Trust - Divine Direction #7
Divine Direction, 4K, • Sermon • Submitted
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Trust
Trust
STORMS com and you don’t know when.
“You are either coming out of a difficult season in life, in the middle of a difficult season, or about to go into one”
life is difficult. Even when we’re not in a tough season , it seem like there are often others close to us who are.
How we respond can either build our faith and draw us closer to Christ or weaken our intimacy with him as we slide in the wrong direction.
If you decide to trust, we will grow in our faith, deepen in our intimacy with God, and be conformed to the image of Christ.
But if we allow our heart to drift, we’ll wake up one day drowning in doubts, buried in burdens, and feeling far from the only one who can help us heal. ´
The way we respond to challenges determines the stories we’ll tell one day. Your decision to trust God in life’s storms may be one of the best ongoing choices you ever make.
Doubt
Doubt
Many of us struggle with doubts in our Christian life at one time our another. But we don’t talk about it.
Honest skepticism is not a bad thing.
Most of us begin this questioning process during childhood as we shift from believing everything our parents and teachers have told us to testing their wisdom with our experience.
What if all this God stuff isn’t true?
Doubt - OR THE ABSENCE OF TRUST comes in all shapes and sizes.
Some might not trust his goodness --- his existence ---
Is God there? Is God real? Is he good? Does he even care?
Some people argue that if you have any type of doubt, then you don’t have strong faith.
You might not have strong faith unless you push through some honest doubts.
Many people struggle to trust God fully because they want a logical, rational approach to life .
They’re looking for something scientific, verifiable, and consistent that can support their faith.
Faith requires trust in something — or in someone.
Maybe you want to have proof of God’s benevolent presence in our lives.
Wanting proof is nothing new.
Trusting Thomas do you know who im talking about? what about Doubting Thomas…
The rest of Thomas’s story gives us hardcore evidence that great doubters can become people of great faith.
Jesus gave Thomas exactly what he needed to believe.
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Perhaps you can relate to Thomas’s longing for certainty. Some things in your life aren’t adding up… you have questions.
You may even believe in God, but you just don’t trust him completely. holding back some part of yourself.
There is a difference between believing in and believing.
Thomas believed in Jesus. But once he touched his Lord, once he had his questions answered, once the tension was resolved, Thomas no longer believed in Jesus. He believed Him.
The one-time doubter became one of the most faith-filled believers.
Thomas was so convinced that Jesus had risen the he left his comfortable surroundings and traveled all the way to India to tell the gospel to this part of the world and to share it boldly
Doubting Thomas became Trusting Thomas, and it changed the rest of his story. His life teaches us that doubt is not te end of real faith but often the beginning.
Do you trust him enough to live for him?
When life seems to turn upside down, it’s only human to want to be reassured that everything’s going o be okay.
One time Jesus and his disciples boarded a small boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. ...
Mark 4:
37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
We can see their lack of trust in the question they asked: “don’t you care if we drown?”
Have you ever talked to God like that?
Lord, don’t you care… that I’m hurting? … that friends are getting married I’m still alone… grandma has cancer… spouse cheating on me…
After the disciples expressed their fear and their lack of trust, Jesus got up and .... rebuked the wind and waves.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
“Really ? Don’t you know me by now?”
So many people think that if you’re a Christian, you shouldn’t have troubles.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
When things are good, people tend to forget about God. It’s easy for us to start doing life in my own strength.
But the moment life throws us a curveball, God’s the first one we turn to for help.
Jonah
Jonah 2:
2 He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
When Jonah remembered God: it was during his distress.
I can’t think of many people who remember God during their success, but I know plenty who do during their distress.
When you’re drowning , you need a life preserver. When there’s a storm, you need shelter. When you’re hurting you need a comforter.
God allows storms in our lives for a variety of reasons, and one of them is to draw us closer to him.
When you’re caught in a storm remember 2 things.
God’s presence is with you no matter how alone you may feel.
37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
Notice this wasn’t just a spring shower… it was almost too much for the small boat and the disciple to handle But they were not alone…
38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
Having Jesus in the stern beside you doesn’t mean the storm won’t rock your boat. It just means the storm won’t sink you . Never forget: he’s with you, both in the spring shower and in the worst tornado imaginable.
Just as Jesus was with the disciples in the boat, he is with you in the storm. And because he is always good, you can trust him.
When the storm hits and your faith remains strong, people will ask you all sorts of questions:
How are you holding up so well?
Why are you nor freaking out?
How is it that your world is falling apart, but you’re keeping it together?
How do you have so much peace in the middle of all this chaos?
And you can explain that you’re not doing it by yourself. You have help that others might not see. An invisible power gives you strength when you fell weak. You have God’s grace, God’s power, God’s comfort, and God’s presence.
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Ps 23
And Just like David, I would rather walk through the valley of the shadow of death with Jesus than stroll on the mountaintops without him.
2. He will also use the storm for his purposes in your life.
God always has a higher plan and a good purpose because he loves you more than you can imagine.
In the story we’re talking about… Who decided to take that boat ride?
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”
Mark 4:
Jesus knew the storm would come. Going into the storm was always part of his plan.
The disciple didn’t experience the storm because they were out of God’s will. But because they were in God’s will.
He knew the storm was coming, and he knew it would serve a higher purpose in the lives of those he loved.
Did God cause the storm? i don’t know, But one thing i know… God always uses storms.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
When we recognize this truth , we can decide ahead of time that no matter what happens, no matter what life throws at us, we’ll trust God.
If you know that God is always with you and that he uses everything for your good, why are you so afraid?
Just trust HIM!
The more you get to know God, the more your faith will grow.
The apostle Paul leaned this valuable lesson
2 Cor
7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Even that Paul pleaded faithfully with God to take it away, God never did.
And Paul rather than allowing this challenge to turn him away from God, decided instead to trust God and let it draw him closer.
Your response today will determine to some degree your future.
2
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul didn’t need God to remove the problem,, God’s presence was all Paul needed.
You might be tempted to think, I need to be strong. but the truth is it’s okay to be weak.
In your weakness, his strength will be all you need.
Whenever you face a storm, a struggle, some unexpected trial, just remember God will occasionally allow you to have more than you can handle.
He will use trials to change you into the image of his Son and teach ou to trust him. He will transform these obstacles into vehicles for his blessing.
So what are you so afraid of?
Do you still have little faith?
Trust God with whatever you’ve beed holding back. trust him with your future spouse. Trust him with your children. Trust him with your career. Trust him you health. Trust him with your finances.
Trust him without reservations.