Ordinary Pilgrimage - Who Do You Trust?

Opening Prayer

Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance; govern and uphold them now and always.

Day by day we bless you; we praise your Name for ever.

Keep us today, Lord, from all sin; have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.

Lord, show us your love and mercy, for we have put our trust in you.

In you, Lord, is our hope; let us never be put to shame.

Amen.

[Te Deum Laudamus, ACNA BCP 2019, p. 18]

Introduction

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I want to begin this morning with a simple question:

“Who do you trust?”

Who do you think of first? Your spouse, your family, your pastor, your friends? If pressed, we can think of a lot of people we trust.

Now, let me ask the question again differently:

“Who do you entirely and unreservedly trust?”

Who would you trust to read your diary?

Who would you trust with all of your deepest, darkest secrets?

Who would you trust to hand over the title of your home? Or the passwords to your bank accounts? Or to monitor your social media and Internet activity? Or to follow you everywhere, knowing every move you make and every thought you have?

Your list, like mine, probably got a lot shorter quickly. Perhaps for some of you, that list was whittled down to only one person or possibly no one.

As I’ve been recalling my pilgrimage to Israel in 2013 over the last three weeks, I sat down and considered all the people I trusted on that journey.

I trusted my car mechanic to make sure my car made it from my home to and from the airport - this was a real stretch - it was a VERY OLD car.

I trusted the aircraft engineers, pilots, and crews to keep the planes from crashing.

I trusted my Bishop to ensure we had food and lodging wherever we went.

I trusted our guide to take us to places in Israel that were safe and not dangerous.

Yet, I would never place my entire trust in any of those people. On any journey, and especially on our ordinary pilgrimage, we must trust others to reach our goal. And yet, our ultimate trust must be placed in someone else, the only one who is worthy of our unfailing trust.

Looking back to the first week of our series, I encouraged us to abide in Christ as our sustenance along the journey. Last week, I encouraged us to guard our hearts with the armor of God against the schemes of the devil along that same journey. This week, it all comes together as we learn to trust in God—entirely and unreservedly—as we walk together on this ordinary pilgrimage.

Trust

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Born to Trust

Did you know that we are born to trust?

Dr. Henry Cloud, the author of the book Boundaries (which I highly recommend), recently released a new book titled Trust. In it, he argues that we are “biologically wired to trust.”

Think of a newborn baby. When they need something, what can they do? Basically, their only tool is to “scream with all [their] might and basically say, ‘Bring it to me now!’” When caregivers respond promptly and correctly to those cries, it builds trust and intimacy. Eventually, that trust builds and is internalized to the level where children can explore independently from their guardians, knowing safety is just around the corner (Cloud, 20-21).

This nascent trust is formed because, as Dr. Cloud notes, our “natural chemical makeup is designed to trust and to bond. We literally can’t help it. God wired us this way, as Scripture attests, as a beautiful first step in even trusting Him” (Cloud, 22-23, emphasis added).

Trust in Ourselves?

And yet, as we progress in life, the careful independence fostered in us as toddlers, teenagers, and young adults often becomes an unhealthy self-reliance.

My generation was taught to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” or “take control of your destiny.” It said, “you don’t need anyone else’s help to succeed,” and, most notably for our discussion today, “I … don’t … need … to rely … on anyone … else.” Other generations became effectively co-dependent, relying solely on their parents, institutions, or communities to provide what they need or want. Others rely upon their wealth or possessions, saying, “I need to have the latest gadgets, the best TVs, the newest cell phones, the flashiest clothes, the nicest house, the fastest car” … I’m sure you get the picture.

And yet, what is common among all these is that, as human beings, we are constantly trying to place our trust in people or things rather than in the one who is fully worthy of our trust.

D.L. Moody, a 19th century American evangelist, put it so well when he wrote:

Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment.

Trust in your friends and they will die and leave you.

Trust in money and you may have it taken away from you.

Trust in reputation and some slanderous tongues will blast it.

But trust in God and you are never to be confounded in time or in eternity.

Dwight Lyman Moody (Evangelist)

Trusting in “Princes”?

This morning, our Psalmist warns us particularly against trusting human leaders before trusting God. John Goldingay, in his commentary on our passage, offers three distinct warnings he finds in the Psalm (Goldingay, 217-18):

First, leaders cannot save their people. Looking at verse 3: (SLIDE 3 - VERSE: Psalm 146:3 - Screens and Broadcast) Psalm 146:3 (ESV)

Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

This word, salvation, in Scripture, means far more than simply helping “people with something that they can’t quite do on their own.” Salvation is rescue when there is no other escape. Only God can do this.

The second strike for human leaders is that eventually they die or, at least, leave their leadership positions. Looking at verse 4: (SLIDE 4 - VERSE: Psalm 146:4 - Screens and Broadcast)

Psalm 146:4 (ESV)

When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

Eventually, every leader is replaced. We have seen this in our workplaces, families with matriarchs and patriarchs who organize everything eventually pass away. Government institutions constantly see leaders come and go, their plans and strategies ebb and flow and often come to nothing. There is only one person "to which the expressions ‘forever’ and ‘for all generations’ can be attached” in his leadership — God.

Third, positions of power put enormous pressure on one’s character, and many are unequal to the task. Looking at verse 9: (SLIDE 5 - VERSE: Psalm 146:9 - Screens and Broadcast)

Psalm 146:9 (ESV)

The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

A leader whose character cannot withstand the temptations of power will become self-serving at the expense of their followers.

The true test of any leader is in how they wield the power they are given. Do they serve their own needs, wants, and desires, or do they extend their care to the needy — the widow and the fatherless? Do they welcome the foreigner who has chosen to be part of their community? A leader's role is not just about serving themselves, but about serving the community and those in need.

(REMOVE SLIDE 5 from Broadcast, leave on Screens)

Trust the Trust-Worthy

So, who should we trust? I think the answer should be evident by now: God. The one God: the Father revealed to us in his living Word, Jesus Christ, who abides in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I must note that our Psalm this morning isn’t just arguing that we should not trust human leaders but instead, that we should place our complete trust upon the One who is truly faithful and trustworthy.

Just skimming through the Psalm, it is only God in whom we should trust. He created heaven and earth (v. 6), executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry (v. 7). He sets the prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind (vv. 7-8), watches over the foreigners, and upholds the widows and fatherless (v. 9).

God is the only one who can bring salvation!

God is the only one who will never leave us or forsake us!

God is the only one who always seeks the good of his creation!

And yet, if God is the only one truly trust-worthy, does this mean we should not trust our fellow human beings, our elected or appointed leaders, or even pastors and teachers? The answer is yes … and no.

Leaders should be trusted … but … only as much as they are trustworthy.

When trusting others, it must always be balanced with wisdom. Oswald Chambers, a 20th century evangelist and missionary, once wrote that (SLIDE 6 - QUOTE: Oswald Chambers - Screens and Broadcast)

Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet he was never cynical, never in despair about any man, because he trusted absolutely in what the grace of God could do in human nature. (Draper, q. 2184)

Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)

Human leaders, often can betray our trust. In fact, it happens in all spheres of life, not just the political realm. We’ve all heard of CEOs and multi-millionaires trapped by self-serving attitudes and actions. Bosses or coworkers fall because of their own abuse of power. Even we in the Church are not immune. Financial and sex scandals have brought down some of the most influential leaders of our time.

In whatever sphere people grant power to their leaders, some will inevitably abuse that power. And yet, there are others, particularly those who trust in God first and foremost, who will use that power effectively.

Our task is to discern a leader’s motivations and strength of character to ensure that he or she is indeed trustworthy. Above all, no matter how trustworthy that person is, it is only God that will never disappoint or fail us.

Application

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And yet, many of us have never learned how to trust in God.

Perhaps we grew up in households where God was portrayed as dead-set on sending us all to Hell. Maybe we were raised in permissive households where our parents failed to protect us when we needed it, and we transferred that attitude to God. Perhaps some tragedy occurred in our lives, and we blamed God for it, causing us to lose what little trust we had.

Most of us were not given the framework to actively learn how to trust in God.

Trusting God is a muscle we must exercise.

And just like the muscles in our arms or legs, if we do not them, they will atrophy and die.

So, how do we trust in God? How do we build this muscle?

I think the first place we must look is, “Where do I have fear?” Fear, you see, is the complete opposite trust. Wherever fear resides in our hearts, trust remains far away.

Think back on how you dealt with some of your childhood fears—say, the fear of the dark or of monsters under the bed. What did you do? When scared we ran to the people we trusted to comfort, reassure, and tell us it will be all okay. It’s the same with God.

As Christians, whenever we have fears overwhelm us, we likewise must run to God. Whatever the situation you face, God has it under control. The monsters under the bed can’t get to you when he’s around.

God uses prayer and our loving communities to support us through fear. When we abide with a fellowship of believers who can counsel, console, and comfort us during our trials, fear can't stick around. As we hear the stories of God’s faithfulness in the lives of our community, we find ample evidence of God’s trustworthiness. When we come through each trial — and we will come through them — we add our own testimonies to the symphony of witnesses to God’s faithfulness.

Series Conclusion

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Looking back at these past three weeks, I hope God has encouraged you in your walk. I think, if I had to summarize this all, I would say that as we conclude our series, I hope you would take away these three lessons:

First, we must ABIDE in Jesus Christ, and he in us, knowing that he is the source of our sustenance for the journey. When we invite Christ to abide in us, we ask him into our homes, friendships, work, and lives. We ask him to provide for our needs and watch over us. Abiding in us, Christ promises to sustain us for the journey. We, likewise, abide with Christ in prayer, in Holy Communion, and within his body on earth — the Church.

Second, we must GUARD our hearts and minds with the armor of God, relying upon him to fight our battles. Our prayer is the glue that holds God’s armor fast to our bodies and protects us from the devil’s schemes. Without habits of prayer, the bindings come loose, the sword rusts, and the shield falls apart. The armor loses its effectiveness if we go to battle alone; only within our communities can we stand firm.

Third, we must TRUST in the only one who is entirely trustworthy. We build these muscles by lifting our fears to God in prayer and sharing our burdens with those who come alongside us on the journey.

Two things hold all these together. To find success on our ordinary pilgrimage we must:

Walk with God, developing a regular habit of speaking with him in prayer and

Walk alongside others in a Christian community of love and support.

Without these, our pilgrimage will be filled with detours and potholes. Our walk will be hampered by need, spiritual attacks, and fear. God has given us all the tools we need to “walk this Christian life well.” It is up to us to take hold of them, submit ourselves to his will, and trust him to guide our journey.

As we continue together on this ordinary pilgrimage, I am grateful for the time we have spent on this path.

Closing Prayer

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, giver of all good things, Lord of all creation and the only one who is worthy of our entire trust; grant us humility as we pursue your gracious rule in our hearts; guard and defend us from the schemes of the evil one; grant us the grace to trust you above all others; and strengthen each of us that we might encourage others in the Body of Christ. We ask this all in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Bibliography

Cloud, Henry. Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken. New York, NY: Worthy Books, 2023.

Draper, Edythe. Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World. United States: Tyndale House, 1992.

Goldingay, John. Psalms for Everyone, Part 2: Psalms 73–150. Old Testament for Everyone. Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press; Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2014.