Will you be one?

God uses individuals to bring about His purposes

The Medal of Honor is the highest award that can be given to a person in the military. In total, 3,468 Medal of Honor medals have been awarded.  Every one of these medals have a story of outstanding courage associated with it.

Citation: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone.. Behind him, to his right, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack, which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.

Who was this guy?  Not a big strapping hillbilly like Alvin York. An unlikely little baby-faced boy from N. Texas. Unable to join the military at 15, he had his sister alter his birth cert so that he could join the military at 16.

He was turned down by the Marines and the paratroopers for being too short (5 feet 5.5 inches). He was also turned down by the Navy for being slight of build. (110 pounds). He was finally accepted into the United States Army, at Greenville,[6]. He was sent to Camp Wolters, Texas, for basic training[1][6] and during a session of close order drill, passed out. His company commander tried to have him transferred to a cook and bakers' school[5] because of his baby-faced youthfulness, but Murphy insisted on becoming a combat soldier.

Audie Murphy was credited with destroying six tanks in addition to killing over 240 German soldiers and wounding and capturing many others.[4] His principal U.S. decorations included the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars with Valor device, and three Purple Hearts. He  received 33 US medals, plus five medals from France and one from Belgium. He received every US medal available at the time; 5 of them awarded more than once.

In the great wars, great events turn on the actions of individual people.

IVP Devotion

"YOU MAY NOT be the best person, but you may be the only person." I pondered my friend's comment for a long time as I thought about doing something that would take nerve—nerve I didn't feel I had. I finally concluded that she meant, "Somebody else might do a better job, but nobody else is willing—except you." Sometimes that's how bravery is born. A dangerous job lies ahead of us, and we choose to go ahead and do it.

Today we begin a journey that will take us through the next couple of months. A great spiritual war is raging. Our Lord has a role for you to play. Will you seek it out? Great spiritual battles turn on the actions of individual people.

God uses individuals to bring about His great plans.

Discovering Personal Ministry Vision.

Throughout scripture we see people in rebellion to God. However, in the midst of this rebellion, the Lord seeks to draw people to Himself. God uses individuals to bring about this restoration and deliverance.

We live in a time when many churches are plateaued or are declining. Rural settings face additional struggles as these communities experience the pressures of emigration to more urban settings, and the financial pressures of changing agricultural economics. For the rural church to survive, a fresh vision for ministry is essential. This vision must begin with the leaders of the church. Personal renewal precedes corporate renewal. As individuals capture a fresh sense of the direction God has for their individual ministry, the energy and focus will impact the broader organism.

This study leads individuals through a process of reflection on how God has equipped them for unique ministry. It explores the many aspects of God’s design work, including life experience, personality, giftedness, passions, and values. From this reflection the individual can gain fresh insight into God’s plan for their ministry life. The result will be a documented personal ministry vision. This vision will can then become a means for fresh focus in serving God. This fresh focus can be the means for the Lord to bring about renewal and deliverance to others.

I.       God uses people: See others as He sees them

God uses Moses to deliver people in slavery.

A.     The Lord cares

(NKJV) Exodus 3 7 And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up

B.     We must care

(NKJV) Exodus 3 10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 

II.    God uses people: Listen to His voice

God uses Isaiah to take a message to people who had wandered from God.

A.     The Lord calls to be involved

 (NKJV) Isaiah 6 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

B.     We must  hear and respond

(NKJV) Isaiah 6 8 … Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people

III. God uses people: Understand His Shaping

God uses Jeremiah to warn a people soon to receive judgment.

A.     The Lord has sovereignly equipped each one

(NKJV) Jeremiah 1 4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” … 9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

B.     We must use that design

(NKJV) Jeremiah 1 6 … ’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. … 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.” 

IV. God uses people: Know His calling

God uses Paul to take the message of the gospel to people who are far from God.

A.     The Lord has chosen to use us

(NKJV) Acts 9 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he (Paul) is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.

B.     We must live out that purpose

(NKJV) Acts 9 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he (Paul) is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.

V.    God uses people: Embrace the mission

God sends every Christian to a people needing Christ.

A.     The Lord made the mission clear

(NKJV) Matthew 28 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

B.     We must focus on that mission

(NKJV) Acts 1 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

VI. God uses people: But not all respond

An example of the failure of individual response in Israel.

A.     The Lord sees the wrong response

(NKJV) Ezekiel 22 26 Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.

28 Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken.

29 The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger.

B.     The Lord seeks some to respond right

30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.