Skillful

What was that word. Trust me, it means that hot and in the Hebrew which means to live helplessly facedown that word is not just I'm hoping things will work out or am trying to hang in there and put a rough time right now.

Try to hang in there. I'm trusting the Lord is not try to be strong and positive although you should be strong should be positive, ongoing charge and reading my Bible every day as from trusting the Lord. Is that what it means it is what it is I cannot change what happened given up everything that is trusting the Lord.

That's not what that word means that word means. July helplessly facedown like his servant patiently waiting on a Masters user portion of the upcoming message titled skillful Dr. Robert on show here clearly church in Henderson here.

Clearly, our goal is to make Christ visible in the with worship in the way that we serve others.

Would love to see one of our services here 3485 Oxford Rd. or check us out a clear view BC.org for now was listen to this week's last Friday evening we had our annual Valentines banquet introduced our series coming up starting today going to the next four weeks this morning.

We begin a miniseries about the book of Proverbs. You can stay in Proverbs only solo Proverbs to me is like concentrated lemon juice you can use that but a drop at a time yellow I'm talking about. You cannot say hey we can have lemon juice again today. It's it's due to heart so Proverbs little at a time is great and so for the next four weeks miniseries calls skillful dealing with relationships primarily and then will come back to it in the years ahead.

But this morning you have your Bibles with you, turn to Proverbs chapter 3 verse five and six just those two verses and I'm hoping that by the time the message is done you will have this passage memorized is very easy to many of you already have. It is your life worse. I hope you will memorized. So let's all stand for the reading of God's word.

Proverbs chapter 3 verse five and six. In fact, let's say together trusting the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths. Question this morning before we pray is who are you leaning on for understanding leaning on yourself leaning on friends, family, leaning on education, leaning on the experience.

Leaning on wealth, money, or are you leaning upon Christ. Are you truly trusting God. Are you living skillfully is Jesus Christ the center and focus of your life. If he is not. This message may help you some but is not going to transform Christ has to be at the center of your life is not just about him. It is him. If you do not have Christ as your Savior would you pray right now to write heads about this prayer. Simple prayer never given your heart to Christ, we still doubting whether or not you truly safe simple prayer.

The said Jesus, I'm lost. I need you to come into my life. Forgive me of my sins and take over. I believe that to the best of my ability. I believe you are the son of God who came died, was buried, but rose again and thank you for saving me when it comes to the book of Proverbs. Sometimes people have a an attitude of this is not that important, say, compared to the book of Genesis Genesis about creation. Exodus is about how God's people were set free the 10 Commandments, or any of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, or even the Psalms. This is the word of God and we go in the New Testament are not asked the real deal.

Matthew Mark Luke John and Paul's letters in Peter's letter. That's where it really happens.

Proverbs that important. I've even heard some good preachers say that Proverbs are not promises. There is simply observations. You cannot really hold to them. Now here's a verse that I want us to think about for a moment before we go any further, it is given a negative context. But I think it still proves my point in the verse says Jeremiah chapter 18 verse 18 for the law was the law Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy for the law shall not perish from the priest milk counsel from the wise. This is where wisdom comes in my Proverbs nor the word from the prophet.

This is prophecy. Did you notice the three genres law wisdom prophecy. Did you also notice that there not put on a stairstep pattern. There put on the same level, which means this the law and prophecy are not superior to wisdom.

They are on the same level, the book of Proverbs process, not just an optional. You know, everybody has the wisdom or something just like it and some Chinese bloke or some Indian tradition it maybe God's truth is everywhere. It's been scattered, but if you want to know the God's truth without any mixture of error is the word of God. The book of Proverbs. That's where you find that wisdom and should be read daily by Christians by believers.

For example, Billy Graham used to read a chapter from the book of Proverbs every day.

He used to say that providentially God gave 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs, one for every day of the month. Would you agree with me that Billy Graham was a wise person. You know what wisdom is finishing well, finishing well. Billy Graham finished well. Amen. You did so my my encouragement to you is to read Proverbs read chapter every day it will change you. It will change the way you think and the decisions you make. So back to the passage we just read a Proverbs chapter 3 verse five. I believe this one sets the tone for this miniseries.

Listen again to that verse trusting the Lord with all your heart.

Now before we go any further. This goes completely contrary to what the world tells us what is the world tell us it says trust your heart. Have your heart songs that say trust your heart.

Folks, I would follow my heart. Of those, the last thing I could follow my heart is wicked and so is yours. Our hearts are deceptive. How do we know that God tells us listen to Jeremiah chapter 17 verse nine.

This is God. This is not me God who made us. He says the heart is deceitful above all things and what desperately wicked who can know it. How you would tell you as best as I can find me the nicest gentlest kind is the God is looking old lady. There's no one, no one here like that, but find that person, I can assure you our heart is desperately wicked and Jesus informed this listener what he said in Matthew 15, verse 19 is that for out of the heart proceed evil, tolerance, murders, adultery, fornication, tabs, false witness, blasphemies where is it coming from sin is not out there sin is here sin is inside of you read the book of Romans, Paul talks about it is not a bear out there somewhere else is inside of me. So back up to that verse again was a sick trust in the Lord with all your heart, which means this we have to put back fill in the blanks over here. Trust God with your whole heart is not your heart but is God and how you do it with everything you have. But what is that word. Trust me, it means but taught in in the Hebrew which means to live helplessly facedown that word is not just I'm hoping things will work out or I'm trying to hang in there and went to rough time right now. Try to hang in there. I'm trusting the Lord is not on. Try to be strong and positive although you should be strong should be positive on go to church and reading my Bible every day as from trusting the Lord. Is that what it means it is what it is I cannot change what's gonna happen, given up everything that is trusting the Lord. That's not what that word means that word means to live helplessly facedown like a servant.

Patiently waiting on a Master's command, waiting helplessly in order to do that folks you have to develop a deep personal relationship with God. This was a very tough message to prepare many of us enjoy the series on the parables right will enjoy that how much we learn from it. We grew from it. God change our hearts and not I did to it.

It radically transformed me, but this one was so hard to prepare because the more and more of the began to read this passage and see what he was saying. I realized I don't have right now. A deep personal relationship with God is are you lost know I'm safe.

Can you not see God working out are your eyes of faith, God, no, no, I can see God working I just don't have a deep personal relationship with God right now, folks. What you need for a deep personal relationship just like just like a spouse for me to be married to my wife or dating. This is Papa dating for a moment what you do when you go on a date. The purpose is to get to know the person you listen to the person you talk to that person. You spend time with that person in the process, you realize I don't think this is a work out or I want to pursue this more because there's something here.

I want to develop a relationship with this person was a guy or girl whatever it depends on who you are. This is what I want, so also with God. How do you have a deep personal relationship with God is when you are spending time listening to God and talking to God. Over time, what I have found in my own personal spiritual life is.

I'm going to the word not to listen to God but to find another sermon that will be really impact and God convicted me and said you I want to bless you anyways because my people need the word but you and I are not at the same place just because God is blessing clearly.

Just because good things are happening in my life does not mean that my relationship with God is right, but in listening and talking and spending time you begin to realize that this person is not my enemy. This person is God's gift to me, so also with God. The more time we begin to spend with God.

The more you understand how good he is and you develop a deeper and more personal walk with him. You understand how God thinks and how he feels, you begin to understand how much he loves you and how much he cares for you folks. That is not optional in the Christian life is not about just upgrade the prayer has to make sure my name is on the on the on on the on the role of Clearview and bottling.

This trust has to be with all your heart with your whole heart, which means this is listen. There is no place for a halfhearted wishy-washy just repeating the Christian lingo kind of you know relationship with God.

This has to be intense. This has to be passionate. This is what we used to call revival revival is not just over having a week of revival. Jacob Robert really means that I can see God in my life and I hear his voice and he's talking to me and he is guiding me he's correcting me and he is good to me. Please don't misunderstand what I talk about having this time with God does not mean that you just stay there forever and ever. He is as easy for pastor to do right, a man who now he's got a lot of time in the world again this stay on his face before God forever. We got a good work know what it means is in the morning time to have that time reading God's word is a God I'm here I'm listening speak to me happen folks, when is it going to happen when you finally wake up as I live my Christian life intensely, passionately, loving Jesus, and in seeing him work in my life is going to happen. Do you have this deep personal relationship with God is not optional. Listen to what he says back to verse five lean not on your own understanding.

This is the problem instead of trusting in the Lord.

Having a deep personal relationship with God.

We lean our own understanding is like a crooked stick would just as leaning on it. By the time it felt like the right thing to do. I wasn't thinking you would leaning on your own understanding folks when we do that we make some colossal mistakes terrible mistakes using examples from the Bible, Abraham and Sarah God said Abraham I want to want to go to the place you and Sarah go out there and through you all the families of the R shall be blessed, not an advocate going about that you have that goes out in the land of Canaan.

Famine comes they run down to Egypt and all the way to Egypt. Abraham says overweight.

Sarah is beautiful Sarah. If those Egyptians, especially the Pharaoh sees you how gorgeous you are. He is going to take you for his wife. One of his harems and he's on to kill me. Here's the deal. Sarah pretend like you're my sister that I was half-truth, just tell them you are my sister and that way on account of you I will live you sometimes have a tough time understanding the passage probably what would you do that you what he was doing. He was not just being a coward. He was trying to save God's promise.

God said through you. Abraham thinking just threw me, not Sarah. Sarah looked talk about. They were progressive back then. One, you can go ahead and marry Pharaoh. You may even become the queen of Egypt to slip away and find someone else because through me your member through me and God had to step in strike Egypt until Pharaoh had a dream and he said wait a minute. Issue your life, why did you do this you see what Abraham did. He was leaning on his own understanding. Instead of stopping and consulting God is a God. Is this what you want me to do please don't raise your hand.

How many of y'all have made some decisions in the past few months.

In the past few weeks.

You did not consult God.

God was not in a million miles of your decision.

Lean not on your own understanding.

I think about Joshua. Joshua had just defeated Jericho taken down the city of Jericho. And there's another sitting nearby by the name of Ayotte just a small little city. Hey I we can set about to 3000 men, we can sit back it's easy and not only were they defeated, but many of their men. 36 of them died. All because Joshua was self-confident.

Think about Peter.

Peter on the night before Jesus was crucified.

He he made a promise to him. He's I will never leave you, even if I have to die Peterson Mejia said Peter all I want to do is watch and pray, watch and pray oh no, I'm coming with art than the middle until you Satan's been asking for you to sift you, and before the nights over if you come after me, to deny me three times and like clockwork, Peter denied Christ you know why that was important because he was thinking this is the time for me to prove that I am a disciple folks.

That was not Peter's cross that cross was only meant for one person who was fully God fully man and without sin that was Jesus limit you some positive examples of times running away Job face the worst trials anyone other than Jesus Christ. Would you agree with that.

Job right horrible.

I lost everything, but I love what he said in Job 13 verse 15 I love this verse. He said what he said with me, though he slay me, yet will I which means this no matter what happens, my trust is in DOS again. The same word which is lying helplessly facedown looking towards God knows I can go on and on. The point is this.

We should be trusting God with all our hearts, not leaning on our own understanding and insights that is in verse six in all your ways acknowledge him if I could draw it out over here will look something like that.

This is life in all your weights as you going to life stop, look up and make sure God is with you stop and know the Lord is you die, which means admit, confess, acknowledge recognizes God.

There where is God right now you changing a job attending a location you moving somewhere else have you stop to see where God is. In other words, all of Europe. In all your daily happenings you need to make sure there is God I'm good at number when the kids were young. Most of our kids were very ill, self-reliant date. We could leave them with anybody. Not a big deal except for one to know what to do with him because if Nicole was out of sight, he would cry and he would.

It was not a route that I can't give it away was a he had to deal with that. What kid does not and the others parent is like, what about me but I get it. Same way with us just to be able to say give God is here in this job decision. God is it out on signing up for a new position. God is here are about to make a big purchase.

I can see God here I can see means use every opportunity to magnify his name. It means to check to make sure that he is still with you.

Don't drop him and run ahead stand right behind him having a deep personal relationship with God means you acknowledge him you you see him in and you follow him simple prayer and what is the promise that God gives us when you do this when you have a deep personal relationship with God with your whole heart and you always keep your eyes on him. Give him glory as you walking through life. Here's the promise is in verse six in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths. By the way, that's a wrong translation.

The Hebrew actually says he will make your paths straight. He will make your paths smooth is like this throughout life.

There will be obstacles and you come across an obstacle in annual sale of why is this here what what you know why God has Mitt done this to me.

I was doing so great in moving forward. Also now this health problem has come. I was doing so great an outlook. God put this person in my life right now and they're hard to deal with the word is your shower which means Smoot straight and right folks listen many times God is the one who has put that obstacle there in a why because he knows that if he allows you to keep going. There's a cliff coming thank God for unanswered prayers. Amen. God is so good that he even knows when to say no it's not fun to walk with a limp visit horrible Cardiff. If only this was pride. I would be running for you know you wouldn't run off the cliff post. You realize you cannot live the Christian life without a deep personal relationship with God is not just a bunch of truths that you affect up that you that your firm or confess this about walking with Christ. It has to be intentional. It has to be passionate and what I found in my life I be honest with you standing here telling the truth on preaching the word. But my personal relationship with God is not intentional. Is not passion that I cannot go along like that for too long to get the point.

When you have a deep perspiration with God, and there are obstacles you begin to realize Henderson God is doing this for my benefit. He is not against me, and when the time is right.

He begins to smooth out those obstacles in your able to move forward and you realize all way. There's a cliff there is gotta be a better way and God shows you that better way. They taught me growing up to always acknowledge God and keep him first in everything they tell us that I'm in. It would be this beat that into a dubious tube they would paint into us all the time. Talk about life is not to be easy, but keep God first read the word of God. Let God speak to you talk to God have a relationship with God and at the time you and understand what that implied but as I've gone through life. There have been many obstacles. I remember Christmas of 1993. Being stuck many of y'all heard my testimony and exit on this side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Waiting for a ride in the bitter cold and I'm standing at this exit. There's a gas station across the street gasket of lab, was at the gas station but they shut down, there was a telephone booth across the street. I get in the telephone booth trying to stay cut warm trying to wait for this ride and and and I'm thinking I will die tonight. I don't know how I would ever get out of this one invokes.

This was my prayer that I trust you with all my heart and I will acknowledge you in all my ways. You take care of the path and he has more than done his part of the promise it has to be intentional. You're not going to feel it but you have to make it happen in the power of the Holy Spirit you have to desire it, and God will do the rest. Have you come to a place where you are done with the whole home is going to the motions of the sermon is legal this time of invitation today is a day for you to say God I have been sitting back over here expecting to feel a desire no. The decision that I want my marriage, my romance to be on fire to be intentional to be passionate with my wife so also with God. I want my relationship be relationship to be active, intentional. I want to hear his voice.

I want to talk to him and I know that he will smooth out the patent if you do not know Christ today have to begin that relationship is a relationship used to say that and then we stop saying in his relationship is a decision of course wasn't relationship.

It's it's by faith.

You see him talk to him and you love him you loved by.

Thank you so much for listening to this week's message in order to be skillful in our daily lives is important that we have a deep personal relationship with Christ. For more information and for this summer's notes check out Dr. Shah's blog that I would on shop.com for more information-get plugged in here including check our website. A clear view BC.org 1 Awesome Way to get plugged in. Here is our one marriage conference coming up on March 7 vanadium hosted here at Cleveland by Tony Alisa DeLorenzo. This conference will revolutionize your marriage.

For more information and for how to get signed up policy of the church office at 252-438-8433