God's Salvage Yard

Introduction

1 Corinthians 1:25–29 KJV 1900

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Pray - Be Seated

Body

“As my grandfather rested in his hospital bed this evening, desperately fighting pancreatic cancer, he squeezed my hand tight and said, ‘Promise me, no matter how good or bad you have it, you will wake up every morning thankful for your life.  Because every morning you wake up, someone somewhere else will be desperately fighting for theirs.  It’s something so simple and important that I never valued until now.’”

“In the final decade of his life, my grandfather woke up every single day at 7 A.M., picked a fresh wild flower on his morning walk, and took it to my grandmother.  One morning, I decided to go with him to see her.  And as he placed the flower on her gravestone, he looked up at me and said, ‘I just wish I had picked her a fresh flower every morning when she was alive.  She really would have loved that.’”

“Earlier today, in the last few hours of her life, she told me her only regret was that she didn’t appreciate every year with the same passion and purpose that she has had in the last two years after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. ‘I’ve accomplished so much recently,’ she said. ‘If I had only known, I would have started sooner.’”

We all have regrets.

We’ve done things we regret ever doing.

We’ve not done things we regret not doing.

It would be really nice if our older, wiser selves had an opportunity to speak to our younger, foolish selves.

Our regrets build up until they become a monstrous testament to the fact that we’re worthless.

“I’ve done so many things wrong! I’ve made so many mistakes that it’s too late now.”

“Why even bother? Every choice I make is wrong. Everything I touch becomes broken. It’s useless.”

Have you ever thought you’ve frustrated the plan of God for your life? I have.

Talk about the guy in the Army who bought a car frame from a salvage yard and completely rebuilt it.

King David: Was the “man after God’s own heart” and yet he made some really stupid mistakes!

Bathsheba

Bringing the Ark back from Kirjath-Jearim

Taking the census

His handling of Amnon’s rape of his half-sister Tamar (he completely ignored it)

Peter: Only one recorded mistake, but it was a doozy!

Despite all their failings however, God used them mightily!

God receives the more glory when He does mighty things through broken and weak vessels.

God chose you on purpose!

Why did He choose Israel?

Why did He choose Peter?

Why did He choose you?

Conclusion

God didn’t choose you because you were so talented, powerful or smart. He chose you because you’re not! He chose you because now He can work more powerfully and more perfectly through you.