Three Keys for Life

[0:00] Proverbs 3 from verse 5. So three keys if you like, three keys for life.

[0:35] Three keys that we could think of in a way three stages. One leads to the other. The first one, key number one, trust in the Lord. Trust in the Lord.

[0:47] Have you found someone you can trust? I know I've found some people I've found out I shouldn't have trusted after the event. But there's some people you can't trust, isn't there? They lie and cheat.

[0:57] They make promises they don't keep. Have you ever played a game and someone keeps on cheating? You can't trust them. They lose your trust. You can't believe them. To trust means to believe, doesn't it?

[1:10] And I put to you someone you can trust, entirely trust. We can't trust too many politicians. Talking about politicians. Because they make all kinds of promises. We know that they generally don't live up to the promises they make.

[1:25] They might be well-meaning when they make them. But we know. But this one has promises. He makes promises that we know we can rely on.

[1:35] Because his word is truth. Let every man be a liar that God is true, isn't he? So to trust it means to believe. And some people, they just tell loads of lies.

[1:46] It's hard to believe them. It's a kind of... Some people, they tell lies that they even believe themselves. I know Julie and I know someone like that. It's such a teller of lies that they almost believe the lies that they're telling.

[2:04] But there is someone we really can trust in. We can trust in the Lord. Trust in the Lord. Number one. Someone who always gives us what is true. I know that I can trust in the Lord.

[2:18] He's the one that we can trust. Like it says. And it says we can trust him, what's more, with all our heart. All our heart. He's the one we can trust.

[2:30] And I love this one that encourages seeking God with all your heart. Jeremiah 29 verse 13. It says, and you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart.

[2:44] That's a real promise of God, isn't it? If you're searching, if you will search, if you will search with all your heart, he says, you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart.

[2:56] So it's another thing about the wholeheartedness with all your heart. Search with your whole heart. God loves and he cares for us. He says, lean not on your own understanding.

[3:07] Trust him. Believe on him with all your heart. Like Philip told the eunuch who he witnessed to. And then the eunuch asked, what hinders me from being baptized?

[3:20] And Acts 8 37. Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

[3:33] It wasn't some that he just wanted to get baptized because it was the dumb thing to do. But he wanted to get baptized because he truly believed with all his heart. And that's something we want to make sure of when someone talks about being baptized.

[3:47] You've got to be a believer. Then you get baptized. It's not the other way around. The water comes after the believing. Believe him with all your heart.

[3:58] So give him your heart. The whole of it. Some people lean on what they think instead of believing in Jesus with all their heart. They miss out on this very important key.

[4:09] We know our Lord tells a story of a man that built his house on the sand. But it rained a lot and it washed his house away. See the flooding at the moment.

[4:20] It's really very sad to see houses washed away. But if we deliberately build on the sand, then we can expect that that can happen.

[4:34] But yet the Lord contrasts building on sand, on that sandy foundation, with building on the rock, which speaks of his word. And we can know that if we build our life on God, on God's way, that we will be secure.

[4:48] And our house will stand. The Lord Jesus says if we build our house, our life, God's way, on solid ground, we will be safe. We can believe him.

[5:00] We can trust. Trust in the Lord. And we can all surely do with trusting in the Lord more and more. More and more. You can trust him to take care of you for your family, for your needs, for your life.

[5:14] Are you trusting God or leaning on your own understanding? There's a contrast there, isn't there? Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding.

[5:25] We see a contrast there. Standing on God's promises, what God says, or leaning on our own understanding, what we say or feel. For example, we might say, it's impossible.

[5:39] Yet God will say, all things are possible with me. We can say, I can't. God says, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You can say, I'm tired.

[5:52] The Lord Jesus says, come to me. I will give you rest. You can say, I'm worried and frustrated. He says to you, cast all your cares upon me. We can say, I can't go on.

[6:06] He says to us, my grace is sufficient for you. We can say, I don't know what to do. He says, I will direct your steps. I'm not able. I am able in God.

[6:18] It's not worth it. It will be worth it. I can't manage. I will supply all your needs. I'm afraid. I have not given to you the spirit of fear. I don't have enough faith.

[6:30] I've given everyone a measure of faith. I'm not smart enough. I give you wisdom. I feel all alone. I will never leave you nor forsake you. But rather believe God and trust him than lean on your own understanding.

[6:46] Amen. It's wonderful to be able to trust, to trust, entirely trust, trust with all your heart in the Lord Jesus. And really that's salvation, isn't it? When we trust him and we say, I trust you.

[6:58] I believe. I love you with my whole heart. That faith that he surely honours. And this is a wonderful key that God wants you to have in your life.

[7:11] Trust in the Lord, number one. Another key, secondly, is to know the Lord. It says, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. Know the Lord.

[7:23] Acknowledge the Lord. Know him. It says, whatever we do, in all our ways it says. Sometimes we just have perhaps a prayerfulness about certain things, but we don't really commit all our ways to the Lord.

[7:36] He says, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. So whatever we do. Now, there's been times where I've probably made quite a lot of decisions really without acknowledging my Lord.

[7:50] I've got to be honest with you today. In fact, I know as a younger man, I made decisions without even acknowledging my wife. You know, she can tell you about those. Applying for jobs in remote places.

[8:03] And then I tell Julie, oh, I just got a job in Catherine or whatever it be. Sometimes I was having phone interviews for jobs. There's a lot that I didn't get.

[8:14] I didn't get Karnanara or Karratha or Carnarvon. Nullan Boy. There's lots of places I apply. I was applying for so many jobs.

[8:26] I wasn't telling my wife. That's not a good practice, man. You know, try to acknowledge your wife before you go and apply for jobs in strange places. But more so than acknowledging your wife and letting your wife know, let God know.

[8:40] Bring it to the Lord in prayer. Amen. And that's really important, isn't it? That we acknowledge him in all our ways. In all our ways. I used to think some people almost pray about too much.

[8:51] But actually, the Bible says, in everything, by prayer and supplication, doesn't it? Make your requests known to God. It says praying always. We can't really pray too much about our future, about what we want, about our ways.

[9:06] In all thy ways, acknowledge him. So know the Lord. And what he wants for us. He wants our best. And we would find our best if we would only know him and acknowledge him.

[9:18] Because truly he's wonderful. And to know him is wonderful. Think of Abraham. He knew God. Abraham was called God's friend. Many people do not know God. They may know a little bit about him.

[9:31] But they do not know him. Know who he really is. And for them, he's not like for Abraham, that very real personal friend. That's what he wants for us to know him. To know him in that way.

[9:42] To know him as a friend. As a friend who sticks closer than a brother. To know him. Whom to know is life eternal. And for some, yet God is just some theory, some concept, some far, far away idea they've heard about.

[9:58] Now I think I know Julie more than anyone else here. I live with Julie. And I spend some time with her at home. I know about her more than any other people.

[10:10] But it's like that with the Lord, isn't it? As we get to know him more and more, we get that closeness to him. He becomes special. He becomes more important to us every day.

[10:22] And we can grow to know him more. You can know him more. So, as a believer, you trust him. And then it kind of, it gets more real, doesn't it?

[10:34] You get to know him. You build on that trust to more knowledge of him. And the basis for true knowledge is truth. It's interesting. I know when we go door knocking, we often get these knockbacks of those that would even deny the Bible.

[10:49] And they would dismiss it and say, oh, it's mythology. It's just a fairy tale. But it's interesting when you get such a response to reaching people with the gospel and they kind of mock the Bible.

[11:02] Think of this. I was just reading this lately. If the Bible is just a fairy tale, why is it banned in 52 countries? 52. I had to check that out.

[11:14] You know, you check these facts these days. Because the Internet's, of course, the source of all truth. No, but there is actually a list of these 52 countries. Now, some are really strict and severe.

[11:27] Some, it's like, you know, you just wouldn't want to be caught with a Bible. It's like there's different levels of persecution, of hatred of the Bible.

[11:37] But think of it. No one gets to, no one goes to prison for reading Cinderella. Or if it be, you know, such things as that. But is it really, if it really was made up, then why does it have power?

[11:55] Why ban it? Because it is the most powerful transforming truth. Another quote. Atheists don't hate leprechauns or unicorns because they don't exist.

[12:06] It's impossible to hate something that doesn't exist. Atheists hate God because he does exist. It's that hatred that's in them. They hate the God that they deny.

[12:17] Really, it's pride. That's what it is. It's pride that stops them from yielding to him. We see in 2 Corinthians 10 verse 5, it talks about, as I know one of our brothers preached on lately, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

[12:38] It talks about casting down imaginations. Every high thing, those prideful things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Some people, it's pride really, stopping them from that knowledge.

[12:50] It's rejecting that knowledge of God. And this really is the ultimate foolishness, isn't it? It gets me why atheists get angry at the God they don't believe exists. They like to blame him or malign him and mock him for his supposed lack of care when disaster strikes and sad things happen.

[13:13] But really, I like to say how the book tells us that the God of this world, small g, is actually the other guy. It's the evil one.

[13:25] He's the God of this world at the moment. So if you've got to blame a God for sad things or bad things, then blame him. Blame man's sin, the fallen world that we live in.

[13:36] And of course, we know that God is giving man space, time to trust, to turn, to receive his truth. And there's still an open door. And one day it will be closed.

[13:48] So we can know the Lord because he's given us this powerful book. And the knowledge of God is here in the very source documents. The great source of joy. It tells us in 2 Peter 1 verse 2, Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

[14:03] There's grace and peace in that knowledge of him, of our saviour. So if we truly, really would know the Lord, we'd want to live for him. We'd want to praise him and fellowship and grow in our faith.

[14:18] Pray, read his word. He wants us not just to be stagnant in this knowledge, but to be growing in this knowledge. To grow more and more. It's like the path of the just increases more and more unto that perfect day.

[14:33] That we are to grow in our knowledge. It's not what you know, it's who you know that matters. And it tells us some who know not the Lord. It tells of them in 2 Thessalonians 1, that God in flaming fire will take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.

[14:57] It tells us some, they know not the Lord. But we thank God we can know the Lord. We can know him. And it's in knowing him, truly knowing him, that's what matters. It's really the purpose, the ultimate highest purpose of life.

[15:13] When we think, as someone has said, a car is made to run on petrol, it would not run properly on anything else. And God has designed the human machine to run on himself.

[15:24] He is the fuel. Imagine trying to run a car without petrol. Life without God is hopeless. It will not work. It's no life at all. And so without knowing the Lord Jesus as our saviour, we miss out on the very best and the greatest meaning of life itself.

[15:40] And without knowing the Lord, there's a growing in this knowledge. As I said, as Peter puts it, 2 Peter 3, 18, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ.

[15:51] To him be glory, both now and forever. Amen. So we can grow in our knowledge of our God. So as a believer, you trust him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean on your own understanding.

[16:03] In all the ways, acknowledge him. Know the Lord. Know who he is. Know and grow in that knowledge. Don't just be static and stagnant, but increasing in that knowledge. There's a couple of scriptures that refer to growing in the knowledge.

[16:17] Growing in the knowledge. Know the Lord. And the third key is fear the Lord. Another really important key that we find in that Proverbs verse is to fear the Lord.

[16:29] God's word tells us, Be not wise in thine own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. So as one who believes in God, you trust in Christ as your saviour. You want to please him.

[16:41] And you want to know him. And you want to grow also in the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord. It's like, it's almost like stages, isn't it? I like to think you trust in the Lord.

[16:53] You know the Lord. And you fear the Lord. There's a healthy, rightful fear of God. Now when I drive down the road and I see a police car, sometimes I get a little bit of fear.

[17:04] Fear. Not that I'm ever doing the wrong thing or anything. But, well, sometimes it can be so. I don't want to be doing something wrong.

[17:15] Even if I'm not. So there's a healthy fear of the Lord. And in a way it's good too, isn't it? To fear God. To fear God. Because he is the great ruler of the universe.

[17:26] We should fear before him. He's a whole lot bigger and more important than any policeman. Or any judge. He is greater than any king. Than any army. Than any power. We could imagine.

[17:37] A healthy fear of God is a rightful, righteous thing. When we fear God, we'll love his word. We'll want to be with his people. We want to serve and honour him with our life.

[17:51] One missionary said, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And I want to graduate from life's school with honours. It's a healthy thing to fear God. And to grow in that fear.

[18:02] To have a healthy fear that motivates us. Not out of a cringing dread that he's going to punish us. But because he is so awesome and mighty.

[18:14] That we want to give him our very best. And honour him to the degree that he deserves. And I can think I had a healthy fear of my dad growing up. I think sometimes I still fear him.

[18:25] But there's a good thing, isn't there? A fear of parents. In the sense of when we are rightfully due punishment. They will punish us. They will discipline us. They will correct us.

[18:35] In a loving way, of course. And the fear of the Lord is likewise. It's his love. In his love he chastens us. That's why he would discipline us with love. And with consideration.

[18:47] So when we have that healthy fear. The fear of the Lord. We'll want to do what he wants for us. We'll want to please him. And live in a way that does. And really it's more important than any other aspect of our life.

[18:59] Than anything else we want in life. In Acts 9.31 it tells of the church of God. That they were walking in the fear of the Lord. Of the lost it says. In contrast there is no fear of God.

[19:11] Before their eyes. Now there was an old time preacher. Who was in the presence of King Henry VIII. You know obviously the sovereign of the land.

[19:22] And Hugh Latimer was his name. And they cautioned him. As Hugh Latimer went. And he was like I guess the court preacher. Or the preacher in the palace.

[19:34] In that setting. The chaplain or whatever he was. He had some. Preaching role. Within the palace. Before King Henry VIII.

[19:46] And they said to Latimer. Latimer, Latimer. Remember that the king is here. Be careful what you say. You know Henry VIII. Was renowned for. Some pretty strict.

[19:58] Brutal. Beheadings and such. And then he said to himself. Latimer, Latimer. Remember that the king of kings is here. Be careful. What you do not say.

[20:10] There's a sense where. We ought not to have. A regard of what men would do to us. A fear of men. But rather the fear of the king of kings. And for such unflinching faithfulness.

[20:22] Latimer was eventually burnt at the stake. But he feared failing God more than he feared offending men. And it should be the same with you and me. Shouldn't it? That we shouldn't be fearful of men.

[20:32] But we should fear God. Fear God. Look at examples of how men and women. Through the scriptures have feared God. For example Noah. In preparing the ark.

[20:42] He feared God. It moved him. The fear of God. To prepare the ark. Noah. Abraham. Tested in the offering of his son Isaac. What a tremendous faith test.

[20:55] That Abraham went through. And it was the fear of God. That led him. Jacob. In the vision of the ladder. He feared God. And he was blessed with such a vision.

[21:09] The midwives of Egypt. In refusing to take the lives of the Hebrew children. They were moved. The midwives were moved. Rather to save the children. Than to obey Pharaoh's wicked orders.

[21:25] Job. According to the testimony of Satan. He was one who feared the Lord. Satan knew that Job feared God. David. Numbers of times is talked about as having a fear of God.

[21:37] Jonah. During the storm. He feared God. Cornelius. Another one. Who revered God with all his house. In Acts 10. So there's many examples. Many witnesses to us.

[21:50] Of men and women. Who feared the Lord. And it moved them in life. Proverbs 22.4 says. That the fear of the Lord. Is the way to riches. And honour. And life.

[22:01] There's promises there. The Lord takes pleasure in those that fear him. The word tells us. And when we fear God. We'll really love and obey him. We won't play around with the wrong things.

[22:11] We'll want to do what is right. We'll want to keep straight with God. We'll want to ask God to help us. To forgive us. We'll turn to him. And as believers. We'll want to please our God.

[22:23] We'll want to depart from evil. To go away from it. And if we're tempted to do the wrong thing. God will show us the right way to go. He'll help us do what is right. So.

[22:34] Really it's a very simple message. But very. Profound. And true. And relevant. For everyone here today. Three keys. Trust the Lord.

[22:46] With all your heart. You know. You can trust people who will. Fail you. You can trust people who will lie. And cheat. And.

[22:59] Break their promises. But the trust in the Lord. Trust him. He won't let you down. Trust the Lord with all your heart. Secondly. Know the Lord. Acknowledge him. With all your life.

[23:09] In all your ways. Take time to pray. About all the decisions. Even the little ones. I could learn to do that more. To acknowledge the Lord in all my ways. Because I can be.

[23:21] Sometimes. I miss that. And. Then I wonder. Why did I make such a stupid mistake. That's probably why I should listen to my wife more too. Acknowledge the.

[23:32] Acknowledge the Lord. Acknowledge. Acknowledge the godly people in your life. Know the Lord. Give all your life to him. In all thy ways. And thirdly. Fear the Lord. Live always to please him.

[23:44] Fear the Lord. Have that healthy fear. That. That is in. In your mind. You don't want to displease him. You don't want to do something that would dishonor him. You want to rather do something that honors him.

[23:54] That elevates him. That gives him honor. So these three keys will help you live your life right. Keep your heart right. And help you be a strong believer.

[24:05] Think of these things personally. How do you live? Do you trust the Lord with all your heart? We could all learn to do that more. Couldn't we? To trust the Lord with all of our heart.

[24:16] Sometimes people just give God. A fraction of their heart. Maybe. Maybe even the most of their heart. But they want to keep something back. Don't they? They want to keep a little bit for me.

[24:28] Of their heart. But no. You've got to. Let him have all your heart. All your heart. He wants to be master of your life. He says. I want to.

[24:39] Want you to give me. Your heart. Do you know the Lord? Let's be honest here. Giving all your ways to him. Have you said.

[24:49] Lord. I want to love you. And live for you. From now on. And I want to acknowledge you. In all my ways. So whatever it be. Even those. It might seem.

[25:00] Everyday decisions of life. That you've got a mind. To. Know. God's way. To acknowledge him. In all your ways. And choose those ways. Do you fear the Lord?

[25:11] Living right. And true to him. Keeping short accounts with him. Have you trusted Christ today? I pray. That you'll.

[25:22] Have that heart's trust. And know. Him. And fear him. Let's pray. Lord. We thank you that you are. So gracious. And kind.

[25:33] Lord. Your mercy. Is near every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Lord. We thank you for. Every heart. Lord.

[25:44] We pray that every heart. Might give all their heart. Lord. That each one. Might make that heart decision. To give you all. All their heart. To trust you.

[25:55] To entrust. Their life to you. And that all their ways. Will be given unto you. That you will be honoured. Such that we fear you.

[26:06] And give you that regard. That you are due. And Lord. That. We please you. And Lord. Pray that these things. Might be so. Lord.

[26:16] We pray for us. Any that need encouragement. Today. For whatever. Discouragement. Might be happening. Lord. That. You would be very close. To each one. And that they can know.

[26:29] You are with them. Lord. That. You never leave. Nor forsake us. And we can have. That assurance. Even when. There's a bit of turmoil.

[26:39] Happening. And. Situations. That are difficult. We pray. That you would. Minister. Where there's needs. We know there's. There's brokenness. There's hurting.

[26:50] There's. There's heartaches. There's heartbreak. Lord. We pray. They might know you. As the one. Who is the healer. Of the broken hearted.

[27:00] And we can come to you. But. Especially. Lord. I pray. If there's any. Yet to. Come. To trust you. Lord. I. I think of.

[27:10] Some. We spoke to yesterday. And. It's almost like. They're on the edge. But. They're just. On the other side. Of that line. That they would. They would be challenged. Who is on the Lord's side.

[27:23] And so. There's a line there. That. That some are just resisting. Crossing that line. Who is on the Lord's side. And it's almost like. You've got to. Step out. Of unbelief.

[27:33] Into. That faith. Step out. Of the darkness. Into the light. To stop being lost. And to be found. Lord. We pray. That. That. That might happen. By your grace.

[27:44] That your miracle. Of salvation. Would be affected. In human hearts. Help us to be the messengers. Of that. And to. To put these scriptures. Into practice. Lord. That will trust in you.

[27:55] Will acknowledge you. And will fear you. And we know that your promises are. For us. In Jesus name. Amen.