LA CONFIDENCE DE SOI UNE NECESSTE POUR LES SERVITEURS DE DIEU

CHRIST THE ROCK CONGREGATION

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12^TH 2017

Sermon By Pastor Marc E Simeon

HOW TO DEVELOP A HEALTHY SELF IMAGE IN CHRIST

COMMENT DEVELOPPER UNE BONNE  CONSCIENCE DE SOI EN CHRIST

INTRODUCTION

• In the last 20 to 30 years, the bookstores have been plagued with books aiming at helping the readers on how to develop a healthy self-image.
•  Some tittles go as
  • “HOW TO BECOME A BETTER YOU”
  •  The self esteem work book”,
  • BREAKING THE CHAIN OF LOW SELF ESTEEM”,
  • REVOLUTION FROM WITHIN”,
  • THE SELF CONFIDENCE EFFECT”,
  •  HOW TO STOP HATING YOURSELF”,
  • SELF-Compassion”,
  • THE 21 DAYS SELF LOVE CHALLENGE”.
  • OVERCOMING HELPLESSNESS
  • UNLEASH THE WARRIOR WITHIN
  • UNSTOPPABLE CONFIDENCE
• As Christians, we also have a lot of warnings and examples on how God deals with pride.
• We know how God dealt with Pharaoh in the time of Moses
• We know how God dealt with Sennacherib (Sanchérib) in the time of Ezekiah
• We know how God dealt with Nebuchadnezzar in the time of Daniel
• We know how God dealt with Goliath in the time of David
• We have several verses on humility but we will 7 from the book of proverbs.

• Proverbes 29:23 ¶ L’orgueil d’un homme l’abaisse, Mais celui qui est humble d’esprit obtient la gloire. (LSV)
  • 23 ¶ A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. (NKJV)

• Proverbes 15:33 ¶ La crainte de l’Éternel enseigne la sagesse, Et l’humilité précède la gloire. (LSV)
  • 33 ¶ The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.

• Proverbes 11:2 ¶ Quand vient l’orgueil, vient aussi l’ignominie; Mais la sagesse est avec les humbles. (LSV)
  • 2 ¶ When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom. (NKJV)

• Proverbes 16:19 ¶ Mieux vaut être humble avec les humbles Que de partager le butin avec les orgueilleux. (LSV)
  • 19 ¶ Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. (NKJV)

• Proverbes 22:4 ¶ Le fruit de l’humilité, de la crainte de l’Éternel, C’est la richesse, la gloire et la vie. (LSV)
  • 4 ¶ By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life. (NKJV)

• Proverbes 27:2 ¶ Qu’un autre te loue, et non ta bouche, Un étranger, et non tes lèvres. (LSV)
  • 2 ¶ Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips. (NKJV)
  • Proverbes 29:23 ¶ L’orgueil d’un homme l’abaisse, Mais celui qui est humble d’esprit obtient la gloire. (LSV)
  • 23 ¶ A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. (NKJV)

Jacques 4:6b  C’est pourquoi l’Écriture dit: Dieu résiste aux orgueilleux, Mais il fait grâce aux humbles.

Psaume 138:6 ¶ L’Éternel est élevé: il voit les humbles, Et il reconnaît de loin les orgueilleux.

• Because of the clear warnings in the Bible, most Saints from the Old and New Testaments always gravitate toward humility in all cases.
• In Christian circles, a self-assured person is viewed in a bad eye.
• Consequently, many have difficulties finding a proper balance.
• Many are puzzled on how to please God with their distinct personalities.
• This is one of those delicates subjects that require a lot of care.
• Today by the grace of God, we are going to tackle the subject from a different angle to show you how a healthy self image is essential and even paramount in our Christian development.

Secular definition of self-confidence

1. A feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities, and judgment.
2. Realistic confidence in one’s own judgment, ability, power, etc.
3. Excessive or inflated confidence in one’s own judgment, ability, etc.
4. confidence in oneself and in one’s powers and abilities

• To be effective in the service of God a level of self-confidence is required of you.
• For the servants of God Self confidence and humility must go hand and hand.
• The confidence of a Christian is like that of a laptop or a cell phone.
  • You are plug to God the ultimate source of power, and you absorb power and store it in your battery.
  • The power that is stored in the battery is what gives you confidence to operate.
  •  The servant of God must be fully charged of God’s energy from which he will exploit his scope of operation.
  • The self-reference of a believer is made of
    • A consciousness of a solid relationship with God,
    • A proper view of God,
    • An adequate faith in God,
    • A sense of purpose and mission,
    • An engagement in the work of God.
  •  

Exhibit 1: Moses

• When called to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, his answers were “No Thanks, send someone else.”
• Excuse self doubt, limitation, handicap.
• Remedy : God allowed Moses to make some exercises of faith.
  • God used Moses’ own staff
  • God supplied the help he required: his brother Aaron to help him out.
• Moses’ confidence had to be raised to an high level for the mission.

Exhibit  2: Joshua

• When called to succeed Moses, Joshua’s self-confidence level was very Low, although his faith in God was high.
• God had to give him the success of confidence. Joshua 1:8
• God had to give some show and tell to help boost his confidence.
• The crossing of the Jordan help boost Joshua’s confidence to lead the Children of Israel to the Promised Land.

Exhibit  3: Gideon

• Gideon was chosen by God to deliver The Children of Israel and to become the judge of the land.
• Initially, Gideon’s self-confidence was too low for the job,
• God had to be very patient with him
• God had to pump his ego in many ways.
• He received the highest salutation from the heavenly host. “I great you, mighty man of Valor”
• It’s as of saying “Good morning general”
• He still needed all kinds of signs
• One day he needed the fleece of wool (une toison de laine) to dried and everything around it wet
• The next day, he needed the process in reverse
• His first act of bravery was a night operation when he burned the shrine of Baal
• He still needed all kinds of signs for each operation
• When he became fully charged with self-confidence and faith in God, he then became able to seat comfortably as judge of the land

Exhibit  4 : Samson

• Samson had the awareness of his strength from which he drew his confidence.
• The hair was the tangible evidence of the divine energy.
• Samson allowed himself to be passive of his source of power, he took God for granted and insulted God with his licentious lifestyle.
• Consequently, he was disconnected while his self-confidence was at its highest peak.
  • « Je m’en tirerai comme les autres fois, ne sachant pas que l’Eternel s’était retiré de lui ».

Exhibit  5 :  David

• David had a healthy confidence from the get go.
• By the time we get introduced to him, he was already a great shepherd even at his young age.
• Samuel anointed him King,
• Next time we see him, he was a distinguished musician and probably already a notable song writer.
• And then we see him again in the confrontation of Goliath.
• His confidence was all time high
• He had no fear of the giant Philistine
• He was rebuked, and misunderstood by his big brother. ! Samuel 17:26?

1Sa 17:26 David dit aux hommes qui se trouvaient près de lui: Que fera-t-on à celui qui tuera ce Philistin, et qui ôtera l’opprobre de dessus Israël? Qui est donc ce Philistin, cet incirconcis, pour insulter l’armée du Dieu vivant?

 27 Le peuple, répétant les mêmes choses, lui dit: C’est ainsi que l’on fera à celui qui le tuera.

 28 Éliab, son frère aîné, qui l’avait entendu parler à ces hommes, fut enflammé de colère contre David. Et il dit:

1. Pourquoi es-tu descendu,
2. et à qui as-tu laissé ce peu de brebis dans le désert?
3. Je connais ton orgueil et la malice de ton cœur.
4. C’est pour voir la bataille que tu es descendu.

• This is exactly the kind of reception people get when they become emancipated from low-self esteem.
• People of your immediate surrounding are the prime enforcers of your self-doubt.
• Your clans, your siblings, your fox are responsible in part for your state of being.
• People with healthy egos are easily interpreted as arrogant and boastful

 29 David répondit: Qu’ai-je donc fait? ne puis-je pas parler ainsi?

 30 Et il se détourna de lui pour s’adresser à un autre, et fit les mêmes questions. Le peuple lui répondit comme la première fois.

• You have to dismiss those who want to put you down.

 31 ¶ Lorsqu’on eut entendu les paroles prononcées par David, on les répéta devant Saül, qui le fit chercher.

 32 David dit à Saül: Que personne ne se décourage à cause de ce Philistin! Ton serviteur ira se battre avec lui.

• (ton serviteur = humility + self-confidence)

 33 Saül dit à David: Tu ne peux pas aller te battre avec ce Philistin, car tu es un enfant, et il est un homme de guerre dès sa jeunesse.

 34 David dit à Saül: Ton serviteur faisait paître les brebis de son père. Et quand un lion ou un ours venait en enlever une du troupeau,

 35 je courais après lui, je le frappais, et j’arrachais la brebis de sa gueule. S’il se dressait contre moi, je le saisissais par la gorge, je le frappais, et je le tuais.

 36 C’est ainsi que ton serviteur a terrassé le lion et l’ours, et il en sera du Philistin, de cet incirconcis, comme de l’un d’eux, car il a insulté l’armée du Dieu vivant.

37 David dit encore: L’Éternel, qui m’a délivré de la griffe du lion et de la patte de l’ours, me délivrera aussi de la main de ce Philistin. Et Saül dit à David: Va, et que l’Éternel soit avec toi!

• Past experiences
• Perfect faith in God and His omnipotence
• Perfect mission (for the glory of God)
• Perfect self-confidence

1Sa 17:45 David dit au Philistin: Tu marches contre moi avec l’épée, la lance et le javelot; et moi, je marche contre toi au nom de l’Éternel des armées, du Dieu de l’armée d’Israël, que tu as insultée.

 46 Aujourd’hui l’Éternel te livrera entre mes mains,

• je t’abattrai et
• je te couperai la tête;
• aujourd’hui je donnerai les cadavres du camp des Philistins aux oiseaux du ciel et aux animaux de la terre.
• Et toute la terre saura qu’Israël a un Dieu.

 47 Et toute cette multitude saura que ce n’est ni par l’épée ni par la lance que l’Éternel sauve. Car la victoire appartient à l’Éternel. Et il vous livre entre nos mains.

• David Knew that he was a sharp instrument of God
• David knew that God would empower him
• David knew that the mission was totally for the glory of God
• David kn                                                                                                                                                        ew that God can never fail
• When we make the right appropriation to God, we become an extension of God.
• God told Moses, I will make you God unto the Pharaoh. Meaning: the words you utter in this matter will have the same weight and authority as if God himself had spoken them.
• When you are completely immersed in God and God is in you, you are one with God.
  • Everything you do at that stage, is done for the glory of God
  • Your presence becomes an extension of God, and your self-reference reflects that of God, even when you make use the first pronoun (I).
  • All the (I will’s) that David pronounced are really (God will’s)
  • When you fuse with God, you speak as God
  • Elijah shut- off the heavens so that it will not rain until he said so.
  • Later in the bible it said that god shutoff the heavens for three and half years.

Exhibit 6: Paul

• Paul is our last exhibit for this message, but there is no shortage of them in the Bible.
• Paul was already a zealous person before his conversion
• He was the prime persecutor of the church
• The Damascus experience did a 360ᶿ  on Paul
• His passion was rekindled with a higher purpose
• His self-confidence level remained all time high
• Paul did not bend whether he was before a peasant or a king  
• Addressing the Philippians, he wrote:

Php 4:12 Je sais vivre dans  l’humiliation, et je sais vivre dans l’abondance. En tout et partout j’ai appris à être rassasié et à avoir faim, à être dans l’abondance et à être dans la disette.

13 Je puis tout par celui qui me fortifie.

14 Cependant vous avez bien fait de prendre part à ma détresse.

Defending His Apostleship he wrote:

1Co 15:10 Par la grâce de Dieu je suis ce que je suis, et sa grâce envers moi n’a pas été vaine; loin de là, j’ai travaillé plus qu’eux tous, non pas m oi toutefois, mais la grâce de Dieu qui est avec moi.

Ro 15:17 ¶ J’ai donc sujet de me glorifier en Jésus-Christ, pour ce qui regarde les choses de Dieu.

18 Car je n’oserais mentionner aucune chose que Christ n’ait pas faite par moi pour amener les païens à l’obéissance, par la parole et par les actes,

19 par la puissance des miracles et des prodiges, par la puissance de l’Esprit de Dieu, en sorte que, depuis Jérusalem et les pays voisins jusqu’en Illyrie, j’ai abondamment répandu l’Évangile de Christ.

20 Et je me suis fait honneur d’annoncer l’Évangile là où Christ n’avait point été nommé, afin de ne pas bâtir sur le fondement d’autrui,

2Co 3:4 Cette assurance-là, nous l’avons par Christ auprès de Dieu.

 5 Ce n’est pas à dire que nous soyons par nous-mêmes capables de concevoir quelque chose comme venant de nous-mêmes. Notre capacité, au contraire, vient de Dieu.

CONCLUSION

While we hate to encounter a boastful person, we hate equally to be around people who are not sure of themselves.

People who manifest self-doubt, who are easily intimidated, fearful, excessively careful, excessively cautious do not draw any admiration toward themselves either.

Php 2:12 ¶ Ainsi, mes bien-aimés, comme vous avez toujours obéi, travaillez à votre salut avec crainte et tremblement, non seulement comme en ma présence, mais bien plus encore maintenant que je suis absent;

13 car c’est Dieu qui produit en vous le vouloir et le faire, selon son bon plaisir.