Luke 9:1-4
Trust God
This chapter is the next phase in the Twelve’s discipleship.
Throughout the last few months, I have made the statement that I
believe we are further into Jesus’ ministry than might appear. I
continue to believe we are likely into the third year of Jesus 3 1/2
year ministry. We noted by in Luke 6, when Jesus called the Twelve,
that it was time for the sheep to become the shepherds. Now it is
time for the shepherds to go tend to the sheep on their own.
This is a big step for the disciples will go out into the world
alone. They won’t go far and they won’t stay long, but Jesus will not
be with them.
And notice how Jesus sent them out.
1. \\#3\\ Don’t take anything for this journey.
2. Don’t take a stave (protection), scrip (Roman money), bread
(food), money (any currency), two coats (that a suitcase with
extra clothing).
3. \\#4\\ Don’t make any itinerary, reservations. Just step
through the open doors and \\#5\\ don’t worry about the closed
ones.
Why is Jesus telling the disciples to do this?
1. Does God want us to serve Him in an unprepared and unorganized
fashion?
2. NO! He was putting His disciples in a position where they
would have to trust God.
3. Jesus was saying, "You can and must trust God to take care of
you!
That is a vital truth to every believer today.
I. To trust God is often a lesson learned not a gift given.
A. Trusting God is a series of choices we make.
1. For some, there is one choice made that seems logical and
simple and it settles all the rest.
a. It goes something like, "If God is real, I can trust
Him."
b. That becomes a turning point and a rally cry in the
believer’s life.
2. For some, for whatever the reason, the decision to trust
God gets more complicated.
a. It requires steps which often need to be reaffirmed.
b. Yet every believer can trust God.
B. The Old Testament teaches us the steps of trusting God.
1. I see five steps.
2. Note Psalm 37.
Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so
shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou
shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall
give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in
him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as
the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:
fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in
his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked
devices to pass.
a. \\#7\\ Don’t fret. "fret not"
(1) That is don’t burn, be grieved, be displeased.
(2) Don’t worry.
(a) This is the first choice on the road to
trusting God.
i. It should be a fairly easy step if you
can reason rationally.
ii. The conclusion you need to reach is
that worry has never changed
anything or helped anyone.
(b) Then it is matter of swapping something that
does not work, worry, for something that
does, prayer.
i. Worry is talking to yourself about
what is happening.
ii. Prayer is talking to God about what is
happening.
(c) Then we must swap a worry-based prayer for
a faith-based prayer.
i. As you talk to God, don’t talk to Him
about the bad things you see
happening but talk to him about the
good things you believe He would like
to see happen.
ii. As you talk to God, spend less time
telling God and more time asking Him.
iii. As you talk to God, spend less time
talking and more time listening.
b. \\#3\\ Trust God. "Trust in the Lord"
(1) The first step is a negative for us, something we
need to stop doing.
(2) The second step is a positive, something we need
to start doing.
(3) Trusting God is a another choice that you must
make.
(a) Don’t say you can’t because you can.
(b) Just like you chose to walk not crawl, to
go left instead of right, to go to work
instead of staying home, it is a decision.
(c) Find some Bible verses: promises, examples,
Even those where the people don’t get what
they wanted but it turns out great anyway.
i. Read them.
ii. Memorize them.
iii. Put them into your cell phone or write
them on your arm if you have to do so.
iv. Chose to trust God.
c. \\#4\\ "delight thyself also in the Lord"
(1) A third choice you must make.
(2) Instead of fearing life, start enjoying God.
(a) Tell God and yourself how big and powerful
God is.
(b) Remind God and yourself of the things you
have seen Him do. If you have never seen
God do anything, remind you and Him what He
did in the Bible.
(c) Keep doing that until you see how ridiculous
it is for you to be afraid in whatever
situation you are going through.
(d) The truth is that no matter whether you get
what you want in this situation or not, God
is big enough to take care of it.
d. \\#Psalm 37:5\\ "Commit thy way unto the Lord"
(1) Committing your way to God means that you will
not let circumstances dictate your walk with
(2) Decide that no matter how things turn out, you
are going to…
(a) Keep trusting God.
(b) Keep doing right.
e. \\#Psalm 37:7\\ "Rest in the Lord"
(1) Turn off the bad thoughts by turning on the good
ones.
(2) Someone says, "That’s where my problem is. I
can’t turn off the bad thoughts."
(3) Keep doing the first four things until you can.
II. To trust God is a walk not just a talk.
A. Faith is not just a way to think, it is a way to live.
1. The Bible does not say talk by faith or think by faith.
2. It says "walk by faith."
3. Faith that does not change the way we live is a no faith
at all.
B. Hence, Jesus put His disciples into a situation where they had
to trust God.
1. It was not that they could not have provided for
themselves a staff, scrip, bread, money, or an extra
coat.
2. It was that Jesus told them not to.
C. Again, this ability is not always a gift given.
1. For most, it has to be learned.
2. I will testify that I have been the slowest learner of
all.
D. We start by trusting God for spiritual matters.
1. You can trust the Word of God.
a. You can trust it because the Bible says you can.
2Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness:
Psalms 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure
words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth,
purified seven times.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a
shield unto them that put their trust in him.
b. But logic also demonstrates you can trust it.
(1) If we are here, there was a creation.
(2) If there is a creation, there must be a Creator.
(3) If there is a Creator who created all of this and
us, He must want us for some reason.
(4) If there is a Creator who wants us for some
reason, He would communicate with us.
(5) If the Creator communicated with us, it would be
a very ancient, powerful and reliable Message.
2. You can trust God concerning salvation.
1John 5:13 These things have I written unto you
that believe on the name of the Son of God; that
ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that
ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
14 And this is the confidence that we have in
him, that, if we ask any thing according to his
will, he heareth us:
3. You can trust God in prayer.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened
unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh
it shall be opened.
E. But your faith should grow to the place where you trust God in
the physical things as well.
1. You can trust God to give you a job, to bless you at your
work, with your money.
Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance,
and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and
thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus.
Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it
shall be measured to you again.
2. You can trust God to protect and keep you.
Psalms 125:1 They that trust in the LORD shall be
as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but
abideth for ever.
Psalms 32:10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked:
but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall
compass him about.
Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place
of the most High shall abide under the shadow of
the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my
fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of
the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and
under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall
be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by
night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in
darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at
noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten
thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come
nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see
the reward of the wicked.
3. You can trust God to keep and direct your mind.
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth
in thee.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask
of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall
receive any thing of the Lord.
4. You can trust God with your family.
a. You love your family like you should.
b. You train your family like you should.
c. You lead your family like you should.
d. God will do the rest.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he
should go: and when he is old, he will not depart
from it.
F. That does not mean that things will always turn out the way
you think, but it means when they do not, God has a better
way.
In short, in every area of your life, you can trust God.
Is Your All on the Altar?
Elisha Albright Hoffman
You have longed for sweet peace, and for faith to increase,
And have earnestly, fervently prayed;
But you cannot have rest, or be perfectly blest,
Until all on the altar is laid.
Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest, and have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.
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