Whom Can I Trust?

Q: What does the Bible say about trusting God?

The Bible emphasizes that trust should be placed in God alone, as humans are frail and untrustworthy. Psalm 146 teaches us not to put our trust in princes or the sons of men, for they cannot provide salvation. Trusting in God, specifically the God of Jacob, is encouraged because He is the Creator who supports and sustains us. Unlike mankind, who is limited and ultimately perishes, God is everlasting, true, and unchanging, making Him the only reliable source of hope and confidence.

Q: How do we know God's promises are true?

We rely on God's unchanging nature and His faithfulness to fulfill His promises. God's promises are trustworthy because He does not change; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As stated in Psalm 146, God keeps truth forever and does not fail in His commitments. This contrasts with human leaders, whose ideas and promises are often fleeting and ultimately perish with them. Therefore, believers can find assurance in God's faithfulness to His Word and His covenant mercies.

Q: Why is it important to worship God from the heart?

Worshiping God from the heart is essential as true praise comes from a sincere relationship with Him, not mere lip service. In worship, superficial phrases such as 'praise the Lord' can become lifeless and merely ritualistic unless they originate from a heart filled with genuine gratitude and reverence. Psalm 146 emphasizes that true worship engages the soul and heart, reflecting an authentic connection with God. As Jesus pointed out, it is essential that our worship stems not from outward expressions but from an inner devotion that delights in God’s grace and mercy.

Q: What can we learn about God's character from Psalm 146?

Psalm 146 reveals God's sovereignty, faithfulness, and commitment to His people. In Psalm 146, we learn that God is the Creator, who made heaven and earth and continues to sustain them. He is depicted as a God who liberates the oppressed, opens the eyes of the blind, and preserves the righteous. These characteristics assert His role as a compassionate and powerful deity. Moreover, His unchanging nature assures believers that they can always rely on Him for help and deliverance, contrasting sharply with the frailty of human leaders.

Q: How does trusting in God lead to happiness?

Trusting in God brings true happiness, as He is the source of our help and hope. Psalm 146 states, 'Happy is the man that hath the God of Jacob for his help.' This happiness is grounded in the assurance that God, who created all things and keeps His promises, is the believer's refuge. Unlike the uncertainty tied to human leaders, trusting in God creates a firm foundation for hope and joy, as it is fixed on His eternal and faithful nature. With our help rooted in Him, believers can experience genuine contentment, reflecting a life devoted to God's purposes.

Before I bring the message today,
I want to talk to you about something in which some of you might be
interested. About 10 or 12 years ago, I began
to write the Bible study material, the Sunday school material that
we use in our church, in our classes. I began with Romans
1. and wrote the Sunday School material
on each verse from Romans all the way through the book of Jude.
And these studies have been printed. They were printed by Evangelical
Press in London, England. And they've been printed in four
languages, English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Now, this is
the book of Romans, verse by verse, and then You have the
book of 1st and 2nd Corinthians, and then the book of Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. And this is in plain language
of the common people. And it's for you, for me, for
people who want to study the Word of God but don't have the
time to read the lengthy and weightier commentaries. These
are simple commentaries, verse by verse, in everyday language. dealing with each verse of Scripture
in all 21 of the New Testament epistles. And this set of books
sells for $10. If you'd like to have it, you
write to me next week and send $10 and we'll mail it to you.
That's what it costs us. We order them from England, we
pay $10 a set, and we'll be glad to send it to you. Incidentally,
these books are, at the present time, being translated in Moscow
into Russian. And there'll be 10,000 of these
sets printed in Russia and distributed to the churches in Russia. I also have a Bible study commentary
on the book of John. This is verse by verse, beginning
with John 1, chapter 1, verse 1, going all the way through
the book of John, verse by verse. If you're a Bible class teacher,
a Sunday school teacher, preacher, just want to study the Word of
God for yourself, Then order these books. This book of John's
$3. And then the commentaries, we have to sell for $10. And
if you'll order them, we'll send them to you as quickly as we
can. That's the New Testament epistles,
commentaries on the New Testament epistles, $10. And then the book
of John is $3. Now, my message today will be
taken from the book of Psalms. And the subject will be, whom
can I trust? Whom can I trust? You know, a
lot's being said today about who can be trusted and who cannot
be trusted and whom do you trust. Well, I plan to tell you in this
message today whom you can trust, where you can place your trust
and your confidence and never, ever be disappointed. and I trust. And I want you to turn in your
Bibles to Psalm 146. I'd like very much for you to
turn to this passage of Scripture and follow along as I speak to
you today. Psalm 146. We're going to begin
at verse 1. There are 10 verses in this Psalm.
We're going to begin at verse 1, and hopefully, as the Spirit
of God gives me some wisdom and understanding, And the ability
to speak from this psalm, we'll go on down through verse 10.
But you take your Bible and follow with me as I speak. Now, verse
1 begins this way. Praise ye the Lord. Praise the
Lord, O my soul. Now, over and over again in the
book of Psalms, we are exhorted to praise the Lord. Praise the
Lord. You know what it says? Praise
the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Praise the
Lord, O my soul. Does this mean that in order
for me to praise the Lord, that I must use these identical words? That I must say those words,
praise the Lord? Those are the words that most
religionists are using over and over and over again. Well, praise
the Lord. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Blessed Jesus. In
order to praise the Lord, must I use these particular words?
Now, the word here is praise the Lord, praise ye the Lord.
It doesn't say you have to use these words, praise the Lord
or hallelujah. I'm persuaded, now listen to
me, I'm persuaded that these words, and I hear them all the
time, I hear people say, well, praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
praise the Lord. I'm persuaded that these words
have become mere forms. They're used in a flippant and
meaningless manner by most people. It's just sort of like a byword.
It's sort of like a word to fill in when we don't have anything
else to say. Well, praise the Lord. Like the other day, I was
listening to a young athlete being interviewed, and he really
didn't have much to say, and about every three or four words,
he'd say, you know. He'd talk about where he was
playing, you know, and where he was going to school, you know,
and what position he played, you know, He was using these
words, you know, as fillers. And I'm afraid that many people
who use these words, praise the Lord, and hallelujah, and blessed
Jesus, are just using these words flippantly and carelessly and
as fillers for lack of something else to say. The Scripture says
this, Be not rash with thy mouth. Let not thine heart be hasty
to utter words before the Lord. For God is in heaven and thou
upon the earth, therefore in his presence let thy words be
few. Be careful how you use the name
of the Lord. Don't use it flippantly and carelessly
and as a mere form or words to fill in for lack of something
else to say. Besides, besides, true praise
and true worship is not lip service at all. It's heart worship. What did that scripture say I
just read? Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. O my soul. That's, that's where, that's
the source of truth. Praise the soul, the heart, the
mind. Psalm 103 says, Bless the Lord,
O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. I tell you, our Lord condemned
those religionists back in that day. You know, He said in Matthew
15, He said, These people draw near to Me with their mouths,
but their hearts are far from Me. They draw near to Me with
their mouths, but their hearts are far from Me. What I'm saying
is that I can praise the Lord. without even using any words
at all. Hannah did. Have you ever read
the second chapter of 1 Samuel? That's one of the greatest songs
of praise that I've ever read anywhere. God had it recorded. Hannah's praise of the Lord.
And you know, when she was praising the Lord and praying to God,
listen to me, when she was praising the Lord and praying to God,
she wasn't saying anything. Her lips moved, but she wasn't
making any noise. And Eli, the old priest, thought
she was drunken. He said, are you drunken? She
said, no, no, sir, I've been talking to God. So, you know,
Hannah worshipped and praised God with no words at all. And
in Romans chapter 8, verse 26, prayer is described in this way,
groanings which cannot be uttered. Groanings which cannot be uttered.
Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and
all that is within me. And avoid careless, repetitious,
flippant form that people call praise. It's not praise at all. These people draw nigh to me
with their mouths, but the heart is far from me. And God does
not look on the outward countenance. He looks on the heart. He receives
heart worship. All right, look at verse 2. The
psalmist says, while I live, I will praise the Lord. I will
sing praises to my God while I have any being. While I live,
I'll praise the Lord. My friends, I have every reason
to praise God while I live because it's by His will and pleasure
that I do live. That's right. He gave me life.
In Him, I live and move and have my being. He sustains my life. By Him, all things consist or
are upheld or held together. And I'll tell you this, when
He wills it, He'll take my life. He gave me life. He sustains
my life. And He will take my life. That's
right. Job said this, Our days are determined. The number of our months are
with the Lord. He has set our bounds. We cannot pass. He told
Isaiah, I kill, I make alive, I wound, I heal, I raise men
up and I bring them down. So while I live, I praise the
Lord and I have every reason to praise Him while I live because
it's by His will that I live. And then I have greater reason
to praise God because I live spiritually. I live spiritually. I have in Christ Not only physical
life, but eternal life, spiritual life. You know, it's by His will
that I was chosen to life. That's right. Paul wrote this
in Ephesians. He said, Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings. in the heavenlies, according
as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him. In love He
predestinated us to the adoption of children. So it's by His will
that I've been chosen, and it's by His will that I'm born again.
Of His own will begat He us. The Scripture says, as many as
received Him, to them gave He the privilege to become sons
of God, even to those that believe on His name, which were born,
not of blood, that is, not of fleshly genealogy, not of the
will of the flesh, not of the will of man, born of God. Born of God. It's by His will
I was chosen, it's by His will I was born again, and it's by
His will Christ died for me. Christ said in Hebrews 10, in
the volume of the book, It's written of me. I come, O Lord,
to do thy will, by the which will we are sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. It's by
God's will that I've been redeemed, and by God's will that Christ
died for me, and by God's will that he's my mediator, and it's
by God's will that I'll be resurrected. Christ said, because I live,
you live. Because I live, you live. Now that calls for praise,
doesn't it? That calls for praise. While
I live, I'll praise the Lord. I'll praise God while I have
any being. And I'll tell you this, one day
we'll really be able to praise Him. That's right. I don't love
Him now like I ought to, like I want to, and like I should,
but someday I will. And I can't praise Him from my
heart, mind, soul, or any way like I ought to, like He ought
to be praised, like I want to, or like I will someday when all
the voices of all the people of all generations, of all tribes,
kindred, nations, and tongues shall lift their voices in glory
and say, unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sins,
to Him be the glory both now and forever. Oh my, that's praising
the Lord. That's praising God. And then
look at verse 3. Listen to this. And here I'm
coming to my main theme. Whom can I trust? He says in
verse 3, put not your trust, put not your trust, your confidence
in princes, kings, or earthly leaders. You can't trust them. Put not your trust in the sons
of men in whom there is no salvation. When are we going to learn that?
When are we going to learn not to put our trust and our confidence
in this flesh? When will we learn that? You
know, people go to church because of a man. And then they'll quit
church because of the same man. And then they follow a man. And
they are disappointed in that man. You know, our Lord said,
don't call any man your master. You have one master. Don't call
any man your father. God in heaven is your father,
your brethren. We don't put any confidence in
this flesh, in any flesh, yours, mine, or princes, or leaders,
or captains, or commanders, or whomever, if they're nothing
but men. Don't put your trust in the sons of men in whom there's
no help and no salvation. Philippians chapter 3 verse 3
gives a threefold definition of a true believer. It says in
Philippians 3 verse 3, we are the circumcision. We are true
Israel, number one, who worship God in spirit. Not just with
blabbing off with the mouth, we worship God in heart and spirit. That's what I'm saying, praising
God in the heart and the soul. Secondly, we rejoice in Christ
Jesus. Everything we have is by His
grace. He is my life. He is my hope. He is heaven, He is glory, He
is all things, all and in all. I rejoice in Christ. Thirdly,
I put no confidence in the flesh. You know, it's not the man that's
important, it's the message. Somebody wrote about church one
day and said, who preaches there? Well, that's not important. Who
preaches there? Whom do they preach there? What's
the message? What message do they preach?
That's what's important. Now, I know all of us want to
set a good example. I want to be a good example to
the people to whom I preach. I want to live and walk and talk
for the glory of God. But I know this, and you know
this, man at his best state is altogether vanity. And in this
flesh dwelleth no good thing. So don't put your trust in men. Put not your trust, confidence,
in princes, leaders, or the sons of men. in whom there's no salvation. Now look at verse 4. He tells
us why. He tells us why we can't trust
men, can't trust ourselves. Here's the reason. He says in
verse 4, his breath goes forth, he returns to the earth, and
in that day, his thoughts perish. What's he saying there? Well,
don't put your trust in a man, because number one, when he quits
breathing, he dies. Men are so frail and so impotent
and so powerless that for want of a little air, they die. He can't help himself and he
can't help you. Why would you trust him? All
that kills him is want of a little air. He can't create enough air
to stay alive. He breathes his last breath and
dies. And then it says, secondly, he
returns to his earth. The dust is his, his earth. It says, not he returns to the
earth, he returns to his earth, to his original state. He was
taken from the dirt and he goes back to the dirt. He has no pull. He has no influence. He has no
power anywhere. That's right. He has no authority.
He returns to his dirt. Now, that's the wrong fellow
to put confidence in. If you want to put trust and
confidence in someone, put it in Christ. He arose. He didn't
go back to the dust because he didn't come from the dust. He
came from God. And he's an ever-living mediator. Paul was afraid of people putting
their trust and confidence in him. He said, I thank God I didn't
baptize any of you. Nobody can go out here and say,
well, I have special favors because Paul baptized me. He said, oh,
Paul has no pull. Paul's just a sinner saved by
grace and the chief of sinners. Don't put your trust in men.
Don't put your confidence in men because they die for want
of air. And secondly, they go back to
their dirt. Now listen, thirdly, and their thoughts that day perish
with them. Their thoughts. Man's thoughts
and his plans and his ideas and his programs all go down with
him. Nothing remains. He's just a sinner that day looking
for mercy. All of these big visions and
plans and dreams and things that religious leaders promote while
they're here on the earth, when they die, their breath goes,
they go back to the dirt, and their thoughts and ideas and
plans die with them. Don't put your trust in them.
Don't follow them. All right, here's the one to
trust, verse 5. Look at it. Here's the one to
trust, in whom you can trust and rest. Happy is the man that
hath the God of Jacob for his help. Happy is the man whose
hope is in the Lord his God, not in men, but in God, the God
of Jacob. Who is this God of Jacob? Why
is he called the God of Jacob? The Lord God is often called
the God of Jacob. God changed Jacob's name to Israel.
You remember the God of Israel, the God of Jacob? True children
of God are often called sons of Jacob, quite often in the
Scripture, sons of Jacob, the God of Jacob. Well, my friends,
I tell you this, whatever it means, you want the God of Jacob
to be your refuge, and you want to be a son of Jacob. Yes, you
do. You want to trust. Happy is that
man whose hope and trust and help is in the God of Jacob. Happy is that man. I'll tell
you why That we're called sons of Jacob why he's called the
God of Jacob Number one God chose Jacob That's right. He said in Romans 9 verse 10
when Rebecca had conceived by her father Isaac The children
being not yet born neither having done any good or evil That the
purpose of God according to election might stand it was said the elder
Esau shall serve the younger Jacob He was chosen. Jacob was
chosen. Secondly, God loved Jacob. He
said, Jacob have a love, Esau have a hated. Jacob was an object
of God's love. Thirdly, God met Jacob at Bethel
and revealed himself to him. And fourthly, God kept Jacob
all the days of his life, supplied his needs and brought him back
to Bethel. And in the next place, God changed
his name. from Jacob, which means cheat,
and surplanter, to Israel, which means what? A prince of God. A prince of God. Happy is the
man whose God is the God of Jacob. Happy is the man who hath the
God of Jacob for his refuge and for his help. Happy is the man
whose hope is in the God of Jacob. Now then, verse 6 tells you why.
A while ago he said to us, don't you trust man? Don't you put
any confidence in the flesh? And he tells us why. His breath
goes from him, he goes back to his dirt, and his thoughts perish
with him. But happy is the man who trusts
the Lord, whose confidence and trust and hope is in the God
of Jacob, the sovereign God, the God of purpose, the God of
covenant mercies. Now, here's the reason. Verse
6. Here's the reason we can trust
our God. He says, number one, Our God
made the heavens. That's why you can trust Him.
He made the heavens. He who made the heavens can make
you fit for heaven. That's right. Our Lord Jesus
said this, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I'll come again and receive you to myself that
where I am there, you may be also. And you know where I go
and the way you know. We know where He goes, back to
the Father. And we know the way to the Father.
It's through Christ. So He who made the heavens can
make you fit for heaven. And then secondly, He made the
earth. He can sustain us. He can provide for us. He can
keep us here on this earth if He made the earth and all things
therein. It says He made the sea. What
is the sea? Well, all we see is the top of
it. But some of these men have taken pictures underwater, and
the sea is the most mysterious, most wonderful part of God's
creation, I suppose. Have you seen some of those films
taken under the sea? All the unseen mysteries and
all of the things that God has made. Well, I'll tell you, if
He made the sea and the mysteries of the sea, He can deliver us
in time of trouble, unseen powers, mysteries, He can keep us. And then it says in the fourth
place, and this God who made the heavens and the earth and
the seas keepeth truth forever. He never changes. You can't trust
men. They change. They're powerless
and impotent and they change and they make their promises,
but they can't keep them. But he keeps truth. He's true
to his covenant. He's true to His Word. He's true
to His Son. He's true to His promises. He
said, I'm the Lord. I don't change. I change not. The same yesterday, today, and
forever. What He purposed, He'll do. Whom He foreknew, He predestinated
to be conformed to the image of His Son. Whom He predestinated,
He called. Whom He called, He justified.
Whom He justified, He glorified. I'm the Lord. I don't change.
Therefore, you sons of Jacob, There's that word again, are
not consumed. Why are we not consumed? Because
he's the God of Jacob and he doesn't change. Romans 11 says,
the gifts and calling of God are without change. Now look
at verse 7, 8, 9, and 10, and I'll take them all together.
In the last four verses, the name Jehovah, the Lord, you notice
it in your Bible, the Lord is capitalized, capital L, capital
O, capital R, capital D. Jehovah the Lord his name appears
six times in these four verses and each time It sets forth the
happiness and comfort of that person who has learned to trust
the Lord Says the Lord loosens at the prisons prisoners the
Lord loosen it the prisoners We're prisoners. That's right
by birth nature and choice prisoners of sin Prisoners of justice he
sets us free the Lord opened at the eyes of the blind He has
shined in our hearts to give us the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Christ. We see him. Verse 8, he raises
them that have bowed down. He lifted their burdens. Verse
8, the Lord loveth the righteous, those who are in Christ, of whom
it can be said, Christ is our righteousness. Verse 9, the Lord
preserveth the strangers. We're strangers here on this
earth. We're not strangers to God or to one another, but we
are to the world, because this is an unfriendly, hostile world. But He'll preserve us wherever
we go. He said, I'll never leave you. I'll be with you always.
He'll preserve you throughout your walk. And then last, the
Lord shall reign forever, and we shall reign with Him. So praise
ye the Lord. Now, if you want these books,
remember I talked about them at the first of the program.
Here's the book of John. This is a study of the book of John,
verse by verse, all the way through. And then this is a study, this
is the commentaries from Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, all the way through the 21 epistles
of the New Testament, verse by verse, in your language. This
set of books is $10, and this Gospel of John is $3. If you'll
write to us, we'll mail them to you, and I think they'll be
very helpful in your study, private study, and I know they'll be
a great help in teaching your classes. So write, and if you
want this message on tape, this message I just preached, send
for it, and we'll send it to you. Until next week, may God
bless you.

Whom Can I Trust?

What does the Bible say about trusting God?

How do we know God's promises are true?

Why is it important to worship God from the heart?

What can we learn about God's character from Psalm 146?

How does trusting in God lead to happiness?

Sermon Transcript

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Whom Can I Trust?

What does the Bible say about trusting God?

How do we know God's promises are true?

Why is it important to worship God from the heart?

What can we learn about God's character from Psalm 146?

How does trusting in God lead to happiness?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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