Remain Faithful
The Real Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Theme: God’s kindness is not something we earn, it’s something we respond to with faithfulness in our live.
AIM: Recognize the overwhelming kindness of God in their own life, be challenged to remain faithful in all seasons, not just when it’s easy or exciting, and to seek the Holy Spirit’s power to live faithfully in response to God’s covenant love.
Charlie Jones was a God fearing man who served in church for seventy-five years. On his one hundred-fifth birthday he stopped going to church. The Pastor went to see why, he thought maybe his health had taken a turn for the worse.
When he got to Charlies house he found that Charlie was in excellent health, so the Pastor asked, “How come after all these years we don’t see you any more?”
The old man looked around and lowered his voice, “I’ll tell you, Pastor,” he whispered, “when I got to be ninety, I expected God to take me home any day. But then when I got to be ninety-five, then one hundred, then 105. So I figured that God is very busy and must’ve forgotten about me—and I don’t want to remind Him.”
In any case, for 75 years he was a faithful follower of Jesus.
Acts 13:16–43 is a pivotal passage in the New Testament because it contains the first recorded sermon of the Apostle Paul. He was invited to speak in the synagogue on the Sabbath after the regular reading of the Law and Prophets. He was speaking to the Jews who knew the Old Testament and to God-fearing Gentiles.
Verses 16–25 Highlight God’s Faithfulness to Israel.
It was easy to see if you look back at their History:
God chose the patriarchs.
He delivered them from Egypt.
He gave them judges and then kings.
He highlights David as a man after God’s own heart.
Verses 26–31 He shows God’s faithfulness by telling how Jesus the Fulfillment of God’s Promise:
Paul declares that Jesus is the promised Savior from David’s line.
Although the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem rejected and crucified Jesus, they unknowingly fulfilled the prophets’ words.
Paul proclaims that God raised Jesus from the dead, and many witnesses can testify to it.
This is the core of the gospel message: death, burial, and resurrection.
Verses 38–39: He talks about how a Person can be saved:
38 “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.
39 Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do.
He told them the simple truth of the gospel that the law “our good works” cannot save, but faith in Jesus can.
Then in verses 42-43 we get to the part that I want to highlight today.
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the meeting, the people begged them to say more about these same things on the next Sabbath.
43 After the service, many Jews and a lot of Gentiles who worshiped God went with them. Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had been so kind to them.
So, there it is, the Apostle Paul’s first recorded sermon.
After walking through the history of Israel and proclaiming that Jesus is the promised Savior, Paul doesn’t just stop with information—he ends with an invitation: Remain faithful.
The people had just received the good news that through Jesus there is full forgiveness, justification, and new life. And through the words of Paul we can see something important:
Emotional Enthusiasm must grow into Spiritual Endurance
He didn’t say, “Be excited,” or “Feel something big.”
He said, “Remain faithful.”
Why? Because God has already been faithful to you.
Let’s personalize this idea of faithfulness:
I can think of many times when someone has been kind to me for kindness sake, and it made me want to thank them!
That’s exactly what Paul and Barnabas were getting at when they urged the new believers in Acts 13:43 to “remain faithful to God, who has been so kind.” God's kindness isn't casual—it’s covenantal. It’s powerful. It’s personal. And it calls for a response.
What does it mean to be faithful to God?
Faithfulness to God is: loving Him enough to seek earnestly, obey fully, trust deeply, and never turn back no matter the circumstances of life.
Let’s do a gut check today to see if we are obeying the command given by the Apostle Paul.
Can we say today that we are:
Loyal to Him above all else
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
We are not letting anything—comfort, culture, or compromise—take His place in your heart.
Obedient to His Word
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Faithfulness shows in how we live which means following His commands, even when no one’s watching.
Trusting Him through every season
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Faithfulness isn’t just action; it’s trusting God’s character in delay, trial, or silence.
Staying true to Him when tempted to drift
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
Faithfulness means not quitting when it’s hard or when you don’t feel spiritual.
The Evidence of the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit is seen daily
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Here’s the thing: You can’t remain faithful in your own strength; the Spirit enables endurance. Being a follower of Jesus is more than a prayer, it’s a commitment that lasts a lifetime. It takes effort. You will be tired at times, but you must remain faithful to Him.
A.W. Tozer teaches that being a follower of Jesus means that you are at odds with the world. Actually, being a christian is the complete antithesis from living in the world. He says, that modern christianity has tried to bridge that gulf between two opposites, the world and the church, and doing so produces an illicit marriage for which there is no biblical authority. He goes as far to say that claiming to be a believer and still engaging in a modern worldly way of living is an abomination to the Lord!
Faithfulness is IMPORTANT. We are called to live set apart from the world - all the time. Not just when we come to church, but in every area of life.
You might be tired today. You might be living more like the world than a Spirit Filled Believer today. You may have completely grown cold in your commitment to Jesus.
Today you need to WAKE up and remain faithful.
I’ve got three simple points for you today to call you back to faithfulness to God in all areas of life.
God’s Kindness Is the Foundation of Our Faithfulness
God’s Kindness Is the Foundation of Our Faithfulness
43 …Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had been so kind to them.
Now, we need to be careful with faithfulness because it can become legalistic, meaning that we can become more focused on what we DO instead of who has done something IN us.
Faithfulness doesn’t start with effort—it starts with gratitude.
It’s not about earning God’s favor; it’s about responding to it.
Paul and Barnabas don’t guilt the people into faithfulness. They remind them of how good God has already been.
God has been kind:
Kind in your salvation – While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Kind in His mercy – He gives you new mercies every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23).
Kind in His provision – Every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17).
Kind in His patience – He hasn’t given up on you, even when you gave up on yourself. (Romans 2:4)
4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
God’s kindness isn’t passive, it’s meant to move us, to lead us into repentance, obedience, and devotion.
Part of remaining faithful is KNOWING how faithful God has been to us! Don’t forget where the Lord found you.
I’ve see this too many times. People have walked through these doors and their life is in the pit of despair, then the Lord lifts them out, and over time they forget the freedom they have was rooted in grace and mercy. The result? PRIDE.
Pride is a killing of faithfulness because it forgets that we don’t deserve this wonderful GIFT of salvation.
We must remain grateful.
When you truly reflect on His kindness, your heart doesn’t say, “What’s the minimum I have to do?”
It says, “How can I not give Him everything?”
Faithfulness Is Our Spirit-Empowered Response
Faithfulness Is Our Spirit-Empowered Response
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Galatians 5:22 teaches us faithfulness is the fruit of the Spirit—not fruit of your willpower.
Let’s be honest: You can’t remain faithful in your own strength.
Our intentions are good, but willpower wears out.
That’s why the Holy Spirit is not optional—He is essential.
Sanctification and faithfulness are Spirit-empowered, not self-produced.
The Spirit helps us live holy, walk in obedience, and persevere through difficulty.
The fruit of the Spirit isn't something we force; it’s something we bear—when we stay connected to Jesus.
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
Picture this: think about a sailboat out on the middle of the lake. The people on this boat have no motor, oars, or ability to move that boat. They only have the sails. Can they cause the wind to blow? No. All they can do is raise the sail and pray for wind. Then once they have wind they can steer the boat where it’s supposed to go.
You and I are on the sailboat of faithfulness. The wind is the Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting He and He alone has the power to move our boat—but if you don’t raise the sail which is surrender, you will drift.
You don’t power the journey, but you must be positioned to move with the Spirit.
How do we surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit? How can they Holy Spirit give us the power and strength to remain faithful?
Get your nose and heart in the Bible. THAT’s where the Holy Spirit speaks. He makes the words come alive in our heart.
The same Spirit who empowered Paul to preach is the Spirit who empowers you to stay faithful to your spouse, your calling, your church, and your Savior.
Faithfulness Must Continue Beyond the Excitement of Encounter
Faithfulness Must Continue Beyond the Excitement of Encounter
The people in Acts 13 were hungry for more. They had just heard the best news in the world—forgiveness and justification through Jesus!
But Paul and Barnabas didn’t just say, “Come back next week.” They didn’t say, let’s create a “cool” church that will keep you engaged and excited about what Jesus did in you. They didn’t say to each other, how can we trick these people into staying pumped about the Gospel.
Maybe churches do this because they for some reason don’t think that Jesus isn’t enough? I can’t figure out why we need monster trucks at a men’s rally in order to draw out REAL followers of Jesus. I can’t figure out why a prayer service is the least attended if people are real followers of Jesus and they believe His words.
Another Tozer idea today:
Just because you are passionate for souls doesn’t justify compromise. Love for the lost has never changed evil into good.
Only JESUS can change a heart. Our ideas will always fall short because they aren’t the Good news that SINNNERS can be set free!
We need to GROW up in our ENDURANCE and stop seeking an emotional experience.
Remember the warning:
13 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.
We all love the mountaintop moments—worship services, breakthroughs, revival experiences. But what about:
When prayer feels dry?
When obedience costs you friends or opportunities?
When you're in a season of silence or struggle?
That’s when faithfulness is forged.
Take a look at this match:
Light the match. Let it burn out.
Light another match and then use it to light a candle.
Enthusiasm is like a match, bright but brief. Faithfulness is like an candle, it may flicker, but it burns consistently.
Church, I want you to remain faithful.
Stay faithful in your prayer life.
Stay faithful to your calling.
Stay faithful in your giving.
Stay faithful in the Word.
Stay faithful even when it’s hard, even when it’s lonely.
God’s Kindness Is the Foundation – You don’t work for His love; you respond to it.
2. The Spirit Empowers Faithfulness – You can’t remain faithful without daily help from the Holy Spirit.
3. Faithfulness Must Outlast Emotion – It's not how loud you start, but how steady you stay.
If you're struggling to stay faithful, start by looking again at His kindness.
The cross proves His love.
The resurrection proves His power.
The Spirit proves His nearness.
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