OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 08/10/2014 - FAITHFULNESS - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

FAITHFULNESS

Memorise

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Matthew 25:23

Read

Matthew 25:22-30

22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Message

Unfaithfulness or disloyalty is a challenge facing Christian leadership today. Inability to be faithful, loyal, stable and consistent is the greatest killer of ministries and businesses. The feeling that there is a shorter and quicker way to achieve goals is present in all men. Satan capitalises on this tendency and many people, including Christians, are tricked into following rebels and dissident visionaries. Many people are unfaithful to their superiors out of ignorance. The problem of unfaithfulness is not limited to the world; it is also seen in the church. The devil uses the example of tyrannical church leaders to create a culture of rebellion and disloyalty within the church. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says:

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Christians are to be faithful to God and to their leaders – both spiritual and secular. Leaders also are expected to be faithful to their followers and subordinates. Are you a church leader? You have to be careful in your utterances and actions, so as not to cause rebellion and disloyalty within your ranks. Without knowing it, many church leaders are essentially rebellious and disloyal. They teach their followers rebellion by the things they say and do; yet they do not understand why anyone is unfaithful or disloyal to them. There are at least three common causes of disloyalty in people. First, there are some people whose personality can best be described as erratic. These are people who have a disposition to making sudden decisions. They can alter the plan of their life within minutes. They can change their entire course within seconds. This is a very dangerous trait. The ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ is not safe in the hands of erratic leaders. Today, they are ministers of the gospel, tomorrow they become social activists. Some switch suddenly from being full time ministers of Christ to becoming full time politicians. One day, they are faith preachers; the next day, they are against the faith movement. The second cause of disloyalty is financial considerations. The third common cause of disloyalty is a deviation from God’s direction for your life. Many people miss God’s direction for their lives and because of this, they end up in complicated situations. Such people are often forced into disloyalty by their own mistakes. God expects that you should be faithful to Him. You should also be faithful to your leaders and your subordinates. Finally, be faithful to your calling and be responsible in financial matters.

Action Point

Resolve to be faithful to your leaders and subordinates today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

1 Samuel 26-28

Proverbs 8:22-36