Faithfulness
Commentary
I suppose that there are as many definitions of faithfulness as there are preachers and laypersons giving it a try. It is important, I think, that we are aware of such a plethora of understandings before we use the word. Faithfulness, like many other words, has lost much of its effectiveness because of such a wide spectrum of ideas about it.
In the church, when we use the word "faithfulness," we mean to be specific. What we mean is that we risk our lives on the trustworthiness of God and live accordingly.
Faithfulness does not mean to be filled with faith if our lives do not measure up to God's expectations. Faithfulness means that we are ready to strike out, to take chances, and to stake all we have on his promises.
One thing that always interests me is the way in which Paul is always using the word "therefore." I take that to mean that Paul expects some change in the way people conduct themselves, some improvement in what they have been, or some effort to measure up to expectations. To be faithful, then, does not mean to be filled with some great emotion that does not issue in change. Take time to turn to James' discussion of faith and works. There are those who believe that James was trying to correct misunderstandings of what Paul had written.
Of course there were many who were ready to accept grace and then care little about what followed. Check out Romans 6 and 1 Corinthians 6 for Paul's views on this matter.
To be "faith-ful" then is not just to be filled with some emotional intent, it is to become different. Note that the word used for different in the Bible is "holy." Turn to Leviticus 19:1 and note that the word comes, "You shall be holy because, I the Lord, am holy." Enough said.
Of course we are not meant to judge one another, but as one of my friends once said, "we are given a fruit inspector's license." By all means. "By their fruits you shall know them."
OUTLINE I
From Plea to Exultation
Psalm 28
Introduction: Psalm 28 is a wonderful example of the manner in which bringing one's troubles into God's presence has a way of changing us. First of all, read this Psalm slowly and aloud and see how that change takes place.
A. Verses 1-3. These verses sound like the petition of any person who has had it. Could this poem have been written while Israel was in Babylon? Or, could it be some personal thing that was written because of the difficulties faced by the writer. Remember Jeremiah? He surely could have written this poem. I know of no evidence that he was a poet however.
B. Verses 4, 5. The petitioner cannot resist a prayer against his enemies. What evil have they done him that would make him so bitter and cause him to ask that God do them in? While these lines are surely less than Christian, we need not to blank them out. What we need to do is to be honest and admit that these kinds of emotions do often surge through us.
C. Verse 6-9. Just look at the change that comes upon the poet when she or he stands in the presence of God. Verse 7b says it all.
Conclusion: All of us have those times in life when we have been done in by somebody. It is all we can do to squelch feelings of anger, revenge, and hurt. The poet has let it all hang out, but he has also reminded us that in such moments the best thing we can do for our enemies is pray for them. Check out what Paul recommended in Romans 12:20.
OUTLINE II
Word and Faith
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-12
Introduction: "Word" and "faith" are two words that we toss around with abandon in the church. It is important to take time to consider just what we mean when we use them.
A. Word. Verse 3 surely refers to the first chapter of Genesis. For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can read this chapter and come away with some scientific explanation of the world. The two phrases that are repeated over and over are repeated so that we will hear the message. That message is not science but religious education.
Just read it over and note how often the phrase is used, "And God said." Check it over for the other repeated phrase, "And God saw that it was good."
You can toss around phrases like "ex nihilo" as long as you wish. All the writer here intends is to declare a word over against the new Babylonian teaching that the Hebrews were encountering in Babylon. That teaching maintained that the world is made of evil stuff and that therefore we are caught in the coils of fate. Here is the declaration that God spoke and it was done. He spoke it into existence.
B. Faith. Here the writer means that when a person comes before God in absolute trust and responds in faith, she or he discovers that God gives his gifts even before they are requested. Verse 10 is the key verse. Focus on that verse and you will do well with the message for this day.
Conclusion: There are so many directions in which a preacher could go with this text that it is difficult to name all of them. You can focus on God's word, or man's response in faith, or tell the stories that are recalled here, or take the people in order and speak about them. Just take your time. There is enough here for a series.
OUTLINE III
Advice for Disciples
Luke 12:32-40
Introduction: If you will check out Luke 6:17, you will discover that what Matthew gives us as the Sermon on the Mount is in Luke called the Sermon on the Plain. Moreover, Luke does not gather all the material together as did Matthew in chapters 5, 6, and 7. Luke intersperses much of the material throughout his gospel since he is using it for a different purpose than Matthew. Add to that Matthew's desire to set Jesus forth as the up-to-date Moses and you can see why the material is arranged as it is. Then, once you get past this point, take a look at the material and you will find that Luke counsels three things: to give alms, to wait, and to stay awake.
A. Give alms. Note that when Matthew considers this matter in Chapter 6, he speaks of the spirit in which alms are to be given. Matthew's gospel is already available and there is no reason for Luke to duplicate his admonitions. Here he can call the disciples to have a concern for the poor. Luke cares very much for the poor as is evident in his entire gospel.
B. Wait. Luke pretty much takes the return of Jesus off the calendar for his church (see Acts 1:8), but he is careful to add this admonition as a proper spirit for a disciple. Here he calls not for interminable waiting, but for a spirit of trust that is confident that the waiting will be rewarded.
C. Stay awake. There must have been those in Luke's church who were giving up on expecting the return of Christ. They had become lethargic in the pursuit of their faith. It can happen to us in our day.
Conclusion: Though Luke generally does not give this kind of advice, he gives it here and it is advice that our congregation should still hear and heed with profit.
In the church, when we use the word "faithfulness," we mean to be specific. What we mean is that we risk our lives on the trustworthiness of God and live accordingly.
Faithfulness does not mean to be filled with faith if our lives do not measure up to God's expectations. Faithfulness means that we are ready to strike out, to take chances, and to stake all we have on his promises.
One thing that always interests me is the way in which Paul is always using the word "therefore." I take that to mean that Paul expects some change in the way people conduct themselves, some improvement in what they have been, or some effort to measure up to expectations. To be faithful, then, does not mean to be filled with some great emotion that does not issue in change. Take time to turn to James' discussion of faith and works. There are those who believe that James was trying to correct misunderstandings of what Paul had written.
Of course there were many who were ready to accept grace and then care little about what followed. Check out Romans 6 and 1 Corinthians 6 for Paul's views on this matter.
To be "faith-ful" then is not just to be filled with some emotional intent, it is to become different. Note that the word used for different in the Bible is "holy." Turn to Leviticus 19:1 and note that the word comes, "You shall be holy because, I the Lord, am holy." Enough said.
Of course we are not meant to judge one another, but as one of my friends once said, "we are given a fruit inspector's license." By all means. "By their fruits you shall know them."
OUTLINE I
From Plea to Exultation
Psalm 28
Introduction: Psalm 28 is a wonderful example of the manner in which bringing one's troubles into God's presence has a way of changing us. First of all, read this Psalm slowly and aloud and see how that change takes place.
A. Verses 1-3. These verses sound like the petition of any person who has had it. Could this poem have been written while Israel was in Babylon? Or, could it be some personal thing that was written because of the difficulties faced by the writer. Remember Jeremiah? He surely could have written this poem. I know of no evidence that he was a poet however.
B. Verses 4, 5. The petitioner cannot resist a prayer against his enemies. What evil have they done him that would make him so bitter and cause him to ask that God do them in? While these lines are surely less than Christian, we need not to blank them out. What we need to do is to be honest and admit that these kinds of emotions do often surge through us.
C. Verse 6-9. Just look at the change that comes upon the poet when she or he stands in the presence of God. Verse 7b says it all.
Conclusion: All of us have those times in life when we have been done in by somebody. It is all we can do to squelch feelings of anger, revenge, and hurt. The poet has let it all hang out, but he has also reminded us that in such moments the best thing we can do for our enemies is pray for them. Check out what Paul recommended in Romans 12:20.
OUTLINE II
Word and Faith
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-12
Introduction: "Word" and "faith" are two words that we toss around with abandon in the church. It is important to take time to consider just what we mean when we use them.
A. Word. Verse 3 surely refers to the first chapter of Genesis. For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can read this chapter and come away with some scientific explanation of the world. The two phrases that are repeated over and over are repeated so that we will hear the message. That message is not science but religious education.
Just read it over and note how often the phrase is used, "And God said." Check it over for the other repeated phrase, "And God saw that it was good."
You can toss around phrases like "ex nihilo" as long as you wish. All the writer here intends is to declare a word over against the new Babylonian teaching that the Hebrews were encountering in Babylon. That teaching maintained that the world is made of evil stuff and that therefore we are caught in the coils of fate. Here is the declaration that God spoke and it was done. He spoke it into existence.
B. Faith. Here the writer means that when a person comes before God in absolute trust and responds in faith, she or he discovers that God gives his gifts even before they are requested. Verse 10 is the key verse. Focus on that verse and you will do well with the message for this day.
Conclusion: There are so many directions in which a preacher could go with this text that it is difficult to name all of them. You can focus on God's word, or man's response in faith, or tell the stories that are recalled here, or take the people in order and speak about them. Just take your time. There is enough here for a series.
OUTLINE III
Advice for Disciples
Luke 12:32-40
Introduction: If you will check out Luke 6:17, you will discover that what Matthew gives us as the Sermon on the Mount is in Luke called the Sermon on the Plain. Moreover, Luke does not gather all the material together as did Matthew in chapters 5, 6, and 7. Luke intersperses much of the material throughout his gospel since he is using it for a different purpose than Matthew. Add to that Matthew's desire to set Jesus forth as the up-to-date Moses and you can see why the material is arranged as it is. Then, once you get past this point, take a look at the material and you will find that Luke counsels three things: to give alms, to wait, and to stay awake.
A. Give alms. Note that when Matthew considers this matter in Chapter 6, he speaks of the spirit in which alms are to be given. Matthew's gospel is already available and there is no reason for Luke to duplicate his admonitions. Here he can call the disciples to have a concern for the poor. Luke cares very much for the poor as is evident in his entire gospel.
B. Wait. Luke pretty much takes the return of Jesus off the calendar for his church (see Acts 1:8), but he is careful to add this admonition as a proper spirit for a disciple. Here he calls not for interminable waiting, but for a spirit of trust that is confident that the waiting will be rewarded.
C. Stay awake. There must have been those in Luke's church who were giving up on expecting the return of Christ. They had become lethargic in the pursuit of their faith. It can happen to us in our day.
Conclusion: Though Luke generally does not give this kind of advice, he gives it here and it is advice that our congregation should still hear and heed with profit.
