Sermon Tone Analysis

One of the biggest tragedies known to man is to see what we consider a fault in someone else and condemn them useless.

During the time when Carl Harris was preaching at Mill City a man was brought up who displayed significant challenges.

This man couldn’t speak and had developmental delays.

There were many things this man couldn’t accomplish.

His family, albeit with a good heart, brought him up to be prayed for.

They were seeking healing on this mans part.

I have been to many services where people pray for disabled people to be healed.

They are praised for their fervent prayer although nothing happens.

Carl did something I don’t see in many Evangelists.

Carl began to tell the man how he is was being used by God in his current condition.

Although nobody could have known it this disabled man was speaking to God and intercessory prayer.

What we classified as mumbling and incoherent phrases God heard as a cry for the nations.

This man is affecting nations he never saw.

Many times I hear Christians putting themselves down.

Some things are controlable, but somethings are just how you are made.

You can diet if you find yourself overweight.

But to tell God you’re too uneducated, not a person of great speech, you are a blender not a leader is to follow the lies of Moses and even Paul as he stated: But God everyone is scared of me.

How can I do your will?

It is a sin to tell God you are unusable!

Sometimes our biggest faults are what God chooses to use.

Today’s passage will tell us many things as we are looking into , but I want to focus on

Romans 9:20

The context of this verse is who are we to decide who God uses and who he doesn’t.

How can we be angry when God doesn’t save someone we think should be saved or when he uses someone who we think shouldn’t be used.

These verses show us that some people are made to show God’s destruction and wrath and some his glory.

This chunk of verses is yet another controversial set of verses, because if I believe these verses I have to believe God made people whom he knows would choose hell over heaven just to show us that in His love is also wrath,

Our understanding of this verse has to come from the grammer in the origional language when we look at prepared.

In Greek this word is used in the middle voice, making it a reflexive action verb.

This verse would be better read For he who prepares himself for destruction.

By thinking that we are either too good or not good enough we reject what God has made us for thus skipping the potters wheel and preparing ourselves for what we believe to be right.

This reminds me of a story I told before, but some may not have heard.

It’s about 2 pots one perfectly made and another cracked.

There was this lady who would travel to get water everyday.

She took with her two pots. in time one of those pots developed a crack and water would stream from that crack and hit the ground.

She would fill both pots full, but when she arrived back home one would be half empty.

One day on the journey the whole pot began to berate the pot with a crack saying.

I don’t know why she still takes you with her you can’t hold water.

You are a worthless pot and should be dashed to the ground to shatter into pieces.

Upset the cracked pot became depressed and began to question his very existence.

Through the months this lady was constant in her journey.

Filling both pots and walking home.

Through the months the pot still spilled out half it’s jug.

But something started happening.

The Whole pot began to get grumpy because his side of the journey home was barren and nothing grew, but the cracked pot had a beautiful array of flowers to look at as they walked home.

Unknown to either them the lady knew what she was doing, although the pot would only bring home half it’s water she knew that as she walked she was watering the flowers, giving her something pretty to look at and marvel in.

Both pots had a purpose.

and ever since the cracked pot leaked with pride.

As a Christian it is easy to question God asking him why someone else is more blessed, even though they seem like they are doing half the work.

We begin to question our use because we aren’t as eloquent or good looking.

I could give up preaching because I don’t have the reach of John Bevere, The Airplanes of Jesse Duplantis, or The voice of T.D. Jakes.

But I am not called to their calling and thus don’t need what they have.

I must find contentment in what I am called to do and do that which I am called to the best of my ability.

Paul asks the question

Who are you to question God?

We need to stop questioning why and start being obedient in what he called us to do.

You have no clue how many flowers your have watered being a cracked pot.

God takes time at his wheel to mold and shape you, to make you for a purpose.

So why do we mock God.

Surely God’s time could be spent doing something else, but he chose to mold and shape you.

I could go into the OT Prophets who told God they weren’t good enough, but once surrendered went on to do marvelous things.

God made you just as you are so that he could reach the people you are meant to reach.

I was talking with someone last week and told them that they are called to reach the undesirables.

This could be taken as a negative and turned into a knife instead of an arrow meant to be shot out, but I know this calling.

We are called to the least of these, but we have to remember the

Your calling no matter how insignificant you may view it is vital to growing God’s kingdom.

In Paul’s day when he was penning this letter to the Romans the Jews saw the Gentiles as undersirables, but He called them chosen.

He sent Prophets to tell of this change and Paul recites the prophesy.

Then after stating this Paul states that not all Jews will be saved and not all gentiles will be saved, but there is a remnant of those who believe.

Romans 9:2

Instead of chastising God for where he put you, praise him for choosing you.

Instead of questioning you calling relish the fact that you are called.

There are people who are going to hell, but you aren’t and don’t have to be one of them.

Don’t prepare destruction for yourself.

Allow God to breathe life.

Don’t speak negativity.

Allow God to profess goodness.

The worst thing you can do for a creator is tell them their creation stinks.

It’s even worse if the creation declares it’s ugliness because God labored to make you just who you are.

It isn’t easy steering stubborn sheep into the right path to graze the right field, But he does it.

why?

Because he loves you.

Because he called you.

Because he chose you!