Sermon by Pr. Paddick Van Zyl
Oct 2014
Title: The Trust Factor
Intro:
The story is told, whether fact or fictional I can not affirm, that there was a magnificent waterfall with approximate a 30 meter drop into a narrow river. On the opposite side of the waterfall was an equally beautiful garden with exotic birds. Many people desired to visit the waterfall which they did and even more desired to visit the bird garden...the problem - the only means o getting from the waterfall to the bird garden was by means of a thin steel rope across the gulf....there was an ex-circus tight rope walker who offered to take people across yet very few ventured or opted for this 'free service'....I wonder why?
Did they not trust in his ability to get them access safely?
Sermon:
Someone said: There are 2 reasons why we don't trust people:
•we don't know them and
•we know them
I am sure we have all had instances in life where we trusted people and they kept their promises and instances where we trusted people to our own determined.
Psalm 37:3-7;18-19;23;28;34;39-40
T-Truth of God's Word
R-Reliance upon God
U-Unwavering faith
S-Surrendered life and will
T-Tenacity (no matter what happens I will trust)
•Truth:
Trust operates in and thrives in an atmosphere of truth while distrust operates in an atmosphere of
un truthfulness or lies.
Psalm 15
•Reliance Upon:
God and His goodness,grace,provision and promises
Psalm 71:5-6
•Unwavering Faith:
Without faith it is impossible to please God and thus to trust Him to do what He said He will do. Faith & trust go hand in hand.
Heb 11:6
•Surrendered life & will:
Surrendering means giving up my life and rights for the will, plan and purpose o God for my life. When I trust God for His plan, which is good and perfect for me, I can rest assure that He will guide me and take care of me since I belong to Him and God takes care of His children.
Prov. 3:5-6
•Tenacity:
A 'bull dog' attitude is required in the Christian walk...an attitude of - I will not give up, I will trust God to come through in my situation.
Psalm 32:10
Warning:
Mark 10:24-25
Illustration:
It's a fascinating story that comes out of the 1989 earthquake which almost flattened Armenia. This deadly tremor killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of all the confusion of the earthquake, a father rushed to his son's school. When he arrived there he discovered the building was flat as a pancake.
Standing there looking at what was left of the school, the father remembered a promise he made to his son, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" Tears began to fill his eyes. It looked like a hopeless situation, but he could not take his mind off his promise.
Remembering that his son's classroom was in the back right corner of the building, the father rushed there and started digging through the rubble. As he was digging other grieving parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son! "My daughter!" They tried to pull him off of what was left of the school saying: "It's too late!" "They're dead!" "You can't help!" "Go home!" Even a police officer and a fire-fighter told him he should go home. To everyone who tried to stop him he said, "Are you going to help me now?" They did not answer him and he continued digging for his son stone by stone.
He needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" This man dug for eight hours and then twelve and then twenty-four and then thirty-six. Finally in the thirty-eighth hour, as he pulled back a boulder, he heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" and a voice answered him, "Dad?" It's me Dad!" Then the boy added these priceless words, "I told the other kids not to worry. I told 'em that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised that, Dad. 'No matter what,' you said, 'I'll always be there for you!' And here you are Dad. You kept your promise!" ¤
Close:
Faith and exercising faith enables us to trust Good to fulfill His Word and His character in our lives. Trust says: I totally abandon my life and all that I am and have into God's hands, His will and plan because He knows me, the future and He is a good Father to me. Trust means: to take the free offer of transportation from the tight rope walker and trusting in his ability to get you over the dangerous and turbulent water safely, to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the birds on the other side. Jesus is that tight rope walker. He gets us over the gorge of sin and separation from God and of poverty and sickness to where God has provision in abundance on the other side. If we will but put our trust completely in His ability. His power, His sacrifice made for us.....have you trusted in Jesus, God's provision and answer to brokeness, sin and defeat yet in exchange for life in abundance? If not today is the day of salvation and breakthrough and victory, place your trust in Jesus. He will get you over safe.....
Credits:
¤ Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, "Chicken Soup for the Soul." http://www.saltforsermons.org.uk/sermon-illustrations/topics/trust/
