A FAITHFUL MAN
Proverbs 20:6
You will not be a good Father until you are a faithful man. Thank God we DO have a few faithful men here, but we could always use a few more!
THE MEN’S THESAURUS
(men don’t always say what they mean) – ladies, please allow me to translate for your future benefit
When a man says “IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN”
He means: "I have no idea how it works"
When a man says "TAKE A BREAK, HONEY. YOU ARE WORKING TOO HARD’’
He means: "I can’t hear the game over the vacuum cleaner"
When a man says "CAN I HELP WITH DINNER"
He means: "Why isn’t it ready yet?"
When a man says “I CAN’T FIND IT.’’
He means: "It didn’t fall into my outstretched hand, so I’m completely clueless"
When a man says "YOU LOOK TERRIFIC!"
He means: "Oh please don’t try on one more outfit, we’re late and I’m starving."
When a man says, “THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT.”
He means: “If something I said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, I meant the other one.”
I thank God for the few faithful men God has given to this church. We need a few more.
Proverbs 20:6 asks a very sobering question. “A faithful man who can find?”
If ever there was a day when our world needed Faithful Men, today is the day!
The Bible declares that faithfulness is the basic, rudimentary, fundamental ingredient of character. You will not know God’s blessing apart from faithfulness. What our nation needs are men who are Faithful.
Why should we be faithful. Let me share a few reasons with you.
We need to be faithful because Jesus Christ is faithful to us. Which of us has not sinned? Thank God for 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." He’s never failed to do it.
He’s been faithful in temptation. Are you tempted? Thank God for 1 Corinthians 10:13 that says: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may able to bear it."
He’s faithful to keep us from falling. We don’t stay saved by holding on to God. We’re kept because He holds on to us. He preserves us. He is faithful to the end (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
I. We need men who are Faithful to the Family
A. Faithful to your companion
Men, your wife’s happiness and emotional security in life rests almost entirely upon you.
It is my deep, settled conviction after 28 years of marriage that one hundred percent of the responsibility for the maintenance of the marriage relationship belongs to the husband. The scriptures tell us that as husbands we need to ourselves after Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for the church.
God built the wife to be a RESPONDER, and when she is loved in the same way Christ loves the church, she will be secure and satisfied and happy.
A man was talking to his wife after she had done something that he did not approve of. He said to her, "How can you be so beautiful and stupid at the same time?" She replied, "God made me beautiful so you would love me, and He made me stupid so I would love you."
Remain faithful to your wife. ery is the ultimate act of unfaithfulness, but you don’t have to commit the physical act of ery to be unfaithful. Some have love affairs with their work, with sports, and other things.
A husband is to be to his wife, like a wall is to a vine. The husband is to be his wife her support, her strength, something solid, and something she can cling to.
B. Faithful to your children
The heart of every little boy and lies within a father’s hands. Every broken promise and abusive word tears a hole that may never be mended. I’m telling you your children need you desperately.
I challenge you to read the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, and notice how often it makes reference to children following the same paths taken by their fathers, whether it be for evil or for good.
The worse thing a man can do is to walk out on his family. It is the most flagrant of all crimes a man can commit.
Don’t be an absentee father. You might be one>.......
• If you come home late every night.
• If your career keeps you from getting involved in your kids’ lives.
• If you don’t have time or take time to build your relationship with your wife and children.
A recent NBC poll discovered that by the time the average child is 6 years old in America, he or she will have spent more time watching TV than they will spend talking with their fathers during their entire lives.
A recent study that indicated the average Dad spends 38 seconds a day talking to his children.
“Dad, To the world you might be one person, but to your children you just might be the world."
When I WasFour years old: My daddy can do anything.
Five years old: My daddy knows a whole lot.
Six years old: My dad is smarter than your dad.
Eight years old: My dad doesn’t know exactly everything.
Ten years old: In the olden days, when my dad grew up, things were sure different.
Twelve years old: Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn’t know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.
Fourteen years old: Don’t pay any attention to my dad. He is so old-fashioned.
Twenty-one years old: Him? My Lord, he’s hopelessly out of date.
Twenty-five years old: Dad knows about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.
Thirty years old: Maybe we should ask Dad what he thinks. After all, he’s had a lot of experience.
Thirty-five years old: I’m not doing a single thing until I talk to Dad.
Forty years old: I wonder how Dad would have handled it. He was so wise.
Fifty years old: I’d give anything if Dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn’t appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him.
II. We need men who are faithful with their Finances
Did you know that God might be withholding a spiritual blessing from you because He’s first tried you with money (Luke 16:11)? If you haven’t been faithful with the money God has given you, why should God give you the true riches—that’s spiritual power, insight into the Word of God, answered prayer, fellowship with Jesus Christ, and joy?
We need men who are honest about their money. Research indicates that most households tend to spend 10 percent more than their income, no matter what the income level. Credit is what keeps you from knowing how far past broke you are.
A. Honest in their finances
No quality reveals a person’s true character more than honesty.
The late J.C. Penny, famous merchant, was known for his honesty. In his book, "The Ninth Decade", he tells of a job he held in a village grocery. He told his father of a shrewd method practiced by the owner. He would mix two grades of coffee and sell the mixture at the highest price. Young Penny thought it was a smart trick. But the young Penny had a wise father, who pointed out the dishonesty in the practice. He made his point so strong that the boy quit his job. From that time on Penny made honesty the rule of his life, a rule he practiced throughout all his years in business.
B. Humble about their finances
Not arrogant or boastful.
C. Helpful with their finances
III. We need men who are faithful to their Friends
If I were to ask you today to sit down and write letters to five people that you know that you could count on or that you consider to be a faithful man; would anybody write you a letter? Are you known as a faithful man?
A. We need constant friends.
Proverbs 17:17. A true, hearty, faithful friend, loves in times of adversity as well as in times of prosperity: there are many that are friends to others, while they are in affluent circumstances; but when there is a change in their condition, and they are stripped of all riches and substance; then their friends forsake them, and stand at a distance from them; as was the case of Job (Job 19:14); it is a very rare thing to find a friend that is a constant.
When the prodigal son headed for the far country with money in his pocket, he found he had plenty of friends. However, he soon discovered them to be fair-weather friends. They vanished when his money ran out, and they couldn’t be found he needed a loan.
A British publication once offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. Among the thousands of answers received were the following:
"One who multiplies joys, divides grief, and whose honesty is indisputable
"One who understands our silence."
"A volume of sympathy bound in cloth."
"A watch that beats true for all time and never runs down."
The winning definition read: "A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out."
B. We need courageous friends.
See Proverbs 27:6. Nathan was a courageous, faithful friend to David. He rebuked him after this sin with Bathsheba. Reckon a friend faithful, who does not praise everything you say or do, but who reproves you when you are wrong.
IV. We need men who are faithful to the Fellowship
This means to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that we are to be faithful to the fellowship. Friend, I believe we ought to be in the house of God on a regular basis, bringing our prayers, tithes, Bibles, love, and influence.
A. Love the church
B. Labor in the church
I heard about a supply preacher for a small town in Texas He would come in early Sunday, preach to the church and then leaving after the p. m. service. Arriving early one Sunday he sat down at a local donut shop, opened his Bible and began to go over his sermon notes.
A man was sitting down the counter from me and he said, "You a preacher or something?" He replied, "Yes I preach at the Baptist Church here in town." He got excited and said, "Hey, I’m a member of that church."
The church was small and the supply preacher knew all the regulars so he said, "I’ve been preaching there for about three months, and I’ve never seen you there."
He looked at the preacher kinda strange and said, "I said I was a member of that church. I never said that I was fanatical about it!"
We need some men who are fanatical about church
V. We need men who are faithful to the Faith We must be faithful to the Word of God. I see a generation of young people today with no convictions. They don’t know the great truths of the Word of God. They don’t stand for the faith. It is your responsibility as a dad to be faithful to the faith and to teach your family what the Word of God says.
Men who stand for the:
A. Verbal inspiration of the Scriptures
B. Virgin birth of the Saviour
C. Virtuous life of the Son of Man
D. Vicarious of the sacrifice
E. Victorious resurrection of the Son of God
F. Visible return of the Sovereign
G. Violent punishment of the sinners
V. We need men who are faithful to the Finish
II Timothy 4:7.
It is important to start right, but it is imperative to end right.
The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Christ.
Conclusion
How can I be faithful:
• Be faithful in the small things.
If you’ll be faithful in the small things, the big things will take care of themselves (Luke 16:10).
Be faithful in the secret things.
What you are in secret is what you are. Be faithful in the secret things. Be faithful when nobody is watching.
• Be faithful in the sacred things.
Be faithful to meet with God daily. Spend time daily in the Word.
May God give us more faithful men.
