Trusting God Beyond Our Limited Understanding
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound truth that our understanding is often limited, and we must learn to trust in God beyond our comprehension. Reflecting on personal experiences, like the misguided confidence in pulling an all-nighter during college, we see how relying solely on our understanding can lead to failure. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not to lean on our own understanding. This principle is crucial as we navigate life's challenges, recognizing that our perspective is often clouded by sin and limited insight.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a pivotal event that challenges our understanding. The Apostle Paul emphasized that if Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is in vain. Yet, the resurrection is not just a historical claim; it is the foundation of our hope and the assurance of our own resurrection. The Gospel of John illustrates how Jesus is the light of the world, bringing clarity and truth to our darkness. Just as Nicodemus and the man born blind encountered Jesus and received new sight, we too must encounter Christ to gain true understanding.
The resurrection is supported by compelling evidence: the empty tomb, the testimony of women, and the post-resurrection appearances to over 500 witnesses. These hints, like the curvature of the Earth, point to a reality that defies our limited worldview. Yet, belief in the resurrection requires faith, a willingness to trust in Jesus before fully understanding. This faith is nurtured by immersing ourselves in God's Word, allowing it to transform our perspective and deepen our trust.
Ultimately, Jesus's sacrificial love, demonstrated through His willingness to lay down His life for us, assures us that we can trust Him with our lives. Just as Tony Stark in the Avengers chose to sacrifice himself for the greater good, Jesus willingly gave His life to secure our eternal future. Today, we are invited to trust Jesus, to believe before we fully understand, and to embrace the relationship He offers.
Key Takeaways:
1. Trust Beyond Understanding: Our understanding is limited, and we must learn to trust in God beyond our comprehension. Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches us to rely on God's wisdom rather than our own, recognizing that our perspective is often clouded by sin and limited insight. [01:26]
2. The Resurrection's Significance: The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith, providing assurance of our own resurrection and eternal life. It challenges our understanding but is supported by compelling evidence, inviting us to trust in its truth. [04:38]
3. Encountering Jesus for Clarity: Like Nicodemus and the man born blind, encountering Jesus brings clarity and truth to our lives. Jesus is the light of the world, illuminating our darkness and providing the perspective we lack. [05:47]
4. Faith Before Full Understanding: Belief in the resurrection requires faith, a willingness to trust in Jesus before fully understanding. This faith is nurtured by immersing ourselves in God's Word, allowing it to transform our perspective and deepen our trust. [20:08]
5. Jesus's Sacrificial Love: Jesus's willingness to lay down His life for us assures us that we can trust Him with our lives. His sacrificial love, like Tony Stark's in the Avengers, demonstrates His commitment to our eternal future. [24:50]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:26] - The All-Nighter Experience
- [01:26] - Trusting Beyond Our Understanding
- [02:54] - The Danger of Relying on Our Own Understanding
- [03:29] - The Foundation of Faith in Jesus
- [04:04] - The Significance of the Resurrection
- [05:14] - Encountering Jesus for Clarity
- [06:18] - Believing Before Understanding
- [06:55] - The Empty Tomb
- [08:59] - Evidence of the Resurrection
- [10:35] - Hints of a Greater Reality
- [12:20] - Historical Evidence of Jesus's Death
- [14:39] - Post-Resurrection Appearances
- [17:42] - Overcoming Worldview Barriers
- [19:32] - Trusting Jesus with Our Lives
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Proverbs 3:5-6
2. John 20:1-9
3. 1 Corinthians 15:6
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Observation Questions:
1. What does Proverbs 3:5-6 instruct us to do with our understanding, and how does this relate to the sermon’s message about trusting God beyond our comprehension? [01:26]
2. In John 20:1-9, what was Mary Magdalene's initial reaction upon finding the empty tomb, and how did the disciples respond when they heard the news? [06:55]
3. According to 1 Corinthians 15:6, how many people witnessed the resurrected Jesus at one time, and why is this significant in the context of the sermon? [14:39]
4. How does the sermon use the analogy of the curvature of the Earth to explain the evidence of the resurrection? [10:35]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon illustrate the danger of relying solely on our own understanding, and what are some modern examples of this tendency? [02:54]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the role of faith in understanding the resurrection, and how does this relate to the concept of believing before fully understanding? [20:08]
3. How does the sermon compare Jesus's sacrificial love to Tony Stark's sacrifice in the Avengers, and what does this analogy reveal about the nature of Jesus's love? [24:50]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that encountering Jesus brings clarity and truth to our lives, similar to the experiences of Nicodemus and the man born blind? [05:47]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you relied on your own understanding and it led to an unexpected outcome. How might trusting in God have changed the situation? [01:26]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of faith before full understanding. What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust God, and how can you take a step of faith this week? [20:08]
3. How can you immerse yourself more in God's Word to nurture your faith, as suggested in the sermon? Identify one specific way you can incorporate more scripture into your daily routine. [21:13]
4. Consider the evidence of the resurrection discussed in the sermon. How does this evidence impact your personal faith, and what steps can you take to strengthen your belief in the resurrection? [14:39]
5. The sermon compares Jesus's sacrificial love to Tony Stark's sacrifice. How can you demonstrate sacrificial love in your relationships this week, and what might that look like in practical terms? [24:50]
6. Reflect on the concept of Jesus being the light of the world. In what areas of your life do you need Jesus to bring clarity and truth, and how can you invite Him into those areas? [05:47]
7. The sermon encourages us to trust Jesus with our lives. What is one specific area where you need to surrender control to Jesus, and what steps can you take to do so this week? [22:59]
Devotional
Day 1: Trusting Beyond Our Understanding
Our understanding is inherently limited, and we often find ourselves relying on our own insights, which can be clouded by sin and limited perspective. Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not to lean on our own understanding. This principle is crucial as we navigate life's challenges, recognizing that our perspective is often clouded by sin and limited insight. By trusting in God's wisdom, we open ourselves to His guidance and the peace that comes from knowing He is in control. [01:26]
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV): "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are relying solely on your own understanding? How can you begin to trust God more in this area today?
Day 2: The Resurrection's Assurance
The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith, providing assurance of our own resurrection and eternal life. It challenges our understanding but is supported by compelling evidence, inviting us to trust in its truth. The Apostle Paul emphasized that if Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is in vain. Yet, the resurrection is not just a historical claim; it is the foundation of our hope and the assurance of our own resurrection. [04:38]
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (ESV): "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."
Reflection: How does the reality of the resurrection impact your daily life and decisions? What steps can you take to live more fully in the light of this truth?
Day 3: Encountering Jesus for Clarity
Like Nicodemus and the man born blind, encountering Jesus brings clarity and truth to our lives. Jesus is the light of the world, illuminating our darkness and providing the perspective we lack. When we encounter Christ, we gain true understanding and insight into our lives and the world around us. This encounter transforms us, allowing us to see beyond our limited perspective and embrace the truth that Jesus offers. [05:47]
Ephesians 5:8-10 (ESV): "For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord."
Reflection: In what ways do you need Jesus to bring clarity to your life today? How can you seek His light in areas where you feel confused or lost?
Day 4: Faith Before Full Understanding
Belief in the resurrection requires faith, a willingness to trust in Jesus before fully understanding. This faith is nurtured by immersing ourselves in God's Word, allowing it to transform our perspective and deepen our trust. Faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in the One who does. As we immerse ourselves in Scripture, we allow God's truth to shape our understanding and guide our steps. [20:08]
Hebrews 11:1-3 (ESV): "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to have faith without full understanding? How can you immerse yourself in God's Word to strengthen your faith in this area?
Day 5: Jesus's Sacrificial Love
Jesus's willingness to lay down His life for us assures us that we can trust Him with our lives. His sacrificial love, like Tony Stark's in the Avengers, demonstrates His commitment to our eternal future. This love is the foundation of our relationship with Him, inviting us to trust Him fully and embrace the life He offers. Jesus's sacrifice is a powerful reminder of His love and the lengths He went to secure our salvation. [24:50]
1 John 3:16 (ESV): "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers."
Reflection: How does Jesus's sacrificial love inspire you to live differently today? What is one way you can demonstrate sacrificial love to someone in your life this week?
Quotes
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and it says something really curious do not lean on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge him and he'll make your path straight and and there's so many places I feel like I can lean on my understanding but if I really if I think it through maybe you're like this there's been places where you thought your understanding was just fine you thought "Dude I can fix that it was a do-it-yourself project man you looked it up you saw Bob Va or whoever was on the YouTube and you're like I can do this man." [00:01:34]
The problem is because we were leaning on our understanding we didn't realize that over time my heart began to get cold and even wanting to get close to God got less and less and less and now it's almost to the point where I'm callous and I don't even I don't even know that I remember what that means to try to get close to God we're going to look at the book of John today and John is writing to us and he's trying to help us understand, um you don't always need to trust completely in your own understanding. [00:03:11]
What you really need to do is first put your faith in Jesus Christ put your faith in Jesus Christ and a lot of other stuff will fall into place and that's a pretty big statement see the Apostle Paul says if Jesus Christ didn't rise from the dead if he didn't rise from the dead Christians are the biggest fools of all like if anyone ever found if they ever dug up Jesus's body this whole thing is over dude it doesn't work anymore because it's not just teachings the entire the entire paradigm for Christianity is Jesus Christ not only died he rose from the dead. [00:03:40]
He crushed the power of death and his resurrection is demonstrating to all of us dude it's not just like you're kind of like forgiven in your heart or like God has good thoughts about you no your body is going to rise from the dead that is the resurrection power because he his promise about him was true it is also true about you that's that's the whole deal about Christianity it's not just being a morally good life it's a savior rose and if that isn't true then oh boy we are to be pied most of all. [00:04:22]
John says a lot of this in his gospel he says "Jesus is the light of the world and humans are often in darkness." And he he often uses kind of like double meaning language he says "Nicodemus came at night to talk to Jesus." And he says night and he means it was night but also that Nicodemus was in darkness until he met Jesus in John chapter nine he talks about the man born blind who was blind until he saw the light of the world and then his eyes were open he was spiritually healed but he's also physically healed. [00:05:01]
You can be brilliant but until you encounter Jesus Christ there's still perspective that you don't have there's still clarity that you don't have the light even though you see has not been turned on entirely just like Nicodemus so John says we must start with Jesus and then we'll be able to see the rest of everything else and so since our understanding apart from God is not necessarily reliable what we've got to do is we've got to look to Jesus to give us the rest of the clarity that we need. [00:05:47]
He says "I believe in Christianity as I believe in the sun that the sun is risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else." And the Apostle John is going to say today it's by Jesus that you see everything else and so he's going to he's going to tell us hey Jesus was physically he physically rose from the dead he fulfilled the scriptures and now pretty awesomely you can put your faith in him before you understand everything so that's what I want to talk to you about today believing before you entirely understand. [00:06:12]
Remember we said it was dark all the time in John it's dark it's not only that it's early is that she's still in darkness because she's not yet encountered the risen Lord and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb so she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved other Jesus that's John that's the writer he's so humble he doesn't want to even put his own name in the book so he just calls it well Jesus loves me so that's my name now and said to them they've taken away the Lord out of the tomb. [00:06:51]
Why is that because she like everyone else was not expecting a resurrection everybody there was no parade there waiting no one was like there with a keg and you know and some some hot dogs like they weren't ready here he comes he talked about it he gonna be here any minute now no one was there everyone's like once you're dead you're dead that's the way it goes he is not coming why would anyone go wait at his grave because no one listen my friends no one thought Jesus was coming back. [00:07:39]
Sometimes my friends just like just like Mary just like the disciples we're in the dark we're in the dark about some of the things God is doing around us and in us he's excited he's doing it but we don't know what he's doing because it hasn't occurred to us yet oh my gosh God was doing this all the time sometimes we're even despising God in our hearts a little bit we're like well I don't know why you haven't showed up i don't know why you didn't do the thing yet i don't know where you are God and he's like I'm doing it right now you just can't see it yet. [00:09:13]
I want to give you some some evidences i want to they've got some evidences i want to give us some evidences that Jesus Christ actually rose from the grave but I want to give you a picture first there was a time in human history most of human history even though many many many suspected that the Earth really was a ball it really was round they couldn't know for sure in fact there wasn't really I mean the final proof was when we got into space and yep ball it is a ball for sure it's a ball but up until that time many people suspected okay the earth can't be flat. [00:10:25]
Jesus is dead how do we know the resurrection is true because number one Jesus is dead he's straight up dead it's not even just the outwitness accounts the apostles the people of God that said he was dead uh secular authorities would say he was dead okay so Tacitus he is a he's a Roman historian but he's an enemy of Christians he doesn't like Christians but he still admits "Hey there's this Jesus guy he was killed he was killed under Pontious Pilot he was given this death penalty he's for sure dead josephus he was a little bit more friendly toward Christians. [00:12:30]
The tomb was empty it was open and it was empty it was even so I mean some of like the the facecloth was folded up on you know next to the the cloths it was folded up somebody did that right okay specters don't do that the wind doesn't do that somebody did that right if you're walking along the beach and you see written in the sand Taylor and Travis somebody did that right that didn't happen and so somebody did somebody folded this up up in the tomb but there's also there's the fact that it's a it's women's testimony that is telling us this. [00:13:16]
Postresurrection appearances so this is not only the gospel writers it's not only seen in the book of Acts it's not only written about by Paul there are post-resurrection experiences paul writes about one of them in 1 Corinthians 15:6 this is multiple disciples seeing the physical Jesus teaching them okay verse 6 after that he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time most of them are still alive though some have died 500 people all seeing the same guy doing the same thing at the same time. [00:14:39]
An enemy of the church of Jesus Christ Paul who like brags about how much he's destroying the church turns into a Christ follower because Jesus appears to him and he's he's put all of his powers into opposing this Jesus and now guys as as many of you know Paul is one of the you know like top five most influential humans who have ever lived and he was influential for the purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ that's how convinced he was but then this one is my favorites now if you don't know what it's like to have a brother you might not totally get this one. [00:15:56]
Jesus's brother James who did not believe in him when Jesus was before his crucifixion becomes a believer and a leader in the church he believes that his brother is the Messiah is God himself you can just ask a question people with brothers what would your brother have to do to convince you they're God they'd have to be God like they'd have to actually be God for that to work i would never believe it unless they actually were and James believes it so you have all this eyewitness testimony you have an empty tomb you have the fact that he's really really really really really really dead. [00:16:59]
The problem is you've got a worldview that says this can't be true and my friends that's how it is for some of us with the resurrection of Jesus Christ it can't be true because dead people don't get back up yeah duh we've always known that that's not new no one's like coming out with this new news yeah people always die that's what makes it special what is they say science has proven people don't get back up from the dead my friends science is principles that have resulted from observation of the way things go what is a miracle a miracle is a bending or breaking of the rules. [00:18:39]
If we trust Jesus we can believe before we fully understand before we fully understand the resurrection before we fully understand the scriptures if we start with Jesus which is where they started remember verse eight so the other disciple who had first come to the tomb and also entered saw and believed john enters and he sees oh my gosh this stuff is all gone i believe and trust that Jesus Christ was just who he said he was he's going to get way more information he's gonna get way more clarity but he starts with first I believe and trust that God is who he says he is. [00:19:41]
There are things right now that maybe the answer for you this Easter is you're not going to see it yet but trust now you don't know what's going to happen with the job you don't know what's going to happen with this new direction that you're going i don't know but you can believe before you fully understand what's going to happen you can believe before you fully understand how that's going to work maybe you've got some really heavy responsibilities and you don't know how to get out of them and it seems like God just laid this on you and I don't understand how this is going to work. [00:20:19]
Faith can grow in the midst of confusion and understanding if we're regularly taking shots of God's word into our spirit now you can do that by attending church like coming to fierce watching online you can check out our YouTube page you can check out Tik Tok and Instagram get all those things in the bloodstream of your everyday world the word of God flowing in and your faith levels will begin to raise again and again and again but we have to start with the same place they did we have to start with Jesus trust Jesus with what you don't understand by trusting him entirely with your life today. [00:22:09]
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