Sunday, August 30,
2015 pm
TRUST AND OBEY
#644, Sacred
Selections
Tonight we examine the message of another song.
We do this typically in 5th Sunday months in the
evening. Tonight a
well-known hymn – trust and obey.
The song was published in 1887.
It was written by John H. Sammis (1846-1919), who was a
Presbyterian minister at the time.
It was put to music by Daniel B. Towner (1850-1919).
The inspiration for the hymn came from an evangelistic meeting
where a young man stood up to tell of his experiences as a believer.
It became clear that he did not have a deep Biblical knowledge.
When asked a question he struggled to answer but his closing
remarks were, “I’m not sure – but I am going to trust and I am going to
obey.” Towner (the
composer) heard these words and wrote a letter to his friend John
Sammis. He penned the words
and returned it to towner who put it to music.
We are told that Sammis first penned the chorus and then the
words to the song.
The message of the song is one that rings clear as we consider our need
for faith. Not just mere
belief, but obedient belief. That
is what is emphasized in this song.
Let us consider the words to this hymn.
a.
When we walk with the
Lord -
There is a need to walk with the Lord –walking with Him is to follow Him
and His teachings.
1 John 2:6 -
if you abide in Him you ought to walk as He walked.
Colossians 2:6-7 tells us, “As you therefore have received Christ
Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and
established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with
thanksgiving”
b.
In the light of His
word – let
our walk be true to His commands –
John 14:23, if we love Him we will Keep His word.
c.
What a glory He sheds
on the way – His word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path – Psa.
119:105
2 Cor. 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a
mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image
from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
d.
While we do His good
will, He abides with us still- John 8:31
e.
And with all who will
trust and obey – salvation is available to all – but it is contingent
upon our obedience.
Also consider this in light of brethren resolving conflicts and
differences. If we all seek
to trust and obey Him, many problems will be resolved.
a.
Not a shadow can
rise…but His smile quickly drives it away
–
I do not find passages that speak of God smiling upon His people.
But we do find passages that speak of pleasing Him.
Heb. 13:16, 1 Thess. 4:1,
There is something to be said
about living in such a way that God says, “Well done good and faithful
servant” (cf. Matt. 25:41)
2 Cor. 5:9 says, “We make it our aim to be well pleasing to Him…
This is at the very foundation of our faith (trust)
No matter what we deal with, we don’t give up - 2 Cor. 4:7-10 –
hard-pressed but not defeated.
Romans 8:31 – if God be for us, who can be against us?
b.
Not a doubt or a
fear, not a sigh or a tear - Can abide while we trust and obey
–
I think of Jesus lovingly rebuking Peter and others for their “little
faith”. (Matt. 6:30, 8:26,
16:8)
On one occasion, Peter looked to Jesus as he walked on water, but when
he looked down, he began to sink. He
cried “Lord, save me.”
Jesus took him by the hand and said, “O you of little faith, why did you
doubt?”
c.
In 1 Pet. 5:6-7 we
are reminded to cast all our cares on Him.
d.
NOTE: All the
descriptions of challenges in this verse and the next are not saying we
will never face troubles, concerns, fears apprehension, etc.
Gal. 6:5 tells us we have burdens we must bear (alone).
Vs. 2 says there are other burdens other can help us with.
BUT, when our trust matures as it ought to, we will submit to Him
in obedience and work through them without being overcome.
1 John 5:4, it is our faith that overcomes the world.
a.
Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share but our toil He doth richly repay
– Jesus promised blessings in this life (for what we leave) and in the
end eternal life. Heb. 6:10
b.
Not a grief or a
loss, not a frown or a cross (trouble), but is blest if we trust and
obey.
Luke 9:23 calls for
us to deny self, take up our cross and follow Him.
When we do, God takes note and can bless that effort.
He can turn our sorrows into joys and our burdens into blessings,
in ways we don’t realize.
I am reminded that at times, we worry too much over what might happen
and very often it is not as bad as we think.
Consider Matt. 6:33 – seek first His kingdom and He will take
care of you.
a.
But we never can
prove (test) the delights of His love until all on the altar we lay
–
First, the love of God is so great that we may never fully comprehend it
( cf. Eph. 3:19), but the more we trust Him the greater we experience
and comprehend His love.
I see this as complete surrender or trust.
Like Abraham offering his son (Gen. 22).
Like Jesus as He is about to die, “Into Your hands I commit My
Spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
b.
For the favor He
shows, for the joy He bestows are for those who will trust and obey.
Favor is grace. God’s grace
has been manifested toward us.
Joy is bestowed upon us as well, when we are obedient to Him. Phil. 4:4-
rejoice in the Lord always.
NOTE: There are numerous blessings and privileges associated with being
a Christian. But these are
dependent upon our continued obedience.
a.
Then in fellowship
sweet, we will sit at His feet or we’ll walk by His side in the way–
1 John 1:7 summarizes this well.
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin.”
When He is dwelling
in us, that fellowship is there -
Consider John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said to him, “If
anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and
We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
To sit at His feet is to learn from Him - Luke 10:38-40 – Mary sat at
the feet of Jesus as He taught.
To walk by His side is yet another way of saying we obey Him (see vs. 1)
b.
What He says we will
do, where He sends we will go
– we will do whatever we are commissioned to do.
This does not depend upon our agreeing or understanding it.
Matthew 28:19-20 – not knowing it all, but a disposition to observe all
things commanded.
As Jesus called His
first apostles he told Peter and them to cast out their nets into the
deep – Luke 5:4-5. Peter
complied even though his experience as a fisherman said it wouldn’t
work.
He told the blind man to go wash in the pool of Siloam – John 9:6-7
Peter was told to go with the men from the house of Cornelius – Acts
10:19-20
Be like the 5 or 2 talent servant. You
have been commissioned – do what you can do.
(Matt. 5:14-30)
c.
Never fear, only
trust and obey
– Heb. 13:6, “I will not fear,
what can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6)
a.
Trust and obey
– James 2:14-18 – our faith is demonstrated by our actions.
It is demonstrated by doing what we are commanded.
Lip service is inadequate.
b.
For there’s no other
way to be happy in Jesus
– true happiness comes ONLY in Him as we lovingly obey Him.
I’m reminded of the numerous times the expression “blessed” (such
as the beatitudes – Matt. 5:3-10) is
used in scripture.
c.
But to trust and obey
This song reminds us of the blessed life that awaits the Christian.
It is not an easy life, or is it necessarily one free of toil and
troubles, but it is a good life.
One that if approached with a proper attitude and obedience will
be good. And “the
retirement plan is out of this world.”
Won’t you trust and obey Him today?