Message by Senior Pastor Max Meiruntu (Wednesday 10 October 2018)
We must be loyal to those above and below us. Loyalty means to be faithful, reliable and can be trusted. It is an attitude where although you don't understand your leader, you still follow and trust them.
Moses wasn't able to bring people to the promised land because they couldn't trust him. They weren't faithful to Moses. When you don't trust your leader, trouble is going to happen.
“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;" (Deuteronomy 7:9 NKJV)
A faithful person keeps their promises. God is faithful for He keeps His promises.
“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses." (1 Kings 8:56 NKJV)
When God says something, you can trust in Him because He is faithful.
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 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.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30 NKJV)
Do as much as you can when God trusts you with something. You will never know when He will take it away from you because you are not fruitful. If the tree does not bear fruit, it will be cut. Therefore, you MUST produce fruit. To fail the test of loyalty, it could mean your ministry being taken away. If we aren't loyal to God, He might bestow ministry to us.
"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry," (1 Timothy 1:12 NKJV)
When you're saying unkind things about the church or pastors, it means that you are not being faithful. People won't be able to trust you. Not even God will trust you. You won't be able to produce fruit.
Are you faithful to the Word of God or just the church?