Sunday School: Faithfulness

Short Narrative:

Have you ever had a TV show you enjoyed in the past, where you just couldn’t miss the show?

The Mandolorian

Baby Yoda

Somehow we manage to watch every episode when it is released. It becomes a hobby, an enjoyable family time, and a weekly practice.

As we delve into our topic this morning, I’d like to look at its definition: “Maintaining faith or allegiance; showing a strong sense of duty or conscientiousness.”

Many times we maintain a strong sense of duty to:

Have family time

Spend time with our kids

Watch our favorite TV show or sports game on time

However, I’d like to ask you today, do we maintain a strong sense of duty to the things of God? Is God a priority in our weekly functions or has church just became another to-do on our checklist?

Let us go to Rom 12:1-2 in order to see what the Bible asks of us in regards to faithfulness.

Primary Text:

Romans 12:1–2 KJV 1900

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

What Paul mean by “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind?”

How is our mind transformed

By the Holy Ghost through prayer and reading of God’s word

Biblical Forms of Faithfulness

Hesed

Jonah 4:2

Now let us look at the NKJV:

The New King James Version Chapter 4

2 So he prayed to the LORD, and said, “Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I afled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a bgracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.

So here we see the word hesed seen as gracious and as lovingkindness.

This is a word that draws faithfulness…it was Yahweh that was faithful to show mercy, grace, and lovingkindness towards his people that had gone into covenant with him.

Today I’d like to ask you this, friend.. while we do not worship in temples or make sacrifices as they did in the day of Jonah, have you gone into covenant with Jesus?

Acts 2:38

God’s Faithfulness in the NT

In the New Testament we see Jesus as bridging the gap between man and God by being the propitiation, or atonement, for our sins. In other words, the sacrifice that Jesus made bridged that gap between humanity that had been caused by sin through the garden.

Matthew 27:11–14 KJV 1900

And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

...

Matthew 27:27–31 KJV 1900

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Matt 27:11-14; 27-31

Jesus was faithful to the cross, even though he knew death was looming. Unwittingly, the people prophesied this:

Matthew 27:25 KJV 1900

Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Matt 27:25

God remained “hesed” to his people by providing a new covenant, where the law of God was to be written upon the hearts of men.

Bringing the Concept of Faithfulness to the Church

Attendance

Heb 10:24

Calls us to preserve our love for one another through the gathering of ourselves. (or assembling of ourselves)

We need church

Provides a means of corperate worship

Encouragement

Enables us to love one another

You are part of the body of Christ

Giving

Malachi 3:8 KJV 1900

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

Mal 3:8

Not only in offering but:

Time - prayer and reading of the Word

Availability (willingness to do things for God/participate in church)

Resources

God calls us to give of our whole self and not just our finances - however, Malachi is talking specific to finances in this passage.

Explain the background behind the passage

Conclusion

God has called us to faithfulness through his demonstration of faithfulness. We see this in both the NT and OT, where Jesus gives us the ultimate demonstration of God’s faithfulness toward us.

Our faithfulness should be given to God, not as something extraordinary, but a formative response to God’s faithfulness to us.

Living for faithfully for God is our reasonable service unto Him.