The Confidence of Love

Introduction

Confidence!

Confidence is a tricky thing. Many times confidence is the difference between winning and losing.

Confidence, the belief in one’s self, causes a certain ora about you that others can see and feel just by being around you.

Confidence can be the difference of getting the job or being overlooked. Having confidence is the difference of success and failure in life and especially in your walk with God.

I want you to take a moment right now and rate your level of confidence toward God and the things of God. that would be things like:

God being pleased with you.

Your faithfulness to overcome sin.

Your confidence to share your faith with others.

Rate your level of Confidence on a scale from 1 to 5. 1 being, “I have no confidence at all.” 5 being “I can conquer the world with my confidence.”

Now what if you could have more confidence in all aspects of your life would you want it; desire it; need it?

This morning I am going to give you the secret sauce for confidence. God’s recipe passed down from generation to generation on how to be filled with confidence.

Most people today have daddy issues. We want our fathers to be proud of us. And when our fathers are proud it builds a bond of strength that give us confidence to tackle all aspects of life.

The problem is most our fathers don’t have any confidence either, so they struggle to build confidence in us.

But, we have a heavenly Father that is full of confidence. He knows how to build confidence in his children.

In we find God’s secret sauce of how to have confidence toward God and in turn walk in that confidence in all areas.

3 Steps to Gain Confidence toward God

Encouragement

Sacrifice

Generosity

1 John 3:11 ESV

11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

This is the one of the markers of the children of God. God is love. Those that have the DNA makeup of God, yea the divine nature of God are to love as God loves.

Encouragement (say encouragement)

“Encouragement is celebrating the good in others regardless of your own circumstances.”

1 John 3:

1 John 3:12 ESV

12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

Confidence Builders of Encouragement

Edification: Rejoicing in the righteousness of your brothers and sisters.

Focus on the positive of people and minimize the negative.

Learn to promote people in their strength and guard them in their weaknesses.

Be in search of God given abilities in people. God has made us different on purpose.

When you promote the strengths of your brothers you become stronger.

Look at your neighbor right now and build their confidence with a word of encouragement. You have 30 seconds. Go!

Celebration: Rejoicing in the blessings of your brothers and sisters.

Celebrate the wins and blessings of others.

This is hard when blessing are coming to others that you would like to have for yourself.

Vacations

Job opportunities

Better marriages

When we learn to celebrate with people we become a part of the celebration.

Care more about the blessing of others than you do about your losses.

Think of yourself as a part of the group and not just an individual.

Learn from your brothers and sisters that are better than you. Use the network that God has given you to improve your confidence.

Confidence Killers in Encouragement

1 John 3:

1 John 3:14–15 ESV

14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Jealousy and envy will kill your confidence in God’s plan for your life.

Hating your brother only reveals the darkness of your heart.

James 3:14–15 ESV

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

James 3:14 ESV

14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

James 3:

A bitter heart leads to hatred, and hatred leads to murder.

James 3:15 ESV

15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

What would cause a man to walk into a mosque in Christ Church, New Zealand and take as many lives as he can. Hatred of the heart.

What would cause a man to walk into a bar in Orlando on June 12, 2016 and kill 49 people. Hatred of the heart. This was not the work of God, but hatred.

What would cause a person to verbally abuse a brother or sister in Christ. hatred of the heart.

Sacrifice (Say Sacrifice)

“A heart of love is only realized through the outward expression of sacrifice.”

1 John 3:16 ESV

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

1 John 3:16

God’s love for us is revealed through his willingness to sacrifice his Son for us.

What God has done for me I can do for my brothers in Christ.

1 John 4:9 ESV

9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

1 John 4:10–11 ESV

10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Confidence Builders through Sacrifice.

“Take one for the team.” Do what’s best for the group and not what’s best for you individually.

This is practiced in our family units.

This is practiced on any team.

Baseball: You got a man on 3rd with one out. What’s the play? A long fly ball to center field knowing you are going to get an out, but the team is going to score.

We are all on team Jesus! (say team Jesus) We sacrifice for each other for the sake of the Kingdom.

Promote others above yourself.

Be the strong back that others can stand on. The one who promotes will always be promoted.

Sacrifice is always the cost for progress!!

Confidence Killers of Sacrifice

There is no confidence toward God in arrogance and Pride.

God never does what’s best for you but what is best for the group.

7 things God can’t stand:

Proverbs 6:16–19 ESV

16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16–18 ESV

16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,

Pro

Pro

God hates discord among the brethren.

You can’t be right with God and not be right with each other.

Take the wrong if necessary to spare the relationship.

1 Corinthians 6:7–8 ESV

7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

1 Cor 6:7

Generosity

“Your generosity is a direct reflection of God’s character in you.”

1 John 3:17 ESV

17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

1 John 3:17–18 ESV

17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John

Confidence Builders through Generosity.

Those that are generous are promised generosity.

Luke 11:9–10 ESV

9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Luke 11:

Luke 11:

Luke 6:38 ESV

38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

When God takes over you become a giver and not a taker.

You want to start getting you better start giving.

Give your time to others

Give your talent when needed.

Give your treasure for advancement.

You can’t out-give God.

Acts 2:44–47 ESV

44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:44-

James 2:14 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

James 2:14–15 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,

Look at the example James uses of faith:

James 2:15–16 ESV

15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

James 2:

Confidence Killers of Generosity

There is no confidence toward God in our natural selfishness and greed.

Generosity is completely opposite of our natural born character.

Giving and sharing are learned traits.

There is no confidence toward God in worldly ambition (Love not the world).

Results of Confidence toward God

1 John 3:19–22 ESV

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

1 John 3:19

Confidence is realized in our love for the brethren.

Your love relationship with God is always revealed in your love relationship with the brethren.

The condition of our heart toward the brethren will either condemn us or build our confidence toward God.

The condition of our heart doesn’t change God power to save, but it might steal your confidence to serve.

Take a moment and look around the room and evaluate your love for God by how you feel toward your brothers and sisters in Christ.

1 John 3:23–24 ESV

23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

1 John 3:23

Your Confidence in love unlocks the power of God.

Your relationship with the brethren directly effects our power in prayer.

If you are fighting with someone in the church you are hindering the prayers of the church. Fix it!

When God has confidence in your love you can ask for whatever you want.

Godly love leads to Godly prayer.

Godly prayer leads to powerful results.

Next Steps:

1 John 3:23

1 John 3:23–24 ESV

23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Enter in to the brotherhood by believing in the name of Jesus Christ.

If you are fighting with someone in the church you are

Become a follower of Christ today.

Give up your individual life and become a part of something bigger than yourself.

We have a brotherhood of Love and that will build your confidence toward God and unlock the power of God through your life.

Keep the commandment of love by abiding in God.

Let the Spirit that indwells you drive you to unity with the brethren.

Together we can do more than any one of us can do by themselves.