Can God Trust You?

Introduction:

Happy fathers day to all those who have the responsiblity of souls in your hands everyday. In today’s world being a father is a hard gig. Your family is looking to you for protection, provision, guidance, strength, and stability.

We as fathers are to have everything under control and be able to anticipate what is just around the bend, while not having any idea what tomorrow many bring.

It is so easy to find yourself as a father in a place you would never want to admit that you are; a place of being powerless.

Powerless: The inability to manipulate your condition or surroundings.

The lack of ability for a father to provide for his family emotionally, physically, or spiritually. This can be a lonely place, a hopeless place for a man to be.

I want to encourage you as a father this morning or even just as a man here today. The only time a man is powerless is when he is living outside the power of God.

With the power of God in your life you are never without hope. So, what can we do as fathers and men to ensure that God is with us and we are walking in his power and might?

2 Chron 16:

2 Chronicles 16:9 ESV

9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”

I don’t know about you but I want this “strong support” from God.

I know I can’t do this on my own.

“The greatest posture that a man can take is to humbly bow in submission to the King of kings and Lord of lords.”

James 4:10 ESV

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

So, what must I as a man and a father do to have “the eyes of the Lord” pause on me that he would give me strong support.

As we look through the scriptures we can see God doing just that. Pick this man or that man to show himself strong and give strong support.

I want us to look at one example this morning in life of Abraham.

We know that God called him out of his country to make from him an entirely new nation. But why him?

4 Characteristics of the man God chooses

Genesis 18:18–19 ESV

18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

One of the principles we know of God is that he is a good investor. If you know anything about investments you are looking for compounding interest. Simply put, you want your interest to be drawing interest. This principle allows you to end up with more than your original investment.

So, Let’s apply this principle to God working through people as Jesus did with the parable of the talents.

First example: A person cries out to God for forgiveness. And God grants that forgiveness and instructs that person to go and do likewise. “Forgive as you have been forgiven.” The person then begins to forgive those around him and God’s heart of forgiveness is expanded.

Second example: Someone shares with you the good news of God’s love and sacrifice for you. You receive it. You then take that good news and share it with others. The investment is now compounded because it was invested in someone else that would bring a return.

Third Example: I made a promise to God back in 1993 that if he would teach me his Word I would be faithful to teach others. If God is wanting his Word to go forth why wouldn’t he make the investment. From then until now that investment is still producing returns.

(Scripture Setup)

So Let’s look at Abraham as we look for the 4 characteristics of a man God would choose.

Abraham has just been visited by the preincarnate Christ and two angles. God assures Sarah that she will have a child in her old age. The angels are about to leave to go and destroy Sodom and Gamora.

Genesis 18:17 ESV

17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

Gen

Genesis 18:18–19 ESV

18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

The potential to bless others.

Remember the investment principle of compounding interest. Can God trust you with blessing?

God’s blessing will be used to bless others.

This makes the blessing of God perpetual and expansive.

“The more God blesses a blesser the more people experience the blessings of God.”

Genesis 18:19 ESV

19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

The passion to train the next gen.

You are not God’s plan, but God uses

The backbone to command and instruct his household well.

Because we only live one life It’s hard for us to focus any farther than ourselves and our current situation.

God on the other hand sees life from a different perspective as each life flows into the other.

Real generational change takes about 20 years.

Traditional Generation: The way we’ve always done it.

Trend Setter Generation: standing in the midst of the current to change the flow.

First generation Christians

The ones with blood on their hands.

Transcending Generation:

Second Generation Christians

The normal has changed.

They are free to think differently.

The faster you realize as a father that your true potential for change is in the life of your children the greater your impact will be, because it lives past you.

The practice of keeping the way of the Lord

The discipline to let the Bible be the final authority for all life and practice.

The commitment to do what God has commanded us to do.

The wisdom to act in justice

The persistence to live in the promises

God’s plan and promises are bigger than any one person He might use to bring about his promises and plan. He chooses the faithful to see it through.

Be persistent in pursuing the promises and God will be faithful to use you in the plan.

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

A Faithful Father God would Choose

I have made an acrostic of what we, as fathers, should be focusing on. As I read this acrostic I want you to evaluate yourself in these areas. There will be one that you are weaker in or one in which you need some encouragement.

F - Faithful to the Lord

Posture of humility before God

Submissive to His will.

A - Authentic worshiper

The same person all the time.

Finding integrity in yourself.

T - Training the next generation

Boldly making the changes necessary for your children.

H - Heart after God’s heart

Being transformed by God into the new man.

Becoming a living expression of the God heart and love.

E - Example of righteousness

Becoming a doer of the Word and not just a hearer.

Not “Do what I say not what I do.”

R - Relentless pursuit of God

Never stop! Never Quit!

You’re in it for the long hall.

Find someone this week to share the area you’re best at and the one that you might need some accountability. Encourage one another so our church will be filled with men that God stops and takes notice.

Closing Remarks

God is actively looking for fathers in which to invest his blessing and expand his ministry. Can God trust you?

Fathers need to be fearless in their pursuit of God for the next generation. Can God trust you?

Are you a man that God would choose knowing everything about you? What step do you need to take to be that kind of man?

Can God trust You?