Trust - Feb 2003

Note: - click on bold scriptures for them to appear in a new window.

What is the most valuable thing you have - your house, your car, your health, your job, your family, your boat, or any number of things. Would you ever go to a complete stranger and give them control of it - keys to your car, deed to your house, right to make all your medical decisions, control of your career, or control of anything that you have worked to gain or maintain. The answer is probably not. God is the same way, He trusts the expansion of the gospel to those that He knows, those that have sought him. He invests in the future by guiding and supporting those that are with Him today.

This is a good lesson for all of us. Things that are mportant and of value should only be trusted to and with those that have shown themselves trustworthy, dependable, and reliable. Important and valuable things should not be invested in things or people that do not value those same things. You would never invest your retirement with people that say “This is such a little amount that if we loose it we will not even miss it.” To you it is valuable, to them it is valueless. Why do we invest our most valuable time, talents, and lives in people, places, or things that live and act in ways that we do not want to be like. Why is this? Simply put it is the nature of sin and the nature of a human to trust what is easily accessible over the things that are hard, difficult and time consuming. The fast route is usually the one destined to failure when it comes to God. Yet we do this daily by clinging to old and easy habits.

That does not mean we should not invest in people that are lost, or people that are searching, but we should not depend on lost people to provide us with direction, hope, goals, and a lifestyle pattern. Their lifestyle should not be the pattern for ours. The saved are set apart for a reason, it is like being a member of a club, the membership joins you to the goals of the other members. It places your life in concert with theirs. We however seem to flee from those that we are joined too, and we cling to those that have no true goals, no true direction and no hope.

We are so deseprate for companionship, intimacy, or to connect with others that we will invest and trust in anyone that says they want to help us. We are slow to judge the hearts and motives of those that give us comfort when we are rebelling or those that never question our actions, but we are quick to judge the motives of those that call us to change, reform and correction. Again rebellion showing itself to those that refuses to tame the nature of sin.

In the Bible it is simply stated in Jude 1:3 -

Jude 1:3 (NIV) - Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

Are you living like a person entrusted with the gospel of the one, true and absolute God?
Are you living like a saint of the risen God?
Are you living in a fashion that shows the world you are saved?
Are you living in a lifestyle of a commander of legions of angels?
Are you living as a conquering solider?
Are you living as a saved and freed member of Heaven?

The answer is probably not. You, like me and all other humans, are sinners. We sin daily, and usually hourly. Paul tells us of his struggles to do the right thing, yet he does what he hates and works daily to escape the habits of his old nature. These battles of right vs wrong, just vs unjust are not new. These battles began in the Garden of Eden and have continued throughout the history of man until today. That means that you will continue to fight them until you die. So where is the hope? Where is the victory? Where is the rest? The hope is in Jesus, the victory is in Jesus, and the rest is in Jesus. So get in Jesus and get out of the world.

Easy to say and hard to do right? Of course it is. So is completing a college education, basic training in the armed forces, graduating from medical school, finishing a five year conversing project at work, starting a business, and any number of other things. The difficulty of the task never stops those that want to achieve it.

Failure is also part of the task. No one finishes a difficult task or journey without some mistakes, missteps, and a few failures. The question is are you going to work harder on your earthly existence then you will on your heaven future. For many Chrisitians the answer is yes, and that is very sad.

In Acts Luke tells us of Paul’s statements about his life and service to God:

Acts 20:24 (NIV) - However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

The pattern of faith in Christ and a desire to serve being the mark of the believer is continued in the book of and it continues in

First and second Corinthians continues the pattern of showing how a believer will live, act and serve. The motivation of the believer is shown to be that of a person desiring the Gospel to be preached and the kingdom of Christ to be expanded - &

The idea of the believer set apart and sealed are clearly shown in . The conduct and lifestyle of the believer is further discussed in .

You were bought with a price when you accepted Christ. He is your master now, you must follow Him. We are his servants, which means we must live by His rules and His ways. This is clearly spelled out in .

He has given us much, and all good things come from Him. Though we are slaves, we are treated like kings. So we must live like princes, and not paupers. We are blessed people in a blessed world. God expects us to do something with what He gives us. His word does not return void, and He does not expect His blessings to go unused. He controls the world, and all that is in it. You, nor I, can deplete His resources, so do not be afraid to use what He as given you. If you do you will be rewarded.

1Corinthians 4:1(NIV) - So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Remember the real key is to remember who we are here to serve and who we are answering too. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 is a great scripture to keep us focused and to give us daily direction for our lives.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NIV) - On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

Trust in Him, not in the world. Invest in His things, not in the world. Invest in all people where all can be saved and experience the richness of Christ. Do these things and you will be rewarded with the words “Well done my good and faithful servant”.

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	Note: - click on bold scriptures for them to appear in a new window. What is the most valuable thing you have - your house, your car, your health, your job, your family, your boat, or any number of things. Would you ever go to a complete stranger and give them control of it - keys to your car, deed to your house, right to make all your medical decisions, control of your career, or control of anything that you have worked to gain or maintain. The answer is probably not. God is the same way, He trusts the expansion of the gospel to those that He knows, those that have sought him. He invests in the future by guiding and supporting those that are with Him today. This is a good lesson for all of us. Things that are mportant and of value should only be trusted to and with those that have shown themselves trustworthy, dependable, and reliable. Important and valuable things should not be invested in things or people that do not value those same things. You would never invest your retirement with people that say “This is such a little amount that if we loose it we will not even miss it.” To you it is valuable, to them it is valueless. Why do we invest our most valuable time, talents, and lives in people, places, or things that live and act in ways that we do not want to be like. Why is this? Simply put it is the nature of sin and the nature of a human to trust what is easily accessible over the things that are hard, difficult and time consuming. The fast route is usually the one destined to failure when it comes to God. Yet we do this daily by clinging to old and easy habits. That does not mean we should not invest in people that are lost, or people that are searching, but we should not depend on lost people to provide us with direction, hope, goals, and a lifestyle pattern. Their lifestyle should not be the pattern for ours. The saved are set apart for a reason, it is like being a member of a club, the membership joins you to the goals of the other members. It places your life in concert with theirs. We however seem to flee from those that we are joined too, and we cling to those that have no true goals, no true direction and no hope. We are so deseprate for companionship, intimacy, or to connect with others that we will invest and trust in anyone that says they want to help us. We are slow to judge the hearts and motives of those that give us comfort when we are rebelling or those that never question our actions, but we are quick to judge the motives of those that call us to change, reform and correction. Again rebellion showing itself to those that refuses to tame the nature of sin. In the Bible it is simply stated in Jude 1:3 - Jude 1:3 (NIV) - Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. Are you living like a person entrusted with the gospel of the one, true and absolute God? Are you living like a saint of the risen God? Are you living in a fashion that shows the world you are saved? Are you living in a lifestyle of a commander of legions of angels? Are you living as a conquering solider? Are you living as a saved and freed member of Heaven? The answer is probably not. You, like me and all other humans, are sinners. We sin daily, and usually hourly. Paul tells us of his struggles to do the right thing, yet he does what he hates and works daily to escape the habits of his old nature. These battles of right vs wrong, just vs unjust are not new. These battles began in the Garden of Eden and have continued throughout the history of man until today. That means that you will continue to fight them until you die. So where is the hope? Where is the victory? Where is the rest? The hope is in Jesus, the victory is in Jesus, and the rest is in Jesus. So get in Jesus and get out of the world. Easy to say and hard to do right? Of course it is. So is completing a college education, basic training in the armed forces, graduating from medical school, finishing a five year conversing project at work, starting a business, and any number of other things. The difficulty of the task never stops those that want to achieve it. Failure is also part of the task. No one finishes a difficult task or journey without some mistakes, missteps, and a few failures. The question is are you going to work harder on your earthly existence then you will on your heaven future. For many Chrisitians the answer is yes, and that is very sad. In Acts Luke tells us of Paul’s statements about his life and service to God: Acts 20:24 (NIV) - However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. The pattern of faith in Christ and a desire to serve being the mark of the believer is continued in the book of and it continues in First and second Corinthians continues the pattern of showing how a believer will live, act and serve. The motivation of the believer is shown to be that of a person desiring the Gospel to be preached and the kingdom of Christ to be expanded - & The idea of the believer set apart and sealed are clearly shown in . The conduct and lifestyle of the believer is further discussed in . You were bought with a price when you accepted Christ. He is your master now, you must follow Him. We are his servants, which means we must live by His rules and His ways. This is clearly spelled out in . He has given us much, and all good things come from Him. Though we are slaves, we are treated like kings. So we must live like princes, and not paupers. We are blessed people in a blessed world. God expects us to do something with what He gives us. His word does not return void, and He does not expect His blessings to go unused. He controls the world, and all that is in it. You, nor I, can deplete His resources, so do not be afraid to use what He as given you. If you do you will be rewarded. 1Corinthians 4:1(NIV) - So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. Remember the real key is to remember who we are here to serve and who we are answering too. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 is a great scripture to keep us focused and to give us daily direction for our lives. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NIV) - On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. Trust in Him, not in the world. Invest in His things, not in the world. Invest in all people where all can be saved and experience the richness of Christ. Do these things and you will be rewarded with the words “Well done my good and faithful servant”.