Sermon Tone Analysis

We Can Always Trust in the Lord!

The Gospel of John

John 3:9-15 (Reading vs. 1-15)

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - May 25, 2016

(Revised July 10, 2019)

BACKGROUND:

*Tonight, we continue our verse by verse study of John Chapter 3, and we will take a close look at vs. 9-15.

But for context, let's begin by reading vs. 1-15.

And as we read, please think about the great truth that we can trust God with everything in our lives.

MESSAGE:

*I like Elton Trueblood’s definition of faith.

He said, "Faith is not belief without proof, -- but trust without reservation."

(1)

*Trusting God: That’s a great thing to do, because He is always worthy of our trust!

And the truth is that trusting God is the most important thing we can ever do in life.

1. TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE REMINDS US THAT WE CAN TRUST GOD WITH ELUSIVE THINGS.

*We can and we should trust in the Lord Jesus even in times when we are confused by Christ.

Last week in vs. 3-4, Nicodemus was puzzled by what the Lord said.

*In vs. 3, Jesus said this to Nicodemus: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Then in vs. 4, Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born when he is old?

Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

*Nicodemus did not understand, and Jesus began to explain how to be born again.

But Nicodemus still didn't understand, so in vs. 9-11:

9. Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?''

10.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

11.

Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.

*Nicodemus did not understand at first, and sometimes we will be just as confused.

We won't always understand what God is doing in our world or in our lives.

When we think about all of the evil flourishing today, when we think about our family and friends going through troubles, and when we think about those babies in our community battling cancer, there is so much that we don't understand.

But we can always trust in the Lord!

[1] WE CAN TRUST JESUS BECAUSE OF HIS WALK.

*Jesus knows what it's like to be in our shoes.

He knows the pain of our grief and troubles.

Isaiah 53:3 gives this prophetic description of our Savior: "He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him."

*Jesus also knows the pain of our confusion.

One of the most memorable things the Lord said on the cross is in Matthew 27:46.

There Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?''

*Of course, the Lord knew why He was suffering and dying on the cross.

It was for our sins.

That's why He was temporarily forsaken by the Father.

But our wonderful Savior was so willing to identify with us that He subjected Himself to the same kind of confusion we go through.

*It's summed up in the question "Why?"

Why is this terrible thing happening to me?

Why did I lose my job?

Why did I get sick?

Why is my family member sick?

Why did that wreck happen?

Why did they die so soon?

Why is my family messed up?

*It must be okay for us to ask why, because Jesus asked why on the cross, and He never did anything wrong.

The problem with asking why is that many times we won't get an answer in this world.

That's why a wise man once said a better question is, "What now?" "What should I do now, Lord?"

And one of the best things we can do is keep trusting in the Lord!

Keep trusting Jesus even when we don’t understand.

[2] WE CAN ALWAYS TRUST JESUS BECAUSE OF HIS WALK, AND BECAUSE OF HIS WISDOM.

*Nicodemus' confusion in these verses reminds us that our knowledge is always incomplete.

In vs. 10, Jesus used a simple question to help Nicodemus see his limitations.

Jesus asked, "Are you the teacher (or master) of Israel, and do not know these things?"

Jesus wasn't trying to embarrass Nicodemus.

Instead, He was trying to help Nicodemus trust in the Lord.

*We all need to learn our limitations, especially when we compare ourselves to God.

That way we will begin to look to the Lord for the wisdom we need.

And we can always trust God because He does know!

His wisdom is infinite!

*The Lord affirmed this truth in vs. 11 where Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, 'We speak what We know and testify what We have seen. .

.'"

Our three-in-one God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit knows all and sees all.

*God's Word reminds us of this great truth in Scriptures like Isaiah 46:9-10, where the Lord said:

9. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,

10.

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure."

*Another great example is Isaiah 55:6-9, where God's Word says:

6. Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

8. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,'' says the Lord.

9.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

*And in Romans 11, Paul quoted several Old Testament Scriptures, as he wrote down these great words of praise:

33.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

34.

"For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has become His counselor?''

35.

"Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?''

36.

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.

Amen.

[3] WE CAN ALWAYS TRUST JESUS BECAUSE OF HIS WALK, AND BECAUSE OF HIS WITNESS.

*Again in vs. 11 Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, 'We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.''

*Tragically, many people won't receive the Lord's witness, but Nicodemus eventually did.

And we must receive the Lord's His witness too!

So put your trust in the Lord.

Then keep trusting in the Lord when things happen that you don't understand.

*And keep trusting in the Lord when you face problems that you can’t seem to solve.

One way or another, most everybody will face nagging problems like that.

No matter how hard we try, nothing seems to work.

*Some of us have been struggling with the same problem for months, or even years.

But we must keep trusting in the Lord God Almighty.

As Proverbs 3:5-6 says:

5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

6. in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

2. WE CAN TRUST THE LORD WITH ELUSIVE THINGS, AND TRUST HIM WITH EARTHLY THINGS.

*In vs. 12, Jesus said this to Nicodemus: "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?"

We should trust in the Lord when He tells us about earthly things, like the main thing Jesus told Nicodemus: "You must be born again."

*Here are some other "earthly things" Jesus said that deserve our total trust:

*In Matthew 6:6, Jesus said, "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."