GREAT IS OUR FAITHFULNESS?
Sermon by Gregory W. Lee
Preached 17 October 2004

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 25
-- last week my sermon title was "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" -- reflecting on the faithfulness of God to us -- how we can trust in God and in His purposes and His promises and His plan for our lives
-- well, the concept of faithfulness goes both ways -- my sermon title today is a question to you as a person and as a church -- "Great is our faithfulness?" -- you see, just as God is faithful to us, we are called to be faithful to Him
-- this means that we are committed to God -- that when He gives us an assignment we will be trustworthy -- that we will be loyal and dependable and totally faithful to our God and our Savior
-- What does it mean to be faithful -- to be committed -- to God? -- it means that we are committed to His work -- to His body -- and to becoming like Him
-- that is a hard thing -- it's easy for us to show up at church on Sundays and call ourselves Christians -- but it's a hard thing for us to actually show up and be committed to the Lord with all of our lives
-- because of our fallen human nature -- because of the sinful heart that is in us -- we are just not good at being faithful to God or to any institution -- that is why we constantly sin against God -- even those of us who are saved and who have been forgiven for our sins -- we still fail in our commitment to remaining pure in God's eyes
-- if you have any questions about the level of committment and faithfulness in our society today, just take a look around us -- here in America we have a divorce rate of over 50% -- over half of the people who have pledged to be committed to another person for life end up breaking that promise
-- we are not loyal to our jobs -- very seldom will you find someone who starts a job out of school and remains in that job until retirement -- the average worker in America changes jobs 9 times in the course of their adult life
-- we're not even loyal to our sports teams -- this year everybody was following the Braves and the Georgia Bulldogs -- but after last weekend, most of the same people who were touting them all year were booing them as they left the field
-- what has happened to loyalty? -- committment? -- faithfulness?
-- consider the story of 72-year old Kamarudin Mohammed -- married last Sunday for a record-making 53 times -- this is a man with a committment problem -- he said, "if I like a girl, I'll ask for her hand in marriage -- I don't like flings -- I also don't believe in marrying more than one woman at a time" -- I would have to ask what he does believe in
-- Mohammed went on to say that he had nearly as many jobs in his life as he had wives -- let's say he took his first job and his first wife when he was 19 years old -- that means that he had a new job and a new wife every single year of his adult life
-- Mohammed is the poster child for unfaithfulness -- but before you cast a stone at him, look at your own life -- how many times have you broken promises in your life -- how many times have you committed to do something and then either backed out or not prepared as you should have -- how many times have you failed to be faithful to another person, much less your God?
-- I want you to turn with me now to Matthew 25 and let's look at the parable of the talents and let's see what Jesus has to say about being faithful to God


II. Scripture Lesson -- Matthew 25:14-30
-- verses 14-17

14. "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.

-- here we see the Master getting ready to go on a journey -- the passage said that he called his servants in and entrusted his property to them -- he entrusted it to them -- he trusted them to be faithful with what he gave them -- Jesus gave us this parable to help us see what it meant to be a faithful servant of God
-- to each of the servants he gave a different amount of money -- to one he gave five talents -- which is about $5 thousand dollars -- to another two talents -- about $2 thousand dollars -- and to the third one talent -- about $1 thousand dollars
-- the amount he gave them was based on their individual abilities -- but while the proportion of the amounts was different -- the same commitment was required of all of them
-- after a little while, the master came back to see whether his servants were faithful with what he had given them

-- verses 18-30

18. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19. "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. `Master,' he said, `you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' 21. "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 22. "The man with the two talents also came. `Master,' he said, `you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' 23. "His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 24. "Then the man who had received the one talent came. `Master,' he said, `I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 26. "His master replied, `You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27. Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28. "`Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

-- these verses point out the difference in faithfulness between the servants -- the first two servants were called "good and faithful" -- in the Bible, when you see two adjectives separated like this, the first adjective applies to the second adjective -- in other words, the first two servants were good because they were faithful -- being faithful was the criteria on which their goodness was measured
-- similarly, the third servant was called wicked and lazy -- he was wicked because he was lazy -- he was not faithful -- he had not done what the master asked him to do, so he was called wicked by the master
-- now there's several things in this passage that I want to point out to you that contrasts the good and faithful servants to the wicked and lazy servant

A. Good and Faithful Servants
1) good and faithful servants were committed to doing what their Master called them to do -- they knew what was expected and did it even during His absence
2) good and faithful servants worked as part of the Master's kingdom -- they didn't take the money and go out and earn a reward for themselves -- they worked to get results for the overall good of the kingdom
3) good and faithful servants recognized that their resources and skills came from their master -- they had been shaped by years of service -- they knew their SHAPE (from Rick Warren) and kept themselves ready for work
-- example -- football player sitting on the bench called into the game to win

B. Wicked and Lazy Servant
1) wicked and lazy servant didn't do a thing while the master was gone -- buried his money
2) wicked and lazy servant didn't work with the others or work to futher his master's kingdom
3) wicked and lazy servant wasn't prepared to work -- he didn't trust in the resources and skills the master had given him and hadn't done anything to increase his skills and talents -- he didn't know the master like the first two servants -- the good and faithful servants obviously knew the master and knew what he required and what he was really like -- they strived to serve him to the best of their ability -- but this servant didn't seem to know what the master was like -- he was scared of the master and didn't do anything with the money that was entrusted to him


III. Application
-- so, what can we learn about faithfulness from this passage about the good and faithful servants and the wicked and lazy servant?
-- first, as Christians, we are called to be committed to the work of Christ -- Christ is just like the master in this parable -- he has gone off on a journey to heaven -- we know He's coming back, but in the meantime, He has entrusted to us resources to put to work -- spiritual gifts and talents and abilities -- and He's given us specific orders on what to do
-- great commission and great commandment
-- secondly, we see that we need to be commited to the body of Christ -- that means that we are committed to church -- not to religion -- not to a denomination -- not to an institution -- but to the living body of Christ
-- membership means being a part, not warming a pew -- members of football teams work during practice -- they support the team -- they do what they are called to do -- they don't just show up for the games and occupy a space -- they are there to do what needs to be done

-- Rick Warren says that there are circles of committment in every church:
a. community -- pool of lost within driving distance of church -- unchurched;
b. crowd -- regular attendees -- saved and unsaved -- committed to attending worship service but necessarily to joining church;
c. congregation -- official members of church -- committed to purpose of fellowship;
d. committed -- maturing members of church -- growing spiritually -- committed to three spiritual habits: 1) daily quiet time; 2) tithing; 3) small group activity;
e. core -- smallest group -- committed to doing ministry -- Sunday school teachers, deacons, musicians, etc.
-- which circle of committment are you in?

-- finally, we learn from this passage that we need to be commited to becoming Holy -- commited to expressing the spiritual disciplines in our lives so that we can become more like Jesus -- committed to prayer and Bible reading and the other spiritual disciplines -- hearing the Word -- mutual encouragement -- focusing on Jesus (worship)


IV. Closing
-- Mark Wheeler tells the story of a Roman sentinel who guarded the city of Pompeii -- when the city was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, many people were buried in the ruins -- some were found in deep vaults, fleeing in vain from the encroaching destruction -- others were found hiding in lofty chambers -- but the Roman sentinel was found at the city gate where he had been placed by the captain, his hands still grasping his weapon. While the earth shook beneath him, while the floods of ashes and cinders overwhelmed him, he stood at his post -- and it was there that he was found a thousand years later

We are called to be faithful -- to be committed to God -- just like this Roman sentinel
-- as Mark Wheeler says, if you volunteer to serve in the Sunday school program or in the Bible study, you will not be expected to stand still and be buried by volcanic ash -- but you will be expected to be trustworthy and faithful -- you will be expected to prepare and be ready to carry out your assignment
-- if you join a servant evangelism team or a visitation team, you will be expected to do the homework and to be prepard to go out each week and share the gospel
-- if you volunteer to do ministry for someone -- help fix things in their house or take someone shopping or run errands for the elderly -- you will be expected to be on time and do what you said to do
-- you must be faithful -- you must be trustworthy -- you must be committed

-- want to close with this exhortation that I got off the internet -- I want you to put your Bibles down and look at me and listen to these words

I AM A SOLDIER!

I am a soldier in the army of my God! The Lord Jesus Christ is my commanding officer! The Bible is my code of conduct! Faith, prayer, and the Word are my weapons of warfare!

I am a volunteer in this army and I am enlisted for eternity! I will either retire from this army at the Rapture or die in this army, but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out! I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire!

I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable! If my God needs me, I am there! If He needs me to teach children in Sunday School, to work with youth, help adults, or just sit and learn, He can use me, because I am there!

I am a soldier! I am not a baby! I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up! I am a soldier! No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me!

I am a soldier! I am not a wimp! I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name, and building His kingdom! No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me handouts! I don't need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to!

I am committed! I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around! I can not be discouraged enough to turn me aside! I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit! When Jesus called me into His army, I had nothing, I will still break even!I will win! My God will supply all my needs! I am more than a conqueror! I will always triumph! I can do all things through Christ! Devils cannot defeat me! People cannot disillusion me! Weather cannot weary me; sickness cannot stop me; battles cannot beat me! Money cannot buy me! Governments cannot silence me! And hell cannot handle me!

I am a soldier! Even death cannot destroy me, for when my Commander calls me from this battlefield, He will promote me to captain and then bring me back to rule this world with Him! I am a soldier in God's army, I will never surrender to the Enemy! I will never turn back! I am a soldier, marching heavenward, claiming victory as I go!

Here I stand! Will you stand with me?

Guess what? If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you're already enlisted!

Question is, which part of the service are you in:

1. ACTIVE DUTY: Serving the Lord faithfully, daily, and on duty 24-7?
2. GUARD STATUS: Backing up the Active Duty group?
3. RESERVE STATUS: Serving only when called upon or twice a year: Christmas and Easter? or4. AWOL! Absent with out the Lord?Let us pray!