“Old Faithfuls”
Heb 3:1-6
1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.
3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.
4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future.
6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
MICHIGAN FAN OFFERS TO SELL HIS SPIRIT ON E-BAY!" That was the lead-in on a news story carried by Wood TV of Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was very interested in this piece because I know the fellow who is behind it. Actually, this is a tongue-in-cheek proposal as a means of raising some funds for a local charity.
Pastor Chad McCallum of Byron Center, MI said he was distressed by U of M’s current start to the football season. He therefore decided to sell his football spirit to the highest bidder on E-bay. To date, he has received many emails, some of them not so complimentary, except for those that came from Columbus, Ohio.
Clever idea, don’t you think? While this is all done in jest, for a good cause, still there is an related issue that could be considered, namely, fickleness. You see it especially in the realm of sports, politics, and even religion.
For example, Coach Carr takes the Wolverines to a national championship a few years ago and he is touted as a great coach. They start out losing the first two games this year and he is a bum. Fans are calling for him to be replaced--the sooner, the better. What happened to loyalty?
Then again, the political scene is rife with examples. Popularity rises and falls like the temperature in the Rockies. It’s the old, "What have you done for me lately"
syndrome. Yesterday’s hero is today’s bumbler. Shouts of "Four More Years!" have been replaced with calls for impeachment. Did you her about the politician who gave his speech his best shot? He felt that it was a stirring, fact-filled campaign speech. When he was done, he looked out at his audience and asked, "Are there any questions?" Someone in the back row called out, "Who else is running?"
One final illustration: attendance at the house of God. Many folks today approach church with a consumer mentality. They shop around, looking for the best deal---the music that pleases them, the program that meets their needs, giving little thought to the idea of receiving inspiration in order to give out to others. One word can chase them away. Loyalty has given way to self-centeredness. They are often referred to by clergy as "hoppers." Their attitude is, "If you play my tune, I’ll dance."
An American who was traveling in Syria saw three native shepherds bring their flocks to the same brook, and the flock drank there together. After a time, one of the shepherds arose and called out, "Men-ah! Menah!" the Arabic for "follow me." His sheep came out of the common herd and followed him up the hillside. The next shepherd did the same thing, with the same results. He didn’t even stop to count them.
The tourist said to the remaining shepherd, "Give me your turban and crook, and see if they will follow me as well as you." So he did and the tourist called out the same way, but not a sheep moved. They know not the voice of a stranger. "Will your flock never follow anybody but you?" inquired the tourist. The shepherd replied, "Oh, yes; sometimes a sheep gets sick, and then he will follow any one."
By the way, I have been following the Tigers for more than thirty years--in their good and in their lean years. Some people think I’m sick , but I’ll probably go to my grave wearing a Tiger’s cap!
In the spiritual realm, we have several examples of those who were capricious from Scripture. For instance:
o The children of Israel in the wilderness
o Peter’s great confession and betrayal
o The throngs on Palm Sunday
Ron Hutchraft wrote about his grandsons who recently experienced the vacation of their young lives. Mom and Dad took them out West to see the Tetons, Big Sky country, and Yellowstone National Park. And God made sure they got plenty of memories - the herd of buffalo that basically surrounded their vehicle, the moose that was right by the side of the road, the elk that posed patiently for all the pictures anyone wanted to take. But as impressive as all that was, nothing impressed them so much as this water that kept shooting high out of the ground. You guessed it - it’s that amazing geyser known as Old Faithful. The one grandson, who is 5, couldn’t stop talking to his grandparents about it on the phone. In fact, he told his mom, "I want a geyser for Christmas.” Now, that geyser really is something to see. I mean, this tower of water and steam, exploding out of the ground, high into the air.
An eruption can shoot 3,700 – 8,400 gallons of boiling water to a height of 106-184 feet. The intervals range from 65 – 92 minutes. She is very reliable and is very predictable. On average, she will erupt about 16 times every day.
This boy says he wants an Old Faithful of his own. So does God. He’s looking for some "old faithfuls" He can count on. The Bible makes it clear that a lot of the things we do don’t really impress God much, if at all. But there is one trait that gets His attention and triggers His blessing - faithfulness. Like a certain geyser, always being there, always doing what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it. To all of us who know someone like that, those folks are the anchors of our life. To God, they are the folks He loves to reward.
In 1 Corinthians 4:2, He says plainly: "It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." Notice - He doesn’t say you have to be successful. Faithful. Paul put it this way in his final challenge to his son in the faith, Timothy - "Keep your head in all situations, endure hardship ... discharge all the duties of your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:5).
In verse one of our passage, we are exhorted to “fix our thoughts on Jesus.” He is our example of faithfulness. He was faithful to the One who appointed Him. He was like Moses, but even greater because He built the house of God—that is, us! He was faithful to His mission of becoming our high priest. He offered Himself up so that we could become His people.
By the way, did you notice how many times the word “faithful” appears in these six verses in Hebrews 3? 4 times!
See, faithfulness is so valuable because it’s so rare. Today people stick with a responsibility or a commitment as long as it feels good, as long as it’s fun, until the novelty wears off, or so long as I’m being treated right or appreciated. But our Lord modeled something much more noble - seeing your job through, even when everyone deserts you, even when you want out, even when the world’s against you, even when they nail you to a cross. He is faithfulness. That’s why He wants faithfulness. The Book of Revelation says that when He makes His glorious appearance at His Second Coming, He will be the rider on the white horse who "is called Faithful and True" (Revelation 19:12).
I hope that’s what they call you. Or they will start to call you as you move from being one who’s in and out of commitments to becoming one of God’s "Old Faithfuls." However small your assignment, however tired you may feel, however unappreciated you may be - by people, that is - stay faithful. What an honor to be a man or woman about whom Almighty God can say, "I can count on her. I can count on him." He’s looking for warriors who will continue to stay at their post, whose commitments He and others can depend on, who will finish what they started. If that’s hard for you, remember that faithfulness is part of what the Bible describes as "the fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22). You can ask God to produce His faithfulness in you!
And up ahead, there stands your Lord Jesus at the finish line, and listen to what He’s going to reward - it’s not success: He’s telling His champions, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Oh, live for that, warrior!
