Keeping the Faith

Keeping The Faith
“O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust” 1Timothy 6:20
The tiny Pacific island of Nauru is located between Hawaii and Australia. It is inhabited by some 13,500 people. It is only twelve miles in circumference and eight square miles in total area. At one time, it was a pristine paradise with sufficient resources to take care of its population. That is no longer the case.
Nauru is rich in phosphate, an ingredient in fertilizer and a much sought after commodity. At one time, because of this valuable mineral, the Island nation boasted of the second highest gross national product per citizen in the world. Over the last century, almost every ounce of the phosphate has been strip-mined leaving the Island’s interior decimated. The native population has been spoiled by the riches the phosphate bought. They adopted a western diet and now are a world leader in per capita diabetes and obesity.
With its national resources squandered, the tiny country found itself bankrupt and began allowing offshore drilling for oil in abundance and became a holding place for dangerous unwanted refugees. Today, electricity is rationed and the infrastructure is crumbling. Fifty percent of the working force is unemployed. There is serious talk of simply abandoning the Island and relocating everyone somewhere else.
When I think about this tragic Island I can’t help but think of the evangelical church in America. We are rich beyond belief in Christ. We have, however, not guarded that which has been entrusted to us. We have allowed ourselves to be stripped of our blessings in the name of prosperity. We have adopted the world’s diet of materialism and accommodation, and we have become religiously fat and spiritually unhealthy. Our churches are being abandoned by the next generation because we offer them nothing of substance. We have not kept the faith.
Keeping the faith... that is our theme for this fall. Nearly twenty centuries ago the Apostle Paul felt the need to charge his spiritual son in the faith, Timothy. He proclaimed, “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust” (1 Timothy 6:20). Today we do well to heed his words and go and do likewise.
Rarely does a month go by that a prominent Christian or Pastor is not implicated in a scandal. The airways are filled with many national ministries whose message qualifies at best as Christianity Lite and at worst as heresy. Doctrinal truths once held so dear are now negotiable.
On a more personal note, we all know of professing believers who are no longer active in church. We know of others who are essentially going through the motions when it comes to the things of God. Sadly, many of us can probably identify a few who have completely left our Lord.
Jude, the brother of our Lord, in his short epistle wrote, “I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) This is an important command to obey. It is, however, a command we don’t seem to know how to follow.
Beginning September 9th and continuing for the next 12 weeks, we will be studying the Bible’s instructions regarding how we can keep the faith. The book of First Timothy will be our guide. I cannot think of a timelier message for God’s church and God’s people in these perilous times. Please make every effort to join us for this critical series. See you Sunday. Until then, keep the faith!