Sermon of sunday the 07. january 2024
References: 1 Samuel 1:11 / 20 / 24 ; 1 Samuel 2:20-21
When a marriage is celebrated, the bride and groom swear to be faithful to each other until death do them part. They make a commitment to remain faithful not just for a time, but forever. Today, 80% of divorces are caused by unfaithfulness within the couple. God hates unfaithfulness. He even calls it adultery. Every time God's people turned away from him to worship another god, he called them adulterers and unfaithful, because they gave the love that was reserved for God to another god.
In German, the word adultery is translated as "Ehebruch". This word is made up of two (2) words: Ehe (marriage) and Bruch (rupture, violation, breaking). In a word, it means broken marriage, broken, broken. So every time we commit adultery, we ourselves break the bonds of the covenant, we divorce. Infidelity is therefore the breaking of a covenant, the breaking of a contract between two (2) people. It has disastrous consequences because it automatically leads to the cessation of privileges and advantages and leads the plaintiff to claim damages for the harm caused.
Whereas unfaithfulness will bring unhappiness, desolation, grief and ruin for generations, faithfulness will bring and attract God's grace. Faithfulness is the quality of someone who is faithful, devoted, attached to something or someone. It is this quality that describes someone who is constant in his feelings, affections and habits. Galatians 5:22 presents faithfulness as the fruit of the Spirit
"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperence..."
Since faith is therefore a work of the Spirit, there will be a strong correlation between faithfulness and faith. Someone who is faithful will be someone who lives by faith, who remains faithful to what has been handed down to him. He is constant and loyal, and God promises to bless those who are faithful.
The case of Hannah in 1 Samuel chapter 1
1- the request (1 Samuel 1:11)
Anne, Elcana's wife, is barren. Every year, she goes up to Shiloh with her husband and makes the same prayer to God: to have a child. But every year she returned frustrated. That year she decided to make a vow to the Lord. She asked for something with a promise to back it up. She committed God to a covenant and promised him faithfulness. She committed herself to a concrete action.
Have you made a request to God this New Year? Do you want to see something new happen in your life this year? Make a covenant with him! Make him a promise!
2- Fulfilment (1 Samuel 1:20)
God is the one who remains faithful in all his ways, which is why he is called the God of the covenant, the faithful God. Because of his covenant, he listened to Hannah, granting her what her heart desired.
3- Faith in the promise (1 Samuel 1:24)
Hannah remained faithful to her promise to the Lord. Indeed, when the child was old enough to be weaned, she kept her part of the bargain by taking Samuel with an offering to the Lord's temple in accordance with her promise. She could have chosen to keep her child with her, but she honoured her commitment to God.
4- multiplication (1 Samuel 2: 20-21)
Because Hannah remained faithful to her commitment, to the covenant she had made with the Lord, God blessed her with five (5) other children: three (3) sons and two (2) daughters. She also did not lose Samuel, her first-born, because even though she was serving the Lord in the temple, she continued to see her son become Chief of Israel. This child was her blessing and a blessing for all Israel.
The promises attached to those who choose to be faithful to God
Being faithful to God is a choice. And those who make that choice receive many blessings:
1- They are full of blessings (Prov 28:20)
".A faithful man is full of blessings.."
Solomon, the wise man, says that the faithful man is blessed. And who doesn't want to be blessed?
Moses remained faithful throughout the house of Israel and God testified about him (Numbers 12:7). While Miriam and Aaron think they can have the same rights as Moses because they also speak from God, they are quickly reframed by the Lord. And the Lord took it upon himself to bury Moses. What a privilege!
Joseph, because of his faithfulness to God in difficult times, saw the doors to the kingship of the greatest civilisation of his time opened to him.
Your faithfulness to God can open doors you never expected. Choose to walk faithfully!
2- multiplication (Matthew 25: 14-29)
:Hannah's faithfulness led to a multiplication in the number of her children. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the master increases the talents of the faithful servant and takes away the talents of the unfaithful servant. To the faithful servant, he says " Well done, good and faithful servant; You have been faithful over a few things, i will make you ruler over many things: Enter into the joy of thy Lord..."
Refuse to be a lazy, idle servant !
3- God blesses the seed of the faithful man (Ps 89:3-4)
"I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant. Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations...."
God undertakes to do good to the family and posterity of the faithful man. David was faithful to the Lord and the Lord blessed his descendants. Royalty never left his house. And the Messiah promised to us is even of David's seed. What grace! Many families and peoples are blessed today because their parents and ancestors paid the price of faithfulness.
4- A distinguished life (Genesis 41:38-43)
Because of her fidelity, Anne lived a life of distinction. She had access to the palace because she was the mother of the king, the last judge of Israel. She was respected throughout Israel.
God promises a life filled with his favour to those who are faithful in their walk with him. He calls them "righteous", and they inherit prosperity and distinction wherever they go.
Daniel, Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego chose to remain faithful to the Lord while the other young men of Israel compromised themselves at King Nebuchanetsar's table. As a result, they occupied positions of distinction in Babylon. God blessed, rescued, distinguished and positioned them. They defeated the lions in the pit and emerged unscathed from the fiery furnace.
5- The crown of life (revelation 2:10)
" Be faithful unto death, and i will give you a crown of life"
The greatest blessing for a faithful servant is the crown of life, eternal life, the salvation of his soul, the paradise of God.
God promises the crown of life to the faithful servant. Although the Christian life is not always easy, because it is full of pitfalls, persecutions and difficulties, we must remain faithful until death. We must not allow ourselves to be distracted by the non-essentials, the thoughts of this world, but remain faithful until death.
May God find you faithful and bless you with all his blessings !
Sermon of sunday the 07. january 2024
Preacher: Evangelist Zogbande Ouede Serge
Be faithful in your promises to the LORD