Christian Confidence

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Hebrews 12:18-24
• Hymn — Give to Our God Immortal Praise
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Faith — Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A 37
• Scripture Reading — Ruth 1:1-14
• Hymn — O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Prayer of Dedication
• Hymn — My Faith Looks Up to Thee
• Sermon
• Hymn — The Solid Rock
• Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26

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Sermon Title: Christian Confidence

Scripture: Philippians 1:19-26

I. Christian Confidence Is Dependent Upon Prayer

A. Paul's confidence in Philippians 1:19 is rooted in the intercessory prayers of the Philippians

1. "Deliverance" carries both a temporal meaning (release from prison) and an eternal dimension
2. The phrase "turn out for my deliverance" echoes Job 13:16, pointing beyond a Roman tribunal to the judgment of God himself
3. The Philippians' prayers encompass not only Paul's release but his continued growth in sanctification and holiness amid suffering

B. Individual sanctification is reliant upon the intercessions of Christ's body

1. Paul, far from being a lone-wolf Christian, openly depends on the prayers of the church
2. Christians are often tempted to ground their confidence solely in personal spiritual performance rather than in the corporate prayers of the body
3. The session prays regularly for each member and family — this is not a formality but a powerful means of grace

C. Spurgeon's call: the one remedy for a declining church is prayer

1. The chief aim of corporate prayer is not merely temporal deliverance from sickness or hardship but the sanctification and holiness of the body — making the bride ready for the Bridegroom

II. Christian Confidence Is Driven by Christ

A. Paul's courage in prison flows from the Spirit of Christ reigning within him (Philippians 1:19-21)

1. In the original Greek, Philippians 1:21 contains no verbs: literally "to me the life Christ and the death gain" — Paul's answer to the meaning of life is not a sentence but a person
2. Paul's confidence in the face of death rests on the certainty that death brings gain: the gaining of Christ himself

B. At death, the souls of believers immediately pass into glory — there is no soul sleep, no purgatory

1. Philippians 1:23 — "to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better"
2. Jesus's words to the thief on the cross: "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43) confirm the immediacy of the soul's entrance into glory
3. Theologians describe this as the "intermediate state" — the soul in the full presence of Christ while the body awaits the resurrection

C. The Scottish Covenanter Hugh McKail's dying words illustrate confidence driven entirely by Christ

1. "Now I begin my intercourse with God which shall never be broken off … welcome death, the engine … welcome eternal life"
2. Death is the believer's gain — it can be faced with courage because Christ is on the other side

III. Christian Confidence Is Devoted to Service

A. Paul is torn between departing to be with Christ and remaining for the sake of the Philippians (Philippians 1:22-26)

1. Contrast with 2 Timothy 4:6-7 — in his later imprisonment Paul is no longer torn; his mission is complete and he is ready to depart
2. Here, Paul is confident the Lord will release him because his heart is set on unfinished service to the Philippians

B. Sinclair Ferguson's practical principle for discerning God's will: place natural desires alongside present responsibilities; the answers often clarify God's direction

C. The contrast between David and Hezekiah illustrates two ways of seeking God's mercy

1. David in Psalm 51:12-13 pleads for mercy with a servant's heart — restored joy so that he can teach transgressors God's ways
2. Hezekiah, after receiving mercy, displays his wealth to the Babylonian embassy in pride, and his final recorded words show concern only for peace in his own days (2 Kings 20)
3. The question for every believer: are you seeking the Lord's mercy to serve yourself (Hezekiah) or to continue serving Christ and his people (David and Paul)?

D. Proverbs 28:1 — "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion"

1. Self-serving Christians will quiver in trial; those devoted to service to Christ will be bold as a lion in the day of affliction
2. Set your heart on service to the King and his kingdom — this is the path to genuine Christian confidence in times of suffering and want