24 Jan Well or Well Done (Because people vastly underestimate what God can do through a lifetime of faithfulness) PART 3

God wants us to be reliable children that He can count on particularly in
tough times! Let’s look at our key scripture from Matthew 25:21: “His lord said unto him, Well
done, thou good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

This is a very familiar scripture and is in context of being faithful and reliable with gifts that God
has given us to use for His glory here on the earth! It should be the heart cry of every believer
to hear “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”…not just, “Well?”

Let’s review…

We began sharing “Four Facets of Faithfulness”:
1. Every sinner is an opportunity for salvation (Luke 19:10)
The Scripture tells us, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost.” If that was Jesus’ mission it should be ours too (see Matt. 4:19).

Then we began with three thoughts to motivate you…

Three Salvation Standards:
1) Never turn your ministry into your enemy.
With the huge emphasis on social media, we have done just that! Rather than
actually connecting with people, it has simply become easier to vilify people we
disagree with behind the false bravado of “computer courage.” They meet our
political candidates before they meet our Christ. We have been more concerned
with winning an election instead of winning the lost. Please don’t mistake me, it is
important to be politically engaged (see Prov. 29:2) but not to the point where we
are so focused on the issue we completely forget the individual…who desperately
needs our Lord!

This week we continue with…

2) Resist the system with courage. Reach the souls with compassion.
As a pastor, I am committed to standing courageously with the Word of God as
cultural issues and the Bible collide. I am not to be a friend of the world system (see
James 4:4, John 17:16). However I am to be a friend to the sinners within the
system (Luke 7:34).
Everyone knows the famous scripture from John 3:16, “For God so loved the world
that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him shall have
everlasting life.” Notice the word “world.” It is the Greek word “kosmos,” which
means “world system.” However, context determines what God is clearly telling us
here. Also, notice the word “whosoever.” “Whosoever” is not a system but a soul
within the system. Jesus didn’t die for the world’s culture…He died for the people
IN the culture!
3) People are not annoyances or distractions, but moments and opportunities.
Here is where I truly want to shift your thinking. Every encounter with a “sinner” is
an opportunity for salvation. I’m certainly not saying that you will lead to Jesus
every lost person you encounter. I am however saying you should be sensitive to
the possibility. This will make your “ho-hum,” mundane kind of boring Christian life
into an exciting adventure!

Now, every waiter is a mission field. Every person you work out with at the gym is
no longer just another sweaty guy! Every check out girl at Walmart becomes
someone you can pray with. While I am certainly not advocating being flakey or
weird, or hyper aggressive….I am certainly encouraging you to be available and
spiritually sensitive!

For example, a few months ago I connected with a young man in college over his
“cauliflower ear.” If you don’t know what a cauliflower ear is than you have never
wrestled or engaged in mixed martial arts.

When I was a young man I did a bit of wrestling and

when you wrestle your ears get banged intensely.

This in turn brings great swelling to ears and produces what looks like a cauliflower!
I simply brought up the fact that this guy must be a wrestler and we connected over
our commonality. As I talked with him for about 20 minutes the connection took a
turn for Christ. I then had the privilege to lead him to Jesus! Had I not been
available and sensitive, I simply would have stopped with our conversation on
wrestling. I would have risked being rejected by bringing up the Gospel. However I
have shifted my thinking, “Every sinner is an opportunity for salvation!” You see, I
want to be a child God can count on…not just me counting on Him!

Of course He is faithful (see II Tim. 2:13). But the question is “Are we faithful?” I truly
believe you want to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant”…not just, “Well?”

Next month we’ll continue our series!