Daily Archives: September 4, 2011

Peninsula Community Church

September 1, 2011

Two Hearts and a Contrast of Trust

 Jeremiah 17:5-8  Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

If someone wants to sell you a product, one way to get you interested in that product is to get you to imagine what your life would be like without it. For example, if the product is laundry detergent an advertiser might show scenes of children playing in the mud, or spilling red juice on a white t-shirt. Then they might show you a split screen. On one side, the competing product gets the t-shirt almost white, but their product makes the t-shirt come out as white as when it was new. They show that contrast to get you to buy their products. It encourages you to use their soap if you want clean clothes. Thus, they are encouraging you by means of contrast.

Jeremiah presents a Contrast for Encouragement

In this passage, Jeremiah is teaching his readers about the definition of and results of trusting in God vs. the one who trusts in himself. He does this by way of a comparison or contrast between a stunted shrub and a towering tree. What is revealed, in essence, is a clear division between one’s attitude and one’s commitment to follow God with all of their heart.

Description of the man who trusts in his own strength:

1. The first thing we see here is that the man whose trust is in his own strength will be like a shrub in the desert. Shrubs in the desert have no root system so they are easily blown by any and every wind that comes along. This shrub may be alive but barely. This kind of person lacks security and is filled with fear because they do not know what the future may hold. They live a life filled with worry and concern. They try to resolve the issues of life with every kind new product, psychological techniques or medical studies. This kind of person represents a life out of control. This kind of person reminds me of the person that wants to get rich quick. This person will move from business to business without much success in any one of them. They will sell Amway, Shaklee, and join any pyramid scheme possible in hopes of making a fast buck. But these things most often than not leave people broke, confused and angry. Some will play the lottery not for the sport but to use this as a method to get rich.  
2. The second thing we see in this description of the man whose trust is in his own strength is that they will fail to see any good when it comes. When our eyes are on ourselves we can be easily blinded to the good around us. We in essence become negative. We begin to live an Eeyor existence. Remember Eeyor from Winnie the Pooh. He was always down and depressed. He is generally characterized as a pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, anhedonic, old grey stuffed donkey.  
3. The third thing we see here is that the man whose trust is in his own strength will dwell in the parched places of the wilderness. He will dwell in an uninhabited salt land. There will be no spiritual fruit in his life and very little other fruit for that matter. They will have very little existence except for a personal self-absorption that focuses on no one but themselves. This kind of person is robbed of joy and life itself. I have to brag on my wife a bit. As most of you know she has MS and battles with various physical issues. She can become tired easily and has pains in her feet, head and arms as a result. But, she has chosen to not allow the pain to affect her and as she often says, she will not waste the pain or allow the pain to distract from living life. Why can she do this? It is because her trust is in God.

Description of the man who trusts is in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord: Notice that this man is blessed and not cursed.

1. This kind of man will be like the tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream. This kind of man will receive his sustenance and vitality by being plugged into God’s strength. He is cognizant that he cannot live without God. His trust is in God and His ability to provide no matter what may come. In 1969 my family and I lived through Hurricane Camille which until Hurricane Katrina was the measure of all storms. During the storm we were in upstateAlabama. When we drove home the next day there was a phenomenon that we say on a number of occasions. In the area there were many pecan orchards which were destroyed by the storm but it seemed that in every pecan orchard there was the one oak tree that withstood the wind and the rain. How does one grow their roots and become established. They must be a student of the Word. They must be one who is consistent in prayer. And, they must be in fellowship with fellow believers.  
2. This kind of man does not fear when the heat comes for he his sustenance comes from God and not his own ability to make things work. While he is effected by the issues of life like everyone one else there is a trust in God that understands He will work things out for His glory and that God’s name will be praised and honored.  
3. This kind of man is not anxious in the year of drought for it does not cease to bear fruit. Even when everything else is dead you will bear fruit because you are plugged in God. He will never leave you nor forsake you. If you abide in me…

 In addition to Jeremiah 17 we also have other passages that encourage us to trust in God:

1. Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not to your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your steps.”
2. Psalm 147:10-11 “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”
3. Psalm 33:18-19 “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.”

Where is your trust? Which way of life would best describe you? If you trust self I challenge you to repent and begin a journey to understand what it means to trust God. It does not mean that life will be easy but God will sustain and keep you through whatever comes.

Peninsula Community Church

Sermon on the Mount – Knowing that We Know

September 4, 2011

Matthew 7:21-23  “Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’

In our study two weeks ago, we saw that Matthew 7:15-20 speaks of false and unsound professions while our passage today, Matthew 7:21-23, speaks of unsound hearing and actions. We saw those who used there positions and there words to control and to use people for their own good. The wolf in sheep’s clothing is one that is all about deceiving others for personal gain and to improve their self-esteem.

While the last passage was about deceiving others for personal gain, the theme of the verse before us today speaks of a self-righteousness that leads to self-deception. In essence, this passage deals with the subject of professing one thing when in reality there is no fruit or evidence that one is who they say they are. This is one of the saddest passages in the Bible for me. It signifies those who were busy doing great things for God without ever establishing a relationship with God. There are those who believe they are doing right but they have never accomplished the one thing that is most important and that is receive Christ as their Savior.

Deception is always a difficult issue to deal with as we honestly believe that we are walking in truth and what we believe about ourselves is true.

As we pursue this discussion it is important for us to determine the reasons we become deceived:

1. One of the first reasons we are deceived is that we have a false assurance in our salvation because of an easy-believism and an acceptance of a cheap grace. 2 Cor. 7:9-10. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. What do I mean when I say an easy believism and cheap grace? I simply mean that we have received what Christ can do for us without receiving Christ. We have confessed but we have not repented. Detriech Bonnhoffer has written extensively about cheap grace. He says that a conversion experience that does not bring change is no conversion experience at all.
2. We come to Christ for the wrong reason because we misunderstand all that Christ has done for us. Eph 1:7, Eph2:7-10. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. In this regard we must understand that just because we were born into a Christian family does not guarantee that we are a Christian and yet so many pursue Christianity without ever developing a personal relationship with the living God. A second consideration here is that too often we want the gifts and benefits of God without the commitment to Christ that is needed.
3. We fail to do self-examinations. 2Cor. 13:5 – Paul calls the Corinthian church to do a self-examination of themselves. How has your life changed since coming to Christ? 
4. We have a fixation on religious activity. One final problem that presents itself is that too often we are fixated on doing things for God rather than being something for God. Those in our passage were effect in what they did but they never had a relationship to the one that they were doing the stuff for.

 How do we know we are believers?

1. We have made a confession of faith and there is an assurance in the heart that God has raised Christ from the grave. In other words there is a belief that Jesus is who He said He is. Romans 10:9-10 – But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
2. For a true believer there is an ongoing process of personal evaluation of one’s self. A part of this comes from the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the other comes from the desire to know that all issues of the faith have been dealt with. 2 Corinthians 13:5 – Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?–unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
3. There is a confirmation from the spirit of God. When you are around those who have Christ in their hearts there is a confirmation of this truth. Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
4. A true believer will follow God’s commands and where they fail they will make every effort to bring change and allow God to transform that part of their life. 1 John 2:3-6 – And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
5. A believer will not only hear the words of God but will seek to make application of those words into their lives. They will find their place in the body and then begin to full their calling. James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.

 The call of Christ is to be obedient to God’s Word and to do His will.