Well, again, this evening, in
the absence of our pastor, we want to welcome our dear brother,
Bob Coffey, the elder of 13th Street Baptist Church in Ashland,
Kentucky, to be with us. It's such a gracious thing for
him to come up and fill in for our pastor. I know we can hear
the gospel once again because God's richly blessed him. And
I want God to be with you this evening, Bob. You come up, preach
as the Lord leads you. Turn with me tonight now to Revelation
chapter nineteen again, the portion of Scripture that Brother Terry
read in Revelation nineteen. Someday, when the people of God,
the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, someday when we're taken
up to meet our Lord face to face, oh, that will be a glorious day,
won't it? But you know, perhaps the first
thing that we'll realize, perhaps the first name by which we'll
know our Lord when we see Him face to face, And there, it will
take eternity, I mean there's infinite eternity is not long
enough for us to learn all the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But John here writing about the revelation, that is the revelation
of Christ to him, it's interesting to me the first, when he first
saw Christ here, the name by which he called Christ. You know,
in that moment when we see him face to face and faith gives
way to reality, we do understand there will come a day when what
we believe to be so, we will really see is so. And when that
faith gives way to reality, you know the first thing John said
he realized here, who the Lord Jesus Christ was? He was faithful. John found out in the, as it
were, the twinkling of an eye, that all that the Lord Jesus
Christ said he would do, he had done. All that the Lord Jesus
Christ had promised, it was so. Do you see here in verse eleven
of Revelation nineteen, this is Christ whom John is talking
about here, because you see in verse thirteen he says, His name
is called the Word of God. That must be Christ. And you
see in verse 15, it says in the, at the end of verse 15, that
this one had treaded the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath
of Almighty God. That must be Christ at Calvary.
And then verse 16, all doubts removed. It says in all capital
letters, it says, this is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
But you see back in verse 11, when he first saw him, what do
you see? says, And I saw heaven opened, and, behold, a white
horse. And he that sat upon him was called Faithful." Faithful. And that's capital F in my Bible.
Is it in yours? That means it's a title. That
means it's his name. You see, not only will we find
out that Christ has been faithful and that he always will be faithful,
we'll find out that this is who he is. He is faithful. That's his name. And I want tonight
for you to see five ways that Christ is faithful. Now, he's
faithful in everything and in all ways, because he is faithful.
But I want you to see five specific things from the Scriptures. Turn
first to Isaiah 49. Isaiah chapter 49. And I want
you to see that Christ is faithful to choose his people. and specifically
that Christ is faithful to choose you. If you're one of his own,
it's because he was faithful to choose you. Look, in Isaiah 49, verse 7,
we read, Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his
Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhorreth,
to a servant of rulers. Kings shall see and arise, princes
also shall worship. because of the Lord that is faithful,
and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee." The one
who's called faithful, he shall choose thee. That's proof of
his faithfulness, is that he shall choose you. And let me
illustrate this this way. I don't know how long it's been
since any of you bought a car. It doesn't have to be a new car.
It can be any car. But if you go down and make a
deal to buy a car, Let me ask you this. How long do you want
to wait before the fella gives you the keys and you get in and
drive it off? How about an hour and a half?
That's about as long as we can stand it, isn't it? It may take
all day. Maybe a couple days. Let me ask
you this. Would you wait a week for that car? You might. My guess is in a couple of weeks.
You know what you'd say? Forget this. Forget this deal. Would you wait six months for
that car? Would you wait six years for that car? Would you
wait 60 years for a car? Say, that's ridiculous. I tell
him to forget it. Do you have any idea how long
the Lord Jesus Christ has waited for his purchase? Do you know
before the foundation of the world, he chose the people? And
he's been faithful to that choosing. He chose it, and not only that,
he paid for it. He's already paid for them. You understand?
He's paid for those he chose. Some 2,000 years ago, he paid
for us. That's faithfulness. That's faithfulness. And the reason is because he
is faithful. Now, I want you to see, secondly,
turn to 1 Corinthians 1. Christ is not only faithful to
choose a people, but he's also faithful to call them. to call
them look at first Corinthians one. First Corinthians chapter
one. Years you're finding first Corinthians
one let me read you a scripture in second Thessalonians which
says faithful is he that call if you who also will do it he
will call you if he was faithful to choose you he will call you
he'll be faithful to do that too and look at first Corinthians
one verse nine God is faithful by whom you were called unto
the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, by our Lord." And I think
the best way to illustrate this to you is this way. If you're
children, I bet you that Dan can tell us something about this.
I know that when my children, especially when they're young,
and honestly, my 13-year-old is still this way. If you say,
sure, you can go out and play. Do you know when he comes home?
When I go get him. Not one minute before. I can't
remember when he ever came home of his own volition. I had to
go call him. You just got to go get him. How
long is enough time to be gone? All the time there is. How much
ever it is until you say, come home. Do you know when Adam,
when Adam fell in the garden, God Almighty sent him out. Didn't
he? He sent him out and he set flaming
swords of fire that he might not come back in. But do you
know how, when Adam went out like that, do you know the only
way that he's ever going to come back in? God Almighty calls him. He calls you in. That's the only
way you and I'll come back. The awful thing about it is,
Adam was content to be out there. And us as the sons of Adam, we're
content to be out there playing. It suits us just fine. I'm glad
he calls us. You know, I'm glad he calls us
in to supper. Aren't you? Mine wouldn't come
home and eat sometimes, I think. But I'm glad he sets a table
on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. In fact, any
time you're hungry, just pick up the feast. It's spread before
us any time and every time. Then I want you to look at 1
John 1, and I want you to see the third thing. Christ is faithful
to choose a people, and he's also faithful to call those people. And I want you to see in 1 John
chapter 1 here that Christ is faithful to forgive us and to
cleanse us. Now I want to illustrate this
in this fashion. Usually when my children go out
to play, my boy especially, you know how he comes in? I mean, mom could just heat up
that washing machine because she's going to eat it. When he
goes out, he gets filthy every time. It's just his nature. And
he loves it. So, I mean, if he didn't get
to roll around the dirt some, it wasn't a good time. It just
wasn't any fun. You know, when Adam left the
garden and went out in this world, he was already filthy and you
and I in him. And so we're going to stay filthy
unless somebody calls us in. and cleans us up. And look here
in 1 John 1, verse 9. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful. What's he faithful to do? He's
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. Now, isn't that good news? You
see, by dying at Calvary, Christ was able to put away our sin.
He was, God can be just and justify the ungodly that way, because
Christ has taken the punishment that we're due for our sin at
Calvary, and therefore he can be faithful to forgive us and
to cleanse us from all sin. Christ, you see, set his heart
like a flint to go to Calvary to cleanse his people. And you
know where our sin is now? It's gone. It's all gone. Now
let me show you the fourth thing. Turn to 2 Thessalonians 3. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. I've told you that the Lord Jesus
Christ is faithful to choose his people, to call them and
to cleanse them, but he's also faithful to give us what we need,
which is a righteousness before God. He's faithful to give us
his righteousness. You look at 2 Thessalonians chapter
3, verse 3. It says, But the Lord is faithful.
Who shall stablish you and keep you from all evil? You know,
it's stablish means there. To establish someone means to
give them a righteousness. It's if if I if I put up here
a trap door. And said, Stan, jump up here.
He jumped up here right through the floor with me. That wouldn't
be establishing him with it. But I tell you what. If I put
a steel cover over that door and said, stand, jump up here,
he can jump on all day and all night. And he's honest. He's
established. He's on firm footing. If we have the righteousness
of Christ, we're established in God's presence. Do we see
that? And it says here he's faithful
to establish us. And that means he can keep us.
Now, listen to this a minute. Do you know something? Do you
know the reason that we can't or don't keep things? Now, listen
to this. The reason we Can't keep some
things, especially is that if they're not hours. You know that
if a man steals something and gives it to you, Stan, if the
police come to your house, they can take it away from you, even
though you paid demand for it or it was given to you. It's
stolen property and you're not entitled to it. It's not yours.
You cannot keep it. They can take it from you. Well,
you know that the Lord Jesus Christ, he can keep us. You know
why we're his. We're his. He made us, he chose
us, he called us, and he paid for us. We're his. Second thing
is, the reason we don't keep things sometimes is because they're
filthy. I just wonder in the nursery
downstairs if y'all get a dirty diaper. Do y'all have a closet
where you keep all those? Oh, you say, disgusting. Oh,
we don't keep filthy things, do we? Do you know that's why
the Lord Jesus Christ can keep us? We're not filthy anymore.
Remember, he's faithful to cleanse us from all our sin. He can keep
us, can't he? And the third reason that you
don't keep things, OK, is if they're worthless. How many of
you have a have a big have a big box of dirt somewhere in your
house and you're just saving that for a rainy day? That's
ridiculous. We don't save dirt. Got a whole
backyard full of it. That's ridiculous, isn't it?
That's because it's worthless, isn't it? Well, I'll tell you
what. You know why the Lord Jesus Christ
can keep us? We're not worthless anymore. He's given us his righteousness. He's made us his special jewels,
hasn't he? We're a treasure in God's eyes
because we're established we've been given a righteousness. And
he's faithful to do that. Do we see that? Christ keeps
us, we're His, we're cleansed, and we're perfect. And then the
fifth thing, turn to Hebrews chapter 2 with me. Hebrews chapter
2, and I want us to see that Christ not only chooses us and
calls us, cleanses us and keeps us, but I want you to see in
Hebrews 2 here that Christ is now our High Priest interceding
for His people. He sits on his throne in glory,
waiting till his enemies be made his footstool, and he's watching
over his own till he comes again. Look at Hebrews 2, verse 17. We read, Wherefore, in all things
it behooved Christ to be made like unto his brethren. Now,
why did Christ have to be made like his brethren? Well, if he
was going to establish a righteousness, and if he was going to pay for
my sin, he had to be a man. So God had to become a man. He
had to become just like us. to accomplish that. So it behooved
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful, a faithful, faithful, faithful high priest
in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the
sins of his people. Let me tell you something, folks.
It's not enough. You say it's not enough that
Christ died at Calvary to put away our sins. It's not enough
that Christ lived for thirty-three years perfectly to establish
a righteousness to give us. That's not enough. No, it's not.
It's not enough. Here's why. Here's the point
I'm making. The high priest The high priest, would it have been
enough if he got a perfect lamb? Would it have been enough if
he had put on all the right paraphernalia? Would it have been enough if
he washed and did all of those things he was supposed to do,
but never went into the Holy of Holies? No. An acceptable
sacrifice, an atonement, a substitution is only made In the Holy of Holies,
Jesus Christ had to be faithful to be to live righteously and
establish their righteousness to die of Calvary. But he had
to be buried and rise again and go into God Almighty's presence
on our behalf. He had to be faithful to do that.
And it says here, it says right here, I just read it. That he's
a faithful high priest on in things pertaining to God Almighty.
Do you see that Jesus Christ assures our redemption, because
he sits now on the right hand of God Almighty. And nobody's
going to question whether or not, if something happens to
Henry tonight, something happens to me on the way to Fredericksburg,
Nobody can question my right standing before God Almighty,
because Jesus Christ has said, I'm sitting right here. He's
mine. I called him. I chose him. I gave him a righteousness. I put away his sin, and I'm telling
you right now, he's mine. He's mine. I died for him. I live for him. I'm his substitute. You see, he's faithful. He's
right there now. And that's our hope. There's
a man in glory. Do you understand that? There's a man up there.
And if there's one man up there, there's hope another one's going
to get up there. That's the hope you and I have, that you and
I might someday go into God's presence. Because there's one
man there now already we know, don't we? That Jesus Christ,
who is faithful, is our high priest to go into the holy of
holies for us. If you and I lived back then,
we couldn't have gone into the holy of holies, could we? No,
every fellow who tried, they had this hook. They got him around
the ankles and drug him out under the veil because he couldn't
do it. He was not a high priest. Christ
is our high priest, and he's faithful to do for us what needs
to be done. Having said all that, let me
tell you something else. Christ is faithful. He's been
faithful. Someday we'll see how faithful
he's been. You and I as a people of God, we have a responsibility
to also be faithful. Turn over to 1 Corinthians 4.
As God's people and as God's church, a body of believers,
we have a great responsibility. In 1 Corinthians 4, as individual
believers and as a church, there's only one requirement, really,
of us. And this is interesting. I don't know if you've ever noticed
this or not. There's only one requirement. as a body of believers
and as individual believers. It says it quite plainly here
in First Corinthians four. Look at verse one. It says, Let
a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and stewards
of the mysteries of God. Your pastor is spoken of here
as a minister of Christ, and you are spoken of as stewards
of the mysteries of God. If he's revealed the gospel to
you, he's revealed the mysteries to you. Some folks want to make
it more complicated than that, but it's not. If we know Christ,
we've got a hold of all the mysteries. We understand in part, and we
will someday in full, but we've got the mystery. It's talking
about us here. Verse 2, "...Moreover, it is
required in the stewards," now, folks, this is talking to you
and me. This is what's required of us. And what is it? "...that
a man be found faithful." Now, that's pretty plain, isn't it?
That's the only requirement I find, is you and I. Be faithful. Be
faithful. As a pastor and a people, we
must be faithful, faithful to Christ and the gospel. Turn over
to Matthew 24, and let me show you the difference between real
happiness, eternal happiness and happiness in this life, and
misery. I can show you plainly here in
the Scriptures in Matthew 24 the difference between joy in
this life and misery in this life. In Matthew 24, Look at
verse 42. Our Lord here is teaching. Our
Lord Himself is teaching the people, and He's teaching them,
you want to be happy, you want to have some joy in this life.
Verse 42, He says, "...watch therefore, for you know not what
hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good
man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come,
he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to
be broken up." Therefore, be ye also ready, for in such an
hour as ye think not, the Son of Man is coming, who then is
a faithful and wise servant," and here's what the answer to
that is, "...whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household,
to give them meat in due season." Do you know what a faithful pastor's
responsibility is? Preach the Word. Feed the sheep. That's what it says here. Give
them meat in due season. And I'll tell you, that's the
only requirement on your pastor. And I know he's much more than
that to you, but his number one priority, listen, it's not to
come see you when you're in the hospital. It's not to come drink
coffee with you in the morning. And he may do that, and that's
fine if he's got time. I'll tell you what, it's not
to earn himself a living. It's to preach the gospel to
you, because that's the only thing you require. Verse 46,
blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall
find so doing. I know why this church is prospering.
I really do. I know why it's prospering. Your
pastor is faithful to preach the gospel to you. It's just
that simple. If a man will do that, God will bless him. If
a people are faithful to come hear that pastor, he'll bless
them. He surely will. And look just across the page
at Matthew 25, verse 22. He also that had received two
talents came and said, Lord, thou deliverest unto me two talents.
Behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His Lord
said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant. Thou hast
been faithful over a few things. I'll make thee ruler over many
things. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord." Want some of the
joy of the Lord? Be a faithful servant. Just be faithful. Be
faithful. He doesn't say in here that it's
required of you folks to go out here. and have a hard converse
this year, then say that doesn't. Just be faithful over the gospel.
It isn't your pastor's not not depressed that you haven't had
a hundred new members since he got here. Not at all. No, he's
his whole responsibility to preach the gospel. But I said the standard.
That's what it's amazing. What a nice crowd y'all had this
morning. A lot of people here in this And I said, you probably
don't notice it because you're here all the time. But, you know,
I come back to this every so many months. And when I come
back, I see growth here. That's not only growth in numbers,
which, you know, that's it. We pray God will send that. But
we see growth in grace. I mean, it's hard for me to believe
you're getting more gracious than you are. Every time I come,
it seems like you are. That's because he's rewarding
faithfulness. Faithfulness, that one thing
you require. Be faithful over a few small
things, and you'll make your ruler over many. Let me give
you three specific things, and then I'll close. Just three specific
things. Turn to Titus 1. As members of the body of Christ,
as members in this fellowship, there are three things that all
believers ought to be faithful in. Number one is to be faithful
to your pastor. God has given you. After after
the Lord reveals himself to people, the greatest gift that God can
give any people is a faithful pastor. Now, that's just so. And he's not sent you just any
man. He sent you the man. He sent
you the man. He surely did. A man approved
of God. and my scriptural description,
and I can say that on the authority of God's Word. You look at Titus
one verse five, and it says here. For this cause left by the in
Crete that thou should have set in order the things that are
wanting and ordain elders in every city as I had appointed
thee. If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful
children, not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must
be blameless as the steward of God, not self-willed, not so
angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy
lucre, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just,
holy temperate, holding fast the faithful word." Do you see
that? That sums it all up. Holding fast the faithful word
as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine
both to exhort you and to convince the gainsayers. on the authority
of God's Word, that's the man you got. God Almighty wrote this
description, and then he sent you him. What a blessing. Do you know how many folks don't
have this man? How many folks don't have any man? Not even
close to this description. God Almighty sent you one. Sent
me one. I'm so thankful. What a blessing. God Almighty sends a faithful
pastor. And we need to be faithful to
our pastors in that sense. Do you know why your pastor came
here? He couldn't do anything else
but come here. God Almighty shut him up to that. You didn't have
the opportunity I did to see Paul come through being an engineer
in a railroad and how God Almighty first gave him some gifts to
preach and to teach some and to come along and how he went
up to Cottageville for a long time and he was so faithful in
what he did and you didn't see what he came through. There was
no doubt in my mind when he came over here, there wasn't anything
else he could do. God Almighty said, you're going.
And he came rejoicing. Don't misunderstand me. But the
point is, God Almighty has given the description of a faithful
pastor, made that man for you, and then he shut him up to you.
He couldn't do anything else. Look at Colossians chapter one
with me. And how did this happen? How
did all this happen between you and your pastor? Do you know
what it's called? I got married, got married, you
know, by getting married, don't you? Yeah, you got betrothed. You got wed. And the reason is
it fits that description is that's the picture of God Almighty and
his church, Christ and his church. That's they're married. They're
one. We're one in Christ. And look
at Colossians one verse five here. For the hope which is laid
up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of
the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you, as it is in
all the world." God Almighty does have a witness in all the
world. a faithful minister Oh, what a blessing! And he made
that man to where he couldn't go anywhere else. And turn over
to Colossians 4 with me, because over and over in God's
Word, His true ministers are called faithful. You see in Colossians
4, verse 7, "...all my state shall Tychicus declare unto you,
who is a beloved and a faithful minister and fellow servant in
the Lord, whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that
he might know your estate and comfort your hearts." That's
what a faithful pastor does, too, when he preaches the Word,
is he comforts your hearts and he knows your estate. Look here at, you're in Colossians 4, stay
right there. Let me tell you some specific
things. You want to be faithful to your pastor? Everybody here
tonight doesn't need to hear this, because you're already
here. And if you want to be faithful,
be here. Be here. There is nothing... How much
money does it require? None. Maybe you don't have the
gas to get here? Call somebody and have them pick
you up. But I'm telling you, there is no greater outpouring
of faithfulness to your pastor than to be here. That's the most
that's that's the most faithful thing you can do is be here and
to in attendance and in study of the word, be faithful, be
faithful in prayer. You know what? You know, we all
read about Charles Spurgeon preaching to five thousand in London. Don't
we think, wow, we what have that? You know what Spurgeon said?
He said that he gave more credit to the men who met in the basement
of that tabernacle and prayed that God Almighty would bless
him and the word he preached. We need to pray for I'm impressed
I again I'm not talking down the ever man I've heard pray
here since I got here pray for your pastor and that's a good
sign that's a sign of faithfulness and we ought to do that we are
love our pastor we are show hospitality and kindness meet their needs
and encouragement of course financially support our pastor That's faithfulness
to our pastor, and it's what we ought to do. Let me give you
the second thing now. Be faithful to your pastor and
turn to Acts 16. Here's the second thing to do.
Is to be faithful to each other, to each other. Turn to Acts chapter
16. Now, ladies, I'm going to give
you some specific things here. Do you know the The greatest
gift, I said, that God can give a people is a faithful pastor.
Do you know what the second greatest gift is? It's he can make you
love each other. Oh, what a blessing to have brethren
of like mind in Christ. The Gospels pretty much cost
me all of them. But you know what? I got about
150 more now in Ashland, and I got as 30 or 40 here. I mean, this is the honest truth. Thanksgiving Day, I had to go
be with my family. And I'm embarrassed to tell you
how miserable I was. I'd have given anything if I
could have come here and had dinner with you guys. You understand? You really love me. And bless
their hearts, they don't anymore. They really don't. What a blessing
God Almighty has given us each other. And look here at Acts
16. Ladies, this is something specific.
You know, I think I hear all this mess now about the Church
of England is ordaining women to preach. And, you know, those
women just don't feel fulfilled if they're not standing in the
pulpit away. Let me. You want to know what God Almighty
says a faithful woman can do? Look here in Acts 16, verse 14. You have it. Acts 16, verse 14.
It says. And a certain woman named Lydia,
a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped
God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended
unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized
in her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged
me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide
there. And she constrained us." You
ladies want to know what you can do? Huh? Constrain somebody. Constrain somebody. Show hospitality. Take somebody home and feed them.
Create the situation where fellowship can occur. You understand that? That's a vital, oh what a faithful
thing to do. Then turn to Proverbs 11 real
quickly. Here's another. That environment
will do more to bond your hearts together. Attendance here. Being in services, worshiping
together, men meeting down here, you ladies up here talking, whatever,
that'll do more. And then coming together in a
home, meeting around, talking about the things of Christ. That'll
do more to bond your hearts together to cause you to be faithful to
each other and to love each other than any other thing I know.
And look here in Proverbs 11. This is the number one way to
be faithful to each other. Proverbs 11, look at verse 13. A tail-bearer revealeth secrets,
that he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter."
Ladies and men, if you want to be faithful to each other, put
a watch on your lips. Somebody demonstrated this this
way. Put a watch on your lips. Don't be a tail-bearer. want
the best for each other, love each other. Listen, so much damage
can be done with its own. Oh, it's just awful. A careless
word is such a it's such an unfortunate thing. But you see here, you
see here that it says he that is faithful. Conceal the matter,
oh, look out for one another, love each other in that way.
All right, then in Hebrews, Chapter 10. There's enough problems without
us provoking each other, isn't there, in that way? And look
at Hebrews chapter 10 with me. In verse 22, we read, Let us
draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies
washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful at promise.
and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." There's
that again. Do you see that again? not forsaking. Listen, I promise
you. Listen, I know where you've been.
Your pastor knows. He's been on a Wednesday night.
You come dragging in from work, it'll be the worst day of the
week, eight out of ten weeks. They'll just, they'll drive you
crazy at work on Wednesdays just so you'll be so tired you won't
want to come to church on Wednesday night that you'll come in and
go, I don't think I can make it tonight. That's the time for
the husband to tell the wife, and the wife says, come on, honey.
We can, you know, let's go. I'll help you do the dishes or
whatever's involved. I'll drive tonight or whatever it may be.
I tell you, if you come on that night, you'll get the best blessing
you ever had. The message will be just for you. Just for you. Not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting
one another. And so much the more as seeing
the day approaching. I tell you, there'll come a time
when some folks will give everything they ever owned for one opportunity
to hear the gospel one more time. One more time. One more time. So let's be faithful in that
sense. And then the last thing, turn to 3 John, chapter 4. 3 John, chapter 4. We need to be faithful to our
pastors. We need to be faithful to each
other. And then thirdly, we need to be faithful to others. We
need to do all we can to get this gospel out, to support missionaries,
to be a witness in the community. And this doesn't mean now that
you've got to go out here and be in their face. That's not
the way to do it. It's not to tell them that they're
all heretics and God-haters and they're going to go to hell if
they don't come to church with you, and that kind of stuff doesn't
work. That's not what I'm talking about. What I am talking about
in 3 John 4 here, it says, I have no greater joy than to hear that
my children walk in truth. Beloved, thou doest faithfully
whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers. and to strangers, exhort one
another, but also strangers. Do we see that? We do have a
responsibility to be faithful to folks we meet. Now, I don't
meet too many strangers anymore in Ashland, and maybe you don't
here either, but I know one way we do, and I know some folks
who do. Brother Bill Clark, he preaches
to 250 million French-speaking Africans a week. I've got a feeling
if we support him, we've got a part in that. And that's exactly
what this is talking about. Be faithful to missionaries.
Now, there's not a thing in the world wrong if God opens a door
out here in the community. You're at the hardware store
buying something, Rick, and the fellow says, where do you go
to church? I think I better be faithful, not only tell them
where I go, but who I worship there. He opened the door. God
Almighty opened the door. When he does, let's step in.
Be prepared to give an account of your hope, of Christ, who
he is. And we don't have to give him
a, I messed up my whole family trying to give them theological
treatises and doctrinal stuff about Christ, instead of just
telling them who Christ is and what he's done for me. If we
can just say that, that's a faithful witness. and it's a faithful
witness to others, which we're commanded here to do. One more
scripture, turn to Revelation 17, and I'll close. We don't
have to pick a fight with folks and witness in that sense. We
don't have to, as I say, have it be an in-your-face kind of
thing. The enemies of God, you and I can't persuade them anyway.
We can't turn them. God Almighty is going to have
to do it. And he'll deal with those who will not come, who
will not hear. He'll deal with them in due time.
Our commission, our only requirement, remember, is to be faithful.
As stewards of the grace and mysteries of God, our one commandment
is to be faithful, and faithfulness is giving account. And look here
at Revelation 17. You'll see how he'll deal with
his enemies in due time. It says in verse 14, These shall
make war with the Lamb. and the Lamb shall overcome them."
You see, he'll deal with them in due time. For he is Lord of
lords and King of kings, is he not? And they that are with him. Now, this is what I want you
to see, those that are with him. See, we're not against him, we're
with him, aren't we? We're with him. We want to be faithful.
And it says that we are called. Why? Because he's faithful to
call us. And it says, and we are chosen. Why? Because he's
faithful to choose us. And then what else does it say
there? He said, those that are with me, they're faithful. How
do you suppose we remain faithful? Because he kept us that way.
He kept us that way. Aren't you glad it's not up to
you to be faithful? Huh? Yeah, we don't have any
more chance of that than we do of living in sinless perfection,
do we? No hope for us there. But because
Christ is faithful, you see, and we're in Christ, we'll be
faithful. That's your assurance. We don't
find our assurance in what I do, what I think, what I am. No,
our assurance is in Christ who is faithful. And it says right
here, this is, do you notice that this is not a question,
this is a statement. Them that are with him are called
and chosen and faithful. He says, if I chose you and I
call you, I'll make you faithful. And that's the reason someday,
someday when we see him. In the twinkling of an eye, when
we're made just like Him and we see Him face to face, it may
well be the first thing we'll understand is He is faithful. He did keep me. He said He would,
and He did. He's faithful. It's hard for
us to comprehend because we're so unfaithful. We're unfaithful by nature. But
thanks be unto God, Christ is faithful. He's faithful. Well,
shall we sing a closing hymn here? I don't know if you picked
one, or maybe if you all know, Great is Thy Faithfulness. Do
you all know that song? Do you all sing that song? Is
that one we can do? Okay. I think that's number 40
in the hymn book. With number forty, number forty,
Great is Thy Faithfulness. There is no shadow of turning
with thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions
they fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever
wilt be. Great is Thy faithfulness, great
is Thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, Jesus, Jesus,
King, All I have need, if I have Thine providing. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord,
how dear to me. and winter and springtime and
harvest. Sun, moon and stars and their
courses above, join with all nature in manifold witness. to thy great faithfulness, mercy,
and love. Great is thy faithfulness, great
is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies
I see. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord,
to me. Pardon for sin and a peace that
endures, Thine only presence to cheer and to guide. With hope for today and bright
hope for tomorrow Blessings all mine with ten thousand besides
Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness All right, we're dismissed.