The Faithfulness Of God

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