Faithfulness In The Unseen Pt. 2

Faithfulness does not guarantee the absence of difficulty, but rather equips us to face life’s storms with courage and grace. Anchoring our Faith in God’s goodness during turbulent times, we as believers can find hope and strength for our own trials, learning to lean into God’s promises rather than their circumstances.

Faithfulness is not based on outcomes but rooted in a relationship with God. It encourages believers to understand that trial and tribulation can actually fortify their faith, revealing deeper intimacy with God as they navigate through life’s challenges together greatly illustrated in the sacrifices Job made on behalf of his family and the deliverance in Psalm 107.

He is the fulfillment of Isaiah's yearning and represents the quiet calm in the storms of life, providing hope and reassurance to believers that God is actively working, even when not visibly present or immediately understood.

Harvest of Faithfulness: Growing in God's Garden

Bible Passage: Ezekiel 34:1–30, Matthew 13:1–23, Hebrews 13:13–15, Galatians 5:22–26

Summary: This sermon examines how spiritual growth is both a communal and individual effort, highlighting God's role as Shepherd and the necessity of cultivating a faithful community that supports one another in sowing seeds of faith, love, and service.

Application: Christians are encouraged to engage in acts of kindness, service, and faith-building activities together, supporting each other's spiritual journeys. By doing so, they create an environment where faith can flourish and be nurtured, reflecting the beauty of God's garden in their community.

Teaching: The teaching focuses on the communal aspect of faithfulness in planting spiritual seeds, urging believers to work together, supporting one another in growing faith, and producing fruit in their lives through collective action and prayer.

How this passage could point to Christ: In the grand narrative of Scripture, Christ is the living water and the vine who nurtures believers, enabling them to grow and produce good fruit as part of His body, the Church. Throughout the Bible, God's faithfulness is demonstrated in Christ, who empowers His followers to reach out and share that faithfulness with others.

Big Idea: Faithfulness is a collective journey; together, we cultivate an environment where our individual and communal seeds of faith can sprout into a vibrant harvest of love and service in the world around us.

Recommended Study: As you prepare, consider diving into the theological implications of community within the body of Christ in your Logos library. Reflect on the roles of leadership and accountability in Ezekiel and Matthew, especially how they can affect spiritual growth in a community. Additionally, exploring the fruits of the Spirit within the context of communal life in Galatians will enhance your understanding of how faithfulness translates into practical acts of service.

Condemnation for Faithless Leadership

Ezekiel 34:1–10 CSB

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed their flock? 3 You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened animals, but you do not tend the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty. 5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered. 6 My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and there was no one searching or seeking for them. 7 “ ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. 8 As I live—this is the declaration of the Lord God—because my flock, lacking a shepherd, has become prey and food for every wild animal, and because my shepherds do not search for my flock, and because the shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! 10 “ ‘This is what the Lord God says: Look, I am against the shepherds. I will demand my flock from them and prevent them from shepherding the flock. The shepherds will no longer feed themselves, for I will rescue my flock from their mouths so that they will not be food for them.

This reminds us that leadership plays a crucial role in cultivating a community that nurtures faith and service.

I encourage our Ohana to rise as leaders in your community, emphasizing that every believer is called to steward their environment and tend to those around them.

Luke 5:36–39 (CSB) 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

The parable of the new cloth and wineskins represents the incompatibility between the old religious systems (Law, rituals, self-righteousness) and the new covenant of grace, relationship, and spiritual renewal brought by Christ.

Jesus wasn’t coming to “patch up” Judaism He was establishing something entirely new. The old mindset, traditions, and rigid systems couldn’t contain what God was doing next.

Things God has spoken through this Ohana

Revival

Going back to the Acts Church

A new thing is coming

The Ohana being called to something bigger than we can even wrap our eyes around

We’ve seen miracles of real life multiplication in modern times

Holy Spirit Baptism

The Blue Movement / A Love Movement

“And no one after drinking old wine wants the new…”

People often prefer the familiar, even when it’s limiting or outdated.

The comfort of “the old way” can make us resistant to God’s fresh move.

Practical Examples:

Spiritual Habits: You might cling to old prayers, routines, or traditions rather than letting the Holy Spirit lead you into new forms of worship, study, or service.

Relationships: You may prefer old, toxic circles because they’re familiar but God is calling you to new, faith filled relationships that will stretch and mature you.

Church Culture: Some believers reject modern outreach methods (social media, street ministry, entrepreneurship) because they’re “different.” Yet those are the new wineskins God is using to reach people today.

Faith’s Hawaiian Kitchen

Old wineskin: Running your business just as a hustle or for profit.

New wine: Operating it as ministry “Love on A Dish,” serving people purposefully. If you tried to just “add” a slogan about Love while keeping the same profit-first heart, it would tear. But if your heart (the wineskin) is renewed, then the new wine purpose, impact, and blessing will flow freely.

Christ, the Shepherd Leader

Ezekiel 34:11-30

You could highlight how God promises to gather His sheep and place them under a faithful Shepherd. Connecting this to Christ, the Good Shepherd, emphasize that Jesus exemplifies perfect service and love in leading us. Encourage believers to follow His example, fostering a supportive, nurturing community where everyone is valued and tended to, reflecting God's garden of faithfulness.

Creating Fertile Ground https://ref.ly/Mt13.1-2

Matthew 13:1–9 CSB

1 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. 9 Let anyone who has ears listen.”

Perhaps you could explain how Jesus uses the Parable of the Sower to illustrate the importance of the environment for spiritual growth. Challenge the congregation to consider the kind of soil they are providing within their community, encouraging them to create fertile ground where seeds of faith can take root and flourish through love and service.

Understanding for Fruitful Growth

Matthew 13:10-23

Maybe you could delve into Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower, focusing on how understanding, acceptance, and action play a role in fruitful growth. Stress the collective effort in nurturing each believer, emphasizing how a community that encourages understanding and faithfulness blossoms as a witness to Christ's transforming work.

Enduring Together for Growth

Hebrews 13:13-15

Consider examining how stepping outside the camp alongside Christ and offering sacrifices of praise and service strengthens community bonds. This passage encourages believers to bear fruit by enduring hardships together and continually offering praise, emphasizing that collective faithfulness sustains spiritual growth even in trying times.

Bearing Fruit Together

Galatians 5:22-26

You could focus on the Fruit of the Spirit and stress that these virtues grow in a communal setting where love and service abound. Highlight how living by the Spirit involves supporting each other in faith, producing the fruits that reflect Christ's character. Encourage the congregation to embody these fruits, fostering a harvest of faithfulness that impacts the world.