In God We Trust
Psalm 20:7
June 29, 2003
BACKGROUND:
A. Remember July 4th celebrations as a time when this country had to make a choice. The choice was not much different than other situations throughout history.
1. One day in history: Pharaoh gathered 600 of his best chariots and chased the Israelites to the edge of the sea of reeds. You know the outcome. Exodus 14:6
2. One day in history: kings from all corners of the earth surrounded the Israelites. God told Joshua he would be victorious. Joshua 11:4
3. One day in history: Solomon had 1400 chariots and 12,000 horses. His problem was he loved many foreign women who convinced him to worship their gods. His kingdom was ripped from him. 1 Kings 10:26
4. One day in history: folks saw horses and men in red coats with muskets coming toward Bunker Hill that day in June 1775. These folks turned to God for help. It was a turning point in the Revolutionary War.
5. One day in history: on a Tuesday in September, two years ago, 11 men tried to use 4 airplanes as their chariots of terror. Thousands died. Millions gathered in churches and parks to pray.
6. One day in history: on a Thursday in March of this year, hundreds of thousands of troops went into a desert the size of CA. Their horses bore names like HumVee and Bradley. Their chariots were called B1B Stealth and Blackhawk. A nation prayed.
What do such days in history have in common? A choice of who or what to depend upon.
B. This nation is coming up on its 227th birthday. The original “birthday card” had a last line that read: “And for the support of this Declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” The card was signed by 56 men in Philadelphia.
C. When tragedy becomes terror, or turmoil turns to war, we turn to God. Too often, we turn away once the crisis has passed. We forget the Bible provides clear guidance on how to choose freedom or captivity. When the foundations are being destroyed, when we are blinded by all manner of sin, the Bible says choose freedom through your Lord God.
Read Psalm 20:7
INTRODUCTION:
A. The paradox between horses and chariots or God is seen in our $1 bill. Take out a bill and look at it; if you don’t have a bill, the ushers will give you one.
1. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Heb.11:1). Most folks have never seen the gold or silver that backs the dollar, yet we are sure the $1 bill will buy something. We have never seen God, yet by faith we are certain He exists.
2. Hope is put in the Lord, now and forevermore (Psalm 131:3). Our hope resides in the fact that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We hope the $1 bill we pull out of our wallet will be good tomorrow.
3. Love is not in word or tongue, but by our actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). Few would admit to loving money, but their actions testify otherwise. Believers love God with all their heart, mind, and soul.
B. It seems that the more $1 bills one has, the more they rely on horses and chariots. This $1 bill does remind us of 4 ways of how we are to trust in God:
Trust in His Name
Trust in His Word
Trust in His Promise
Trust in His Power
1. TRUST IN HIS NAME
• The back of $1 bill reads “In God We Trust”. Our founding Fathers understood its meaning. Today there are many dark forces trying to remove that statement from more than just currency; they want it removed from our hearts and minds.
• Authentic Christians trust in the Name; by faith they know “Name-brand” quality. Unbelievers buy the cheap imitations.
• Illustration: One warm, sunny day I was walking down a street in Tijuana, Mexico. A man approached and asked, “Senor, you want to buy a Rolex watch?” I asked how much. He said, “$10 American.” These imitation Rolex’s did not have the reliability, accuracy, or durability of the real thing.
• The Word, Jesus Christ, God, became flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14). In Him was the light that shines in the darkness (v 5). Those who believe in His name are given the right to become children of God. (v 12).
• So what will you choose? Horses and chariots or the Name.
2. TRUST IN HIS WORD
• The “One Dollar” printed on a $1 bill are words that define the worth of the money. They not only inform you of the value, anyone who is handed the bill knows what it is worth by these words.
• In God, whose Word we praise, is the God we trust; we need not fear mortal man (Psalm 56:4). Unlike us, God never breaks, modifies, or distorts His Word.
• Illustration: In the movie "Hope Floats", the young character Denise follows her father to his car. The family has suffered a divorce, and the father tells Denise that she can live with him anytime she wants. However, this day Denise is told that he does not want her in his life at this time. As he drives away, Denise cries. [B. Belknap, Blockbuster Movie Illustrations, 2001, p 91]
• Jesus told us that God’s Word is the truth that sanctifies us (John 17:17). The Lord is faithful to keep His covenant even to a thousand generations (Deut. 7:9). Not one word has failed of all the good promises He has given us (1King 8:56)
• So what will you choose? Horses and chariots or the Word.
3. TRUST IN HIS PROMISE
• “Federal Reserve Note” is printed on the back of a $1 bill. It is a promise of payment, signed by both the Secretary of the Treasury and the Treasurer of the US. Payment is promised for “all debts, public and private.” The promise is reinforced by the Seal of the US printed on the back of the bill.
• When Peter was concluding his Pentecost sermon he told the people to repent, be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise was for them, their kids, folks in far away places – for everyone whom the Lord will call (Acts 2:38-39).
• Until the Son of God came to earth, we had been separated from God by our sins. We were without hope, without God (Eph. 2:12-13). Christ came to fulfill God’s promise: our redemption.
• The Lord is not slow to keep His promise, He does not want any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)
• Illustration: His promise must have seemed slow or vaporizing to His disciples the day He told them the Son of Man would be killed, then raised on the third day (Matt 17:23). They grieved. How their hearts must have crashed when Jesus then hung on the cross and said “It is finished” (John 19:30). The three days later He approached a woman in the garden and said, “Woman why are you crying? Who is it you are looking look for?” The promise had been fulfilled, not by some fancy cardiac resuscitation, but by the supernatural power of God.
• So what will you choose? Horses and chariots or the Promise?
4. TRUST IN HIS POWER
• “The United States of America” is prominently printed on the front of the $1 bill. You may travel around the US, but you never really see The USA. The power of the USA is not in the farmlands of VA, the Black Hills of ND, or the sandy beaches of CA. Rather, the power of The USA is found in its citizens. As our forefathers put it, they are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
• The Lord is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us (Eph 3:20).
• His power at work in us allows us to have life, and to have it to the full (John 10:10)
• Liberty comes only through Christ who has set us free (Gal. 5:1)
• God gives happiness to those who use His power to please Him (cf. Eccl. 2:26)
• A line in the song “Unseen Hand” goes like this, “There is an unseen hand for me, that guides in ways I cannot see. And some sweet day I’ll take my stand, still holding to the unseen hand.” God’s power is like an unseen hand, we cannot exactly see the divine power, but we can experience its effect in our lives.
• Illustration: A man went fishing on the Susquehanna River in the spring time. The water was raging, so rather than rowing, he tied his boat to a tree and let the rope out so the boat could get offshore. The line untied from the tree and the boat was swept away, only to be dashed to pieces on a rock. Clinging to the wreckage the fisherman cried for help as he was being swept along. A passerby saw his plight and raced ahead to a small bridge. Lying down, the rescuer hung his arm over the side of the bridge and yelled, “grab my hand.” The fisherman, both arms wrapped around the wreckage, did not know if he trusted the unseen rescuer enough to let go. Fortunately, he let go with one arm and clutched the rescuer’s hand and was pulled to safety.
• When we are being swept away in the torrents of sin and tribulation, do we trust enough in the power of God to reach for His unseen hand?
• So what will you choose? Horses and chariots or the Power.
DECISION:
A. Do you live by “In God We Trust” or do you live by the $1 bill?
1. Will you ever have enough dollar bills to preserve your life?
2. Can there ever be enough money to guarantee liberty from the bondage of sin?
3. Does pursuit of an infinite supply of dollar bills bring genuine happiness?
B. Today might be the day you trade your horses and chariots for trust in the Lord
1. Trust in the Name of the Lord to save you from an empty life and a dreadful future. Admit you are a sinner. Believe in Jesus Christ as the risen Lord. Confess Him as your Lord and Savior.
2. Trust in the Word of God that you belong in a fellowship of believers. You are called to be part of the body of Christ.
3. Trust in the Promise of God. Let not your heart be troubled by the burdens you are carrying today. Pray for your burden to be lifted.
4. Trust in the Power of God. Your lifestyle has not been so wicked that God cannot fix it. Your problems are not so great that Jesus cannot handle them. You are not so bad that the Holy Spirit has forsaken you. Be bold in your request to call upon the Lord’s infinite power to get you back on the highway of holiness.
[Note: Power Point slides are available for this sermon upon request.]
