Everyone has the gift of faith. Whether you are lost or saved, you exercise belief by what you do. In the third part of his sermon series, Steps to God’s Guidance, Dr. Stanley explains that following God is a conscious effort, because His ways are higher than ours. Though we are prone to subconsciously follow our own desires, we must make a choice to follow His.
it’s an act of God’s grace that he has
chosen a plan for your life in mind
wonderful grace of God that he has
chosen a plan and is willing to show us
what that plan is so we don’t have to go
through life wondering is my life going
to count what am I doing with myself
what others think in all of that God in
His awesome grace has a plan and the
purpose of life and therefore he has the
pathway for you to walk because if he
has a plan there’s a path most people
are going to live out their life never
even thinking the fact that God has a
will for more a plan for them and
they’ll live it all out and come maybe
toward the end of their life or maybe a
few years before that and look back and
think what was all that about what did I
miss
where was God in all of this and I can
tell you God knew from the very
beginning his plan and purpose and will
for your life
the sooner you discover what that
pathway is you get on his path then the
sooner and the better and the happier
and the most peaceful and more
prosperous you’re gonna be in your life
no matter what’s going on but you have
to believe that you have to believe that
God loves you enough to have a plan he
loves you enough to get you into the
plan he has a pathway that’s the best
path God doesn’t have in this
second-rate path he has the best path
for you if you willing to follow it one
of the most familiar verses in the Bible
or passages is in proverbs chapter 3 and
I want us to read these first eight
verses and verse five six to eight will
deal with those primarily but look if
you will beginning in verse 1 of
proverbs chapter three he says my son do
not forget my teaching what a wonderful
way to begin but let your heart keep my
Commandments for length of days and
years of life and peace they will add
the year so how you live makes a
difference do not let kindness and truth
leave you bind them
around your neck write them on the
tablet of your heart
so you’ll find favor and good repute in
the sight of God and man and now listen
to this you should memorize this watch
trust in the Lord with all your heart
lean not to your own understanding in
all your ways acknowledge him and he
will do what he he will make your paths
straight do not be wise in your own eyes
fear the Lord and turn away from evil it
will be healing to your body and
refreshment to your bones
now his God’s command to us it’s one
thing for him to guide me to be willing
to be godness one thing for me to listen
but am I willing am I willing and truly
truly willing to follow that that is my
willing to trust him watch this if you
don’t obey God it’s because you don’t
trust him whatever else you may say you
don’t trust him because he always
chooses what’s right and what’s best for
us
and so if we believe that God is who he
says he is we’ll trust him I thought if
I don’t trust him if for example if he
says here’s what I want you to do this
is how do it he said mm hmm you’re
afraid if you’re afraid you’re not
trusting it if you rebelled you’re not
trusting him if there’s something about
what he commends you do and you said you
don’t trust him you don’t trust him to
be the god he says he is so with that in
mind I want to think about this about
passage of Scripture and that is that
God commands us to trust him listen to
what he says trust in the Lord with all
your heart now the trust somebody is is
that they have a strong belief in their
integrity their ability and their
character if I really and fully trust
them all three of those things they’re
gonna be involved and so he says here
trust in the Lord with all your heart
now
if I trust them but I have confidence in
them I believe what they say in other
words what I’m saying is I have
confidence in you as a person therefore
I will do this and so I have confidence
in you God that if you’re leading me to
do this so to say this then I’m going to
trust you that you will work it out
according to what your plan is
you said you’d planned our life you give
us guidance and direction and which I
listen to here’s what I believe you’ve
said now if I really internally believe
you I’m gonna trust you that whatever
you require of me is gonna turn out
right now if there’s nope if there’s no
trust no confidence I’m not gonna do it
so think about this when a person lives
a life of sin whatever else you may say
they’re living in life in which they do
not trust God and so the truth is if I
don’t trust them nothing in my life is
gonna work out right and the reason
people are living the lives they’re
living outside of God’s will and purpose
their life they don’t trust him if I
trust him and here this is Almighty God
if I trust him I’m gonna do what he says
and so what you have to ask yourself is
are you one of those persons that trust
him or are you one of those persons that
you talk about it and you think about it
but deep down inside you don’t trust
let’s give you a simple example
the Bible says bring you all the tithes
in the storehouse and all the promises
that God makes now why wouldn’t anybody
tie their income to God who asked for it
as an act of blessing and who makes this
awesome promise either I’m gonna do it
or whatever I may try to deceive myself
I don’t trust him and I can tell you
I’ve been tithing from my first job and
I don’t brag about that I gave a little
bit more than that before and I gave 25
percent well my first job because I
wasn’t I thought about just giving God
pennies doesn’t make me four dollars but
I gave him a dollar I thought he
deserved that much you know what I’ve
been trusting here ever since and I’ll
tell you something else he’s never let
me down
not one single time now either you
believe what he says you trust him or
you don’t and you can cover it up and
massage it and do all kind of things to
it
but either you trust them or you don’t
so what’s the basis of this trust these
listen he says trust in the Lord with
all your heart don’t lean to your own
understanding so what’s it what’s the
basis of this you listen watch this look
this way for a moment the basis of all
of our trust of God is His divine
sovereignty which means God rules over
all things all people at all times the
sovereignty of God if that is not true
then we have no assurance of anything if
you don’t believe in the sovereignty of
God then you don’t believe the Bible
this is the wisdom of God the power of
God the righteousness of God all wrapped
up in one his purpose is always perfect
for you his goal for you is perfect and
the basis of my trust is listen watch
this the but if I didn’t believe if I
didn’t believe in the sovereignty of God
I could question his will about things
but because he is sovereign he knows
everything about every situation past
present future then no surprises to God
and he has always chosen the best for us
that I say that what we consider the
best always works out for us well from
our point of view it would not because
sometimes when things come our way did
that bring illness or bring up trouble
and heartache that we had nothing did we
say well God’s not in that and it’s
amazing how on the other side of
heartache on the other side of trouble
on the other side of death we see the
hand of God so therefore because he
absolutely rules in every circumstance
of life and over all the circumstances
of life I can absolutely trust him in
every single circumstance of life
because they all fit into the fact that
he is sovereign and in control of
everything
what an awesome sense of confidence we
can have because God is the sovereign
god of the universe not just of our life
he’s in control of all things and you
say well now
if he’s in control of all things what
does he let this happen and that
happened and never happened the simplest
example of that would be Joseph for
example if God was sovereign why did
that his brothers throw him in a pit why
did he get sold in the slavery why they
end up being falsely accused but part of
his wife why do you end up in prison
I’ll tell you why because of the
sovereignty of God God was equipping him
to be next to Pharaoh and all of Egypt
the greatest nation on the earth at that
point and so you and I can trust him in
every single circumstance of life no
matter what it might be because he’s not
only a sovereign guy they said he is a
he is a loving trustworthy sovereign God
he’s not just this being out yonder he
is that he has personhood he’s a
personal God loving God God of grace and
love and mercy and kindness and has a
pathway for each one of us to walk if
we’re wise enough to follow him so when
he asked us to follow his path we must
believe that he’s chosen the right path
he knows you build his talent skills and
all the things that make up your life if
I trust him I trust him on the basis
that he’s the sovereign god of this
universe now if he’s the the divine
sovereign God he is that and he’s always
been that and he doesn’t change if God
changed if God changed things then we’d
have a reason to doubt in question of
what he says but because he says in this
passage trust in the Lord with all your
heart don’t lean on your own
understanding my own understanding will
never match the sovereignty of God or
sometimes we ask him to do things he may
choose another way to do it or we wonder
what he does certain things he’s
sovereign he always knows best I’ve
never seen in all these 60 years being
able to come back to say God you blew it
that was not the right thing because he
knew beforehand what the right thing was
once you settled that issue in your life
it settles many other issues that if he
if he makes a statement he makes a
promise God in all
his power is behind that promise to make
it otherwise we have a major problem so
God is trustworthy we if we listen to
him what follows that I must be one the
trusting and the basis of that trust
watch this is who he is not who we are
so that puts her on a whole different
level I can trust him because of who he
is the third thing I want you to notice
about this passage is this watch this
trust in the Lord with all your heart so
what is the degree to which I’m too
trusting the degree to which I’m the
trust him is with all my heart and not
to lean on my understanding with all my
heart that means totally I’ve got to
trust him about a few things but
everything let me ask you a question
what is it in your life that’s the most
difficult when you face the particular
issue what’s the most difficult one you
have to deal with when it comes to
trusting people have different things in
their life different situations and
circumstances but you know that God’s
trustworthy and it has a plan for your
life
and if you listen to him he’ll show you
what to do and he’ll always show you the
right thing to do every single time the
question is to what degree trust in the
Lord with all your heart and do not lean
on your own understanding now think
about it for a moment if I ask you if
you believe the Bible more than likely
you’d say yes I do now watch this if
I’ve said to you do you agree with the
Bible how many of you agree with the
Bible okay how many of you believe the
Bible I figured that because you you’re
thinking that if you agree with it you
believe it not necessarily true for
example let’s say that I’m lost and I
will agree with the Bible I agree with
the Bible about being kind one to
another I can be lost as I can be but
maybe I’m a little kind hard not saying
yeah you ought to be kind and I can
agree the Bible about giving to others
there are a lot of things in the Bible I
can agree with without placing my trust
in him
because there is that good side of
everybody to some degree yes I do agree
with you Lord we ought to be kind to one
another
we shouldn’t can falsely accuse each
other you just go down the 10
commandments oh yes I I never words a
lot of people who are lost as they be
will agree that the Ten Commandments is
a good thing
agreeing with it’s one thing believing
and full belief means that I I not only
believe but I’m gonna respond to that in
right belief I’m gonna trust God so we
have to distinguish between do I agree
or do I really believe it so I can agree
with many things about the Bible and not
be a Christian but if I trust in the
Living God then it’s going to affect
every single aspect of my life trust in
the Lord with all your heart is there
some area of your life for example some
particular area nobody knows what it is
but you some Aryan what you’d have to
say and when it comes to that I have a
very difficult time I have a very
difficult time believing God for that I
have a very difficult time trusting God
for this how do I know less and so the
Bible doesn’t say that everything will
be simple and playing but the Bible says
that God will guide us in the right way
if we’ll trust him
so I don’t always have to agree with
other people I may see things in the
scripture that I think the Lord I don’t
know exactly how to explain that
understand that but if I believe the
Word of God I’m gonna trust him so when
you think in your own personal life what
area is that in your life that you when
it comes to trusting him for that you
just say God I know I’m saved and I know
this I know that know that but to ask me
the new lesson so no it is is God
trustworthy yes he is can I put my
confidence in him yes and how many
things in every single thing you’re
trying to find the will of God about
your job or but the person you’re going
to marry
might be you can trust them in every
single circumstances and he says trust
the Lord with all your heart don’t lean
none to your honor understand it because
watch this our understanding is limited
I can’t see beyond right now the walls
of this room God can see all the way to
the other end of the earth there’s some
things we don’t understand but under
trust him watch this I’m watch this I’m
to trust him even when I may not agree
with something and somebody says well if
you trust him won’t you always agree I
think the Lord allowed things in my life
to happen then I thought Lord now wait a
minute I’m trusting you but this stings
this hurts this pain and so that times
we get tested trust in the Lord with all
your heart lean not to your own
understanding in all your ways
acknowledge him and he will make your
paths straight so when he says in all
your ways what does that mean in every
single aspect of our life with intrusted
and what he’s asking is not only trust
them but in all your ways acknowledge
him that is to acknowledge somebody it’s
to recognize them to acknowledge God is
not all to recognize him but to
recognize him is God as Lord as master
as the one who has the right to give
direction for our life and the Lord who
has the authority to send blessing upon
us when he chooses to do so so ask
yourself the question is there one
single air in your life that you sort of
holding back on in all your ways trust
him and all your ways acknowledge him
you say well I have but there’s just
this one thing and I think it’s that one
thing in many people’s lives that that
absolutely causes them more pain than
they could ever possibly realize total
surrender absolute surrender complete
surrender means I must trust him
completely I must trust him absolutely
because we’re limited in our knowledge
in our understanding we can’t see the
future we don’t do very well looking at
the
and so in all of your ways acknowledge
him and he will make your paths straight
now what does it mean by making your
paths straight I will protect you from
the side roads in life I’ll protect you
from those areas that you think are a
part of the trip they’re not a part of
the trip and so he says in all of our
ways to Wilton acknowledge him and he’ll
make our paths straight that is he will
eliminate a lot of obstacles lemonade a
lot of confusion lemonade a lot of wear
and tear on your life and I think about
people who are not saved and they live
till they get about 60 or some wear
their belts and they get saved look at
the wear and tear on your life look what
you’ve missed when he says I’ll make
your way straight that doesn’t mean that
listen straight doesn’t always mean easy
but straight is the best way and all
your ways acknowledge him he’ll make
your paths straight so I would ask you a
question would you would you say that
you’re walking a straight path that
somebody would say well do you mean that
I don’t do this and don’t do that no no
no I’m just talking about this are you
trusting God each day for your life to
lead you to guide you and it’s best you
know your heart you doing what God wants
you to do doesn’t mean you’ll be perfect
you may give up again somewhere in that
trip and and you you may realize Lord
what I miss something here but would you
say that you’re walking a straight path
for God that in all your ways as best
you know how you’re trying to be
obedient to God he says watch this in
all your ways he says acknowledge him
that has recognized him listen him he’ll
make your paths straight he will save
you from all the wear and tear and the
rumbling run over here and over there
and spending years and years of your
life and you finally decide that you
just have to God and that’s where a lot
of people are and I can still remember
where I was standing on the steps when I
told my first friend
that I yesterday I got saved I still
remember what he said well I’m not gonna
do that now I’ll do that later he ended
up in prison he had the same privilege
that I had but he chose to take another
path that’s where it led him did a lot
of people who are hurting today because
they decided I’m not going that path
I’ll choose my own path what they’re
saying is watch this I really believe
that I’m smarter than God I really
believe that the path that I’ve chosen
will bring me more happiness more joy
and more peace and prosperity so I’m
taking this path everything that looks
golden is not golden everything that
looks straight is not straight it may be
straight for a few feet but after that
you’re off the path in all your ways
acknowledge him he says and he will
direct your path know that there’s a
warning he’ll want you to notice he says
fear the Lord and turn away from evil
but I want you to turn if he will to
proverbs 26 proverbs 26 and I want you
to look at this verse here’s the warning
proverbs 26 verse 12 do you see a man
wise in his own eyes there is more hope
for a fool than for him and here’s what
God says when we choose our way that is
not God’s Way we are playing the fool
you know people in your life who have
done that and who are doing it
deciding they’re gonna have it their way
no matter what never thinking about
God’s way God’s will and God’s power and
never thinking about a judgment day
because no matter how life treats you
ultimately every single one of us are
gonna come to that point in life when we
meet the Living God
before whom we’ve lived all these years
and when I think about some of the
people who lived their life that way he
says do not be wise in your own eyes
fear the Lord and turn away from evil
that’s what a wise man a woman does they
seek the Lord they listen to God listen
not only do they realize that God will
lead them and they listen to him and
they trust him it’s the trust level do
you trust him to be to you what he
promises to be God the Bible says it but
we know it God cannot lie whatever God
says is true is true and so at some
point in our life we’re all going to
give an account and therefore when he
says fear the Lord and turn away from
evil to fear him means to honor him as
the Living God and to obey Him to
recognize who he is and to acknowledge
that he’s the god of this universe but
he’s a God of your life in mind so I
would simply ask you this question we
have the promise that he’ll guide us are
you listening
I’ll tell you whether you’re listening
or not are you trusting in you you may
agree with it all but are you trusting
him for your life personally it’s best
you know your heart are you trying to
walk in the ways that God has required
of you every single day you and I made
decisions we’re forced to make decisions
and we choose to make decisions and
those decisions are going to be based on
whether we believe there’s a god or not
whether we believe that he has a plan
and a path for our life whether we
believe that he’s chosen the best path
and he has and whether we are willing to
listen to him and willing to trust him
in all thy ways acknowledge him and he
will direct your path and listen he says
fear the Lord
that’s honor him fear the Lord and turn
away from evil it will be healing to
your body
and refreshment to your bones which is
what he’s saying is this it’s healthy to
live in obedience to God it’s healthy
there’s gonna be a happiness and the
health and a joy and a peace when you
live in the pathway that God has laid
out for you it may not be your choice of
a path but if it’s God’s choice you’re
gonna succeed at what you’re doing
it is God’s choice there’s gonna be an
underlining sense of peace and assurance
and confidence a sense of satisfaction
when you do it his way it will be
healing to your body and he said
refreshment to your bones so let’s not
ask a question are you listening to him
but do you trust him when you come
Sunday after Sunday you listen but do
you trust him if I fully trust him I
have confidence in him that his
decisions about my life are the best
decisions the wisest decisions the most
profitable decisions the most freeing
decisions and the happiest decisions if
I trust him amen
father how grateful we are that you made
your plan so simple listen to you trust
you and then obey you and I pray this
morning that somebody here
it was never trusted use their Savior
realize they’ve chosen the wrong path
you’re not going to force them to get
off that path under yours but you invite
them to make that change you invite them
to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their
personal Savior and in so doing you
place their feet on the right path and
then you’re willing to walk with them
run with them whatever it may be all the
days of their
and you said it’ll be like health to
their life and strength like refreshment
to their bones things are always better
when we walk on your pathway and I
trusted that person whoever he or she
may be that today though they may have
heard many sermons today they take this
moment to say Lord Jesus I’m listening I
do believe that you died on the cross
for my sins and today I confess that I’m
a sinner and I also confess the
beginning right now I’m confessing you
as my savior and my lord
based on what you did at the cross and I
receive your gift of salvation this day
in this moment I trust you dear father
thank you Lord that you’ve never turned
anybody down who came to you you’re
willing to put every person on the right
pathway who’s willing to listen let us
not be one of those that you call a fool
but one whom you call wise is my prayer
in Jesus name Amen
[Music]
you