In God We Trust

IN GOD WE TRUST

December 10, 2017

Sermon in a sentence: Put your complete faith and trust in God, whether or not you understand all of His words and ways.

Congregational reading: Proverbs 3:5-6

Scriptures:Prov. 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV Trust in the LORD with all your heart,and lean not on your own understanding;6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,and He shall direct your paths.

Most of us have had the happy privilege of holding a newborn baby in our arms and marveling at the beauty and wonder of LIFE! In those moments, we have great thoughts and hopes for the future of the child in this incredible world the Lord has given to us.

And as our children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews grow, we teach them a very important lesson: “Despite the challenges that may come your way, always put your trust in God. If you are elevated to the heights of human achievement and your name is on every tongue, put your trust in God. If disaster strikes and you have no idea what tomorrow will bring, put your trust in God. If sickness ravages your body and you are blinded by pain, trust in God. And if you become the next .com billionaire with the ability to have anything your heart desires, trust in God and God alone.”

Theseare such simple statements, and yet, so profound. Put your trust in God, so we can say together as a body of believers: “In God We Trust.”

Trusting God should be such a natural thing to do. As natural as a child placing their trust in a parent. Our infants and toddlers quickly come to realize that parents (and mothers in particular) are the constant reality of their lives, meeting all of their needs. When they wake, when they sleep, and every moment in between, Mom or Dad is there. The child could be asleep and awakened by a loud noise. They quickly check to see if Mom or Dad is around and immediately go back to sleep.

Conversely, it could be a calm, peaceful, carefree situation, but if the child wakes, scans the environment and doesn’t see Mom or Dad, they begin to scream in perfectly understandable baby language: “Hey! Mom! Dad! Where are you? Get back here! Now!” (Babies tend to utter very sharp, terse commands.) Of course, we come running back to our post of duty as the child scolds us: “Don’t you EVER do that again!” At which point, they go right back to sleep, their trust firmly in place.

Trust causes them to sleep through a storm,yet panic when all else is well. Their trust is not dependent on the circumstances around them. It is dependent on the presence of the one in whom they trust!

Illustration: A.E.M. @ doctor’s office.

A parent instinctively responds to the trust their child places in them and protects them at all costs. Trust is a truly beautiful reality of human relationships.

I have never met a baby who felt they had to earn the right to trust their parents. They live with the assumption that this is just the way things are, and should be. Until or unless the parent gives the child a reason to distrust them, the child will continue to trust; all the days of their lives!

Now, let’s take it up a notch…..(Ab)

I trust in God wherever I may be,
Upon the land, or on the rolling sea,
For come what may, from day to day,
My heav’nly Father watches over me.

Chorus:

I trust in God, I know He cares for me;
On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
Though billows roll, He keeps my soul;
My heav’nly Father watches over me.

Here is the truth of our situation: We ought to place our complete faith and trust in God as our default position. It doesn’t matter who we are or what we are, where we’ve been or what we’ve done – we all need to say with the full assurance of faith: “In God We Trust.”

We will not always understand God’s ways. We will not always agree with His methods. He orders our steps according to His will, plan and purpose for our lives, without asking our permission. He is God, and we mustgladly submit to His will and obey His words. He is our Father and we trust Him.

Let us apply this teaching to a very top-of-mind issue in our society today.

I recently read an article by Rachel Gilson in the October 2017 edition of“Christianity Today.” The article describedher conversion to Christianity as a woman dealing with same-gender sexual attraction. One of the most powerful points she makes is that she follows Jesus and obeys His word based upon her complete trust in Him.She does not serve Him because He has changed her sexual orientation,made her desire for women go away, answered all her questions, orgiven her a stress-free life.

Here’s what she says:

“In the end, it came down to trust. I knew Jesus was worthy of trust, because He had made the greater sacrifice.” Amen!

“The obedience of faith only works when it’s rooted in a person, not a rule.”

“A rule flowing from relationship smoothes the way for faithful obedience.”

As children grow and observe all that a parent does, the sacrifices they make, and their faithful commitment to them, it should cause them to love, honour, obey, respect and trust their parents more each day. These characteristics also describe our heavenly Father – the perfect parent. Our trust in Him should be complete and unquestioned. He has earned it.

Let me take a moment to address those of you in our congregation who are dealing with one or more aspects of the LGBTQ variations in human sexuality present in our world today. We understand that these issues are real. We understand that you are struggling to reconcile your internal makeup and desires with the word of God. We understand that there are no simple answers that will take hold in your life, simply because someone reads a couple of Bible verses to you. We understand the need each and every one of us has to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so we can “live the way He wants us to live.”

God’s perfect design for the expression of sexual love between husband and wife, delivered to humanity in the Garden of Eden has been radically altered due to the entrance of sin into our world. Today, our politicians, our teachers, the media and society in general deem all sexual activity, sexual orientation and gender identification to be permissible. And not only permissible, but to be encouraged and celebrated.

As God’s people on Earth and ambassadors for Christ to this fallen world, howshould werespond?

First, on a personal level,we need to be honest with God about who we are and the struggles we may be facing. He can handle it. He is not scared or frightened by who we are and what we represent.

In fact, Jesus went out of his way during His time on Earth to reach out to those everyone else wanted to ignore and ostracize: tax collectors, an adulterous woman, a Roman centurion, a demoniac, a gentile mother and even lepers, to name a few. He was denounced by the ‘religious right’ for being a “friend of sinners” and a “winebibber” (Luke 7:34). Jesus loved those others hated and freely associated and socialized with them.

Yet Jesus never condoned human sin. He personally faced every temptation known to man, but never succumbed to sin. So, His message to the adulterous woman in John 8 was this: I am not going to condemn you today like the religious folks want Me to. But when you leave My presence, do not go back to your sinful lifestyle (John 8:11).

Therefore, as He did, we can engage with the world around us with love, compassion and understanding, without ever condoning sin. Those we interact with need to see, know and feel that we do not condemn them in word, thought or deed. They need to feel the love of God radiating out from us to them. (Exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit is always in order!)

You don’t need to have an immediate answer to every question someone asks about the Bible’s teaching on romanticrelationships, marriage and sexuality. If you don’t have a good answer, promise youwill get back to them after you have done your homework.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Bible’s stance on sexuality.[1] Then communicate it to others, with such love and care that it allows people to hear and consider what God is saying to us. Intimidation, condemnation and bullying tactics never work.

Do not avoid schoolmates, coworkers or neighbours who are engaged in lifestyles that are not compatible with the word of God. Our avoidance will not help them to learn what God has to say or to see God’s love on display through us.

Trust that the word of God has the power to draw all people to Himself, despite the fact that they may not immediately understand or accept everything He asks of them.

Be open and willing to communicate. To be honest, many people are just looking for a safe place where they can speak openly about their questions or struggles. Sometimes, all they need is a compassionate listening ear.

The more we all learn about the ‘God/man’ Christ Jesus, what He has done for us, and how He wants us to live, the more we are able to come to him in complete faith and trust. We can trust that He will help us to live in a manner that honours Him. We can trust Him to help us navigate our human make-up, feelings, desires and inclinations.

The scripture says:

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV Trust in the LORD with all your heart,and lean not on your own understanding;6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,and He shall direct your paths.

All four of these components are crucial for us to observe and practice. It calls for the kind of trust in God that consumes our hearts and causes us to become “God Chasers” as Tommy Tenney puts it.[2] It calls for the kind of trust in God that supersedes human understanding. The kind of trust that causes us to place Him on the highest pedestal in our lives and acknowledge Him as God. The kind of trusting submission that allows Him to lead us by His word and His“still, small voice,” into His perfect will.

In God We Trust.

My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me F#

I trust in God wherever I may be,
Upon the land, or on the rolling sea,
For come what may, from day to day,
My heav’nly Father watches over me.

Chorus:
I trust in God, I know He cares for me;
On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
Though billows roll, He keeps my soul;
My heav’nly Father watches over me.

He makes the rose an object of His care,
He guides the eagle through the pathless air,
And surely He remembers me;
My heav’nly Father watches over me.

I trust in God, for, in the lion’s den,
On battlefield, or in the prison pen,
Through praise or blame, through flood or flame,
My heav’nly Father watches over me.

The valley may be dark, the shadows deep,
But, oh, the Shepherd guards His lonely sheep;
And through the gloom He’ll lead me home,
My heav’nly Father watches over me.

[1]For example, see “Unalterable Lifestyles”:

[2]Tommy Tenney, The God Chasers, Destiny Image, Shippensburg, PA, 1998.