VITAL SIGNS                                                                      EAST BAY FELLOWSHIP

(Series, #7)                                                                                               October 16, 2005

FAITHFULNESS

TEXT: Hosea 4:1-3

INTRODUCTION

· But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Gal. 5:22-23 (NIV)

· In the 31^st Psalm the people of God are identified as “the faithful”.

1) FAITHFULNESS DOESN’T COME FROM THE WORLD

· “Every answered prayer, every victory, every storm that has been calmed by his presence is a piton which keeps us from falling, losing hope, or worse yet, losing our faith.”  Eugene Peterson, The Unnecessary Pastor (Eerdmans, 2000), p.12

· I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.  Rev 19:11 (NIV)

2) FAITHFULNESS CREATES HEALTHY BOUNDARIES

· Anyone in the people business can tell you that a life without boundaries is a life doomed to excess and failure.

· For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach.  1 Cor 4:17(NIV)

· The Apostle Paul equated teaching with lifestyle.

3) FAITHFULNESS RESTORES WHAT IS BROKEN

· The word faithfulness is really made up of two parts:

a. Faith – Our trust in God

b. Fullness – The volume of that faith

· Stained glass is made up of broken glass pieced back together in a way that makes sense out of the brokenness and communicates the incredible beauty of the redemptive Creator. 

CONCLUSION

· If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go.  If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.  This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.  Rev 13:10 (NIV)