Let Him Use You

One of the great traditions we have in the church is the call and response worship style. It is a beautiful thing really. If you have never thought about it you may take for granted. In our context we can talk back to the preacher, singer, person praying, or even the child doing a speech. If the preacher says, “can I get a amen?” that is the call, the response is “amen, preacher”. If the singer says after the first verse of the song “can I say that again” someone might say, “sing chil’e”? If a person is praying their heart out and you agree with what they are praying you might say, “Yes Lord” in agreeance with the prayer. When that little child is supposed to give an Easter speech and they forget the words, someone might say, “That’s all right”. If a person starts crying during their testimony we say, “Take you time”. And finally, my favorite and it can be used in all the mentioned situations is this phrase, “let God use you.” This lets the person know to let go and let God. And that seems to be the nature of how God operates. When we can’t, God can. When we don’t have the words God gives them to us. When we can’t find a note, God can guide us. When we get emotional in prayer, God will intercede with groaning we can’t understand. When we forget what we were going to say, God can remind of us of our words. When you avail yourself unto God He will add strength to your strength and give you ability beyond what you can naturally do.

September 5, 1987 Ben Carson performed the first separation of twins conjoined at the cranium. (Finish Story) (Bring in Gideon and context)

Never the less, God is a gracious God and even though we may have made a mess out of blessings he is still there the whole time waiting for you to ask him to clean you up.

1. God is always Present in your Predicament (v.11-13)

The greatest obstacle intellectually when it comes to receiving the gospel is the idea of “if there is a god why do bad things happen to good people?” The reality is that according to the Word of God there are no people who are perfectly good. That all people have fallen short of God’s glory, all have sinned, and all have gone astray. And, this reality as hard as it may seem does not make the victim an innocent party. What am I saying? That Gideon questioned the presence of God in his life because things had got tough. But, things had not always been though, they got tough after the Israelites disobeyed God. They had everything going for them but they decided to follow other gods and do their own thing. Sometimes we have to ask ourselves some questions before we dare challenge God. Instead of asking “if God is so good why did I go through this or that” (preach) because sometimes we may have to admit that the pain that we suffer is sometimes self-inflicted. So Gideon challenges the presence of God not because God is not there but because God has not responded the way Gideon wanted him too. (Preach).

And what is interesting is that the Angel of the Lord says, “God is with you” not with “yall”. Gideon reply’s with if God is with “us” but that’s not what the Angel said.

2. God sees your Potential to Prevail (v. 14-16)

Now what I like about this is that Gideon does not see in himself what the Lord sees. When called to be used by God Gideon’s’ response is, “my clan is the weakest, and I am the least in my Father’s house”. God didn’t ask him all of this, God knows already, who you are and where you need help. And nowhere in Israel’s history does God use fully qualified individuals so Gideon’s excuse is only fuel to the fire. But God saw his potential. Even though his clan is the weakest and even though he is the runt of the litter in his family God calls him a man of valor in v. 12 and calls him mighty in v.14.

Noah, had never heard of rain, but when he let God use him be built an ark to preserve the human race.

Abraham and Sarah was old and past the age of reproduction but when they let God use them the produced a seed.

Moses had a speech impediment but when he let God use him he led his people out of oppression and up to the promised land.

Sampson was girl crazy, but when he let God use him he killed 10,000 men with a donkey’s jawbone

David was the youngest and littlest of his brothers, but when he let God use him he slayed a giant.

Solomon was inexperienced and naive but when he let God use him, he became the wisest man.

Jonah was didn’t want to share God’s grace, but when he let God use him all of Nineveh was spared.

Elijah was a normal man with a nature like ours, but when he let God use him called fire from heaven in one instance and called rain from heaven in another.

Jeremiah was a crybaby but when he let God use him, he preached about fire in his bones.

John the Baptist was weird in that he ate Locust and honey for breakfast lunch and dinner, but when he let God use him he was able to Baptize Jesus.

Peter had a temper but when he let God use him he preached one sermon and 3000 people gave their life to Jesus.

Paul persecuted the Church but when he let God use him he would write 2/3 of the New Testament.

Lebron James and $100 Million dollar Nike contract.

3. God grants you Peace unto Praise (v.22-24)

When I saw that God grants you peace I’m not talking about worlds peace. I’m talking about personal peace. The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom, this word takes on several meanings, it can mean completeness, soundness, prosperity.