Are You Qualified to be Used by God?

Who is Qualified?  Disqualified?

 Introduction:

1. What does the Devil say?                                                                        [You are loser; a has-been; need ministry yourself; jerk; failure]
2. What do others say?
3. What do You say?
4. What does God say?                                                                                     [GO BY THE WORD, not by the religious opinion of others]

Ps 119:105--Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.  (NAS)             [The right path to take]

 Ps 119:24--Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. (NKJ)  [Word is the only true counselor!]

 Ps 119:98--You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me.

               [An enemy of the purposes of God is anyone who disagrees with God’s perspective in Scripture]

 Ps 119:130--The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.  (NKJ)

1       Was Peter qualified to give the Pentecostal Sermon?

2       Was Jonah qualified to preach the revival at Nineveh?

3       Was Paul qualified to become the major apostle of the New Testament Church?

4       Was King David qualified to receive this praise from God, “I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”   Acts 13:22  (NIV)

5       Was Abraham qualified to be the Father of faith for both the Jews and Gentiles?

6       Was Moses qualified to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt land?

 God specializes in using people who are not qualified , who are not worthy, who feel completely inadequate!

 1 Cor 15:8--Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.         [An abortion]

9          For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle,  because I persecuted the church of God.

10        But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all,                                   yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.  (NKJ)

 Heb 4:14-Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15        For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16        Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  (NKJ)

 I.  God’s Gifts and His Calling are Irrevocable: 

 Rom 11:29-For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  (NKJ) NAS)

• For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.  (KJV)

• For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.  (NLT)

• For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn; he will never go back on his promises. (TLB)

 Ps 119:105--Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.  (NAS)             [The Word of God is the right path to take]

II.  God is the God of a New Beginning!  

Ask Peter, ask David, ask Paul, ask Jonah, ask Abraham!!!

 Isa 43:18--"Do not remember the former things,      [Are you obeying this Scripture? for yourself? others?]                           

nor consider the things of old.                                             [What are you considering? focusing on]

19        Behold, I will do a new thing,                                                      [You can be one of God’s “new things”]               

now it shall spring forth;                                                                                              [Bring forth, not stomp out!]            

shall you not know it?                                                                                   [You need to know God’s goodness!]                    

I will even make a road in the wilderness    [The consequences of sin bring us into a wilderness place]                                                                                                                           [Moses’ sin put him in a wilderness for 40 years]

and rivers in the desert.                                        [Have you ever felt like you were in a desert place?]

20        The beast of the field will honor Me,                                                                                     [Those demonized]                   

the jackals                                                                 [A yellow grayish dog, from the wolf family—a jerk]            

and the ostriches,                                                                                      [Those with their head stuck in the sand]                  

because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, [Why, because God’s people need a drink]  

to give drink to My people, My chosen.            [You will have some things to praise God for again!]

21        This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.  (NKJ)

 BE DELIVERED FROM A SPIRIT OF SELF-CONDEMNATION!

III.   THE POTTER'S WHEEL:

Jer. 18:1--The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:

2          "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words."

3          Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel.

4          And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter;  so he made it again into another vessel,                                                                                                                          as it seemed good to the potter to make.

5          Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

6          "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD.   "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! (NKJ)

God does not throw us away on the potsherd heap; only people do that!

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