Outline Trusting in the Lord is Better than Trusting in Humans based on Jeremiah 17:5-8

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I. “No worries, mate!”

II. By our human nature, we tend to worry about different things.

III. Cursed is the one who trusts in man. Jeremiah 17:5-6, in the Old Testament lesson for today, starts out with the following words: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.’”

IV. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. On the other hand, Jeremiah 17:7-8 says this about those who are blessed by the Lord: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

V. Luke’s Gospel lesson could be applied in this way. For those who trust in human strength and intelligence and ignore God, the words of Jesus in Luke 6:24-26 apply: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” On the other hand, for those who trust in the Lord, the words of Jesus in Luke 6:20-23 apply: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”

VI. We are forgiven thanks to Jesus’ saving work. There is one man who always trusted in the Lord and refused to trust in human strength and intelligence. He took all of the curses we deserve for turning away from trusting in the Lord to the tree of the cross of Calvary and died for all of those curses.

Thanks to the saving work of Jesus in our place we are forgiven of our wickedness and the Lord remembers our sins no more. Because Jesus suffered, died, and rose to new life again for us, we are blessed by God in all kinds of ways. Forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are ours by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. We are like a tree planted by streams of water with no worries as we trust in the Lord to take care of our everyday needs of food, clothing, money, and everything else we need to survive in life. Trust in the Lord helps us face the temptations and challenges of life with no worries or fears. Jesus promises to be with us always through bad times and good times.

VII. Conclusion. In Romans 12:1 the apostle Paul states, “I appeal to you therefore, …by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” As you think about God’s great mercy to you for the sake of Jesus, you can offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Through your daily prayers to God you can ask God to help you be the best “living sacrifices” you can be. Instead of trusting in human beings for your strength and worrying constantly about different things in life, you can have no worries as you trust in the Lord and you can be like “a tree planted by water” with “no worries.” A Christian with no worries is like “a tree planted by water” whose leaves are always green that never fails to bear fruit. By God’s grace through faith in Jesus you are fully forgiven for your worries of the past. By God’s grace through faith in Jesus you are “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” In view of God’s marvelous mercy, you are renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit to bear the good fruit of peace, patience, love, and self-control. As my two friends from Australia (Rob and Ed) might say, “No worries” for those who trust in the Lord. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.