Use Me Until You Use Me Up

Introduction

Dear Lord, we just want to magnify and glorify your holy and

Precious name. Father we lift you up, for you are our strength and our

Fortress, you are our rock, and an ever present help in these uncertain times. Lord let us thank you for allowed us to see another day and to come together as brothers and sisters in a gathering of love and Christian fellowship. Lord will you please hide me behind the cross, so that your word will go forth and I would be like a voice crying in the wildernesses that those who have ears to hear, will surely hear. Lord let me be careful to give you all of the thanks and all of the praise, for it is in Jesus’ name that we pray ... Amen.

Comments:

I would like to first give honor to God, and thank my pastor for ,again giving me another opportunity to share the word of God with you. To my brother minister I greet you in the name of our lord Jesus Christ. I would like to also thank my Lovely wife ( Kathy) and my sons(Phillip , Phelan and Franklin) for their support. And to mom and my brothers and all of my friends thank you for coming.

Brothers and sisters would you please turns your bibles to

1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Brothers and Sisters I need you to pray over the topic “Until You use Me Up”.

I read a fictitious letter from a pastor to a church search committee. The letter read as follow: "I understand your church is looking for a pastor. I should like to submit my application. I am generally considered to be a good preacher. I have been a leader in most of the places I have served. I have also found time to do some writing on the side. I am over fifty years of age, and while my health is not the best, I still manage to get enough work done to please my congregation. As for a reference, I am somewhat handicapped. I have never served in any place more than three years, and the churches where I have preached have generally been pretty small, even though they were located in rather large cities. Some places I had to leave because my ministry caused riots and disturbances. When I stayed, I did not get along too well with other religious leaders in town which may influence the kind of references these places will send you. I have also been threatened several times and been physically attacked. Three or four times I have gone to jail for expressing my thoughts. You will need to know that there are some men who follow me around undermining my work. Still, I feel sure I can bring vitality to your church. If you can use me, I should be pleased to be considered."

The committee was dismayed that anyone would think that their church could use such a man. A trouble-making, absent-minded, ex-jailbird could not possibly be an effective pastor let alone, be accepted by the community. "What was his name?" they asked. The chairman of the committee said, I do not know. The letter is simply signed, 'Paul'.

Most leadership of the early church wouldn't make it through the church interview process today. Theirs was a rough and dangerous world. Turmoil on every side, both in the Jewish nation and the Roman. Think of the pictures we have seen from Iraq and Afghanistan these past few years and you get an idea of the hardships the Apostle Paul faced as he traveled for 20 years and thousands of miles all over the Roman world.

Fight the good fight

Finish the race

Stay faithful

Receive your crown

Stay faithful

/Conclusion