“God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9 (NLT)
The passage in which this verse is found talks about being faithful to the end. The premise and the promise is that when the people of God remain faithful, God is faithful to keep God’s promises. In this passage the people of Corinth have been faithful to support Paul and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul tells them that because of what Christ has done, their devotion to the Gospel, and their faithfulness in living it out … God will be faithful to see them through to the end. He has invited them into partnership with God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
I am reminded through the words of Paul that we are those same followers today. We are invited into partnership with God’s own Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I am continually humbled by the faithfulness of God’s people. Just looking over the past several weeks and seeing all the ways that the people of St. Andrew’s continue to be faithful to this invitation. Over the past several weeks we have provided blankets for families that cannot even afford coats, we have given change that will save over 750 lives from the ravages of malaria, we have hosted our Fall Craft Fair to benefit missions, sold pumpkins to benefit youth, hosted Trunk or Treat showing radical hospitality to over a thousand folks in our community, and hosted Jazz Under the Stars which has come to be a true community outreach event. The people of St. Andrew’s have truly been faithful in so many ways.
I thank God each and every day for all of you. We have been called to the same mission. We are all to be found faithful in all that God has entrusted to us. When I look at the people of St. Andrew’s I see God’s gifts in abundance. There are gifts of musical talent, creativity, teaching, leadership, mercy and compassion, craftsmanship, evangelism, outreach, and more. I thank God for each of you every day. Keep on being faithful to use your gifts and talents given by the one who invites you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Do not let anyone, or anything, detract you from this faithfulness. The promise is clear... your faithfulness to God releases God’s faithfulness to keep his promise. God will do this.