Be faithful as He is faithful
Patrick Oelund
1Cor 4:1-2
We have been entrusted (stewards) the mysteries of God
A gift, ministry, our calling etc.
Those who have been given a trust (become stewards) must prove themselves faithful
Faithfulness is one of the main characters of God (1Cor 1:9). The OT is a record of God’s faithfulness to His covenant, to His people and to His promises.
2Tim 2:13
If we are faithless – He remains faithful
He cannot deny Himself
He IS faithful, it is IN Him. He cannot be unfaithful. This shows us how important faithfulness is for Him, that we, who belongs to Him, are faithful, as He is faithful.
Definition of faithfulness
Matt 25:14-30
The parable of the faithful servants
Everyone received talents according to their ability (v. 15)
Vs. 16-17
The one with the five talents traded with them and gained five more
Likewise the one with two talents
What is the faithfulness, and where do we see it in this person’s life? It is not that they gained this profit because if someone had stolen it, the master would still have called them faithful. Faithfulness is not measured in the result but in their attitude to the work. They did the best they could with the money.
v. 18
The man with one talent buried his master’s money in the ground
What is the unfaithfulness? He did not do his best for his master; he did not do the work he could do, but instead he protected himself. He only thought about himself and his own safety and not of the profit of his master.
Faithfulness is to do the best you can with the things entrusted to you. No one can require more than that. But notice that God requires us to do the best we can
“…each according to their ability” (v. 15).
The money was given according to the ability they all had. One had ability for five talents and the other for two talents and the third for one talent. God will never ask you to do something that you are not able to do.
Together with the calling from God there is also an ability to do what we are called to do. God wants us to use these talents which have been entrusted to us.
Don’t compare with someone else’s talents – if you do, you will have problems because if you compare with someone that has received more than you, you will be disappointed if you can’t come up to his abilities. If you compare with someone that has received less than you – you can be proud. Be faithful with what God has given.
1Pet 4:10
Each one of us have received a gift, a talent
Use it to serve others (not to serve yourself, not that others shall serve you, or to build your kingdom)
By doing that, you minister the grace of God you have received to others
“Jesus gave gifts to men…” (Eph 4:7) and these gifts were given for the edification of the church. When we use what God has given to us, we will be a blessing and we will help to build the church according to the grace given to us. And we will be faithful servants as we read about in Matthew 25.
Faithful to the end
Ministry involves a lot of work. Some people believe that ministry is to preach a little now and then and even though that is an important part it is not everything. Ministry is about relations, preparations, problem solving etc.
1Cor 15:10
Paul worked harder than all of them
1Cor 9:27-28
I beat my body and make it a slave
This talks about a hard discipline
A minister can never allow himself to be lazy – Ministry is hard work
If we use a picture from the world of sports: An athlete who participates in a race knows that if he shall have a chance to win, he must lay down hours and days in training and preparation. Everyone can participate in a race but only those who have disciplined themselves in training will have a chance to win.
1Cor 9:24
We want to win the race
We want to have the prize, that is our attitude
When we start to do something, we do it to the full. 100%, that is a winner’s attitude. Of the things God has laid down in my life, I will not hold anything back. I am 100% devoted to the calling in my life.
1John 5:4
Everything that is born of God overcomes the world
My calling, vision, is it born of God, it will overcome
If we stop here, it will seem that everything is working automatically
But what is it that has overcome the world? Our faith
Our faith in God in the things that is born of God
A word or vision – I put my faith and work in it – will overcome the world
Everything that is born of God will also meet resistance in the spiritual world and if we are not fully committed to what we do, it will be easy to give up. We have to be committed to the ministry God has given us.
2Tim 4:10
Demas was in the ministry with Paul (Col 4:4)
And everything started very good
But somewhere on the way, he forsook Paul (and the ministry)
Because he loved the (present KJV) world and the things in the world
His heart was not in the ministry but in this world. So, when Paul ended up in prison maybe the pressure became a little bit too much and fell off.
His testimony: He started, but could not finish
Paul’s testimony is different
2Tim 4:6-7
I have fought the good fight
I have finished the race
I have kept the faith
Paul kept his faith to the very end. The important thing is not how you start the race, but how you finish it! Paul finished in victory. He made a commitment and he held on to it until the end.
Acts 26:15-19
Paul gives his testimony to King Agrippa
He speaks about how he received the calling on the road to Damascus
God says, “…I will make you a minister and a witness…I will send you to the gentiles…”
Paul testifies, “…I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.”
And when he was about to die, he wrote: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race and I have kept the faith.”
Faithfulness speaks of commitment. I hold on to what God has entrusted to me, no matter the cost. I fulfill what God has given me to do and I will not hold back. No matter, it is “big” things or “small” things.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS NOT HOW BIG THINGS WE DO FOR GOD
THE IMPORTANT IS THAT WE ARE FAITHFUL IN THE THINGS HE HAS TOLD US TO DO
