Are You Trusted by God?

This sermon deals with the attitude of a life that God trusts, through the apostle Paul preaching the gospel to the elders of the church in Corinth, ready to die daily; the event of Peter's miraculous release from prison; and the way Elisha followed the prophet Elijah to the end and became his spiritual successor. The passage stresses how important trust is in our relationships with people and with God, and explains why Paul staked his life, and how Peter's miracle was possible because of the earnest prayer and faith of the believers. It also shows how Elisha, never leaving his master's side and building trust through humble obedience, came to receive remarkable spiritual power.

The sermon points out that what believers need in order to become people God trusts is not outstanding wisdom or wealth, but a good heart, obedient faith, and an unchanging character. It names the contradiction of praying while not being sure that God will answer, and says that true trust begins with believing that God will accomplish his work and waiting for it. It also stresses that respecting and serving those who went before us in the faith is a way of building trust with God, and that since no one has full faith from the start, trust has to be built one step at a time.

The sermon cautions believers against words and actions that destroy people's trust, and reminds them that when trust with God breaks down, faith cannot grow. Finally, it asks whether believers must live each day ready to die, building trust with God as they head for their final destination, the kingdom of heaven, rather than looking only at the gain in front of them.