What the Bible Says About Faithfulness
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT FAITHFULNESS
OR
REMAINING FAITHFUL IN A FAITHLESS GENERATION
INTRODUCTION:
A. Philip Paul Bliss was directing the singing for a series of services being conducted by the well-known preacher Dwight L. Moody. As he closed his message, Moody told the story of a captain who was attempting to bring his boat to the Cleveland Harbor one very dark and stormy night.
“The waves rolled like mountains,” Moody said, “and not a star was to be seen in the clouded sky.” He pictured the boat rocking on the violent waves as the captain peered through the darkness for the sight of a signal light by means of which to guide his vessel to safety. When he finally spotted a single light from the light-house, he turned to the pilot and asked, “Are you sure this is Cleveland Harbor?”
“Quite sure, sir,” the pilot replied.
“Then where are the lower lights?” the captain continued.
“Gone out, sir,” the other man answered.
“Can you make the harbor?” the captain asked anxiously.
“We must, or perish, sir,” the pilot replied.
But despite his strong heart and brave hand, in the darkness he missed the channel. With a resounding crash the boat piled up on the rocks and then settled slowly to a watery grave.
As the congregation listened intently, Moody concluded with this admonition to the Christians, “Brethren, the Master will take care of the great light-house; let us keep the lower lights burning.” That was all Bliss needed to pen one of his most popular hymns “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning.”[1]
B. Proverbs 20:6 Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is!
GNT
C. We live in a day of disposable relationships! Dependable people are rare; those who are reliable, consistent, faithful are hard to find. Think about it. Can you quickly come up with five people you would identify as faithful people? They will be there barring illness or death; they will see their project through to the end; you can count on them to be there for you when you are in need!
Psalm 33:1-5 p. 870
1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
NIV
Note verse 4 & 5 : the Lord God is described as right and true: always faithful in all He does! & the earth is full of His unfailing love.
As we explore what the Bible says about faithfulness we will be looking at why develop faithfulness & the characteristics of a faithful person.
WHY DEVELOP FAITHFULNESS?
1st. Because the God we serve is a faithful God! 3 of many ways…
1. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Cor. 1:9
NIV
If we are believers it is because a God who is faithful has called us into fellowship with Jesus Christ! He Saved us!
2. 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Cor. 10:13
NIV
Not only has He saved us; He keeps us in His protective care.
3. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
NIV
My confession of wrong; of sin against Him is always graciously received.
If I agree with him that I have sinned and I come to Him with a broken and contrite heart He is faithful and just and will forgive my sin. I am not only forgiven but He also cleanses me so our relationship will go on not hindered by the past.
2nd Because faithfulness is a qualification for service.
Consider the pattern given us in the New Testament.
We will start with the Apostle Paul.
Paul, the apostle said;
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 1 Tim.1:12
NIV
Paul was chosen and called by God to his ministry but he adds that faithfulness to the call on his part was also part of the equation.
Paul then poured the good news into Timothy, his son in the faith, and sent him out.
17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. 1 Cor. 4:17
NIV
Paul was faithful in ministry……He entrusted the message to Timothy who also was faithful….he then encouraged Timothy to pass the message on….
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Tim. 2:2
NKJV
His instruction wasn’t just pass it on but: pass it on to faithful men who will in turn pass it on to others.
I would in no way diminish the power of the written word or the wooing of the Holy Spirit but in your life consider this. Can your relationship with Jesus Christ be traced back through a line of faithful witnesses?
I like the way “The Message” translates Paul’s letter to the church at Rome…
14 But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them?
15 And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims, A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God! Rom. 10:14-15
The Message
The call I hear from Paul is to be faithful day in and day out. I don’t understand him to be calling us to a certain success standard of a certain number of converts a year; but rather to living a consistent life day in and day out.
I think this short story illustrates the kind of faithfulness we are talking about…
When 20th Century-Fox advertised in the New York papers to fill a vacancy in its sales force, one applicant replied: “I am at present selling furniture at the address below. You may judge my ability as a salesman if you will stop in to see me at anytime, pretending that you are interested in buying furniture.
“When you come in, you can identify me by my red hair. And I will have no way of identifying you. Such salesmanship as I exhibit during your visit, therefore, will be no more than my usual workaday approach and not a special effort to impress a prospective employer.”
From among more than 1500 applicants, the redhead got the job.
—Irving Hoffman[2]
The qualification for ministry isn’t physical good looks, extreme talent, or an IQ of over 160. You don’t get voted off God’s team because you are too heavy, too thin, too tall, too short, or the wrong race. The qualification we just looked at is faithfulness in our everyday life! Consistent day in and day out!
3rd Faithfulness opens the windows of heaven for God’s blessing.
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him…2 Chronicles 16:9
God is looking for people who are committed to Him!
He wants to strengthen His faithful children.
20 A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. Prov. 28:20
Note the Comparison NIV
What would we rather have; earthly riches gained at the expense of God’s blessing or the unhindered blessings of God?
4th Faithfulness prepares us for leadership roles.
TIT 1:5-9 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. [6] An elder must be blameless…one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. [9] He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
The church today must function in a world where people expect to be cared for from cradle to grave. To this mind set it means the church must offer special ministries for every one. For a church to even come close to meeting these expectations the need for leaders faithful to the word and to the task is critical.
One thing that prevents adding new programs to a ministry is the lack of people who have shown themselves faithful!
5th Faithfulness will be rewarded in heaven!
MT 25:21 "His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
God isn’t watching to see how clever we are at escaping responsibility; rather he is looking for faithfulness. He wants to reward us and to share in His happiness with us.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A FAITHFUL PERSON:
An employer might say he shows up on time every day and does his work.
A coach might say he shows up for every practice, practices hard, plays hard in every game and will sacrifice personal goals for the sake of the team.
1st He or she has right values…knows what is truly important!
Matt 6:33 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Changed from Prov. 28:20
NLT
Our society is plagued by get rich quick schemes. Casinos, games of chance, and lotteries tempt individuals. Governments offer lotteries and license gambling establishments looking at the lure of easy money rather than governing responsibly.
Newspaper picture… A faithful person seeks the kingdom of God above all else.
2nd He/She cares for others interests not just his/her own.
Phil 2:20 I have no one else like him, (Timothy) who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. [21] For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. [22] But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.
A faithful person looks beyond themselves to the interests of Jesus Christ!
3rd He/She gathers with other believers on a regular basis for instruction and fellowship.
Heb. 10:[25] Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Not a thou shall not but rather4 an exhortation.. Be faithful! See Bulletin..
Golf illustration…Golf digest…Practice tee…putting green…fellowship…in action….God help me!
4th He/she lives a life of integrity before the unbelieving world.
Daniel 6:4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. NLT
Daniel’s accusers didn’t like what he stood for; they may not have liked him as a person; but they couldn’t find anything he was falling short in to condemn him.
He was faithful in the little things!
How does the world around me view my life?
5th He/she develops and uses their spiritual gifts.
1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
God made an investment in my life at Calvary. When we invest in something we are looking for a good return on our investment.
Whatever gifts our savior has placed within us we are to develop and use to administer God’s grace to others.
6th He/she obeys God’s commands.
1Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
7th He/She keeps their word & their promises
1 Lord, who may enter your Temple? Who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill?
2 Those who obey God in everything and always do what is right, whose words are true and sincere,
4 … They always do what they promise, no matter how much it may cost.
5…Whoever does these things will always be secure. Psalm 15:1,2,4,5
GNT
I need to ask myself if I am striving to be obedient to God in all things!
We need to think before we speak. We need to be careful not to promise what we won’t be able to deliver. Beware…children have great memories when we have promised something.
One outstanding characteristic of a faithful person is that they follow through on a promise no matter what the cost!
8th or last He/She passes on to others what they have learned.
Remember Christ’s haunting question: when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8
2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Tim. 2:2 ESV
2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 1 Cor. 4:2
Are we being faithful to pass the good news on to the next generations?
Are we keeping the lower lights burning?
Hear the words of Philip Bliss:
“Brightly beams our Father’s mercy, from His lighthouse evermore, but to us he gives the keeping of the lights along the shore. Let the lower lights be burning! Send the gleam across the wave! Some poor fainting struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave! Some poor fainting struggling seaman, you may rescue, you may save.
CONCLUSION:
If we hope to fall at our Savior’s feet and hear “well done good and faithful servant” we need to order our lives in such a way that the things that matter have ample space in our schedule.
I share this story to illustrate how we need to proceed:
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook it lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students resounded with a unanimous “yes.”
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar is your life. The golf balls are the important things---
God, your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and they only remained, your life would be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff.” If you put the sand into the jar first, “he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time alone with God. Be faithful to your place of worship. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Take time for a leisure activity. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple cups of coffee with a friend.”
I might add, sharing a couple cups of coffee with a friend can recharge you spiritually or you may have an opportunity to faithfully pass on what you have learned.
Do you need to dump your schedule, clean out the jar, and put the things that matter most in first?
Prayer
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Meadville Alliance Church 3/18/2007 AM
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