Alright well I'm gonna start a new series today and the first part of the
series is well it's actually the series is called found faith the found
faithful series so talk about faithfulness I'm gonna preach about
faithfulness today and there was just so much in here I didn't want to make like
another hour and a half long sermon so I figured I'd break it up there might be
another two or possibly three sermons out of this but let's look and focus in
on verse number one where the Bible says let a man so account of us as of the
ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God moreover is required
in stewards that a man be found faithful let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you
Lord so much for this great day you've given us pray Lord that you'd help us to
have our hearts tuned in to your word Lord that we wouldn't be thinking about
what we're gonna be doing after church or what we're gonna be doing this week
but Lord that we've just taken an hour here this morning and focus in on what
the Bible says and Lord in the in what the Bible says about being faithful Lord
and I pray that you'd help us as a church that maybe Lord there's some
areas in our lives that we're not being that faithful in the Lord I'd pray that
this series would help people to just recount their lives and the things that
they're doing in this church the things that they're doing at work the things
that they're doing at home and Lord realize that faithfulness is a great big
part of the Christian life and that Lord we need to be found faithful we pray I
pray Lord right now that you fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me
boldness as I preach your word in Jesus name we pray amen so Paul here is saying
let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ so what was Paul he
was a minister of Christ he was an apostle he was like an evangelist he was
he went around and planted churches and started churches and it says and the
stewards of the mysteries of God and so Paul was great a great teacher in the
Bible and he definitely was a steward of the mysteries of God and the Bible says
moreover it's required of a steward that a man be found faithful hey if you're a
steward of something then God expects you to be faithful in that stewardship
so what is a steward well a steward is someone that manages or looks after
somebody else's property so really we're just here working in God's vineyard as
Christians and he's he's he's built the vineyard and we're just supposed to work
in that and bring forth fruit right and so whatever that is that we're stewards
of there's many different types of stewardship in our lives and it could be
you know stewardship like being a good steward of any task that you've been
tasked with at this church it could be the fact that you're a pastor or trying
to become a pastor and the things that you have to be faithful in to get to
that point and it could be just you know stewardship over your own money how are
you spending your money are you spending your money wisely are you saving
anything are you laying up for your children there's just many different
things that Stewart that that we could would count as stewardship of put the
Apostle Paul's talking here specifically about being faithful as a
minister and so that's the first point I want to make but what does faithful mean
let's just get a definition right now of what faithful means faithful means loyal
constant steadfast reliable are you faithful are you reliable if I give you
a task are you reliable can I count on you to do the tasks that I've asked you
to do if are you reliable at work do you actually show up for work do you
actually work while you're at work are you reliable can the boss send you out
in a task and say hey go do this and then you do it is that's that's called
being reliable that's called being constant and steadfast and so obviously
you know being faithful has some different terms and meanings but mainly
what I want to talk about is being loyal and constant steadfast and reliable and
anything that we do as a Christian see we're supposed to be different the Bible
says come out from among them and be separate saith the Lord and touch not
the unclean thing and I will I lost it receive you yeah I will receive you okay
good night okay I need to take some gingko but before I preach anyway I had
everything with that was like wait what's the last word and I will anyway
okay so we're supposed to be good stewards of what God's given us we're
supposed to be faithful to the things that we've been tasked with whether it
be in life well here's another thing you should be faithful with how about your
marriage just be faithful in your marriage how about kids being faithful
in the faith and being found faithful and a good child in their parents home
those are things I mean these are all things that I'm gonna preach about in
the next coming weeks but today the first point I want to preach about is
being faithful in the ministry which is where we get our verses here so there are
men that desire the office of a bishop or a pastor in this church or even in
churches other than this church maybe churches that are friends of ours or
whatever see being becoming a pastor in some churches is a cakewalk you know all
you have to do is go to Bible College for four years and then they just stamp
you and send you back and maybe if you're ultra talented you go to some
bigger church and become an assistant pastor there but you know a lot of
churches they send someone out from Bible College they're wet behind the
ears they don't haven't even read the Bible cover to cover one time I
literally there was a guy that came back as an assistant from Hyles Anderson to
the church we used to go to and they don't require Bible reading there and I
asked him if he'd read his Bible cover to cover one time nope so here I am a
layman at the church trying to instruct an assistant pastor of the fact that he
should read his Bible cover to cover one time that was before I became a pastor
that's before I planted the church here this is what's being rolled out in
Baptist churches today is people that have no qualifications look the
qualifications of a bishop are there for a reason it's because if you don't meet
those qualifications then you should not be a pastor if you're not married if you
don't have children you have no business being a pastor now if you want to call
that person like a full-time worker or whatever that's different but I'm saying
a pastor someone just takes over others people there's men that take on pastor
at jobs and they're not even married or they're newly married and then how many
times do you think that they've read the Bible cover to cover when they got to
there because obviously they missed the qualifications of a bishop completely
though Jesus always said have you not read hey have you not read that you
shouldn't even become a pastor if you haven't even read the Bible one time
cover to cover or you're not even married or don't have children I mean I
think that's just really weird but in churches like this church we take the
qualifications seriously and if there's someone in here wants to meet those
qualifications you know I'm happy I'm glad I want more pastors look we got
three church plants that need pastors right now so I'm happy to have someone
trained to be in the ministry and take over one of those churches that you know
why because I want to start more churches I never want that to end I want
it to be to where we're always starting new churches and we're always starting
new church plants and that we're what trying to get the message out there
we're trying to reach the darkest corners of this country and other
countries for the gospel what otherwise what's the purpose of us being here you
know we're saved if you don't plan on going someone and then you might as well
just go straight to heaven so we need to be found number one faithful in the
ministry so and so maybe there are people that used to want to be pastors
but then they saw what all the kind of pastors like us go through and like maybe
I know don't want to be a pastor you know because we're constantly being
attacked by people all the time they're always trying to find some little niche
and look we don't need to give them the ammo to shoot at us with so look we we
get attacked constantly I don't like being attacked but it's just part of the
ministry so look if you're afraid of being attacked all the time then don't
don't go in the ministry because if you can't handle the heat then get out of
the kitchen right if you can't if that's not something that you feel like you can
handle then don't even try because it's something that you have you know and
obviously you have to learn to deal with it the first times you get attacked it's
worse I was talking about this in my sermon Thursday but you know the first
time you go through a persecution of some kind it's not it's not as bad the
second time if you're dealing with the same type of stuff right so but let me
tell you something this job is not easy now you can sit there and say Oh Pastor
Thompson all he has to do is just get up and preach that's it really is that what
you think come step in my shoes for a week because I do work a full-time job
still and you know I still I'm fielding phone calls and emails and having bozos
attack me all the time and pastors attacking me all the time and just all
kinds of things going on so but anyway it's not just about preaching being a
pastor is not just about preaching so if you're wanting to go in the ministry
look I want people to go in the ministry don't get me wrong but I don't want the
wrong guys to go into the ministry the wrong ones that can't meet the
qualifications you have to be a cut above you have to be a cut above your
fellow brothers and sisters in Christ I'm not saying saying that you're better
than them but you do have to be better than them as far as your works as far as
what you're doing your amount of Bible reading your amount of pray praying for
other people a better husband than your fellow brothers a better you know a more
faithful Bible reader more faithful soul winner and a faithful preacher if you
never get up and look there's opportunities to preach in this church
can I get an amen there's lots of opportunities I make sure to give people
opportunities you know why because I want to develop people I want to develop
preachers and even if you're never gonna be a pastor I still want you to preach
you know I you know would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets
that's what Moses said you know Joshua was like Lord Moses forbid them he's
like why envious out for my sake I want everybody in this church to be a
preacher including the women like whoa Pastor Thompson you're stepping across
line I want the women to preach the gospel you know there's churches like
ours that the women still don't go out so honey the women in our church go so
and they they strap kids to them and they got like trains behind them you
know and that's great I'm glad and so when I see like women at other churches
struggling to go so and it's like where's the husband at hey have your
wife go so wanting teacher to go so wanting and look she shouldn't have to
care for all the kids if you have ten kids and you're making your wife take
all of them and you're going by yourself with your homie come on guys you gotta
you gotta give your wife a break okay so but you know if you want to be in the
ministry you got to be a cut above the way you dress shows something and people
will get down well it's not about what you wear it is kind of about what you
wear there was a guy at another church I've probably told this story before but
he was so winning and he was wearing a t-shirt and flip-flops and a pair of
shorts and a backpack nothing in the world wrong with that but when the
police come and they say who are you what are you doing here you know if he
would have been in a suit and tie and a Bible in his hand do you think that the
cop would I ask him what he was doing there probably not so how you dress out
so when he does show something to people I think that we should all go and look
it's not a requirement of mine well a requirement though is that you should be
wearing a collared shirt and I probably let that slip sometimes I'm sorry but I
think that we should you know if you're not gonna wear a shirt and tie and a
jacket at least wear a collared shirt if you have on with stupid t-shirt on while
you're out soloing that's a bad testimony it is and then you got your
wife standing right next to you but look you have to be a cut above everybody else
look do you see men in the Bible that were just like just regular dudes they
got called to preach I mean God saw something in them that he said hey I
want that guy right there he saw what was a lie should do and when he called
him to preach plowing a field working he said that's the guy I want right there
so we got to understand that God is looking for somebody that's it that's
exceptional and what they do and exceptional they their work show forth
and their faithfulness shows forth are you going to church are you taking your
family to church with you those things speak volumes to the Lord and look we're
right now I'm talking about pastors okay I'm talking about if you want to be a
pastor or some kind of full-time worker you have to be found faithful in the
ministry and you know to be faithful to preach you know when you get an
opportunity hey would you like to preach for me on Sunday night and you're like
look those are opportunities that you need to take because what's God looking
at your faithfulness are you faithful to preach hey when I call upon you are you
gonna be ready when God calls upon you are you gonna be ready let's turn to
first Timothy chapter 1 first Timothy chapter 1 and if you notice at the end
of this chapter he says that Timothy was faithful where's that verse that I was
listening as it was being read anybody got it
mmm
help me out somebody I can't see what is it 15 ah for though you have 10,000
instructors in Christ you have not many fathers for in Christ Jesus I have
begotten you through the gospel now Sunday no but I was talking about where
we're out in first Corinthians I'm sorry I had you turn to first Timothy but I
was trying to find that verse where it talked about Oh Timothy yeah verse 17
for this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus who is my beloved son and
faithful in the Lord who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in
Christ as I teach everywhere in every church so he sent Timothy why because he
was faithful in the Lord now look at first Timothy he's writing this
scripture these scriptures to Timothy it says and I think Christ Jesus verse
12 our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me in to
the ministry so why did God enable Paul and county why did he kind of me because
he counted him faithful you know Paul was going around torturing Christians
that to me doesn't seem like he's very faithful but he was faithful in the
torturing wasn't he he was faithful and what he was doing even though he was
bad he was doing something bad but he was doing it in ignorance and unbelief
so God saw something in Saul that maybe the Christians didn't see in him but
when he became our on our side he did great things for God didn't he and it
says that he counted Paul faithful and look Paul was what he didn't just send
him out right away did he because he had to go to Antioch for like a year before
he even was sent out so look at Jeremiah chapter 12 verse 5 see if you want to be
sent out as a pastor if you want to become a pastor someday God it's not
just me that's gonna have to find you faithful it's God that's gonna have to
find you faithful Jeremiah 12 5 says if thou hast run with the footmen and they
have weary D then how canst thou contend with horses this is what I'm
talking about you have to be a cut above look if you can't even beat your fellow
Christians in a foot race you know so to speak if you can't beat them and how you
act how your family is how you how good of a husband you are how good of a
father you are how good you are at reading the Bible and praying and doing
all these things that God wants you to be faithful in how are you gonna expect
to be a pastor someday if you show up less to church than your other brothers
that are in this church if you show up or if you never take the opportunities
to preach that you have if you are the worst husband in the church or maybe
you're just mediocre look God's looking for a superstar he's looking for
somebody that excels in these areas and if you can't even beat like what's God
trying to tell you here in Jeremiah 12 5 he's saying hey if you can't even beat
your other guys in a foot race then how are you gonna race a horse how are you
gonna do great greater things than other men do if you can't even beat the ones
that you're with and I'm not saying beat them down I'm trying to show you this in
a spiritual way that you're supposed to be a cut above you're supposed to be
your works are supposed to be greater you can't just be a zero Christian now a
zero Christian is someone that does everything that they're supposed to do
but someone that does and I'm not saying you're a loser I'm just saying that
you're just doing what God requires of you which isn't wrong but if you're just
doing the bare minimum you're just doing just enough you know if you're want to
be a pastor someday or you want to go in the ministry someday you have to be
better you have to do more works than everybody else and you have to be
someone that someone looks at and says hey that's the guy right there it has to
it should be obvious who the next pastor is gonna be it should be obvious who the
next up-and-coming pastor is gonna be if it comes out of this church it should be
people shouldn't be like well I don't know about that guy he's got some
problems his wife's got problems his kids got problems I don't know why
pastor was picking him it should it should be obvious who that person is and
so it says and if in the land of peace where now trusted is they weary thee how
wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan so look in the time of peace before
kovat hit how are you doing spiritually where are you going someone in every
week where you're going and doing all the you know were you faithful to church
and now that Kovats here it's like how do you think you're gonna be a
superstar in the kovat crisis when you weren't a superstar in the time of peace
you know I'm saying that's what the Bible is trying to tell you here so if
you want to be a pastor someday look there's you got to be you got to rise
above you got to be a cut above and you got to do greater works than everybody
else around you that's what I think do you think it God's just saying well I
looked and I saw that mediocre guy in the church and he was just barely doing
everything he needed to do I'm gonna pick him doubt is that what you think
God does I'm not saying that they have to be like some you know if they're
always going look how many times I went so many brother I went three times this
week that's not that's being puffed up that's a different sermon but look we
shouldn't be puffed up either look everything should be done in humility
it's not like you should be saying well you know you're just like flexing your
chest muscles like one at a time to don't don't don't don't it's obvious that
I'm the next pastor if that's your attitude that he definitely shouldn't be
the next pastor so let's look at turnover to act chapter 13 so in a time
of peace if you can't get the job done then how are you gonna do be successful
in the hard times and look the 2020 should be a reminder for us and it
should be a wake-up call to many people that may be right maybe we deserve to be
put in this position right now you know and obviously our church does great
works but were we slipping before the COVID hit I mean maybe we were but I
definitely want to look in and reflect back on where I was doing wrong things
as far as like maybe I wasn't doing my best you know I'm not always up here I
should be always up here but I'm not always I'm still a man I'm still a human
being I still make mistakes but we should all do some self-reflection from
time to time and and so that we know because look if you always think you're
doing the best then you're not really self-reflecting are you you're not
really looking inside your heart to see where you're really at because if you
always think you're on top of your game you always think you're doing great then
this book is never gonna help you because you're just you're just too
great I'm just doing too good I'm too good of a Christian and that's not that
should not be our attitude we should we always have work that we need to shore
up in our lives so you know if you're the one if you're getting smoked
spiritually or in physical tasks by your peers how are you gonna run a church and
look again running a church is a hard job and it's it's gonna be a challenge
regardless of how much of a stellar superstar you really are but you know at
least you know God's gonna be able to see your life and say hey that's the guy
I want that's the pastor's wife I want that's the one that's the family that I
want to start a church and be a light in a dark place for me and so if you're
just mediocre you'll never be a good pastor you'll never be a good pastor
you'll never even you should never even attempt to be a pastor if all you are is
just mediocre and in your Christianity and if you can't take criticism please
don't become a pastor because part of being a pastor is starting to become a
pastor is people are gonna look at your qualifications they're gonna say well
how's he in that area how's he in child rearing how's he as a husband how is he
as this houses how's the pastor's wife dealing how is she on Facebook is she
just the biggest Facebook gossip that there is is she just the biggest you
know big mouth loudmouth on the internet then I you know I don't think that that
you know the Bible says you're supposed to have a meek and quiet spirit so it's
not a big loudmouth trying to tell everybody everything that isn't their
business to tell people that's right so if you can't take criticism don't become
a pastor and look if your past if your wife can't handle the ministry then
don't try to be a pastor it's a package deal folks you know they don't have to
have some kind of qualifications where they've read the Bible ten times or
they've read they can't you know they should be spiritual though they should
be have a spiritual bone in their body and may be willing to help and help meet
their husband you know help fitting to their husband if your wife is not
willing to do any of that stuff then don't even bother or maybe she just
needs to work on some stuff and tell you know because you you have to strive to
meet the qualifications and so not everybody's just ready you have to meet
them and it takes time so it maybe your wife isn't perfect on those things right
then but you know by the time you go to try to get in the ministry that she
better be shored up and man you better be shored up too you're in let's see I
had to turn to Acts 13 look at verse 1 Acts 13 verse 1 says now there were in
the church at that that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers as
Barnabas and Simeon which was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manan
which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch and Saul as they
ministered unto the Lord don't miss that part as they ministered unto the Lord
what were they already doing before they got called to preach they ministered
unto the Lord so and it says and they fasted and the Holy Ghost said separate
unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them he didn't
say separate unto me you know mediocre Joe and mediocre Jack to the ministry he
said these people were already doing the work they were already preaching they
were called prophets and teachers and Saul called Paul is one of those people
look at what it says as they ministered they fasted separated to be Paul or
Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I've called them and when they had
fasted and prayed they laid their hands upon them and sent them away did he just
call the most mediocre people in the church or did he call the people that
were already doing work and there were already rising superstars in the church
and I don't mean that in some kind of a worldly way I just mean that you could
tell when you saw Paul preach or heard Paul preach there was something
different about him than there was the other people in the congregation when
Paul went out soul winning people got saved in droves I'm sure when Paul was
teaching a passage out of the Bible at the church at Antioch I'm sure he was
doing a great job always doing it and I think that everybody could see that they
were great spiritual men in the church before God ever separated them and sent
them out but they were there for a while they were there preaching at that church
it's not just like hey Pastor Thompson I'm gonna give you a call hey would you
mind just sending me out I think I'm ready I got all the stuff I'm good to go
and I've never seen your eyeballs in church before that's that's an
unrealistic request so I need to know that you can do the job so you know and
we have three evangelists that work for our church and I think that they're
doing a good job of what they're doing look the kovat hit at a weird time that
whole thing hit right when we went and ordained Chad brother Chad he's doing a
great job isn't he I mean if you can see what they're doing up there they're
doing great works up there and you know Hawaii is in total lockdown and they
still got you know a good few families there that are still being faithful and
still winning souls but it's kind of hard to go so any when the whole islands
locked down isn't it it makes it more difficult so everybody's in a different
position you know even in Canada they're in a different position so like they
never really got fully shut down like we like we did here or like Hawaii did so
but anyway God's looking for people to step up and be exceptional and so if you
still want to stop if you want to be a pastor you better step up and be
exceptional I want to take notice of you I think God and I think God's gonna take
notice of you if you do that also so turn to Proverbs chapter 20 verse 6
powers chapter 20 verse 6
Proverbs 20 verse 6 the Bible says most men will proclaim everyone his own
goodness I'm so good people do that at the door all the time you know how many
times people said that at the door yesterday when we're out so many how
many times brother Dylan where's he at he's downstairs of course but we I heard
it probably at least three times four times maybe we knocked a lot of doors
yesterday we didn't get any salvations but we definitely had some adventures
that we got into I got a lady sicked her dog on me and she was like some kind of
freak of nature but anyway all we were being really nice too we're just up hey
want to invite you to church and then she's just like this you know giving the
evil eye when we walk up to the next door what are you doing knocking on
people's doors she's all mad and that was nice at first but then she's like
why can't you just let people go to church on their own why do you have to
knock on people's doors I said because that's what the Bible says we're
supposed to do mind your own business she's like oh yeah that's your that's
not your house is it was a mind in her own business and then she sticks her dog
on me and the dog like got from like me to Remy before the like chain stopped
it or whatever little did she know you know that there was some ammunition
there and like Dylan was ready to shoot this dog he's like just give me an
excuse I had my knife on me I don't know if I would have been able to pull it
out in time so I still haven't mastered it yet but a dog might have gone to some
trouble I don't even know I'm bringing that up but anyway I just want to tell a
cool soul in story but anyway let's see Robert's 20 yeah it says every man will
proclaim his own goodness and people do that when you're out at the doors but
but people also do that in church I'm a good Christian or they act like they're
a good Christian on Facebook when their lives are wreck you know and that's
that's sad that people do that but it says but a faithful man who can find
it's God's word here but a faithful man who can find what does that say to you
it means that they're rare faithful men are hard to find it's rare that they're
faithful and look to be found faithful to be put in the ministry is even more
rare do you see just tons of pastors being turned out by our churches no
because there's not a lot of faithful men out there there's not a lot of men
that can meet the qualifications because we live in a wicked and perverse
generation and so most a lot of people have they'd probably have been a great
pastor had they not ruined their qualifications you know look I'm not
trying to beat anybody down that's messed up their qualifications but you
know we need faithful men and if you want to be a pastor you got to be a cut
above you got to be in the upper echelon of people in this church as far as what
your works are and how spiritual you are so you know that's a that's something to
strive towards that's something that you need if that's if that's you you want to
be a pastor someday or you want to be a full-time worker someday you need to
strive towards those qualifications now so number one was being found faithful
in the ministry number two this morning is faithful to God being found faithful
to God look at Luke chapter 16 so look we got to be faithful to God in our
lives we can't just be out for ourselves and how much money we're gonna make and
how nice of cars we're gonna have and how you know how great we're gonna do
at our jobs look I want you to do great at your jobs but if your job causes you
to sacrifice your spiritual life then you're you're not right with God I'm
just gonna say it right now if you're sacrificing your spiritual life for
money right now you're not right with God if you can't balance the balance and
you're never in church because you're not doing it because you just want to
work so much overtime or work all and make all this money then look that
you're not being spiritual that's the opposite of being spiritual let's look
at Luke chapter 6 16 verse 1 it says and he said unto his disciples there was a
certain rich man which had a steward and the same was accused unto him that he
had wasted his goods and he called him and said unto him how is it that I hear
this of thee given account of thy stewardship for thou mayest no longer be
steward were no longer be no longer steward excuse me so looked at and look
if you get tasked with a job at this church and you're not faithful in that
job you're you're gonna be no longer a steward also I don't you know look I
know I realize that people volunteer stuff here and things like that and I'm
kind of getting into a point that I'm gonna make here later but look if you
can't be faithful in the smallest things then how can I use you to do anything
else and so look at what it says in verse 3 says then the steward said
within himself what shall I do for my lord taketh away me from me the
stewardship I cannot dig to beg I'm ashamed you know this guy's like I'm not
gonna go out and dig trenches I'm not gonna be a utility worker I'm gonna be
you know and he said to beg I'm ashamed he's not he doesn't want to stand on the
street corner and say we'll work for food but also he's not gonna go do the
hard work he's a white-collar worker is what he's saying he's like I'm not gonna
do all this stuff I'm pushing pencils bro that's what my job is says then the
steward says I'm resolved what to do that when I am put out of the
stewardship they may receive me into their houses who's he talking about well
the people he's about to cut breaks to right now verse 5 so he called every
one of his Lord's debtors unto him and said unto the first how much O is thou
unto my Lord he said a hundred measures of oil and he said unto them take thy
bill and sit down and quickly write 50 so this guy is known as the unjust
steward so it's not what he's doing here is not right but we're talking about a
person that's not saved and they're trying to just save their own bacon it
says and he said uh-huh let's see verse 7 then said he had to another how much
or and how much O is thou and he said in hundred measures of wheat and he said
unto him take thy bill and write four score and the Lord commended the unjust
steward because he had done wisely for the children of this world are in their
generation wiser than the children of light and I say unto you make to
yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they
may receive you into everlasting habitations so he that is faithful and
that which is least is faithful also in much this is a principle in the Bible we
need to learn here okay if you're if you're faithful in the least then
you're also gonna be faithful in them and much so whatever task you have to do
here whatever you you've volunteered your time to do here with if you're
faithful in those things then guess what I'm gonna look at that I'm gonna go man
and I'm gonna pass someone on the back right now that probably gonna get
embarrassed about it but brother Temo you know what he comes here every week
and he takes the garbage out he makes sure the recycling is out and that's not
a very think worthy job but brother Temo thank you so much for being faithful in
that because I would have to drive 20 25 minutes every week and do that Temo said
well I'll say but it's by my house it's on the way home so he you know Temo does
work a lot of hours he does do a lot of hard work the Bible says let another man
praise you okay so I'm praising you right now Temo all right so brother
Temo is faithful in that job and guess what he's back there learning the video
stuff right now because you know what Temo has been faithful in a little bit
and you know Temo preaches whenever I ask him to I mean he's I don't think
he's ever said no to me unless it was maybe at the last second or something
but I can count on him to be faithful I can count on him to do the little tasks
that I've given him and now I want to put some more on him you know and that's
what I that's what I'm look I look I want to develop people in this church to
be spiritual juggernauts but if you're not faithful in just the little things
that I give you it's hard for me to to put more on you so am I saying no I'm
just gonna throw you in the trash because you failed to take out the trash
one time no I'm not gonna do that I want to still help you almost to develop you
I'm look I'm not gonna even demote you from that job you know it's a volunteer
job I realize that it's hard for me to I can't believe you didn't do the
baptistry this time because it's like these this is all volunteer work I
understand that and I'm not paying you to do these things but you know what who
do we ultimately work for anyway so when you're being faithful these things don't
look at it like I'm being faithful what Pastor Thompson told me to do being
faithful with something God entrusted me with okay so where was I at here so
verse 10 let's look at it again he that is faithful in that which is least is
faithful also in much and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in
much I'm not gonna take someone that's unjust or that that just doesn't do the
work in a small thing that I've given them and just continue to pile on more
stuff to them I'm gonna wait until they can actually get faithful in that one
thing and if they can't ever get faithful in that one thing it's really
difficult for me to use that person and it's gonna be very difficult for God
to use that person because who's this ultimately talking about who what is
that what is number two being faithful to God because ultimately that's who
we're trying to be faithful to look at verse 11 if therefore you have not been
faithful in the unrighteous mammon who will commit to your trust the true
riches so if you're not faithful just in your day-to-day life in the money that
God has given you I mean just think about this tithing if you're not even
faithful and tithing then how are you gonna be trusted with the true riches
God's the one that gave you that money God's the one that said hey you know
give back the tenth give back the tithe and look I don't preach about tithing a
lot but I always have to say that because people start getting mad as soon
as you start preach about tithing but that was the Old Testament really well
then how do you think we run New Testament churches I don't I don't
remember the the tithe being taken away in the New Testament but anyway it says
who will commit to you the true riches what are the true riches the riches of
the kingdom of God you know the riches and rewards that we're gonna get in
heaven and even the riches of just running things in a church I mean just
think about the you might think that you have a thankless job but of whatever you
do here I'm sure you know I don't I can't remember how many times I've asked
or told Timo thank you for that I probably told him a few times but I'm
thanking him publicly right now because I appreciate it and I do remember things
like that maybe I don't say it enough of how great of a job everybody does in
this church and how much people help I really appreciate it because I can't do
it all by myself that's just a fact so but but I'm just trying to tell you if
you're given a task to do something please be faithful in that task because
ultimately you're supposed to be pleasing God not me it says and if if
thou has been faithful in that which is another man if and if excuse me what
verse 12 and if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's
who shall give you that which is your own so that's I mean I would just apply
that to work even like if you can't be faithful working for someone else how
are you gonna start your own business you know how are you gonna if you can't
be faithful on something that God has entrusted you with how are you gonna be
faithful with the things that you have you're just not that's the lesson he's
trying to tell you so look at verse 13 no servant can serve two masters for
either he'll hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one
and despise the other you cannot serve God and mammon and so mammon is
basically just like materialism but it mammon it could be money it could be
boats it could be cars it could be whatever else you want but the Bible
says right here you cannot serve God and mammon you can't you can't serve the
Lord and your own whatever lust you have in this world that we can't do that see
the opposite has to be done we have to be faithful in the things that God has
entrusted us with and then he's gonna give us the riches you understand that
look turn to Luke chapter 12 verse 15 Luke chapter 12 verse 15
Luke chapter 12 verse 15 the Bible says and he said unto them take heed and
beware of covetousness for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth let's read that again take heed beware of
covetousness what is covetousness wanting things that other people have
wanting something that you might you shouldn't you shouldn't want a man's
life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth whatever
that is you know that's not what our life should all be about
ok verse 16 and it says and he spake a parable unto them saying the ground of a
certain rich man brought forth plentifully and he thought within
himself saying what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits
and he said this will I do I will pull down my barns and I will build greater
and there I'll bestow all my fruits and my goods so to me this guy he already
has enough he already has all that he needs he's about to retire and he's got
all this stuff and it says in verse 19 and I will say to my soul soul tells me
how prideful the guy is thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine
knees eat drink and be merry he's just like this all he's caring about is the
things of this world the things of this life but look at what God says God's angry
about this it says but God said unto him thou fool this night thy soul shall be
required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided what
what good is it that you've got all this the Bible says what good is that you
should gain the whole world and lose your own soul but what good is it God
says you know what you you have this wicked idea in your heart to just just
eat drink and be merry and have an easy life and you're building you're pulling
your barns down and building bigger he said they'll fool this night thy soul
shall be required of thee and whose things shall these be the hat that thou
has provided so is he the layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich
toward God that's not talking about just giving money to God it's talking about
just being rich in general towards God caring about the things of God who
should we be faithful to we should be fit faithful to the things of God not
the things in our pocketbook not the bank account not how much money you're
about to retire with and where I work it's a big deal that people talk about
retirement all the time how much retire how much are you putting in I'm not
putting in Jack Dibley squat you know why because I don't like playing the
stock market now I just I feel like that's gambling my money so I don't sit
there and put dump a bunch of money I mean my work provides money and puts
that in there but I can't stop them from doing that be nice that they just add it
to my paycheck right now that'd be cool but look what it says and he said under
his disciples therefore I say it to you verse 22 take no thought for your life
what you shall eat neither for the body what you shall put on the life is more
than meat and the body is more than raiment consider the Ravens for they
neither sow nor reap which neither have storehouse nor barn and God feed at them
how much more are you better than the fowls and yes we're better than birds
in which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit if you then
be not able to do the things which is least why take ye thought for the rest
consider the lilies how they grow they toil not they spin not and yet I say
unto you that Solomon and all his glory was not arrayed like one of these if
then God so clothed the grass which is today in the field and tomorrow it is
cast in the oven how much more will he clothe ye are you oh ye of little faith
so God's gonna provide for your food God's gonna provide for your clothing
why are you worried about these things it says and seek not that what she shall
eat or what you shall drink neither be of a doubtful mind for all these things
do the nations of the world seek after this is what the world seeks after this
is what the Gentiles seek after in another parallel passage and your father
knoweth that you have needed these things and you know what God's promised
to take care of us so what are you so worried about but rather seek ye the
kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you fear not little
flock for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom God
look God wants to give you the kingdom but you know what you got to do you got
to seek the kingdom of God first and his righteousness and then all these things
will be added unto you see if you're doing it in reverse order I just want to
get rich I want to build my barns I want to I want to have all this stuff and
then when I have all this stuff that I can sit back and kick back and have my
ease and say eat drink and be married I'm just gonna still sit and chill and
retire I'm gonna go to Hawaii for six months of the year then the other half
I'm gonna you know be here whatever that's not what God wants for your life
do you understand that we only have one life to live here our life is like a
vapor yeah so if you're caught up in materialism you're caught up in money
you know you should be caught up in putting God first and then God if you if
he desires he's gonna give you all the things that you want
David never saw the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread so you
know God is gonna take care of us number one we need to be faithful in the
ministry number two we need to be faithful to God number three is last my
last point I'll try to get through it quickly is being we need to be faithful
in our works in our works and now what I'm talking about is our good works in
church so I'm still gonna be harping on you about that but then I'm gonna go and
about what our vocation should be like so let's turn to Colossians chapter 3
verse 23 Colossians chapter 3 verse 23 the Bible says in verse 23 and
whatsoever you do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men see this is
another motivation that men have that and and women that we want people to see
our good works we want people to see those things we want people to see how
hard of a worker we are so there's some people that just will work hard when the
boss is around have you ever seen those guys I hate that you know I like to be
caught working I used to be my boss would come up and they have this GPS and
they'll come up and just surprise you wherever you're at and it's like all
these times in a row I'm just like oh hey you caught me working good you know
and so because he's trying to sneak up on us right so I want to be caught
working I don't want to be caught you know playing some video game on my
cell phone or something but some people that's all they care about is what
people perceive them as why don't you have some integrity in your heart and
and what and want God to see you for what you are and want other men to see
you for what you really are and if what you really are sucks and you need to
change it right so it says you know whatsoever you do do it heartily as to
the Lord and not unto men knowing that the Lord of the Lord he shall receive
the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ who's our who's
our master the Lord Christ you know and the Bible says knowing that the of the
Lord he shall receive the reward of the inheritance that's what I was talking
about in the previous scriptures right is that you know the true riches are the
kingdom the true riches are the souls that we're gonna be able to see in
heaven and say and they're gonna be able to walk up to us we won't even probably
remember them and they'll be like Justin thank you for coming to my door that day
thank you for knocking on my door thank you for caring thank you for kind of
yelling at me and getting getting me so I because sometimes like you gotta you
gotta learn to you know you gotta be nice to people the door but sometimes
you gotta just tell them straight and I know Justin does that when he goes and
knocks on people's doors but some people need to be scared straight some
say with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by
the flesh sometimes we've got to scare people with fear again to get them saved
but I want God to look at me and say hey you know I'm gonna give you the true
rewards because you were faithful in the little things that I gave you here on
earth so Ephesians chapter 2 turn to Ephesians chapter 2 I'm really trying
hard to stay within my confines today
well we got ten more pages to go I'm just joking Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10
for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God
hath before ordained that we should walk in them so God has given us we're the
when he created us a new creature that new creature is supposed to be going out
and doing good works he created us unto good works now when we explain the
gospel sometimes people get the idea that we're saying hey just get saved
right now and live your life however you want really so you know whatever I want
is walking three miles yesterday in the hot sun when nobody's answering and
talking to us and so that means that you're just knocking more doors or
walking further and further is that is that whatever I want I mean do you think
that's whatever I wanted to do because look let's just face it sometimes so
when it's hard there's sometimes when you knock the first door that person
gets saved you knock a couple doors down that person gets saved that's a nice so
winning day that's an easy soul winning day that's like whoo but you know what
yesterday when I got home on my back hurt from walking on the concrete for
two and a half straight hours that wasn't exactly what I wanted to do but I
did it get into some adventures I was happy about that I got into you know I
hopefully turned someone's heart towards the Lord about racism I'll talk about
that tonight but we had a black lady answer the door and told us that the
Bible says that all black people are ugly I'll talk about that tonight you
just so you better be here tonight so I talk about that but anyway it's just a
little juicy tidbit for later but anyway look we should the Bible says we are his
workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works and God's ordained us that we
should walk in them what are your duties as a Christian what are your duties what
should we be doing well you know that could be a whole nother sermon actually
so I'm not gonna you know just think about what your duties are at this
church think about what God expects you to do as a Christian think about what
God expects you to be like as a father as a husband as a wife you know what
does God expect from us he expects a lot I mean that's a big topic isn't it what
are your duties as a Christian that could be at my next sermon series what
are your duties as a Christian well think about those things how about this
what are your responsibilities here at this church what are you responsible for
what is in God what is God enabled you to do at this church because you know
back in that verse I just showed you in 1st Timothy where was it that says that
he enabled me where is it
in the wrong spot I have another senior moment all right yeah 1st Timothy 1 12
it says I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted
me faithful put him in the ministry look God is enabling every single person
in this room to work for him and get rewards and he wants everybody to walk
in good works and to do good works the thing that he created us to do and so
but what about this question have you been faithful in those things have you
been faithful in the responsibilities that you have in this church have you
been responsible for the things that God expects you to do as a Christian what
about the ushers if you're an usher here are you being responsible in the things
that you're supposed to be doing you know when someone walks into the into
the church service late are you getting up and sitting that person are you
wearing your usher badge today it's getting quiet in here ushers did you
remember to print out the page that need to be printed out that's me but you
know and every once in a while we all have to be reminded of what our duties
are and things like that I understand that but I mean what what whatever your
responsibility is you should be doing it with all your might and all you know if
you're responsible so people are counting on you like if I'm right in
the middle of writing a sermon then I have to like say who's doing soul
winning tomorrow because I'm sitting there fretting about it because there's
people that weren't aren't here that that needed to pass it down to somebody
else and it's not passed down yet or nobody's receiving that message and you
know I I just I know it's it's it's volunteer work but if something's our
biggest day if we don't have people ready to go soul and ready to lead then
we're gonna be in trouble so you know and those are just things that you
should think about like what task have I been responsible am I responsible for
am I doing those tasks to the best of my ability so many leaders so I need you to
make maps I need you to be responsible and and and and know where to go and how
to lead people make sure you have invitations things like that and again
we all fail sometimes and forget things not talking about that how about people
that are in the cleaning ministry I mean have you just been clean on the cleaning
ministry one day and then the next day you're just not on it and nobody knows
where you went I mean I've thought many times I was just hiring someone to be
the cleaning person here just so it's not a headache for me and I'm not mad
at you or anything like that I just when someone says hey I'm gonna be here every
other week or whatever then they're never there or they just stop coming and
it's like nobody noticed I'm gonna head out you know I mean we need to be
responsible for the things that we say that we're gonna do but God expects you
to fulfill your duties if that's something and if you can't do it anymore
then just come say something but like just to dip out without ever saying
anything that's not something that I think God would be pleased with how about
making bulletins Ryland no stepping on some toes today I beat him up every week
about it he's doing a great job actually now that I've beat him up from the
pulpit a few times he's he's done great look it looks nice doesn't it I think it
looks good anyway he's doing a good job but see and that's part of training you
know you're not always gonna be excellent at everything you do right at
the beginning but he's doing a great job I'm happy with that video ministry we
need look anybody that's whatever you're doing here we need you to be here and be
responsible for the tasks that you're doing okay and I look I'm not trying to
beat people up today I just want to remind you that we should be doing our
best when it comes to the things that we've been tasked with at church and if
you can't fulfill those tasks and just say hey you know what I can't do this
anymore or whatever but if you if it's your responsibility to be somewhere at a
certain time you can't just call like five minutes before so I'm just talking
about make it today you know so or if like one of the rules where we were
preaching in the assisted living ministry was if you can't preach that
week if it's your week to preach you got like six or seven weeks where that
you're not preaching then find someone to fulfill your spot and do it in a
timely manner so that people have time to think about it you know Robert a
couple times was just stiffed you know having to preach himself after he wasn't
expecting to do that and I was one of the ones that did it to him I'll just
flat-out admit it I just forgot like I like I met I screwed up and I felt
really bad about it but he covered for me but like I he shouldn't have to do
that he shouldn't have to put up with that from his pastor you know it's just
wicked I'm look I'm not up here saying I'm any better there's things I slip in
too but I'm just trying to help us today to just like let's get spiritual let's
stay spiritual let's be responsible and let's work for God as if you know
everything depends on it because it kind of does because there's a lot of
churches aren't doing anything and so when our church is doing something we
need the people that are doing something to be responsible and be there for it
all right so our minutes our music ministry hey don't show up two minutes
before the service and you know people can't count on you or after the service
look if you're supposed to be here playing the piano or leading songs
please be here in a timely manner where we can get things going okay and you
know being faithful is an attribute that God requires to bless you even bit with
bigger and better things like we talked it like I've talked about in the sermon
so as far as working outside of the church turn to Ephesians chapter 6
Ephesians chapter 6 I'm just gonna start reading because I'm almost out of time
servants be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh with
fear and trembling and singleness of your heart as unto Christ not with eye
service as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God
from the heart with God with good with excuse me with goodwill doing service as
to the Lord and not to men knowing that whatsoever good thing any man do it the
same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free and he
masters do the same things unto them forbearing threatening knowing that your
master also is in heaven neither is there respect of persons with him so you
know when I'm threatening Ryland on the job site he gets tired of it but no it's
seriously I mean if you're someone that's in charge of people and you're
just treating people like dirt all the time you know you've got to reign
yourself in I've had to reign myself in a little bit too so you know look I'm
preaching to myself here so we got a rant we got about a reign ourselves and
be patient with people and things like that but also we're not supposed to do
things like I said as men pleasers be but as servants of Christ doing the will
of God from the heart you're working if you wherever you work at whatever your
job is been outside of this building whatever your secular job is look think
about it this way you're not working for that person only you are working for
them but the higher power that you're working for is God and he sees the 25
minute breaks that you take he sees that you didn't put all your effort into some
tasks that you were asked to do he sees that maybe you were looking on the
internet when you're supposed to be working he sees that you're sloughing
off and not working as hard as you could he sees when you just randomly calling
sick all the time for no reason he sees that you know he sees all this stuff so
we need to understand who we're working for now ladies it's a different story
you're supposed to be working at home so first Timothy chapter 5 verse 14 for
symmetry first Timothy 5 chapter 14 or first Timothy 5 verse 14 so what God's
will for a woman is to marry their children guide the house that's what it
says right here I will therefore that the younger women marry their children
guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully see
husbands they go out to work and you know the wives are supposed to stay
home that's what the Bible teaches okay so you can get mad about that all you
want but that's what the Bible teaches so that's your job make it a real job
isn't it a real job and look women actually work a lot harder than men do
in a lot of ways they're the ones up with the baby in the middle of the night
while you're snoozing away and you know taking care of the children 24-7 while
you get to rest but also on the other foot you know some the guys need to get
their sleep so they can go out and work you know if you work some kind of crazy
job where it's like cars are whizzing past you or maybe if you didn't get
enough sleep you're gonna drill something through your hand or you know
things like that I mean we do need to get our beauty sleep right guys but but
ladies you have a job to do too and playing on Facebook all day is not part
of that job now I'm not saying that you know you can't be on Facebook I'm just
saying if you have got a bunch of littles running around that's all
you're doing is playing on Facebook then you're not doing your job God's gonna
look at you and he's gonna go that lady is not being faithful in her job right
so we need to understand that we all have our roles to play and we need to
stay in our own lanes right guys are supposed to go out to work and bring
home the bacon and pay the bills and leave the home and we have great
responsibility you know when God looks down when our families a wreck you know
who God blames he blames the man as we've learned in Genesis chapter 1 2 & 3
okay we he looks at us and he holds us responsible for it we have a great
responsibility but ladies your responsibility to guide the home is just
as important because you're the one with the kids all day you're the one training
them up most of the time at home when we get home we're the ones that get the
spankings right which that isn't always the greatest thing to walk into either
do you know what your kids did spank them right now it's like I just walked
in the door can I like take my shoes off first can I get on Facebook for a little
while you gotta bring me this right I walk in the door like well give your
husband 20 minutes to not kick his feet off before you hand him the screaming
baby okay hi honey I'm everybody needs to defrag right Titus chapter 2 verse 5
says to be discreet chase keepers at home obedient to their own husbands and
look when I marry people I say to to honor and obey that's part of the you
know don't roll your eyes back there mrs. Thompson just cuz it's your birthday
honor and obey obey that means when the husband tells you to do something that's
what you should do don't sit there and give me this garbage this feminist
garbage of 2020 I'm not saying that you're supposed they're supposed to be
your footstool okay men don't get me mixed up we all have our roles to play
but look when the husband says hey we're going to this church that's what church
you go to if your husband says hey we're gonna have Bible reading time tonight
that's what you're gonna do if your husband says hey I want you to get up
and cook breakfast for me in the morning you should probably do that or cook it
the night before you know you can zap in the microwave I'm good with that but if
I have no breakfast to go to work with I'm not a happy camper gonna tell you
that right now if you're keeping the home that means feeding your husband
when you're when your husband comes home it should not be to a house that doesn't
smell like savory meat it should smell like savory meat or savory noodles with
meat in them but why because it says the word we're obedient and you know
you're not supposed to be obedient to other people's husbands I don't know
where these cuckoos get this idea that every man every woman should obey every
man no matter what that's the stupidest doctrine and usually it's spiritual
teenage punks that that have that doctrine for some weird reason like they
take a verse like like these verses and say you're my footstool you obey yeah
see how long that lasts how long your marriage lasts when you act like that
when you act like a horse's rear end all the time if you're just all and you're
never loving look the Bible says we're supposed to love our wives and so loving
your wife isn't treating them like your footstool but again the woman is
supposed to obey the husband see husbands like respect husbands want
respect you don't want to be a Rodney Dangerfield husband no respect right
got no respect at home respect your husband's obey your husband's do what's
right you know if they ask you to do something do it but husbands you should
also love your wives all right I'm done let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you
Lord so much God for the scriptures and Lord there's just so much that we need
to be faithful in Lord and and thank you for reminding us this morning of those
things through the Bible and I pray that each and every person here represented
would think about the things that they're responsible for and Lord answer
themselves the question of whether or not they're fulfilling that faithfulness
to you to their family to their church Lord I pray you'd help us today and help
us to get those things right that are lacking in our lives Jesus name we pray
amen
all right our last song be song number 34 I know that my redeemer liveth