Hoover Church of Christ Sermons

Last Sunday we studied the importance of trusting God: it changes everything about us, from the way we face tragedies to the consistency with which we obey.

All of us want to trust God more, but how do we? That’s the point of the message this Sunday. Romans 8 is one of the most beautiful and most-loved chapters in the whole Bible. In the culminating paragraph at the end, Paul encourages the Christians at Rome to know that nothing can separate them from God’s love.

In the context Paul has emphasized God’s sovereignty: God is in control of everything, and he makes sure that everything works together for good (8:28). Then in the section we’ll study, Paul walks his readers through a litany of potential obstacles to trust in God: enemies, distress, difficulties, death, etc. Nothing–nothing at all!–can separate one of God’s children from his love.

So here’s the main point again: if God is all-powerful, all-loving, and all-knowing, and if he has promised to work everything out to our ultimate good, and if he always keeps his promises, why would we ever fear anything in this life?

How can we trust God completely? Paul answers in this key verse: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (v. 32). We know God is faithful because of the cross.

The more I read the Bible and try to follow Jesus, the more I realize that the basis of our relationship with God—at least on our part—is learning to trust him completely and unreservedly. Most of us struggle at times with doubt, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. We don’t obey God as fully or consistently as we should. Sometimes (often?) we make choices based on what WE think is best rather than trusting that God’s way is best.

Why is that? Why do we have fear and anxiety? Why do we disobey?

I think the answer is simple—we don’t really trust God: that he’ll work things out, that he’ll keep his word and do what is best for us.

This isn’t as much of a textual study of the passage on Hezekiah above, but rather more of an exploration of the principle of trust throughout Scripture. We’ll use Hezekiah as an example of someone who learned to trust God, and we’ll discuss the aspects of biblical faith (trust). Trust changes everything, embracing every aspect of our being: intellect (our thoughts), volition (our desires), emotion (our feelings), and practice (our actions).

In other words, as we learn to trust God it changes us completely. It’ll reduce anxiety and fear, and it’ll help us obey more consistently . . . In short, it’ll help us live the lives God created us to live.