Trust is Like a Rope

INTRODUCTION

In the OT the word for trusting faith is a Hebrew word that meant ROPE.

It demonstrated what a rope did for you

Provided Security

Tide you to another person

Something you could depend on

For tonight’s lesson, I would like to use this analogy to demonstrate how trust is built and how trust is destroyed

1. Making a Rope is like Building Trust

When you build a rope you intertwine many strands together

The better the quality the strand the stronger and more dependable the rope

Strands of spaghetti vs. strands of steel

Trust between 2 people is built the same way - each person shares a part of themselves with the other person

The more they share, the stronger the rope

not done with a complete stranger

We see this in marriage

Ecclesiastes 4:12 ESV

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

The deeper the work, sacrifice, the deeper the Trust

Withstands weather and usage

A well-made rope and be used over and over

A well-made relationship is able to go through many trials.

A casual, uncommitted, lukewarm relationship with God will not build the trust necessary to weather to storms of life

Trust in Sales and Fundraising

2. Destroying a Rope is like Breaking Trust

Destroying trust works very much like destroying a rope, you do it by cutting one strand at a time.

This is how we destroy trust with each other, one lie at a time, one unkindness at a time, one harsh word at a time.

Eventually all the ties that hold people together are severed.

Not in one climatic moment but over a period of months or years, one little cut at a time.

Lessons Learned

A. Ropes are important.

You only have one trusting relationship with a person - if you cut it away another one will not grow back in its place automatically.

Trust is the hardest thing to produce, the easiest thing to lose and almost impossible to replace once it's gone.

B. Everybody needs a rope.

Some people think they don't need any ropes, but that is because they've never been in trouble.

When trouble comes (and it does come) you'll be happy that there are strong ropes of trust to hang on to while you go through life's challenges.

C. The strongest of these ropes is the one that ties us to God.

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We don't tie ourselves to God with our rope of honesty, purity and service because it would soon be cut and frayed by sin.

To guarantee that we remain safe and secure, God ties us to Himself with Jesus Christ.

The Lord is God's rope that ties us to Him. With Christ as our rope we know it will never break because He never lies and is always kind and true.