Don’t Throw Away Your Confidence

Come on 11 a.m. Is there anyone thankful that they are in the house of the Lord on a Sunday morning? Come on, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Hey, my name is Dan I serve as a lead pastor here and I want to say welcome Welcome to all those that are with us today It's a great day to be in church want to look in the camera as well say welcome to all those who are online with Us and then this is also one of my favorite welcomes that I get to give each and every Sunday to the men and women Watch them behind bars in a correctional facility. We are so glad that you're with us Calvary Church Can we give them a big welcome? We love you guys. You're not a project to us You are family and we are so so so glad that you are here If you have your Bibles, you can turn to Hebrews chapter 10 Hebrews chapter 10 is where we will be today And before we get there, I want to just pick up on what Daniel was sharing with you So is there anyone here at Calvary Church that wants to grow this fall season? Is there anyone that says I want to grow more than ever before this fall season? All right I've got your roadmap for you for the fall season. Here's what you need to do I need you September 9th here for our dream team roundup We're gonna get vision for the fall mission barbecue mechanical ball. Come on It's gonna be a night to be excited and encouraged celebrate our dream team That makes everything happen here at Calvary Church and we're gonna get inspired for what God wants to do this fall season So join me September 9th You do have to sign up in case you missed that so that we can make sure that we have enough food for you And then I want you to join me all of our church. We're running an all-church play September 13th through 20th So if you are a part of Calvary Church in any way, like if this is your church I want you to join me for one week of prayer and fasting Okay One week of prayer and fasting and we're announcing this to you far ahead Because we know that it does take some preparation to get ready for a week of prayer and fasting so you can begin praying And thinking on what you're gonna do and we're gonna believe that God's gonna move an amazing amazing way And then would you join me for a 6 a.m. Prayer one hour long prayer services? It's a Tuesday and a Friday that week. Come on. Has anyone ever been to one of those 6 a.m. Prayers? Let me hear

It's powerful. I'm telling you we start on time We end on time and it's the best way to start your morning in prayer and then an all-church worship night kids youth and adults Let's get together and let's say God this fall season is yours here at Calvary Church We want to surrender to you we want your way we want a fresh passion here at Calvary Church this fall season We want to see you move a harvest of dream teamers and come on I'm believing for more souls to get saved this fall season than we've ever been seen before Calvary Church Come on Wouldn't that be amazing to see more people get saved Delivered and set free in a fall season than ever before then we got to pray and fast and then you can join me then That following week because we're kicking off a season of life groups And so I know we've been on break this summer, but you've got to step into community You've got to join a life group and you're gonna hear more about that in the next couple weeks And we'll even have a menu available for you But I wanted to just tell you about one group that's gonna be offered on Wednesday night So if you don't have a plan on Wednesday nights We've got our one life youth church, which will be meeting our youth ministry Our kids ministry will be meeting after that worship night on the 23rd going forward We are running all church on Wednesday nights and Wednesday night only we're wanting freedom small groups freedom small groups And so we're gonna turn Wednesday night we're gonna put tables all around our church and if you are coming for a Wednesday night looking for a group to be a Part of freedom really is a life-changing curriculum It's something that I want every person to attend at some point here at Calvary Church And so if you don't have a small group that you're already committed to hey join me on Wednesday nights for freedom and God's gonna Move in a powerful way this fall season you ready for it Awesome. All right, two people are ready to grow this fall season Okay, if you have your Bibles Hebrews chapter 10 verses 32 through 39 is where we'll be today Hebrews chapter 10. I read an experiment a couple of weeks ago about some Scientists and what they did with bumblebees. They took a whole bunch of bumblebees and they put them into outer space They took bumblebees and they placed them into this zero gravity environment And at first the bees loved it. I mean think about it. Absolutely. No

Resistance no fighting gravity. No struggle. They didn't even have to work hard to fly They could just float around and for a while. It looked like the perfect environment No resistance. No adversity No struggle, but after a few days something very very strange happened on the fourth day All of the bumblebees died And here's what they discovered in this experiment is that they discovered that the bees weren't created for a world Without resistance and I think there's something there for us today because none of us like resistance I don't know that anyone that has come to church today for our 11 a.m Service is here and they are just so excited about the current problem. They are in They're so excited about the trial that they're facing right now We don't like seasons where we're praying like a season of prayer and fasting coming up and we're praying and believing God for him to move Like only he can to bring that law son or daughter back to the Lord that has been away from Him for some time and then we pray and nothing changes. But what if it, what if some of the things that we're asking God to remove might actually be some of the things that He wants to use to strengthen us? What if God wants to do something in you through that resistance that could never happen without it? Because here's what I know, here's what I know, even if I don't know your problem, even if I don't know your story, I know everyone has walked into this place today and you have some trials, you have some tribulations, you have a problem that you're facing today. And problems often don't go away quickly. Maybe you're here today and you've been praying for this problem to be answered for years and years and years. You've been praying to God for a miracle and year after year after year you've believed God, you've done everything you've known to do, but instead of the problem getting smaller, it seems like the problem keeps getting larger and larger and larger. And here's the danger. The danger is when a problem lasts long enough, disappointment can lead to distance in our relationship with the Lord.

We start asking, God, where are you? We start asking, God, why have you not fixed this? We start asking, God, do you even care about me? And that's what Hebrews 10 shares with us today, a powerful text about the church that is there. The writer is telling us about the Christians that are there in this culture and they're facing many, many large problems. They're suffering, they're persecuted for their faith. Some of them have been publicly humiliated. Some of them have been imprisoned. Some of them have had property taken away. And some are beginning to wonder, is following Jesus really worth it? Is following Jesus really worth it? Listen to what he tells them. This is the instructions the writer says in Hebrews chapter 10, 32 through 39. He says, think back on those early days when you first learned about Jesus Christ. Remember how you remain faithful, even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and you were beaten. And sometimes you helped others who were suffering of the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail. And when all that you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew that there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward that it brings you. Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. For in just a little while, the coming one will come and he will not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I take no pleasure in anyone who turns away. But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction.

We are the faithful ones whose souls will be saved. So the writer is writing to this church and these people are under enormous pressure. And yet the writer is then saying, but don't throw away your confidence because trials don't have to push you away from God. Trials can actually bring you closer to God. In fact, Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary says, it does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies, whether it comes between you and God or whether it presses you nearer to his hearts. The question today is this, what is your problem doing to your faith? What is your problem doing to your faith? Three things that I see from this text. If you've got some problems, some trials, some situations going on in your life. Number one, if you're taking notes, and I sure hope you are, you've got to remember yesterday's problems. You've got to remember yesterday's problems. I see this illustrated in the text. In Hebrews chapter 10, verse 32, the writer says, think back on those early days. In other words, remember, everyone say the word remember. Remember what you've already survived. Remember what God has already brought you through. Remember the prayers that you have prayed when you did come to that week of prayer and fasting and he answered those prayers and a breakthrough did happen. Remember the doors that he's already opened. Remember when you thought, I have no idea how I'm going to make it through, but look at you today. God has brought you through that situation. God has brought you through the storm. Come on, is anyone thankful that the God who was faithful then, oh come on somebody, he'll be faithful now.

Come on, is anyone thankful that he's brought you through some storms that has led you to where you are today? And this is what he's saying to this church. These believers had experienced terrible suffering. They were publicly humiliated. They were persecuted for their faith. They even watched their possessions be destroyed. being taken away from them. And somehow scripture says in verse 32, they accepted it all with joy. Everyone say the word joy. Joy? They accepted suffering with joy? They accepted their stuff being taken from them with joy? One translation even said that their houses, their stuff was being burned down. They accepted their own house being burned down with joy? How could they do that? I love what the writer says in James chapter 1. He says, consider it all joy when you encounter various trials. The writer is saying, knowing the testing of your faith, it's developing perseverance. It's doing something within you. I heard this story of a counselor and he was a professional counselor and he used to keep cheerleader pom poms in his desk drawer. So when somebody would come and they would start telling them about all their issues, they'd say, like, I got issues in this relationship or I got issues at work or I've got financial issues. The counselor would pull out the pom poms and would start cheering and go rah, rah, rah, rah. Wouldn't you like to go to that counselor, huh? No listening, no processing. He would just pull out the pom poms.

And when the person would look at them, kind of funny, he would say, oh, but you know that verse that says, consider it pure joy when you go through trials. Knowing the testing of your faith is developing something within you. Now listen to me. When the Bible is saying count it all joy, the Bible isn't saying that the problem is good. No, no, no. The Bible is saying that God can do something good through the problem that you're facing. You serve a good God who does not want harm for his children, but he can even take what the enemy's meant for evil and he can turn it for good. And sometimes the reason we lose confidence in what God is doing is because we already forgot what he did for us yesterday. That's why Psalm 77 says, I will remember the works of the Lord. Surely I remember your wonders of old. I will meditate on all of your work and I will talk of all of your deeds. Did you catch that? In other words, you've got to remember it. You've got to meditate on it. You've got to talk about it. You've got to open up your Bible and see the promises of God that were fulfilled through the heroes of the faith and look through scripture and seeing signs and wonders and miracles and say, God, you're no respecter of person. If you did it for them, you can do it for me. I know that you're a God who can come through in my life. Because one of the things that gets us in trouble is this, is that we talk too much about our problems and we don't talk enough about our God. Oh, that's why you made a really wise decision coming to church today for our 11 a.m. service on this August summer day. That's why you made a really wise decision to lift your hands in worship today and to press into the Lord, even if it's just for a few minutes.

That's why you make a really wise decision when you pick up your Bible every single day and you hold some verses dear to your heart. Why? What are you doing? What you're doing when you do those moments is you're saying, God, I know the problem that I'm facing is big, but when I lift my hands in worship, when I recite what scripture says, when I pour my heart out to you, what I'm saying is God, you're bigger than my problems. You're bigger than my circumstances. And I magnify the Lord and I make my God bigger than my problems. See the more you rehearse your problems, the bigger they get. Oh, but church, listen to me today. The more that you rehearse the faithfulness of God, the more your perspective begins to shift. There's some of you that are here today and you're in situations that you can change. You're in circumstances where you can get out of, and I just want to remind you today, if you can change your circumstance, by all means, do something about it. If you need to get a job and can get a job, do something about it. If you want to start exercising to, to lose some weight and you want to do it, do something about it. If you're able to have that conversation and work things out, do something about it. But there are some of you that have found yourself in situations today where you cannot change your circumstance. And if you cannot change your circumstance, you must change your perspective. You must say, God, I'm going to look back on your faithfulness and I'm going to continue seeking you and I'm going to continue trusting you. And if you were faithful then, I trust you'll be faithful now. That's exactly what David did in the story of David and Goliath. David's facing a problem he's never faced before. Goliath is bigger than him, stronger than him, more experienced than him. And everybody else is talking about how big Goliath is, how they cannot defeat Goliath,

how scared they are of Goliath. But David doesn't look at the problem, David starts talking about how faithful God has been. First Samuel 1737, he says, the Lord who rescued me from the lion and the Lord who rescued me from the paw of the bear, he will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. Did you see what David did? He said, I know I'm facing a giant today that I've never faced before, but I'm remembering the victories of the past. I'm remembering the faithfulness of God in the past. And just because I'm walking into a situation that I've never been handed before, the God who walked with me before will walk with me now. You may have never faced this problem before, but this isn't your first time experiencing the faithfulness of God. You may have never experienced this diagnosis before. You may have never walked through this situation with your family before. You may have never experienced this kind of financial pressure that's happening in our economy right now, but you've got history with your God. Come on, someone. There used to be a lion that you've already defeated. There was a bear that you already defeated. There were moments where you did not think you would make it through, but come on, someone, you are still here today. There's still breath in your lungs today. You still know Jesus today, and the God who was faithful then will be faithful again. Number one, you've got to remember yesterday's problems. Number two, you've got to resolve today to be patient. Number two, you must resolve today to be patient. Look at verse 35. I see this illustrated in the text. In verse 35, it says, so do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.

Remember the great reward it brings you. And then in verse 36, he says, patient endurance is what you need now. Patient endurance is what you need now. Notice what scripture says, not what you want right now, but what you need right now. Because if you're like me, when I'm in trouble, I don't want patience, I want relief. I want God to fix that situation. I want God to change that situation. I want God to move that person or move that thing out of the way and close that door or open that door. When I'm in a situation that I have a trouble, I said, God, why don't you do something about this? But the writer says, patient endurance is what you need now, patience. Everyone look up at me and smile and say the word patience, patience. Can I just be honest with you today? I hate being patient. The Greek word for patience is the word macrothermia, macrothermia. It just sounds like a nasty word, doesn't it? You are looking at a man this morning that is not very patient, okay? Not very good with that whole patience thing. And I have a feeling today in this room and online and behind bars that I am not alone. Here, I'll ask this question to you today. At the grocery store, are you the kind of person that sizes up all the lines to figure out which one is going to be the quickest for your checkout? I knew, I knew I was struggling with some impatient people at Calvary Church. As you're walking through the line, are you like me? Are you crazy like me? That you're calculating who is the person that's going to pay more slowly than you? And who is the one that's going to want to chat, you know, make some small talk with the grocery store clerk? And the worst of the worst of this, who is the person that in 2026 is going to pull out

their coupon so they can save 20 cents on that head of lettuce? Come on, somebody. If that is the person in front of me, I'm getting to a different line. And if you're really sick like me, you keep track of who entered into the line to the left of you and the right of you at the same time. And you're like locking eyes with them for a moment to the left and the right. And you see who gets finished first with checking out. Because whoever finishes first, they get the gold medal. And if somebody else finishes ahead of you, your whole day is ruined. Patience. Patience. We live in this culture that seems to have conspired against us to inculcate impatience. I mean, one-click shopping on Amazon, I love that. I love that. How is it in the world today? How is this even possible that I can order a book at 11 a.m. and it can be delivered to the office by 3 p.m. in the same day? How is that even possible in the world that we live in today? Streaming platforms offer no waiting gratification for our entertainment. You used to have to in my day, I'm starting to get old, I'm starting to feel old today. You used to in my day growing up, you used to have to wait a week to watch the next episode in your show. Now you just binge watch it, right? But God says, patience, endurance is what you need. Patience, endurance is what you need now. And let me just jump in and interject on this thought of patience, endurance. So biblical patience doesn't mean sitting around and doing nothing. It doesn't mean, well, I guess God isn't doing anything about my problem. I guess God isn't doing anything about my trial. So I'll just sit here.

I'll just do nothing. No, no, no. Listen to me today. You continue to be faithful to what God has placed in front of you. You continue to work. You continue to put your hands to the plow. You continue to grow. You continue to learn. You're just going to be patient in his provision of the thing that you're waiting on. James gives us a great picture of it. James chapter five. He says, look at the farmer. The farmer puts seed into the ground, but after he plants it, there are some things that he simply cannot control. In other words, he puts seed into the grounds and he can control tending the soil a little bit, but he can't make it rain. He can't control the temperature. He can't force that seed to grow. He can't yell at it. Come on and grow and make that thing grow. In other words, there are some things that the farmer can do, and there are some things that only God can do. And some of you, you need to hear this today. You must honor God with what you can control, but trust God with what you can't control. Here I'll say it another way. Outcome is God's responsibility. Obedience is mine. Here's what I believe. Extraordinary acts of God start with ordinary acts of obedience. Obedience to His Word.

Obedience to what He's calling you to do today. And so there's some problems, there's some challenges in your life, and God's saying, stop trying to fix that. That's my responsibility. Your responsibility is to be faithful today. Your responsibility is to pray today. Your responsibility is to serve today. Your responsibility is to forgive that person who hurt you today. Your responsibility is to worship today. Your responsibility is to do whatever is placed in front of you today, and trust God with the rest. Don't waste the waiting, don't waste the waiting. James is saying, just as the farmer doesn't see anything happening underneath the ground, that doesn't mean that nothing is happening. That plant is starting to grow. It might just not have break through the surface yet. Some of you today, you're waiting on a breakthrough, and you might be on lap six, just keep marching around that wall one more time. Just keep waiting on God, and determine with your life, I'll be faithful while I wait. Number one, you remember yesterday's problems. Number two, you've resolved today to be patient. And lastly today, number three is this, you must rest in tomorrow's promise. You must rest in tomorrow's promise. I see this illustrated in the text in Hebrews 10, 37. Here's what the writer says, for in just a little while, the coming one will come and he will not delay. Who's the coming one? It's Jesus. For in just a little while, Jesus will come and do not delay. Now the writer of Hebrews is actually quoting in this verse, the prophet Habakkuk.

When Habakkuk looked around, and he saw all of these things happening in the world that did not make sense. Wickedness seemed to be winning. Righteous people were suffering. And Habakkuk basically says, God, where are you? God, why aren't you doing something? And God's answer back to him wasn't a full explanation. It was a promise. Habakkuk chapter two, he writes, for the vision is yet for the appointed time. In other words, there's an appointed time, wait for it and it will surely come. And someone needs to hear that today, that God doesn't always give you the perfect explanation, but he will give you a promise. Come on, I'm thankful that scripture says all of the promises of God are yes for those who love him. And if you don't know the promises that God has available for you, look to scripture. I looked it up. There are 7,700 promises in the Bible. And so lean into what God has available for you. And when you read the Bible and something grips you by the heart or something feels like it has some energy to it, lean into that and say, you know what, that's a promise for me. I know breakthrough is coming by faith. I'm going to see a miracle. Come on. So my God may be a promise and I won't stop holding onto that promise now that his timing is always perfect. When it's not God's timing, you can't force it. Come on. When it is God's timing, you can't stop it. And that's why the writer says in Hebrews 10, 39, the righteous shall live by faith.

Here's the question today in conclusion. What are you living by? What are you living by? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 7, we live by faith and not by sight. In other words, sight says, nothing's changing around me. But faith says, no, no, no. I still believe God is still working. Sight says this is taking far too long. Faith says God's timing is always perfect. Sight says I don't understand. Faith says I don't have to understand completely to obey the one who does and obey the one who is working for my benefits. See that's the danger of a problem lasting so long in a life is that first we start questioning God. We say, God, where are you? Where are you? Then we start accusing God. We start saying, God, this isn't fair. And eventually, if we're not careful, we start trying to take things in my own hands and saying, God, I can control this situation. But faith says this. Faith says this. It says, no, no, God, you're in charge. And I'm not. God, I surrender to you. God, I give this problem. I give this issue. I give this trial. I give this circumstance to you. You know what you're doing.

And even though I can't understand it, somehow you're going to work this together for my good. One day, I'm going to see this promise revealed. One day, I'm going to see the goodness of God in breaking in and through my life. What do you do when your problems won't go away? Number one, remember yesterday. He's been faithful before. He'll be faithful to us now. Number two, resolve patience today. I'll remain faithful while I wait. Number three, we rest in tomorrow's promise. What is the promise? The promise is this. God has made us promises through scripture. God has made us promises that we've seen. revealed in and through our life, and I am so thankful that one day, even if every promise or every challenge is not fulfilled in this life, and He promises that He will embrace and He will work, I am so thankful that Scripture says one day is coming when we're gonna stand before the Lord, and if we know Jesus, we're gonna be in eternity with Him in heaven, and that day all promises will be revealed, every answer will be yes, there will be no more weeping, no more hurting, no more sickness, no more cancer or diabetes, no more pain, no more suffering, no more homelessness or wars or violence, one day everything is coming where every wrong will be made right, and we'll be with our Lord and Savior, every promise will be fulfilled, past, present, and future. We remember what God did, we're faithful in what God is doing now, we wait on Him, and we trust God for what He will do one day. He will do one day. Maybe you're here today and your prayer through this season has just been, God, get me out of this situation, God, get me out of this mess, get me out of this pain. Maybe today your prayer needs to be, God, instead help me trust you in it, because the

problem might not be over, but neither is your story that God is writing, and so maybe you're just here, every head bowed, every eye closed today, just in response, and maybe you're walking through something today, maybe you're walking through a problem, maybe you're walking through a trial, maybe you're walking through a difficulty, if that's you, nobody's looking, it's just between you and God, would you just close your eyes right now, and just if you're walking through something, you just need His grace, why don't you just turn your hands just open to Him, just as a sign that He just sees you right where you are today, and maybe you could make this your prayer before the Lord, just between you and Him, you could just say, Lord, by your grace, I will endure, God, I will wait on you, God, I'll trust you even when I don't understand, say, God, I believe your timing is perfect, I believe your promises are true, and God, I believe you're working even when I can't see it, even when I can't feel it, you're working. Church, my encouragement to you today is this, don't cast away your confidence, keep your faith, don't shrink back, because we're not those that turn away, we're those that remain faithful and live by faith. Maybe you're here today and I've been talking about living by faith and trusting in God even when you can't see it, and you realize today that you don't have a relationship with the Lord, you're not walking with God, you're not following Him. There's a problem right now, and the problem is this, sin separates you from a holy God, it separates you from access to Him, but the beautiful thing about the gospel is this, is that God sent His Son, Jesus, He who was no sin, became our sin, so that now anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord, Romans declares, that they will be saved. And it's the best decision that you can make, the Bible says that today is that day, today is the day of salvation, don't wait for another day, don't wait for another month, He's the God who promises, listen, not that your problems will go away, but He promises that you'll have joy and peace that the world can't manufacture in the middle of the storm, and if that's you today, today's a beautiful day to come home, the Father's arms are open wide, every head is bowed, every eye is closed, nobody's looking around, it's just between you and God, but I think it's really powerful to just signify outwardly with our hand lifted what God is doing in our hearts, and so if that's you today, I want to count to three, I want

you to lift your hands, unashamed, because He was unashamed for you when He went to that cross, one, two, three, come on, is that you today, I need to make Jesus Lord of my life, fantastic, there are hands lifted in this room today, hearts surrendered to Jesus, come on, I'm so thankful, on August 16th, come on, this is the day where people are beginning their faith journey, you can throw those hands right back down, come on, church, there's about ten hands that are lifted around this room, let's pray so that no one prays alone, come on, repeat after me, say, Jesus, say, I come to you today, just as I am, say, God, I know that I've sinned, but I believe, say, you died for my sin, you rose from the grave, and then just confess this one today, say, God, I'm sorry for my sin, say, God, I ask you to change me, I ask you to make me new, and then make this declaration, come on, really mean it, say, from this day forward, I'll follow you, and just make this promise again, my life is not my own, but I exist for you, we thank you for these things, in Jesus' name.