Sunday, May 31, 2009 pm
“TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS”, #559
Tonight, we
examine another sermon in song.
In our singing we are called upon to sing with the Spirit and
understanding (1 Cor. 14:15).
So as we sing it is important that the message we are encouraging
one another with be scriptural.
That is why from time to time we want to examine some of the
songs we sing.
Tonight, “Tis
So Sweet To Trust In Jesus”.
This song was written around 1879-1880 by Mrs. Louisa M.R. Stead.
She was born in Dover, England but immigrated to the United
States when she was 21. She
met and married and lived in New York where they had a daughter.
Shortly before writing this hymn her husband drowned while
attempting to save a child.
After this Mrs. Stead and her daughter moved to South Africa as a
missionary. It was here that
it is believed she wrote this song probably still struggling with the
loss of her husband. This is
the only well known hymn she wrote (the chorus of this song is also
found in another song entitled, “All for Jesus”).
a.
What it
means to trust in Jesus
The word, “trust” is a word that means to have confidence.
In this hymn the word trust is associated with confidence in
Jesus. As we sing this song
we can see a confidence that not superficial but engrained within us and
behind all that we do.
To understand the word trust consider the word, faith.
The term faith is a word we often describe as involving two
things: believing God (not just believing in Him) and trusting Him.
Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust
in the Lord
with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”
1 Tim. 5:5 speaking of godly widows it notes that she, “trusts in God and continues in
supplications and prayers night and day.”
1 Tim. 4:10, “For to this end we
both labor and suffer reproach, because we
trust in the living God, who is the
Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.”
1 Tim. 6:17, “Command those who
are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to
trust in uncertain riches but in the
living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”
Keep this in mind as we address trust in this song.
It speaks of the confidence we have in Jesus to be there fore us.
The song also mentions a number of reasons WHY we trust Him as we
do.
b.
Just to
take Him at His word
– It is truly sad that we live in a world where we cannot always take
man at his word. Man will
often say something and mean something else.
And there are others whose words mean NOTHING as demonstrated by
their actions.
But when it comes to our Lord, everything He says – we can TRUST.
When our Lord speaks, it is always important.
We can trust what He says.
Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and
earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
While on earth, Jesus never lied or let down His disciples.
Everything He said He would do, He did.
And the greatness of what He did is seen what He gave up (Phil.
2:5-7) and what He went through for us (John 15:13).
John 17:4, “I have finished the work which You gave Me to do…”
c.
Just to
rest upon His promise
Just as we can count upon whatever He said, we can believe His promises
to us. Throughout His
ministry our Lord made many promises and He fulfilled them for His
disciples.
He has also made promises to us that we can count on.
2 Peter 1:2-4 speaks of the exceedingly great and precious
promises He has given to us.
1 John 2:25, “And this is the
promise that He has promised us – eternal life.”
d.
Just to
know, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’
Our part in trusting Him and His word is to do what He says.
Luke 6:46 says, “But why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say?”
If we trust our Jesus we will be like Peter whom Jesus early in His
ministry told to let down the nets (Luke 5:4-6).
Even though they had caught nothing all night Peter said, “Nevertheless
at Your word I will let down the net.”
John 12:48 warns us that the words our Lord has spoken will judge us in
the last day.
Do we trust our Lord enough to do what He tells us to do?
a.
This verse addresses our Lord as our Savior.
As we sing this song may we NEVER forget that Jesus is our ONLY
hope of salvation. Acts 4:12
tells us, “Nor is there salvation
in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by
which we must be saved.”
John 14:6, “I am the Way, the
Truth and the Life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me.”
b.
Just to
trust His cleansing blood
From the time that man sinned, blood has had a part in man’s
forgiveness. Heb. 9:22 tells
us that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission”.
Of course, the blood that saves us is the blood of Jesus –
Hebrews 9:11-14 addresses the coming of Christ and how HIS blood can
cleanse us.
Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we
have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to
the riches of His grace.”
c.
Just in
simple faith to plunge me, ‘neath the healing cleansing flood.
This expression address our need for faith to save us – John 3:16,
Ephesians 2:8, etc.
But how do we come in contact with that blood by faith?
The answer is baptism.
The expression of this verse seems to point to baptism.
Romans 6:3-6, Acts 22:16, etc.
Baptism is NOT simply getting wet, but rather it is an act of faith
TRUSTING Jesus to save us as we obey His commands (1 Peter 3:20-21).
III.
Verse 3, “Yes, tis sweet…just from sin and
self to cease
a.
This verse calls for a changed life.
Because we trust our Jesus, we are going to become different than
what we were before.
b.
Just
from sin and self to cease.
A key doctrine we must understand as we obey the gospel is repentance.
Repentance is not just saying you are sorry; it is changing your
mind about the sinful life you have lived.
In Acts 3:19 Peter said, “Repent therefore and be converted that your
sins may be blotted out, …”
The meaning of the Greek
word for conversion is to turn around.
It is the product (result) of repentance.
You are changed. It is a
clearly visible difference in what you do and who you have become.
Consider - 1 Cor. 6:9-11, 1 Peter 4:3-4.
That is the product of repentance.
Friends that is why repentance is found BEFORE baptism and being right –
Acts 2:38, 2 Cor. 7:10-11
OUR VERSE speaks of ceasing from sin and SELF.
Putting our trust in Jesus – AND REPENTING - means we not trust
in our own ways. Like
Jeremiah said, “It is not in man
who walks to direct his own steps.” (Jer. 10:23).
Notice
Galatians 2:20.
c.
Just
from Jesus simply taking, Life, and rest, and joy, and peace.
As you surrender your past sinful life, you MUST replace it with
wholesome things and letting Jesus rule your life – Hope of eternal life
(Titus 3:7, 2:13 – looking for the blessed hope…, 1 Thess. 1:3); looking
forward to an eternal rest (Matt. 11:28); a joy that the world cannot
understand (John 15:11, 1 Thess. 2:19); and an inner peace where you
know you are alright (John 14:27, 2 Thess. 3:16, Phil. 4:6,7).
TRUSTING in Jesus provides these things and many more.
a.
In this verse we find a maturity as one has learned from our Lord what
He has done for us and can do.
As a result of this, there is a determination to keep trusting
Him throughout this life.
b.
I’m so
glad I learned to trust Thee…
Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out
of them all.”
Paul at the conclusion of his life recognized all that he had faced and
he said, “And out of them all the
Lord delivered me.” It
is my desire for you that as you live for Jesus it will NOT be something
that you EVER regret! May
trust in Him always bring you gladness.
c.
Precious
Jesus, Savior, friend
When we learn
to trust our Lord, He becomes more than just a high acquaintance; He
becomes our friend! And not
just any friend – but PRECIOUS!
John 15:15 says, “Greater love has
no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for His friends.
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know
what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things
that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
Spoken to His apostles, it also describes His relationship with
us – IF we allow it!
d.
And I
know that thou are with me
He promised His disciples that though He had to leave, He would be back
– John 14:1-3; Hebrews 13:5 says, “For
He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’
So that we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not
fear. What can man do to me?”
e.
Wilt be
with me to the end
He will ALWAYS be there, even to the end (Matt. 28:20).
Again note Heb. 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you…”
a.
The chorus reminds us what we are singing about – TRUSTING HIM!
b.
We can trust Him because He has continually proved Himself trustworthy.
We have tested Him and He has come through!
He has NOT let us down and we have the confidence that what lies
ahead is even greater hope because of Him.
c.
May our trust in Him continually grow.
As Christians, we must never be content where we are at.
Let our trust in Him grow more and more, even to the very end.
“Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you
should abound more and more, just
as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God” (1
Thess. 4:1)
2 Peter 3:18, “But GROW in the
grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
May our trust in Him, as in every other avenue of our lives as
Christians, mature greatly as time goes on.
And thus we can see another hymn
and the scriptural message it can portray.
It is a song reminding us to trust our Lord Jesus at all times.
What about you? Do
you trust Him? Let us once
again sing this song!
Invitation!