Dave preached from Phil 1:1-11 this morning, talking about the confidence we can have in God. Ps 19 starts by talking about the wonders of Creation: the universe is like a huge billboard advertising the majesty of God. But for all the wonders of Creation, the work God does in us is even greater.
Phil 1:6 tells us that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Many things can shake our confidence these days, including doubts about God and unanswered prayer (in our eyes, anyway: we don’t always like the answers God gives!) No matter how inadequate or lacking in confidence we may feel, however, God is still God, and as a result we can have confidence in Him.
We can be confident in the people He has brought together (Phil 1:3-5). We are ‘partners in the Gospel’ and Paul was constantly thankful for the Philippians, who supported him in his ministries when no one else did. There was unity of purpose and singleness of heart in their support. We need to be thankful for each other in just the same way that Paul was thankful for the Philippians, for no one is here by chance.
We can also have confidence in the plans God has for us. Paul reminds the Philippians that God hasn’t finished with them yet. He does not start a work to abandon it or grow tired of it, as we often do: like the question master in ‘Mastermind’, ‘I’ve started, so I’ll finish’! We may not be able to see the finished product yet, but God is at work in our lives.
We can also have confidence in God’s provision. There is nothing too difficult for God (see Jer 32) and we can have confidence in approaching God and asking Him for what we need (1 John 5:14-15). We have to seek God for His plans and once we know them, we have to obey them. We also need to be global in our vision, not simply parochial, understanding that God has good plans for us and is able to fulfil those plans, even when we feel (as we did when moving into Market Street) that these are beyond us.
Let’s press on together, then, being thankful for the past, thankful for each other and confident for the future.