THE FAITHFUL SERVANT
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· 60 viewsThis sermon was preached at the homegoing celebration of Mother Ethel Garrett.
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Faithfulness is a fundamental and necessary quality for any person. The bedrock upon which business, governmental, familial or conjugal relationship rests is faithfulness by all parties involved. This is even more the case in the spiritual realm. For all of our hopes in God and in His salvation rests on the belief of God’s faithfulness. Take this away and our assurance disappears. Our faith is made void. However, with it we are able to do as the Scriptures declares of Abraham who, “...against hope believed in hope…and staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief…but being fully persuaded that what He has promised, He is able also to perform!”
Moreover, it is the faithfulness of God that should occupy the bulk of our focus. If we have any hope of manifesting true faithfulness, it will be the result of our having been made partakers of God’s divine nature. There are far too many people trying to be faithful without submitting and partaking of God’s divine nature.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
There are many examples of faithfulness in Scripture:
It is said of Moses that “…verily he was faithful in all his house” having made everything in the first house according to the pattern.
In the New Testament, Epaphras is said to have been “a faithful minister” who “labored fervently in prayer” for the saints.
And there’s Timothy who Paul said was “faithful to remind the saints of all the ways of Christ” ().
God never intended for faithfulness to simply be an attribute of the saints of old. He requires this trait to be present in every servant.
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
How do we fulfill this requirement of God? What does it mean to be faithful in the service of the Lord?
The Apostle Paul told the Church in Ephesus that he was faithful to “declare unto them the whole counsel of God” (). Those who are truly faithful to the ministry will declare the full gospel.
Faithfulness is not only seen in the preaching of the whole word, but it can also be seen in doing every good work. In describing those women who are to be accepted into the service of God and the Church, Paul says that they are to be...
Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
We should see this same faithfulness, not only in the preaching of the word, but also in every good work.
There are some who will work the altar, but they won’t work in their home or serve tables in the Church. To be truly faithful we must be ready and willing to do EVERY good work.
Lastly, we are faithful IF we are productive. We seem to think that faithfulness is dictated by our attendance. However, in order to be truly faithful you must produce something!
Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
1Timothy 5:9There are some who don’t mind ministering at the altar, but will not minister in the home or
There are some who don’t mind working the altar, but they will not work in the home or serve tables in the Church. But we must be faithful in ALL the work of the Lord.
1Timothy 5:9There are some who don’t mind ministering at the altar, but will not minister in the home or
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Matthew 25:20-
Faithfulness, according to this passage, is determined by how much was gained! There was a servant who returned his lord’s talent in the same condition that he received it. But, he wasn’t called faithful. Instead, he was called “wicked” and lazy.
The reason most of us are not being faithful (productive) is because we’re playing it safe. People who play it safe will never be faithful. If you want to be faithful, you must play to win!
Faithfulness is measured by how much we gain, and not by what we keep! People who try to play it safe will never be faithful in God’s book. Mother never played it safe. She always played to win!
People who play it safe say, “Well, I gave it a try. I just got beat by a better opponent.” The truth is, most times it’s not our opponent that’s beating us. We’re beating ourselves. We’re beating ourselves every time we play it safe. The enemy knows that he doesn’t have to be better than us to beat us. He simply has to keep us from playing to our potential. The best man don’t always win. The faithful man wins. That is, the one who always lives and plays to their potential is the one who wins.
We tossed around this word faithful too loosely. We call individuals faithful who haven’t produced anything. Yes, they are present. Yes, they participate. But they are returning the things we give them in the same condition they have received it.
Why are we not being productive? Is it because we’re outmatched? Is it because we lack the skills and ability to succeed? In most cases we’re unproductive because we’re playing it safe. People who play it safe are never productive or faithful. To be productive (to be faithful), we must play to win!
The truth is we can (should) be productive. And if we’re not being productive, then it’s probably because we’re playing it safe. People who play it safe will never be faithful or productive. If you want to be faithful, you must play to win!
You don’t have to be better than your opponent to beat them. You simply have to keep them from playing to their potential. The best man don’t always win. The faithful man (the one who ALWAYS plays to his potential) wins!
The truth is we can (should) be productive. And if we’re not being productive, then it’s probably because we’re playing it safe. People who play it safe will never be faithful or productive. If you want to be faithful, you must play to win!
People who play it safe say, “Well, I gave it a try. I just got beat by a better opponent.” The truth is, most times it’s not our opponent that’s beating us. We’re beating ourselves. We’re beating ourselves every time we play it safe. The enemy knows that he doesn’t have to be better than us to beat us. He simply has to keep us from playing to our potential. The best man don’t always win. The faithful man wins. That is, the one who always lives and plays to their potential is the one who wins.
And we can’t just play to win or be “faithful” in our early years or when things are going well. We must play to win or be “faithful” when things get tough.
Faithfulness is not just required for stewardship or service. It’s also required for eternal life!
Revelation 2: we all must
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
There is no reward (crown) for those who simply participate.
We live in a day where we reward children for their participation. I understand why they do this—to protect children’s self-esteem and help them feel better about themselves. But, this is not how the kingdom operates. There are no points for participation or perfect attendance. We will be rewarded according to our works (production)!
God is not only rewarding the faithful, but He is only choosing the faithful.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
After it’s all said and done, the only ones that will be with God in the end are the FAITHFUL. And this is befitting because when He returns to the earth “on his vesture and on his thigh a name shall be written, ‘King of kings and the Lord of lords’ and He shall come upon a white horse; and His name shall be called “Faithful and true”! He is faithful not simply to say it. But faithful also to do it. For He is the keeper of promises!
Mother was certainly faithful to declare the whole counsel of God. She was faithful is every good work. And she was certainly productive in what she did. In fact, she would not quit until she reached the goal of what she set out to do!