Home

Site Directory

Staff

Youth,
The Ascent

What to Expect on Sunday

_______

Alpha

Announcements

Calendar

CENTUS Counseling Center

Christian Education - Adults

Christian Education - Children

Contact

Fellowship

History

Libraries

Links

Tour of our Church

Our Church Photo Album

Map

Membership

Ministries

Missions

Music

Sermons Online

Stephen Ministry

Today is number seven in our nine part series on the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22, 23. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Today’s fruit: faithfulness.

Like all of the fruit of the Spirit our world could use a little more faithfulness, couldn’t it? You see, that’s the gift the Church has to give the world—not only the message of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also the lived out expression of that gospel embodied in the fruit of the Spirit. The world needs more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and the Church ought to be bringing that to the world. That’s the imperative of seeking the fruit of the Spirit in our lives; not only that we might experience more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in our lives, but that our world might experience more of those things as well. It seems to me that a church filled to overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit would be a very attractive church indeed. The world needs the fruit of the Spirit…and we ought to be leading them, attracting them to its source—Jesus Christ.

The world certainly needs more faithfulness. In a world where marriage trusts are repeatedly broken, where the futures of individuals and families are misused and abused for personal gain, where a handshake and a promise no longer seal the deal but rather the fine print of a multi-page contract is required…and even that is no longer a guarantee of trust and safety, in such a world we could use a heavy dose of faithfulness.

Faithfulness is, by dictionary definition, "steadfast allegiance; firmness in adherence to promises or in observance of duty." In moments of adversity it is faithfulness that fuels our courage to stick to our convictions. Our adversaries might call it stubbornness. It is faithfulness that seals the bond of trust in a relationship or a business deal. It is faithfulness that directs consistency in our lives. Properly directed faithfulness that is. For certainly we can show "steadfast allegiance and firmness in adherence to promises or in observance of duty" to causes that are unjust, improper or downright evil. We don’t have to look far through history to realize that. But faithfulness properly directed—faithfulness rooted in the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus Christ—is sorely needed in our world. Steadfast allegiance to Christ and the work of Christ in the world, firmness in adherence to the promises of the gospel of Jesus Christ and faithfulness in observance of our duty as disciples of Jesus Christ is sorely needed in our world. In all situations and in all circumstances. What the world does not need, what the Church must not be is a "fair weather" disciple. That is not faithfulness. It’s like being a fan of the Rockies, or the Broncos. Everyone was a Rockies fan in September and October of 2007. Everyone was a Broncos fan in ’97 and ’98 in that run to consecutive Super Bowl titles. But it’s the faithful who hang in there no matter what, through thick and thin, through good times and bad. The rest are just fair weather fans. The world does not need fair weather disciples. We must not be fair weather disciples for such disciples are not only ineffective in their witness for Jesus Christ, they actually hinder the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. Our discipleship must be consistent, in all circumstances and situations, showing steadfast allegiance to Christ and firmness in adherence to the promises of faith and in observing our duties as followers of Christ.

Fortunately, we have a foundation to stand upon. That foundation is the faithfulness of Almighty God and the Bible is a witness to God’s faithfulness. The story of the Bible is a story of the faithfulness of God even amongst an unfaithful people. Another word frequently used to express the major theme of the Bible is "covenant." The Bible tells us of a God who makes covenants (promises) with His people and He remains faithful to those promises even when we do not. The Biblical story is not a story of promises for a life that is void of any trouble or difficult circumstance—that was lost at the Garden of Eden. But, it is a story of a faithful God who brings good out of evil, who promises eventual triumph over whatever difficulty we might face.

So, we have the image of a faithful God in the story of Joseph, for example. Joseph, who is not without his flaws, but for the most part keeps his trust in God no matter his circumstance—sold into slavery by his brothers, wrongly accused of rape and imprisoned for it, forgotten and neglected in prison—acknowledges to his brothers when they are reunited a faithful God who turned evil into good. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good," (Genesis 50:20). And it is in that spirit, the fruit of the Spirit of a faithful God that Joseph responds to his brothers. Not in vengeance for what they’d done, but in, dare I say it?, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control because of the faithful God he served.

It’s the story of Moses, another Biblical hero who is not without his flaws. Yet Moses also experienced the faithfulness of the God he served. To the Israelites (also not without their flaws!) who have been brought out of slavery in Egypt and are marching toward the Promised Land, Moses says, "The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments," (Deuteronomy 7:7-9; underlines mine).

It is the story of David (another Biblical hero not without some serious flaws!). Despite some serious sins committed by David—adultery and conspiracy to commit murder, for starters—God makes a covenant with David that a king in the line of David would be forever on the throne of Jerusalem. This covenant is remembered even in difficult times. Psalm 89 may be the ultimate expression of it. It is filled with language about God’s faithfulness even while the nation and its Davidic throne is in grave danger. Such verses as:

that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself," (Psalm 89:1, 2).

And, like many of the Psalms and like much in our own experience, heavy circumstances raise the question of God’s presence and God’s faithfulness:

which in your faithfulness you swore to David?" (89:49).

Yet the Psalmist, reminded again and again of the faithfulness of God, concludes his psalm with an ascription of praise:

"Praise be to the LORD forever! Amen and Amen," (89:52).

And, interestingly, that word "Amen" is rooted in the Hebrew word for faithfulness and trust. It means "so be it," or "so shall it be." God is faithful. I trust in that. Amen.

Perhaps my favorite example of God’s faithfulness and His inspiration of faithfulness in His people is the story of Jeremiah and the book of Lamentations. Jeremiah may be the author of the book—he had a scribe who could have written down the words of Jeremiah—but, in any case, the issues addressed in Lamentations fit the time of Jeremiah. As the name implies, Lamentations is a litany of laments over the destruction of Jerusalem. Most of its five chapters are filled with horrible images of destruction and depravity for the Jews. Orthodox Jews today read Lamentations on the anniversary dates of the two times the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed—586 B.C. for which Lamentations was originally written, and 70 A.D. when the Romans sought to settle Jewish rebellion once and for all. Lamentations is also often read during the last three days of Holy Week—Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the somber Saturday before Easter. It’s filled with horrible images. Yet, yet in the middle of Lamentations we find the words that inspired the great hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him," (Lamentations 3:21-24).

Friends, that is faithfulness! Faithfulness from God—the story of the Bible—and faithfulness from a heartbroken follower of God in spite of the circumstances.

It is faithfulness like that God wants to fill our lives with. Faithfulness that focuses our eyes upon God no matter what is going on around us. Faithfulness that encourages us through the example of God’s own faithfulness…and the faithfulness of others—like Joseph, Moses, David, Jeremiah. Faithfulness that makes us trustworthy in our relationships with others—in all types of relationships whether marriage, friendship, business or something else. Faithfulness that is steadfast in its allegiance to Jesus Christ, firm in adherence to the promises of faith and the promises we make as followers of Jesus Christ, and faithfulness in fulfilling our duty as ambassadors for Christ to the world.