Useable
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Title: ABLE- Useable
Intr:
1. Hello Fresh meals- all the ingredients are in there
a. I’m bad at starting to cook something before I check for the Ingredients
b. Pancakes with baking soda instead of powder
c. Sister’s cooking was so bad the flies helped put up the screen door
2. Bridge builders trip, camping, vacation- do you have everything you need?
a. The point simply is you can’t make it work without all the ingredients/supplies
3. God wants to use us and our world needs God to use us, but the question is are we useable?
4. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may lovethe Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
a. Blessable- blessings and curses
b. Teachable- listen to His voice
c. Useable- love the Lord your God
d. Reliable- hold fast
5. These four ingredients allow us to live a life God can work through
6. Today we will talk about being useable
I. GOD USES EVERYBODY
A. Ungodly people
1. In the Bible He used ungodly heathen kings
a. Pharaoh- God hardened his heart
1) This was the result of Pharaoh hardening his heart. God hardening his heart was itself the punishment, and not the reason for Pharaoh's actions.
2) Pharaoh had closed his heart and ignored God, now Pharaoh was punished by losing the sensitivity of his heart (So God could accomplish his purposes)
b. Nebuchadnezzar, Xerxes (Esther), Caesars
c. Today- Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan
1) Together we are seeing a prophetic alignment of nations last days
2. He even used animals- donkey, lions, big fish, gourd & a worm
B. Imperfect people
1. Do you have to perfect to be used by God? No
a. Jepthah- 3 strikes: mom prostitute, kicked out of his house, lived in Tob
1) Tob Toads, Atoka Wampus Cats, Bray-Doyle Donkeys, Paoli Pugs, Okay Mustangs, Sallisaw Black Diamonds, Sand Springs Sandites
b. Gideon- Judges 6:15 smallest tribe Manasseh, last family, youngest kid
c. Jacob, Rahab, David, Jonah, Simon Peter, James & John
2. Too many of us miss out on ministry because we don’t feel worthy
a. It’s not about us (we aren’t worthy)
b. Our job is to get them to Jesus
C. Just because God uses us doesn’t mean He approves of us
1. Samson was a Nazarite- no wine, no dead, no haircut- broke the rules but still felt God’s strength.
a. He believed it didn’t matter how he lived until one day He didn’t know that God had left Him
2. God may use anyone at any time in any place to accomplish His purposes
* God uses imperfect people
II. GOD WANTS TO USE US
* Ephesians 2:10 NKJV For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walkin them.
A. He created us to be useable– His workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus
1. The plan of God works through people
2. Our purpose in life is to minister to God, to make Him happy, to put a smile on His face
a. Ephesians 5:10 Trying to find what pleases the Lord
b. Revelation 4:11 He created all things for His pleasure
B. He equipped us to be useable– His workmanship
1. The usefulness of a tool is dependent on the task to be accomplished
a. Meaning. I want the tool that is made for the task
b. Plyers/crescent wrench as a hammer, knife as a screwdriver
2. Why we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others
a. I’m not like the rich guy, friendly, healthy, good-looking, young, popular, gifted
b. The running theme of these negative, self-assessing, and introspective statements is that the accent mark is on us rather than God’s grace
c. God doesn’t waste anything. He made you how He wanted you
d. Hebrews 13:21 May the God of peace equip you with everything you need to do His will
3. It’s not about you; it’s about the God in you who has made you who you are and called you. Christ in you is your qualification. His righteousness is your authority, and His Word is your reality
C. He empowers us to be useable– to do good works prepared beforehand
1. Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us (in proportion to)
2. God power THROUGH us works in proportion to His power than works WITHIN us
3. He delegated authority through us
a. Him doing it through us- we are vessels (in Jesus name)
b. It’s really all about Him
* God wants to use us
III. ARE WE USEABLE?
* We talk about being used by God, but it’s more important that we are usable
A. Available- teachable, blessable, reliable?
1. Do we make room for God to speak to us?
a. God is more interested in our availability than our ability
b. Nehemiah 13 Tobiah took over a room in the temple
1) Replaced worship items, grain-offerings, incense
a) We can replace the worship items (church attendance, passion)
b) We can replace the offerings (generosity) with hobbies, activities
c) We can replace the incense (prayer) busy-ness, ministry
c. Bethlehem (house of bread) didn’t have room for the bread of life
1) They were so caught up in the festival about Jesus they didn’t have room for him
2) I’m not OK dry services no one giving saved people not getting healed
3) As a church (house of bread) we better make room for the bread of life
4) Wednesday night prayer and worship at 7pm
5) We want everyone to have an encounter with the living God
2. Willing?
a. Exodus 3 Moses- Who am I, stutter, don’t know your name, send someone else
b. God could fix every problem Moses threw out except willingness
B. Holy
* 2 Timothy 2:20-21 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work
* Intentional Bible reading (books) Leviticus 11:45, 1 Peter 1:16 Be Holy
1. Separated
a. We are not like the world- goals, priorities, money, values, morals
2. Dedicated
a. We have dedicated our lives for His purposes
b. He’s the one who give meaning to life
3. Elevated
a. Lifted up and used for a higher purpose
b. We aren’t Holy until we are being used for a higher purpose doing what we were created to do
C. Minister to God- glorify God number one job
1. Sounds like I am saying you have to jump through hoops to be used by God
a. God can use anybody, but He wants to use you
b. I don’t want God to use me because he HAS to, but because he WANTS to
2. Ezekiel 44:10-14
a. Levites who went astray, followed idols may still be Temple guards, gatekeepers, slaughter the animals and be present to help the people
b. They may not approach me to minister as priests
3. Psalm 101:6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless (integrity) will minister to me
a. Integrity means to be whole. It means that all of our life works together to strengthen our lives.
b. If a building or bridge has integrity, it means the whole structure is working together to strengthen it so it doesn’t collapse.
c. A person who doesn’t have integrity compartmentalizes their life. Each part doesn’t support the other parts. They are different at work than they are at home or church.
4. Don’t clog the pipeline- sink drain
5. Mark 3:14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be WITH Him and that He could send them out to preach
a. Before God ever calls us to a ministry, He calls us to Himself
b. If we have been with Jesus people will know it (Acts 4:13)
1) Do I smell like Cracker Barrel?
c. If we have been with Jesus, we become like Jesus
· Heart- that feels what God feels
· Mind- that puts things in an eternal perspective
· Eyes- that see what others can become
· Mouth- that always builds up, encourages
· Ears- that hear the needs of people
· Hands- that are willing to help
· Feet- that are willing to follow God’s leading
d. Second Commandment- No image of God
1) God already made an image of Himself… us
2) We are the image of God but we make it a false image when we don’t represent Him well
6. When we love God, the natural byproduct is we love people
* Are we useable?
Cncl: 1. God wants to use all of us
2. A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfections, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you because I’ve only been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it up some. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while I walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. We all have our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste.
3. Can we stop praying God use me and start praying God help me be useable?
4. Evaluate your life… are we making room for God?
a. Have we crowded out our worship, generosity, prayer?
5. Remember loving Him is our priority