When We Trust.....amazing Things Happen

When I think about all the remarkable things that happen in this world.

When I look at some of the greatest achievements.

There is a common thread…

they happened because there was a significant level of trust.

Trust that something good,

Trust that something great would come from people’s times and efforts.

When Jeff Bezos left his job at an investment management firm to establish Amazon, he needed significant trust.

Amazon is now a company with over $40 billion of assets.

Jeff needed to trust that even though the business was unlikely to make any money for four to five years that it would succeed.

Jeff needed to trust that even though many other internet and book businesses were going broke,

that Amazon would not just survive but also thrive.

When we trust amazing things happen!!

Trust is important for life.

The truth is every day we find ourselves in situations where we need to trust for things to happen, for life to occur.

It has been said that one of the reasons people delay making decisions and acting is that they are lacking trust.

Lacking trust in themselves, lacking trust in others, even lacking trust in God.

However when we trust amazing things happen!!!

Pastor Michael Foss, a Lutheran pastor and author, makes this very clear statement that the commodity of the church is trust…us trusting God and us trusting others.

Trust is essential for a congregation to be healthy.

Think about it when we trust each other….grace and forgiveness flows freely.

When we trust we are more willing to do what God is calling us to do..

When we trust each other our relationships grow stronger.

Trust is important for us as a church.

When we trust amazing and good things happen!!

So it is not surprising that when we open up the pages of scripture we see God calling us first to trust Him.

Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 and 6 says

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight

But do you also realise God is also calling us to be a community where we trust each other.

Over 40% of the New Testament letters encourage the Christian communities to grow in a trusting relationship with each other.

For instance Paul writes the following to a young pastor called Titus he wrote the following, which we find in Titus chapter 3 verses 8 to 11…

This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

The problem with divisive people is they often do things that cause good friends and other people to distrust each other.

However this is not what God desires.

God wants us to be a community that trusts and do good for each other.

As a result of people trusting God and trusting each other the church grew,

they met together

and Acts chapter 2 tells us they even sold everything so more could get to know this trusting God

When trust exists….amazing things happen.

And in our Gospel reading we see what happens when someone trusts God

I invite you to hear part of this reading again…

Reading from Matthew chapter 14 verse 25

25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Imagine being Peter….

How would have you felt?

Taking those first steps on the water….

Imagine the stories you could tell your family and friends, your grandkids

'I still remember that day when I was with Jesus and I trusted him'

'I walked on water….'

What an experience!!!

When we trust amazing things happen!!!

But Peter was distracted….

he lost that trust in Jesus because of some stuff that was going on around him

Then what happened?

PLOP!!!

He began to sink!!