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
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 wearyand increases the power of the weak.Even youths grow tired and weary,and young men stumble and fall;but those who hope in the Lordwill 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:
He who trusts in himself is a fool,but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
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."
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,but fools despise wisdom and discipline.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
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.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:
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).
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.
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.
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