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"STEWARDSHIP IS A MATTER OF TRUST"
MESSAGE # 1 OF 4: "CAN I TRUST GOD?"
OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE TEXT: PROVERBS 3:1-10
DAVE RING, PASTOR
LOS ALAOMS 1ST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 18, 2009

SCRIPTURE TEXT: Proverbs 3:1-10 (King James Version)
1: My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3: Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4: So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6: In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7: Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8: It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9: Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

MESSAGE: Christian stewardship, at its core, is a matter of trust. And the first and most significant trust question any human being ever asks is this: "Can I trust God?"
I'm going to risk opening our 2009 series of messages on Christian stewardship with a highly personal illustration. I've been your pastor long enough now that I believe most of you will hear it in the way it's intended - to glorify God.

My earliest childhood memory dates from age four and a half. My father, who almost never acknowledged my existence, had decided to play with me that day. He invited me to jump off the stairs in our house and he would catch me at the bottom. I recall that I was delighted with this little game, and gradually grew brave enough to add steps - two, three, four, then finally five. As I jumped from the fifth step to land in his arms, my father deliberately turned aside and let me fall to the hardwood floor. The impact broke both bones in my right forearm and cracked two of my ribs, resulting in a four-day hospital stay. As I lay there crying at the bottom of the steps, before he picked me up to take me to the emergency room, I managed to ask, "Daddy, why?" His response: "I want you to learn a very important lesson from this. Never trust anybody. Don't even trust me."
Frankly, I learned that lesson very well. During my growing years, I didn't trust anybody or anything - and fortunately, I was both mentally and physically strong enough to get away with relying only on myself. As a high school senior - and the co-valedictorian of my class - I was voted "Most Likely to Serve Time for a Felony" by my classmates. But at age 20, I personally met the Lord Jesus Christ - and I began to trust God. After that, I slowly began to trust people. But as I stand before you at age 62, I confess that I still have to work daily on "trust" issues. I don't offer my trust easily. Only with God's help can I really trust anyone.

As a pastor for 33 years, I've also come to understand that I'm not alone in my struggles with issues of trust. Trust is a major concern for many, many persons, Christians and non-Christians alike. For that reason, we're going to intensively study trust for the next four weeks. We'll begin by considering two major questions: First and foremost, can I trust God? And second, can God trust me? Then, we'll continue by putting our trust to the test - and committing our resources to God's service. For it's my contention that Christian stewardship, at its core, is simply a matter or trust.
Our scripture text for today is part of the writings of Solomon, reputedly the wisest man who ever lived. On the subject of trust, Solomon offers this wisdom: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." And as proof of one's trust in the Lord, Solomon further says, "Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."

Three quick observations from these verses: First, there are no exceptions to trust in God. The word "all" applies. If you trust in the Lord with part of your heart, you don't really trust in the Lord. Second, God's promises are bountiful. God can and will provide more than you can possibly imagine. And third, God's promises are conditioned upon our trust. We must trust God first - then His promises take effect.

Two simple stewardship statements can be made, based upon these 10 verses from Proverbs 3. First, God is trustworthy. He is worthy of our complete confidence. He is totally dependable. George Beverly Shea, for many years the lead singer who accompanied Billy Graham on his crusades, was regularly inundated with song requests. In his memoirs, Shea recalls that he was once handed a slip of paper asking that he sing a song entitled, "God's Grip Don't Slip." Shea commented: "That's not good grammar - but it's excellent theology."

Second, God has entrusted - placed in our care - the opportunities, possessions, time, and talents that we experience. Everything we have, everything we are - is "on loan" from God to us. In three short words, we are stewards.

I would further share with you two trustworthy thoughts about God, both directly from Scripture. First, God's care is constant. He has said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." So we may say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper: I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5b-6) Second, God's grace never fails. "His steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 136, every verse!)

In my life experience, and I suspect in yours, trusting God is not a one-time, one-size-fits-all experience. Most, if not all of those present, have made a decision to trust Christ as personal Savior at one time or another, and that's good. But it may not be good enough to settle the trust issue once and for all in your life. Trust, like discipleship for Christ, must be developed - usually via a lifelong process. And there are at least three critical junctions in that process, "forks in the road" when we may choose to continue trusting God, or veer off course, away from trust in Him.
The first crossroads for trust development is adversity. When times get hard in our lives, do we continue to trust God? When momma dies, when grandson is arrested, when cancer is diagnosed, can we trust God? Do we call upon the Holy Spirit to enable us to do so when our human resolve and strength fail us, as they inevitably will?

The second juncture for trust development is plenty. This may seem odd, but the fact is that people more quit trusting God in plenty than in adversity. When we're doing well - financially, relationally, health-wise - humans tend to forget God. During my growing years I thought I was smart enough and strong enough not to need anyone else - especially God. For a while I got away with it, and for a while you might be able to, too. Yes, it really is harder to trust God in plenty than in adversity. But even the rich, the famous, and the healthy eventually need God. Trust Him in plenty, and you'll develop a relationship that will see you through all life's "up's" and "down's."

The third "fork in the road" for trust development is hard to explain, for it requires a deeper level of trust than most humans, even those who call themselves Christians, are willing to go. It's placing our trust directly in God rather than, indirectly, in the instruments of His provision. The human tendency is always to trust that which is tangible. Instead of trusting God, we look to the person who helped lead us to God. Or we trust the church building in which we came to faith in Christ. Or we put our faith in the Bible, rather than in the Author of the Bible. All those are good things, but none of them is good enough to warrant our ultimate trust. Putting our faith in anything less than God Himself borders on idolatry. God is our source - He warrants our trust. All else is secondary.
I'm going to close this message with a "stolen" passage from a sermon delivered by Dr. S. M. Lockeridge, recently-deceased, but for many decades a west-coast Pentecostal black pastor of great renown. His discourse is entitled, "You Can Trust Him."

"It is He who made us and not we ourselves. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. No means or measure can define His limitless love and no telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply. I'm telling you today that you can trust Him.

No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing. He is enduringly strong and He is entirely sincere. He is eternally steadfast and He is immortally graceful. He is imperially powerfully and He is impartially merciful. He is the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world. He is God's son. He is the center, the Savior. He is the linchpin of civilization. I am trying to tell you, Church, you can trust Him.

He does not have to call for help, and you can't confuse Him. He doesn't need you and He doesn't need me. He stands alone in the solitude of Himself. He is august, He is unique, and He is unparalleled. He is unprecedented, He is supreme, He is preeminent, He is the loftiest idea in literature, He is the highest personality in philosophy, He is the supreme problem of higher criticism. He is the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He is the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion. He is the miracle of the age. He is the superlative of everything good that you can call Him. I'm trying to tell you, you can trust Him.

He can satisfy all your needs and He can do it simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak and He is available for the tempted and tried. He sympathizes and He sees. He guards and He guides. He heals the sick. He cleanses the leper. He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors. He delivers the captive. He defends the people. He blesses the young. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent. He beatifies the meek. I'm trying to tell you, Church, you can trust Him.
He is the key to knowledge. He is the wellspring of wisdom. He is the doorway of deliverance. He is the pathway of peace. He is the roadway of righteousness. He is the highway of holiness. He is the gateway to glory. You can trust Him.

He is the Master of the Mighty. He is the captor of the conquerors. He is the leader of the legislature. He is the overseer of the overcomers. He is the governor of the governors. He is the Prince of Princes. He is the King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. You can trust Him.
His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His life is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy. His burden is light. You can trust Him.

I wish I could describe Him to you, but He is indescribable. He is incomprehensible. He is irresistible because He is invincible. You can't get Him off your hands. You can't get Him off your mind. You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him. You can trust Him.

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