant theme of this letter. Joy is the dominant theme so the secret of this Joy is grounded in his relationship with Jesus Christ what a novel idea that our relationship with Jesus Christ is the framework the strength for us to face to be joyful in our hearts and live as we face life now we today we like to seek happiness happiness how many like to be happy you know happiness is like opening Christmas presents you know that's the happiness I like Christmas press your Christmas presents. Run will be happy if I get her a gift for her birthday you know should be happy. And if I don't give her the right gift she'll be really happy because she remembered today sermon in she'll say yes I thank you for my husband and his wonderful attributes of not knowing what I need. And of course if you want thing you go buy it yourself you know not really but we have this but we like happiness we like to be happy and we you know and we are a society of happiness if you buy the right clothes you have the right hair do you drive the right car if you don't have hair you shave it all off but if you where the right clothes you have the right amount of money to work in the right neighborhood your work right job you live there you are happy that you're not because happiness is something that is very fleeting and it is placed upon emotions and you can be the have all the most wonderful things in the world and still not be happy so it's tossed this type of happiness is tossed with everyday living it is a loose of. As sand flowing through our fingers it just kind of takes on a life of its own and comes and goes and we can be happy and sad but so happiness then is about cir stances and about happenings in joy joy is about a relationship a secure relationship. See this is where we find the apostle Paul and his writings here to the church of Philippa that he has a secure relationship with Jesus Christ that he knows he is exactly where he is supposed to be and that he is living out his life exactly as Jesus wants him to and so he writes about joy in a prison in and you know being chained to guards and you know doesn't have the freedom to come and go. He's changed his there and he's in prison and he writes about joy because he knows that he's in his relationship with Jesus Christ he is safe. In our life we are to recognize that we are safe in our relationship with Jesus Christ that we are forgiven our name is in his book of life that he will never leave us nor forsake us that in his strengths I M H drone in my weakness I find strength in my poverty I find riches in my humility I find his glory because it is bringing these things into our life and so as we see ourselves week we're not focusing on our weakness we are focusing on 's strength to touch our hearts our minds are thinking with his word you know there was these in I was thinking of this the other day. Imagine it. Is this god like big things you know I like big things you know I just like big things. We drive down the road I'll pull over and watch a tractor you know I love those big machines there is a machine harvesting corn and it's like six heads across and this this this is a powerful machine it's going great to the field is grinding up the corn and blowing it into tracks you know trucks that go along and I pull over and watch poison that beautiful. Yeah death the other day that it's really nice you know you go out west and you get these comb binds Hugo thirty feet across you know and they're going to the fields I'll pull over Wow Look at that. I like big things and I was saying Well he's you know he's not in the big things and I thought well you know is in the big things. How big is our Sun How big is did they know I don't know this for sure but I thought I heard somewhere that there are stars that are as big as our solar system I mean that's pretty big that our solar system is millions of like years across then there's a whole bunch of solar systems. likes big things. Yes my kind of god. Big things. But he's also interested in the molecules in the melech molecular molecular whatever the smilin molecules. The molecular structure of things putting things together you know into the tiniest of microscopes in the one hundred thousands of a magnification and it's all that he can he put it all together. He puts all together from the infinite detail to the magnificent structures a solar systems in gravity and in all that kind of stuff that goes on in are all around us so is interested in the very little things that happen in our lives. He's interested in a very big things that happen in our lives but in all those sayings is the relationships that I am secure that I am safe. It runs deep. It run strong in is a quiet confidence in the urance of 's love in me and in my life and as we look at these things. This quiet confidence that has for us in chapter one. Starts out Paul to Timothy servant of Christ Jesus is writing a letter he's writing at the tema thing is his friend to all the saints in trees ascribed to Philip I so I was writing it. Tema thing them if he's going to take it to the church of Philip Pirates of the town of Philip I could have said this is too David Frum Paul to the town of Wimber I thank every time I remember you are each other some people you don't thank for. Under certain people that have made the do not pray for a list you know the ones that are difficult. Who haven't grown in their spiritual relationship. Heard one lady say that there are there are saints that has wonderfully disguised this stupid. Who drive cars. That this one person. Comment that's not mind of somebody else but we we know that we're not we have we're not we're supposed to be and we do foolish things and we make foolish mistakes and and everybody does and we have to leave room for that to happen. We have to leave room for people to fail because we're going to fail we're not going to we are not perfect and if you think you're perfect just wait awhile you'll find out you know once I thought I never made a mistake and then of course I didn't so I was perfect. That's true you know you've known me long enough to know he ain't perfect. Where he's delusional he thinks he's perfect but says impulse says to them I thank upon every time I remember you know I'm sure there are people at the church or Philip why the Pauls is saying you know what you need to get these people out. No you need to realize that everybody has a purpose and a plan some of us haven't got there yet but that's OK I'm going to thank for them anyway because the basis of thanksgiving and rejoicing and joy is not how people are but what we believe that is going to make them and take them that same belief in that same perspective this of ourselves to when we look in the mirror you see if I can give this grace and mercy to other people I could give it to the person in the mirror because I'm not perfect so therefore I thank for allowing me not to be perfect and I thank that he is going to do a work in me and he's not done yet and so I can thank for people that he's not done with yet and I was thank for them or pray for them that will continue the work that he's doing. And he says in all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day you people have been supportive of me from day one and of the ministry and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your town you have been outstanding. Verse seven it is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I have you in my heart for whether I am in change or defending and confirming the gospel all of you share in 's grace with me so whether I'm in chains or whether I'm free you're all part of this grace journey 's grace is on the in 's grace is on you I am in prison you're not but the grace of is on us both. How about that the grace of is on those who are walking thrown into the fiery furnace in the grace of is upon us as we read about them because as your day is so show your face be as your day is whatever your day needs 's faith 's grace is going to be there to match that level of need you know in in hospice I explain to people that were never lives are changing you know and you know before in life we make decisions for years six months and maybe have to rethink them but in the last days or so of a person's life change their life and their needs can change very rapidly and I said our goal in helping taking care of your loved one is that wherever their need is that's where we want to be in our care for them you see and in our everyday life. Were ever your need is is there you know. Ha I really blew it I did this god is there this really went well it's great. is there now is that while they really have a problem. is there you see this is surance that comes into my life is the urance that cottage here and no matter what my level of deed is is there whether I am being thrown into the fiery furnace or whether I have to have a quiet confidence to say KING We're not buying down we're not going to bow down to your your idol because we don't have any other god but the Lord Jehovah. So we can't bowed down to your idol and we want you to know that our is capable of delivering us from you and this fiery furnace but if he doesn't he's still So do what you must and that's the quiet confidence that we have that our life is not out of control our world is not out of control and you know the people who try to take control. has a way of bringing about his will and His plan. Paul says in verse nine he says and this is my prayer that you love that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight did you know knowledge and depth of insight people know a lot but they don't know how to make it apply insight wisdom got Paul is telling them this congregation here that people see people feel that Paul is out of the will of People feel that Paul has missed it because he's in prison he shouldn't be in prison he should be here preaching and teaching us because we needed so therefore he blew it and Paul is telling them in the litter I want you to have more knowledge and I want you to have more insight. Wow what a combination. Knowledge and insight. People know a lot but they can't figure out how it fits. One of my favorite shows is big time R.V.. On the Travel Channel. Case you want to watch it sometime. There are these two ladies that are going to the Kentucky Derby and are going to rent an R.V. to go party OK And so one of them gets behind the wheel and the guy's going to teach them how to drive and he says Now remember that you don't turn this thing until your hips are past where you want to you know you don't turn to your hips are where the cone is still go OK. Starts off runs over the comb and she was on the road he says now you have to start your turn early because you want to miss the cone she goes straight ahead runs over the cone. Nickel and she say no she stopped in the we'll baton when she can't drive. So the other one decides to drive and she did OK but the idea is I forgot where I was gone but anyhow. Get consumed with the R.V. all talking about blonds there was this lady that I wasn't talking about loans. Well there was this Russian there is this American and there was this blonde. OK so the Russian says we were first in e. American says well we were first on the moon. Blonde lady says we're going to the first ones on the sun. Hand since they both of them look at it and said You can't go to the sun through hot she says yeah we know that we're going to night. OK. loves us. Here we are. loves us and anyhow he looked at this and he says that we have more knowledge and depth of insight. So it isn't enough to know what we should do we have to learn how to put it into practice. So here is this driver trying to teach somebody how to drive and they have knowledge Yeah you gotta wait for the I know that but they didn't do it they had knowledge but they didn't have the understanding in the wisdom enough to do it. So in our life we are doing this very same thing. Rejoicing in the Lord to be confident we have this knowledge but we don't have the insight that helps us to be healthy to be joyful in difficult places we don't have we have knowledge I mean I've heard this all my life rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice and that's layer later on him Philippians we hear that all the time but we have that knowledge but we don't hear we don't have the insight to apply it to our difficult places and we need more insight and more faith that in my difficult places and times I am believing that is going to give me the strength the knowledge the understanding the wisdom. To do the right thing at the right time. First eighteen Yes and I will continue to rejoice for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the whole by the Spirit of Jesus is by the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I'm rejoicing that I'm in prison and he says I am praying and rejoicing because I know that this is going to work out to my deliverance. Our umption is out of prison. Paul's message is to live is Christ to die is gain. I'm going to be delivered from this place from this prison either by death or by opening the doors the three Heber children is going to deliver us from the fiery furnace either by death or by keeping us in the flames and you know the king looks in these seas for walking around he says. One looks like the Son of Paul says it's going to be given us by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Verse twenty seven. Whatever happens. Conduct yourselves and a matter manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Whatever happens. Conduct yourselves worthy of the message of Jesus Christ you see when we believe in when we rejoice when we thank when we step back and let people do their thing we are conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of Jesus were not living our life for other people were living it for Christ in other people share in it. We're living our life for Jesus and he is doing the work and us and everybody around us can parti te in it. Remember puts me together with you Lord. Gr ed me into the vine. Lets the strength the spirit of that is in the vine in the in the vying go out into the branch which is me. Allow when I'm experiencing let me focus on your goodness and your love and your grace and your mercy you are in control in the matter what happens in this life no matter what happens in my life I am thinking and thanking you for your presence for your wisdom for your guidance verse chapter two verse one if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ if any comfort from his love if any fellowship with the spirit if any tenderness and comp ion then make my joy complete by being like minded having the same love being one in spirit and purpose. If we really want to please we seek to be one with one with on one another we seek to allow to work in our lives and through our lives and finally brothers first three chapter three verse one finally my brothers rejoice in the Lord it is no trouble for me to write this same thing to you over and over and then. What else it's flippin for for for rejoice in the Lord always and I will say it again rejoice so Paul in prison riots about Joy writes about confidence. Writes about love. Writes about how the is at work in all these things and he just proclaiming the joy of sitting in a prison cell. Knowing that his his place is going to work this place in his life is going to work for his deliverance. is that work for us. Delivering us from the fiery furnace or through the fiery furnace he is capable of doing it all but we just need to focus on his love and His grace His mercy. Good give us knowledge but also give us the insight. To apply it to our daily lives. A min so we stand. is interested in the big things and the little things and all the little things in our life and all the big things so allow to touch our hearts and our minds. Insights with our words and our thoughts and when we fail get up. Allow 's Spirit continue to teach and give us knowledge and insight aimin father sank you for your blessings and thank you for your word. Thank you for the insight of your word in your spirit the making of the application of these truths to our daily lives we are so grateful. Thank you for loving us and for giving us thank you for purpose. Thank you for strength to accomplish purpose thank you for insight thank you for watching over us. Thank you that nothing can ever separate us from you. Thank you that no matter what happens we will continue to keep on our eyes focused on you knowing the Lord you are the author and the finisher of our faith all things will fit together like a puzzle for our life. We thank you that you are working all things we pray we praise we give thanks in Jesus name Amen. bless you. Quiet Confidence