Peeled - 7

Faithfulness

We are examining the Fruit of the Spirit and discovering characteristics of a life changed by Christ.

Here’s what we know about fruit, fruit is never grown overnight, it must be cultivated.

Picture your life like a piece of fruit. When you are peeled is the fruit sweet or sour?

We are peeling back the layers of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Many say “fruits,” however there are not 9 “fruits” of the Spirit, the Fruit of the Spirit has 9 characteristics, 9 layers if you will. One Fruit with 9 attributes.

These Fruit taken together make up the character of Christ.

Some people try to pick and choose their way through the Fruit of the Spirit. Many pray and ask God to “give” them the fruit of the Spirit. Gifts are given. Fruit is cultivated.

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

The Fruit of the Spirit is a description of the character qualities found in Christ.

So far we have examined Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness and Goodness.

This week let’s examine Faithfulness.

If you read our text in the KJV it says faith. All the modern translations use the word faithfulness.

In the Greek, the word for Faith is the same word used for Faithfulness.

[Greek] pistis – conviction, confidence, trust, belief, reliance

Pistis is the divinely implanted principle of inward confidence, assurance, trust, and reliance in God and all that He says.

Faith is believing God is who He says He is and He will do what He said He would do.

Faith is you trusting God.

Faithfulness is God trusting you.

Faithfulness is total commitment and loyalty to God that goes against all human reasoning.

Many people say they believe in God, but faithfulness means believing to the point that your belief changes your lifestyle.

Faith is a Gift of the Spirit, but it is also a Fruit that must be cultivated.

Romans 12:3 NKJV For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Luke 17:5-6 NLT The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.” ⁶ The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you!”

Matthew 17:20 NLT “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

On two separate occasions Jesus makes a reference to “Mustard Seed Faith.” Jesus used a small mustard seed to figuratively teach about the power of faith in God.

It takes small amount of faith on our part to enable God to do mighty things because we believe.

Mark 9:23-24 NLT “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” ²⁴ The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

Jesus says believe, and the man says, “Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief.”

Faith must be cultivated.

To cultivate faith, it is helpful first to know the source of faith.

Romans 10:17 NKJV So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

1. God is Faithful.

Lamentations 3:22-24 NLT The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. ²³ Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. ²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 NLT I will proclaim the name of the LORD;

how glorious is our God! ⁴ He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

Psalm 89:1-2 NIV I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

² I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

Psalm 89:8 NIV Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?

You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

Numbers 23:19 NLT God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind.

Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV God is faithful who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

1 John 1:9 NLT But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

God is faithful.

He does what He says He will do. He is trustworthy.

He keeps His promises.

2. Cultivating Faith.

Hebrews 11:1 NLT Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Faith is believing God is who He says He is and He will do what He said He would do.

Hope is the God given dream or desire of our hearts. Faith brings the dream to reality.

Hope is confident expectation. Hope is an extension of faith.

Hope is not wishful thinking, it is confident expectation based on absolute certainty.

Hope is a catalyst for cultivating faith.

Romans 4:18-21 NIV Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

As Paul tells us about Abraham’s faith, he paints the picture of Abraham as a hero. And he is! He’s the father of faith!

But Abraham’s faith had to be cultivated!

Genesis 12:1-5 NIV The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” ⁴ So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. ⁵ He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

The object of Abraham’s faith was not the promise.

The promise was the motive for Abraham’s faith.

Abraham’s faith rested on God Himself.

Romans 4:16-17 NIV Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

Romans 4:18-19 NIV Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed … ¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith,

Abraham and Sarah didn’t have what it takes to make a great nation!

As time passes by, hope begins to fade.

Genesis 15:1-6 NIV After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

² But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” ⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:19 NIV Without weakening in his faith,

² But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

– “God, You said, but I don’t see how!”

When God says but you don’t see, it’s very hard to hold on to hope.

It’s difficult to keep hope alive when God said and then weeks, months, & years pass by.

³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” ⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

– God showed Abraham the stars, and Abraham believed.

You believe what you behold!

“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” – St. Augustine

“When what you see doesn’t match what God said, Focus on what God said.”

If you focus on the facts, the facts will weigh you down.

We face the facts, but we don’t focus on them!

Hope begins to fade when the facts work against you.

Hope begins to fade when you know about the failures.

Hope begins to fade when you don’t feel faith.

Romans 4:18 NIV Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

For Abraham’s faith to be strengthened, he had to have something to push against.

Nothing gets stronger without resistance.

Your faith needs a fight. Your faith needs something to fight against to make you strong.

Romans 4:19 NIV Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.

Faith does not mean not facing the facts.

Hope that doesn’t face the facts does not last!

Abraham had the unique ability to face the facts but keep his faith.

This is the essence of Hope: The ability to face the facts of the things that are against you but keep your faith in the God who is within you.

Fruitful:

Genesis 17:1-6 NIV When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. ² Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” ³ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. ⁵ No longer will you be called Abram ; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

Genesis 17:15-19 NIV God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. ¹⁶ I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” ¹⁷ Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” ¹⁸ And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” ¹⁹ Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

If enough time goes by and that thing you’re hoping for from God doesn’t come to pass, you’ll just take matters into your own hands and do it your way!

Romans 4:18-19 NIV Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed … ¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith,

Hope is the God given dream or desire of our hearts.

Faith brings the dream to reality.

Hope is confident expectation. Hope is an extension of faith.

Hope is not wishful thinking, it is confident expectation based on absolute certainty.

Hope is a catalyst for cultivating faith.

Keep hope alive when:

…the situation is going down.

…the facts are against you.

…the world is against you.

…what you see does not correspond with what God said.

Genesis 17:17 NIV Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”

Abraham laughed at God, but he is still called the father of faith!

You don’t have to feel faith to have faith!

2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV For we live by faith, not by sight.

What was it that made Abraham useful to God?

Even though the facts, failures, and feelings were stacked against him, he gave glory to God.

Romans 4:18-21 NIV Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Glory – [Hebrew] – kabod – used 376 times – literally means weight

Abraham gave more weight to what God had said than to what he saw.

Give glory to what God said not to what you see.

When what you see doesn’t look like what God said, remember what God said.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

You’re giving too much weight to the wrong things that you’re losing hope.

Put all the weight on Jesus.

Many people who are going through difficult seasons look for a ray of hope; some little sign of change.

Our problem is we LOOK for signs of hope. We want to see something to inspire hope. We want something to believe in!

We say things like, “If I could see things begin to move in the right direction.” Or, “If I could just see a little proof that God is working on my behalf.”

Maybe your thought is, “How do I have hope when time passes by and nothing changes, in fact, the longer I wait the worse things seem to get!”

The problem is, you are searching for visible signs of hope.

Romans 8:24-25 NIV For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Faith is cultivated as we wait patiently, believing God is who He says He is and that He will do what He said He would do.

Hebrews 6:18-19 NLT So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. ¹⁹ This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.

Hope is giving God glory because of His promise in spite of my current circumstances.

Hope is a catalyst for cultivating faith.

When we Hope in God who is faithful, He begins to cultivate faith in our lives.

Faith when it has been cultivated becomes faithfulness.

Faith is me trusting God.

Faithfulness is God trusting me.