Name of Assembly: United Apostolic Church

Type of service: Bible Study

Date: September 5th & 12th, 2023

Topic: NINE SECRETS OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

Lesson 8: Faithfulness

Scripture Text:

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)

“His Lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”- Matthew 25:21 (KJV).

 

Faith is Not Faithfulness

  1. With the inclusion of faith in the Apostle Paul’s discourse on the fruit of the Spirit, he was not speaking of merely believing.
    1. Remember, he was writing to the Church, which already had a foundation of faith. Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”  (KJV)
    2. Some mistakenly suppose that because they have faith then they are automatically faithful.
    3. Paul was seeking to instruct the church that manifesting the fruit of the Spirit requires not faith, but faithfulness.
      1. Each aspect of the fruit builds upon the previous.
      2. At this point in his writing, it is essential to realize that all the preceding aspects have very little value if there is no faithfulness in manifesting them.
    4. After all, what benefit is a tree that bears fruit inconsistently?
      1. Jesus cursed the fig tree in Matthew 21 because it did not bear figs when it should have.
      2. From this, we see that God expects faithfulness from those things which are to bear fruit.
  2. The word faith, as found in Galatians 5:22, comes from the Greek word “PISTIS” which does mean “belief” but also “conviction, trust, confidence, fidelity, reliability, dependability.” God is the best example of faithfulness! He is faithful even when we are not!
    1. “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself” - 2 Timothy 2:13.
    2. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”
  3. Paul is speaking of faithfulness in every area of the spiritual life of a believer.
    1. Towards God
    2. With the blessing of God.
    3. Towards others.

 

The Faithfulness of God

  1. To help us understand faithfulness, we need to first look at the faithfulness of God.
  2. GOD IS FAITHFUL TO …
    •  BLESS ME
      • 21“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” - Lamentations 3:21-23.
    • PROTECT ME
      • “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” - 1 Corinthians 10:13.
    • FORGIVE ME
      • “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” - 1 John 1:9.
    • KEEP ME
      • “23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
  3.  Scripture declares the faithfulness and constancy of God.
    • Malachi 3:6, “For I am the LORD, I change not;” (KJV)
    • Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (KJV)
  4. He is faithful in His covenants.
    • Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations” - Deuteronomy 7:9 (KJV).
    • When Noah and his family left the ark, they arrived on an earth that had been devastated by the flood.
      • No doubt, in their humanity, there would be a concern whether God would bring the same judgment on the earth again at some later time.
      • God made a covenant with Noah and with all flesh.
        • Genesis 9:12-17, “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.  And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”  (KJV)
      • When you consider the promise that God made, it was quite a commitment.
      • Time has shown us that God has been faithful in this covenant.
  5. God is Faithful in salvation.
    1. Acts 10:34, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:”
    2. I Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (KJV)
    3. 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (KJV)
  6. God is faithful in our trials.
    1. 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (KJV)
    2. 2 Thessalonians 3:3, “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”
    3. Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” (KJV)
  7. God is faithful, even when we are not. 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”

We are called to demonstrate Faithfulness.

  1. Since the Holy Ghost that dwells within us is God, who is faithful in manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, we must be faithful to God, to others, and in our responsibilities.
  2. Faithfulness to God.
    1. Luke 17:5, “And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” (KJV)
      1. The disciples were expressing the same way that many of us feel.
      2. We feel that if we had more faith then we could be better Christians and do more for God. However, what they needed, and we need, is not more faith, but faithfulness.
      3. Jesus goes on in the passage to tell them that they have faith, but what they need is to go beyond what is expected of them. Faithfulness goes beyond duty and obligation and responds out of love and gratitude.
      4. That type of faithfulness keeps you committed even when the feeling isn’t there. “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
      5. Faithfulness based on duty and obligation is hollow and usually leads to discontentment.
    2. Matthew 24:45-47, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.”
      1. Jesus considers the individual who is busy doing what the Lord commanded in His kingdom to be faithful and wise.
    3. Matthew 25:14-30, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.  And likewise, he that had received two, he also gained other two.  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord thou deliveredst unto me two talents:  behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.  his lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (KJV)
      1. From this passage, we see that God has entrusted people with the valuables of the kingdom.
      2. He is expecting a profit on His investment when He returns.
      3. The man with five talents and the man with two talents were considered faithful and profitable because they manifested their talent and received an increase.
      4. The servant who received one talent was considered unfaithful and unprofitable because he hid his talent in the earth.
        1. His faith did not matter at the Lord’s return.
        2. His excuses did not matter on the Lord’s return.
        3. What mattered was his lack of faithfulness and profitability.
  3. Areas of Faithfulness to God
    • Prayer
    • The Word
    • Fasting
    • Church Attendance
    • Tithe and Offering
    • Ministry Service
    • Witnessing and Outreach
  4. Faithfulness in my Life means that I have:
    1. Confidence
      • “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” - Revelation 2:10 (NIV).
    2. Conviction 
      •  “It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulnessto the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” - 3 John 3-4 (NIV).
    3. Commitment
      • “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service” - 1 Timothy 1:12 (NIV).
    4. Consistency
      • “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” - Luke 16:10 (NLT).
  5. Faithfulness to Others
    1. The Bible teaches that faithfulness must be demonstrated in our relationships with people as well as in our relationship with God. Only a relationship built on confidence, conviction, commitment, and consistency can survive the pressures of life!
    2. Remember that faith/faithfulness is DEPENDENCE. That is the foundation of true friendship – you can depend on your friends, and they can depend on you!
    3. We have a responsibility to be faithful in every relationship that we have.
      1. The Holy Ghost which resides within us is a consistent and faithful Spirit.
      2. We are to manifest that same faithfulness and consistency with others.
    4. In our friendships:
      1. Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loveth at all times, …” (KJV)
      2. Proverbs 18:24, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: …” (KJV)
      3. Proverbs 27:10, “Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; …”
  6. In our marriage:
    1. Ephesians 5:31, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” (KJV)
      • Faithfulness in marriage is the only way to stay as one flesh.
    2. Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled …”
      • Faithfulness produces purity in marriage.
    3. I Corinthians 7:3, “Let the husband render unto his wife due benevolence: and likewise, also the wife unto the husband.” (KJV)
      • I Corinthians 7:27, “Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed.”
  7. In our business relationships:
    1. When the early church needed men to oversee the day-to-day business of the assembly, they looked for faithful men of good
    2. Acts 6:3, “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.” (KJV)
    3. I Timothy 3:7, “Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; …”
      • A good reputation is not only necessary within the Church but also in the world.

The Rewards of Faithfulness

  1. God has never asked anyone to be faithful that He did not reward.
    1. Abraham became the father of many nations.
    2. Moses became the deliverer for Israel and the greatest leader of man the world has ever known.
    3. David was established in the lineage of the Messiah.
    4. Simon Peter preached the birthing message of the New Testament church.
    5. Esther was instrumental in the deliverance of the Jews.
  2. The Word of God emphasizes the rewards of faithfulness.
    1. Psalm 31:23, “…. for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.”
    2. Proverbs 28:20, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings: ….” (KJV)
    3. Matthew 25:21, “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (KJV)

Closing Illustration:

Perhaps no one exemplifies faithfulness in the life of a believer like the Apostle Paul.  He went from being fiercely faithful in defending Judaism against the supposed heresy of Christianity to becoming a pillar for Christianity.  By his example and by his written words we are given insight to the faithful heart of this man.  When he said, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;” he had already proven himself faithful to the Lord.  He knew what it was to be faithful when the adversities of life and the ministry arose.  What Christian is not stirred to a deeper level of faithfulness when they read the immortal words of faithfulness in II Corinthians 11:23-30?  It is well rendered in the following translation:

“They say they serve Christ?  I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more!  I have worked harder, been put in jail more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.  Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes.  Three times I was beaten with rods.  Once I was stoned.  Three times I was shipwrecked.  Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.  6I have traveled many weary miles.  I have faced danger from flooded rivers and from robbers.  I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles.  I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the stormy seas.  And I have faced danger from men who claim to be Christians but are not.  I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights.  Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food.  Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of how the churches are getting along.  Who is weak without my feeling that weakness?  Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger? If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.”

You see, our faith is not proven in whether we believe God for answers and deliverance but is proven in what we do until that answer or deliverance comes.  Paul knew that being faithful to God had an ultimate reward.  Only a man truly convinced of the truthfulness of God, God’s faithfulness to him, and his faithfulness to God could pen the following words as his own eulogy: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”  2 Timothy 4:6-8.

We have an even greater “cause” to be faithful to! And one day, we will stand before God to be judged, not based on our successes, our achievements, or our talents, but solely based on our faithfulness!

 

Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

 

1 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV) Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

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