Faithfulness

WHAT YOU RESPECT YOU WILL ATTRACT

*Faithfulness; a firm adherence to truth or duty manifested over a period of time -loyalty, obedience, persistence

“A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” Proverbs 28:20

How important is faithfulness in…….marriage, friendship, relationships, workers, etc.?

-Faithfulness is one of the attributes of Christ and one that we need to attain to be.
– If God were not faithful then all other promises and attributes of God would be null and void.
– We are to be faithful.

Reasons for exhorting faithfulness
1) God is faithful
-He is always true to His word.
-I Cor. 1:9 Lam. 3:22-23

2) Faithful people
II Chr. 16:9
-At the end of it all we want to be one that God finds faithful. God desires us to be on this earth to be faithful.

3) Weariness
It is easy to become weary in well doing.
Gal. 6:9 You will reap if we faint not. It is a marathon. Finish well.

4) Blessings
Pr. 28:20

5) Will be tested
-By the Lord (I Cor. 10:13)
-By Satan (Job)
-By sin (Battle)
All these things will test us and our faithfulness.

Demonstrate faithfulness in

1) The Word of God.
-Ps. 119:9
-Proverb-a-day
-Pray and trust God to help us not to slack off and stay faithful during the tough times and ready times.

2) Discipleship
-Mat. 28:20, II Tim. 2:2
-Invest your time into other people through discipleship.

3) Giving
-Cheerful Giving (II Cor. 9:7)
-Faithful Giving (I Cor. 16:2)

4) Serving
-You have been saved to serve. You are to become a servant of God.
Rom. 6:22,Gal. 5:13
-Continue to be a faithful servant of the Lord so that one day you will hear…..”Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
-II Tim. 2:1-13

Outcome verses Obedience!
* There is a distinct difference between the workplace believer who operates based on living in the Promised Land versus the one who operates in Egypt.

*In Egypt, the workplace believer sweats and toils to generate an outcome. The final objective is foremost in their mind. Outcome is everything.

*In the Promised Land, we learn that Obedience is the only thing that matters.
* We are called to execute, and leave outcome to God.
*Sometimes that outcome is very positive, yielding a return.
*In other cases, we may not yield a corresponding return. We may even get a negative outcome.

Hebrews 5: 8. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

The difference is that we know that we have been faithful to what God has called us to and we yield results to God.
*God often blesses obedience beyond what we deserve.
* If God brings wealth to your life, it should come as a by-product of obedience, not an end in itself.

*God may call each of us to be obedient to situations that may not yield immediate, positive results.
** It is in these times that our FAITH must be Obedience-based versus Outcome-based.
*What if Jesus had considered the immediate ramifications of whether he would go to the cross? Based on the immediate outcome, the decision would have been an easy one.
Who wants to die on a cross?
However, for Him there was a higher purpose in that obedience.

We are called to this same kind of obedience!!!!
* This means putting our own flesh on the line daily, dying to our own self-will.

2 John 1:6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

Let’s all of us  serve someone this week…give money or time to a charity…spend time with people who are hurting in some way: be a true friend. Don’t be afraid to love someone seemingly unlovable or even difficult to love/forgive.  Look in front of yourself each day—-God has put someone in your path to encourage and Love in some way!
It will change your life & the life of the other person.

Walking in love is not always the easiest thing for me to do when people treat me wrong or lie about me.
This is an area that is only possible through Christ’s love.
As I’ve been tested lately in this area I know without a doubt that I cannot love the unlovely in my flesh BUT Only as I allow Jesus to be Lord & leader on my life & my love.

Thank you Jesus for being that perfect example of love! Your Love Jesus–Love that is walking in TRUTH in light of God’s word.
Help me to live according to Your word and sharing the gospel with others because this is how we know that we are with You-Jesus, that we would love God with all our heart and that we love others as we love ourself, for these are the two greatest commandments. God, would you help me not to wander from this teaching? I want my relationship with you to be so close that I see people the way that You see them and that when people look at me, that they will see You. Help me to be Faithful this Day!  In Jesus Name. Amen