# Confidence in God’s Work

Key Passage: Philippians 1:3-6
Date: July 6, 2019

By grace.

Turn your Bibles to Philippians chapter number one. Philippians chapter number one. We are leaving our series on the Ten Commandments for another Sunday. We got back to it last Sunday. I believe we’ll get back to the Seventh Commandment this coming Sunday.

But I just felt like the Lord, middle towards the end of the summer, would have us go elsewhere. And then we’ll get back to our Ten Commandments. So we’re over here in Philippians chapter number one. It’s kind of the back part of your Bible, Ephesians, Philippians chapter number one.

And we’re going to begin reading in verse number three. Philippians 1, verse number three.

Philippians chapter number one of God’s word this morning. And studying on the Seventh Commandment, thought we’d go there, but just felt like God even recently this morning wanted us to go elsewhere in God’s word. Now this is, God used this man named Paul to pen it. When I say pen it, I say that. I don’t like to say he wrote it, but it’s really not his words. It’s God’s words. God moved him what to write. So I often say pen it, because he’s the penman. He’s the one to put it down, if you will, but it’s God’s word. God did work through this man, and he was an instrument in His hand. God’s working through the life of this man named Paul, and he’s specifically writing to the church at Philippi. That’s good for you to kind of know that as we get it. I want you to read this with that in mind.

Let’s stand if you would, please, as I read God’s Word together, Philippians 1. We’re going to start verse number 3. Remember this is God through this man Paul to the church at Philippi. We’re in verse number 3. Here we go: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.”

This is verse number six. We often will read it or quote it for ourselves, and I understand that, but he’s not really talking about himself. He’s talking about someone else. Note that as we read it. Verse number six, here we go: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

This church was special to Paul. It was very near and dear to Paul. They had a special bond. God had used the penman, Paul, to start this church, Acts chapter 16 and so on. God led Paul and his little team of missionaries over to this part of the world, specifically to Philippi. Paul was there with his missionary team, and they were praying, “Lord, would You use us? We want to see souls saved and lives changed.” They said, “Hey, let’s go over the river there; let’s have a prayer meeting.”

And they’re there having this prayer meeting, and they see this lady named Lydia. She’s out there washing her clothes or whatnot. She’s a business lady; she’s a seller of purple. Paul sees this lady. They’re having this prayer meeting for souls to be saved, lives to be changed, and they say, “Hey, we’ve been praying for it. Let’s just go tell her about Jesus.”

So they go over to this lady named Lydia. They tell Lydia about Jesus, how to go to heaven. You’ll never be good enough. It’s not your goodness to get you to heaven; it’s Jesus’ goodness to get you to heaven. You put your faith in Jesus. And Lydia said, “That sounds good to me.” And that day, Lydia asked Jesus Christ to be her Savior. She was born again.

By the way, the greatest day of your life is the day that you accept Jesus as your only way to heaven—the day you’re saved. Lydia got saved that day. Lydia said this: “Look, God’s blessed me. I got a business. I got a pretty nice house or whatnot. You’re welcome. If you’re starting a church, you can start the church in my house.” Paul said, “Sounds good to me.”

Paul had hands-on involvement; God had used him to start the church there. I can imagine that from time to time Paul would reminisce about the start of that church. Paul said, “Man, I know those people; God used me to lead them to the Lord Jesus Christ. They were His children in the faith. They had a special bond.”

The Bible says he read it: “I can’t help it. When I pray, every time I pray, I’ve got to thank God, ‘God, thank You for that church over at Philippi.’ That’s a special place, near and dear to me. I love them.”

It was a little after that first lady got saved, Lydia, about this demon-possessed girl. We don’t know her name, but she began to follow Paul and his team of missionaries around. She would say the right thing, but it’s not always what you say; it’s how you say it. She was demon-possessed, and really she was saying the right thing; it was almost like mockery. Finally, some of the other guys said, “Man, we’ve got to do something about it.” Paul was patient, but in God’s time, Paul turned and, by the Spirit and the power of God, cast that demon out.

Some people were using this demon-possessed girl to make money. “Boy, she’s got special power.” Satan has power also, you know. But she was cast out, and she didn’t have these special powers anymore. So these guys who were making money off of her—by the way, these demon-possessed musicians and movies, the bottom line is the producers—it’s all about money for them. The love of money is the root of all evil. So they cast a demon out, and all these money people, they weren’t happy about it. They gained money from her soothsaying, the Bible says.

So they grabbed Paul and his team of missionaries and threw them in jail. That’s where we get in that story where at midnight they sang praises to God. God said, “Man, if those preachers can praise God while they’re in prison, God said, I think I’ll just bless those fellows.” There’s a secret there, by the way. Did you hear that? If those Christians could praise God even while they’re going through tough times, God said, “I might just bless them.” There’s a good lesson there. So God sent an earthquake down there.

There was jailhouse rock, not that wicked thing we think of in our day and time. Back in the Bible, it was God’s center earth and there to the jailhouse. God sent this earthquake, and the doors began to—I mean, you go to Walmart and the doors automatically open up. Way before Walmart was around, in jail, the doors just automatically opened up.

Paul and his team of missionaries said, “Well, fellas, I guess we’ll just have to take our singing elsewhere.” They started to leave. This old jailer over there, he… I wouldn’t be surprised if they hadn’t been witnessing to him. He said, “I don’t want to do with that stuff. That’s why you’re in jail for talking about that stuff.” As they were leaving the prison, he was about to take that .44 magnum to his head; I mean, he was about to kill himself. Paul saw that jailer about to kill himself, and Paul said, “Whoa, hang on, fellas. What in the world are you doing?”

He said, “Well, if somebody escapes and I’m the prison guard and I let them escape, it’s going to be my life; I might as well just go ahead and take care of myself.”

Paul said, “We’re not gone; we’re still here.” Maybe the most classic time in all the Bible about salvation, because that Philippian jailer, he said, “Well, whatever you told them before must be something to that thing.” He already knew about being saved because then he said, “What must I do to be saved?” Don’t be afraid of using that term “being saved.” We use “relationship” a lot in our day and time; that’s pretty vague. He just said, “What must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and get baptized and join such and such a church and turn over a new leaf.” Is that what it says? No. He just said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

That’s it. He even goes on a little bit and says, “If you get saved, man, your household gets saved too. You’re the leader of the thing.” I can imagine Paul remembering that. “Boy, God did a special miracle for that church. Man, that jailer got saved. He was the sheriff of the town. Man, when he came to church, man, that church got excited. Things were happening. Demons were cast out.” I can imagine Paul just remembering all this. It was special to Paul. He loved those people. He led many of them to the Lord.

This morning in Sunday school, he told them about a church he started over in Cleveland, Tennessee, and he was leading a song, and it says, “Echoes of Mercy,” and it just popped in his mind. We’re going to name this church Echoes of Mercy Baptist Church. And he said this morning, “It’s still there today, special in his heart.” That’s what it was to Paul, these people, this church—special. He said, “I’m always thanking God for that church.”

Well, that verse number six is a little different. Notice what he says in verse—look back there. Look in verse number six right there. He says, “But being confident of this very thing, that he, which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Friends, Paul, in his faith to God and wisdom, was turning those people he loved very, very much over to the Lord.

Friend, if you could learn, if you could grow today in trusting the Lord with those you love the most, you’d be so much happier. Can I say it’s one thing to trust the Lord for yourself, and that’s great, but it’s even another level in many ways to trust those you love the most into the Lord’s hands. That’s exactly what this verse is speaking of. He did it in confidence. He said, “Hey, I’m going to put you in the hands of the Lord. He’ll perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Hey, moms, it’d be a great lesson this morning. Husbands, be a great lesson this morning. It’d be such an easier way to rejoice in the Lord always if I learned to trust the Lord with those I love, put them in His hands.

Let me give you a couple reasons why I should trust those I love. Maybe the hardest one sometimes, maybe the hardest one is our children because in many ways when they’re born, they’re in your hands. Boy, moms, you know, you have to feed them. You have to change those stinky diapers. I know the husband says he does it, but look, reality, he did it once the whole time, right? Let’s just be honest about it, men, you know. You raised that baby. You brought them into the world. You can take them out of this world. You understand. And it’s hard to trust that little one in the Lord’s hands. But you’ll be so much happier if you learn to do that.

Let me give a couple reasons why, whoever it may be, maybe someone we’re trying to win to the Lord, maybe someone we have led to the Lord like this situation here. Let me give a couple reasons why trust those people into the Lord’s hands.

Number one, because it was God. It was God that had taken care of him before anyway. Did you notice what he said right there, Philippians 1, verse number six? Look at verse number six: “Being confident of this very thing.” What’s the next few words here? “That he, which hath begun a good work in you.” Now wait a second, that’s Paul. Paul can say, “I’m the one who won them there. I left the first one, Lydia, to the Lord at the riverside. It was me. I’m the one who cast a demon out of that girl. I’m the one who led the Philippian jailer to the Lord.” But he didn’t say that. He said, “Being confident… that he, which hath begun a good work in you.”

Why should I trust? I love people, but I do, maybe not like I ought to, but I do love people. And it bothers me sometimes when maybe you see someone going away and I don’t want them to get hurt. What do you do? Put them in the Lord’s hands. You see, it wasn’t you. I never have changed your life one time in my life. The honest, simple truth is, I’ve never led one person to the Lord Jesus Christ in my life. The Spirit of God might use me a little bit in that, but they’ll never come to Jesus unless the Spirit of God calls them. He said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.” But I don’t change lives. I don’t save souls. Praise the Lord, and I’m so thankful that my children are serving God, but it wasn’t because Dad Chisgar did everything right, because Dad Chisgar didn’t do everything right. The older I get, the more I realize, it’s God that changed your life. God that got a hold. It’s them that surrendered to the Holy Spirit of God. Yes, God will guide and use my hands, and you must be willing to obey the Lord’s leading as He leads you to work in people’s lives. But it’s God that changes life, friends. Not you, not me. It’s the Lord. And Paul knew that. And Paul said, “I’m going to put you in the Lord’s hand because it was He; He’s the one that started the good work in you.”

We’re like the woodpecker. He was in the forest and he was pecking on a tree, and a storm came up. He’s out there pecking on that tree, and a storm comes up, and lightning strikes, and it strikes that tree that he’s pecking on and knocks the tree down. He went through the forest bragging on how he pecked so hard he knocked the tree down. That’s what we do. I’ve never changed one life. The Lord does that. “He, which hath begun a good work in you.” That’s so important. It’s one level to trust God for yourself, but it’s another level to trust others to God.

We were in a hurricane in Alabama years ago. I can’t remember the name of it. We lived in a trailer. There were big old trees around our trailer. We watched the news on TV, and I thought, “Wow, this thing’s pretty rough that we’re about to face.” Afterwards, I watched the news, and they kept showing this one gas station that was right by a river that had gotten flooded out. Honestly, we were there. It was nothing, just a bad storm, basically. But the media hype kept showing that one picture. Here’s the thing: it was really nothing to go through. We were like, “That wasn’t a big deal.”

But maybe two or three years ago, my son was in Florida during Hurricane Irma. And then you watch all the media hype, and you’re like, “Whoa, boy.” You call out, “Hey, you know what? Are you going for the hurricane?” It’s different trusting God with others. God’s the one that gave John to us. God took care of John all those years. He might have used us a little bit as God did.

You heard about the hitchhiker? He’s hitchhiking along, and the pickup truck finally pulls over, and he hops in. The guy driving said, “Man, why don’t you put the bag down on the seat there?” “No, no, no, I’m all right. I got it.” The fellow said, “Well, put it on the floorboard right there. It’ll be all right.” “No, no, no, no, I got it.” He pulled over to the side of the road. He said, “Look, fella, it bothers me that you carry that bag. Won’t you put the bag in the back of the truck? I can’t mess with it. It’ll be fine back there. I’ll stop, you can get your bag, everything will be all right.” He said, “No, no, no, I got it.” He’s killing him. He said, “Sir, I can’t help but ask. I just want you to relax a little bit. Why won’t you let that bag go?” And he said, “Sir, it’s a lot for me to ask you to carry me, much less my bag.” That’s us.

The honest truth is God took care of my kids all those years. He might have used me a little bit, but it’s God. And look, I ought to trust those people that I love to the Lord. It’s God who took care of them all those years. It’s God.

This church here, if I get maybe a little proud or whatever, I can think, “Man, what would this church do without me?” The honest truth is I haven’t taken care of this church all these years. This is the Lord’s from day one. And so I learned to trust people I love to the Lord. Why? God took care of them all those years anyway.

Let’s keep going. Why should I trust the Lord with people I love very much? Number two, because as much as I love them, God loves them even more. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” I could maybe imagine—I don’t know what happened—maybe I would lay down my life for people here. Hope I would. But to give my son, that’s a different story. God loves those people you love so much He gave His Son for them. God’s the one that formed them and created them. God loves that person even more than I love that person.

Paul loved this Philippian church. He had shed blood there. I imagine he has scars and marks from the town of Philippi. God puts things in your hands, but don’t hold it tight. Realize God’s the one that gave it. As much as I love someone, God loves them even more. Why should I trust the Lord with those people I love very much? Because He loves them even more than you do.

Sometimes God, in His love and His wisdom, chastens them. That means He gets His belt or His paddle out and He takes them out back to the woodshed. The Bible says, “For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.” (Hebrews 12:6). “For whom the Lord loveth, He correcteth, even as a father the son in whom He delighteth.” (Proverbs 12:31). It’s all through the Bible. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” (Revelation 3:19).

Remember the prodigal son? What happened right before he came to himself? He was starving. He would have fain filled himself—he was wanting to eat pig’s food. He hit rock bottom. And yet that’s when he came to himself. God, in His love, sometimes lets those people I love hit rock bottom. What happens in 2019 a lot of times? With all of our government aid and those we love aiding them, so often sometimes they’re about to hit rock bottom, we slide a pillow underneath that rock, and so often they never come to themselves.

Sometimes I’ve got to learn to trust those I love very, very much. I’m not saying it’s easy. I say, “Hey, God loves them even more than me, and I’m going to trust the hand of God, even if the hand of God is whipping them for a while.” God loves them. I’m not saying, “Don’t seek God.” But let God work. Learn to leave someone alone and let God work on them Himself.

Husbands and wives, sometimes you can want your wife or your husband to get right so bad that you’ve got your hands on this situation, and God says, “All right, I’ll keep My hands off of it.” I’m not saying don’t witness to them. But there comes a point when God says, “Listen, get your hands off the situation. Just love that wife like I told you to. Let that man lead like I told you to. And let Me work in their lives.” If I’m not careful, I’ll pester them so much I cause them to run the other way. Sometimes I just got to say, “Hey, putting them in Your hands.” 1 Peter 3:1 says, if they’re not going to be won by your word, let them be won by your conduct—your manner of living without the word. Stop preaching at them; just let God work on them.

I’ve watched sometimes when God will save a lost husband so many times after the wife has stopped preaching or after the husband has stopped saying, “Why don’t you come to church?” and just said, “I’m just going to love them.” God got involved there. Trusting them to the Lord. I’m sure at the church at Philippi, not every Christian was doing exactly like they ought to do. They were sinners just like you and I. But Paul, through the inspiration of God, still said, “I’m going to trust; I’m confident that God that started the work, He’ll finish the work.”

I think about my Uncle Johnny Frank would not get saved. My parents tried to talk to him, and rightfully so, but then they left it alone as the Lord led. They were going to witness to Uncle Johnny Frank. They called me; I was living in Indiana at the time, they were living in Florida. They were going to witness to Uncle Johnny Frank down in Perry, Florida. Anybody know where Perry, Florida is? It’s 10 miles past podunk. It’s just out there.

We went back there and saw him. Can I say this? Uncle Johnny Frank had cancer at that point. They had kind of, if you will, let God get a hold of him with cancer. He ended up passing from that cancer. But they went down and witnessed to him again after that, kind of taking their hands off for years, didn’t pester him all the time. And yet that time, Uncle Johnny Frank wanted to listen. They began telling him about Jesus Christ. Uncle Johnny Frank wanted to hear, then got saved. He got saved, and even in the hospital there, Uncle Johnny Frank said, “Tell Stephen Knight and bring their Bible when they come visit me.” Other relatives would be cussed, exactly. “I don’t want you cussing around me anymore.” How that happened? Take your hands off; let God work there.

So Paul was doing this: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it.” Why should you trust the Lord with people you love? Well, He’s the one who’s been taking care of them all the years, honestly. Number two, because He loves them more than you do.

Number three, you can help more people by taking their burden to the Lord. Now, I can hear somebody say, “Well, the Bible over there in Galatians 6 says, ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens,’ right?” So I’m supposed to take all the burdens on me?

[The demonstration illustrates bearing burdens.]

That’s us. He said, “That’s too many songbooks.” Anybody out there ever feel like that? “Well, I’m supposed to bear one another’s burdens,” so I take them all on me? You won’t go very far either. Now, let me show you what the Bible means when it says when I bear that burden, I’m supposed to take them to somebody. He’s in charge of our security, so help me out with that. He’s going to represent the Lord. Now, this time, as you go down and people give you burdens, I want you to give them to the Lord.

Burdens come. He takes them to the Lord. Burdens come. Take them to the Lord. Burdens come. Take him to the Lord.

Now, who thinks the Lord can bear your burdens? You think you can hand your burdens to the Lord? You’re fine right now? Is your burden heavy right now? Why isn’t it hurting? Because you gave it to the Lord. That’s what God wants us to do. You’re going to get burdens in life, and people you love, and you get that phone call: they have cancer, they have this. Oh, it’s tough when you hear someone you love goes out in the world because you know what the world does to people. What do you do? Take it to the Lord.

What’s that song? “Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.” That’s what Paul was doing. I guarantee you that church is made up of sinners just like our church is made up of sinners. I guarantee you there were some young people in that church going the way of the world. Yet Paul said, “God’s the one that started the work in them. God will perform it to the day of Jesus Christ.” He said, “I’m confident in everything.” That’s how you rejoice evermore. You get a burden, you take it to the Lord, and you rejoice.

By the way, when you bear all your burdens, who can bear your burdens better—you or the Lord? Who can change that young person’s life—you or the Lord? When I go through life like this, that equals up to me having faith in myself instead of God. And when I have faith in God, God responds to faith. That’s what God wants.

Why should I trust the Lord with people I love? Number three, because taking my burdens to the Lord is God’s plan.

And number four, He can take better care of them than I can. When John was in that hurricane in Florida, Irma was coming. I’m in Tennessee; he’s in Florida. Can I do anything about it? No. I can’t protect him. I can’t watch over him. But the Lord could.

I was given this gift at Christmas, about this size right here, and I keep it on my nightstand by my clock where I go to bed. It says, “Give it to the Lord and go to sleep.” That’s why I got it right there by my clock. My wife says she wishes I didn’t do that so much because when I do that, I snore. That’s how he had joy. I can’t solve everybody’s problems, but if they let Him, He can. He can take much better care.

When I get my hands on the situation trying to make my mate everything I want them to be, God says, “All right, let Me see how that turns out for you.” Just obey the Lord; He’s the one that changes lives. He can take better care of them than me.

Don’t let the devil deceive you that you have to be around them all the time so you can change them. No, friend, the only one that’s going to change them is the Lord. You love them, but you go on your separate way. “I love you. I don’t think I’m better than you; I’m a sinner saved by grace, but I’m going in a different direction.” You’re not going to change them, friend. God changes people, not men. Jesus was a friend of sinners when they wanted to go to Jesus and get their lives straightened out. But if they’re just off doing their own thing, a lot of people turned and left sorrowful because they don’t want to go Jesus’ way.

If you put one good apple in a box of bad apples, that good apple ain’t going to turn all the rest of them good; it’s going to turn rotten. The Lord’s the one that changes lives.

And then let me say this: learn to trust God even with your enemies. I guarantee you, if there was a church, there were a couple people that didn’t like the decision of what Paul preached or what Paul said or where Paul stood on it. And they shot at Paul from time to time. Paul said, “I’m just going to give it to the Lord,” because God can handle your enemies better than you handle your enemies. Ultimately, our job is to lead others to Jesus Christ. If my kids are only living for the Lord because of me, one day, when I’m gone, if God used me a little bit in bringing my kids to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord’s still there.

Last point, and I’m done. When I was in Bible college, there was a young man who grew up in Chicago, a very rough neighborhood. He got saved, wrote a bus to church, and God changed his life. Ricky Torres is his name. We worked in the bus ministry; we were pretty close friends. Ricky Torres knew the streets of Chicago. We would go back to Chicago, and we would try to reach him. He found a young man and really took this young man under his arm. He tried to train him; he got a job for that young man, taught him how to work, taught him how to dress for church. He took this guy all the way under his arm and taught him everything, only to have that young man break his heart.

I remember Ricky Torres saying, “You know, I made a mistake. I led that young man to me. My job was leading him to the Lord, leading him to Him.” It didn’t last for long. Today he’s still working with young people from Chicago. But years ago, when he was a young man in his young 20s, he learned a lesson: I’m not trying to lead him to me; I’m trying to lead him to Him. I guarantee you in Chicago there’s something doing good, something doing bad. But he would say, like Paul said, “Being confident in this very thing, that he, which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it to the day of Jesus Christ.”

Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar 7719