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TRUSTING IN GOD REGARDLESS (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     The foundational element of the Christian life is trusting God.

1.       Trust involves having confidence in God.

2.       Trust involves putting all of our care into the hands of God.

3.       Trust involves an instinctive, unquestioning belief.

 

B.      Verses:

1.       Psalm 37:3

 

Trust in the Lord…

 

2.       Psalm 37:5

 

Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him…

 

3.       Psalm 62:8

 

Trust in him at all times, ye people…

 

4.       Psalm 115:11

 

Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord…

 

5.       Proverbs 3:5

 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart…

 

C.     Sometimes there are obstacles put between us and God that makes trusting in Him difficult.  When this happens, we have to trust in God regardless. 

 

D.     Let’s examine this topic in more detail.  Our title is simply:  “Trusting in God Regardless.”

 

I.                    REGARDLESS OF A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

 

A.     There are times when we do not have all the knowledge that we think we might need in order to follow Jesus.

1.       We are rational people.

2.       We like to think that we “know” what we are doing before doing something.

 

B.      God sometimes asks people to move forward even though they do not have all the knowledge that is necessary.  Abraham is a prime example.

1.       Abraham was commanded to leave his home and go into a land that God would tell him about at a later time (Gen. 12:1).

 

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.

 

a.       It was bad enough that Abraham did not know where he was going.

b.      Can you imagine his trying to explain this move to his family?

 

C.     We must trust God regardless of our knowledge.  Abraham did (Heb. 11:8).

 

By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterward receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

 

II.                 REGARDLESS OF COMMON SENSE

 

A.     God does not always operate within the “common sense” of man.

1.       Common sense involves sound, practical, plain, ordinary judgment.

2.       Most people pride themselves on having a little common sense. 

3.       Sometimes having common sense is better than having book sense.

 

B.      At times, however, God challenges man’s common sense.

1.       When God appeared to Mary, He informed her that she was going to have a child. 

2.       This definitely did not appeal to her common sense.  She even questioned the pregnancy (Luke 1:34).

 

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

 

3.       Mary was told two things in response.

a.       The how (Luke 1:35)

 

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee…

 

b.      The power of God (Luke 1:37)

 

For with God nothing is impossible.

 

III.              REGARDLESS OF THE DIFFICULTY

 

A.     We often are in the habit of assessing things by their level of difficulty. 

1.       If something seems easy, individuals are usually willing to tackle it.

2.       However, if something possesses some level of difficulty, people have a tendency to back off from attempting the difficult.

 

B.      Noah was commanded to build an ark because God was going to destroy the world with a flood (Gen. 6:13-14a).

 

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.  Make thee an ark of gopher wood…

 

1.       The ark was a massive structure:  450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.

2.       The Bible speaks in simple terms about the ark’s construction:  a window, a door, with lower, second, and third stories.

3.       Other necessary things:

a.       Living quarters

b.      Cages for the animals

c.       Storage for their food

d.      Waste disposal

e.       Watering and feeding systems

f.        Light and ventilation

4.       Other things that made the work difficult:

a.       Only hand tools

b.      No motorized vehicles for hauling

c.       Limited manpower

d.      Sources of supplies

e.       The ridicule and mocking that Noah received from others

 

C.     Noah’s faith was bountiful.

1.       Genesis 6:22

 

Thus did Noah:  according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

 

2.       Hebrews 11:7

 

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became the heir of righteousness which is by faith.

 

IV.              REGARDLESS OF OUR APPARENT WEAKNESS

 

A.     We often judge our strength against the strength of something else. 

1.       Our nation often operates on the principle of “peace through strength.”  If we are always the stronger nation, we can maintain peace with our enemies.

2.       If any weakness is manifested, we know that our enemy will exploit that weakness.

3.       Our weakness means nothing to God.

 

B.      Three examples:

1.       When Gideon when to battle against 135,000 Midianites with only 300 men.

2.       When David met Goliath with only a sling and 5 smooth stones.

3.       When 12 men were commissioned to take the gospel to the world.

 

C.     All performed their mission in spite of their weaknesses and were victorious.

1.       Gideon (Jgs. 8:12)

 

And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited them.

 

2.       David (1 Sam. 17:49-50)

 

And David put his hand in the bag, and took thence a stone, and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him, but there was no sword in the hand of David.

 

3.       The Apostles (Col. 1:23)

 

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     The title of our lesson is:  “Trusting God Regardless.”

 

B.      The definition of regardless:

1.       Having or showing no regard, heedless, unmindful

2.       Disregarding drawbacks

 

C.     When it comes to trusting God, there are times when we just cannot pay attention to some things.  We cannot show respect and concern for certain things.

1.       We must trust in God without having full knowledge.

2.       We must trust in God when common sense tells us no.

3.       We must trust in God when something seems extremely difficult.

4.       We must trust in God when our weakness is on high display.

 

D.     Two verses:

1.       Isaiah 26:4

 

Trust ye in the Lord for ever:  for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

 

2.       Psalm 37:5

 

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.