"Building a Church Through Outreach"
A Year With No Limits
-Part 4-
ELCOG 1/13/08
Text: Prov. 28:20
Tonight I want to continue in the theme of this New Year: a year with no limits. Tonight I want talk a few minutes on faithfulness. Our text in Proverbs talks about a man that is faithful abounds in blessings. All of us want to live in the blessings of God, but if we are to be blessed we must be faithful. I am afraid that the modern church expects God to bless simply because He is a God that blesses, there are strings attached to these blessing and the first one is that a man must remain faithful. Tonight, we must have a year of limits regarding our faithfulness.
At the end of our journey all of us want to hear the words of Jesus:
Matt. 25:21
21His 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.
We all want things to end right, but if we are not living right it will not end right. We must be faithful in our lifestyle of living righteous. Jesus has several things to say about living faithful.
Luke 12:42
42And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luke 12:43
43Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Luke 12:44
44Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
Luke 12:45
45But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
Luke 12:46
46The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luke 12:47
47And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Notice verse 45. If the servant shall say in his heart, "the lord delays and I have plenty of time" If we stop being faithful to the call of God in our life then we walk out of the blessing of God. If I stop being faithful then I open my life up to the punishment of God instead of the blessing of God. God will not bless a man that is not faithful. We must be faithful to servant hood. We must be a church full of people that will be faithful to the call of God in our lives. We must be faithful in prayer, faithful in study, faithful in stewardship, and faithful in ministry. God wants to bless you, but you must be faithful.
Heb. 10:23
23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb. 10:24
24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb. 10:25
25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
We must have a year of faithfulness. Let me encourage you to be faithful to your call and faithful to your church. You should be in church every service. You should be prayed up and ready to come to church every time the doors are opened. God will bless your faithfulness. We want to have a year with no limits in our attendance and in our prayer. Be sure to be ready to come to church. You will be ready because you have prayed and your heart is eager to worship Christ. Be faithful in your worship.
Be faithful to your call:
1 Tim. 1:12
12And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1 Tim. 1:13
13Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1 Tim. 1:14
14And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
1 Tim. 1:15
15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1 Tim. 1:16
16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Are counted as faithful? Would God look at you tonight and call you faithful? If you are faithful to church are you faithful to ministry? You have been saved from your sins and from past so that you can show the pattern of God’s salvation to others. You have been saved to minister to others. Let us be faithful in showing this pattern of salvation to the world around us.
Be faithful to the very end:
Rev. 2:10
10Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Rev. 2:11
11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
You may have to be faithful in suffering. You might have some trials and some of you may suffer tribulations of days, but be faithful to death. Be faithful and God will give you a crown of life. You will be rewarded for faithfulness. You must not be faithful in just the good times, but you must be faithful when everything is against you. Let this be a year with no limits in your faithfulness!