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CAN GOD BE TRUSTED?
Getting to Know God—Part 7 of 8 06-26-11 Sermon Psalm 33:4
Maybe someone prayed for something and they didn’t get what they asked for – maybe they prayed to win the lottery and they didn’t win it and they felt disappointed. Maybe they had an experience of a tragedy and they didn’t understand – “Why God, why did You allow that?” Or maybe they were disappointed by someone who claimed to be a Christian or a pastor or represent God to them – so they were disappointed.
How much can you trust a person? How much trust in his Father do you think it took for Jesus to enter Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday knowing that the cries of Hosanna, Hosanna, would turn to cries of Crucify him, Crucify him, knowing that he was entering that city to be beaten and whipped and to die there on a cross?
You can trust a person only to the degree that you know that person. That’s why we’ve spent seven weeks talking about “Knowing God”. The more you know God the easier it is for you to trust Him. In order for you to trust somebody you must have three things in that relationship:
1. That person you’re going to trust must tell you the truth.
2. That person must be fair, they must do what’s right and just.
3. The person must be reliable and dependable if you’re going to develop a relationship of trust with them.
Pslam 33:4 says that those three characteristics are actually attributes of God. “For the word of the Lord is right and true. He is faithful in all He does.” Circle those three characteristics: “right. . .true. . .faithful”. Last week we looked at the sovereignty of God. God can do anything. This morning the question is: Is there anything God can’t do? Yes, there are three things God cannot do:
1. God cannot do wrong. The Bible says He is just. He always does what is right. He always does what is fair.
2. God cannot lie. He always tells the truth. The Bible says He is holy.
3. God cannot break a promise. What He says He’ll do, He does. The Bible calls that His faithfulness
If you’ll learn to grasp these three characteristics of God – God is holy, just, and faithful – you’ll have no problem trusting God even when you don’t understand, even when things seem difficult.
The greatest example of God’s faithfulness is, without a doubt, with the nation of Israel. God continually made promises to Israel and He fulfilled them. Joshua 21:45 “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” To Israel, faithfulness was one of God’s most important qualities. It’s talked about almost more than any other quality in the Old Testament. God is a faithful God. What He says, He does. He made all kinds of promises to the nation of Israel. He promised Abraham a son. He promised the Israelites a land of their own. He promised to send the Messiah. He promised harvest, blessing, protection, deliverance from Egypt, restoration after captivity. All through the Old Testament God made promises over and over. Notice what it says about God’s track record. Not one of those promises failed. He had 100% accuracy. God proved Himself reliable time after time. He was consistent.
Deut. 7:9 “He is the faithful God, keeping his covenant to a thousand generations.”He has been faithful to Israel over and over. He keeps His word. He doesn’t play games with His promises.
What about today. Psalm 145:13 “The Lord is faithful to all his promises.” There are over 7000 promises in the Bible. They are like blank checks waiting to be called on, waiting. God wants to fulfill His promises. But you’ve got to claim them! God has made some incredible guarantees to you. He has put them in writing. So, looking at God’s faithfulness, I want to look at five wonderful guarantees that God has promised you can count on. You can count on these five things.
1. I CAN DEPEND ON GOD TO FORGIVE MY SINS
I John 1:9 “If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find him reliable and just. He forgives us and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil.”Circle “reliable” and “just” – the two characteristics of God that guarantee your forgiveness. God says, My forgiveness is based on who I am not on who you are.
In many promises there’s a premise, there’s a condition. God says if you do this, I will do this. In this verse it is admit. Admit your sin, confess it to God. The promise is God will forgive. I admit it and God forgives.
2. I CAN DEPEND ON GOD TO GIVE ME GUIDANCE
When I don’t know what to do, He’ll give me guidance. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and He will show you the right way.” Circle “he will show” There’s the promise. The premise: “trust in the Lord”.
Many times in life you’ll be facing the question, What am I going to do? It may be a big crisis or a minor decision, but you’ll ask yourself, What am I going to do? When you have a question like that and you’re facing a need or need some guidance who do you look to? It’s comical some of the things people look to for guidance: fortune cookies, reading tea leaves, horoscopes, astrology, calling up some psychic hotline. There is only one completely reliable source for guidance. That’s God. He’s the only one who can really see into the future. He has perspective. He can help you out.
How do you get guidance from God? How does God give guidance? Three ways:
1. Through the Bible. As you read the Bible and study principles you become more and more acquainted with the ways of God. God’s will is found in God’s word. If you’re not reading the Bible don’t expect to get much guidance. That’s His guidebook.
2. Through godly counsel. Christians who know the Bible, who know those principles, where those verses are that you don’t know where they are, they can say, “The Bible says. . .” and bring light to your life.
3. God can speak to you directly. Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice. You can expect to hear from God. Why would Jesus say Ask, seek and knock, if we couldn’t expect an answer to our asking?
God says “you can count on Me to forgive your sins and to give you guidance.”
3. I CAN DEPEND ON GOD TO SETTLE THE SCORE.
When you read the newspaper do you ever feel like, “It’s just not fair!” You read about a criminal who’s done all sorts of things and he gets off scott-free on some technicality. Or you read about a scandal where somebody has been dishonest and yet he’s prospering and he skips the country with millions of dollars. And you’re working hard and barely making it. It’s just not fair!
My response to that is, You are exactly right. Life is not fair. God never said life here on earth would be fair. Because we live in an imperfect world, because there is sin in this world, people do wrong things and innocent people get hurt and life is not fair.
That’s why one day God is going to settle the score. There is a heaven and there is a hell. One day there is going to be a judgment time when God is going to clear the slates, settle the score. There are going to be rewards and punishments.
When you face a hurt do you ever find yourself wanting to get even with that person? Get even. Revenge. That’s a lousy way to live. That’s a lousy philosophy of life.
Romans 12:19 (Living Bible) “Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said he will repay those who deserve it.” Don’t try to get revenge yourself, to get even yourself, let God do it and He will repay those who deserve it. The premise to this promise is to leave it in the Lord’s hands.
Notice that one day God is going to settle the score. That means that God is very much aware of what people do to you. When you’re put down, hurt, stabbed in the back, maligned, people spread rumors about you that just aren’t true - - how do you respond to that? You let God settle the score. God is very much aware of what everybody does to you. If you’ve been hurt in the past, God understands, He knows.
The Bible says let God handle it. He gives you two options when you’re hurt. You can defend yourself or you can let God defend you. Who do you think could do a better job at that? Who has better resources to get even? Who has more things at His disposal? God says if you want to get even on your own, if you want to defend yourself, go ahead. He steps back and watches you. He will not lift a finger against your enemy. But if you say, “I’m going to let God defend me,” that person better watch out! The Bible says we reap what we sow. If people hurt you or malign you, they will reap what they sow. It’s inevitable. But you’ve got to trust God and His faithfulness and let Him settle the score.
The greatest example of this is Jesus. I Peter 2:23 (Living Bible) “Jesus never answered back when insulted; when he suffered he did not threaten to get even; he left his case in the hands of God who always judges fairly.” That’s God’s justice. He judges fairly. Jesus says, I’m not going to defend myself. I’m going to leave that in the hands of the Father. Because God is faithful to settle the score.
4. I CAN DEPEND ON GOD TO REWARD MY GENEROSITY
Luke 6:38 “Give and it will be given to you. For with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.” That is not positive thinking, prosperity doctrine, or some fund raising technique. Jesus said this, not some TV evangelist. Jesus said, Give and it will be given to you. Jesus does not lie. The premise is I have to give. I have to give in order to receive.
I can be confident that when I’m generous, God will reward my generosity. There are more promises in the Bible related to giving than any other topic. If you are not tithing ten percent of your income to God you are only hurting yourself. You’re not hurting God. God doesn’t need your money. You are only hurting yourself. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6, honor the Lord with the first part of your income. Right off the top I give some back to Him, in gratitude for what He’s done, in faithfulness, in thanksgiving, in faith to the future. It says, He will bless your life.
You cannot out give God. There are only two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. Misers are miserable people. The generous giving person is the happiest person in the world. When you give your life away, your time away, your energy away, your money away, when you’re generous and giving to others you are blessed. The Bible says in Proverbs that “He who gives to the poor is like lending to the Lord” and He repays. Proverbs 22 says, “The generous man will himself be blessed.” I can be faithful, counting on God to reward my generosity. As we are faithful to God He is faithful to us and blesses us abundantly.
God is faithful. He keeps his promise. When he says “Give and it will be given unto you” it’s not a fund raising technique. That is a promise of God just like every other promise in the Bible. Count on it! If you haven’t learned to be a generous person you are just cheating yourself.
5. I CAN DEPEND ON GOD TO REMEMBER MY SERVICE.
Whenever you’re doing something that you know is right and you know it’s a good thing to do but you don’t feel like anybody is noticing, do you ever feel like saying, “What is the use? Why even try? I know the right thing to do in my family/at work but I don’t see any different. Nobody notices. People don’t care if I do the right thing or not so why even bother.” Some of you women might say, “My husband and kids don’t even notice the work that I do. I’m taken for granted at home and they don’t even notice.” Some of you say, “When I go to work, I’m a conscientious worker. I’m productive. I have integrity. I don’t steal. I’m honest. I work hard. I don’t abuse my relationships. But my boss couldn’t care less. He/She never gives me strokes. I’m not appreciated. I don’t even think they notice the things I do. Why bother?”
Because God notices. The Bible says He takes notice and He remembers every good thing you do. He’s faithful to do that. Heb. 6:10 (Phillips translation) “God is not unfair; He will not forget all that you have done, nor the loving labor which you have shown for his sake in looking after fellow Christians.” Circle “not forget”. The premise of this promise is that I have to serve.
I think of some of you who minister here at this church. You are not just spectators, you are participators. You work in many different areas. You volunteer. Sometimes you may think you don’t have the time to do this, that your schedule is so busy that you don’t have time to give an hour a week to your church. You’re just too busy. But you do it anyway. I want you to know that God takes notice. And God is remembering, and He is going to reward you generously because He is a faithful God. He rewards our good when we serve Him.
So the natural question becomes: How are you using your talent for God? He didn’t give you your talent just to make money. He gave you your talent to minister, to serve others. How much time are you giving to the Lord or is it all time spent on yourself? Do you do anything of community service, service to your church, or some other way? If you’re not serving in any capacity what kind of reward do you think you’re going to get? The Bible says He rewards us for our service.
There are hundreds and hundreds of promises in the Bible. They are there for claiming. I’ve picked five of them today. There are hundreds of promises you can claim. But they are not for everyone. They are only for those who have a relationship to Jesus Christ.
2 Cor. 1:20 “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” Christ is the key to the promises of God. It’s our relationship to Him that unlocks all of these promises. If you do not have a relationship with Christ you cannot claim all of these promises for forgiveness, for blessing, etc. They are “Yes” in Christ. That’s the starting point.
I ask the question we started with: Can God be trusted? Can I trust God with my life? Definitely yes, you can. It’s the smartest, wisest decision you’ll ever make to give your life to God. Because God is holy, He will never lie to me. Because God is just, He always does what is right and fair. Because He is faithful, He never breaks a promise.
One more promise: Romans 10:11 & 13 (Living Bible) “For the Scripture tells us that no one who believes in Christ will be disappointed. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Have you done that? Why don’t you do it today? Call on the name of the Lord. He has promised you will be saved. He says, Whoever does this will not be disappointed. I’m living proof of that, other people here are living proof of that. You will not be disappointed. It’s the greatest decision you can ever make. If you haven’t done it do it today.
Those of you who have already made that decision to become Christians, one of the greatest lessons you will need to learn in life is to understand and put your trust completely in the faithfulness of God. God is faithful! You say, “I’ve been claiming a promise. I’ve not seen the result yet.” Hang on. Never doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light. Hang on. Just like Joshua could say, “not one of His promises have failed.” One of the marks of a mature Christian is to trust the faithfulness of God.
The next step is He wants you to become a faithful person. We’re to be like God, to be Christ-like, like Father like son. He wants folks to see the family resemblance in us. God is faithful, He wants you to be faithful. He wants you to be faithful in your family. He wants you to be a faithful worker. He wants you to be faithful to your church. He wants you to be faithful in your giving, in disciplining your children. The commitments you make, He wants you to keep them because it pleases Him when you are like Him.
Prayer:
I invite you to follow me in a prayer of commitment right now. Would you pray, “God, I know I could never earn Your forgiveness. Because You are reliable and just, because You have promised it, I ask You to forgive the things that I have done wrong.” If He brings something specific to mind, just mention it. He can read your mind. “It was wrong. I’m sorry. I want to turn away from it.” I can depend on God to forgive my sins. There is no need for anybody to walk out of here under a load of guilt. It is unnecessary. Some of your area facing major decisions. I can depend on God to give me guidance. “I’m going to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I’m not going to rely on what I think I know. I’m going to remember You in everything I do and I’m going to trust You to show me the way.” As you read God’s word and as you get godly counsel it will become clearer to you.
Some of your have been hurt in the past and you need to say to God, “I depend on You to settle the score. I’ve been trying to get even, maybe just by being resentful.” Resentment never hurts them it only hurts you. Let it go and let God settle the score. Don’t take matters into your own hands. Jesus never answered back when He was insulted. He left His case in the hands of God. The Bible says you can depend on God to reward your generosity.
Some of you need to say, “I’ve been unfaithful in m giving and I want to be faithful.” For your own sake, commit yourself to tithing, giving back to God 10% of your income as the Bible teaches. “Help me to become, not a taker in this world, but a giver of my time, my life, myself, my money and be a generous, giving person.” The Bible says, “Give and it will be given to you.” If you have financial needs right now the first thing you need to do is to start giving. How can you expect God to help you with a financial need if you’re not obeying what He’s already promised is the key?
You can depend on God to remember your service. Would you offer yourself? “Lord, I’m available. I want to give myself to You and I want to serve You because I know You’re not going to forget the things I’m doing. You see the things I’m doing. Help me to remember that if no one else notices, You do.”
All of these promises are “Yes” in Jesus Christ. If you’ve never opened your life to Him do it right now. Say, “You’ve promised to come in so I invite You into my life. You’ve promised that if I call on your name You’ll save me, so I do that right now.”
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are a faithful God, that the story of Forest Grove United Methodist Church is a testimony to Your faithfulness and how You have guided us along, step by step, all the way. We trust You implicitly and completely to guide us in the future. Guide each of us personally this week. In Jesus’ name. Amen
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