Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Recently I was talking to somebody who owns his own business. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a few days, and was missing some of his helpers. When I asked him how everything was going, he shook his head in complete discouragement. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me that a few people he had hired refused to show up for work. He said they don’t call, they don’t give him notice, they just walk off and get a job somewhere else, leaving him with the responsibility and burden that was entrusted to them. Because of this, he was stuck working overtime and on the weekends in order to make up for their incompetence.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
When you choose somebody for a certain position and they give you assurances that you don’t have to worry about them being there, there is a certain sense of relief and trust that you place in them. When they repetitively tell you that they will do what needs to be done, they take on responsibility and carry some of your burden. But when they disappear without notice, it’s like removing the foundation from a house, leaving you holding everything in place. It only proves that they didn’t deserve any of the confidence that you had entrusted to them.
“Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.” Proverbs 25:19
Confidence is to place your trust in somebody else. Trust is defined as firm belief in the reliability, truth or strength of someone or something. Paul had placed great trust in some of the men that he had discipled, choosing them to a specific duty in the church. Timothy was faithful in the Lord, and in complete subjection to the Apostle Paul who had chosen him to be a soldier of God. He was very loyal and obedient, and worthy of Paul’s confidence.
“For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.” 1 Corinthians 4:17
And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.” 2 Corinthians 8:22
Paul placed great confidence in the obedience of Philemon.
Philemon 1 ²⁰ Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord. ²¹ Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
The Apostle Paul had discipled numerous people, giving his time freely to them and educating them in the way of Christ. Even in a regular business you can invest many years of your life, training someone for a certain position. You have great hope that they will continue in the things that they have been trained to do. But sometimes when you place your confidence in others, they will simply forsake what they are supposed to be doing.
“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” 2 Timothy 4:10
“I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.” 2 Corinthians 2:13
Even when Jesus chose men to preach God’s Word, some of them eventually forsook Him.
John 6 ⁶⁶ From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Jesus warned that some people were going to do these types of things. Rather than keeping on task, they would be led away by the things of this world.
Luke 8 ⁴ And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: ⁵ A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. ⁶ And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. ⁷ And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
⁸ And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.
And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. ⁹ And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
¹⁰ And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. ¹¹ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹² Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³ They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴ And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. ¹⁵ But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Paul had placed great confidence in certain churches because they were very obedient. He knew that they were going to listen and do what they were told, and he didn’t have to worry about it.
“And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:4
2 Corinthians 7 ¹⁵ And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. ¹⁶ I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.
“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Psalms 118:8
Unfaithful men are not going to finish what they started. Like a flash in the pan they will only last for a certain period of time, and then without warning, completely abandon and walk off on their duties. They only prove by their actions, that they were not worthy of the trust that you had placed in them. They are unfaithful, unloyal, and someone in whom you have….
……No Confidence
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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