In 2022 Be FAITH FULL
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Last week I introduced a them for this year, that it would be a year that the Lord would work FULLNESS IN HIS PEOPLE....
FAITH FULL
SPIRIT FULL
FRUIT FULL
This morning I want to begin breaking down those three areas a little more...
FAITH FULL ---
We said last week
There is a connection between the word faithful and being full of Faith.
There is a connection between the word faithful and being full of Faith.
FAITH FULL is when our trust in what the Lord is doing in our lives plays out in our actions!
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
When we looked at being fruitful, we saw that one of the fruits or produced in our life when we are Spirit full (they all go together) is FAITHFULNESS!!!
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!
This morning let us look a little deeper at being FAITH FULL - remembering
6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
FAITH FULL in COMMITMENT
FAITH FULL in COMMITMENT
Our society has lost all sense of what being faithful in commitment is...
Nobody’s word means much of anything
Everyone looks for loop holes in contracts and agreements
There is a higher rate of divorce than marriages making it
People have used donors to have babies and are giving them back
37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.
It is Scriptural instruction to be people of our WORD! To hold to our commitments,
To honor our vows in marriage, our word to employers, our contracts to bills and services, etc.
Most of to honor our surrender of faith to the Lord.
In a society who dishonors God, we do not run with the crowd. Our commitment to the Lord and to His Word is beyond what is popular, even if it is hard.
Daniel 3 we see the story of Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, the three Hebrew youths that were appointed to high position in the Babylonian government - these appointments were because of the Lord’s favor on their lives.
When faced with a choice between giving into their bosses desire - the EMPIRE and KING, under the peer pressure of what literally everyone in the Kingdom was doing, they refused to place his demands over their commitment to the Lord who had shown them His favor.
What would we do --- after all, it is our boss, other Christians are caving in, I will stand out and look different, no one will understand...
These three young men were faced with death by fire in the furnace, a furnace so hot the guards who threw them in perished from the heat of the flames outside the furnace.
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.
18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Their commitment to the Lord was their highest priority and should be ours as well...
The vows we make before Jesus to our spouses and families,
The yes and no we offer up.... it is necessary to faith full to our commitments...
How you say is that beyond loyalty - their choices demonstrate their FAITH IN GOD and not in man!!! Regardless of what man can do to them.
That is being full of faith!
2. Faith Full in Integrity
2. Faith Full in Integrity
Many years ago I heard it said that integrity is what you do when nobody is watching.
Just because some one does not see you with your hand in the cookie jar, does not mean it is ok to steal the cookie.
As Christians we proclaim to be followers of Christ and yet we are almost unashamed anymore of publicizing our sin on social media.
Are we people of integrity in doing what is right, and what honors God’s Word when someone is watching and someone is not watching.
Often our justification is because the Lord has not answered a prayer, or made life easy for us. I watch people fall away from their faith and honoring the Lord with their moral choices because something difficult has occurred in life and they are disappointed, or have come up with some reason to entitle their choice to sin or break their integrity.
It takes me to Joseph...
Joseph was a young man with dreams and visions from God, beloved most by his Dad, and hated by his siblings, beaten and sold into slavery.
He had risen to prominence in his masters house because the Lord was with him, but the opportunity to sin arose - to sleep with his masters wife at her request on numerous occasions - he could have and probably gotten away with it, after all he would be punished for it like he did it anyway...
Isn't that the kind of justification we give sin. It isn’t hurting anyone else, look at the cruddy scenario I am in, God abandoned me, I have had all this stuff happen, I am going to get something I deserve...
Integrity is being faith full to what we know is RIGHT TO DO even though we suffer consequences for it....
Joseph did what is right and still ended up in prison! However, it all worked out as part of God’s plan to elevate him in life.
Regardless of any promotion or elevation, the Lord looks for those with integrity.
21 May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you.
12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever.
3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.
The Lord want us to walk with integrity before him.
Joseph demonstrated faith when he chose to have integrity rather than give in to the sinful demands of another… to entitle himself for pleasure.
He trusted God rather than please himself.
He was full of faith because he was faithful!
3. Faith Full in Obedience
3. Faith Full in Obedience
How willing are you to obey the Lord even if it puts your dreams at risk?
Are you wiling to TRUST or HAVE FAITH in God even though it seems it may cost you something or even everything?
21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
Abraham, the man who left his home and sojourned to a distant land because God promised to give it to him and his descendants.
Whose wife was barren until he was 100 years old and she was 90 and beyond bearing children.
Who the Lord then asked to bring to the mountain and sacrifice him there...
We know now that God provided a ram in the bush - at the moment of sacrifice...
Abraham had no idea that would occur, it seemed as though the only possible and visible future for the promise of God, the Lord was asking him to kill!
In faith he faithfully obeyed the Lord and brought Isaac to the mountain to offer him up there. He was obedient.
The Lord looks for those who will obey, who are faithful not just for what they can receive, but who will trust him when all looks to be lost!
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
THe Lord is needing some FAITHFUL people today.
He wants to bring us into a season of faithfulness to HIm.
People who will faithfully honor their commitments
People who will faithfully walk with integrity
People who will faithfully obey him even though it seems sacrificial
He needs faithful servants, faithful leaders, faithful Christians
Will you be found faithful.
Last week we talked about the faithful servants, who took the talents the Lord gave them and used them to invest back into the Kingdom for their master...
Are you faithful to use your talents in commitment, integrity and obedience to the LORD???
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!’
Jesus when you return - find us FAITHFUL!