God is Faithful
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 7/8/2022Genesis 1
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Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez explores the essential duty of faithfulness, reminding believers that while society promotes independence from God, our true success depends on adhering to His Word. He encourages the congregation to trust in God's unwavering character, knowing that He is faithful to move mountains and fulfill His promises at the proper time.
Key points
- •True success, distinct from worldly success, is only achievable through faithfulness to our duties to God, family, the Kingdom, and our finances.
- •Faithfulness is not a personality trait but a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) that believers are empowered to demonstrate.
- •Society encourages independence from God's 'Constitution' (the Word), but believers must resist the temptation to copy the ungodly who seem to prosper without reverence for God.
- •Obedience is the key to breaking generational consequences; while Adam's disobedience brought sin, Jesus's perfect faithfulness provides us the power to be faithful ourselves.
- •Waiting for God is an opportunity for praise rather than depression; we must trust the process and believe that God will fulfill His promises at the 'proper time.'
Scripture
Faith
Spiritual Growth
Purpose
Perseverance
Obedience
Life application
This week, identify one area where you have been tempted to 'take a shortcut' because you are tired of waiting for God. Commit to a specific act of faithfulness in that area-whether in your finances, a relationship, or your private prayer life-and spend five minutes daily praising God for His faithfulness before the answer arrives.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life are you currently tempted to follow the 'culture's constitution' instead of God's Word?
- How does viewing faithfulness as a 'fruit of the Spirit' rather than a personal struggle change your approach to being obedient?
- When you look back at your life, what are three specific 'mountains' God has already moved for you? How can those memories fuel your faith today?
- Are you waiting for a miracle to bypass a command God has already given you? What instructions do you need to revisit?
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Full transcript
0:00may be seated
0:02in the presence of the Lord
0:07the ACT
0:10the ACT is an essential part
0:12of our daily lives
0:16the duty to be faithful is required in
0:20every aspect
0:22of Our Lives the duty
0:25to be faithful
0:28that's a part of what we do
0:33and the truth is our society stands no
0:36chance of ever succeeding
0:39if we as Believers fail to be faithful
0:44in our duties
0:46as it relates to
0:49God
0:51our families
0:53God's Kingdom
0:55our relationships
0:58the marketplace our finances
1:03because you see faithfulness has always
1:07been the duty of man
1:11we stand no chance
1:15of ever reaching
1:18true success not the success that's
1:21defined by this world
1:23we will never Faithfully be successful
1:27in life
1:29if we fail to fulfill our duties when it
1:33comes to
1:35faithfulness to God
1:38oh it is looking
1:41so tempting for many of us
1:46to watch
1:48ungodly people
1:50who have no reverence for God
1:53people who don't go to church
1:55people who don't confess
1:58the word of God
2:00to watch them prosper
2:03ah
2:06to watch them curse to watch them swear
2:11to watch them violate every law
2:16and to watch them prosper
2:20it's very tempting
2:24to wanna resort to doing things their
2:28way
2:30because your way as the kingdom citizen
2:34seems hard and it's not producing
2:38what you see of the people
2:41do
2:44so they don't serve God they're not
2:46faithful
2:47they only go to church when it's
2:49necessary it's a wedding or
2:52a baby blessing or a funeral
2:56or something like that
2:59they don't go when you watch them
3:02some of them haven't been to church in
3:04five years
3:05but you go to church every Sunday
3:10every Sunday
3:13and when you look at your life
3:16stemmed in
3:18there are people in bed right now people
3:22around the table drinking coffee or
3:24watching the service and
3:27and
3:28um you're watching people and you're
3:31trying to measure up you're trying to
3:33balance I should say what you see people
3:36do and what the Bible then requires of
3:38you and and and you are struggling who
3:40do you be faithful to
3:43do you be faithful to God
3:47do you be faithful to the culture
3:52and and and and and and and
3:54you're craving for Success right you're
3:58craving for Success you want to be
3:59successful right and you you're saying I
4:02want to I want to have a great job I
4:04want to have the right person in my life
4:07I want to have children I want to have
4:09enough money to survive I want to run my
4:12business I I just want to be successful
4:14I want to acquire a degree and I and I
4:16want it all and and and you are a
4:19Believer so you go to the word of God
4:21and the word of God is saying seek ye
4:23first the kingdom of God and his
4:26righteousness the word of God is telling
4:28you trust in the Lord not with portion
4:31of your heart but with all of your heart
4:33and don't lean to your own understanding
4:36I mean you're trying to be faithful to
4:39that but you're still dragged over to an
4:44environment that says it doesn't take
4:46all of that
4:49you don't have to do that
4:52it's crazy
4:54that's religion
4:56it's men and women trying to oppress you
4:59and and trying to control your life
5:03in a culture where people want to be
5:04free
5:06freedom
5:07free from religion
5:09free from all these things what they're
5:13really saying you need to come away from
5:16the word
5:18have independence from the word and we
5:21understand this when America got
5:23independence from the British what we're
5:25saying is we no longer need your support
5:29we no longer need the British to support
5:32us we no longer need your rules to
5:36control us as a society that's why we
5:39have created our own Constitution
5:43so if you're not careful as a kingdom
5:45citizen
5:47the enemy will drag you to that same
5:51mindset
5:54you don't need the constitution of the
5:57word of God create your own independence
6:00and create your own Constitution
6:05so you don't have to be faithful to the
6:07word of God
6:09you stand no chance
6:11if you're not faithful to family and
6:13family values
6:15to stand no chance if you're not
6:17faithful to the kingdom of God
6:20we have this mindset where people now
6:22want to watch this they want God they
6:26want Jesus but more they want him more
6:29as just to supply their need
6:34but when it comes to their
6:36responsibility in the Kingdom they don't
6:39want that
6:41because we're in a society where it's
6:43self-serving
6:45just give me what I want
6:47you know it's like people I want a job
6:50but they don't want to work
6:55you hire them and and they they're so
6:59hung up on the money how much you're
7:01going to pay them but when they show up
7:03for work they really don't want to work
7:07when you're not faithful
7:10to your relationships
7:13you're not faithful to the relationships
7:16then you stand no chance of succeeding
7:19in life
7:20and something we lack today
7:22faithful to Covenant faithful to
7:28um agreements whether it is relationship
7:30in love or contracts or whatever it is
7:34we're not faithful we're not faithful in
7:36the marketplace
7:38and we're certainly not faithful when it
7:40comes to our finances I wish I had time
7:43to talk about the finance
7:46but I am privileged to travel to several
7:49places around the world
7:52and one thing I have concluded with this
7:54country that I live in and love dearly
7:58is that we have a false sense
8:01of wealth
8:06I'll go to Europe and people in Europe
8:09will live in small places and houses
8:12they call them Flats we call them condos
8:15and so forth they drive smaller cars and
8:18and so forth their grocery when you go
8:20to the grocery store there there are
8:23orange juices and their milks are in
8:25small containers everything is small
8:30but you come to America
8:33everything's got to be big
8:39big
8:42in Europe and other places what I find
8:44is that they have more of a sense of
8:47discipline when it comes to savings
8:51when it comes to financial stewardship
8:54and accountability
8:56in America this has been going on for
8:59years this has just not started this is
9:01probably about 75 years in the making
9:03and I am telling you I will be dead and
9:07gone but most of you as young people are
9:09going to remember this
9:11the path that this country is taking
9:15the next generation will pay for it
9:21we have a false sense of wealth
9:25we have a false sense of success
9:30lots of people streaming lots of people
9:32in this building you have a house
9:36but how balanced are you in the house
9:38financially
9:40because you have a house it's because
9:42you drive a nice car doesn't mean that
9:45you're financially stable
9:52thank you
9:55just because you've got it all together
10:00nice outfit
10:03just because you've put yourself
10:04together and you've presented yourself
10:08and your opposed
10:12and you look like you got it together
10:14doesn't mean you got it together
10:23there's a tendency in our land
10:27where we think
10:29that
10:31it is better for us as a people watch
10:34this
10:36to seek God watch this for a miracle
10:41versus
10:43taking responsibility to do his command
10:46in the first place
10:51and you want to know why Miracles don't
10:53work sometimes for a lot of us it is
10:55because God is saying that that I'm not
10:58going to change that just because you're
11:01in need
11:02I gave you my word I gave you a set of
11:05instructions what to do so you're not
11:08going to have this Abracadabra prior or
11:11prayer over over your life and have me
11:14want to change it for you no you're
11:16gonna have to go through the process
11:21you see faithfulness has always been the
11:24duty of man it is our duty to be
11:26faithful from the beginning of time it
11:29was the will of God
11:30that man be found faithful
11:35we know this from Genesis 1 where God
11:37gave Adam and Eve a set of rules or
11:40instructions to live by his desire was
11:44that they be faithful to keep those
11:48rules
11:50that was God's desire that they'd be
11:53faithful to keep those rules according
11:55to Galatians 5 22 it says faithfulness
11:58comes from God faithfulness comes from
12:00God it is a spiritual gift it is a
12:03spiritual gift that we all as Believers
12:06possess
12:08we brag about the fruit of the spirit
12:09fruit of the spirit fruit of the spirit
12:11what what Paul was really saying these
12:14are the fruits we should bear
12:16these are the characteristics we should
12:19demonstrate and one of them in that
12:22verse he says but the fruit of the
12:24spirit is love right we talk about love
12:27all the time the fruit of the spirit is
12:29joy we always want to have joy peace
12:32forbearance kindness goodness but here
12:35it is
12:36faithfulness
12:39one of the things that we lack in the
12:43body of Christ today is that fruit
12:45faithfulness
12:46[Music]
12:47to be faithful to God's word
12:50to be faithful to the kingdom of God
12:53to be faithful in our career to be
12:56faithful to society to be faithful in
12:59relationship to be faithful with our
13:01finances because you said that's one of
13:04the gifts that's one of the fruits we
13:06were given we are to be faithful
13:11faithful in honoring God and
13:13unfortunately it's not something that we
13:15Embrace a lot because
13:16faithfulness is probably not a
13:19requirement in our society today who
13:21wants to be faithful it's like everybody
13:23do what they want to do
13:26right or or faithfulness is based on how
13:29you treat me
13:33faithfulness is based on what I get from
13:36you
13:38and it's the same way we're treating God
13:40okay God if you bless me if you give me
13:43things in my timing when I want it then
13:46I'll be faithful but you know if I pray
13:49five o'clock today
13:51and I don't get it by two o'clock
13:53tomorrow I got a problem God
13:58I got a problem
14:00I don't know if I'm gonna be faithful
14:03now I don't know if I pray for something
14:06right now and you're taking too long I
14:08don't know if I'm gonna go to church I
14:10don't know if I'm gonna read this Bible
14:11still because you know what because you
14:13see some of us and the devil will trick
14:15us we will open our Bibles and we don't
14:17have a structured uh kind of a a study
14:20uh when it comes to the Bible you know
14:22most of us we just we just get up in
14:24whatever scripture it opens up to that's
14:26what we're gonna read
14:30and the devil will set you up man you
14:32just opened up the Bible and it goes to
14:34a verse that empowers you
14:38and tells you that God's going to give
14:40you something God's going to bless you
14:41that's wonderful
14:43and that's all you feed on
14:45right and you're faithful to that so
14:47you're going you pray but God you said
14:48this you said this you said that you
14:50said that and so forth and when it's not
14:52happening then okay I'm not going to
14:54pray no more I'm not even going to read
14:55the Bible because I don't I don't see
14:57how the Bible is working in my life and
14:59so forth because you're not faithful to
15:02doing everything that God has called you
15:04to do
15:06you see even though it was possible for
15:10Adam and Eve to remain faithful to God
15:12and what he had commanded of them they
15:16failed
15:19it was possible for them to be faithful
15:23God placed it in them from day one to be
15:26faithful yet scripture teaches us that
15:29they failed you know the story The
15:32Serpent came in deceived them and caused
15:35them to disobey or or be unfaithful to
15:40God subsequently their act of
15:43unfaithfulness led to all of us
15:48as their descendants been born into a
15:52culture of unfaithfulness
15:55Romans 5 19 tells us because one man one
16:00man
16:02disobeyed God many became sinners
16:08because one man
16:11disobeyed God
16:14many
16:15became sinners
16:17oh disobedience
16:19I'm telling you man
16:21it can have generational consequences
16:25that's what the scripture is saying
16:28but notice what the second part of that
16:30verse says
16:32but because of one person's obedience or
16:36one person obeyed God many will be made
16:39righteous
16:43ah
16:45One Man created sin or disobeyed God and
16:50created sin for all of us but there was
16:53another man and we know who that other
16:55person is
16:57it was Jesus
16:59he came on the scene to say okay Adam
17:02and Eve you messed it up for everybody
17:04I'm going to correct it I'm going to
17:07give man another chance at being
17:09faithful to God
17:12so you and I can't just rely on the
17:15issue with Adam and Eve sin so what do
17:17you expect us to do we can't we can't we
17:19we not we we're just going to be
17:21unfaithful no Jesus corrected that
17:24that we can be faithful Jesus came and
17:27undid the wrong committed by Adam and
17:29Eve through his obedience and
17:32faithfulness to God his father so you
17:35must understand that God's faithfulness
17:37was on display even when man fell short
17:41of being faithful if you don't recognize
17:44this then you will always live doubt in
17:48what God can do for you
17:51always
17:53Psalm 119 verse 90 again it says your
17:57faithfulness endures to all generations
18:01you have established the Earth and it
18:04stands fast
18:07so I don't know what God told you
18:09I don't want don't know what I don't
18:11know what you're praying for
18:13I don't know what you're waiting for I'm
18:16telling you today the faithfulness of
18:19God endures to all generations
18:23all generations that includes the one
18:26you're living in and perhaps you're
18:28wondering whether God will ever change
18:30your negative situation and turn it into
18:33a positive one let me assure you today
18:36if you will align your bad situation
18:40with God's word and his will for your
18:44life
18:45then the answer is yes and absolutely
18:49yes
18:51God will prove himself to you
18:56he will be faithful to his word
18:59and to his promises concerning you
19:02first Thessalonians 5 24 it says he who
19:08calls
19:11he who calls you is faithful
19:15he who calls you is faithful I got to
19:18say it again he who calls you is
19:21faithful he will surely do it he will
19:24surely surely do it do you understand
19:28that word surely
19:30without a doubt
19:33God will do it he's faithful
19:37you can search the scripture and nobody
19:40in Past Times have ever accused god of
19:45unfaithfulness
19:47and you and I are not going to live
19:49today to accuse God of unfaithfulness
19:52and perhaps you're wondering whether God
19:55will ever change your negative situation
19:57absolutely he will he will change your
20:00negative situation if you learn to trust
20:03him many of you have already experienced
20:06the faithfulness of God you have already
20:09you have many of you listen sometimes I
20:12think we are a poor testimony of the
20:15faithfulness of God you know we're like
20:17the children of Israel right we're like
20:19the prophets we're like the disciples
20:21you know God can do something yesterday
20:23and today we act like we don't know what
20:28he's going to do today
20:31like we don't have a point of reference
20:34right
20:35the disciples will see him work miracles
20:37yesterday and today they still down in
20:40him
20:41and we're like those disciples right you
20:44have already experienced God how many of
20:46you have experienced God showing up in
20:49your life in ways that blew your mind
20:51that really made you know that there is
20:53a God right how many times have God you
20:59know demonstrated his provision for you
21:02you prayed about something and you
21:04needed it at a specific time and God
21:06showed up and God showed out how many
21:09times you prayed that God healed your
21:11body and God did it how many times you
21:14have prayed for God to bring resources
21:16in your hands and certainly he did it
21:19how many times God gave you an approval
21:21when you knew you were going to get a
21:23denial how many times people were
21:26criticizing you dogging you out and God
21:29told you to shut your mouth and you
21:31watched God shut their mouths how many
21:34times
21:37how many times have you seen God
21:40demonstrated his love towards you
21:44you have seen him move mountains out of
21:46your lives so many times you have seen
21:51him made ways for you and your family
21:53when in the natural you couldn't see
21:56your way out but if we expect to receive
21:59that same faithfulness from God in every
22:02aspect of Our Lives on a regular basis
22:05then we must continue to be faithful in
22:09our pursuit of him
22:10[Applause]
22:16that includes
22:18when times are not so
22:21um easy for us when times are most
22:24difficult
22:25and Evil
22:27is all around us we have to we have to
22:29trust God we have to know that God is
22:33faithful to his word when things are not
22:36working out the way we want them to we
22:40must not become wary or faint we must
22:45trust God we must not give up instead we
22:49must persevere in faith we must trust
22:52the process we must believe God we must
22:55trust him and patiently wait until it's
22:58time to possess what we desire
23:03because God is faithful somebody say God
23:06is faithful
23:08say it again God is faithful
23:11Galatians 6 9 it says let us not become
23:15weary in doing good if you know you are
23:18doing good do not get discouraged
23:21you see if you're doing bad
23:23then you should be worried
23:25but it says let us not become weary in
23:29doing good for at the proper time at the
23:32proper time at the proper time in God's
23:36own timing at the proper time when God
23:39says it's time it's going to be time
23:42don't panic
23:45just tell your neighbor don't panic
23:49for at the proper time
23:51we will reap a harvest if we do not give
23:55up
23:57you're going to win how are you going to
24:00win if you don't give up
24:02I don't care how long you've been
24:03waiting I don't care how long you're
24:05going to have to wait don't ever give up
24:07keep trusting God if you don't quit I'm
24:10telling you you're going to reach your
24:13destination just keep on going just keep
24:16on going just keep on going how long
24:19Pastor just keep on going how long just
24:22keep on going keep on praying Keep On
24:25Believing keep on trusting keep on
24:27trusting God I don't care what you are
24:30going through don't get weary
24:37it's not time for you be doubt in God
24:40in your present and your future just
24:43because things are not going well for
24:46you if God promise it he will do it it
24:50will happen in due season if God promise
24:54whatever you believe in him for it will
24:57happen in due season I'm here to talk to
25:00somebody it's going to happen in due
25:03season in at the right timing it will
25:07happen at the right timing God will do
25:09it when it's time don't panic I know you
25:13want it right now you want it yesterday
25:15but God is faithful to bring it to pass
25:19you may have to wait a long time but in
25:22due season you will reap if you faint
25:26not
25:29you have God's word
25:31you have God's word you have his
25:33promises and that's it you got to
25:36believe you got to trust the word of God
25:38you cannot give up you cannot cannot
25:42give up you have to trust God you have
25:44to believe his word according to Psalm
25:46145 verse 13 to 15 it says the Lord is
25:51trustworthy in all he promises and
25:55faithful in all he does
25:59you can trust God
26:01that some people don't trust them
26:05I know personally some people right now
26:08if they tell you to walk run
26:12if they tell you to run walk
26:17you can't trust them
26:20you can't trust man you can't just trust
26:22any and anybody but when it comes to God
26:25you can trust his word
26:28it says the Lord upholds all who fall
26:31and lifts up all who bowed down the eyes
26:35of all look upon to you and then it says
26:39and you give them their food at the
26:43proper
26:44time
26:47God will sustain you
26:49at the proper
26:52time
26:54God will sustain you at the proper time
26:59and then when we look at numbers 23 19
27:01the Bible says God is not a man he is
27:04not a man that he should lie or the son
27:06of man that he should change his mind
27:09has he said it
27:11and will he not do it or has he spoken
27:14and will he not fulfill it
27:18will he not fulfill it you see there
27:21will be a time when you don't understand
27:23what God is doing you won't understand
27:25why it seems like he has taken a long
27:29time to do some things for you
27:33and to bring about a positive change to
27:36your negative situation but please know
27:38that God is always faithful to his word
27:41he watch this he is truly faithful to
27:45ensuring that you experience his
27:49faithfulness in your life
27:52so here's what you need to do instead of
27:54doubting the good that can happen to you
27:56instead of complaining that it's taken
28:00too long for positive results to become
28:02a reality in your life do what David did
28:05and start praising God while you're
28:08waiting for his promises to be fulfilled
28:12in your life
28:14you are missing an opportunity here man
28:17you are missing an opportunity here to
28:20enjoy life some of you have made life
28:23miserable for yourself
28:26because while you're waiting for God to
28:28do something and you knowing that he's
28:31faithful you are allowing the weight to
28:35depress you
28:37so you're missing an opportunity to
28:39praise God David in Psalm 71 verse 22 he
28:42says then I will praise you with music
28:44on the heart because you are faithful to
28:48your promises oh my God I will sing
28:51praises to you I will sing praises to
28:54you oh my god I will sing praises to you
28:58David was saying okay I'm a musician
29:00David speaking he's a musician so I'm
29:03going to praise God with the gifts that
29:07I already have oh my God
29:11he said I know how to play the harp so
29:14I'm going to sing praises and play music
29:18unto God because of his faithfulness
29:21while you're waiting you ought to use
29:24your gifts and glorify God man whatever
29:27he has blessed you with you ought to
29:30just glorify him and say God I know
29:33you're going to move the mountain I know
29:35you're going to help me cross the Red
29:37Sea I know God you're going to make ways
29:40for me you're going to open doors for me
29:43so people of God now is not my time to
29:46waver in your faith stop missing out on
29:50the great moment that is before you the
29:53opportunity to experience miracles in
29:56every area of your life what you need to
29:58do is trust the faithfulness of God and
30:01know that he will never fail you trust
30:06God knowing he will never fail you and
30:10yes you better believe but he can move
30:13mountains I don't care what mountain is
30:16standing in your way God can move
30:20mountains
30:21[Music]
30:23if you've got a mountain before you
30:25today whatever the enemy has put in your
30:28path I'm telling you God told me to tell
30:32you he is faithful to his work and that
30:35mountain has got to move not somebody
30:39until the move mountain move out of my
30:43way somebody's mountain is about to move
30:46somebody's problem is about to move I'm
30:50telling you you've got to believe in the
30:52faithfulness of God
30:56you gotta believe
30:59you got to believe
31:01God is faithful
31:05that he'll make away
31:08he'll always make a way
31:10because his faithfulness
31:13endures forever
31:16so what are you waiting for
31:19I'm not going to tell it's going to
31:20happen tomorrow
31:22I would lie to you if I tell it's going
31:24to happen by the end of this year
31:26but one thing I can promise you
31:30if he said it
31:31[Music]
31:34everybody all over the building please
31:36stand if he said it
31:40let me try this side if he said it
31:45what about this side if he said it
31:49what about this side if he said it
31:52come on what about this shot if he said
31:54it
31:56he will do it
31:59[Applause]
32:00he will do it
32:02so I don't care what mountain is before
32:05you
32:06before you go out of this building and
32:10before you log off to go into July 4th
32:13and to deal with this week
32:15and to deal with the rest of this week
32:18I just want you just for a minute trust
32:21me it will be worth it all
32:24take a few moments right now
32:28block every distraction
32:31do not let the enemy start speaking
32:34negativity to your mind
32:36as you're streaming
32:38I want you to know this
32:41whatever Mountain
32:43whatever problem that is standing your
32:46way
32:47Henry Fernandez is here today to tell
32:49you I've seen him move mountains
32:55I'm not alone there's a bunch of people
32:58in this room Make some noise
33:01there's a bunch of people in this route
33:04we are living testimony that we have
33:08seen him move mountains we've seen him
33:12made ways
33:13when there were no way
33:15and I'm telling you you gotta trust God
33:20you got to believe that he is faithful
33:22so let's just take a moment now and
33:25Worship the Lord that we've seen him
33:28move mountains come on come on