498 – Where He Leads I’ll Follow 397 – Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus Opening Prayer

O498 – Where He Leads I’ll FollowO397 – Stand Up, Stand Up For JesusOOpening PrayerO170 – In Gethsemane AloneO392 – Count Your BlessingsO637 – Wonderful City Of GodOSermon “In God We Trust – Are You

Sure?”O319 – Only A StepO430 – Take The Name Of Jesus With

You

Isaiah 53 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his

mouth.  9And he made his grave with the wicked, and

with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in

his mouth. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with

the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the

transgressors.

Matthew 27:28-3128And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29And when they had platted

a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the

Jews!  30And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

 31And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put

his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

O498 – Where He Leads I’ll FollowO397 – Stand Up, Stand Up For JesusOOpening PrayerO170 – In Gethsemane AloneO392 – Count Your BlessingsO637 – Wonderful City Of GodOSermon “In God We Trust – Are You

Sure?”O319 – Only A StepO430 – Take The Name Of Jesus With

You

“In God We Trust: Are You Sure?”

Psalm 118O 1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

         For His mercy endures forever.   2 Let Israel now say,         “His mercy endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron now say,         “His mercy endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the LORD now say,         “His mercy endures forever.”    5 I called on the LORD in distress;         The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.          What can man do to me?

IntroductionOIt’s easy to worship God when …

Othings are great Oyou are surrounded by others of

like mind Oyou walk on a quiet beach or sit on

top of a mountain OThose times, however, may be the exception rather than the rule.

IntroductionOHow do you worship God when you don’t “feel” like it?

OHow do you keep a relationship when He seems far away?

O We’re talking about the deepest level of worship

& relationship.

IntroductionOTo be able to praise Him in spite of pain

OTo thank Him in spite of trials … OTo trust Him when you don’t understand

OTo love Him when He seems a million miles away …

OThat kind of faith isn’t easy.

Friendship is Tested by Separation

OWhat’s true in human relationships is also true in our spiritual relationship.

OThe point: We have to work at our relationship with God and — we won’t always feel close to Him.

OAnd that’s when worship and faith gets difficult.

OThere will be times when we will feel that God has ignored, abandoned, and forgotten us.

OAnd we’re not the only one! OPs.10:1; 22:1-2; 43:2A; 89:46

O Truth: God had not turned His back on them anymore than He will turn His back on us! (Deut.31:8; Heb.13:5).

OKey truth: Beware of basing your faith upon feelings because … your feelings will betray you!

When God Seems Distant OJob …

OThere were times Job felt disconnected from God (23:8-9).

OHis feelings of abandonment had nothing to do with sin, but were a test of his faith.

OWill we continue to trust and obey when we don’t feel His presence?

OA common mistake — seeking an emotional experience rather than seeking Him!

OIf the feeling happens we conclude that God is with me.

OHowever… if it doesn’t, we conclude that God doesn’t care about me.

OThere were times when Job didn’t feel close to God. Same with David. OYet even though their feelings were

absent, their faith remained! OFeelings and facts are two different

things. OSometimes there is beautiful

harmony, but sometimes (due to our emotional state) the feelings are AWOL. And that’s when we have to focus on the facts.

OThe fact is: God is always near. His presence in your life is too profound to be measured by your emotional ups and downs.

OI believe God wants us to sense His working in our life (Phil.2:13), but more—

OI believe He wants us to trust Him even when we can’t feel Him.

OThere will be life-situations that will stretch your faith to the max — and if we go by feelings …God seems to have abandoned us.

OHow do we praise Him when our life falls apart and Heaven is silent?

OHow do we “fix our eyes on Jesus” when they are filled with tears?”

OWe do what Job did. And David. OWalk by the facts when the

feelings aren’t there.

4 Things We MUST Do:

OTell God how you feel.OJob did (and held nothing

back), 7:11.  OAs parents seek open

dialogue with their children, so our Father wants the same from us.

O Until we do, He will continue to feel distant.

4 Things We MUST Do:

OFocus on His unchanging love.ORegardless of our

circumstances, confess the facts we know to be true.

OIn other words, never doubt in the dark what God has revealed in the light!O Job19:25 — “For I know that my redeemer lives”

4 Things We MUST Do:

OTrust God to keep His Promises. OOn those days when we

come up empty, discipline ourself to rely upon His promises — not our emotions!

OIn other words, don’t be troubled by trouble. (Job 23:11-12; Rom.8:28).

4 Things We MUST Do:

ORemember what He has done for us always.

O Rom. 5:8 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

OIsa.53:6 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

ConclusionOOur feelings will betray us! OThere are times when God seems

distant because He is distant! O It’s not that He has walked away,

but we have! OSin removes us from a relationship

with Him, Isa.59:1-2.

“I Know My Redeemer Lives”