Sermon Tone Analysis

TOTAL TRUST - Teaching Plan

Week 1 - Total Trust Intro

Week 2 - Who IS Jesus?

Week 3 - Count the Cost

Week 4 - The Reward of Trust

Week 5 - Evidence of Trust

_______________

I haven’t seen you guys/gals since last year and I wonder how many of you have kept your New years resolutions - that moment that seize the chance to change course after being confronted with the consequences of last year’s decisions.

But, by now - March, we have either developed good habits & ditched the bad ones…OR NOT.

That might include:

Eating less/Exercising more

Spending less/Saving more

Limiting our time on social networks to less than 10 hours a day

Focusing on self less/Focusing on others more

OR...Resolving not to make any more resolutions

I don’t know what you resolved to do this year, but I am fairly certain of this.

Where you end up will be based on where you’re headed...I know, I know - pretty deep huh?

Or maybe we can say it this way:

BIG TRUTH: Direction determines Destination.

Let me add this: Direction (not desire) determines Destination.

The direction you are headed today, will determine where you will end up tomorrow.

When my family goes to see Tonya’s family in NC.

We know WHERE we are starting from, and we know WHERE we want to end up.

So, we input in our current location & desired destination.

Then we followed the directions that take us NORTH.

But what if, instead of taking 95 N or 75 N, we went South?

You might say something like this, “Jackie, you won’t make it to NC going South, because…your direction determines your destination.”

What if I countered and said, “I really DESIRE to go to NC, but I’m going SOUTH” to get there.”?

What would you tell me?

You would probably use the Greek term for "ordinary” - pronounced e-dee-oate-tase or IDIOT.

And you would be right…because,

BIG TRUTH: Direction [not desire] determines Destination.

So, let me ask YOU a question: What if you were to map out where YOU are going the rest of this year - starting with your current location & ending with your desired destination - what would that look like?

Those of us who want to get PHYSICALLY FIT need to get honest about our current location (too much bread in the bread basket) & change directions to get to our desired destination (slim and trim).

Those of us who want to get FINANCIALLY FIT need to get honest about our current location (more month than money) & change directions to get to our desired destination (spending, giving, saving).

Those of us who want to get RELATIONALLY FIT need to get honest about our current location (broken or surface-level friendships) & change directions to get to our desired destination (making time for buddies and buddettes).

When we get honest about our current LOCATION and look to our desired DESTINATION, we can then begin to move in the right DIRECTION, because...

BIG TRUTH: Direction determines Destination.

But what about our Spiritual Condition?

Do you think we should consider

getting honest about our current location

& change our direction to get to our desired destination?

So, what is YOUR current spiritual location?

We’re all over the map.

On this video chat there are

long-time disciples of Jesus & brand new believers.

Some of us might be checking out the claims of Christianity for the first time.

Some of us are growing, some are stagnant & some of us are skeptics.

What is YOUR current spiritual location?

And are you SATISFIED with where you are?

My guess is we all have room to grow.

What is the desired destination?

While we all start from different locations, the destination is the same...to Know the One True GOD.

What’s our Route to get there?

by TOTAL TRUST: Childlike faith, where we trust God with every aspect of our lives.

Like the little boy who prayed:

Dear God, please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and me.

Oh, please take care of yourself, God.

If anything happens to You, we're gonna be in a BIG mess.

TOTAL TRUST is where we realize - without God, we’re in a BIG MESS.

TOTAL TRUST is where God’s Presence is bigger than our problems.

This idea of TOTAL TRUST is littered throughout the Bible.

In the New Testament, the same word for TRUST is often translated ‘believe’ or ‘faith’.

Here’s an example.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

And without faith [pistis (noun)- meaning total trust] it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe [(verb) trust] that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Do you believe [trust] God exists?

Have you examined the evidence?

Design demonstrates a designer.

Do you REALLY believe [trust] that He rewards those who earnestly seek him?

Do YOU earnestly seek Him?

Here’s a test:

If you show up to church, but don’t obey Him outside of that building or around those people...you don’t BELIEVE [trust].

If you can spend hours talking, texting, or online but have no desire to open the Bible or pray...you don’t BELIEVE.

You aren’t EARNESTLY seeking Him.

That’s not TOTAL TRUST, that’s playing ‘church’...and God knows the difference.

Did you know that the letters compiled in the Bible itself were written so that those who read it (you & me) would give Jesus our TOTAL TRUST?

John 20:30–31 (NIV)

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.

But these are written that you may believe [trust] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing [trusting] you may have life in His name.

Did you know THAT’S the result of TRUSTING Jesus - life in his name?

What does THAT mean?

It means we believe WHO Jesus is and WHAT Jesus says, and next week we will answer this question for those who aren’t sure: WHO IS Jesus?

He is more than a good man, a prophet, or a miracle worker.

And what you do with JESUS determines whether you will have ETERNAL LIFE or or NOT.

BIG TRUTH: Direction determines Destination.

You know, I’ve talked with a lot of people about their spiritual condition over the years.

I don’t ever remember hearing someone say, “You know, I’ve been following Jesus for years - earnestly seeking Him - knowing His forgiveness & purpose...and I sure wish I WOULDN’T have done that.”

But OH I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this, “I sure wish I would have trusted Jesus much earlier.

The heartache I could have sidestepped.

The relationships I could have developed.

The forgiveness & purpose I would have found!

Why did I wait so long!!!?”

There is a simple reason why we OBEY or NOT: It’s all about TRUST.

Many of us have disobeyed because we thought we knew better.

We thought that if there is a God, he doesn’t KNOW or doesn’t WANT what’s best for us.

Know why so many people are sexually impure?

They don’t believe God has their best in mind.

They think He’s trying to keep something good from them.

They don’t TRUST Him.

Know why so many won’t give to support ministry?