Sermon Info
Summary
In a constantly changing world, our God calls us to be faithful. The call is to be a people who are faithful to our God, faithful to our family, and faithful to our calling. We tend to become so easily distracted, but we must always keep “the main thing the main thing.” As we grow deeper in Christ, what emerges is a life of steadfast faithfulness. This calling to be faithful comes from a God who is faithful. God’s love for us never changes. He is faithful, and He invites us into this kind of relationship with Him. Will you be faithful?
Content
Faithfulness is Counter-Cultural
Some near-synonyms for the word faithful are loyal, constant, devoted, unwavering, steadfast, and committed. One way to define the word might be “to remain steadfast, holding true in your words and actions to a commitment you once made.” To be faithful means to be unshaken by the wind and waves, prepared to finish what you started, and what God wants for your life.
The world does not favor faithfulness. Instead, the world says, “as long as it works for me.” Usually, that standard really means, “until it doesn’t work for me.” The world encourages us to be unfaithful, with messages like “you do you,” and “do what you want,” and “have it your way.”
But what each of these mottos have in common is the emphasis on self. If the first and only factor in whether we do something or don’t do something is how it will impact ourselves, then we won’t be living like Jesus. To be faithful, we have to uphold principles of selflessness in our actions. We have to act at the service of our commitment to loving God and loving people, not at service to ourselves.
Current cultural trends have brought a strong emphasis on “self-care,” which sometimes is termed “self-love.” But if we look around the world, do we really see a people who by nature love others more than themselves? Because of our sinful nature, it is our default mode of living to consult ourselves first and foremost in making our decisions.
Many Christians indeed struggle with low self-worth. But it is through God that we find our true identity. No one can love you better than God, who Himself has been faithful to you through all of your sins and failures. Jesus came to earth and died for you so that you would be saved; your needs are fulfilled, because His love for you is enough.
Because of His sacrifice, we are freed to act in ways which benefit others and fulfill His plan for us. We are empowered by His grace to be faithful to the work He has begun in our hearts.
Faithfulness in Your Life
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4
Anyone who is married and respects the covenant into which they’ve entered with their spouse knows that their faithfulness has been tested. No one is perfect, and we all get on our nerves every once in a while. But regardless of your feelings on a particular day, you know that you made a commitment to your spouse that you promised to uphold “through thick and thin.” This is at the heart of faithfulness: sticking with a commitment even when it’s difficult.
Here’s another example. When we agree to work for an employer, we usually are free to quit and find a new job at any time. Yet, our faithfulness to our work, which is ultimately faithfulness to our Maker, can be a mechanism for loving others. Having the courage and endurance to work in one place for a long time can produce great results, especially when it’s because we’ve remained where God has placed us. If we spent all our time jumping between jobs, we’d always be training and never be doing!
Growing in Faithfulness
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 3:12-14
- Faithfulness comes when we don’t become distracted. When we have our eyes set on the things of God, and when we see with the eternal perspective, faithfulness will come naturally.
- Faithfulness comes when we forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. The Christian life is not a sprint, but a marathon. And in this long race, we need to wait for God’s best, living by His timing.
- Faithfulness comes from being daily with Christ. We are called to a covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
RESOURCES:
Finish Strong // Part Six: The Faithfulness of Caleb // Jason Hale
Forged: Refined By Fire // Living a Life of Faithfulness // Chase Baker
As You Go Podcast // Mentorship & Investing in Other Women // Saundria Keck & Tami Webb
