11/05/2026
Today’s sermon is titled:
Faithfulness
It is really hard to find faithfulness or getrouheid around us these days.
Faithfulness is when someone is stable, trustworthy, truthful, predictable – getrouheid behels stabiliteit, betroubaarheid, eerlikheid en voorspelbaarheid.
It is unusual to find faithful boyfriends or girlfriends, or even husbands and wives now. Trustworthy friends who keep your secrets are scarce.
Being predictable (voorspelbaar) is part of faithfulness, and you are never sure whether the product you buy will be the same quality or even the same amount in the packet as last month. Maybe the only thing about what we buy that is predictable is that the price will have gone up next time you want to buy some!
If someone is faithful, they will tell the truth.
Can you trust many people who say they’ll “get back to you by tomorrow” or believe them when they say that they have “done the payment, it just has to clear from their bank to yours”?
Are parents even faithful? Do you keep your promises to your children? If you promise them that you will take them fishing/shopping/to McD if they achieve something, can they believe you? If you promise them that if they do that naughty thing one more time you will …., can they believe you? I even heard about one dad who put his child on a wall and said “Jump…”. When the child leaped off, the dad moved out of the way, let them hit the ground and told them, “Never trust anybody in life!” What a sad situation.
Where can we find faithfulness?
Psalm 119:90 Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. (NLT)
U woord, Here, staan vir altyd vas in die hemel. U trou is van geslag tot geslag; U het die aarde gemaak, en dit staan vas. (AFR83)
In spite of the unfaithful world around us, the Lord is always faithful – we can rely on and trust Him.
Today is Mother’s Day – moms (and dads) are the first people we get to know that we should be able to trust completely.
Matthew 5:33-37 "You have also heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.' But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, 'By heaven!' because heaven is God's throne. And do not say, 'By the earth!' because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, 'By Jerusalem!' for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, 'By my head!' for you can't turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, 'Yes, I will,' or 'No, I won't.' Anything beyond this is from the evil one. (NLT)
33"Verder het julle gehoor dat daar van die ou tyd af aan die mense gesê is: ‘Jy mag nie jou eed verbreek nie, en ’n eed in die Naam van die Here moet jy nakom.’ Maar Ek sê vir julle: Moenie ’n eed aflê nie. Nie by die hemel nie, want dit is die troon van God; nie by die aarde nie, want dit is sy voetbank; nie by Jerusalem nie, want dit is die stad van die groot Koning. Jy mag ook nie by jou kop sweer nie, want jy kan nie een haar wit of swart maak nie. Laat julle ja eenvoudig ja wees en julle nee, nee. Wat meer as dit is, kom van die bose." (AFR83)
Godly mothers and fathers don’t have to swear by anything, shout or even threaten to be believed – their yes and their no can be spoken once and can be believed.
Proverbs 11:13 A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. (NLT) "Iemand wat loop en skinder, lap geheime uit, maar ’n betroubare mens bewaar ‘n geheim." (AFR83)
Do you cover your children’s sins or tell everyone?
Can your friends trust you with their secrets?
Do you have faithful friends? Are you a faithful friend?
Proverbs 20:6 Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable? (NLT) "Baie gee te kenne dat hulle getrou is, maar wie kan 'n werklik betroubare mens vind?" (AFR83)
Have your friends found a reliable/betroubare friend in you?
A faithful friend sometimes hurts their friends because not all hurt harms you (nie alle seer is skadelik nie!).
Proverbs 27:6 Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. (NLT) "Op 'n vriend wat jou seermaak, kan jy reken; iemand wat jou haat, is oordadig met sy soene." (AFR83)
Do you speak the truth in love, or do you lie to people to keep the peace>?
Now, where do you start to fix things if you realize that you haven’t been a faithful person, a betroubare ouer of vriend?
Luke 16:10-12 "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? (NLT)
“Wie in die kleinste dinge betroubaar is, is ook in die groot dinge betroubaar; en wie in die kleinste dinge oneerlik is, is ook in groot dinge oneerlik. As julle dan nie betroubaar is in die hantering van die oneerlike mammon nie, wie sal die ware rykdom aan julle toevertrou? As julle met 'n ander man se goed nie betroubaar is nie, wie sal dan iets aan julle gee om as julle eie te besit? (AFR83)
Start fresh today and start small. Put in the effort to be on time, to keep your promises, to do things the best you can, speak only the truth and do the hard things that help people.
There is a big reward if we live like this:
Proverbs 3:3-4 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favour with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. (NLT)
"Moenie dat liefde en trou by jou ontbreek nie; bind hulle om jou nek, skryf hulle op die tafel van jou hart. So sal jy guns verwerf en byval vind by God en mens". (AFR83)
Let’s be the exception – die uitsondering – let’s make faithfulness a standard part of our character because we are God’s children.
Then people will appreciate us and God will be pleased with us.
Where do you need to start to become more faithful. What little things do you need to do well?
A previous New York mayor helped the city improve in leaps and bounds – the service delivery got better and even the murder rate dropped. When asked how he did it, he said that if you fix the broken windows and make sure the street lights work, the murders start taking care of themselves.
If we start keeping our word by being on time and keeping secrets, it sets the pattern for the major issues in our lives.
Let’s be faithful moms, dads and children of God!
Amen! Thank you for reading this message today.
