The loyalty of a servant always makes a great difference and God has a special reward for such servant. When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled. This demonstrates another characteristic of a faithful servant: he is humble. Maybe it looks like arriving early to start the coffee. Are you seeking to understand its mysteries? Furthermore, all the officials of the priests and the people were very unfaithful following all the abominations of the nations; and they defiled the house of the Lord which He had sanctified in Jerusalem. So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it. According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. A faithful servant who continues to serve Jesus in His absence will be rewarded with tremendous blessings and responsibility and authority with His return. When Josephs brothers begged for mercy for selling him into slavery, he said, What you meant for bad, God meant for good (Gen 50:20, paraphrase). Are you devoted to Gods Word? There he will cry and gnash his teeth. Christ judges the two servants, blessing the faithful one by setting him over His possessions, cursing the wicked one by cutting him in twainthe ultimate two-part division! B. As mentioned, the word administration can be translated stewardship. By Gods grace, Paul received this mystery as a stewardship from God. Listen to what Paul says of himself in Colossians 1:29: To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.. She is a graduate of Psychology/Christian and Bible Counseling with Liberty University. Only acknowledge your iniquity,That you have transgressed against the Lord your GodAnd have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree,And you have not obeyed My voice, declares the Lord. Many times in life, the authenticity of our servant heart will be evidenced simply by our hearts posture as we walk through trials. Abraham obeyed God, even when it didnt make sense. In order to become humble, we must focus solely on God and his work; this results in humility and receiving more of Gods grace. Christ reveals this truth more fully through Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Here banishment implies exile from His presence. Therefore, he was recognized as Father of All Believers., Noah was one of the righteous and blameless man among all the people of his time. 46 How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. Note the fifty-fifty split in the context of judging. This devotion looks at how the steward is faithful and unfaithful and the consequences incurred. Not only do we learn about Pauls servanthood, but also, through his example, we learn about how we can be faithful servants. (Ephesians 3:8-12). (Job 1-42), Samuel was a little child when he accepted Gods call and gave Him prompt response. The Parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servant can be found in Matthew 24:45-51, Mark 13:34-37, and Luke 12:35-48: Mark 13:34-37: "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible. It shall come about when they say, Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us? then you shall say to them, As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.. Used by permission. (pp. Bible Study, Prayer, & Spiritual Growth Online. 9. Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated; and behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.. We must allow patience, or perseverance, to have her perfect work in us. Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. The mix is simple, piano all on one side, guitar all on the other, pulling the song into opposing sides. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Jesus discipled the twelve. Luke12:41-48 finds Peter asking Jesus who He is speaking to in this parable to them or to everyone. God develops his servants through trials and difficulties. And it came about in King Rehoboams fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. A servant of the Lord is someone who obeys the Lord. If the good man of the house had known at which watch the thief would come he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken. The Importance of Preparation in the Ministry of Preaching. 68 Bible verses about Unfaithfulness, To God A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 68 Bible Verses about Unfaithfulness, To God Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; God allowed David to be persecuted by Saul in preparation for his ascent to the throne. But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. How boastful you are about the valleys!Your valley is flowing away,O backsliding daughterWho trusts in her treasures, saying,Who will come against me?. Unless a person is humble, he will not be called a good and faithful servant. Now, I am not sure how Paul received this mystery. Faithful servants will experience suffering. Why? declares the Lord of hosts, Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. Application Questions: Share your evangelism and Bible teaching experience. Faithful servants will experience some form of sufferingsome form of our Lords crossand Jesus promises blessings to those who do. Show Humility. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die.. Thus says the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways! While considering Pauls parenthesis about his stewardship, we discern marks of a faithful servantand these should both encourage and challenge us. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Yes, many times serving God will involve actual work, but if the work is not prompted by the Spirit and carried out in true love and humility, it is merely an empty task of vainglory. C. Parallel: Jesus has sent us to do his work in this world, (John 20:21). When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.. So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him and afflicted him instead of strengthening him. Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God. He said, The Lord gives and he takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21). It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Christians start to be unfaithful by daring to go against God. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be . Then he returns to his original thought in verse 14 with For this reason, as he shares his prayer for Gods church. And aroused His jealousy with their graven images. (Job 1-42), Samuel was quick to answer Gods call, presenting himself as a willing servant at the mention of his name. When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord. Even unto death. (Daniel 6:27), Job kept his eyes on God firmly. Oh that I had in the desertA wayfarers lodging place;That I might leave my peopleAnd go from them!For all of them are adulterers,An assembly of treacherous men. While Jesus was on the mountain, nobody woke the disciples up early to read the Word and pray. God made Abraham wait for twenty-five years for his son, Isaac, and Abraham is still waiting for his seed, Jesus, to fully bless all the nations. Your silver has become dross,Your drink diluted with water. The Apostle Paul calls himself a bondslave of Jesus Christ (Rom. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the, Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people are sinning against the, You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. When you become the father of children and childrens children and have remained long in the land, and act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord your God so as to provoke Him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. Indeed, he followed whatever told to him by the Lord. Of course, Gods plan has always been to bless the Gentiles through Abrahams seed (Gen 12:3, 22:18), but the Old Testament doesnt specifically teach that Jews and Gentiles will become one body and co-heirs together. Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. Faithful servants are made through faithful study of the Word of God. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. The apostle says false prophets have "eyes full of adultery." Moreover, to be servant of God displays our level of obedience, acceptance and humility for our Lord. Elijah discipled Elisha. Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given. Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God. Most Christians are like this; they believe God for their salvation, but when it comes to their daily bread, their needs, or the needs of others, they doubt Gods faithfulness. In Pauls parenthesis, we learn about his stewardship, or servanthood, of Gods mystery. The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. When everyone around him let him down, (even his own wife! Application Questions: Who is God calling you to serve by seeking their glory over your own? I am ruined for I have unclean lips, and I come from a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5, paraphrase). Good News Translation (Todays English Version, Second Edition) In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to Gods holy apostles and prophets. Even when it came at great cost. When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lord, and deceives his companion in regard to a deposit or a security entrusted to him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his companion. C. Punishment was worse because he knew his duty but failed to do it. The verb is passivemeaning that God acted upon Paul to make him a servant of the gospel. Holstein, Joanne The Parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servants:. Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.. In 2 Corinthians 10:12, Paul says, We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. His faithfulness helped him climb the ladder of success as his loyalty and diligence caught the attention of the Master. This was true of Paul. A. God defines faithfulness as obedience to the commands of Christ. Being in Gods presence humbles us, as we clearly see our sin and weakness displayed against his perfection. Some here today have known Gods love, but you have been lulled to sleep by Satan. Chicago Style Citation: Sometimes, he may actually call us to serve in areas where we are weak or even incompetent, so his power can be clearly displayed. It is hard not to think of Christs words to his original disciples. A. God makes his servants. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Marks of Faithful Servants. Faithful servants do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility consider others better than themselves. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Consequences of pride in the Bible In this blog column, you will discover the meaning of pride and its consequences. Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? Chicago: Moody Press. Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. They will forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their own land with no one to make them afraid. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, Paul describes much of his suffering. Lets take this passage apart and find out what it says to us. Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) The Parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servants:. Becker Bible Studies Library. In waiting, we learn to trust God and not ourselves. But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant;There they have dealt treacherously against Me. I looked around me and saw others serving in the kitchen, serving in Sunday school, serving in the choir and thought to myself, Oh, I see. Ephesians 2:10 says, We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in.. He was eager to know, what Gods wishes from him. As a faithful servant, Samuel obeyed God humbly and politely. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. James 4:6)he fights against them so that they will become humble. But those that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. Grace will be taken for granted. Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell., New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. Acts 26:16 records these words of Jesus to Paul, Now get up and stand on your feet. Abraham: List of faithful servants in the Bible, Noah: List of faithful servants in the Bible, Daniel: List of faithful servants in the Bible, Job: List of faithful servants in the Bible, Samuel: List of faithful servants in the Bible, Mary: List of faithful servants in the Bible, Paul: List of faithful servants in the Bible, Jesus: List of faithful servants in the Bible, How Can I be a faithful servant of God: List of faithful servants in the Bible, He never wavered in his faithfulness to God, and his hope in Him. For they provoked Him with their high places. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Holstein, Joanne (2015) The Parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servants:. Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1910, (accessed). He says. In order to teach people to obey everything he commands, we must by necessity know all of Gods Word. Sermon: Faithfulness is the Key to God's Blessings, Sermon Notes: Healing a Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, Sermon notes: 6 things that the Lord hates and the 7 things that are detestable to Him, New Year Sermon: An old Challenge for a New Year, Fathers Day Sermon: Qualities of a Godly Father. The faithful will be commended and rewarded, and the unfaithful will be rebuked and lose their reward (Matt 25:24-30).