'Confidence in confidence alone'

Hebrews 10 says, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
[36] For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
[37] For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”

Jordan says, “That’s just like what he says back there in chapter 3. It’s a consistent warning in the Book of Hebrews. 3:6 says, ‘But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.’ 3:14 says, ‘For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.’ See it in chapter 6.

“The reason he warns them not to do that is because of what some people are going to do. Luke 12. The problem the nation Israel is going to face in the tribulation, the unbelievers the wrath of God’s going to get em.

Luke 12:41: [41] Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
[42] And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
[43] Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
[44] Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
[45] But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
[46] The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

“Who is the one God is going to make ruler over His house to give them their portion of meat in due season? The issue in the parable is the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. The issue is ruling in the Kingdom when Christ comes back.

“But and if that servant say in his heart . . .’ Notice he isn’t necessarily saying it out loud. This is his heart attitude. Here’s what he says: ‘My lord delayeth his coming.’

“He’s not a dumb guy that doesn’t know anything. Here’s a guy that’s got the information and prepared not himself.

“The passage goes on, [47] And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
[48] But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

“Notice here’s somebody who does cast away his confidence. He says, ‘Their confidence is that the Lord’s gonna come back and get ’em.’ He says, ‘The Lord’s gonna delay his coming. The Lord isn’t coming back; He’s delayed his coming. Therefore he doesn’t care, he doesn’t see, he isn’t coming and I’ll just go out and do what I want to do.’

“That’s exactly what the context is in Hebrews 10. What happens to that guy in Luke 12 is that he’s thrown out with his portion of the unbelievers; he’s burned up in the fire. God destroys him in His judgment.

“Hebrews 10:36 says, ‘For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ You receive the promise after you do the will of God.

“These ‘patience’ verses in prophecy don’t look just toward you getting along okay in life every day and everything being okay. They look toward endurance through that tribulation.

“Luke 21 says, 16] And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
[17] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
[18] But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
[19] In your patience possess ye your souls.

“Those folks were going to be able to possess soul salvation by being patient.

Isaiah 28:14 says, [14] Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
[15] Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
[16] Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

“This is an important passage about the tribulation period.  By that verse right there you ought to write down Revelation 6 where death and hell follow that 4^th horseman and that’s what they’re talking about. They’re talking about the covenant that Israel makes with the Antichrist in the tribulation.

“Verses 15-16--that passage is quoted twice in the new testament. Paul quotes it Romans 10:1. Peter quotes it in I Peter 2:6. Paul says ‘he that believeth shall not be ashamed.’ Peter says ‘he that believeth shall not be confounded.’ That’s two different ways of saying what Isaiah’s saying here. Isaiah says ‘he that believeth shall not make haste.’

“You know what you’re doing when you’re not making haste? You’re being patient, aren’t you? You’re waiting on the Lord and you’re not being anxious; you’re being patient.

“Isaiah 30:18 says, ‘And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.’

“This is another passage looking toward the return of Christ. Notice what he says. The Lord’s gonna wait. He’s gone to heaven; He’s tarrying. He’s waiting. He’s delaying coming back, as it were. What are the people on the earth to do in His absence while He waits? ‘Blessed are they that wait for him.’ Don’t give up; don’t quit. Just wait on Him. You say, ‘Well, things are getting tough.’ That’s okay; keep waiting.

“Chapter 40. I’ll disappoint you here. Many of you learned, like I did in the early days as a Believer, to quote Isaiah 40: 30-31 as a great promise, you know, to get you through problems and difficulties and trials. And I’m not going to tell you not to do that because you can make an application off of Romans 5. “But if you’ve got any interest in understanding what Isaiah is talking about, not what you can make him talk about, but what he’s really talking about, it’s what were talking about here.

Isaiah 40:30 says, [30] Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
[31] But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

“When he talks about ‘they shall wait upon the Lord,’ what are they waiting on the Lord for? For His coming. You see you don’t have to wait on the Lord to give you provisions today. You already have the provisions.

“A man called me just this afternoon from New York and asked me some questions about the Bible and he said, ‘I’ve been waiting on the Lord to give me insight into this,’ and I said, ‘Well, you don’t have to wait on the Lord to give you insight. You need to study to get insight. Waiting isn’t how you get insight. Studying is how you get insight. And thinking about and meditating on things is how you get insight.’ See, that’s different kind of a thing.

“You don’t have to wait for God to give you something He’s already provided for you; it’s already yours and you access to it by faith. Now what you might have to do is study some, wait a little while to learn it, but you’re not waiting on the Lord; you’re waiting on you. You’re the one who’s behind.

“You’re complete and completely provided for in Christ already and you don’t have to make deals with God and go bargain with God and say, ‘Well, I’ll quit this if you’ll do that,’ or, ‘I’ll do this if you do that.’ The provision’s already yours in Christ. Just go ahead and enjoy it. Walk up and down in it and have a good time with it. Enjoy it!”