THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
II Tim. 2:11-13
INTRO.- ILL.- An elderly man was crying uncontrollably as he sat on a park bench one day. A sympathetic lady just happened to walk by and stopped to talk to him. “What’s the matter?” asked the woman. “Don’t you have any money?”
“Oh, no. It’s not that. I cashed in my 401K last week, and I have $17 million dollars hidden under my mattress.” That wasn’t the old man’s problem so the woman tried another issue. She asked, “Don’t you have any friends?”
“I’ve got dozens of friends,” he cried. “They come by to see me all the time. They’re some of the most wonderful people in the world!”
The woman was getting bewildered. She said, “It’s your family, isn’t it? You’ve lost your wife and you’re all alone. That’s the problem, isn’t it?”
The man said, “It’s not that either. I was an old bachelor until just a few years ago when I married a beautiful woman who is much younger than me. She is a wonderful companion, and we enjoy every minute we have together.”
In utter exasperation, the lady asked, “Well, mister, just what is your problem then?”
He looked her straight in the eye and said, “I CAN’T REMEMBER WHERE I LIVE!”
Brethren, this may well be the problem that most of us have. What I mean is this: We have an awful lot going for us, far more than we realize and we have just forgotten where we live!
Most of the time we focus too much on what we consider to be sad circumstances in our lives instead of focusing on the Lord where our home is and our hearts should be!
Every time we turn around it seems like we are faced with something negative or nasty. It’s either in our own lives or in the lives of others, family members, friends, neighbors, fellow church members, etc.
ILL.- Someone is sick and in the hospital. Or someone is sick at home. Someone’s marriage may be falling apart. A mother and father down the street have a prodigal child who is headed for certain disaster. A young couple can make ends meet. Can’t pay their bills. Just keep getting behind. Or we don’t feel good. We have something wrong with our back, our hip, our stomach, our leg, our arm, etc. Our head aches till it nearly breaks.
Brethren, it would be humorous if it weren’t so true!
Where can we turn in the midst of all these trials and burdens? Where can we find some relief? Some help? Some comfort? Some peace of mind? Something solid to lean on?
We need to remember where our home is! WE NEED TO LOOK TO THE LORD! WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD AND NOT ON OUR FAILURES AND HUMAN FRAILTIES!
Listen to the Word of God.
II Tim. 2:13 “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
Deut. 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his convenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.”
I Cor. 1:9 “God, who has called you into fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”
I Cor. 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”
God is faithful even in the midst of all our temptations. He is there, helping, wooing us in the right direction, showing us the way of
escape.
Heb. 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
We must be faithful because He is faithful! We must keep the faith because God will make good on all His promises to us.
Brethren, there are many, many more Scriptures which speak about the faithfulness of our God.
GOD IS FAITHFUL. He is faithful even when we are not. And we are not, much of the time. We waver so much of the time. We run hot and cold and cold more than hot. We get up but we spend most of our time down. BUT NOT OUR GOD! He is always up! He is always
faithful! He is always there for us even though we are not always there for Him!
God is faithful!
ILL.- Remember David before the giant Goliath? David was not afraid even though he was up against impossible odds. Why was he not afraid? Because he knew that God was faithful and would be with him.
Goliath said to David, “I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.”
And David said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel... This day the Lord will hand you over to me...” I Sam. 17:44-45
And God was faithful to David. He made David’s slingshot hit the mark right on the forehead of Goliath.
ILL.- Remember the three Hebrews boys: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? King Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? If you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Dan. 3:14-15
And they said, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O King.” Dan. 3:17
And we know the rest of that story! God was faithful to those Hebrew boys. He did deliver them from the fiery furnace. And there was not even the smell of fire on them!
ILL.- Remember Daniel in the lions’ den? He was put there because he would not bow his knee to worship King Darius.
Dan. 6:16 “So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den...” But God was faithful to Daniel!
Dan. 6:22 “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me....”
We know that the Lord was faithful in the Old Testament times and even in the New Testament church. BUT WHAT ABOUT TODAY? Is God still faithful today? Can He be counted today? Is God faithful in providing for us materially? Spiritually? And in other ways?
PROP.- I want us to think some areas in life where God is faithful to us.
1- God is faithful - He saves
2- God is faithful - He gives
3- God is faithful - He comforts
I. GOD IS FAITHFUL - HE SAVES
Rom. 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Eph. 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Surely we all agree that at one time we were helpless, lost sinners in this world and we had no way of saving ourselves.
ILL.- Back around 1980 I rolled my Plymouth Horizon while driving in Southern Missouri. I was living in central MO at the time and was driving down to Cabool, MO, to be interviewed by the elders of the Christian Church. Suddenly I went around a sharp curve which had
some gravel on it, lost control and rolled my Horizon. One minute I was sitting in the seat of the car and the next minute I found myself sitting on the roof. I was fortunate, however, I only suffered some bruises on my body and my pride.
I had to call a wrecker and get the car flipped over. I was able to drive it home, but it was a near total wreck. I ended up selling the car to an auto body man in the church. I also got some insurance money, but suddenly I found myself with no car.
I was helpless, carless and seemingly hopeless. Some of you probably still think that’s what I am! Hopeless and helpless.
Two things happened to me that were an act of grace.
An elder in the church loaned me a third car which he was not using. He didn’t have to do that, but he did it out of the goodness and graciousness of his heart.
Secondly, I was sitting at home, carless and helpless. And the local funeral director, Terry Mossman, drove into my driveway and said, “Let’s go to Jefferson City and find you a car.”
I thought, “Oh, goody, he’s going to get me a car!” No, not hardly. I knew better than that. But he did surprise me by taking me to Jefferson City, MO, which was 50 miles away and spending the day, helping me to find a decent used car.
Terry knew quite a bit about cars and he helped to find a decent, used Oldsmobile 88.
My story is the story of grace. Terry didn’t have to help me find a car. He didn’t owe me anything. He did it out of the goodness and graciousness of his heart.
And in a sense, God doesn’t owe us anything. He created us, gave us life, gave us a home, a job, a family, etc. and He could have sent us on our way, saying, “Now it’s up to you to take care of yourself.”
But He didn’t do that. Instead, He saw our helpless, sinful situation and was graciousness enough to provide a way out of it.
Ephesians 2:1-5
He sent Jesus to save us! When we were helpless, unworthy sinners, He sent Jesus to bear our sins in His body on the tree!
God is faithful! He came to help us while we were helpless! God is faithful! He saves! He saves in Jesus!
II. GOD IS FAITHFUL - HE GIVES
ILL.- A young woman brought home her fiancé to meet her parents. After dinner, her mother tells her father to find out more about the young man. So he asks him, “What are your plans?”
The young man replied, “I am a Bible scholar.” “A Bible scholar. Hmm. That’s admirable but what will you do to provide a house for my daughter to live in like she has been accustomed to?”
He says, “I will study and God will provide for us.”
“And how will you buy her an engagement ring like she deserves?” He says, “I will concentrate on my studies and God will provide for us.”
“And children?” asks her father. “How will you support any children you might have?” He says, “Don’t worry, sir, God will provide.”
Later in the evening, the girl’s mother asks her husband, “Well, how did it go with the young man?” The father says, “HE HAS NO JOB AND NO PLANS, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS HE THINKS I’M GOD.”
Brethren, the real good news is that God is God and He is faithful in providing for us materially!
Phil. 4:19 “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
God will provide for our needs in life as we look to Him, seek His will and do what is right. And the text reads “needs,” not “wants.”
Many people have the mistaken idea that should provide for all their “wants” in life. God has never promised to do that!
There is no doubt, however, that God does provide in abundance for some of His people. But there is no blanket promise in Scripture that God will provide us with everything we want.
It’s very nice when God exceeds our expectations, however. And He does do that occasionally.
ILL.- When my son Shane was only 8 days old he had to go back into the hospital for major surgery. They opened his little tummy and did some repair work on his small intestine. He was in the hospital from Monday to Saturday. That trip cost $5,000 and I did not have any insurance. BUT THE BILL IS PAID FOR! And has been for a long time. Shane is now 20 years old.
While making arrangements to make payments on that hospital bill, the lady in the finance department said, “You qualify for charity. Do you want it?” “Do I?” Needless to say, I took it. It was a Catholic hospital, St. Mary’s Health Center in Jefferson City, MO, and because of my income I qualified for assistance.
Of course, that assistance certainly didn’t pay the whole bill! But what I am saying is this: GOD IS FAITHFUL! He is faithful in providing for us when we look to Him and do what is right!
ILL.- A few years ago while working at the Silk Tree Factory in Cape Girardeau, MO, I was driving a 1990 Olds Cutlass Supreme with about 110,000 miles on it. The transmission started slipping and there was very little that could be done. Once they start slipping, they just keep right on slipping. SORT OF LIKE THE HUMAN BODY!
I did some investigation and found out that to repair that transmission or get another one was going to cost in the area of $1200 to $1500. Or more. Wow! I didn’t have $1200! What was I to do?
A young man who worked at Silk Tree as a part-time employee told me about a mechanic just south of Cape where he got his cars worked on. He said he would ask his mechanic if he knew about any used transmissions available.
Well, lo and behold, his mechanic had a used one out of a Pontiac which was basically the same transmission and he said he would sell it to me and install it, all for only $400. I said, “Whoopee!” Or something to that effect.
God is faithful! God is faithful in providing for us when we look to Him and do what is right!
Matt. 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you.”
What things? The necessities of life! Seek God first in life, His kingdom, His church, etc. and He will faithfully provide for our material needs! But do we seek the Lord first in life?
1- God is faithful - He saves
2- God is faithful - He gives
III. GOD IS FAITHFUL - HE COMFORTS
Psalms 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
We human beings do experience a lot of trouble in life! If you don’t believe me, just ask anybody!
We experience family troubles, financial troubles, health troubles, work troubles, house troubles, car troubles, kid troubles, you name it the trouble and we experience it!
But God is faithful! He is one who can give us strength to endure and overcome. He is our refuge, our retreat, our security, our comforter, our encourager.
Ps. 4:1 “Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.”
Ps. 5:1-2 “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.”
Ps. 17:6-7 “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love...”
II Cor. 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles...”
ILL.- A preacher said, “A young businessman in our church was climbing the corporate ladder. He lived in a beautiful home. He headed the Continental Cablevision Company in Detroit. About 18 months in to the assignment, as he was growing in the Lord, he began to struggle.
“He came to me and said, ‘Pastor, I don’t know how I can continue to grow, be God’s kind of man and market this unrighteousness in my community. I’m in a bind.’
“I’ll never forget the Sunday he said to me, ‘Pastor, I resigned my position this week because I came to realize if I am going to be a man after God’s own heart, committed to righteousness, I can no longer market unrighteousness.’
“I said, ‘Tell me about your new job.’”
“He said, ‘I don’t have one. In fact, we’re packing up and moving back to Minnesota where our parents live.’”
Brethren, that’s powerful! The man said, “I’m in a bind!” Most of us get in a bind occasionally in some form or another, but he was in a bind because he was willing to give up a job that he considered unrighteous.
DO YOU SUPPOSE GOD COMFORTED HIM? Provided for him? And was faithful to Him? I’ll bet he was, although I never heard “the rest of the story.”
God is faithful in our times of trouble! God is faithful when we get in a bind! Or whenever we have terrible things happen to us!
ILL.- Wayne and Elaine Steen of Iberia, MO, had one son who was 3 1/2 years old. They were not Christians and did not go to church although several members of their family were Christians.
Suddenly, their boy got sick and they doctored with the local doctor. Finally, when the doctor felt he could do no more he sent them to the University of MO Medical Center in Columbia, MO. A DAY LATER THE BOY DIED!
Was God faithful to them? At that time, they probably didn’t think so. BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL AND GOD CAME THROUGH!
People from our church responded to them in loving kindness. They were called on and encouraged to give their lives to Christ with the hope of seeing their boy again some day. THEY DID COME TO CHRIST! They confessed their faith in Christ. I baptized them. They started coming to church regularly and faithfully and guess what? GOD GAVE THEM ANOTHER CHILD NAMED ZACHARY THROUGH THE ADOPTION PROCESS!
God is faithful! And they are being faithful to God.
There is story after story that could be told about the faithfulness of God to His people! In fact, I am a living testimony to the faithfulness of God!
CONCLUSION-----------------------------------------
1- God is faithful - He saves
2- God is faithful - He gives
3- God is faithful - He comforts
God is faithful! And we need to focus our eyes and our spirits on Him if we are going to make it in this old sin-cursed world!
ILL.- In the midst of all Job’s trials, He looked up! HE FOCUSED ON HIS FAITHFUL GOD! He said, “Naked I came from my mothers’ womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Even when Job’s wife tried to get him to curse God he continued to focus on the Lord!
ILL.- During the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, an Ethiopian runner won the marathon race. He was something of a new-comer to the marathon running scene. How was he able to win that race against so many fast and talented runners?
It was said that he trained at high altitude and competed in low altitude. Training in high altitude enabled him to run faster in the low altitude atmosphere.
And that’s the key to winning in this life! That’s the key to overcoming life’s difficulties! We must train in high altitude while competing in low altitude!
We train in high altitude - meaning we spend time with the Lord, in His presence in order to live in low altitude! Jesus did that very same thing!
ILL.- Remember? In Matthew 4 we’re told that Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights. That was his “high altitude” training. Then he competed against Satan in the low altitude.
ILL.- And again, in Gethsemane Jesus spent time in prayer (high altitude) in order to endure the cross (low altitude).
And even in the midst of His trials Jesus continued to focus on the Father and the joy of heaven!
Heb. 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus was able to endure and overcome the cruelty of the cross because He looked beyond the cross to the Father and the joy of heaven! AND WE MUST DO THE SAME!
God is faithful! We must look to Him and trust and obey Him in order to run the race and win!
