Servants dont serve for their own glory, but for the glory and satisfaction of othersand this was true of Paul. B. It is hard not to think of Christs words to his original disciples. The Believers Commentary shares this (via Blaikie): Two attractive words, riches and unsearchable, conveying the idea of the things that are most precious being infinitely abundant. After Christ healed the boy, they asked, Why couldnt we cast it out? Christ replied, This kind only comes out through prayer (v. 29). Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully, declares the Lord God. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. What I now understand is that being a servant of God is not defined by what I do, but by who I am. APA Style Citation: The Faithful or the Unfaithful Servant. All rights reserved. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross! (Phillipians 2:6-8). Unfaithfulness begins when Christians lose the fear of God in their hearts. He began to live just for the moment, with no thought of the future. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the Lord, and that person is guilty. I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. Are you sharing the Word of God with everybody? In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. He makes his servants in the fire. My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviners wand informs them;For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray,And they have played the harlot, departing from their God. 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. In fact, the Jews had Paul arrested, in part, for teaching it (cf. How is God calling you to share more faithfully with others? While each of these faithful servants is different in their own ways, they all share certain qualities or characteristics that set them apart from everyone else. Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. This is true for all who humble themselves before God and others; they receive grace. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. First Peter 5:5 says, Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. Are you seeking to understand its mysteries? Faithful servants devote themselves to studying and understanding Gods mysteries, just as the early church, devoted themselves to the apostles teaching (Acts 2:42). 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. No unfaithful person will be saved! According to Genesis 12-22 Abraham was ready to sacrifice his most precious belongingness i.e. It includes unveiling Gods eternal purpose of making his manifold (literally multi-colored) wisdom known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (v. 10). James 4:6)he fights against them so that they will become humble. This is the epitome of a servant. Jesus looks at both the faithful and unfaithful servants who the master has made ruler over his household. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they became the downfall of him and all Israel. In waiting, we learn to trust God and not ourselves. James 1:4 says, But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing (KJV). Return, O faithless sons, declares the Lord;For I am a master to you,And I will take you one from a city and two from a family,And I will bring you to Zion.. His faithfulness helped him climb the ladder of success as his loyalty and diligence caught the attention of the Master. He never wavered in his faithfulness to God, and his hope in Him. 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. (From Forerunner Commentary). Sometimes, we remember that God is present, and at others, we may not think of Him at all. However, when a servant ceases to be humble and starts to see his good works as coming from himself instead of God, he forfeits Gods grace. Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them. We see this attitude in many of Gods faithful servants. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. A servant of God keeps their eyes fixed on the character of God, trusting in His goodness no matter the circumstances. Why? declares the Lord of hosts, Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. A. Scripture quotations marked KJV or AKJV are from the King James Version or Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible. How is God calling you to get rid of your selfishness? For they provoked Him with their high placesAnd aroused His jealousy with their graven images.read more.When God heard, He was filled with wrathAnd greatly abhorred Israel; The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,And the treacherous is in the place of the upright. 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). Although people made a great fun of his words, even then he did not doubt and remained strong and waited for Gods time. 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.. (Daniel 6:27), Job kept his eyes on God firmly. The Holy Scripture talks about good and bad servant. 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.. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.. Sermon Notes: Why the Lord is my Shepherd? He worshipped the true God and remained faithful in every condition. David waited to become king. Although Ahaz took a portion out of the house of the Lord and out of the palace of the king and of the princes, and gave it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.read more.Now in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz became yet more unfaithful to the Lord. Christ said that he could not perform many miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith (Mk 6:5). This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. But the wicked will be cut off from the landAnd the treacherous will be uprooted from it. Nothing may be more harmful than to assume we have more time (I Thessalonians 5:3). (Ephesians 3:2-6). This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. Faithful servants do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility consider others better than themselves. 46How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! In the New Testament, the word for servant that is most commonly used is the Greek word doulos, which means to bind. It also came to mean one who gives himself up to the will of another, and became the most common word for servant in general without any idea of bondage attached to it; basically, a willing slave. (Vines Expository Dictionary). Jesus said, that servant, which knew his lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. It is not about the productivity of hands, but a posture of heart. 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. The master will cut him in pieces[a] and make him share the fate of the disobedient. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "kfox1973-20"; He saw God as in control. We can be skilled leaders and communicators, but disobedience disqualifies us from being seen as faithful as God defines it. He was the one who well-defined meaning of, to be a servant of God and demonstrated a real meaning in his own life. (Romans 1:1), Jesus was undeniable faithful servant of the Lord. God made the two one. We want Jesus to see us all clean and pure for Him. God develops his servants through trials and difficulties. These accounts are in the Bible to bring home to us the danger that we ourselves are in. He had no excuse! Jesus tells His disciples that; blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Our God holds the kings heart in his hand like a watercourse (Prov 21:1). As soon as he comes and knocks, they open the door for him. I had misunderstood what serving the Lord really meant by defining it too narrowly and attaching it to my spiritual identity. Used by permission. And they have played the harlot, departing from their God. Christ probably wasnt saying that the disciples hadnt prayed to cast out the demon. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1910,. This was true of Paul. Paul says, surely you have heard about the administration of Gods grace that was given to me (Eph 3:2). We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Etching by Jan Luyken illustrating the parable, from the Bowyer Bible. In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul teaches how Jews and Gentiles, who were formerly antagonistic towards one another, were now both part of Christs body. 1 Corinthians 7:1-40 ESV / 26 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. 1 Peter 1:12). A true disciple seeks Gods wisdom and follow the will of the Holy Spirit of Lord. So all Israel was enrolled by genealogies; and behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. Jesus looked at who the faithful and wise servant as being those people who gives them self up to the service of Christ. 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. In fact, an angel visited Mary and brought a surprised message for her. 47 "The servant who knows what his master wants him to do, but does not get himself ready and do it, will be punished with a heavy whipping. In reality without thinking about the worst response of people and surrounding, she accepted Lords words, Behold the slave of the Lord. 9. But turned back and acted treacherously like their fathers; They turned aside like a treacherous bow. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him, and said, Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. But they became the downfall of him and all Israel. A servant is very important person in any family. amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks on being a Servant of God"; To be a faithful servant one has to follow, obey and trust God in every situation. 1 Corinthians 13 is clear that no matter what our giftings or areas of service, if not motivated by genuine love, we are but a clanging noise. Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 48 But the servant who does not know what his master wants, and yet does something for which he deserves a whipping, will be punished with a light whipping. Both have been given the charge of caring for the household and the other servants while the master is away. This means for us that we should be found doing the Will of the Father not following the will of the world. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. He was in prison because Christ allowed itChrist was his captor. Sometimes people in hopeless situations need to just be served. He understands that trials and tribulations build patience and with patience comes experience. And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. James 1:1-8 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. I seek to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice. We mentioned this earlier, but it is worth repeating. But through the church, they learn about Gods grace. 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. 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. The best value in digital Bible study. All rights reserved. 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 Lord burned against the sons of Israel. In Matthew's Gospel, it immediately precedes the Parable of the Ten . In trials, God humbles his people and teaches them to depend solely on himnot their gifts or abilities. In our experience with the Lord He told us that an unfaithful Christian does not bear fruit and is useless for the Kingdom of Heaven. 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. 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. Paul willingly taught the truth even if it offended others and caused him suffering. They are the ones who will be found doing His will when the master returns. Heb 5:12). He was eager to know, what Gods wishes from him. As a faithful servant, Samuel obeyed God humbly and politely. Or would he receive you kindly? says the Lord of hosts. "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. Patient, kind, long-suffering, forgiving, he gave himself for us. 43How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! As we serve our Master, God, it should be our desire to be faithful and honored by him. Robbie's solo is on acoustic guitar (but electric guitar on Rock of Ages) Richard is on piano. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemiesor if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. And he did it by choice. While considering Pauls parenthesis about his stewardship, we discern marks of a faithful servantand these should both encourage and challenge us. Application Questions: In what ways do you find Gods sovereignty even over evil comforting? It shall come about if you ever forget the, But the wicked will be cut off from the land. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Faithful servants will experience some form of sufferingsome form of our Lords crossand Jesus promises blessings to those who do. All rights reserved. But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; 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?. 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. From the fruit of a mans mouth he enjoys good,But the desire of the treacherous is violence. Although I am less than the least of all Gods people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. What information about this servant can we glean from the biblical account? (Luke 1:26-38), Paul served God faithfully and his loyalty for preaching the gospel was significant. 47Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. Then He said, I will hide My face from them. Faithful and Unfaithful Servants ( Matthew 24.45-51) 35 Be ready and keep your lamps burning 36 just like those servants who wait up for their master to return from a wedding feast. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; He reveals it first to Peterleading him to preach the gospel to the Gentile Cornelius and his family (Acts 10). There he will cry and gnash his teeth. We must allow patience, or perseverance, to have her perfect work in us. Saving a people from out of the world and uniting Jew and Gentile in the church were planned before time in order to teach the angels. He is one of the perfect examples of obedience and submission. But you say, How have we defiled You? In that you say, The table of the, But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? She is well-known as a counselor to Christian faithful who are struggling with tremendous burden in these difficult times. 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. This is the parable Jesus told His disciples. (Luke 1:26-38), Paul served God faithfully by preaching the gospel wherever and whenever the Lord directed him. B. I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. Faithful servants work through Gods power. He is one of the perfect examples of obedience and submission. Matthew 24:44-51; Luke 12:35-48. The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us keep track of the comments placed on the website. He is instructing his disciples it is close to the time He will not be with them. It empowers us and strengthens us to do Gods work. GNT Pew Bible Catholic, Paper Over Board, Burgundy, French/English (GNT) New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs--imitation leather, blue, GNT Large Print Bible, 2nd Edition, Blue, Paperback. The Unfaithful Servant (by Robbie Robertson) Album: The Band (1969) Rick Danko lead vocal. And the treacherous is in the place of the upright. Meaning of the Faithful and Wise Servant. 1. This demonstrates another characteristic of a faithful servant: he is humble. Why not offer it to your governor? Martin G. Collins We must have this mindset as well, not only about Christ, but also others. Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,read more.saying to Aaron, Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egyptwe do not know what happened to him. At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. No software to install. It was Paul who most clearly defined for us in scripture what it means to be a servant of Christ, and demonstrated it relentlessly in his own life. In Ephesians 2:6-7 Paul says. Good News Translation (Todays English Version, Second Edition)
Those who are obeying God will be rewarded, whereas those who disobey God (even if they say they belong to him) prove themselves to be unfaithful and hypocrites by their actions. Now, I am not sure how Paul received this mystery. Matthew 25:23: His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. (Romans 1:1). In reality, God protected Him and disclosed everything to him according to his need. And Judah was carried away into exile to Babylon for their unfaithfulness. Both versions are very similar, with minor variations. To those men who have committed much, of him more will be ask. Sometimes it means being considered weird or different because of our views or beliefs. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Christ reveals this truth more fully through Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen what faithless Israel did? Acts 9:15-16 says: But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! Then Jesus talks about the unfaithful or evil servant by saying; if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my lord delays his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Are they servants of Christ? Faithful Bible teachers are diligent. C Jesus said that sin enslaves us, (John 8:34). amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by the word mystery? 51The master will cut him in pieces[a] and make him share the fate of the hypocrites. The word preach is euangeliz, which means to announce good news.3 Paul was called to proclaim the gospelthe good news of Christto all who would listen. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you., However, when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
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