Introduction:

I have sometimes compared living for Jesus Christ like bike ride in which we need to keep moving ahead to stay balanced and keep from falling down. A while back I heard another story of a bike ride that illustrates the theme of trust that we continue today.

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things that I did wrong so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn't know Him.

But later on when I met Christ it seemed as though life was like a bike ride. But it was a tandem bike, and I noticed Christ was in the back helping me pedal. I don't know just when it was that He suggested that we change places, but life has never been the same since. When I had control I knew the way. It was rather boring, but it was predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains and through rocky places at break neck speeds. It was all that I could do to hang on. And even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal."

I worried and was anxious, and I asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer. That's when I learned that I was going to have to trust Him. I forgot my boring life in every adventure. And when I said, "I'm scared," He leaned back and just touched my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy. He gave me gifts to take on my journey, and off we were again. He would say, "Give the gifts away. They are extra baggage, too much weight." So I did to people we met and I found that in giving I received and the journey continued and our burden was light.

I did not trust Him at first, to take control of my life. I thought He would wreck it. But He knows bike secrets. He knows how to make those sharp corners, and how to jump to clear high rocks, and do things I could have never done if I were in control. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places. I am beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful companion, Jesus Christ. And when I am not sure I can do it any more He smiles and says, "Just Pedal!"

If you would describe your Christian life as a tandem bike ride, let me ask, "Have you allowed Jesus Christ to be in control?" Some people want to live their lives rather than really trust Christ. If we are not willing to trust the Lord enough to allow Him to be in control we will NOT reach our potential for God. Today and next Sunday we are going to use an outline from Dr. John Maxwell, that he calls a trust test. I will give you an overview and then we will look at the first part of this outline.
T   ake Personal Inventory
R   ecognize God as your Source
U   nderstand God's Principles
S   urrender Everything to God
T   est God's Promises

T ake Personal Inventory

Read Psalm 139:23,24.
Only God knows everything about us, better than we know ourselves. Only God can lead me correctly. Our tendency is to follow evil ways. Taking inventory and trusting God begins with me. I need to ask myself how I am doing in this area of trust?

Turn to Proverbs 3:5-10. Notice all he personal pronouns in these verses.
All Your heart... you must trust... your own... lead you... for you to follow... you are... you healthy... you will feel... your money... your crops... then you will have... you will need.
I need to do my part and I know that God will do His part.

R ecognize God as our Source

Read Deuteronomy 8:17,18
Recognize that He knows everything. He is sovereign and our source of every good ad perfect gift.
A mother was telling her daughter the facts of life as she was coming to the age to begin to understand some of these things. The little girl was really shocked and when her mother had finished she asked, "Mom, does God know these things?"

Colossians 1:15-20; Matthew 5:36; Matthew 6:27; James 4:14; Acts 27:20
We should be humbled when we realize how small we are and how big God is.
The naturalist William Bevy was a close friend to Teddy Roosevelt. Often after they would eat an evening meal together they world go outside and look into the sky. Teddy Roosevelt would say, "That is a galaxy as large as the Milky Way. It consists of a hundred billion suns. It is one of a hundred billion galaxies." Then Roosevelt would grin and say, "Now I think we are small enough, let's go to bed."

We need to recognize God as the source.

U nderstand God's Principles

Keys to Trusting God
Reasons Christians don't give more to God

1. They don't think they can give and meet their own needs.
   They have this worldly idea that if they give, they will have less and will not be able to meet their needs and the needs of their family.
   
2. They don't know how to give.
   They do not know God's principles about giving.
   
3. They don't plan to give.

These are keys to Trusting God. Today we will focus on five and look at more next week.

1. The Who's In Charge Principle
   This principle is vital if you and I are really going to trust God. If I am determined that I am in charge, I will not really trust God, even if I would say that I do. You can tell me that you trust God, but if you want to stay in control, you do not trust God. Who is really going to run your life?
   A few weeks ago I mentioned the Biblical teaching that God is the owner and I am the manager. Until we get this straight, we are going to live in conflict with our God who made us and paid the redemption price for us. Are you willing to trust Him enough to voluntarily place Him in charge of your life?
   Read Psalm 24 The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
   
2. The Give and Grow Principle
   We really learn to trust God when we give of ourselves, of our time, of our talent, and of our money to Him? That is when we grow in our relationship with our Lord. Practicing stewardship produces spiritual growth in our lives.
   Timothy Johnson said: "Some say, 'Dedicate the heart and the money will follow.' But our Lord put it the other way around. 'Where your treasure is that is where your heart be also." If your treasure is dedicated, your heart will be dedicated. If it is not, it simply won't, it's as simple as that."
   What growth may take place as we give? Perhaps these and others: Find our spiritual gifts, increases our faith, become spiritually sensitive, become fruitful to God's kingdom, we receive blessings from God, we are a blessing to others, we make lasting contributions.
   Pastor Maxwell did a stewardship survey 35 years ago. He asked, "What was the benefit they received through stewardship teaching?" Twenty-one out of 26 indicated that spiritual growth was the greatest benefit they received from stewardship teaching. Stewardship teaching is not so much about raising money or gifts as it is about raising Christians.
   
3. The Do It Now Principle
   Christian stewardship deals with our present resources, what we have now, not what we might have next month, next year, or sometime in the future.
   Samuel Johnson said, "The person who waits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything.
   Procrastination, my greatest sin,
   It brings me endless sorrow.
   I'm going to stop doing it,
   Perhaps I'll start tomorrow.
   You and I will one day be held accountable for how we have used our spiritual gifts, how we have used our time and talent, for how we have used the money God has entrusted to us. God has already provided. We are to be good stewards of God's provisions. Remember the do it now principle.
   
4. The I'm In Debt Principle
   Here is one that lots of Christians would probably say that they are really following right now. I am sorry, that is not the principle I am talking about.
   The principle that I am talking about is the fact that from the moment we are born we are in debt.
   Dr. Albert Swietzer said, "Whatever you have received more than others: health, talents, abilities, success, pleasant childhood, harmonious conditions of home life, all this you must not take yourself as a matter of course. In gratitude for your good fortune you must render some sacrifice of your own life for another life."
   Paul said to the church in Rome, I owe a great debt to you.
   Paul understood that he was a debtor. Do you and I?
   My indebtedness is twofold:
   First and foremost to God for all the blessings He has given to me, every good and perfect gift comes from God. You and I are all indebted to God.
   Secondly, we are indebted to the previous generation, to the people of God who have gone before us. They have given us many of the blessings we have. Some of them have passed down a spiritual heritage to us.
   It is our responsibility to pass on these gifts, to lead more people to faith in Christ and nurture them in faith. In some way we meet this debt we have as we pass on our Christian heritage to our children, grandchildren and others who come after us.
   
5. The Fountain Of Youth Principle
   This is probably one that we all want. We live forever through our giving. We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give. Jesus said, "What we keep we lose, what we give we keep."
   We have heard the expression: "You can't take it with you. I heard a similar thought recently, "You never see a hearse with a luggage rack."

We need to be people of a vision that goes beyond ourselves. The vision needs to be for the kingdom. If we really want to trust God and practice good stewardship we must not primarily be asking, "What do I get out of this?" Instead we should be asking, "How can God use me and my resources to build His kingdom?" This is what will last.

This morning I began with a tandem bicycle illustration of trust. Have you allowed God to take control in the front of your bike? Are you willing to keep pedaling even when you don't know exactly what lies ahead?

TRUSTING GOD

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