Nov 11,2018

MHBC

Will you be found faithful?

Galatians 5:22 NASB95

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Can God trust you?

“May all who come behind me find me faithful”

Steve green

o may all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way. may the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe, and the lives we live inspire them to obey. o may all who come behind us find us faithful.

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone, and our children sift thru all we've left behind, may the clues that they discover, and the mem'ries they uncover, become the light that leads them, to the road we each must find

o may all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way. may the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe, and the lives we live inspire them to obey. Read more: Steve Green - Find Us Faithful Lyrics | MetroLyrics

, Faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit?

Meaning of Faithfulness

Faithful—as a designation of Christians, means full of faith, trustful, and not simply trustworthy[1]

Faithfulness, the state of being someone in whom complete confidence can be placed— ‘trustworthiness, dependability, faithfulness.’[2]

Faithfulness (pistis) is the quality which renders a person trustworthy or reliable,

Where does faith come from?

Romans 10:17 NASB95

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

(NASB95)

Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB95

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Faith is a gift from God.

The big question

Can God trust you?

Example of unfaithfulness

Example 1

The unfaithful manager

Luke 16:1–13 NASB95

Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. “And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. ‘I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ “And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ “Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ “And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? “And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

The rich man- owns it all --- example of the creator God

The manager- doesn’t own it--- example of all people

Truths--- we will all give account to our faithfulness with Gods stuff.

Jesus gave this Parable to teach his disciples to be faithful with all of God’s stuff.

Lessons to learn:

God owns it all, we are mangers of His stuff, there will come a day of accountability,

What was a talent? 50-80 lb of silver

Will you be found faithful?

Example of being found lacking faith

, Ananias, with his wife Sapphira[3]

Who will trust you? God will not trust the individual who trusts in worldly wealth.[4]

Can God Trust you?

Example 2

The unfaithful person

A man going on a journey entrusted his talents (possessions) to 3 of his slaves

(NASB95)

Matthew 25:14–21 NASB95

“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

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[5]

“Faith that fizzles before it is finished was false from the beginning”

Can God trust you?

Entrusted message to a faithful person

(NASB95)

2 Timothy 2:2 NASB95

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Trustworthy, dependable

responsible, reliable

The message will only go to those that are faithful

Example 3

Your and Me

Will your lives story point to Jesus?

Everyone will give and account for their life.

Hebrews 9:27 NASB95

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

The faithfulness tests?

(NASB95)

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 NASB95

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

Servants of Christ

1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

O’ to be found faithful

someone will come behind you

What will those that follow behind you find out about your life?

Example:

Have you ever had the opportunity to clean out a house of a loved one?

What did their things left behind say about them?

Our stuff and life’s focus tell our life’s story

Find us faithful Steve Green

[1] M. G. Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893).

[2] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 376.

[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

[4] Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 417.

[5] Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 404.