PP0322 DATE 6/18/06
FAITHFUL MEN!
2 Timothy 2:1-4
2Ti 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (KJV)
INTRODUCTION: Today is “Father’s Day”. A small boy said, “Father’s Day is just like Mother’s Day, only you don’t spend as much on the gift.” That’s right isn’t it, fellows? Some would say, “What gift?”
If both father and mother go to church, 72% of the children will also go to church when they grow up. If only the father goes to church, the percentage drops to 55%. However, if only the mother goes to church, only 15% of those children will go to church when they are grown.
Paul gives us some information concerning faithful men. We must prove ourselves faithful. He tells Timothy that faithful men must endure hardness. It takes strong intestinal fortitude to be a faithful man for the Lord today. If there were more faithful men willing to serve God in any and all areas there could be much more done for the cause of Christ.
2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
The word “hardness” has to do with afflictions. That tells us we will have times of hardships – yet we are to remain faithful through the hard times.
Our land needs some fathers who will make up the difference. God to Ezekiel that he was looking for a man to stand in the gap and make up the difference. That same need still exists this very day. The void of our country today is nothing that more dedicated and committed men could fulfil.
I. FAITHFUL IN PRIVATE LIFE
What you are in private says what kind of character you have. What you do when no one can see you speaks of who you really are.
A. Faithful In Your Thoughts. What do you think about? As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. If your thoughts are vain then you life will be vain also. You will become what you think about. All the great men of the past were great thinkers. They thought things through before the acted. May God give us some mighty thinking men. Men who are faithful in their thoughts.
B. Faithful In Your Ideas. All of our ideas should be authenticated by the Word of God.
If your motivation in life is always birthed by the word of God you won’t go wrong. Don’t let your ideas take you beyond the plan of God for you life. Too many men try to out think God and to come up with something He hasn’t thought of and then try to outsmart God. You won’t succeed at such a vain idea. Men of that nature are either in prison or in the poor house.
C. Faithful In Your Actions. The Book of James deals with our actions. It gives instructions to our behavioral system. He tells us our belief and behavioral must agree else our faith is void.
D. Faithful In Your Plans. All of your plans should always include and be based around God’s will and word. I’m seeing more and more men who’s plans omit the will and word of God. Many are motivated by things of this world. When you plan something that takes you out of the will of God you are heading for a great crash. Sometimes such plans will consume you and you never get back to a normal place in life.
1. Plan to serve God and your home with you. “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
2. Plan to live holy. Holy lives in our men are such a necessity.
II. FAITHFUL AT HOME
Being faithful doesn’t make you the “king” of the home. It molds you into the leader.
Leadership is not given or granted – it is earned. It can be lost with one deed.
A. Faithful To Your Wife.
1. Fulfill your wedding vows over and over. Men, if our performance at work was like it is at home – most would lose their job.
2. You show you love for her by your actions. If you will treat her like a queen she will make you king of her heart.
3. Your behavior around your wife should never cause her to question your loyalty to her.
4. The lack of trust from a wife is caused by her husband’s actions.
One cause of doubt in her heart will require years of faithfulness to remove that one cloud of doubt.
5. Love her with all your heart.
6. give yourself to her completely.
7. Make her the joy of your life.
B. Faithful To Your Children.
1. Your children need a father that is faithful in every area of the home.
2. If your only interaction with them is that of discipline they will fear you.
3. A survey of Elementary Children was conducted a few years ago. It indicated the ten most appreciated qualities for dads:
a. He takes time for me.
b. He listens to me.
c. He plays with me.
d. He invites me to go places with him. I can remember to this very moment how thrilled I was when my dad would take me with him to different places. Back in those days we didn’t do a lot of going, and when my dad took me with him it was a great time for me.
e. He lets me help him.
f. He treats mother well.
g. He lets me say what I think.
h. He’s nice to my friends.
i. He only punishes me when I deserve it.
j. He isn’t afraid to admit when he’s wrong.
Paying close attention to the survey you should have noticed that the top 5 involved time. Love to your children is spelled T-I-M-E.
How unfortunate according to Dr James Dobson, child psychologist, that the average father spends less than 1 minute each day in face to face conversation with his children every day!!! No wonder so many children have a hard time growing up and being what they should be.
4. Faithful to discipline. Society has taken such an attitude about discipline until a man has to make a tough decision to discipline his children. By the way the father is to do the disciplining. Eph 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (KJV) These instructions are given to the father. The father is to be the authority figure, and the mother the influence. Discipline in love not in anger. Dad if you leave the disciplining to the mother only you are making a mistake. You will not be the authority figure to the children. They will look at mother as that authority.
“Rules without relationship produces rebellion.”
III. FAITHFUL ON THE JOB
A. Faithful To The Boss.
If he pays you on time and according to the agreement, then he doesn’t owe you anything. I have heard of men taking certain things from work and keeping them with the justification, “He owes it to me.” No, that’s not the way it is done.
Always be on time.
Always be above reproach.
The Bible gives clear instructions about employer/employee relationships.
Our society today has missed something when it comes to being faithful to our job. When we work all day and do a good job at the work we think the boss owes us a reward. Not so. We only do our duty by working hard for 8 hours. That is expected of every employee. There is no reward for just doing duty. When you agreed to work for a certain pay scale and when the boss gives you that wage, then you are both even. He doesn’t owe you anything more, and you don’t owe him anything more. We need to do away with this thing that everyone owes me something. Hey, you are all paid up. You have received full salary.
We should be faithful to the boss.
B. Faithful To The Other Employees.
1. Keep a good testimony. If the unsaved employees go to heaven it will largely depend upon you.
2. Don’t participate in the off-colored jokes. Excuse yourself and go to another location.
3. Don’t be over friendly with the female employees. What you may say to another woman as a joke may be taken as a commitment, or accepted as an invitation. Look at every woman as your mother or your sister.
IV. FAITHFUL AT CHURCH
A. Faithful In Prayer.
E.M. Bounds makes this statement concerning men of prayer:
What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use – men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men – men of prayer.
I believe the greatest need of the hour is for men to be at prayer.
1. Pray For the membership. Most of the membership of this church has needs that can be solved by prayer. God expects us to be praying for each other.
2. Pray For the services. Growing churches have many members praying for the services. Spurgeon had a group of men praying for him while he preached. They would meet underneath the platform and pray during the entire service.
3. Pray For the power to be on the preacher. Great preachers have great people praying for them.
B. Faithful In Attendance.
1. Be in every service.
2. Participate in every service.
If our men don’t set the standard in faithful attendance – then our families will be weak and spasmodic in their Christian life. Every man owes to his church something besides his tithe – his commitment. If every male member of this church was faithful as required by the Bible what a difference it would make in the operation of this body of Christ.
C. Faithful In All Areas Of Need. Faithful men look for ways to serve. They don’t wait to be called upon. They see a need and then jump in and get it done. If you see something that needs to be fixed – fix it. Don’t go and tell someone about it - take care of the matter yourself.
V. FAITHFUL TO THE END
Will there be any faith found? Lu 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (KJV)
The word for faith in this verse is the same word as used in James when he is instructing us about faith without works is dead. It has to do with actions. The outward evidence of our faith will be determined through our works.
Will the Lord find faith on the earth?
If so, it will be from faithful men.
Faithful men can change this world for Christ.
Will you still be faithful when Christ comes?
INVITATION
