Being Faithful -"He (God) knew that he (Abraham) was faithful at heart" (Nehemiah 9:8) | sermon by Father. Mungamuri Devadasu | Bible Mission

"He (God) knew that he (Abraham) was faithful at heart" (Nehemiah 9:8); "Be faithful, even to the point of death" (Revelation 2:10).

Dear ones who face many obstacles in your service! May the blessedness of the words "Be faithful, even to the point of death" be upon you. In the book of Nehemiah, it is written that Abraham had "a faithful heart." In Revelation, the Lord was speaking to the church in Smyrna, urging them to remain faithful even in tribulation.

Can a person with a faithful heart not do faithful work? Yes, he can. However, obstacles may hinder him from doing so. One person may be doing serious and great work, yet his heart is not truly faithful—he acts out of duty. There are these two kinds of people.

Another aspect: God trusting us, and us trusting God. We must all ask ourselves two questions:

1.       Do people trust me?

2.      Does the Lord trust me in His service?

Before Abraham even acted—before he did any work—God trusted him.

1.       God recognized that Abraham had a faithful heart.

2.      Having a faithful heart is not enough; it must be demonstrated in behavior.

3.      It must be shown in service.

People will know we are faithful based on our conduct. They will recognize our faithfulness through our service.

I. Abraham had:

1. A faithful heart.
2. Faithful actions.
3. Faithful conduct.

So, when God told Abraham to leave the city called "Ur" and go to the land that He would show him, Abraham went. Therefore, he had a faithful heart and also faithful deeds. According to the life of Abraham, when God told him to set out, he set out; when told to offer his son, he did so. Thus, God gave testimony based on his heart, and people gave testimony based on his actions.

Those who have a faithful heart also have faithful deeds and faithful conduct. Some who have a faithful heart may still be unable to serve properly due to obstacles or due to their situation in the mission. And some, even though they don’t have a faithful heart, serve out of tradition, obligation, fear, or to please others.

When God told Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice, did he actually do it? He did it inwardly. Paul wrote in his letters that "Abraham received his son back from the dead." There was no unbelief in Abraham's heart. Even if the Lord does not visibly appear to us, we must still do the work He has given us faithfully. The greatest service Abraham did was offering his son. If God gives us a task that causes great distress to our hearts, can we carry it out to the end? We must do so like Abraham.

Abraham was given a difficult task. He could have said, "I won't offer my son," and walked away — but he did not. From the beginning to the end, Abraham remained a faithful servant. This is the great lesson for us.

Do you have both a faithful heart and faithful service in your work? Did you have a faithful heart for some time but then lose it? Did you do faithful work for a while but then stop? If faithful service is abandoned, then after a while, the faithful heart may also be lost. We must pray to God that both a faithful heart and faithful service remain until the end.

II. Joseph and His Brothers – A Lesson in Faithful Stewardship

Joseph went to visit his brothers in Dothan. They were tending sheep there. When they saw him, they threw him into a pit and sat down to eat their meal. Joseph was in the hands of ten men—his own brothers. Their father, Jacob, had entrusted Joseph into the hands of those ten sons. But what did they do? They threw him into a pit!

In the same way, the Lord may entrust you with churches, people, or communities. What will you do with them? Will you "sell" them, as Joseph’s brothers did? They sold their own brother! After putting Joseph into the pit, they sat and ate. What about you—those entrusted to you by the Lord—what are you doing for them?

If you are faithfully caring for the churches entrusted to you, and sharing the Word with them, that is a great joy. The Lord has placed churches, schools, and villages in your hands—do you serve them faithfully?

On the day of judgment, the Lord will ask you: "What did you do with the things I entrusted to you?"

Abraham served faithfully. But his descendants—Jacob's ten sons—did not. Here's an example: If someone buys a piece of wood and asks a carpenter to make a chair, the responsibility lies with the carpenter. If he does a good job, the credit is his. If he does a poor job, the blame is his too.

As long as you live in this world, God will give you tasks to do. If you serve faithfully, on that final day the Lord will say: "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

To the Bible mission worker or preacher reading this—do you have a faithful heart? Are you serving with true faithfulness?

Will the Lord’s words—"Well done, good and faithful servant of the Gospel!"—be spoken to you tomorrow? Reflect deeply. Let your conscience answer.

Sermon 27 - Faithful Service: Joseph in Egypt

In Egypt, Potiphar entrusted his entire household to Joseph. At one point, only Potiphar’s wife was present in the house. Joseph was a young man. There was no one else in the bungalow—no servants, no workers. By that time, Joseph had been living in Potiphar’s house for three years. Throughout those three years, Potiphar’s wife continuously tried to be a stumbling block to Joseph.

But because Joseph had learned godly principles from his father, he remained faithful to God in every trial and difficult situation. He maintained upright behaviour. That’s why, when temptation came, he ran away from her, demonstrating his faithfulness through action. Joseph’s faith was not just in his heart, but also revealed through his actions. He didn’t just speak of loyalty—he proved it by fleeing from sin, even when no one was watching.

Let’s reflect on two examples:

1. A Son entrusted to a Father: God gave Abraham his son Isaac and tested Abraham's faith through him. Abraham remained faithful and obedient.

2.      A Brother entrusted to Brothers: God entrusted Joseph to his ten older brothers—but they were unfaithful in how they treated him. "But they were not faithful in their service to him.

3.      God entrusted a woman to Joseph, a young man. Joseph remained faithful in all his responsibilities. Abraham’s conduct was righteous, and so his service was pleasing to God. The conduct of the ten brothers was not good, and therefore, their service was not acceptable. Joseph’s conduct, however, was righteous, and so his service too was honorable.

It was God who led Joseph—step by step—to his brothers, into the pit, to the merchants, to Egypt, to Potiphar’s house, to prison, and finally to the throne. If God places us in a new village or among strangers to serve, we too must remain faithful, just as Joseph did. Consider this: a diamond, whether thrown into mud or dung, does not become brass. It remains a diamond. In the same way, Joseph remained true to himself—when he was mocked at home, when he was thrown into the pit, when he was sold in the Egyptian marketplace, and even when he was imprisoned. No matter the trials he faced, Joseph remained unchanged. A diamond does not lose its value, and likewise, Joseph never lost his integrity.

There is no greater example in the Bible than Joseph. In both his conduct and his service, he stands as a model for us all."

IV) The Story of a Woman Entrusted with a Man’s Heart and a Nation’s Fate: This woman lived in the land of Persia—a foreign kingdom. She was a Jewess, a devout and God-fearing woman. At that time, a grave threat loomed over all the Jews. A royal decree had gone out declaring that every Jew, regardless of where they lived, was to be destroyed. She lived in the royal palace. But why did God place her there? Why did He send her to such a place? It was so she could stand in the gap and save her people from destruction. God had entrusted her with influence over the king himself.

One day, she entered the king’s presence. The king asked her, “Why have you come?”
Queen Esther replied, “Why have you issued a command to destroy my people?” The king responded, “It was the scheme of an advisor. Though I cannot revoke what has already been sealed, I will issue a new decree.” And so, a new law was written—authorizing the Jews to defend themselves and destroy those who rose against them. The king sealed the decree and entrusted it to Queen Esther. Thus, the Jewish people were saved through the courage and faithfulness of Queen Esther. A foreign king—ruler of the Persian Empire—chose to side with a Jewish woman. And in doing so, he stood with God.

Just as Abraham’s conduct and service were pleasing to God, and Joseph’s life and service were marked by integrity and faithfulness, so too were the actions and devotion of Queen Esther honorable before God.

V) The Set-Apart People of Israel: God entrusted the Israelites with the nations of Canaan—the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. These seven nations were delivered into their hands with a divine purpose: the Israelites were to teach them the worship of Yahweh, proclaim the truths of God, and instruct them in the Law of Moses.

Yet, God also gave clear boundaries: “Do not mingle with them. Do not intermarry with them. Drive them out from among you.” But just as the ten spies failed to carry out their duty with faithfulness, so too did the Israelites. They did not remain faithful to the work God had entrusted to them.

In the same way, the Lord has entrusted us with a commission: “Go into all the world, preach the gospel to all nations, and make disciples.” (Matthew 28:19) Just as God handed over foreign nations to Abraham’s descendants and said, “Do with them as you see fit” (Nehemiah 9:24), God today has entrusted us with villages, communities, and churches.

Our calling is clear—serve faithfully, that we might one day hear the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) But because the Israelites were unfaithful in the mission given to them (Nehemiah 9:30), God handed them over to foreign nations. In the same way, if we are not faithful with the responsibilities given to us, we too may find ourselves given over to the authority of others.

This is why the apostle Paul urges us: “Pray for all people, especially for kings and those in authority,” so that the Church may live in peace and godliness (1 Timothy 2:1–2).

So let each of us reflect deeply:

• Is our conduct pleasing to God?
• Is our service marked by faithfulness?
• Are we fulfilling the work God has placed into our hands with integrity and devotion?

Let us be found faithful, that we may glorify God through both our conduct and our calling.