I CHOOSE TO TRUST
MATTHEW 8:23-28
I THOUGHT I WOULD BRING A FRIEND TO HELP ME WITH THE MESSAGE TODAY, OR AT LEAST THE PICTURE OF A FRIEND. THIS IS MY GIRL SOPHIE (SOPHIE IS MY CAT), AND SHE’S BEEN A BLESSING TO LESLIE AND ME SINCE 2012.
ONE THING ABOUT SPOHIE THAT MAKES ME SAD THOUGH, IS THAT EVEN THOUGH SHE LIKES US AND HAS FUN WITH US, I DON’T BELIEVE SHE TRUSTS US. THE FACT IS SHE DOESN’T TRUST MUCH OF ANYTHING, AND I DOUBT IF SHE EVER WILL. THAT’S JUST HER NATURE.
IT’S HARD TO LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT TRUST. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO RELAX. YOU FEEL SO ALONE THAT ANY NOISE, ANYTHING UNUSUAL, WILL CAUSE GREAT FEAR AND ANXIETY. A LACK OF TRUST CAN LEAVE YOU IMPRISONED IN YOUR OWN FEAR.
TODAY’S MESSAGE BUILDS ON THE EARLIER MESSAGES ON THE CHOICES WE CAN MAKE THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE. THE FIRST TWO CHOICES ARE IDENTITY CHOICES: WE ASKED WHO AM I AND DISCOVERED THAT I CHOSE TO BELIEVE THAT I AM LOVED AND FORGIVEN BY GOD.
THE NEXT CHOICES WE LOOKED AT WERE AUTHORITY CHOICES. WE ASKED THE QUESTION WHO IS GOING TO BE IN CHARGE, AND OUR CHOICES WERE TO CHOOSE JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND TO BELIEVE THE BIBLE AS GOD’S AUTHORITATIVE WORD.
TODAY WE WILL GO A STEP FURTHER AS WE CONSIDER WHAT WE WILL CALL CAPACITY CHOICES. WHEN WE ARE YOUNG WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO ANYTHING. THEN SOMETHING REMARKABLE HAPPENS, AND IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN VERY SUDDENLY. WE AGE, AND WE REALIZE THAT WE HAVE VERY LIMITED CAPACITY TO DO THINGS, AND IT LESSENS EACH YEAR.
REALIZING OUR LIMITED CAPACITY FORCES US TO MAKE CHOICES AS TO HOW WE INVEST OUR TIME AND RESOURCES. THE BIBLE TEACHES US TO FOCUS ON TODAYS ISSUES, NOT ON THE DISAPPOINTMENTS OF THE PAST, OR THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE FUTURE.
MATTHEW 6:34: THEREFORE DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL WORRY ABOUT ITSELF. EACH DAY HAS ENOUGH TROUBLE OF ITS OWN
CAPACITY CHOICES INVOLV TWO ISSUES:
1. FORGIVENESS – TO OTHERS FOR THE THINGS DONE IN THE PAST.
2. TRUST – WHICH HELPS US DEAL WITH FUTURE ISSUES
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE CHOICE TO FORGIVE, SO TODAY WE WILL FOCUS OUR THOUGHTS ON TRUST. WE CAN MAKE THE CHOICE TO TRUST GOD WITH OUR FUTURE, SO ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, WE WILL KNOW AND TRUST WHO IS ULTIMATELY IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS.
JAMES MacDONALD WRITES:
“I CHOOSE TO TRUST GOD WITH MY FUTURE – BECAUSE I CAN AND BECAUSE HE INVITES ME TO AND BECAUSE THERE IS REALLY NO OTHER OPTION THAT WORKS.”
POINT ONE: WE ARE NOT PROGRAMMED TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE!
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE, WE OFTEN DO SO WITH PESSIMISM AND NEGATIVITY.
1. I HAVE A CAR INSPECTION NEXT WEEK: I JUST KNOW IT WILL COST ME A BUNDLE.
2. I HAVE A DENTAL APPOINTMENT IN TWO WEEKS. I KNOW I’LL NEED A ROOT CANAL OR SOMETHING BIG.
3. I HAVE TO SEE MY DOCTOR FOR TEST RESULTS. HE’S GOING TO TELL ME BAD NEWS. I JUST KNOW IT.
4. THEY’RE DOWNSIZING AT WORK AND MY BOSS WANTS TO SEE ME TOMORROW. I GUESS I’M THROUGH.
ALL OF THESE SCENARIOS ARE INCOMPLETE, YET WE ARE NATURALLY DRAWN TO NEGATIVE CONCLUSIONS. THIS LEADS TO THREE VERY DANGEROUS EMOTIONS.
1. WORRY: THIS COMES FROM THE GERMAN WORD THAT MEANS “TO CHOKE.”
2. FEAR: SOMETHING IS COMING, AND IT’S NOT GOOD. FEAR IS A MAGNIFYING GLASS, ENLARGING AND BLOWING OUT OF PROPORTION, EVERYTHING YOU LOOK AT. WE WERE NOT PROGRAMMED TO FEAR.
TIMOTHY 1:7: FOR THE SPIRIT GOD GAVE US DOES NOT MAKE US TIMID, BUT GIVES US POWER, LOVE AND SELF-DISCIPLINE.
3. ANXIETY: IT MEANS “TO DIVIDE THE MIND”. IT DEVELOPS AS YOU SWITCH THINKING BETWEEN THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE. YOU CANNOT FUNCTION IN EITHER FOR ONE INTERFERES WITH THE OTHER.
YOU WERE NOT MADE FOR ANY OF THESE EMOTIONS, AND THEY ALL RESIDE IN THE FUTURE.
POINT TWO: I CANNOT CONTROL THE FUTURE
IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET FREE FROM WORRY, YOU MUST BELIEVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART, THAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL THE FUTURE. WE CAN’T CONTROL THE FUTURE. WE CAN TAKE STEPS TODAY THAT CAN INFLUENCE OUR FUTURE, BUT WE CANNOT CONTROL IT. WORRY AND ANXIETY KEEP US FROM DOING TODAY, THINGS THAT MIGHT INFLUENCE OUR TOMORROW.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF TRYING TO CONTROL THE FUTURE ARE DEVESTATING. CONSIDER THESE SIDE EFFECTS OF WORRY: 1 IRRITABILITY, 2. DEPRESSION, 3. INSOMNIA, 4. FATIGUE, 5. HEADACHES, 6. ULCERS, 7. HEART ATTACKS, 8. CANCER. THE MAIN WAY THESE ARE TREATED ARE THROUGH DRUGS. YOU AND I WERE NOT MADE TO DEAL WITH ANY OF THESE SIDE EFFECTS OF WORRY AND FEAR.
POINT THREE: WE WILL ALWAYS FACE UNCERTAINTY
THE FUTURE WILL BE FILLED WITH VARIOUS CHALLENGES THAT WE WILL BE TOTALLY UNPREPARED FOR.
OUR SCRIPTURE READING TODAY IS WELL KNOWN. JESUS HAS BEEN HEALING PEOPLE AND DRIVING OUT EVIL SPIRITS, AND A LARGE GROUP HAS GATHERED AROUND HIM. AS HE SAW THE CROWD BUILDING, HE GAVE THE ORDER TO SAIL ACROSS THE LAKE.
FISHING BOATS OF JESUS’ TIME WERE LIKE A ROW BOAT, BUT WITH HIGHER SIDES AND POSSIBLY SAILS. THEY WEE NOT SEA GOING VESSELS AS WE WOULD KNOW THEM, AND CERTAINLY NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO BE CAUGHT IN DURING A STORM.
ISRAEL HAD SEVERAL INLAND SEAS WHICH WERE SOMETIMES CALLED LAKES. BECAUSE OF THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE LAND, VIOLENT STORMS WOULD OCCUR SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. TO BE CAUGHT IN A STORM LIKE THIS, AS JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES WERE, WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING, EVEN FOR THE MANY FISHERMEN WHO WERE ONBOARD.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO CONSIDER FROM THIS PASSAGE:
1. JESUS KNEW THAT THE STORM WAS COMING. WHILE SOME OF HIS POWER AS GOD WAS SUSPENDED WHEN HE TOOK ON HUMAN FORM, THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT HIS ALL KNOWING POWER WAS SUSPENDED WITH ONE EXCEPTION.
MATTHEW 24:36: “BUT ABOUT THAT DAY OR HOUR NO ONE KNOWS, NOT EVEN THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN, NOR THE SON, BUT ONLY THE FATHER
JESUS DISPLAYED COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF THE FACTS IN ALL OTHER SITUATIONS MENTIONED IN SCRIPTURE SO THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT JESUS DID NOT KNOW THE STORM WAS COMING.
HE COULD HAVE DELAYED THE TRIP, MAYBE PICKED ANOTHER DESTINATION, BUT HE CHOOSE TO EXPOSE HIS DISCIPLES TO THIS LIFE-THREATENING JOURNEY, SO THE QUESTION WE ASK IS WHY?
2. COULD JESUS HAVE STOPPED THE STORM BEFORE IT STARTED? THE ANSWER IS YES. HE SPOKE TO THE STORM WHILE IN THE MIDST OF IT. HE COULD HAVE EASILY SPOKEN TO THE WEATHER AND DELAYED IT’S START UNTIL AFTER THEY HAD CROSSED. THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF THIS.
A) MOSES WHEN THEY CROSSED THE RED SEA
JOSHUA 10:13: SO THE SUN STOOD STILL, AND THE MOON STOPPED,
TILL THE NATION AVENGED ITSELF ON ITS ENEMIES, AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF JASHAR. THE SUN STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SKY AND DELAYED GOING DOWN ABOUT A FULL DAY.
ISAIAH 38:8: I WILL MAKE THE SHADOW CAST BY THE SUN GO BACK THE TEN STEPS IT HAS GONE DOWN ON THE STAIRWAY OF AHAZ.’ ” SO THE SUNLIGHT WENT BACK THE TEN STEPS IT HAD GONE DOWN.
WE KNOW THAT IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD MANY JUDGMENTS WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PHYSICAL PLANET. IT BRINGS US TO THE SAME QUESTION, WHY, DID JESUS NOT STOP OR DELAY THE STORM?
BECAUSE JESUS KNEW ABOUT THE STORM, AND DID NOTHING TO STOP OR DELAY IT, THEN WE MUST CONCLUDE THAT HE HAD A PLAN FOR THE STORM IN THE LIFE OF THE DISCIPLES.
SOMETIMES OUR PERSONAL GROWTH ONLY OCCURS BY GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS.
1. IF YOU WANT MORE PATIENCE, GOD WILL PLACE YOU IN SITUATIONS WHERE YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE IT.
2. IF YOU WANT MORE MONEY, HE WILL CREATE MORE WORK FOR YOU, NOT A LOTTERY.
3. IF YOU WANT TO CONTROL YOUR ANGER, HE WILL PLACE YOU IN SITUATIONS THAT MAKE YOU ANGRY AND TELL YOU TO CHOOSE NOT TO REACT.
EPHESIANS 4:26: 26 “IN YOUR ANGER DO NOT SIN”: DO NOT LET THE SUN GO DOWN WHILE YOU ARE STILL ANGRY, 27 AND DO NOT GIVE THE DEVIL A FOOTHOLD.
MATTHEW WAS A TAX COLLECTOR NOT A FISHERMAN. CAN YOU IMAGINE HIS FEAR OF BEING CAUGHT IN THIS STORM? CAN YOU IMAGINE HIS SURPRISE WHEN IN THE MIDST OF THIS STORM, WITH WATER POURING INTO THE BOAT FASTER THAN THEY COULD BAIL IT OUT, THAT JESUS WOULD GO AND TAKE A NAP. JESUS DELIBERATELY FOUND A PLACE TO CURL UP IN AND GO FOR A SLEEP WHILE THE STORM WAS RAGING. HE DIDN’T GO TO SLEEP BEFORE THE STORM STARTED.
IT IS HERE THAT WE CAN LEARN SOME LESSONS FROM THE STORM:
1. JUST AS THE DISCIPLES WE WILL FACE STORMS THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER.
WE CAN LOSE EVERYTHING IN A HURRICANE, FLOOD OR FIRE. THE DOCTOR TELLS US WE HAVE CANCER OR ALSHEIMERS. IN OUR FEAR AND HOPELESSNESS WE TRY TO FIND ANSWERS. INSTEAD WE FIND JESUS CURLED UP WITH HIS PILLOW IN THE FRONT OF THE BOAT SLEEPING LIKE A BABY. WE CRY AS THE DISCIPLES DID:
MARK 4:38: 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?”
2. JESUS ALLOWS THE STORMS FOR OUR GOOD
POINT FOUR: THE STORM IS NOT A QUESTION OF FAITH, BUT OF TRUST
JESUS WOKE UP AND LOOKED AT THEM. HE WAS NOT MAD, BUT DISAPPOINTED AND SAD THAT THEY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION.
THIS STORM WAS NOT ONLY A TEST OF FAITH, BUT IT WAS A TEST OF TRUST. WHEN THE DISCIPLES WOKE JESUS, THEY WERE ADMITTING THAT THEY COULD NOT CONTROL THE STORM AND WERE PLACING THEIR TRUST IN HIM THAT HE COULD. THEY HAD FAITH THAT JESUS COULD HELP THEM BUT NOW THEY NEEDED TO TRUST THAT HE WOULD HELP IN THIS SPECIFIC SITUATION.
WE NEED TO DO THIS AS WELL. I CAN HAVE FAITH THAT JESUS WILL HEAL THE SICK, BUT I MUST TRUST HIM TO HEAL MY SPECIFIC SICKNESS, BE IT SUPERNATURALLY, OR THROUGH THE USE OF A PHYSICIAN.
PSALM 116:1-2:
I LOVE THE LORD, FOR HE HEARD MY VOICE; HE HEARD MY CRY FOR MERCY. 2 BECAUSE HE TURNED HIS EAR TO ME, I WILL CALL ON HIM AS LONG AS I LIVE.
JAMES MacDONALD WRITES:
“AS LONG AS WE TRY TO HANDLE THE CRISES OF OUR LIVES ON YOUR OWN, HE’LL BE SLEEPING IN THE FRONT OF THE BOAT. BUT THE MOMENT YOU LIFT YOUR VOICE AND SAY. “LORD, SAVE ME” IS THE MOMENT HE SHOWS UP.”
POINT FIVE: I CHOOSE TO TRUST
TRUST IS THE ANTIDOTE TO ANXIETY AND THE DESTRUCTION OF FEAR. IT IS THE ACT OF MY WILL TO GIVE MY BURDENS TO GOD. IT IS LIKE A MUSCLE AND AS YOU EXERCISE IT, TRUST GETS STRONGER.
2 PETER 1:4: THROUGH THESE HE HAS GIVEN US HIS VERY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES, SO THAT THROUGH THEM YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE, HAVING ESCAPED THE CORRUPTION IN THE WORLD CAUSED BY EVIL DESIRES.
1. I CAN TRUST GOD TO MEET MY NEEDS: FINANCIALLY
PHYSICALLY
EMOTIONALLY
MATTHEW 6:25: THEREFORE I TELL YOU, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT YOU WILL EAT OR DRINK; OR ABOUT YOUR BODY, WHAT YOU WILL WEAR. IS NOT LIFE MORE THAN FOOD, AND THE BODY MORE THAN CLOTHES?
2. I CAN TRUST GOD TO CARE FOR ME AND LOVE ME
MATTHEW 6:26: LOOK AT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR; THEY DO NOT SOW OR REAP OR STORE AWAY IN BARNS, AND YET YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDS THEM. ARE YOU NOT MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN THEY?
3. I CAN TRUST THAT GOD HAS NUMBERED MY DAYS
MATTHEW 6:27: CAN ANY ONE OF YOU BY WORRYING ADD A SINGLE HOUR TO YOUR LIFE?
4. I CAN TRUST GOD TO TAKE CARE OF TOMORROW.
CONCLUSION:
THE STORM DROVE THE DISCIPLES TO TRUST JESUS TO GET THEM SAFELY THROUGH IT. THEY KNEW IT WAS BEYOND THEIR CONTROL.
YOU AND I CANNOT BEAR THE PAIN OF THE PAST NOR THE FEAR OF THE FUTURE. OUR ONLY RESOURCE IS TO REALIZE THE STORM IN THE PRESENT AND TO CRY OUT TO GOD FOR HELP.
WE CAN CHOOSE TO TRUST THAT THE ONE WHO CALMED THE STORM FOR THE DISCIPLES, IS THE ONE WHO CAN CALM THE STORMS WE ARE FACING. WE CAN CHOOSE TO TRUST IN HIS LOVE, MERCY, AND GRACE TODAY.
