Well Done Good And Faithful Servant

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant  

“Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan,  Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim,  Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All  these were the children of Keturah. And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But Abraham gave gifts to  the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away  from Isaac his son, to the country of the east. This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he  lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an  old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in  the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, the  field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.  And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer  Lahai Roi.”  

Genesis 25:1-11 NKJV  

Ps said we should stop counting baptisms and start counting those who end faithfully serving the Lord.  

The starting line is for everyone. But the finish line is for those who faithfully endure. It is not how you  start, it is how you finish. How will you end?  

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of  you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and  I will give you the crown of life.”  

Revelation 2:10 NKJV  

Will you end faithfully like Abraham? Let’s look at his life  

 1. enjoy the God life-  

“An old man, full of years”, other translations use the wording “lived a content life”  

 What do you believe about your life? Do you enjoy life or see it as a drudgery, something to just get  through until you die?  

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life,  and that they may have it more abundantly.”  

John 10:10 NKJV  

The abundant life that Christ promises us, is the same of Abraham. It is not in the abundance of stuff, but  in the abundance of the stuff that matters. God expects us to enjoy a full life in Him. Live a life full of  contentment, enjoy life to the fullest.  

Ex: years ago I went for a run. I didn’t used to look forward to running, it was a drudgery- time to make  the donuts.  

This means you can have a daily abundance of joy, peace, righteousness, goodness, mercy. You are meant  to enjoy your spouse, children, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ.  

These are the things that make life abundant! Spend time with those you love. Go for long walks. Have a  cup of coffee with a dear friend. Laugh with those who laugh and cry with those who cry.  

“Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his  labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As  for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his 

heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his  life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.”  

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 NKJV  

Enjoying life is to be grateful every day- every day is a gift. You are not promised tomorrow!  Tell those around you that you love them. Serve others joyfully. Put your arm around someone and hug  them, you never know what kind of day they have had. Text someone an encouraging message. “I am  praying for you” are the sweetest words to my ears.  

But your life is not to be lived for yourself- this is vanity (useless). It is vanity to just work all the time,  and not enjoy your family, or sit at the feet of Jesus. You have a purpose and your purpose is to live a life  that glorifies the Lord.  

“Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher  shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,  And the spirit will return to God who gave it. “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.” (V.  6-8)  

(V. 13-14) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For  this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether  good or evil.”  

Ecclesiastes 12:6-8, 13-14 NKJV  

Enjoying life does not mean that you “live your best life now” mentality, or the “eat drink and be merry  for tomorrow we die”, but to enjoy living for the Lord. Enjoy the gifts He gives to you. And live with a  remembrance that we will give an account to Him for our life.  

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  I Corinthians 10:31 NKJV  

We do not just live life and put God’s stamp of approval on it because you claim to be a Christian. A  “good” thing is not always a “God thing”. If it does not honor the Lord, and we cannot do it to His glory,  we should think whether or not we should be doing it.  

“For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from  speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes  of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is  against those who do evil.””  

I Peter 3:10-12 NKJV  

2. Live in hope  

Abraham is the father of faith. WE are told that we are to have the same faith that was in him  

“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the  seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the  father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom  he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;  who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to  what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his  own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He  did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,  and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was  accounted to him for righteousness.””  

Romans 4:16-22 NKJV 

“For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he  sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”  Romans 8:24-25 NKJV  

What you believe about God to be true and what you believe about your relationship to Him to be true  will determine your hope. (Say it again.)  

Many believers live out every situation, marriage, job, and trial through the lens of hopelessness.  

“So now, say to the men of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem: This is what the LORD says: I am  about to bring harm to you and make plans against you. Turn now, each from your evil way, and correct  your ways and your deeds. But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless. We will continue to follow our plans, and  each of us will continue to act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’ ””  Jeremiah 18:11-12 HCSB  

God sent the prophet Jeremiah to a potter’s house. God explains that He is the potter and the  nation of Israel is the clay. He warns that if a nation turns from evil, He will relent from sending  disaster. Right before verse 12, God urges the people to change their evil ways and reform their  actions.  

God offers mercy and a chance to change, but the people respond with defiance:  “It’s no use” or “That is hopeless”. They claim it is useless to try to change, treating  repentance and belief in God’s ways as a waste of time. Clinging to their own plans, they openly  reject divine guidance. They prefer their own self-directed paths over God’s design.  They surrender completely to their own wicked desires, hardening their hearts against God’s  warning.  

Hopelessness isn’t innocent. Jeremiah calls it a horrible thing, because hopelessness leads people to  abandon obedience and their trust in the Lord to follow the stubbornness of their own heart.  

Let me tell you something 

God does not resurrect a people in Christ to produce a testimony of ongoing hopelessness. That’s not a  good testimony to the world! He brought you from death to life to show a world how great and glorious  God we serve.  

He gives us so many reasons to have hope 

We have been given Divine authority to overcome and trample on the power of the enemy,  

“Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who  receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus  Christ.”  

Romans 5:17 HCSB  

Yet many live subjectively, bowing to every circumstance rather than reigning in life as Scripture  promises. This authority isn’t hyperbole. It’s meant to be walked in daily.  

Remember I said what you believe about God will determine your hope?  

Do you believe through Christ you more than a conqueror? (Pause) 

Do you believe that God is always good? All His ways are good?  

“You are good, and You do what is good; teach me Your statutes.”  

Psalms 119:68 HCSB  

“The LORD is good to everyone; His compassion rests on all He has made.”  

Psalms 145:9 HCSB  

“Taste and see that the LORD is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!”  Psalms 34:8 HCSB  

Maybe you believe that the Lord is good, but do you believe He desires good for you?  Do you believe good things will come your way? Do you believe God’s design is to do you good and give  you good gifts?  

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and  comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  James 1:16-17 NKJV  

DO you believe God has His hand on you and is guiding your steps?  

You are not at the whim of chance. Things do not just happen by accident. Your life is not of chance.  Your steps are ordered and directed by God. Your future is secure. God is not Loke, playing with your  life for fun. He is not one day good and another day bad. He knows what He will do. You are safe in His  faithful hands.  

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.”  

Proverbs 16:9 HCSB  

“A man’s steps are determined by the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way?”  Proverbs 20:24 HCSB  

The Lord needs you to hear this- you are not at the whim of chance! There is a God in heaven who loves  you and everything He does is for your good and His glory.  

THIS IS YOUR HOPE!  

You have a command from Scripture to hope in God, even when circumstances look grim, even when  things seem impossible. Why? Because we have a good Father in heaven who moves in the impossible  and He has ordered your steps for your good and His glory.  

You can have hope, like Abraham when all hope seems lost. Why? Because it is not dependent on you or  what you can do, or your circumstances. Your life is not subject to chance, but is in the good and faithful  hands of a loving Father.  

Do you go through hard things? Yes. Do you have prolonged periods of waiting? Yes. Does everything  turn out the way you planned? No. But it always works for your good and His glory. Just because you do  not know what you will do or what will happen, does not mean God doesn’t know. Do not put your  hopelessness on Him. God works in impossible situations.  

Scripture tells us to turn our eyes and our minds unto Jesus. To think hope-filled thoughts, and cast down  and reject the negative, pessimistic thoughts and attitudes.  

EX: I remember one Christmas when I was crying, Matt knowing me came and hugged me and said,  “You are allowed to enjoy good things!” Do not let the enemy steal this time from you. I believed i only 

deserved the bad, and that when anything good came it would someone be sabotaged. I had to change my  thinking  

What good is it to think on things that are negative and hopeless anyway?  

We serve the God of all hope!  

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by  the power of the Holy Spirit.”  

Romans 15:13 NKJV  

Your best days are still ahead. God has promised good to those who love Him and seek Him.  Say this tonight, “God has promised GOOD to me!”  

 That promise belongs to every one of God’s children, no matter how ordinary or stuck your life currently  looks.  

3. Protect the promise  

“But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living  he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.”  

You need to protect God’s Word and promise like you would protect a treasure chest of gold. It is  precious. Protect your walk of faith. Protect the finish line.  

Protecting the promise relies on 3 core principles 

1. Daily surrender- “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”  I Corinthians 15:31 NKJV  

Paul faced real physical threats, beatings, and constant danger for preaching the gospel. He chose to give  up his own pride, personal rights, and selfish desires every single day. Paul lived with his eyes on eternity  rather than temporary earthly comforts.  

We say no to sin and the culture. Satan does not ask you to do the worst thing you can imagine on day  one. He starts out slowly, exposing a crack in your faith, in your marriage, in your attitude, in your  ministry; until that thing that you once thought was wrong feels normal.  

Ex: Caleb Flynn, prayed and fasted 40 days to inquire if he should leave his marriage  

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”  

I Corinthians 10:12 NKJV  

We resist worldly temptations and selfish habits. Not doing something because you do not “want to”, is  selfish and therefore sinful behavior. I hear this from people all the time, “I do not want to (fill in the  blank) help serve, I don’t want to give, I don’t want to go to that event.” It is easy to ask God to bless  something that we want, do not want.  

I do things all the time I don’t want to, because I serve a God who tells me my flesh must die. I would  rather stay home alone. Christ did not want to go to the cross, but nevertheless, Thy will be done.  

Dying daily means waking up and choosing to let God guide your actions instead of your own ego. Every  single day. It is part of my daily prayers, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  

2. Active obedience- You cannot say you love God and do not obey His commands. Obedience is the fruit  of your love for Him. 

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see  that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture  was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And  

he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”  James 2:21-24 NKJV  

The apostle Paul writes-  

“What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was  justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say?  “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.””  

Romans 4:1-3 NKJV  

Paul and James are complementary not contradictory. Paul describes the root of justification  (faith in God’s promise), while James describes the fruit of justification (the active demonstration  of that faith).  

The root will always bear fruit. I do not believe in a salvation that produces no obedience to the  commands of God. Instead of defending yourself and making excuses for disobedience, ask God  where you are giving an ear to the enemy.  

3. Stand on scriptural truth 

Hold fast to God’s Word. When the enemy comes in with, “Did God really say?” You come back at Him  with God’s Word of promise! It is written….  

When you anchor your faith in a commitment to protect the Word of promise, you build a strong shield  for your heart and mind and you keep the finish line in sight.  

4. A lasting sacrifice  

The commitment to follow is not a single emotional experience or crisis, it is an ongoing process, “a long  obedience in the same direction” (Eugene Peterson)  

This is difficult for a generation that has not been known for finishing things. I am Gen X- the feral  generation. We have grit and endurance, but somehow those same characteristics were not reproduced in  our children.  

This generation is lazy and wants immediate results. This is a generation that has trouble keeping a job,  bounces in and out of relationships, hop from church to church, seeing through marriage vows until the  end and many are diverted from the path of faith when you encounter the slightest bit of difficulty.  

It is sad to think of all those I know who started off well, but did not stay the course.  

The parable of the 10 virgins.  

““Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet  the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their  lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the  bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the  bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the  foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered,  saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for  yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with  him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, 

open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for  you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”  

Matthew 25:1-13 NKJV  

This parable is about preparation and tells me that there will be a good portion of the church that will not  be prepared for Christ’s return, and will not end faithfully.  

Preparation is a process that must be maintained, it is not a one and done. It is dangerous to think you are  going out prepared, to find that you have become settled and complacent. How you start is not always  how you will finish.  

We must be prepared to go through “night seasons”.  

“I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have  set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”  Psalms 16:7-8 NKJV  

Like the 5 wise virgins, they prepared to endure through the night. The night seasons are times of  affliction, persecution, sorrow and the unknown. Is your heart prepared to endure? Is your heart’s cry,  “Though none go with me, still I will follow”? Is your mind set like a stone that you are finishing the race  set before you, you will cross that finish line to have a cloud of witnesses cheer you on?  

WE have the record of Abraham and men like Moses, who refused to be called Pharoah’s son and enjoy  all the luxury associated with that life.  

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a  beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. By faith Moses, when he became of age,  refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of  God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the  treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.”  

Hebrews 11:23-26 NKJV  

Moses chose social deprivation over social honor, physical desolation over physical satisfaction, the  unseen over the seen, and the eternal over the immediate.  

We are to be a lasting sacrifice and display a concern for God’s glory as opposed to our pleasure.  

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,  holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (worship). And do not be conformed to this  world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and  acceptable and perfect will of God.”  

Romans 12:1-2 NKJV  

The sacrificial service to God is the Greek word, logikos” and it conveys the idea the reasonableness of  such a response 

Quote from first century philosopher Epictetus, “If i were a nightingale, I would do what is proper for a  nightingale, and if I were a swan, I would do what is proper for a swan. In fact, I am logikos (a rational  being), so I must praise God”.  

This worship that Paul describes enlists our minds, reason and intellect. This living sacrifice is a lasting  sacrifice, and is nothing more than the presentation of our bodies to God, as long as we live. It is what is  practical. 

Like Abraham, we make the choice to serve the Lord all the days of our lives. I have made up my mind. I  have surrendered all for HIs name. I have surrendered all my own hopes and plans to His greater purpose  and glory. I will not back down and I will not go back. I am living my life to hear the words, “Well done  good and faithful servant”.  

“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. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’”  

Matthew 25:23 NKJV  

I will end with this- the story is told of an African man who lived maybe a century ago. He was coerced  either by his tribe or some outside group to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. Rather than giving in, he  wrote what is now called the creed of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.  

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have  stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow  down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I’m  finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions,  worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position,  promotions, applause, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or  rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor by  power. My pace is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road is narrow. My way rough. My  companions few. My guide is reliable, and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised,  detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in  the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or  meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I’ve stayed up, stored up, prayed  up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give ‘til  I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He’ll have no  problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear.