GET TOGETHER- Confident But Not Cocky
Pr 16:18 ¶ Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Php 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
I got the title of this message from a book that a read several years before I got saved. It was during a time in my life that I wanted to be successful, but a lot of things that I was doing were destructive.
The title came from a book by John Wooden who coached basketball at UCLA between 1948 and 1975. His winning percentage was over 800 percent. His teams won 12 NCAA tournaments and there are several other records that his teams hold. The title of the book was Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. And by the way he was most importantly a Christian.
One principle that he taught that I believe is fully Biblical and helpful to us as we serve the Lord Jesus Christ was this. He wanted his teams to be confident in every game that they played, but he didn’t want them to be cocky. With the success that they had I am sure that was a challenge and something that he had to teach daily.
Paul in writing to the church at Phillipi is assuring them that the good work that God has begun in them is something that he will bring to completion. I think that is something that we all need to know. We need to know that when the evil forces of Hell try to come against us in any way that we have the victory in Jesus Christ.
I love to quote Ro 8:37-39 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NKJV) And it is a blessing to assure faithful followers of Jesus Christ that we are more than conquerors. I love to share how the Bible is filled with conquerors from the Assyrians to the Romans, but they weren’t more than conquerors. They got conquered. Either by another nation, or as in Rome’s case destruction from within.
But to be confident and not become cocky we must remember that “we are more than conquerors through Him.” Apart from Him we can do nothing that is of eternal value, or for his glory in the Kingdom.
There are two dangers that kind of relate to this when we are serving the Lord. One is that we don’t have any confidence and we don’t believe that there is any way that God is using us or could use us.
We can become ready to give up and quit. We can get to a point where we feel like what we do has no significance in the Kingdom. Joshua had a moment like this. Even though He had seen the Lord do many miraculous things he came to a point that he was ready to throw in the towel. We see this in Jos 7:7,8 “And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all-to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! “O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies?” Praise the Lord that he didn’t stay in that place of despair.
On the other hand, the enemy will come with the temptation for us to glorify ourselves. One of the two major sins at the Tower of Babel in Genessi 11 was that not only did they want to stay in one place which was sinful, but they wanted to make a name for themselves: Ge 11:4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” The enemy will bring the temptation for us to try to make a name for ourselves rather than glorifying the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When the Lord uses us in a good way, we need to examine ourselves and be sure that it is for the glory of the Lord and not for self-glorification. All sin comes in three categories 1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. (NKJV) Seven times in the book of Proverbs we are warned about pride. This verse should be a sobering reminder for us to be confident in the Lord Jesus Christ, but not to be cocky and feeling superior if the Lord has graciously used us in some way in His Kingdom. Pr 16:18 ¶ Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. (NKJV) as we serve the King of Kings may we a confident people in him. And may we never be a cocky people in our own flesh.
Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus there are times that the enemy tries to convince us that we are of no value to You, or of any service in Your kingdom. And Lord we know that there are also times that we can watch you do great and mighty things. Help us to always remember that apart from you we can do nothing. Help us to remember that we are more than conquerors through you and through You alone. Help us to be confident that You who have begun a good work in us will bring it to completion. Help us to always bring glory to Your Name and to be confident in you, but to never be cocky and trusting in our own flesh.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Love You All
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
PS For those in Northwest Alabama our Broadcast Redeeming the Time comes on at 9:30 A.M. AND 9:30 P.M. on Sunday morning and Sunday night. That is on Spectrum Channel 10. In Jasper, it is on TV 16. Please pray for the Lord to reach the lost through these broadcasts, and to encourage the faithful.
GET TOGETHER- Confident But Not Cocky
Pr 16:18 ¶ Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Php 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
I got the title of this message from a book that a read several years before I got saved. It was during a time in my life that I wanted to be successful, but a lot of things that I was doing were destructive.
The title came from a book by John Wooden who coached basketball at UCLA between 1948 and 1975. His winning percentage was over 800 percent. His teams won 12 NCAA tournaments and there are several other records that his teams hold. The title of the book was Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. And by the way he was most importantly a Christian.
One principle that he taught that I believe is fully Biblical and helpful to us as we serve the Lord Jesus Christ was this. He wanted his teams to be confident in every game that they played, but he didn’t want them to be cocky. With the success that they had I am sure that was a challenge and something that he had to teach daily.
Paul in writing to the church at Phillipi is assuring them that the good work that God has begun in them is something that he will bring to completion. I think that is something that we all need to know. We need to know that when the evil forces of Hell try to come against us in any way that we have the victory in Jesus Christ.
I love to quote Ro 8:37-39 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NKJV) And it is a blessing to assure faithful followers of Jesus Christ that we are more than conquerors. I love to share how the Bible is filled with conquerors from the Assyrians to the Romans, but they weren’t more than conquerors. They got conquered. Either by another nation, or as in Rome’s case destruction from within.
But to be confident and not become cocky we must remember that “we are more than conquerors through Him.” Apart from Him we can do nothing that is of eternal value, or for his glory in the Kingdom.
There are two dangers that kind of relate to this when we are serving the Lord. One is that we don’t have any confidence and we don’t believe that there is any way that God is using us or could use us.
We can become ready to give up and quit. We can get to a point where we feel like what we do has no significance in the Kingdom. Joshua had a moment like this. Even though He had seen the Lord do many miraculous things he came to a point that he was ready to throw in the towel. We see this in Jos 7:7,8 “And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all-to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! “O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies?” Praise the Lord that he didn’t stay in that place of despair.
On the other hand, the enemy will come with the temptation for us to glorify ourselves. One of the two major sins at the Tower of Babel in Genessi 11 was that not only did they want to stay in one place which was sinful, but they wanted to make a name for themselves: Ge 11:4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” The enemy will bring the temptation for us to try to make a name for ourselves rather than glorifying the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When the Lord uses us in a good way, we need to examine ourselves and be sure that it is for the glory of the Lord and not for self-glorification. All sin comes in three categories 1Jo 2:16 For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. (NKJV) Seven times in the book of Proverbs we are warned about pride. This verse should be a sobering reminder for us to be confident in the Lord Jesus Christ, but not to be cocky and feeling superior if the Lord has graciously used us in some way in His Kingdom. Pr 16:18 ¶ Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. (NKJV) as we serve the King of Kings may we a confident people in him. And may we never be a cocky people in our own flesh.
Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus there are times that the enemy tries to convince us that we are of no value to You, or of any service in Your kingdom. And Lord we know that there are also times that we can watch you do great and mighty things. Help us to always remember that apart from you we can do nothing. Help us to remember that we are more than conquerors through you and through You alone. Help us to be confident that You who have begun a good work in us will bring it to completion. Help us to always bring glory to Your Name and to be confident in you, but to never be cocky and trusting in our own flesh.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Love You All
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
PS For those in Northwest Alabama our Broadcast Redeeming the Time comes on at 9:30 A.M. AND 9:30 P.M. on Sunday morning and Sunday night. That is on Spectrum Channel 10. In Jasper, it is on TV 16. Please pray for the Lord to reach the lost through these broadcasts, and to encourage the faithful.
Preston Headrick
Evangelist
Real Party Ministry
P O Box 2302
Hamilton, Alabama 35570
Real Party Ministry 