WHO PACKED YOUR PARACHUTE?
PROVERBS 3:1-9
READ PROVERBS 3:1-9
INTRO-
I KNOW WHAT YOUR THINKING IF YOU LOOKED AT THE TITLE OF THIS MESSAGE. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE DOING NOW? THIS IS A MESSAGE ABOUT TRUST. THIS IS A MESSAGE ABOUT FAITH. THIS A MESSAGE OF SOLOMON THE SON OF DAVID WRITING TO HIS SON ABOUT WISDOM AND TELLING HIM TO APPLY IT TO HIS LIFE. I WANT YOU TO KNOW WITH THE BUSY WEEK OF BIBLE SCHOOL AND THE OTHER ADDED THINGS GOING ON, I SAT FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH TWO THINGS THE LORD GAVE ME FOR THE MESSAGE FOR TODAY.
TRUST IN THE LORD
WHO PACKED YOUR PARACHUTE?
YOU MAY NOT BE A PREACHER, BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE AS I SAT THERE AND THOUGHT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO PUT TOGETHER A SERMON. I SAT WITH MIKE FRIDAY MORNING IN PRAYER WITH THESE TWO PHRASES EMBEDDED IN MY MIND. I BEGAN PRAYING AND ASKING GOD QUESTIONS- I DO THAT WHEN I DON’T HAVE ANSWERS. I DO THAT WHEN IT’S FRIDAY AND I KNOW SUNDAY IS COMING. “GOD, WHAT ABOUT WHEN I’M AT MY WIT’S END” -TRUST THE LORD.
“WHAT ABOUT GOD WHEN LIFE DOESN’T TURN OUT THE WAY WE EXPECT”?- TRUST THE LORD. “WHAT ABOUT US TRYING TO MOVE BEYOND...REJECTION, BETRAYAL, FAILURE, LOSS”- TRUST THE LORD.
GOD HAS A UNIQUE DEFINITION FOR TRUST.
(V5)- TRUST WITH ALL YOUR HEART (YOUR WHOLE BEING), LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING (NO MATTER HOW SMART YOU THINK YOU ARE), ACKNOWLEDGE HIM IN ALL WAYS, ALLOWING HIM TO MAKE YOUR PATH STRAIGHT.
LIVING BY FAITH WE CANNOT USUALLY SEE GOD’S KINGDOM AT WORK IN THE NATURAL. SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
JESUS SAYS- “BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. THESE “THINGS” JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT ARE THE NEEDS WE HAVE FOR LIVING SUCH AS FOOD, SHELTER, AND OUR WANTS CONCERNING RELATIONSHIPS AND DESIRES.
IT TAKES HUMILITY TO SAY “I NEED YOU GOD, PLEASE HELP ME, I CANNOT DO THIS IN MY OWN STRENGTH.”
IT TAKES HUMILITY TO GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES AND ASK GOD FOR DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE FOR YOUR LIFE IN PRAYER.
IT TAKES HUMILITY TO OBEY GOD WHEN HE TELLS US TO STOP TRUSTING IN OUR OWN ABILITIES AND STRENGTH AND ALLOW HIM TO WORK ON OUR BEHALF.
YOU SEE THE WHOLE PROVERB IS ABOUT TALKING GODLY WISDOM AND APPLYING IT TO OUR LIVES.
V 8- FEAR THE LORD
V 11- DO NOT DESPISE THE LORD’S DISCIPLINE
WATCH HOW WE TREAT OTHERS, BECAUSE WE HAVE PROCLAIMED THE NAME OF THE LORD.
WHO PACKED YOUR PARACHUTE?
I’M TALKING ABOUT FAITH AND TRUST. IT TAKES A LOT OF FAITH TO JUMP OUT OF A AIRPLANE, BUT IT ALSO TAKES FAITH IN THE PERSON WHO YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW THAT PACKED YOUR PARACHUTE.
BY DEFINITION- PARACHUTE- IS A DEVICE USED TO SLOW DOWN THE MOTION OF AN OBJECT BY CREATING DRAG.
THE FIRST PARACHUTE TEST WAS IN 1603. IT WAS INVENTED IN 1595 BY A CROATION WHO NAMED IT FLYING MAN. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH TRUST I WOULD OF PUT IN THE FIRST PARACHUTE. IT WAS NOTHING MORE THAN WOODEN STICKS WITH A PIECE OF CANVAS NAILED TO IT.
THE WORD PARACHUTE COMES FROM A FRENCH WORD WITH A LATIN ROOT. PARA- MEANING AGAINST, CHUTE MEANING - FALL. THE WORD MEANS AGAINST THE FALL. WHAT AM I GETTING AT? WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING YOUR TRUST IN AGAINST THE FALL?
WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU TRUST THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART- IT IS ALL OR NOTHING JUST LIKE THE PARACHUTE, YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE PACKER OF THAT CHUTE. IF THE FIRST CHUTE FAILS, THERE IS AN EMERGENCY CHUTE. THE FAILURE RATE OF THE FIRST CHUTE IS MORE THAN I AM WILLING TO JUMP OUT OF A PLANE WITH. THE EMERGENCY CHUTE IS ALMOST FLAWLESS. I BELIEVE THAT IS BECAUSE THE GUY THAT SIGNS ONTO THE EMERGENCY CHUTE KNOWS THAT THERE IS NO BACK UP. HE IS THE ONE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. WHEN WE SAY THAT WE BELIEVE AND TRUST IN JESUS, WE CANNOT BE RELYING ON A BACK UP PLAN. JESUS IS OUR ONLY PLAN. WE ARE GOING TO PUT OUR TRUST IN HIM , WHEN THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN OUR LIVES, HE WILL PROTECT US AND WE ARE TRUSTING HIM TO OPEN THE CHUTE WHEN NEEDED.
IT IS ESSENTIAL IN ALL RELATIONSHIPS. WHAT IF YOU COULDN’T TRUST YOUR SPOUSE? WHAT IF YOUR BOSS COULD NOT TRUST YOU? IT IS NO DIFFERENT WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
COUPLE OF THOUGHTS TO PONDER
I. DECIDE TO TRUST GOD
TRUST IN THE LORD. GOD CALLS US TO COMPLETE TRUST. I DON’T JUMP OUT OF AN AIRPLANE BECAUSE I’M A CHICKEN. THE THOUGHT OF A BUNGY CORD JUMP FOR THRILLS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. REMEMBER, THIS IS THE GUY THAT DOESN’T LIKE ROLLER COASTERS. I PRAY THAT I WOULD HAVE AND WILL HAVE COMPLETE TRUST IN THE LORD WHEN I NEED IT. IT IS NOT BOUT FEELINGS, IT IS ABOUT STANDING ON HIS WORD AND HIS PROMISES AND THE FACT THAT HE HAS BEEN THERE FOR ME IN THE PAST.
MARK 11:22
HAVE FAITH IN GOD. JESUS ANSWERED. I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, IF ANYONE SAYS TO THIS MOUNTAIN, GO, THROW YOURSELF INTO THE SEA, AND DOES NOT DOUBT IN HIS HEART BUT BELIEVES THAT WHAT HE SAYS WILL HAPPEN, IT WILL BE DONE FOR HIM.
HAVE FAITH IN GOD
IF THERE IS A MOUNTAIN IN FRONT OF YOU THIS MORNING. NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, HAVE FAITH IN GOD I THINK IT IS THE MOUNTAIN OF UNBELIEF THAT STOPS US FROM RECEIVING WHAT THE LORD HAS FOR US. UNBELIEF HINDERS OUR WALK WITH GOD.
PETER GETS OUT OF THE BOAT, WALKED TOWARD JESUS, BY FAITH, HE KEPT HIS EYES ON JESUS, WHEN HE LOST FAITH, TOOK HIS EYES OFF JESUS AND ON THE STORM, HE BEGAN TO SINK. YOU’LL NEVER UNDERSTAND TRUST UNTIL YOU ALLOW THE LORD TO REMOVE THE MOUNTAINS THAT ARE STOPPING YOU. WHEN YOU ARE OUT OF FAITH, AND WORKING ON YOUR OWN STRENGTH, YOU WILL BEGIN TO SINK. YOU TELL PEOPLE YOU HAVE FAITH. YOU TELL PEOPLE THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD. YET WE LIVE IN UNBELIEF.
DAVID WILKERSON:
THE HARDEST PART OF FAITH IS THE LAST ½ HOUR.
II. THE LORD WILL GIVE US DIRECTION WHEN WE TRUST HIM
V 6- TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM.
THEN THE PROMISE- HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATH STRAIGHT.
SEXUALLY PURE
HONESTY RESTORED
ABLE TO LIVE BY HIS WORD
SET APART AND DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD
CLOSING:
TRUSTING GOD MEANS WE LIVE AND BELIEVE THAT WHICH WE CANNOT SEE
IT GOES AGAINST OUR NATURE OF DOING IT OURSELVES.
WE ADMIT TO GOD THAT WE DO NOT HAVE CONTROL OF OUR LIVES, HE DOES.
WHEN LIFE THROWS YOU A CURVE, WHEN IT DOESN’T TURN OUT THE WAY YOU EXPECTED
WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MOVE BEYOND..REJECTION, BETRAYAL, FAILURE, LOSS.
THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON YOU CAN COMPLETELY 100 PERCENT PUT YOUR TRUST IN AND HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST.
PSALM 9:9-10
THE LORD IS A REFUGE FOR THE OPPOSED, A STRONGHOLD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE. THOSE WHO KNOW YOUR NAME WILL TRUST IN YOU, YOU LORD, HAVE NEVER FORSAKEN THOSE WHO SEEK YOU.
GOD WANTS YOU TO TRUST WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. WHEN LIFE MAKES NO SENSE. TO FOLLOW HIM WHEN THE FUTURE SEEMS UNCERTAIN.
THAT’S WHEN HE GIVES US THE POWER AND DIRECTION AND HIS PRESENCE.
IS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM TRUSTING HIM?
ARE YOU RELYING ON THE EMERGENCY CHUTE, YOUR BACK UP, YOUR ESCAPE HATCH JUST IN CASE THINGS DON’T TURN OUT .
EITHER YOU TRUST HIM OR YOU DON’T
CHARLES SPURGEON SAID ‘I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU EITHER BELIEVE GOD TO THE HILT, OR ELSE NOT TO BELIEVE AT ALL. BELIEVE THIS BOOK OF GOD, EVERY LETTER OF IT, OR ELSE REJECT IT. THERE IS NO LOGICAL STANDING PLACE BETWEEN THE TWO”
BOW YOUR HEADS
FOCUS ON WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SAYING TO YOU.
HEBREWS 10:23
“LET US HOLD UNSWERVINGLY TO THE HOPE WE PROFESS, FOR HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL.”
1 CORINTHIANS 1:9-
“GOD. WHO HAS CALLED YOU INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, IS FAITHFUL”
ARE YOU WILLING THIS MORNING TO RESPOND TO WHAT HE IS TELLING YOU?
ALTAR CALL
