Can God really use someone like me?

Introduction

Good Morning, In the past couple of weeks we have been asking some tough questions. Questions that challenge us to really examine if what we really believe is biblical and and if we truly believe it, and how that truth makes us behave and act. Or it will show us that it is something that i may agree with but not something I really believe. For example i may agree that the bible says there is a hell, but if it does not change the way I behave then it is just a concept not something that I really believe. However if I really believe that there’s a hell then I will do everything in my power to keep my children, family, friends, and neighbors out. If heaven is something I really believe in than I will find my joy, my purpose, my hope no matter what situation that I may face… I would really seek the kingdom of God with all my being. My belief dictates my actions and my behaviors. It consumes my mind and my heart. This is what Jesus meant when he says in Matt 22:37 “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” The questions that we have asked already Really attack the theology and doctrine of the church as an institution per-say, The world through the influence of satan will attempt to have you question your core beliefs , like in Gen “Did God really say this?” The world does not follow biblical principles or if maybe some variation of what seems biblical but it is always perverted in some way.

The question we have before us today is also a question that will either shake your faith or solidify it. The question is more on a personal level and not so much of an institutional one. However it is a question nonetheless that satan will use to make you question the very power of God in an attempt to diminish His glory. It is a question that if satan and the world cannot shake your beliefs on Jesus, heaven, hell. or the church he will turn to attack you personally with this question. It is also a question that God and other believers will use to encourage you, strengthen you, challenge you, and in the long run a question that will either prove or disprove that God is truly your Lord and savior .

The question for us today is… Can God really use someone like me? again it may seem like a simple answer “of course” He can but do you truly believe that? I have seen people paralyzed in their faith because even though they said yes to this question they really didn’t believe it. I have seen people gripped with fear over asking someone to fill in a Sunday school class for one morning, or come and pass out bibles, I had have grown men cry when I asked if they would pray at a prayer meeting. I have also seen harden criminals change their lives around and become pastors, I have seen alcoholics and drug addicts drop the bottle and pick up the bible and never turned back. I have seen the most timid of people turn into mighty missionaries, how because they truly believed that God could use someone like them. They knew that they were not worthy, not trained, not eloquent yet they believed that God was God and He could do mighty things even change a raggedy old sinner and turn them into a vessel of His glory.

Do you believe God can use someone like you?

our text today is taken out of Exodus 3 and 4

myths that people believe about themselves

I am to old/ too young

I dont know enough of the bible

I can’t speak in front of a crowd /Im not good with words

I dont have enough time/ im too busy

I cannot ask people for money/ missions

I dont have enough money

im not good enough

im not willing

i dont have authority or power

These excuses while are probably real and present a bit of humility… they do something else they are really saying “God I don’t believe you are all powerful, all knowing, and all sufficient. While all these excuses may be reality to us, they are nothing to God. Yes we all are unworthy, and wretched unable to do anything ourselves, it is God who has the power to transform a bumbling stammering fool, into one of the greatest preachers and prophets that ever walked the earth.

lets take a look at Moses and the excuses he gave and how God answered them all

I. I am not adequate for the task - Ex 3:11-12 “But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

God replyed

He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”” have you ever said this ?

You are right - moses was right we are not adequate. See the deliverance of the people didn't depend on Moses’ ability either is the task He has for you or for me. God will always call us to depend on Him and His might.

God’s promise - He will be with Moses. God’s presence will always be with moses and with us. Heb 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.””

God sent a sign - it was Moses!

II. I do not know enough - Ex 3:13 “Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?””

One of the reasons that many people will be comfortable sitting in the pews is because they will convince themselves they do not know enough. Again this is true, you will never know enough about God or His work. But this is where faith come in. If you are a Christian than you you have a great resource that is the Holy Spirit. John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” 2 Pet 1:3 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,”

a. The Lord will teach you as you go - the thing is God will not give if you don’t need it or want it, my daughter asking for 5$ i say for what, if she says just cause I want it well the answer is no, but if she says I want a unicorn well sure honey.

b. Learn to be dependent on God - that is the point John 5:19 “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”

c. Knowledge comes from fearing God - Pro 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” What does fear God mean…Well it means we take God seriously enough to enter a relationship with Him, To follow His warnings to avoid evil and do His commandments. You will never learn if you don’t trust

III. People wont take me seriously - Ex 4:1 “Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’ ”” God already promised Moses that they will listen in 3:18 But just to augment what God told him he provided Moses with 3 signs. these are provided in 4:2=9. These signs that Moses would perform are again not by Moses power, but totally by God’s power.

a. We are not to control what people do with the message - Either if preaching, teaching, evangelism, or biblical counsel. We just have to tell the truth. What they do with that information is between them and God. I share a gospel message every week, what you do with that is not up to me.

b. We are given examples of this throughout the Bible - Noah, the prophets , Jesus

c. It might make us look foolish to the world but not to God - 1 Cor 3:18-21 “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,”

IV. I’m no good with words - Ex 4:10 “But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”” This was my excuse i was afraid of speaking in front of anyone and I had a speech impediment and to some extent still do. It comes out every once in a while where my mind says something but it just doesn't come out of my mouth and it seems like i miss words. This still happens in one on one conversations i have to go into hyper focus. (now I also have a condition where I say something without thinking about it, but that's a sin condition not medical)

God’s answer Ex 4:11-12 “Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.””

a. God will use us in spite of our defects - we all got em, Moses, Abraham, Paul, Peter, Ruth, Esther, David, Pastor Jay, Miss Rebahka (well maybe not Rebahka), but you as well

b. God is glorified when He uses flawed individuals - Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

c. Coming to grips with God’s commands will be uncomfortable - I know it is scary but guess what you are not alone, look around he gave you a family to help you along. Hey I was on staff at a church where we were not allowed to make mistakes everyone walked on egg shells, not so here at Shiloh I always told people that we need to make mistakes that how we grow. Ministry in any form is messy.

V. I’m not willing - Ex 4:13 “But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”” Nope Im not gonna do it. I have heard this so much in the ministry and it is mind boggling, That Christians who claim to walk with God would refuse Him straight out. This is flat out rebellion. This was not an excuse or a valid excuse this was a heart issue. I dont want to, which is really the real issue, we are often times not willing to step out in faith, obey and trust God.

a. Rebellion never turns out good - Jonah 1:2-4 ““Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.”

b. you cannot out run God - Jonah 1:17 “And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

C. God can do great things through you - Jonah 3:1-5 “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.”

Application

Can God really use someone like me? Let me ask you have I as Pastor contributed to your life in anyway? if the answer is yes then standing before you is a walking miracle cause God used me to speak into your life. Yes God can use someone like you! Satan would have you believe that you are too flawed, too broken, too raggedy and messed up. He is right but with the devil its only partially true… He leaves out the part “BUT GOD” We need to hear messages like we did a few weeks ago where I mentioned the famous sermon “sinners in the hands of an angry God” but we also need to hear sermon messages “Sinners in the hands of an awesome, powerful, and merciful God”

The devil will try to have you think you are not significant, so God cannot use you… Dont fall for it. Remember it is not about you anyway, stop filling your mind up with you, you will be happier

1. There is no excuse that will work on God -

2. learn to know it will be uncomfortable - The Navy Seals have a saying “embrace the suck” Basically it means the situation is bad, but deal with it. Listen the first sermon I preached I was scared super scared, But guess what every Sunday I am still scared. Some Sundays i feel panic right before I come up, but I come up because God is bigger than me,

3. The greatest peace that you will experience is when you finally surrender to God and His will - Acts 7:22-23 “And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.”

So what is God calling you to do? Maybe He is using people around you such as friends, family, your pastor, other church members? Are you making excuses or are you surrendering to God’s will? Let me tell you its ok if ya make the wrong decision, say you feel God is wanting you to do something over here, you do it and it turns out God was wanting you over here instead its ok He will let ya know. For example I thought God wanted me to be a deacon at our church in Bolton Landing, so I did it, turns out I made the wrong decision he wanted me in the pastorate. But I never would have known unless I made the jump. Some times you have to jump