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[0:00] Faithful men. That's my topic just for a few minutes this morning. Australia is in trouble.

[0:12] We know there's a crisis going on. And our nation's crisis is not so much political or economic.! It's a crisis of the heart and soul of the nation. It's a moral and spiritual crisis that we're in.

[0:25] And the fault lies with us men. There's a lack of man with character quality. I'm not making anyone feel down here today, but I'm lumping myself in this.

[0:36] I know when you're looking for a man to do a job, you choose a man who's got integrity. Someone you can count him on. I know I've got a worker here who's done some concrete for me, Sergio.

[0:47] If anyone's looking for a concreter, he's a good man. Look for a man you can count on. You know they're going to do a good job, and when you need a worker, you want someone you can count on. So I'm talking about faithfulness.

[0:59] I know there's a man here, Nathan. He's looking for a brickies labourer, an apprentice. And he's looking for someone he can count on. He's been having trouble finding such a man.

[1:10] So when you need a worker, you want someone you can rely on. I'm talking about faithfulness. It's a rare quality, I put to you. When you want a job done, you choose a worker who's dependable.

[1:21] You know they will do the right job. A model employee, hopefully. A man who will do a good job even when no one's watching over their shoulder. It's something a bit lacking these days, isn't it?

[1:32] You look for faithful men. Faithful men. Men with faithfulness. They're a rare breed in these days that we live. And there's a shortage of the kind of men that God makes. God is calling for men.

[1:44] Men with stamina. Men with courage. Men with honour. There's a crisis. We have a need for men with godly manhood. And the world is changing all around us. We know it's as if many have lost the significance of this.

[1:56] Of what it means to be a man. And women are becoming ever more dominant. It's not to say there's anything wrong with women, of course. But it's just that men seem to have dropped the ball, by and large.

[2:08] It seems like men are not stepping up to what they can be and do in their lives. And it's like men are getting weaker and authority is being diminished. In the Bible it talks about women having rule over them as a sign of a nation that's weak.

[2:22] And the men aren't stepping up to the plate. And I think we're poorer for it as a society when we men don't step up and stand up. And there's a lack of respect for men.

[2:34] And maybe it's our fault in some way. It's as if maybe we've dropped the ball and women are filling the vacuum that we're leaving behind. It seems like the idea of masculinity is under attack. It's health.

[2:45] You know, they call it toxic masculinity now, don't they? As if there's something bad. It's something that we should be ashamed of that we're men. As if it's wrong to be a gentleman. To be manly.

[2:56] But God's plan is for men. God has a plan for his planet. And God's ideal for the world begins with a man. It began with Adam. It started with Adam. And it begins with a changed man.

[3:08] A man who has changed. God makes men. And when they foul up like Adam did, God remakes men. Adam failed. So God sent the second Adam. And one of the names of Christ.

[3:20] And he calls us to be such men in this day. Men whom the Lord can trust. Men saved by his grace. Men who'll stand up for what is right and true. Men who'll stand firm.

[3:31] Genuine men. Rock solid men. Men who practice what they preach. They're not something one day and something when others aren't watching. But men with faithfulness. And the Bible says this in Proverbs 20 verse 6.

[3:44] It says, most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness. But a faithful man who can find. People will brag on how good they are.

[3:55] But a faithful man who can find. That's what matters. And it's a quality that's lacking in our world. I'll put to you. And God commands faithfulness. He calls us to that. Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit.

[4:07] It's one of the characteristics that's not fruit of the Spirit. And faithfulness is one of those fruit of the Spirit. It's something that. It's an evidence that God's at work in our lives.

[4:18] The fruit of God's Spirit. And our Lord seeks such men. He looks for such men. A faithful man who can find. The world is looking for faithful men. The Lord is looking for faithful men.

[4:31] And he will make such men. Men such as we here. God helping us to be such men. Faithful men. Men who are trustworthy. Men who are reliable. Men who are dependable. Men who are consistent.

[4:43] Men who will stand. Honourable men. Men of conviction. Men willing to serve the Lord with their lives. And there's a crying lack for such men. David cried out in Psalm 12.

[4:55] He said, Help Lord! For the godly man sees it. For the faithful fail from among the children of men. The faithful fail it says. The faithful fail. The faithful fail.

[5:06] It's like they're few and far between. Isn't it? As we know. There's not many such men. When you're looking for a worker. To find a faithful man. To do a job for you. It can be hard to find. And we're each called to be such a man. A faithful man.

[5:17] Men such as in the Bible. Faithful men. Men that God counted faithful. Such were these men. Abrahams. Family. Family. Family. Family. Family. Family. Family. Family.

[5:28] Family. Family. Family. Family. Family. Family. Family. Family. Family. called in the Bible, they're called faithful men.

[5:40] Faithful men. Men that God counted faithful. Faithful. Full of faith. Such were these men. Abraham, Moses and David. Men. Still men. Weak men. Vulnerable men. Men with faults and failings yet God called them faithful men.

[5:57] Faithful. Full of faith. Godly men for all their failings yet God's men. And God counted them faithful. We see in the Bible many such men. I'll just look briefly at two such men with you today just to touch on some aspects of two men that stand out. They've been in the Bible and they both happen to be in the Quran as well.

[6:22] Joseph. Joseph was one. Joseph obeyed God. Even when it cost him. Faithfulness got him into trouble. We know that it was while Joseph was being faithful as he carried out his father's orders in Genesis 37.

[6:37] Then his brothers thought to kill him and they sold Joseph as a slave. It can be costly to be faithful. People have lost their jobs. I know I was talking to another guy just yesterday.

[6:49] He recounted how he was witness for Christ and he lost his job. It can be costly to be faithful. Joseph faced up to temptation and he was counted faithful again.

[7:02] When the master's wife tried to woo him and lead him astray he was faithful. He stayed true. And then he was thrown into prison as the story goes and even there Joseph was found faithful.

[7:16] He was faithful to his convictions. Joseph was faithful to God and he did what was faithful by his master Potiphar and it cost him but he kept on being faithful. And men have got here today men you may suffer for doing right but don't let it deter you from being faithful.

[7:34] Do it anyway. Joseph was such a man. Joseph was faithful to God and he persevered. And in due course Joseph was honoured by the Lord as he was ultimately made ruler of Egypt under Pharaoh.

[7:47] And the lesson we can learn from Joseph is be faithful. Be faithful and God will work it out. The word of God tells us in Proverbs 28 a faithful man shall abound with blessings.

[8:01] A faithful man shall abound with blessings. So live with integrity before the world. Another faithful man was Daniel. Daniel was faithful to God. God honoured Daniel.

[8:11] He was known as a man of truth and faith. His enemies tried to dig up dirt on Daniel. They tried to find some fault some error that he made but he was a faithful man and they couldn't find anything wrong.

[8:23] They couldn't find anything to pick on him about because it says of him an excellent spirit was in Daniel. In Daniel 6 it says that Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the king thought to send him over the whole realm.

[8:41] And so these other men they sought to find occasion against Daniel but they could find not occasion nor fault for as much as he was found faithful. Neither was there any error or fault found in him.

[8:53] So Daniel's enemies were really jealous of him. They wanted to find some way to bring him down to hurt him. They wanted to catch him out doing something wrong but they could not.

[9:05] It's good if we can have a testimony like that isn't it? There's no skeletons in the cupboard. We're an open book but hopefully we're an honest man whatever our setting and situation whether it's at work or home or in between.

[9:19] And Daniel's enemies still they wanted to do something to trap him so they conned the king to make a rule that prayer was illegal. And even then Daniel stayed true. He kept praying.

[9:30] He kept praying. He was open and public with his faith. He was strong faithful. He knew that he could not compromise with his faith. He knew that he had to pray. He was faithful. He stuck fire.

[9:42] And in his faith he was faithful. Despite the lion's den we might face situations in life where we stand up for our faith in Christ and the whole world's against us but it should not deter us from pressing on and being faithful even if it means the lion's den.

[9:58] So Daniel stayed strong. We've got a Daniel here this morning. Daniel stayed strong. Ultimately the king exalted Daniel for his faithfulness. God honoured Daniel for his faithfulness.

[10:10] What about you? Will you be a faithful man? It's a question we can all personally consider isn't it? Will you be like Joseph conquering temptation overcoming adversity as Joseph did?

[10:24] What about Daniel? Staying strong and true and keeping close to God. Not letting anything stop him from praying from being close to God. Give your heart to God. Be a faithful man.

[10:35] Use what you have. Do what is right so that you won't be deterred. You'll keep pressing on. You'll stand up to your faith in Christ. As man you're called to be faithful. We're meant to be as the second Adam the perfect man Christ Jesus our Lord.

[10:51] The God man. Man yet God. God made manifest in the flesh. The perfect man. The perfect one. And we're called to be faithful as spiritual leaders. As dads.

[11:03] As husbands. As brothers. As sons. To be faithful men. The next generation is looking to us. We have an obligation to impart to the next generation.

[11:14] You're all leaders. You know there's I think many of us here are fathers. We're all leaders aren't we? There's others looking up to us. And we're all older than someone. The younger ones all look up to us don't they?

[11:26] In some measure. In some fashion. Younger people look up to us because we're older. Well it used to be the way anyway. Used to look up to the older people. But there's a sense that we should train them up.

[11:37] The younger ones beneath us. The younger ones that are coming behind us. Train them up so the next generation can be like us. Faithful men. It tells us in 2 Timothy 2 Paul says to Timothy Thou therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

[11:54] And the things thou hast heard of me among faithful among witnesses the same commit to faithful men. Timothy is told by Paul what you've heard from me commit that to faithful men.

[12:06] So they should be able to teach others also. There's a sense where we should teach others and impart to others our faith. God is still looking for faithful men. Men who will commit.

[12:18] It's we men who are called to be the leaders. The leaders in our homes. The leaders in the church. The leaders in the community. We are called to be leaders in being faithful and setting a good example.

[12:32] a godly example. To be wise in leading our families. So let me leave you with this exhortation today to choose to be faithful. Choose to be faithful.

[12:42] Be faithful to your wife. Be faithful to your family. Be faithful with money. Be faithful to your friends. Be faithful in your faith. Be faithful. Full of faith.

[12:55] Faithful. Full of faith. Be faithful in fellowship. Be faithful in witnessing. Be bold in your witness for Christ. Don't be ashamed to take a stand to be faithful.

[13:07] And be faithful in prayer. It starts with finding faith in Christ. That's the beginning. Because we can have faithfulness without having faith in Christ.

[13:18] But it starts with that. That's the starting point. To know him as your saviour, as your Lord, as your master. To have new life. The Bible says, if any man is in Christ, is a new creature.

[13:31] Old people have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. And we can be renewed. We can be made brand new. We can be made born again. And have that new birth, that new life, that new heart, that new start, that new beginning.

[13:45] And to be pressing then forward as faithful men. To be full of faith. And pressing forward in faith. Let's pray. Lord, Lord, give us faithful men.

[13:56] Give us faithful men. Lord, help us to be such men. We pray that each one here today would have personal faith in Christ. Lord, that each one would come to know that saving faith.

[14:07] To know you as the second Adam. The one who fixed up everything the first Adam fouled up. Lord, we know that you are the ultimate and absolute faithful one.

[14:19] Our faithful God. And Lord, we thank you that you love and care for men here today. For our families, our circumstances. Lord, we know there's men here from many walks of life and many cultures and backgrounds and different religions.

[14:33] Lord, we know there's men here that have got different situations of life. And yet we know that our trust can be in you, the faithful God. We send the Lord Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, to rise again, to be our ever-living saviour.

[14:48] And Lord, help us to find faith and to be faithful. Bless us, Lord, as we continue fellowship now and be glorified, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.

[14:58] Thank you.