Cornerstone Community Church
A Trustworthy God for People Who Don't Trust
Intro: This broken world produces trust issues. We don’t trust easily- a theological problem.
Big Idea: God possesses the power to keep all His promises.
Context: God singled out Abram for plan of redemption. He promised Abram a great nation, a great name and a great blessing. And Abram left home on this promise, and waited … generally making a mess of things.
I. God reveals our trust issues (vs. 1-3).
- Consider Abram’s state of mind. Disappointed, disillusioned, abandoned, afraid?
- God 1st made promises 23 years earlier. He hadn’t delivered! 13 years of silence?
- He reveals Himself as El Shaddai- the God who thunders, the all-mighty one.
- Abram needs to keep this in mind as he considers the promises God has given.
- First, “walk with me”: follow me, closely. Ill. Kids & the corner
- Abram often failed to walk w/God; at times going own way (Egypt). Fear => lies.
- Second, “be upright” or whole-hearted. Abram was justified (15:6); this is sanctification.
- Failure: trusting Sarai not God, & following culture (Hagar). Ill. tub
- 23 years proved Abram struggled to trust God to fulfill His promises.
- “I will confirm”- God renews the covenant with Abram after his failures- GRACE!
- Abram falls facedown in humble worship. He surrenders control. Have you?
Transition: We don’t realize how powerless we are, until God shows up & shows us. Is all lost?
II. God bases His promises on His power to keep them (vs. 4-8).
- As Lord, God is present w/Abram, has authority over him, & controls his circumstances.
- God Almighty enhances the promises: new & improved! Ill. Vista & new Coke
- Great nation => many nations, many kings, very fruitful. He’s 99, but El Shaddai is able.
- Great name => a new name (authority). Abraham sounds like “father of many”.
- God to you & your children. God: what you trust & prize most. Give yourself over.
- The land of Canaan will be his and his children’s.
- “Establish”- El Shaddai will see that the covenant is accomplish.
- God kept all the promises. Apostasy => new covenant w/improved promises (2 Cor. 1).
- All who believe are Abraham’s children (Galatians 3) & inherit the promises.
Transition: All is not lost, for God has pledged to use His power for our good.
III. Trust & follow wholeheartedly until He fulfills His promises.
- 1st, when we suffer we reveal who/what we trust.
- We are to trust Him (Prov. 3:5-6), not ourselves, to see us through (Allender).
- Jesus died to make us blameless (Eph. 5)! His powerful Spirit works so we trust & obey.
- Will we demand to understand (Job)? Make our own way or wait for Him (Ruth)?
- Receive all-sufficient grace by faith. This is how He reveals His power in us (2 Cor. 12).
- 2nd, with our kids. We model whole-heartedness in hardship. Ill. DeGroats
- We are powerless to make them believe. Trust the all-powerful God to convert them.
- 3rd, when we fail in ministry. God doesn’t cast us out. Justified by faith, not success.
- Rely on His power for effective ministry (Col. 1). He invested more than you (Rom. 8).
Conclusion: All too often we struggle to trust. We are powerless to undo the curse of sin & stop its power in our lives. But God has revealed himself to us as an all-powerful God who makes incredible promises to us who are in Christ by faith. He grants us power thru the Spirit to follow Jesus whole-heartedly. God is glorified as we rely on Him, not ourselves, to keep His great promises.
“Essentially, a covenant is a relationship based on the surrender of control.” Iain Duguid
20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Cor. 1 (NIV)
“God’s desire is to use our powerlessness to send us fleeing back to him. Evil wants it to send us reeling to rely on ourselves with even greater intensity.” Dan Allender
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