Traits of the Spirit – Controlled Life: Faithfulness

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Galatians 5:22–23 NLT

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Matthew 25:14–30 NLT

14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. 16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. 19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ 21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ 23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ 26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

INTRODUCTION:

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Psalm 12:1 NLT

1 Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!

Psalm 31:23 NLT

23 Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant.

Proverbs 20:6 NLT

6 Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?

Proverbs 28:20 HCSB

20 A faithful man will have many blessings, but one in a hurry to get rich will not go unpunished.

INTRODUCTION:

A- THE NEED FOR FAITHFULNESS:

NLT1 Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!

NLT6 Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 31.87 πιστός, ή, όν

πιστόςb, ή, όν: (derivative of πιστεύωb ‘to trust,’ 31.85) pertaining to being trusted—‘faithful, trustworthy, dependable, reliable.

But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

() “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.”

1- Like Paul could depend upon Timothy

NLT

Philippians 2:19–24 NLT

19 If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 23 I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 24 And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.

1- We are in the process of being evaluated throughout our lives.

a- Joseph (in Genesis) was in a constant process of evaluation.

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(1) He was faithful in Potiphar’s house

(2) He was faithful in prison.

(3) He was faithful as the prime Minister of Egypt

* Each test was a progression from the previous one.

1- We are merely managers of what God has placed under our care.

() Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.

NLT45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.

() “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

Example of Philemon (Philemon 2-7)

New Living Translation Philemon

4 I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5 because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 6 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. 7 Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

4 I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5 because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 6 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. 7 Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people. C- Faithfulness will be rewarded

1- Rewarded with his protection

NLT23 Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant.

2- Rewarded with more entrusted

Matthew 25:21 NLT

21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

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21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

3- Rewarded with an eternal reward

NLT10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

CONCLUSION:

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Matthew 24:45 NLT

45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.

Luke 12:42 NLT

42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.

Matthew 25:21–23 NLT

21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ 23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT

3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

1 Corinthians 4:2 NLT

2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.

1 Timothy 3:11 NLT

11 In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.

Luke 16:10 NLT

10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

The New American Commentary: Galatians (4) The Fruit of the Spirit (5:22–26)

Faithfulness (pistis). The word pistis bears several distinct meanings in the New Testament, three of which are represented in Galatians. First, there is faith in the sense of the basic content of the Christian message, the faith once delivered to the saints. Paul used pistis in this sense in Gal 1:23, where he spoke of the report that circulated about him following his dramatic conversion: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” More commonly, pistis refers to one’s acceptance of this gospel message and the committal of oneself to Christ as Savior and Lord. Throughout Galatians Paul had spoken repeatedly of being justified by faith in this sense of the word. As an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, pistis has yet a further meaning: faithfulness, fidelity, that is, the quality of being true, trustworthy, and reliable in all one’s dealings with others. In its adjectival form Paul used this word in his instructions to Timothy concerning the appointment of church leaders: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2, KJV). For those who are called to serve as leaders of God’s people, now as then, faithfulness should be a far more coveted mark of ministry than temporal success, ecclesiastical recognition, or popular acclaim. After having served in India for eight years with few visible results to show for his efforts, William Carey wrote to his friend John Williams, “Pray for us that we may be faithful to the end.”105

New Nave’s Topical Bible Faithfulness

FAITHFULNESS. Psa. 12:1; Psa. 31:23; Prov. 20:6; Prov. 28:20; Matt. 10:22; Matt. 24:45–47 Luke 12:42–44. Matt. 25:14–23 Luke 19:12–27. Luke 16:10–12; 1 Cor. 4:2; Col. 3:22 Eph. 6:5–9. Rev. 2:10 See OBEDIENCE, EXHORTATION TO; PERSEVERANCE; MINISTER, FAITHFUL; REPROOF, FAITHFULNESS IN. INSTANCES OF: Abraham, Gal. 3:9. Moses, Heb. 3:5. David, 2 Sam. 22:22–25. Elijah, 1 Kin. 19:10, 14. Abijah, 2 Chr. 13:4–20. Jehoshaphat, 2 Chr. 20:1–30. Job, Job 1:21, 22; 2:9, 10. See HEZEKIAH; JOSIAH; JOASH; DANIEL.

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Psalm 12:1 NLT

1 Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing! The faithful have vanished from the earth!

Psalm 31:23 NLT

23 Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant.

Proverbs 20:6 NLT

6 Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?

Proverbs 28:20 HCSB

20 A faithful man will have many blessings, but one in a hurry to get rich will not go unpunished.

Matthew 10:22 HCSB

22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.

Matthew 24:45–47 NLT

45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.

Luke 12:42–44 HCSB

42 The Lord said: “Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food at the proper time? 43 That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded. 44 I tell you the truth: He will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Matthew 25:14–23 NLT

14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. 16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. 19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ 21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ 23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

Luke 19:12–27 HCSB

12 Therefore He said: “A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king and then return. 13 He called 10 of his slaves, gave them 10 minas, and told them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’ 14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us!’ 15 “At his return, having received the authority to be king, he summoned those slaves he had given the money to, so he could find out how much they had made in business. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned 10 more minas.’ 17 “ ‘Well done, good slave!’ he told him. ‘Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.’ 18 “The second came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 “So he said to him, ‘You will be over five towns.’ 20 “And another came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth 21 because I was afraid of you, for you’re a tough man: you collect what you didn’t deposit and reap what you didn’t sow.’ 22 “He told him, ‘I will judge you by what you have said, you evil slave! If you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow, 23 why didn’t you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest!’ 24 So he said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.’ 25 “But they said to him, ‘Master, he has 10 minas.’ 26 “ ‘I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. 27 But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.’ ”

Luke 16:10–12 HCSB

10 Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. 11 So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine? 12 And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?

1 Corinthians 4:2 HCSB

2 In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful.

Colossians 3:22 HCSB

22 Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.

Ephesians 6:5–9 HCSB

5 Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ. 6 Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. 7 Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord. 9 And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.

Revelation 2:10 NLT

10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

Traits of the Spirit – Controlled Life: Faithfulness

I- Faithfulness defined

A- Faithfulness has God as its example.

B- Faithfulness means that God can depend upon us.

C- Faithfulness means other members of the body of Christ can depend upon us.

II- Faithfulness Evaluated

A- Faithfulness is being evaluated.

B- Faithfulness is evaluated in terms of what you have been entrusted with.

III- Faithfulness Rewarded

A- Faithfulness is noticed by God.

B- Faithfulness encourages others

C- Faithfulness will be rewarded

C- Faithfulness will be rewarded