In Whom Do You Really Trust?

(Rewritten notes from a messages on Proverbs 3:5-8 shared on July 24, 2011, at Corona International Christian Fellowship.)

Matthew 28:16-20

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Do you trust God?

I mean do you trust God 100 percent?

Do you REALLY trust God 100 percent that you trust that He is speaking through me right now?

Are you sure? I mean, 100 percent sure that you trust God 100 percent, and that He is speaking through me right now?

OK. Here’s what he told me to tell you, and it’s Biblical: Matthew 28:16-20. He’s told me to tell you that today, before I start this message, that He wants you to fulfill the Great Commission by going out and bringing back one person, either a stranger or a friend, to this church to listen to His Word today, and to do it in the next 30 minutes.

You ready? Go!

(Let the record show that on that day this message was given, two people immediately went for the door. The rest either just looked at me funny or just absolutely looked, well, scared.)

Wait … before you leave, how many of you are really going home thinking that I’m nuts, and, maybe, just maybe, you think God is nuts, too?

I mean, what I relayed to you is Biblical, direct from God’s Word: That as we gathered here, we in a sense felt the presence of the Lord in our worship, and as part of that worship, just like in Isaiah 6, God said. “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?”

What part of that did you not put 100 percent trust in God and in His Word that this is what He wants you and me to do?

Truth is, I’m not going to have you do that, and I believe God is not going to have you do that … at least not right now. But hang on to that thought and turn to

Proverbs 3:5-8

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body

Let’s work backwards to see God’s idea of what real trust is.

Teaching Point No. 1

God wants to make our paths straight (verse 6) AND give us the strength to journey along that path (verse 8).

Note that it does not say “make our paths easy.” It says straight. (NKJV/KJV say “direct your paths” but all other major translations say “make your paths straight.”)

So, what’s the point? I’ve been reading a modern translation John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progess,” which was originally written back in the 1600s. It’s about the Christian’s walk toward heaven. And at one point in the journey, the Christian can see the eternal city, and can see the path leading to it … but it’s not smooth, it’s hilly and twisty. It’s that path that God wants to make straight.

The other point is that God KNOWS it’s a difficult journey. In John 16:33, Jesus, God the Son, said, “In this world you will have trouble.”

But here’s what it meant by God bringing us health to the body and nourishment to the bones during our journey in this life.

In Isaiah 40: 29-31:

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

He doesn’t just save us to put us on a difficult path to heaven. He wants to make us strong for the journey. The key here is in verse 31: “those who hope in the Lord … ” Another way of looking at that is those who TRUST in the Lord … but more on that later …

Teaching Point No. 2

We shouldn’t rely on our human, or wordly, wisdom alone (verses 5 and 7), but on the Lord’s wisdom.

Let’s make sure first, to understand what this DOES NOT MEAN:

Although this passage certainly condemns any academic arrogance, it does not indulge in anti-intellectualism. The commitment of the heart to God means that all the beliefs and decisions of life are to be submitted to Yahweh. Even very practical decisions are in view here, and not just matters of academic pursuit. But the text is no more opposed to academic research per se than to any normal activity of life. Also, “understanding” implies not just intellectual capacity but one’s own moral standards. One’s private vision of right and wrong must be submitted to God.

--The New American Commentary, Vol. 14: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs

In other words, God does not say for us check our brain at the door. He does say we ought to use it, but to use it wisely. There is reason why He gave us a level of intellect. The very fact that in Isaiah 1:18, he says, “Come, let us REASON together,” leads me to believe that.

Now, let first define what wisdom is …

WISDOM

The ability to direct one’s mind toward a full understanding of human life and toward its moral fulfillment. Wisdom is thus a special capacity, necessary for full human living; it can be acquired through education and the application of the mind.

--Tyndale Bible Dictionary

And this is why we should not rely on our own knowledge – things we’ve learned on earth by worldly wisdom – by itself:

Proverbs 28:26

He who trusts in himself is a fool,

but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

1 Corinthians 3:18-19

Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.

Which leads to …

Teaching Point No. 3

Verse 7 says “fear the Lord and shun evil” and the way we can do that is, according to verse 6, to acknowledge Him in everything, which basically means to KNOW Him and what He desires of us.

What it means to "fear the Lord."

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Psalm 111:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

To him belongs eternal praise.

We need to have that fear of the Lord = an awe-inspiring reverence that has us offering constant praise because of His divine wisdom – and because of WHO He is.

Divine Wisdom

Although the term “wisdom” is used primarily in the OT with reference to human beings, all wisdom is ultimately rooted and grounded in God. Wisdom forms a central part of the nature of God. In wisdom God created the universe (Prv 3:19) and human beings (Ps 104:24). Thus wisdom, in its positive connotations, is something inherent in God, reflected in creation, and a part of the reason for human existence. Wisdom in creation is reflected in the form and order that emerged out of primeval chaos. The wisdom of God expressed in the creation of humanity means that human life may also be marked by form and order, and that meaning in life may be found in the created world, which contains marks of divine wisdom.

--Tyndale Bible Dictionary

Proverbs 3:19-20

By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations,

by understanding he set the heavens in place;

by his knowledge the deeps were divided,

and the clouds let drop the dew.

Psalm 104:24

How many are your works, O Lord!

In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

Psalm 104 describes how the order of how creation works – not in a scientific/worldy wisdom way, but showing us through His eyes just by looking at things . And when you read the entire psalm, you do start to realize that human wisdom could not have engineered creation that way. As a matter of fact, human wisdom is still trying to figure it out. But the wisdom of God simply tells us that it’s Him, that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

But what’s even more awe-inspiring, what should make us fear Him even more is this:

James 1:5-6

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Which leads to …

Teaching point No. 4

In Proverbs 3, verse 5, it says to trust in the Lord with all our heart. God wants us to trust Him, to have full faith in Him, with everything that we are.

Trust, as a verb, as an action, means to believe in the reliability, truth, or ability of, or to have the confidence in someone.

In Harpers’ Bible Dictionary, under trust, it says “see faith.”

Under faith, it says:

faith, in the Bible trust in, or reliance on, God who is himself trustworthy.

Harper's Bible dictionary

In other words, we can rely on, we can count on as true, God’s wisdom because it has PROVEN TO BE TRUSTWORTHY.

The nation of Israel knew this based on its history of being delivered and rescued by God from its enemies (but as the Old Testament records, they didn’t always ACT as they believed it).

Psalm 115:9-11

O house of Israel, trust in the LORD—

he is their help and shield.

O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD—

he is their help and shield.

You who fear him, trust in the LORD—

he is their help and shield.

And when you read about the whole plan of redemption in the Bible, and when you consider all the prophecies of the Old Testament and ALL those concerning Jesus’ first coming some 2,000 years ago were fulfilled, you do come to know, with the divine help of the Holy Spirit, that God is 100 percent trustworthy.

And you can read a verse like Isaiah 12:2

Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.”

And know by faith that you can trust, that you can rely on what He promises to you in His Word 100 percent.

Application:

Now that you know all this, how do you, in a very practical, everyday sense, avoid making worldly wisdom you standard, but instead trust God with everything that you are?

Here are some starters for you, how you will feed yourself spiritually, your challenge between now and when you meet in your D-groups, here is what you hold each other accountable to during the week:

Surrender to Him. Don’t just sing it, but surrender to Him, in body and in mind.

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Acknowledge Him. That doesn’t just mean to say God is there, that He exists. The demons can do that. But as we learned today, that means to KNOW Him through His Word. That, the demons won’t do.

In Matthew 11:29, Jesus, God the Son, said:

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

He invites us constantly to learn from Him, about Him, through His Word.

And when you learn more of Him, more about Him, you learn that He is so much bigger than anything you can imagine – bigger than your successes, bigger than the problems of this world, bigger than your problems – that how He reveals Himself in His Word barely scratches the surface because if He did reveal Himself to us in His infinite total glory, it would be like Moses being shoved in a crease in the rocks by the hand of God – we couldn’t handle it.

A pastor named Toby Slough put it this way, using Isaiah 55:8-9

I want to serve a God who is bigger than I, one whom I can't fully comprehend or understand. I don't want a god you can put in a box. I don't want a god that runs with programs and formulas. Even now, when I wonder why God didn't answer a prayer the way I wanted him to or allowed something to happen to me that I can't understand, I can almost hear him whispering, "My ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts."

Pick up your Bible and consistently, constantly, prayerfully read and seek Him.

As Pastor Ed said last week, the daily tragedy is that after today, many Christians, including some of YOU, will not pick up your Bible between now and next Sunday. And listen carefully – listening to KWAVE or a podcast from another Biblical pastor, while that’s a good thing to do, IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR TIME WITH GOD.

Then fully trusting in Him, obey Him, know that He is with you, and tell people about Jesus. (Matthew 28:16-20)

What happens if you don’t start with acknowledging the Lord and knowing Him through His Word? As it says in Psalm 115, you start to worship and trust in something you made up. Your view of God becomes based on YOUR OWN understanding, not His. Your view of God become so much smaller than He is. And it follows that your trust in Him, especially in times of crisis, is almost non-existent. And what you have left to fall back on? The things you know, which are build on human wisdom that pales in comparison to God’s wisdom that He freely wants to give you.

What happens when you diligently, with discipline – like the disciples of Jesus that we ought to be – pursue consistently, constantly, God’s wisdom in His Word?

As we learned to day, when we do those things, the Lord will make our paths straight and give us the strength we need in this journey.

"I Surrender All"

Caedmon's Call

Corporate Worship: A Piece of Heaven on Earth (Psalm 150)

(Rewritten notes from a messages on Psalm 150 shared on June 26, 2011, at Corona International Christian Fellowship.)

In a Christianity Today article, “Contemporary Music: The Cultural Medium and the Christian Message,” D. H. Williams, a professor of religion in patristics – the study of the writings and lives of the early Christian theologians – and historical theology at Baylor University, wrote:

Our consumerist culture has co-opted many churches, creating a mall-like environment marked by splashiness and simplistic messages. When the church becomes essentially a purveyor of religious goods and services, it reinforces the believer's own consumerist habits, allowing him to pick and choose according to taste or functionality.

He wasn’t necessarily being critical of the music, but the bigger picture: He was questioning the attitudes that drive what some call “modern worship.” While tradition for tradition’s sake can be stifling and turn people away from hearing the Gospel, too much of making a worship service resemble a concert or a multi-media event with slick production potentially can distract people from what they need to KNOW and HEAR in God’s Word.

In other words, through weekly worship services, for a variety of reasons many modern-day churches have molded themselves into the image of the community (maybe the world) they serve – rather than transforming the community (the world) they serve. If I read the article correctly, Williams seems to say that churches have been emphasizing form over the substance of the Gospel, rather than having the Gospel shape the form of the church. And honestly, during my vacation, I wondered if at times we’ve allowed that to happen here at CICF.

But God, in His ever infinite wisdom given to us in His Word, provides a way for us to get back onto the path HE wants us on.

Read the following psalm out loud (as it was meant to be):

Psalm 150

Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.

I’m going to take these points out of chronological order because the most important point to learn today is at the beginning of the psalm.

Teaching Point No. 1: Who should praise God
v. 6 Everything that has breath.

Elsewhere in God's Word (just a sampling, be a Berean, double-check me, look for other passages.)

Psalm 145: 10-12
All your works praise you, LORD;
your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Revelation 5:13
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Teaching Point No. 2: Why He should be praised
v. 2: For His acts of power and surpassing greatness.

Elsewhere in God's Word (just a sampling, be a Berean, double-check me, look for other passages.)

Deuteronomy 3:24
“Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? ”
(Emphasis on "have begun," because God is not yet finished showing us His greatness and strong hand.)

Jeremiah 32:17-19
“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents’ sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.

Revelation 15:3-4
“Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(Since God created the heavens and the earth, it is quite logical and possible to think that He existed BEFORE the heavens and the earth came into being, that He existed BEFORE the beginning. And isn't that a display of His power and surpassing greatness?)

John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
(Isn't this even a larger display of His power and surpassing greatness that He would even want to rescue a bunch of rebellious misfits like us by sacrificing His one and only Son -- who did no wrong, ever -- on a cross to die a criminal's death? How often do we think on that, how often we take that for granted, in our times of corporate worship?)

Challenge: What other verses in the Bible can you find that define God’s power and surpassing greatness? How you observed them in your life and the lives of Christians you know?

Teaching Point No. 3: How we should praise Him
v. 3-5 With instruments, voices and loudly

• sounding trumpet
• timbrel = hand drum
• dancing = physical expression
• harp and lyre = stringed instrument
• pipe = flute in other translations
• with cymbals = these instruments tend to be anything but quiet: v5 = crashing and ringing, constant

This is NOT making a case for loud volume for the sake of loud volume. It IS making a case that praise and worship, while at times it can be contemplative and meditative, should also be expressed in such a way that people take notice, that God’s glory is such that it CAN NOT be proclaimed quietly.

Look at it this way: Each line in verses 1-5 begin with the word praise; each line in verses 3-5 begins with the praise. Praise means to express, and in the context of this psalm, it means to express boldly and loudly, with instruments and with the body. And while singing isn’t explicitly mentioned in Psalm 150, in other psalms of praise it is. Here’s just one example (and, again, I encourage -- I challenge -- you to be Bereans and check me and find other passages where it says to praise the Lord boldly and loudly):

Psalm 98:4-6
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Shout for joy is emphasized because when you realize God's power and surpassing greatness was used to rescue us from our own mess, that he would love us first even when we would not love Him, that it cost Him the ultimate price ... why would you express your love for Him quietly?

Teaching Point No. 4: Where we praise the Lord
v. 1 In His sanctuary and in His mighty heavens
Sanctuary = here on earth
His mighty heavens = not here on this earth, but in His throne room.

This is important, and if you were nodding off before, here is where you need to wake up … and look to the left and right of you and wake up your neighbor.

The psalmist says we should praise the Lord in His sanctuary. That’s here in this building AND outside this building, because the earth is the Lord’s sanctuary. Our praise is NOT limited to this time and this place. Our praise of God, based on all the verses that come after verse one – AND ELSEWHERE IN SCRIPTURE – should be on going and should be without boundary, without limits that we so often impose on ourselves.

Which leads to the second place where God is praised: in His mighty heavens.

Look at Psalm 148:1
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights above.

OK, I know we are not in heaven – yet. But also consider this in Hebrews 12:18-24. Because of the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sin, Scripture says:

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

When we come together as a body in Christ like we do this moment, like we do every Sunday, like we do even in our D-group gatherings, God invites us to a piece of heaven on earth. God invites us into his presence, in the joyful assembly of the saints – the spirits of the righteous made perfect in the blood of Jesus – and the angels. And that is going on RIGHT NOW IN HEAVEN.

Revelation 4

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits w of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“ ‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

That, according to God’s Word, is what is taking place in heaven right now. And when we assemble as followers of Jesus, made righteous by the sacrifice of His blood shed for us on the cross, we enter in the assembly of saints and angels.

Think on that – God has invited us in to a piece of heaven right now. Think on this, you who have loved ones who have gone on before you and me: God is giving us the opportunity to join with them in their worship of Him in His very throne room in this very moment.

Application of Psalm 150
Don’t take Sunday worship, don’t take your D-group gatherings, as just activities to do because you think it’s expected of you as a Christian. Do it because God is inviting you and me to praise Him in the company of the saints and angels in heaven. Don’t come here with the attitude that you are here to be served. Come here with an attitude of awe and gratitude that God – the creator of the universe, the Eternal One – invites you and me to be here.

Think of the implications of this as you allow Scripture to shape you in the image of Jesus:

• No longer do worship gatherings reflect the world; instead they reflect heaven, God’s Word, and most important His glory
• No longer do you approach corporate worship as a thing you do
• No longer do you relegate it to just one more thing to add to your weekly calendar
• No longer (I hope) do you arrive late every Sunday, or your D-group gathering
• No longer to you stand or sit silently as the worship team leads you in song, and as the pastors lead you through God’s Word
• No longer do you leave here unchanged. The teaching of God’s Word NOT just head knowledge; it become part of you, making you a LIVING TESTIMONY, A LIVING EXAMPLE of God’s power and surpassing greatness.

I say that last part because of this: If we are in the presence of God with the company of saints and angels, as I believe we are in this very moment, we CAN NOT leave here unchanged. Because in Isaiah 6, the prophet saw the Lord in the temple, and his sin was atoned for, and Isaiah was changed and took on the tasks the Lord laid out for him.

If you leave here the same person you were when you got here, maybe you have not yet surrendered yourself to the cross.

Maybe you've let tradition get in the way.

Maybe there is some pride involved as you let your personal preferences dictate how you worship rather than letting God's Word dictate how you worship.

Last, but certainly not least, maybe you have not yet fully committed and fully come to trust in God’s redeeming grace He offers through Jesus: that grand display of His power and surpassing greatness.

If that’s you, pray this out with us before the saints and angels in heaven and before God’s throne:

Lord Jesus, thank you so much for loving me that You want to reveal a piece of Your perfect throne room in our imperfect world. I am so sorry for not realizing the depth of that love, and for rejecting You and what You teach to make me right again in Your eyes. Thank You for dying on the cross for all of my sins. With Your help, I will turn away from all those things, and walk in Your path and declare Your greatness. Today, I declare my trust in You to be my Master and Savior, and I receive You into my heart. Thank You for Your forgiveness, thank You for Your mercy, thank You for Your grace and love that is Your free gift of eternal life. Thank You for that one day when I will go home to You in heaven, when I will be with the saints and angels who are worshipping You this very moment.
Amen.