Trusting God
Gifts of Virtue • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 4 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Today we close our series on the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. These virtues are gifts from God to us for the purpose of anchoring our hearts and giving us the tools we need to walk in obedience to him.
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Yes, love is preeminent just like we discussed last week, but its preeminence does not in any way diminish the power or importance of both faith and hope. We’ve already examined hope and now as we come to the conclusion of the series we will take a closer look at faith.
Faith is a multi-faceted component of the Christian life. Most people equate it w/ salvation and believing God for something in particular, and that is certainly one facet of it. However, for the last sermon in this series I want to strip it down to its barest aspect—Trusting God.
2 Kings 18:1-
Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king.
He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
He did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.
He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.
He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him.
For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.
Hope anchors our hearts before God, we then experience the person of God through his love for us, and finally we engage his presence and power by faith.
Faith is both propositional and personal.
We believe propositions about God accepting them as truth (ex. - “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all”).
It is in these propositions (or statements) that God reveals something of himself.
The personal side of faith is that we trust God, even when we may not necessarily know him or about him propositionally.
Many people come to Christ for salvation w/out knowing all of the things God has revealed about himself.
God’s word is progressive revelation, but I don’t have to have the full revelation to trust him.
What Does It Mean to Trust
What Does It Mean to Trust
Webster’s — assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; b: one in which confidence is placed.
assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something
b: one in which confidence is placed.
Likewise the Heb. word batah — rely on, put confidence in, i.e., believe in a person or object to the point of reliance upon.
Anyone can trust in God, even a sinner. (Remember what I said two weeks ago)?
In fact, a sinner (while still a sinner) puts his/her trust in God in order to receive salvation.
We have become so dependent upon modern technology and science today that we live our lives as if the only thing we need God for is salvation.
This narrative of the Syrophoenician woman
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Believing that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him is to put our trust in him.
God has given to every man the ability to believe and have faith.
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
Give background on the Assyrian invasion of Israel (northern kingdom) and Judah.
, ; 19:32-37.
Hezekiah was content in the crisis of his life to “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.”
So, to examine this even deeper; what does it mean to trust God?
1. It means to have confidence in his character.
Hezekiah was convinced of the character of God.
What we believe about God will determine our confidence and trust in him.
There are a multitude of people who have misguided, misunderstood ideas and beliefs about God.
One big reason people don’t trust him is b/c they don’t know him. They don’t know him b/c they don’t really want to.
Faith and trust are interchangeable terms in some senses and you will see this variation in different translations.
Faith and trust are interchangeable terms in some senses and you will see this variation in different translations.
By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.
By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.
She considered him faithful b/c she had witnessed his faithfulness to her and Abraham.
2. It is to rely on his power.
Though accused of it, Hezekiah did not rely on any other nation including Egypt to deliver him from the Assyrians.
I agree w/ Jarod Smith, “I believe it is easier to trust in God when he is all you have.”
We have become so dependent upon modern technology and science today that we live our lives as if the only thing we need God for is salvation.
Remember the narrative of the Syrophoenician woman? She was desperate and her desperation became the impetus for her faith.
The woman w/ the issue of blood for twelve years in was so desperate that she ventured out into public when the law strictly forbade her to do so b/c of her infirmity.
When she heard about the power of Jesus to heal, she said to herself, “if I can just touch the hem of his garment.”
Until we become desperate for his presence and power, we will not see the manifestation of God’s Spirit in our churches.
As long as we’re content to show up, sing 3 songs, hear a message w/ 3 points and poem and rush out of here, the power of God will remain out of our grasp.
3. It is to be assured of the veracity of God.
rely on, put confidence in, i.e., believe in a person or object to the point of reliance upon
This is where we get more into the propositional side of faith.
Hezekiah was assured that God would honor his word.
The more we know God’s word, the more trust we will place in him.
Trusting him flows out of a relationship w/ him.
b: one in which confidence is placed.
I’ve known people who claim salvation yet never desire the word of God or desire a deeper relationship w/ him.
The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
And this is the word which was preached to you.
1 peter
The word of God is stedfast and sure, and God is the only one we can trust implicitly.
We believe propositions about God accepting them as truth (ex. - “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all”).
It is in these propositions (or statements) that God reveals something of himself.
The personal side of faith is that we trust God, even when we may not necessarily know him or about him propositionally.
Many people come to Christ for salvation w/out knowing all of the things God has revealed about himself.