1. Being courageous Takes CONFIDENCE
MAY 13TH 2018

2. CONFIDENCE THE STATE OF FEELING CERTAIN ABOUT THE TRUTH OF SOMETHING
THE BELIEF THAT ONE CAN RELY ON SOMEONE OR SOMETHING
FIRM TRUST
TRUST BELIEF FAITH CREDENCE CONVICTION
We face

3. Hebrews 13:6
So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not FEAR! What can man do to me!
God’s WORD!

4. To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don’t wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live now!
The confidence found in Christ gives us the ability to see ourselves how HEAVEN sees us. As His creation with a plan for His kingdom. SO why are we waiting and living in the confidence from the enemy rather than the KIng! THe King gives us the confidence we need.
-Alan Cohen

5. Where does our confidence lie as Followers of Jesus?

6. 1. It lies in the fact that our failure is temporary
With God failure is a learning lesson
With God failure is a test of our faith
With God failure opens doors to opportunity

7. God is behind us God invest in us God has sent us
2. God will work out all things for good, for the believer that LOVES God and God has called
God is behind us
God invest in us
God has sent us

8. 3. God will see to it that the necessities of life are given
WILL / WILL / WILL
Where is your WILL rooted

9. 4. God has much greater things in store for the believer
God will lift you up!!!!!!

10. Who lives this kind of confidence out in the NT?
Let us hope that you do!
Let us look at one person in the NT who lives out the confidence of the Lord

11. The same Word used to describe Paul
Type to enter a caption.
Phoebe
A Deaconess
The same Word used to describe Paul

12. Romans 16:1-2
I Paul commend to you our sister Phoebe , a servant of the church in Cenchrea I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you for she has been a great help to many people including me

13. 1. Phoebe Confidence found just in a name
Her name was another name for the goddess Diana
So she would have been a convert
The name phoebe would have been a name given by a parents of a haeathen religious group. It would have been one that believed in the goddess Diana.
So she was a convert. A convert that had knowledge wealth and was a women of great influence.
So instead of her finding her confidence in all of those listed she converted and found her confidence in Christ alone. So much so that Paul sees her as an equal in the faith. In fact some of the mention of her places her status in areas above his.

14. Confidence gives us the ability to move past old identities
Phoebe was able to move past the old identity given her by her family and friends. So much so that we find her as a leader and friend of the apostle Paul. This is a huge thing. Here we find even in the language and tenses that Paul uses he is using a heartfelt anguage. One of endearment and love for those He is speaking of.

15. 2. Servant (diakonon) deacon or deaconess
So Paul by no accident speaks of her in equal terms
In a city of great influence
Cenchrea which. Was a great seaport of Corinth. This was a happening city. All theologians believe that there is no denying this translation of the Word Paul was using. There is no other explanation. so in a world where even her name means something that is not of God sh found confidence in the lord an her relationship with Him enough that Paul called her to be the pastor of th church in Cenchrea. She became the Pastor and great things and people came out of that work. Her confidence was in the Lord

16. As you see by this map this was a huge port for the country and a pace where much went through and happened.

17. 3. Phoebe deserved to be welcomed
WHY???
Because Phoebe had been a GREAT help! PROSTATIS - GREAT help meaning she had protected, ministered to needs, and assisted in welfare situations
She had gone above. Again another testimony of her confidence combing from the Lord. She relied on the guidance of the lord to provide for the needs of the people and was used by God.

18. So what do we learn from Phoebe?

19. 1. Our confidence comes from HIM!
Not in a name, not in past affiliation, not in our gender, but in the Power and Might of the Lord. This a reminder of what we learned on Wednesday.

20. 2. We learn that we are all servants
She was a serving. Even though she had influence and stature in this city and in this church she served any who were in need. When our confidence comes form the lord we need not worry about stature and place in this world

21. 3. We are called to share the good news
We are called to stop the patterns of this world and step forward in the presence and plan of Christ

22. “I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole church for my fellowship and the whole world for my mission field
John Wesley wrote these words and reflecting on His and Phoebe’s confidence it is rooted in the Lord So the question today is where does your confidence lie