The Confidence Game

A book was recently written just a just a year ago, called The Confidence, gained The Confidence Game was written by an author by the name of Maria. Konnikova, and she is a russian-american psychologist. And she wrote this book based on the fact that there are con artists that have their way based on winning a person's Trust. Winning a person's trust and they win a person's trust. And when they win their trust, they seek to Swindle them from their riches. She wanted to study the psychology of why do humans get the seeds so easily in for you that my say that would never happen to me. You seen it on the television with someone signs, their life savings away and you may say that would never happen to me. But this is what she said about human nature. She says that one of the reasons why these con artists is so successful is that when humans have a belief? That conflicted with reality. We as humans would rather change the facts to match your beliefs rather than Ultra beliefs to match the facts. But sometimes it is so stressful to us. When we see reality not matching our own set of beliefs that we can handle it. And as a result, we want to change reality to match your own beliefs. Some of you may say, well I would never be so naive. But is it possible that the enemy of our souls have has played a confidence game with in out only? Where he's asking us to have confidence in something that is not reliable. Something that is not trustworthy to put out confidence in the wrong place. And as a result Swindle us from The Riches of God's grace and the riches of God's mercy that he has prepared for us. Could it be that we do that in our own lives? When it comes to godswood? Where we see the facts of God's word face-to-face, and instead of changing our own beliefs and our own desires. We want to change the facts of God's word to match our own beliefs, in a sense, transforming God into our own image because we can't handle the stress of reality. It may happen when your instant we may get fired. And we say Lord it wasn't because I'm lazy. It was because my boss is demanding. Or it may happen. When someone does something nice to have someone that we don't really like. They do something towards us. That is kind and generous. But I'll beliefs make us a know that person was generous that person was crying because they want something from me. We changed the idea of what reality brings and this is what is happening in the book of Hebrews in a sense. So I bought you this morning to turn your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 10, and after you turn your Bibles there. I just want to give a bit of a context to the situation that Paul is facing here traditionally is believe that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews and he his writing a letter to both Jews and Gentiles. And in this letter. He's riding to a house church. Mostly probably located near room or in room and this group is under persecution because of their faith. How many of you know? But when you take god, seriously, you're going to face persecution. When you take god, seriously, you may come under criticism. When you take that, seriously things may not be comfortable. But how many of you also know that God is not so much concerned about our comfort? Then I'll character. The door is not so much concerned about our happiness as such, but a Holiness. Amen. That is, what is priority to God. And so, Paul is writing to a church. That is the storage. Did the storage because of persecution, and they discouraged. And as a result of that, pull realizes, they're drifting away. From what real Christianity is all about, and he write this letter in this context, and he says to them, that you're about to throw your confidence away. In chapter 1, he establishes who Jesus is and he says, Jesus is the greater than the Angels. Jesus is the great high priest. Jesus is the great one, because he ministers in the century who Jesus is greater than any Old Testament sacrifice. He's the great Lamb of God, and he's the expression of the love of God. He says, my son is greater. How many can testify this morning that we serve a god? That is greater. We serve a god that is greater than anything. You can drink, we serve a god that is greater than anything. You can inhale, we serve a god that is greater than any relationship. You can have we serve a god that is greater than any position. You can attain we serve a god that is greater than any of your sin and we serve a god that is greater than any of your weaknesses. Amen. We serve a god that is great. I anytime this Foundation That Paul is setting the scene for a group of just a small unit, small house of Christians. That is about to throw the confidence away. And I believe that pool highlights at least three things that can cause us as Christians, when we're on the trials and persecution. When we're under a challenge three things that can cause us to throw our confidence away and within those three same things. He also illustrates how we can keep our confidence. Turn your Bibles with me to Hebrews 10:34. And let's look at the first thing that post that to you. Hebrews 10:34, he says, it is who you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accept the joyfully, the seizure of your property knowing that you have for yourself a better position and a lasting one. Notice. He uses the past tense key. You showed sympathy to the prisoners. It's almost like Paul is like a parent's. You do this young group of Christians, and he's saying I know who you really are going to need someone to sometimes, tell you who you really are. When you're acting crazy who you really are. When you kind of lost your temper, who you really are, when things just go out of control. And now you're not being yourself. I know that I had a mother. That did that She just kind of kind of set me straight when I was wasn't thinking straight and I would lose my confidence and she'd say, Joseph, if you can do it. Nobody. Can I would be. Is that the thing you pray to God for mothers like that, that just believe in their children. If you can't do it. No one can. And because doing it, you can do it, too, because other people are accomplishing that you can accomplish it as well. He a tall is saying. I know what you're really like. I know what you're really, like the sympathy that you sure to prison as and when your property was taken, you accepted it. Joyfully. How many if you would be joyful if your stuff was taken?

How many of you would be? Joyful? If something that you worked really hard for was just taken away from you? Would you be joyful? Getting quiet in here.

Paul, I believe illustrate something that allow this church to have their confidence in the first place, but now they're about to throw it away. He's illustrating, something very significant and we need to listen here. He says, they took your property, but you kept your joy. There are some times that we lose our confidence because we lose our Focus. We lose our focus and full is reminding the Christian Church. Do not lose your focus. Don't lose your focus because when we forget that, whatever is taken from us, can I steal out? Joy, can I steal a piece? We can end up focusing on what we've lost. And lose focus of what is left. Let me repeat that. We sometimes lose our confidence because we focus so much on what is lost and we forget what is left? Yes, they took your stuff, but you still have your joy. They took your property, but you still have your piece. Even though things that taken away from us. We can stay focused on what is left. We cannot control the circumstances that happened around us, but we can always control our Focus. Amen. We can always control our Focus. What we're focusing on in some of us may have lost all our energy focusing on things that are lost. And God is saying, I just want you to focus on what is left. Because he's the promise. The miracle comes through what is left? The miracle comes through what is left the Bible illustrates this over and over and over again. We focus so much on what is lost in God. He's saying don't focus on what's lost. Focus on what is left? We see the story of Jesus when he wanted to see five thousand men plus women and children. There was at least fifteen thousand people there and he told his disciples get some food. I want to feed the people that have waited so long and have been with me so long and they said we don't have enough money to feed all these people. What would they focusing on what they don't have? But the miracle came through a little boys, lunch focusing on what was left and the Miracle happen through what is left. Once there was a, there was a widow woman of the poor and hear the widow woman. Was invited by a prophet of the Prophet had the nerve to ask her for food in a famine.

She was focusing on the little bit that she had. She said Elijah, you know, what, now is not the time. I only have a little bit of oil and a little bit of flour. I was going to eat this meal with my boy and then we were going to die, but the Elijah said, give me the meal and watch what God will do. The miracle came through what was left and he said your oil and your flower will not run out. It will see you through the famine. God doesn't work with what you've lost. God works with what's left. Amen. God works without sleep. If he wanted you to be taller. You would have been taller if you want it, if he wanted you to have that house. You would have the house stuff focusing on what's lost. Focus on what's left a man cuz the miracle comes through what's left. How many miracles have we missed out on? Because we focused on what's lost instead of focusing on what's left? How many things, how many blessings have we missed out on? Because we're focusing so much on what we don't have rather than what God has given us. God can do a miracle. With what's left. Can do something amazing with what's left in? This is for the young people that was Valentine's this morning this week, right? The raise your hand. If you got some flowers, then raise your hand. If you got the chocolate, just keep it to yourself, but some young people to focus so much on falling in love. That they forget to focus on what it takes to stay in love.

We focus so much. That's the easy part. The falling in love is the easy part, but focus on what it takes to stay in love. That's what's going to get you through build that foundation in your singleness build that character cuz that's what it's going to take to stay in. Love to have your focus in the right place and you will get your confidence back.

The second point that I believe pull brings is the next thing is not just to refocus, but also to remember, Hebrews 10:30 to 6, but remember the former days. When after being enlightened, you enjoyed a great conflict of suffering. What pool is saying, is this, is that you need to remember where God brought you from? Remember the former days. Now I've been told that you should never look back. You should never look at your past and I believe that when it comes to your sins don't look back. Don't look back at sins that God has already forgiven turn the back of sins that God is already covered with his grace. Don't look back and live in the past. Don't look back and live in the past and you can never embrace your future while you live in the car. But Paul is saying, if you want to keep your confidence, you also have to remember how far God has brought. You. I thought that if I look back as a Christian, I'll turn into a pillar of salt. But there are times when we need to look back and I think we don't look back enough. To remember the blessings of God and the generosity of God, and the goodness of God, and the Forgiveness of God, and the mercy of God, and how we let us in the past. And if you can leave us before, he can leave us again in man. If he got us a job before he can get us a job again. As we look in the past. We begin to build out confidence. Innocent. Paul is saying this. Remember to look back to see how far God has brought you? That's how we get our confidence Deuteronomy, chapter 6, verse 12 says this, then watch yourself that you do not forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery.

God was telling his people look back. Don't forget how far God has brought you. I remember when I was in grade 11. What's 16 years old? Right for me grade 11, the towel holder. I was 16 years old and I remember in grade eleven. So embarrassing. I feel like I lose a bit of my masculinity. What I say this I couldn't do one push-up. In grade 11. Not one. And I was, I was just very scrawny. It wasn't that my mother wasn't feeding me. She was feeding me very well, but I just thought my dad's metabolism. And I was so scrawny and I couldn't do a push-up. And when they had a push-up competition, I never wanted to answer those. And I began to try to do push-ups. My dad ended up getting me some weights at a yard sale. The photos white time, I didn't know how to use them. But I I tried my best to to do those weights and I became stronger and I got stronger and stronger so much So eventually that the whites that he got W me, you know, I got me so many, so I decided to join a gym. I joined the gym feeling confident, feeling strong, but when I got into the gym, I saw all these guys that were ripped with six packs. Shred. And I lost my confidence. Have you ever felt good about yourself to you? Got to the gym. You see these people on the treadmill and your life? You're already so fat. You should be a McDonald's. Putting on some weight. Not on the treadmill. Like you just feel so discouraged. You don't want to go to the gym. Some of you are still paying your membership. Haven't been to the gym all this year. That was your New Year's resolution. Haven't been to the gym after you entered it. Feeling the storage. I had become so the storage but I forgot to look back and realize how strong I had become. And some of us think we're weak but we don't realize the confidence that is in us that God has given us for because we forgotten. We don't remember anymore. How far God has brought us. Maybe you're married. You're stronger than you think it is. Because you've been through so much and when you realize what you've been through, it gives you confidence for the future. Maybe your friendship with someone is stronger than you, think it is. But you've been through so much. You forget what God has done in the past and it doesn't lead you to your future. Maybe you're stronger than you think you are. Because God has been with you over and over and over again, and because you forgotten what God has done in the past you lose confidence in your future. God is saying this. Remember the former days, remember, what God has done in the past and that'll give you confidence for your future a man. Sometimes we become so discouraged of how far we haven't got. That we forget how far God has brought us out. Confidence is looking back and seeing how far God has brought us. I believe the third point that Paul has for us is this is reassurance. Refocus. Remember reassurance. In Hebrews, 10:36, 238 ass is this. For we need we have need of insurance so that when we have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised yet in a very little while. If you hold on, it's just in a very little while. If you have confidence, it will only take a little while he who is coming will come and not delay. And I want to focus on this, the first part of bus 38, but my righteous one shall live by what everyone by faith. Having confidence in the things. We don't even see. Jump two verse 19 for me. Just a little bit. Bus 19, therefore, Brethren. Since we have Confidence, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus. We have confidence this morning. I meant none of us came with a lamb on the car, ready to sacrifice it because we have confidence in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We have confidence based on what he did. That's what brought us the church cuz of his confidence by then you and Living Way which he inaugurated for us through the veil. That is his flesh. And since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us Journey with a sincere. Heart in full Assurance of Faith having a heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.

Paul says that for reason and I believe that one thing that causes us to lose our confidence. Is went out. Conscience is compromised.

How conscience can cause us to lose our confidence? No one here. Knows what you did last night this week today. If it wasn't for Jesus Christ, neither you, or I could be could even stand, he could even be here but it's because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen. It's because of the blood of Jesus that we can be here today. Pulling the saying this, some people did not come to church today because they conscience was compromised. Some people didn't come to church today because they feel that they're not good enough. They're not worthy enough then all righteous enough. They just going to stay at her until they become perfect. And then they'll come to church. It's because they conscience has caused them to lose confidence. It's amazing how it punches can play on us if you play basketball or if you listen to commentators, they often say that this basketball player shot with what they shot with confidence. They made that shot with confidence because sometimes even the best player when they lose their confidence, don't even make the shots. What things are keeping you? What what things are playing in your mind and in your conscience that stop you from coming to Christ. And pulling the saying we don't come because of our own efforts are our own strength. We come because the blood of Jesus Christ has sprinkled out conscience. I believe the point poem is trying to make his this out. Confidence does not come from what we have done. But from what Christ has done in US. Amen. That's where our confidence comes. We may have guilt. We may have shamed Paula saying yes, we have an evil conscience, but that is covered by the blood of the Lamb. We can be reassured. A few years ago. I had a chance to visit Buckingham Palace. I never got a special invitation from the queen. I just had a few Frequent Flyer points. So I decided to go to London and visit Buckingham Palace. Now, when you go to Buckingham Palace, the queen wasn't there. Cuz when you go to, the Palace has a flag, and it's a flag is down. She's not there. The flag is up. She's there was down. And so we came into the palace though and out to a guy told us. Some of the things when you make the queen, some of the etiquette that is required. Firstly. You don't go to shake the Queen's hand, you wait for her to reach your hand. Secondly, you don't touch her on the elbow. Thirdly. You don't hug the queen. Okay. If you visit the queen during hug, the queen, one of our Australian prime minister's pull Kitty. Got in trouble for hugging the queen. You never heard the queen. Alright, especially in a formal setting. Why we were in Buckingham Palace, there was some rooms where we where we were not allowed to enter there was security guards. There was cameras, certain places in the palace. You are not allowed to enter or taking permission denied. I know you're a tourist but you're not allowed here, access denied. But what pool is saying, is that as Jesus as a high priest, we can be reassured that through the blood of Jesus. We can enter the most. Holy Place. Amen. We have access to the most holy place, because of what Jesus has done. We have lost our confidence because of our conscience, but instead of drawing away from God told me saying that is the time to draw closest to God, because Jesus gives us access. He gives us confidence to enter the very throne room of God. Who can say I'm into that this morning. We can enter this morning, we can have confidence and we can answer. We can enter by his grace, we can enter by his Mercy, we can answer by his blood, we can enter through the veil, we can enter through his righteousness. We can enter through the blood of Jesus Christ. We can enter this morning. Amen. We can enter and have confidence. Don't throw away your confidence. Always telling the church. Don't throw it away. Keep your focus. Clearly. Remember what God has done for you and be reassured of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We can have confidence this morning. Amen, because of what Jesus has done. Don't throw it away. Then throw it away. Some of us.

May be drifting like that Hebrew churches and we've lost our confidence, but we can have confidence that if God did it before, he can do it again. A man. If he did it before, he can do it again. If you did it for Mary, he can do it for you. If you did it for that paralyzed, man. He can do it for you. If he did it for the church back then that suffered persecution, during the Dark Ages. He can do it for the church today. A man, if he did it for Mary Magdalene, he can do it for you. If you did it for Abraham, he can do it for you. If you did it for Elijah. He can do it for you. We can have confidence because Jesus that did it before. He can do it again. Let's enter the veil through the veil with confidence. Amen. Let's pray together. Father God, we want to thank you for the confidence that you give us. We want to thank you for the reassurance that you provide. And we want to thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus. And Lord even now is we pray over the ties and the offerings that are about to be collected. We know that we're only able to give because of what you've done in the past to give us the blessing right now in the near future. So, Lord. May you be with us and bless us. And may you bless these ties and offerings for we ask it in Jesus name. Amen.