Embracing God's Faithfulness Amid Our Shortcomings

 

Summary

In reflecting on faithfulness, I was struck by the profound realization of how far I fall short of this virtue. The journey through Scripture revealed the depth of God's faithfulness, contrasting sharply with my own shortcomings. This week, I wrestled with feelings of guilt and shame, but God used this struggle to teach me two vital lessons. First, when confronted with our failures, we must redirect our focus from our inadequacies to Jesus, acknowledging that our imperfections are precisely why He went to the cross. Second, God reminded me of His unwavering faithfulness, filling me with hope. Despite our unfaithfulness, God remains steadfast, and the essence of learning faithfulness lies in being full of faith in Him.

The faithfulness of God is rooted in His unchanging nature. Malachi 3:6 and James 1:17 remind us that God does not change, and His promises are sure. This truth is beautifully captured in the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness," which draws from Lamentations 3. Jeremiah wrote these words during one of the darkest periods in history, yet he found hope in God's steadfast love and mercy. This teaches us that our circumstances do not dictate God's faithfulness; His promises remain true regardless of what we face.

Moreover, the faithfulness of God is exemplified in Jesus, the unfailing Son. Hebrews 13:8 assures us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same Spirit that empowered Jesus is available to us, enabling us to walk in faithfulness. Our human effort alone cannot achieve faithfulness; it is the work of the Holy Spirit within us. We must position ourselves to experience His transformative power, curating the soil of our lives to be overwhelmed by His presence.

Ultimately, faithfulness is not about our ability but about God's character. We are called to fix our eyes on Him, allowing His Spirit to guide and empower us. As we dwell in His presence, we are transformed into His image, becoming more like the faithful one. This journey requires intentionality, sitting at the feet of Jesus, and allowing His Spirit to work in us. In doing so, we align ourselves with His faithfulness, experiencing the fullness of His love and grace.

Key Takeaways:

- Redirecting Focus to Jesus: When confronted with our failures, we must shift our focus from our shortcomings to Jesus, acknowledging that our imperfections are why He went to the cross. This redirection allows us to embrace the gospel and find hope in His sacrifice. [39:35]

- God's Unchanging Nature: God's faithfulness is rooted in His unchanging nature. Despite our circumstances, His promises remain true. This truth, captured in Lamentations 3, reminds us that His mercies are new every morning, offering hope in the darkest times. [42:26]

- The Unfailing Son: Jesus exemplifies God's faithfulness, remaining the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same Spirit that empowered Jesus is available to us, enabling us to walk in faithfulness. Our journey requires reliance on His Spirit, not our own strength. [01:03:01]

- Positioning for Transformation: Faithfulness cannot be achieved by human effort alone. We must position ourselves to experience the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, curating the soil of our lives to be overwhelmed by His presence. [01:09:40]

- Aligning with God's Faithfulness: Our journey towards faithfulness involves fixing our eyes on God, allowing His Spirit to guide and empower us. As we dwell in His presence, we are transformed into His image, experiencing the fullness of His love and grace. [01:13:07]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [39:35] - Redirecting Focus to Jesus
- [42:26] - God's Unchanging Nature
- [45:01] - The Power of Hymns
- [47:32] - Jeremiah's Hope in Despair
- [50:52] - The Lord Wounds Like a Doctor
- [53:30] - The Father's Unfailing Love
- [01:03:01] - The Unfailing Son
- [01:05:54] - The Keeper of Our Lives
- [01:09:40] - Positioning for Transformation
- [01:13:07] - Aligning with God's Faithfulness
- [01:15:39] - Responding to God's Call

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Faithfulness

Bible Reading:
1. Malachi 3:6 - "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed."
2. Lamentations 3:22-23 - "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
3. Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Malachi 3:6 reveal about God's nature, and how does this relate to His faithfulness? [42:26]

2. In Lamentations 3:22-23, what circumstances was Jeremiah facing when he declared God's faithfulness, and why is this significant? [47:32]

3. How does Hebrews 13:8 describe Jesus, and what does this imply about His role in our journey of faithfulness? [01:03:01]

4. According to the sermon, what are the two vital lessons learned when confronted with personal failures? [39:35]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the unchanging nature of God, as described in Malachi 3:6, provide comfort and assurance in times of personal failure or doubt? [42:26]

2. Why is it important to remember God's faithfulness during difficult times, as Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3? How can this perspective change our response to adversity? [47:32]

3. What does the sermon suggest about the role of the Holy Spirit in enabling believers to walk in faithfulness, and how does this relate to Hebrews 13:8? [01:03:01]

4. How does the sermon explain the relationship between human effort and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in achieving faithfulness? [01:09:40]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent failure or shortcoming. How can you redirect your focus from this failure to Jesus, as suggested in the sermon? What practical steps can you take to embrace the gospel in this situation? [39:35]

2. Consider a challenging circumstance you are currently facing. How can you remind yourself of God's unchanging nature and faithfulness, as Jeremiah did, to find hope and strength? [47:32]

3. Identify an area in your life where you struggle with faithfulness. How can you position yourself to experience the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in this area? What changes can you make to curate the "soil" of your life? [01:09:40]

4. The sermon emphasizes the importance of dwelling in God's presence to be transformed into His image. What daily practices can you implement to ensure you are spending intentional time with God? [01:13:07]

5. How can you practically fix your eyes on Jesus, as encouraged in the sermon, to align yourself with God's faithfulness? Are there specific distractions you need to minimize to achieve this focus? [01:03:01]

6. Reflect on the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness." How does this hymn resonate with your personal experiences of God's faithfulness? How can you use music or other forms of worship to remind yourself of God's promises? [45:01]

7. Think of a person in your life who exemplifies faithfulness. What qualities do they possess that you admire, and how can you incorporate similar qualities into your own life?

Devotional

Day 1: Redirecting Focus to Jesus
When we are confronted with our failures, it is easy to become consumed by feelings of guilt and inadequacy. However, the essence of the gospel is that our imperfections are precisely why Jesus went to the cross. By shifting our focus from our shortcomings to Jesus, we acknowledge His sacrifice and embrace the hope it brings. This redirection allows us to find solace in His grace and mercy, understanding that our failures do not define us. Instead, they remind us of our need for a Savior and the transformative power of His love. [39:35]

Hebrews 12:2 (ESV): "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Reflection: Think of a recent failure or shortcoming. How can you redirect your focus to Jesus and embrace His grace in this situation today?


Day 2: God's Unchanging Nature
God's faithfulness is rooted in His unchanging nature, offering us a steadfast anchor in the midst of life's uncertainties. Despite the circumstances we face, His promises remain true, providing hope and assurance. This truth is beautifully captured in Lamentations 3, where Jeremiah finds hope in God's steadfast love and mercy during a time of despair. Understanding that God's faithfulness is not dictated by our circumstances allows us to trust in His promises and find peace in His unchanging character. [42:26]

Numbers 23:19 (ESV): "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?"

Reflection: Reflect on a promise of God that you find difficult to believe in your current circumstances. How can you remind yourself of His unchanging nature today?


Day 3: The Unfailing Son
Jesus exemplifies God's faithfulness, remaining the same yesterday, today, and forever. His life and ministry demonstrate unwavering commitment to God's will, and the same Spirit that empowered Him is available to us. Our journey towards faithfulness requires reliance on His Spirit, not our own strength. By looking to Jesus as our example, we are reminded that true faithfulness is not about our ability but about God's character and His work within us. [01:03:01]

2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV): "If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to rely more on the Holy Spirit rather than your own strength? How can you invite His guidance today?


Day 4: Positioning for Transformation
Faithfulness cannot be achieved by human effort alone; it is the work of the Holy Spirit within us. We must position ourselves to experience His transformative power, curating the soil of our lives to be overwhelmed by His presence. This requires intentionality, creating space for God to work in us and through us. As we open our hearts to His Spirit, we are transformed into His image, becoming more like the faithful one. [01:09:40]

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Reflection: What practical steps can you take today to position yourself for the Holy Spirit's transformative work in your life?


Day 5: Aligning with God's Faithfulness
Our journey towards faithfulness involves fixing our eyes on God, allowing His Spirit to guide and empower us. As we dwell in His presence, we are transformed into His image, experiencing the fullness of His love and grace. This alignment with God's faithfulness requires a deliberate choice to sit at the feet of Jesus, allowing His Spirit to work in us. By doing so, we align ourselves with His character, becoming more like the faithful one. [01:13:07]

Colossians 3:2-3 (ESV): "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

Reflection: How can you intentionally fix your eyes on God today, allowing His Spirit to guide and transform you? What distractions do you need to set aside to focus on Him?

Quotes



"I want you to leave full of hope this morning, because even though we as people are unfaithful, and by the way, every single person listening right now is, even though we so often walk in unfaithfulness in our lives, there is a God who is faithful. The heart of learning how to be faithful is really in the essence of the Word. We've got to learn how to be full of faith. Full of faith. And so this morning, I don't want to fix our eyes on all the ways we could fail. We wouldn't have enough time in the message anyways. I want to focus our attention on the God who is faithful." [00:40:12] (44 seconds)


"Malachi chapter three, verse six, for I, the Lord, that's Yahweh right there, for I, the true God, the Lord, do not change. That's where I took that first point, the unchanging Father. Therefore, you, O children, he's picturing himself very specifically to them. Therefore, you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. I'm telling you, you just need to know that you have a Father who does not change. He's consistent. Theologians would know this attribute of God as the immutability of God. That means that in his word and in his ways and in his character, in his promises, he is unchanging. He does not change." [00:41:36] (43 seconds)


"James, the brother of Jesus, would say it like this in the New Testament. Every good gift, every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Now, whether you've been in church for a long time or whether it's through your first Sunday, you have probably heard this line before. Many of you might not even know that it's from Scripture. Because I'm telling you, the hymn writer got it right when he stole this passage. The hymn writer said, Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father. There is no shadow of turning with thee. He stole that from James." [00:42:47] (46 seconds)


"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore, I will hope in him. I told you I came that you would really be filled with hope. That's what God did is he just reminded me of his faithfulness this week. And this section of verses really goes great on a coffee cup. I mean that. There are some verses that are just so quotable, so printable. They work great on a t-shirt or a coffee mug or something like that." [00:45:15] (41 seconds)


"How do you even write that kind of language in the midst of what he's seen and experiencing? In the midst of those circumstances, how can you talk about the faithfulness of God? I'm going to tell you why. Because he understood what Numbers chapter 23 teaches. God is not man that he should lie or a son of man that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? What Jeremiah the prophet's doing, he's calling to his mind every promise that the Lord's already spoken over his people. He's calling to his mind the faithfulness of God." [00:48:41] (37 seconds)


"And the Lord was trying, I think, in my spirit to just show me this is what was going to heal her and free her. And he implanted something in my heart that I've never gotten over, and that is that the Lord wounds like a doctor. And every cut in your life, every trial, every circumstance, is meant for your healing and your good. But that doesn't mean in the moment it doesn't bring unimaginable pain and unimaginable sorrow. That doesn't mean in the moment it doesn't hurt because it does. But he's trying to produce in you something he could do no other way." [00:50:29] (40 seconds)


"When I think about the faithfulness of God, I don't just think about an unchanging father, I think about an unfailing son. An unfailing son. See the attributes of faithfulness that scripture places on God are also placed on Jesus. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 18, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And just like the father is faithful and doesn't change, is consistent, his character is sure, so is Jesus. And the writer of Hebrews gives us verses that lead up to this, that explain this to us. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1, therefore, holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus." [00:54:05] (42 seconds)


"And if we're really to know the faithfulness of God, you need to know that the same spirit that kept Jesus faithful is available to every believer to guard, to protect, to seal, to keep them faithful to the Lord. Now that was so much better than you understand it. If you have, I really mean this, I wasn't trying to be funny right there. I want you to hear this. If you have a theology that doesn't clearly articulate that the, yes, Lord, hallelujah, thank you, God." [01:01:03] (43 seconds)


"If you have a theology that does not teach, that does not affirm that the same spirit that enabled Jesus to be faithful to the Father is now available to everyone who believes in him, then your theology's wrong. The same spirit that anointed and empowered Jesus is here right now with us. You wanna know about the faithfulness of God? When Jesus no longer walked among us, no longer guided us, no longer was in front of us as the perfect example, he left with us his word to tell us and explain everything that he'd done. But more than that, he left us his spirit, the Holy Spirit inside of us to change us." [01:02:58] (59 seconds)


"Faithfulness in your life cannot be attained by human effort alone. And yet it will start with some effort on your part. I want to show it to you from the word. Philippians chapter two, verse 12, therefore my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. So when we look at our lives and we see all the unfaithfulness in our lives, there should be something that rises up in us that says, I gotta do something about this. But the reality is, your faithfulness and my faithfulness cannot be obtained by our own human effort." [01:07:56] (47 seconds)


"Our human work and effort is only to position ourselves to experience the work that only God can do. I'm really bad at growing things. Every plant I touch dies. But I know just enough about it to be dangerous and I know that soil matters. You know, you can put about anything, good, bad, or indifferent, in the right kind of soil and you know what it does? It grows. And so I'm saying, if you look at your life and you say, I don't see a lot of faithfulness. I'm unfaithful. You need to... Fix your eyes on a God who's unchanging, unfailing, unmovable, on a God who's faithful in all his ways. And you need to curate the environment of your life to be totally overwhelmed and transformed by that God." [01:09:26] (73 seconds)


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Transcript
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