From the fruit of a mans mouth he enjoys good. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Virgin Mary was another faithful servant of the Lord. Being a servant of God is not about the work of our hands. He will bless the faithful and declare to them, Well done, good and faithful servant! For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles (Ephesians 3:1). Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. A servant of God is willing to submit their own plans, desires and rights to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not . Some here today have known Gods love, but you have been lulled to sleep by Satan. 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. That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, Speak to the sons of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the, When a person sins and acts unfaithfully against the. 45Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant? So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the. This manwas busily involved in working for his Master and faithful in the pursuit of his duties. We see this attitude in many of Gods faithful servants. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. There are many times when we feel we should take on a certain ministry because others expect it of us, (or we expect it of ourselves! Every Christian is called to be a teacher (cf. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness. 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.read more.Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. I seek to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Jesus looked at who the faithful and wise servant as being those people who gives them self up to the service of Christ. The husband should give to his wife her . (Job 1-42), Samuel was quick to answer Gods call, presenting himself as a willing servant at the mention of his name. The wicked is a ransom for the righteous. 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. 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. And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord. Second, he says, "I have plenty of time to put things right before the master comes." You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. This is done through prayer, fellowship, studying Gods Word, and living a holy life. Faithful servants work through Gods power. Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast. 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. Did not Achan the son of Zerah act unfaithfully in the things under the ban, and wrath fall on all the congregation of Israel? Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the understanding. Paul already mentioned how he received grace to understand and share the mystery. Being in Gods presence humbles us, as we clearly see our sin and weakness displayed against his perfection. In fact, in 1 Timothy 1:15, he calls himself the chief of sinners. Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the understanding. A servant of the Lord is someone who obeys the Lord. Typically, God makes a faithful servant by training him through other faithful servants. Although people made a great fun of his words, even then he did not doubt and remained strong and waited for Gods time. 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. We must allow patience, or perseverance, to have her perfect work in us. For they provoked Him with their high places. To be a faithful servant one has to follow, obey and trust God in every situation. All rights reserved. But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. A servant of God has a humble attitude. Whatever it is, when the Holy Spirit prompts you to offer yourself in a way thats inconvenient or counter-nature, a servant of God will do it anyway, with patience and kindness. Martin G. Collins You might consider these the 7 ways God will evaluate your faith and faithfulness! First Peter 4:3-4 says. He saw God as in control. Devoting themselves to the Will of the Father. The integrity of the upright will guide them,But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. When Christ originally appeared to Paul in a vision, he showed Paul how much he would suffer for his name. When Jesus said to take up our cross and follow him, he was asking us to count the cost because he knew there would be one. The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord drives you. Both have been given the charge of caring for the household and the other servants while the master is away. When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord. his home, his beloved son. There is the account of King Uzziah, which we looked at earlier. 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.. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; 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. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. The word became can also be translated was made (ESV). I am ruined for I have unclean lips, and I come from a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5, paraphrase). Paul was not only in prison for the Gentiles, but for the Ephesians specifically. Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians, The Parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servants instructs us to keep watch because you do not know at what hour your Lord comes. If I have put my confidence in gold,And called fine gold my trust, If I have gloated because my wealth was great,And because my hand had secured so much; If I have looked at the sun when it shoneOr the moon going in splendor,read more.And my heart became secretly enticed,And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment,For I would have denied God above. gain access to 50+ premium resources to enhance your study of Scripture. Angels desire to look into and understand the gospel. In the Bible, many verses talk about a faithful servant. 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. C. If you are like that servant, go before God in repentance. Sermon Series: How to discern Gods will. For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. Therefore, there will be aspects of suffering in the life of every true believer. In verse 1, he says, For this reason. Then, almost abruptly, he explains his authority as a steward and servant of the gospel, as if some were not aware of it. (Daniel 6:27), Job kept his eyes on God firmly. Note the fifty-fifty split in the context of judging. 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. God allowed David to be persecuted by Saul in preparation for his ascent to the throne. The angels understood Gods righteousness, holiness, and wrath. In Ephesians 2:6-7 Paul says. (pp. What the Bible says about Unfaithful Servants ( From Forerunner Commentary ) Luke 12:39-40 Jesus ' comments about the thief point out that His disciples must be ready because the Son of Man will come unexpectedly ( Matthew 25:13; Mark 13:33; Revelation 3:3 ). He says, I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. Paul was in prison, yet he was worried about the Ephesians happiness and glory. Both versions are very similar, with minor variations. However, God unveils these mysteries to us through his Word, and therefore we must study it. C. Parallel to the Christian life: He had a salvation experience, (this story plays havoc with Once saved, always saved.), A. The Father is ready to take you back. It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time. The church is essentially the angels graduate school. The Lord is going to judge and punish the selfish and unfaithful Christians (Revelation 21:8). When Jobs camels were kidnapped by raiders, he didnt blame them. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her. How is God calling you to further develop humility in your life? The power of this demon had created doubt in the hearts of the disciples, and therefore they didnt really believe God could work through them. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Hence, List of faithful servants in the Bible encourages every Christian to obey Gods will firmly. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. C Jesus said that sin enslaves us, (John 8:34). Many times in life, the authenticity of our servant heart will be evidenced simply by our hearts posture as we walk through trials. Jesus looks at both the faithful and unfaithful servants who the master has made ruler over his household. 1 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. In trials, God humbles his people and teaches them to depend solely on himnot their gifts or abilities. We want Jesus to see us all clean and pure for Him. God develops his servants through trials and difficulties. 1:1), indicating that having been bought by Christ, he had now become a willing slave, binding himself to his new Master, Jesus. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. The great commission is to make disciples and to teach them to obey everything Christ commanded (Matt 28:20). He never wavered in his faithfulness to God, and his hope in Him. While Jesus was on the mountain, nobody woke the disciples up early to read the Word and pray. (Luke 1:26-38), Paul served God faithfully and his loyalty for preaching the gospel was significant. Unfaithfulness begins when Christians lose the fear of God in their hearts. And, as stewards, we must be faithful. Her reply was very modest and polite. Nevertheless, she trusted Gods words and His divine purpose. We should be reading our Bible and keeping ourselves pure and righteous for His return. 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. In John 15:5, Jesus says, I am the vine; you are the branches. 6. We are called to be stewards of everything taught in Scriptureto protect it and teach it to others. Even death on a cross. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. Nothing may be more harmful than to assume we have more time (I Thessalonians 5:3). 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 shall come about when they say, Why has the. Do you see God as in control of all things? For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible. Paul previously taught the Ephesians about this power. Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them. What I now understand is that being a servant of God is not defined by what I do, but by who I am. This was true of Paul. James 1:4 says, But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing (KJV). Let it be done to me according to your word. (Luke 1:38). (A. Farstad, Ed.) It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. We do not want to be among those who are going after the worldly things such as gluttony, drunkenness, or lustful behavior. Unlike the English meaning of mystery, which refers to something not understood, a biblical mystery refers to a secret previously hidden in the past but now revealed. What are marks of faithful servantsthose who will hear God say, Well done!? First, he says, "I'll do whatever I want while my master is away," forgetting that the day of judgment must come. For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you GentilesSurely you have heard about the administration of Gods grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does. (John 5:19), Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Abraham served God, as He desires. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful (KJV). Used by permission. In order to become humble, we must focus solely on God and his work; this results in humility and receiving more of Gods grace. God makes his servants through the discipleship of other faithful men and women of God. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Jesus tells His disciples that the heaven and earth shall pass away but His words shall not pass away. From the fruit of a mans mouth he enjoys good,But the desire of the treacherous is violence. "If I speak in tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of Gods grace given me through the working of his power. (Ephesians 3:13). Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen what faithless Israel did? In Ephesians 1, he prays that they may comprehend the great power at work in them, the same power that raised Christ from the dead (v. 19-20). First Corinthians 4:1-2 says: Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. In what ways do our lives parallel his? After Christ healed the boy, they asked, Why couldnt we cast it out? Christ replied, This kind only comes out through prayer (v. 29). This man was busily involved in working for his Master and faithful in the pursuit of his duties. (From Forerunner Commentary). While in Jerusalem, he was accused of bringing an Ephesian, Trophimus, into the temple (cf. Christ says that apart from him you can do nothing (John 15:5). She is a leading authority on historical development of Christian churches and the practices and beliefs of world religions and cults. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. The context of the parable is that Jesus was speaking to His disciples shortly before His arrest and crucifixion.