"In God We Trust", Really?

"In God We Trust Really?

Pastor Chris Glenn

The Community Church

11/7/10

Hebrews 11:1

On the face of our money are the words: "In God We Trust." A few years ago, the use of those words on our currency was challenged in court. The case reached the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia where the court ruled that the words could remain on the façade of a government building in Lexington, North Carolina. That was good but I want you to listen to Judge Robert King's ruling on the matter: "The Fourth Circuit has heretofore characterized the phrase, 'In God We Trust' when used as the national motto on coins and currency as a patriotic and ceremonial motto with no theological or ritualistic impact whatsoever.'" what the court said was that those four words has no more meaning than if we had "In Mickey Mouse We Trust." But the real question is; do the words mean anything to you? Do you really trust God as a normal part of your life? The truth is that faith comes down to one word and that one word is - TRUST. We can know something in our heads but never experience the reality of that thing in our lives because there is a world of difference between belief and trust.

• I want you to look closely for a moment at this stool

• Belief without action is pointless. That is where trust comes in.

Example from the Indiana Jones film, "The Last Crusade." Step of faith.

Proverbs 3:5-6.

I. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart"

A.I Will Be Confident in God's Care for Me.

1.The word trust in the Hebrew language literally means "to lie down on" or "to stretch out on."

a. When I go to bed at night, I lie down on my bed and put my whole weight on that bed without ever giving a second thought about it.

2.Now get this: The same way you trust your bed or a chair is the same way you demonstrate trust in God.

a. That means - looking beyond what we see to what God sees.

b. God has your very best interest in mind no matter who you are, where you are, or what you may have done or not done.

3.But you have the awesome power of choice to either live according to your feelings and live, taking cues from your five senses OR to live by faith, trusting God daily for whatever need you may have.

a. Now having said that; when things are going our way, trusting the Lord is not very difficult is it?

b. But when painful trials come our way, when we are being crushed by pressure and disappointment it is easy to sink into despair and frustration.

c. It is pretty easy in those times to at least wonder, "Does God really love me - Does he really have my best interest in mind?"

B.So I want to tell you, even when we cannot understand why God would allow certain situations to occur, there is an essential truth that forms the basis for trusting God.

1.This is big: God is perfect in his love.

a. In other words, he ALWAYS does what is best for us.

i. Now if you really believe this, you will trust him even in the midst of terrible adversity and difficult trials.

b. And you can depend on God's unconditional love because of his character.

i. He IS love and in him there is no darkness at all.

c. That means he is absolutely righteous, holy, and perfect and therefore would NEVER mistreat one of his children.

i. He will ALWAYS do what is best for our lives.

ii. And the cross of Jesus is positive proof of God's love for us.

iii. Every action he performs or permits in our lives is an expression of his love even though he allows some situations in our lives that we think could not possibly be for our good.

• Stranger walks up - "Would you do something for me" The first question out of our mouths would probably be: "What is it?" Well, what if this stranger said, "Never mind what it is, just trust me."

• But if Mom said to me, "Would you do something for me?" I would say, "What is it?" And if she said, "Never mind, just trust me." I would trust her. And the reason I would trust her is because I love her enough and know her well enough to know that she would never ask me anything that would harm me, embarrass me, or put me in a position that would not be in my best interest. But if I did not love her as a result of knowing her, it would be difficult for me to trust her.