God Can Use You! Part 1
Clutch Student Ministries
Pastor Jordan Biel 09.06.2006
Rev 4:11 "You are worthy,
O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created everything, and it is for Your pleasure that they exist and
were created." NLT
Matt 1:1-16 Read Geneology of Jesus really fast –
beginning w/ Abraham
(Emphasis verse 3,5, & 6 “There
mother was Tamar…Rahab…”
Tamar was in the Geneology of Jesus!
1.) Tamar / Recap Gen. 38 with this:
According to custom, she could marry
his younger brother and so she did.
2nd husband was evil, so God
also struck him dead.
Tamar is now ready for 3rd
brother (we’ll call Jr.) But the Father is like,
“NO! He’s only a boy, go away, you
sick lady. Come back later – in like 5 years!”
Well, some time passes and one day
Jr. turns 16.
So the father calls him into his
office:
“Son, do you know what today is?”
- My Birthday! What’d you get me?
-I got my Driver’s License today! A new camel!?
“No son…”
-Or maybe some new threads? How about a new turban!? I want the new Urban
Turban – the one that wraps around your head, but hangs off to the side!
Yeah I want that for my birthday!
“No son…”
- C’mon dad- what’d you get
me!!!???
“A WIFE!”
- Yahoo! I got a wife!!!
-Who’d you get me?
The belly-dancer chick next door?
“No son, I’m
afraid not.”
-How about that hot
Egyptian chick down the road? She is
“FUINE!”
“No son.”
- C’mon dad!
WHO? WHO? WHO?!?!?!
“Your
“WHAT!!! Dad!
Don’t do this to me! What kind of
sick joke is this?!?!?!?
My Aunt Tamar!
Man, this aint Jerry Springer!
Even that was normal and not completely
disgusting, she’s dog- ugly!
(You
must realize that years had gone bye… this was the ancient mid-eastern desert:
Out in the dessert sun with no oil-of-olay, copper tone, or banana boat – and there
was no tooth brushes or tooth-paste, = she was all leather-faced and
toothless. Plus, she was getting
old! She was on the back-side of 40 and
lookin’ rough!)
The
father thought, “Well, my first 2
sons died when they married this chick, so son, just keep this down and we’ll
pretend like it never happened.”
Word got back to Tamar – Jr. is of age – He’s older now, but
you’re not getting him!
Tamar’s
like, “What!? This isn’t fair! I’ve been ripped off once, ripped off twice,
and now I’ve been ripped off a third time!”
So what’d she do? Pray &
trust God to move in her circumstances?
No! She took it into her own
hands! - (How many times don’t we do the
same thing!?)
This is CRAZY: she dressed up like a prostitute, covered her
face and waited for the father to came along, and she’s all like “How much
baby?” She offered to sleep w/him!
He
complied and she said, “It’s cost you Your staff and your signet ring”
They
went off and did the nasty (and He never knew it was Tamar – the woman that his
two sons had married and widowed!)
…Weeks go by, then Daddy
He’s
like, “How could you do this!? You’re
supposed to be engaged to my youngest son in honor of his brother! How could you disgrace our family! You’re a whore!”
Just moments before they barbeque
her, she busts out, “Just Wait One Minute!!!
(she
points to her belly) Who’s this belong
to big daddy!?” And she broke out the
staff and signet ring he gave her! (She Pulled a Monica Lewinsky on this joker!!!)
But
But what good could come of
this? Out of nowhere, we have this Jerry Springer
story in the Bible! WHY?
She had a son who had a son
who had a son who had a son… right down to our Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God’s own son sent
to save us from our sin – was in the lineage of this psycho chick!!!!
It doesn’t matter
how you’ve taken things in to your own hands – and how many times that you’ve
screwed up, God Can Still Use You! -
Just like He planed to!
Personal
Example> I’ve screwed up before.
I’ve made my share of mistakes.
I’ve sinned in the past – just like you guys. But I’ve asked Jesus to forgive me of the
past and I’ve not allowed my past to keep me from my future! Though I’ve messed up before, God can still
forgive me, restore me and use me for His Glory! And He can do the same thing for you!
Some of you have made some
mistakes, failures, and bad decisions.
But Jesus has a way of
bringing order to chaos… Gen. – Matt. – Rev.
It doesn’t matter
how you’ve taken things in to your own hands –
God Can Use You!
2.) Rahab / Read
Joshua 2
Remember, Rahab was also in
the geneology of Jesus Christ!
Because she protected the
two Israelite spies, God blessed her and protected her and her family. Though she had a terrible past – she was a
prostitute – God forgave her past and gave her new purpose and a new
future. Because of what she did, Joshua
later crossed the Jordan River with
Heb 11:31-35 “It was
by faith that Rahab the prostitute did not die with all the others in her city
who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
32 Well, how much more do I
need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By
faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what
God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of
fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to
strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women
received their loved ones back again from death.” NLT
Heb 11:39 “All of
these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their fait,...” NLT
James 2:24-26 “So you
see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the
prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her
actions — when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a
different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is
dead without good deeds.”
It doesn’t matter where you’re from
-
It doesn’t matter if you’re from the White
House or The White Collar neighborhood or the Blue Collar neighborhood. It doesn’t’ matter if your daddy’s rich or if
he’s poor!
You’re not
actually from him anyway – your original conception – where you were actually
designed was in Heaven. And your Father God is as rich as can
be! He created you in your mother’s
womb. Understand? Your mom n’ dad didn’t create you – Yeah, they
had a vital part in it – but they are not the creator! GOD is your creator – He is your maker – your
momma was only the place of maturation!
God designed you perfectly in her womb and He designed you with a plan
and with a purpose!
What matters
is what you do with the life God gave you.
John 1:1-5 “In the beginning the Word
already existed. He was with God, and he was God. 2 He was in the beginning
with God. 3 He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make.
4 Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. 5 The light
shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” NLT
Eph 2:10 “For we
are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can
do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
NLT
So many times the devil tries to limit some of us
by reminding us of where we came from – it is then that I remind him of where
I’m going (Jer 29:11) and better yet I remind him of where he’s going (Rev.
20:10)!!!
It doesn’t matter where you’re from
on earth – what matters is that you understand
that you first came from God and if you came from God – you are “wonderfully made” and made with a purpose and
meaning!
When Zechariah prophesied about Jesus coming into
Zech.
9:9 That Jesus would be “Riding on a donkey…” – Zech. 9:9
The world is looking for a
hero charging in on a white stallion.
Big
muscles, big guns, big attitude, wealthy, and charging in on a big white
stallion to save the day. The world is
in love with Hero on a white stallion image.
What’s
with the “stallion guy”? Everybody wants
the stallion guy or wants to be “the stallion guy” The guy that
That’s great for the
“stallion guys” but what if life has dealt you a donkey?
Maybe, You’re not the biggest, baddest, fastest, richest kid in
school. Maybe it seem like it’s always
the other guy… he always gets the breaks, picked first, and he’s liked most.
You never seem to get to be “the guy.” You know you’re not the worst, but you’re
never “the guy.” I know I wasn’t!
But like we saw in the life of David, that doesn’t’ matter!
“Man looks on the outside,
but God looks at the heart.”
The internal
spiritual condition is far more
important than the external natural condition!
ILL> The world applauds Barbie figures, airbrushed
magazine cover models and superstar
jocks
TV commercials: use a ½ naked chick to sell Special K,
(get a grip – it’s breakfast cereal…
NOT EVEN GOOD BREAKFAST CEREAL AT THAT!)
It is satan’s objective to
use the media to get us to look at ourselves and feel a little second rate,
sub-standard… just a Donkey Guy
But I’ve got Good News! Jesus,
the Messiah, the Savior of the world…
is a donkey guy! Yeah! Jesus is a donkey guy! Let’s hear it for the Home Team!
IIL> He’s wearing a
flannel shirt – driving a used pick-up truck!
Now
that’s something I can relate to!
Let’s hear it for the donkey guys!
Donkey Guys of the world unite! It’s
time!
It’s O.K. if you don’t look the part of “the guy” but… YOU CAN
FINALLY BE “THE GUY!”
·
It doesn’t matter
how life ripped you off, God Can Use You!
It’s not so much
your ability that God is looking for, but your availability
Dan. 11:32 “But the people that do know their God shall
be strong, and do exploits.”
If
you’ll take the time to “know your God”
you will “be strong and do exploits”
in His Name!
It doesn’t
matter:
·
How much you feel
that life’s ripped you off
·
How you’ve taken
things into your own hands and screwed up
·
Where you’re from
or What you’ve done
GOD Still wants to
Have a Relationship with You and partner with you to do great things for Him!!! God Can Use You!
Song: “If You Can
Use Anything, Lord, You Can Use Me”