1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Abundance of FaithfulnessI Corinthians 10:13

Abundance of Faithfulness• Our study this morning is one that is

geared towards this 2014 theme

• We have been studying the abundant spiritual blessings of God

• These are things that we may not think of often, but are certainly blessings nonetheless

Abundance of Faithfulness• A blessing that we might easily take

for granted with God is His faithfulness

• We often find it hard to find faithfulness in this world

• People often turn their backs on us; they can deceive us or let us down

Abundance of Faithfulness• To have someone we can count on is

truly a blessing

• As Christians we know that we can count on God to always be there

• When we go to Him in prayer, He is there to hear us and to answer those prayers in His wisdom

Faithfulness Defined• It is important for us to not what we

mean by the faithfulness of God

• The word used in the NT in conjunction with God is the Greek word pistos

• It means trustworthy, faithful, sure, true; someone that can be relied on

Faithfulness Defined• “God is faithful…” (I Cor. 1:9)

• “…God is faithful…” (I Cor. 10:13)

• “…God is faithful…” (II Cor. 1:18)

• “…the Lord is faithful…” (II Thess. 3:3)

• “…He is faithful…” (I Jn. 1:9)

Faithfulness Defined• We see through scripture that God is

faithful and trustworthy

• However, we may ask, “What does that mean for me?”

• There are some important implications for us to know that God is faithful

Abundance of Faithfulness• 1. God will never leave us

– There are times when we wonder if our spouse will leave us for another person

– There are times when children wonder if a parent will desert them and the family

– Perhaps we wonder if friends will forsake us when we go through difficulties in life

Abundance of Faithfulness• 1. God will never leave us

– It’s wonderful to know that because God is faithful, that He will never leave us

– “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6)

Abundance of Faithfulness• 1. God will never leave us

– God’s trustworthiness means that He is not going to desert us because the grass looks greener somewhere else

– God has dedicated Himself to us and to our spiritual well being

– Sending His Son has proven this (Jn. 3:16)

Abundance of Faithfulness• 1. God will never leave us

– When there is a separation from God, it is never because God has left us

– Isaiah 59:1-2 makes this abundantly clear

– We may leave God and forsake Him for the world, but He will never leave or forsake us for another

Abundance of Faithfulness• 2. God will keep His word

– There are numerous promises that God has made to each of us through His word

– God’s faithfulness teaches us that He will keep His word

– God has never broken a promise and never will

Abundance of Faithfulness• 2. God will keep His word

– Both Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18 teach us that it is impossible for God to lie

– Therefore when He says something, it is the truth

– When we read of God’s faithfulness in I Corinthians 10:13, it is attached to a promise

Abundance of Faithfulness• 2. God will keep His word

– Most all the verses in the New Testament that speak of God’s faithfulness are attached to a promise

– Verses include I Thessalonians 5:23-24, II Thessalonians 3:3, Hebrews 10:23 and I John 1:9

Abundance of Faithfulness• 2. God will keep His word

– However, we don’t just take God’s word for it

– We can look for ourselves and see that God has never broken a promise

– The Bible teaches us that God has always been true to His word

Abundance of Faithfulness• 3. We must be faithful

– God’s faithfulness to us demands our faithfulness to Him

– God’s frustrations with Israel deal with their unfaithfulness to Him (Jud. 2:17;I Chron. 5:25; Jer. 3:1)

– What good is a one-sided contract?

Abundance of Faithfulness• 3. We must be faithful

– Those in Smyrna who were facing persecution were told to “be faithful until death” (Rev. 2:10)

– Paul spoke of the faithfulness he had during his Christian life as he drew near the end (II Tim. 4:6-8)

Abundance of Faithfulness• 3. We must be faithful

– Our commitment to God is based upon His commitment to us (Heb. 10:23;I Pet. 4:19)

– Paul encouraged us to be “steadfast, immovable” (I Cor. 15:58)

– Colossians 1:21-23