ENTRUST YOURSELF TO CHRIST

Introduction

-{Matthew 8}

-While we celebrate and recognize that Christ has done great things in life, we also remember why we make those recognitions—because we go through tough times. We acknowledge the good that Christ does because we go through the bad, the trials, the troubles. The fact of a cursed, sin-filled world is ever before us. And when Christ’s light breaks through the darkness, it is such an amazing contrast.

-But when we are in the midst of the dark nights of the soul, we remember Christ’s love and ability to see us through the storm. And we are reminded that whatever comes our way, we can entrust ourself to Him.

-Imagine a sailor navigating through a stormy sea. The winds are howling and the waves threaten to capsize the boat. Yet, he trusts his compass and the training he received to get himself safely back to shore. Likewise, in our lives storms will come—loss, sickness, disappointment. But we then remember Christ who is our compass, guiding us through the chaos. Trusting Christ means steadiness in the tempest, with a heart that is anchored safely on His goodness and promises.

-As you have heard the testimonies of Christ working in the impossibilities, remember who He is and what He is capable of. The passage we look at today reminds us that Jesus has sovereign authority over the circumstances that His people endure. And we want to be led to entrust ourselves to the sovereign care of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 8:14–17 LSB

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and began waiting on Him. 16 Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill 17 in order to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”

-{pray}

-To encourage us to entrust ourselves to Christ, there are just three quick lessons we want to consider:

1) Christ works in power for His people

-We are in a section of Matthew where this is the third of three miracles that he highlights. Matthew’s gospel demonstrates that Jesus is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. And in these miracles he shows that Jesus has compassion toward people and has the power to take care of their most dire needs.

-He healed a man of leprosy with a touch. He healed a centurion’s servant from a distance with a mere word. And now He heals Peter’s mother-in-law, lifting her up, instantly giving her the strength to carry on. This passage then emphasizes His power and authority as He casts out demons and heals all sorts of different diseases. This is Matthew shouting that Christ works in power for people. Jesus cares about what people go through and He has the power and authority to take care of their greatest needs.

-That’s why we are able to entrust ourselves to Him. Whatever it is that we go through, Christ is the one we run to because nobody loves us like Jesus and nobody is able to do what He can. This special service we have held today puts the spotlight on Christ and the way He can work in power for His people.

-But as we see in Scripture His power on display, we also recognize the reality that Christ doesn’t always meet our needs in the way that we want or desire. We can’t simply ignore the fact that Christ doesn’t always answer our prayer in the positive—sometimes He says no. Christ doesn’t always heal in the way we want. Christ doesn’t always rescue in the way we think He ought. Christ doesn’t always deliver us from the trial or tribulation. Sometimes He does and sometimes He doesn’t.

-The only difference is what is His will and purpose? Just because He doesn’t always heal immediately, it’s not an indicator that His love for us is diminished. Just because He doesn’t make things better immediately is not an indicator that He is powerless to help. But there may be a reason that for a time God allows us to endure through our circumstances because He has a greater glory in store.

-I think of John 9 where Jesus and the disciples come across a blind man, and the disciples ask who sinned to cause him to be blind. Jesus corrects their faulty thinking. Bad things don’t always happen because of sin. Jesus said he wasn’t blind because of sin but he was blind SO THAT THE WORKS OF GOD MIGHT BE MANIFESTED IN HIM. Sometimes God allows things in our life to manifest Himself through us.

-Or, I think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—they were threatened with being thrown in fire for not worshipping Nebuchadnezzar’s idolatrous statue. And even when threatened they said that the God they serve is able to save, but if He chooses not to save they still won’t turn their back on Him.

-So, there is a recognition that our Triune God has the power, but He sometimes chooses not to fix things the way we might want for purposes that only His eternal wisdom can fathom. And that is when we choose to entrust ourselves to Him. He has the power to change our circumstances if He so wills. But He also has the power to sustain us and to give us perseverance if He chooses not to. Either way, His character is still perfect and holy.

-But when God does show us some sort of mercy or compassion, the way that we respond is very important. So, the second lesson that we want to consider is that if God shows us some good:

2) We respond to His works with service

-Jesus touched Peter’s mother-in-law and did such a complete healing that she was able to get up immediately. Some scholars speculate that she may have had malaria, a very serious disease at that time because they didn’t have all the medicines and antibiotics and stuff like we have. It was a serious disease with some serious consequences. But Jesus, through His sovereign power, got rid of the disease and all of its symptoms.

-And when she recovered, notice what she did. It says she began to wait on Jesus—literally, it is the word for service (waiting on tables). Now that she was better, she didn’t return to her normal routines. She didn’t go on living for herself. She didn’t use this work of God in her life to live a comfy lifestyle. She had been touched. She had been changed. She saw the power and authority of Jesus at work in her life. After Jesus did something wonderful for her, she turned around and began to serve Him.

-You see, when Christ does something amazing in your life, it’s not so that you can then just ignore Him. He’s done it so you can turn around and glorify Him in a way that He wills and purposes for you. When Jesus takes the initiative to bless you, yes it is for your wellbeing, but it is also so you can then turn around and do some good for the sake of the gospel and Christ’s kingdom.

-Christ moves in your life in manifold ways so that you can do your part in His overall plan for the world. We are blessed not to sit on it, but to then bless Him. Out of an abundance of thanksgiving and gratefulness for what He has done in our lives we serve. Even if He doesn’t do everything we want, there is still plenty of good that He has done in our lives to turn around a be a blessing.

-Imagine how it would look if someone gave a great sacrifice or did you such a great service that completely changed your life, and you then completely ignore the one who so blessed you.

-There was a story of a side-wheeler steamboat that was rammed by another boat in Lake Michigan during the winter. The steamboat sank just a mile offshore from the village of Winnetka, Illinois. Out of 393 passengers on board, 279 drowned. A man named Edward Spencer after seeing the situation unfold plunged into the lake and swam to the drowning people. He towed one person to shore and went for another. In all, he brought seventeen people to safety. However, the strain on this young man caused him to collapse. The nerves in his legs were so completely destroyed that he could never walk again. He was an invalid wheel chair victim for his entire life. On his eightieth birthday, someone asked him to relate his most vivid memory of that dreadful day. He replied, "Not one of the seventeen returned to thank me."

-How often have we done that to Christ? Even if we don’t get everything we want or need, He still has worked in power in our lives. It is no small thing to dedicate our lives in service to Him. Especially considering the greatest work He’s done in our lives, if He has done it in our lives. And that leads to the third lesson:

3) Christ’s greatest work is our salvation

-Jesus healed many people of many diseases. Jesus cast out legions of demons out of those suffering from those evil spirits. He made the blind see, the deaf hear, the mute speak, and He even raised people from the dead. But those works did not stop in the first centuries. Today and over the years we ourselves have heard testimonies of Christ’s work and faithfulness in wonderous ways in the lives of the people that we know.

-And yet there is no greater work or miracle that Christ has ever wrought in anyone’s life than that of saving their soul from the consequences of their sin. There is no greater miracle than Jesus giving spiritual sight to the spiritually blind—giving eternal life to those eternally condemned—setting free the captive to sin, forgiving the most heinous of transgressions. Jesus’ saving of a soul is more amazing than any other work He has done.

-At the end of the passage Matthew quotes Isaiah, putting it in the context of physical healing. But Jesus did physical healings to prove and demonstrate that His gospel message was true and that He had the power and authority to give humanity the spiritual healing all people desperately need. And that is the full context of that Servant Song in Isaiah. Hear about the greatest work Christ has done:

Isaiah 53:1–6 LSB

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should desire Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our peace fell upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

-Yes, Jesus can heal our physical infirmities. But more important is that He can heal our spiritual infirmities. And all we need to do is to entrust our lives to Him. Let me ask you, have you trusted in Jesus? Have you trusted Him for your eternity and for your life here on this earth.

Conclusion

-So, whether He changes your circumstances or not, entrust yourself to Jesus to take care of what it is that you need. Consider the story of Job, a man who lost everything — his wealth, health, and family. Despite his profound suffering, Job declared, 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.' His trust wasn't blind; it was rooted in a deep relationship with God. In moments of despair, we too are called to trust, understanding that God’s purpose, though often veiled, is ultimately for our good.

-Christian, come to the altar today. Lay your burdens before Him. Come to the altar and thank Him for the good He has shown you. Come to the altar and commit your life in service to Him. Don’t leave here unmoved by what we heard today.

-But if you have never entrusted your soul to Him, today is the day...