The Good And Beautiful God: God Is Trustworthy Series

“The Good & Beautiful God:

God Is Trustworthy”

Genesis 22:8

January 30th, 2011

"Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together."

Gen 22:7-8 (NIV)

Introduction:

> We have been looking at false narratives about God.

Last week we discussed the “Angry God” narrative that says that God is angry at all of us because of sin and if we step out of line, He’s going to severely punish us.

> But, Jesus’ narrative states that God is good and in the end, we will all see just how righteous and good God is. We can’t see the full picture yet!

> Not only do we not see the full picture, but what we do see is bent because we look through jaded (false) lenses—we see mostly the bad, and we fail to see all of the good that God has done! Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father above!

> Ultimately, we must choose by faith to believe that God is good—the lie will always be present, until Jesus comes again. It is by faith that we proclaim, “God is Good!”

> This week I want to confront another false narrative about God.

It is the narrative that states that God cannot be trusted.

- He is holding out on us.

- He doesn’t have our best interests at heart.

> This false narrative has been around since the very beginning! In Genesis 3, Satan catches Eve’s attention and asks…

"Did God really say, ’You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ’You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’"

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Gen 3:1-5 (NIV)

> From the very beginning Satan has been spreading this false narrative, “God is holding out on you.” Satan’s lie is that God doesn’t have your best interest at heart. He tells you that you can’t trust God, God’s going to fail you, He will ask everything of you and then leave you when you need him the most.

> I have seen this time and time again in the ministry. People come to God when they are desperate and feel that God can help them in their time of need.

> However, after the dust clears and things get better, they realize that God doesn’t want to be our God only during the difficult times. God said to Moses on Mount Sinai…

"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God."

Ex 20:3-5 (NIV)

God desires us to realize who He is and worship Him because of who He is, not because of what He does for us during the hard times in our life.

> Most people, after they get through the hard time, the desperate time, the “Oh God, I do anything for you if you just get me through this” moment—after they get past all that, they turn to God and say, “OK God, I’ll take it from here. I don’t need You anymore. So, thanks for nothing.”

> In other words, “I don’t trust you with my life. I only trust you with my junk, with my problems when they are beyond my control.”

> Many people don’t even trust God with their problems.

How many times have we heard it said, “They’ll have to hit rock bottom before God can help them.” Illustrate: Charley Sheen, in and out of drug & alcohol rehab. Doctor said, on the news, “He’ll have to hit rock bottom before he can get help.”

> The fact is, some will never trust God to take care of their life. They only trust themselves.

> What about you today?

Have you put your life in God’s hands COMPLETELY?

Or, are you the type that only turns to God when you really, really, really need Him?

Or, are you the type that never trusts God? You’re afraid He will send you (or your kids) to Africa. You know He will take all your money and leave you with nothing.