“Learning to Trust”
Pastor David Moore
Old Testament reading: Jeremiah 17:5‐13
Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.
The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse—who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings. Like the partridge hatching what it did not lay, so are all who amass wealth unjustly; in mid‐life it will leave them, and at their end they will prove to be fools.
O glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, shrine of our sanctuary! O hope of Israel! O Lord! All who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be recorded in the underworld, for they have forsaken the fountain of living water, the Lord.
Theme: Learning to trust God in all areas of our life.
New Testament reading: Matthew 10:24‐39
So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. Everyone, therefore, who acknowledges me before others I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter‐in‐law against her mother‐in‐law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Jesus though was not universally loved; He was not oblivious to the fact. So, some of His tendencies are less hypothetical for us than the Sermon on the Mount. Some of His teachings are quite sobering. ~D. Moore
Stay faithful and persevere through to the end. Remember, God gave Joseph a dream. But it took almost 25 years to happen.
Stay faithful no matter what the cost. Make sure you are for God more than people. That should be a huge hint that this following Jesus is not always going to go well, and we should expect it. In many ways, following Jesus is all about trust. ~D. Moore
Psalm 37:3‐4: Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Trust that He was and is God, trusting that His sacrifice was enough for us. Trust that when we step out in faith, God is active in His Kingdom through what He has called us to do. ~D. Moore
Expect suffering and trust God. 1 Peter 4:12‐19: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
And “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?” Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.
Trust shows up in what we do. Faith is demonstrated in our obedience to Christ’s teachings, even when we are under stress and pressure. Can we give up control and trust God each day and to say to Him, “My life is yours, do with me as you will”? This takes trust. ~D. Moore
The fear that is talked about in this passage in Matthew is about the fear of disappointing our Father who has done so much for us.
Christianity was never meant to be popular. ~D. Moore
Life on earth is a temporary assignment. Don’t forget there’s more than just this life. ~Rick Warren
There will be times when people reject your message. There will be a higher price to be paid for your faithfulness to God. You will lose friends and family. There is no promise of God swooping in to save us. But we are to do it anyway. Be smart, be careful, but more than anything else, be faithful to God and His message of love and grace. ~D. Moore
So, I sing because I’m happy. And I sing because I’m free. His eye is on the sparrow. And I know He watches me.
Jeremiah 17:7: Blessed is the man who Trusts in the Lord.
In summary, the response to you sharing about Jesus is not about you. There are no magic words, it is about you being faithful. God wants a faithful child and that faithfulness takes trust. Pray to the God of the universe for faith to trust Him in all areas of your life.
God bless, have a great week!