A Summer of Faithfulness
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· 6 viewsWe are called to lives of faithfulness to the Lord and the things of the Lord.
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Introduction
Introduction
We talk a lot about how God is faithful to us. His promises are never failing.
What we don’t talk a lot about is our faithfulness to God.
There are many things in our life that we need to be faithful to God in.
One such thing is being faithful to the Bride of Christ, the church.
Today, we have many who are not faithful to the church. Matter of fact, they have abandoned the church.
Today, we have many who are not faithful to the church. Matter of fact, they have abandoned the church.
We must keep in mind that God birthed the church, God has chosen to work through the church. Like it or not, as believers, we are a part of the church and thus we are to be faithful to God through the church.
Our level of spiritual growth can be seen through our faithfulness to God’s church and the ministries of His church.
The Israelites showed their faithfulness to God through obedience to the Law. As Samuel gives his farewell address as Israel’s last judge, he gives some important instructions to the nation.
Passage
24 “Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
1 Samuel 12:24
Three simple things Samuel instructs Israel on.
Fear the Lord
Serve Him faithfully with all your heart
Consider what great things He has done for you.
Today I want to talk about serving God faithfully with all of our hearts.
Our faithfulness to God shows the level of our spiritual maturity.
A growing, mature disciple of Jesus will want to be faithful to God in all areas of his/her life.
What does that mean for us today, especially as we are faithful to God through His church?
How are we to express faithfulness to God through His Bride?
1. We need to be faithful to God with our worship.
Our culture, even within the church, says that corporate worship is not important.
We say it with our actions; we say it with our words.
Satan has allowed us to believe only half of God’s truth concerning worship.
We are to worship God individually
1 My heart is confident in you, O God;
no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
We are to worship God corporately.
1 My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart! 2 Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.
We are to worship God corporately.
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
We use this verse quite a bit when we talk about our corporate worship. Why? Because that is what it is talking about.
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
We use this verse quite a bit when we talk about our corporate worship. Why? Because that is what it is talking about.
It is important for us to be faithful in coming together to worship.
The writer of Hebrews is basically saying do not abandon going to church. Do not abandon the sacred time of corporate worship.
The Greek word for neglect literally means to abandon.
The Greek word for meeting is a word picture of a religious meeting or assembly.
For us as Christians that means our times of worship, bible study (Sunday School), and Wednesday nights are important and we should not abandon them.
As we remain faithful to corporate worship experiences we are showing our faithfulness to God and our growing maturity in the Christian faith.
2. We need to be faithful to God with our ministry.
If you are a Christian and a member of this church, you have a ministry within our church family.
God has gifted you with a supernatural gift to glorify Himself, and to build up your fellow brother and sisters in Christ.
7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
Not only that, the supernatural gift you possess can draw the lost to Jesus.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
Not only that, the supernatural gift you possess can draw the lost to Jesus.
We cannot be all that God wants us to be here at Calvary Baptist Childress without all of us using and growing, and using, our Spiritual Gifts here at our church.
Do not allow Satan to get you so busy that you can’t use your Spiritual Gift here at Calvary. If you cannot minister, Satan has you too busy.
ou will have many opportunities to minister this summer and even into the school year.
You will have many opportunities to minister this summer and even into the school year.
Cook
Serve
Set up
Greet
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We need people to help mow the yard.
We will need help painting the hallways of our church.
We will need help preparing for VBS and helping with VBS.
We will need sponsors for Youth Camp especially a female
sponsor.
We need Sunday school teachers for all areas of our church.
We need more ESL teachers for the coming year.
There are others areas where you can serve. We need You!!!!!
How are you measuring up in ministry? Are you showing Christian growth through using your Spiritual Gifts?
3. We need to be faithful to God in our giving.
Yes I know that I’m meddling. But our giving to our church is so, so important.
It seems like most churches have a dramatic drop in their giving during the summer months. Why is that?
Does God allow us to take a break during the summer from our giving?
It is vital that we continue to give faithfully as we have done so far this year.
The last 3 months we will give in our tithes right over $27,500. There is no reason why we can’t do that from June through August.
Last year we gave just under $24,000, and honestly, we barely got by.
For us to effectively minister this summer we need to be consistent in bringing our tithes and offerings to the Lord. Our largest evangelistic efforts happen during the summer and those efforts cost money.
18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Your tithes and offerings financially support this church to go out and fulfill our God-given mission.
At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Your financial gifts supply this church to go out and fulfill our God-given mission.
Are you being faithful with your giving? Are you showing spiritual growth through your giving to God through our church?
4. We need to be faithful to God in our encouragement.
We need to continue to encourage each other to be faithful and to grow in our relationship with Jesus!
Not only that we need to continue to encourage those of our church family who have not been here in a while.
This life is tough. It can be discouraging and we need to be there for each other to encourage, pray for, and lift each other up.
24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
When is the last time you sat down and encouraged a brother or sister in Christ?
As we encourage one another we are being faithful to God!
5. We need to be faithful to God in our witness.
We need to be faithful in our witness to those who are lost!
Who are you praying for to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord?
Who are you investing your life into so that you can win an opportunity to share Jesus with them or so that they can see Jesus in you?
Who are you inviting to come to church?
When is the last time you did any of these?
One of the ways we show our faithfulness to God is sharing Jesus with those around us.
We are all called to share the Gospel! Are you doing it?
Are you prepared? Can you give your testimony?
Remember the words of Peter in
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
Continue to pray for those who God has burdened you about their soul.
Continue to share how Jesus has made a difference in your life.
Invite them to come to church and Sunday morning Bible Study with you.
Invite them to come specifically to church with you on Sunday, June 30, as we help those who need Jesus answer the question, “Is Jesus Seeking You?”.
Invite Kindergarten through 5th grade kids to come and be a part of VBS June 23-26.
There are plenty of ways to encourage each other and encourage the lost to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Conclusion
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
Conclusion
So what is faithfulness to God? Really it boils down to commitment to God and the things of God.
So are you being faithful to God through the church in which He has placed you?
Will you show your faithfulness through these summer months?
Will you commit to show that faithfulness?
Let’s let this summer be a Summer of Faithfulness that will carry on for the years to come.
In your bulletin is a commitment card. Will you commit to God in these areas of your life?
I invite you to make that commitment.
You may want to come to the altar to make this commitment and take the card back home with you and put it where you can see it to remind you of the commitment you have made.
Maybe you are here and you have never made a faith commitment to Jesus. I invite you to come forward and let me share with you how you can be a Christian.
Maybe you need a church home and God is leading you here to use your Spiritual gifts at Calvary Baptist Church. I invite you to come forward and join our church family.
Maybe God is calling you special service and you need to answer the call. Come and respond today.