Faithfulness – Gods Blessing on Faithfulness -Part 1 of 6

Introduction

Galatians 5: 22-23 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

“Above all, to thine own self be true” spoken by Polonius in Act 1 Scene 3 of Hamlet. It is often said to be a pearl of wisdom by Shakespeare on Living a good and balanced life. I would say: “Above all, be faithful and faithful to God”

Also in Hamlet Act 2 Scene 2 Hamlet says “…for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” An example of another worldly thought that has been widely accepted in our society. The truth however, is that there are absolutes (See blog on Absolutes). God’s word is absolute. Faithfulness to His word is absolutely necessary if we are to imitate Christ.

This teaching reflects the teachings of Calvin Miller’s book on Faithfulness (with my intervention.) I only wish I had written it all. He writes:

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit are the natural overflow in our relationship with God. We grow in character so that one day we will reflect the image of our Lord. A faithful person is a person who keeps his promises. By nature we are promise breakers, but he who keeps his promises is faithful. God is faithful. Promises are made to be kept. (Remember the Movement – Promise Keepers)

This lesson is not about learning to be faithful; it’s about letting God’s faithfulness become the essence of who you are

It’s not about getting something, it’s about becoming something. We are always looking for a Sign. This is it!

This Teaching is Presented in 6 Parts

1. 1. 1.  Gods Blessing on Faithfulness
   2. 2.  Faithfulness – The High Art of Persistence
   3. 3.  Faithfulness – The Habit of Spiritual Dependency
   4. 4.  Faithfulness – Commitment to What is Right
   5. 5.  Faithfulness – No Compromise
   6. 6.  Faithfulness – The Road That Ends in Victory

PART 1 – GOD’S BLESSING ON FAITHFULNESS

God’s Blessing – Read Genesis 12:1

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.”

• • • 1.  He was a Pagan, an idolater
    • 2  Possibly a Moon worshiper
    • 3.  Not considered a Hebrew, an Israeli or a Jew, but possibly from Iraq.
    • 4.  Judaism was eventually born in this way.
    • 5.  Because of His faithfulness, God blessed him greatly. This is why there is so much emphasis on Abraham
    • 6.  This is why we often call him Father Abraham

Some of us were born into that lineage and some of us were grafted into that vine. However, this is not automatic.

God’s Blessing as it relates to The Purpose of God in My Life – Read Deuteronomy 10: 20-22

“You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.”

This nation God was promising to Abram now called Abraham, went from 1 to 3 (at Abraham’s death) to 70 going into Egypt. 

• • • At the Exodus (about 400 years later),
    • 2.4 to 2.5 million.
    • Today there are about 8.5 million Israelis in Israel and 14 – 15 billion Jews in the world as a whole.
    • This kind of faithfulness instructs us how to live with purpose. Simply spoken this faithfulness is called obedience
    • I’d say God is faithful.

Here, God’s blessing to Abram, is reflected by God’s purpose for Abraham. Abraham. was faithful and God was faithful

God’s Blessing as it relates to Our Relationship with Christ – Read Matthew 24:9-13

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

Here are Three ways Salvation is used

1. 1. 1.  Initially meeting Christ
   2. 2.  Ongoing relationship with Christ
   3. 3.  Unending Union with Christ – in His presence forever – it is referred to as “the plum of our faithfulness to be picked from the tree of our obedience”. As in Matthew 24: 13 “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Interesting, we will be Saved only if we endure to the end.”

As the scripture above relates this Faithfulness can be very costly

1. 1. 1.  When we are handed over to be persecuted and put to death
   2. 2.  When we are hated by all people When people fall away for the faith and betray each other
   3. 3  When false prophet appear and deceive many

Regardless of all this tribulation we must maintain our relationship and be faithful.

God’s Blessing as it relates to My Service to Others – Read Matthew 25:31-40

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

Salvation comes by Grace. It is free with no strings attached but our “grand response” to Grace should be Service and Obedient Living.

• • 1.  Jesus clearly states that ministry to any human need writes the name of Jesus on the very forehead of the person we help.
  • 2.  Tell of Mother Teresa’s death in Calcutta. She taught that those attending to a dying parishioner – attended the body of Christ Himself.
  • 3.  This is not a poor dying person, it is Christ.
  • 4.  Your response should be “Jesus, I see You”!
   

God’s Blessing as it relates to My Personal Worship – Read Hebrews 11:8-12

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.”

• • • 1.  The reaction to God’s faithfulness is – Worship!
    • 2.  Abraham celebrated God before he saw his dreams fulfilled.
    • 3.  He built an alter to God. We can do that too.
    • 4.  This is the mark of real Faith – to worship while we wait.
    • 5.  He saved you to worship Him.

Like Abraham we should Say, Jesus, if I do not see your promises fulfilled today, I will praise you while I wait for tomorrow.

God’s Blessing as it relates to Abraham – Unwavering Fidelity – Read Genesis 15:1-5; 22:1-18

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed no one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” “And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Faithfulness trusts, when things seem impossible.

Hebrews 11:8-19

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”

In Hebrews 11:6-19 we have nine (9) qualities of Abraham’s life of faithfulness.

1.  He followed even though he didn’t know where God was leading (v8)

2.  He lived in tents as a foreigner (v9) seeking a home among the unfamiliar.

3.  He was looking for a city. He did not know the city was Zion. God’s greatest dreams are owned by those who can see beyond. (v10)

4.  He counted on His promise even as an old man. (v11)He considered God faithful (v11) He saw all that God said would come to pass (v13)

5.  Christians believe that the wonder of God is on the way (v16)

6.  Abraham was willing to give God his most precious gift – his son – because he saw God as faithful.

7.  Abraham believed that God could even raise his son from the dead if need be (v19)

How about you and I? Can we also go through these trials? Have you prayed for the Faith of Abraham? Be careful before you do. God may take you up on your offer.

Enough Said

Go on to Part 2 – FAITHFULNESS – THE HIGH ART OF PERSISTENCE

Thy Words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16)