Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Daniel 6:16-23 So, the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. Message: We all know the story of Hachiko (The statue of the dog, which is the most famous meeting place in Tokyo), the faithful dog that even after his master died, continued to go to Shibuya station to wait for his master to return every evening, despite being shooed away by train staff and commuters at first. An article in the newspaper inspired people to be kind to Hachiko, the dog. He was faithful. There is another story of a dog named Captain in Argentina, a German Shepherd that lost his master, a 20-year-old who died. The dog was taken, as the story goes, to the cemetery where he howled in pain as his young master was laid to rest. That night, the family returned home with him but saw his food was not eaten. They looked for him but could not find the dog. A few days later, they went back to the gravesite of their son, and there was Captain. They brought him back home, but as soon as he could get outside, he ran the 20 miles to the gravesite and stayed there until his death in 2018. Just so you know, I am a pro-animal preacher. I love reading stories on animals, and watching cute YouTube videos of pets always makes me smile. One way you can really make me angry is to be angry to an animal in front of me. We gather today not merely as individuals but as a community bound by the unbreakable thread of faithfulness to God as we seek to follow him and emulate our heavenly father's faithfulness that he has shown us time and time again. God through the OT was faithful sometimes to an unfaithful people. Jesus was faithful unto the cross, bearing our sins even as we people yelled, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” He could have called on a legion of angels to rescue him, but he was faithful unto death for us. The faithfulness we have is just a reflection of God’s faithfulness that he has shown us. Years ago, at a church I attended, there was a woman with a debilitating illness. She could barely move her arms and legs and was permanently wheelchair-bound. Yet Sunday after Sunday and Wednesday prayer meeting too her husband and her faithfully made it to church. Rain or shine she was there. It was a witness to all of the people of the church her commitment to Christ and the congregation. Faithfulness is a virtue that lies at the very heart of our relationship with God. It connects to our willingness to be obedient to God. I will say it again its our willingness to be obedient to God not just once but day after day. I told the story of the two dogs; despite their heartache, these faithful companions remained steadfast in their commitment to their masters. Their stories serve as reminders of the depth and power of faithfulness. In the Bible, we have countless accounts of people being faithful to God. The Bible being fair and balanced also tell stories of peoples fickleness and unfaithfulness. Just after being rescued from Egypt and being brought through the Red Sea (can you imagine) by the mighty hand of God, the Israelites built an idol of a golden calf and worshiped it. Maybe fickle is too nice a word. We are like water moving in the path of least resistance. God forgive us for our fickleness. This goes without saying, but you cannot have faithfulness without a deep undergirding of faith. (Sounds silly to say that but it is true). Faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not yet see. Because you cannot have faithfulness without FAITH. You cannot be faithful without Agape and also Hope. Most mornings I close my prayer time, I ask for these three things, “God give me Faith, Hope, and Love in this world”. Because I know if I have these three things faithfulness will follow. There are many examples of people being faithful to the Lord, but few rival Daniel. He was a young man who, along with his friends, were taken into captive to Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. Despite being in a foreign land, Daniel remained devoted to God and refused to compromise his faith, from small things like dietary rules to bigger things like prayer; he was faithful. Faithfulness is often little acts of faith compiled together. One of the most well-known accounts of Daniel's faithfulness occurs in Daniel chapter 6. Daniel had risen to a position of power in the Babylonian government, which caused jealousy and resentment among others. These men conspired against Daniel and convinced King Darius (the new king) to sign a law forbidding anyone from praying to any god or man except the king for thirty days (Kings are often narcissists). Violators would be thrown into a den of lions until they were eaten. Knowing the consequences, Daniel remained faithful to God and continued to pray three times a day. Just as he always did, with his window facing Jerusalem, so it wasn’t a secret. He wasn’t hiding his faith, and the guys that were jealous of Daniel knew he wouldn't stop, they were counting on it. Many of us would say, "30 days I will take it up again in a month," but for Daniel, his faith was a living thing. Just as well say to Daniel hold your breath for a month. He couldn’t do it. He was easily caught and reported to the king. The king wanted to save him because the king knew him as a talented and, more importantly, faithful man. The king's hands were tied by the very law that he himself had signed. (Be careful what you agree to). His punishment was an execution of being thrown to the lions. The next morning the King rushed to the den of lions and shouted down. “Daniel, do you live?” Daniel replied back, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me because I was found blameless before him.” Daniel's unwavering faith in God, even in the face of death, serves as a powerful example of trusting in the Lord regardless of the consequences. People might say, “If I pray before my meal at work, people might look strangely at me.” Oh no! “If I tell people that I am a Christian, what will they think of me?” Oh no! “If I say I will not go along with something because it is wrong and goes against my faith what will my family and friends think about me?” These are real things that people have told me over the years. Faith is not easy. Ask Daniel. Ask our Lord who prayed in the garden of Gethsemane to take this cup from his hands only to say to the Father, “Not my will but your will be done.” It is called faithfulness. Daniel’s story inspires us to remain faithful in our own lives, trusting that God is with us in every situation, no matter how dire it may seem. Daniel's faithfulness not only saved his own life but also served as a testimony to the power and faithfulness of God, ultimately bringing glory to His name. What does it truly mean to be faithful? Is it merely a matter of fulfilling obligations and duties, or does it encompass something far deeper and more profound? At its core, faithfulness is a testament to the strength of our faith, hope and love to Christ. It is a living, breathing expression of our unwavering commitment to God and to one another. That is what we celebrate when we come to the table of our Lord. We profess that God has been faithful when we take the bread and the cup as a sign of God’s faithfulness. Once Jesus asked by a father to heal his son. Jesus asked him if he believed. The father replied I believe but help me with my unbelief. When we come to the table we say Lord I have faith in you that you are able to help me be faithful. Let’s pray.
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