Holiness, Godliness, Usefulness
01/09/2015, by John Kincaid
Lesson 476: God Uses Weak Vessels
God chooses to use weak vessels who have seemingly little to offer in His service.
1 Cor.1:27-31; 2 Cor.4:7, 12:9-10; 2 Tim.2:20-21; Rom.9:21-23
This should comfort us, and warn us against judging the contributions of others.
In the vineyard parable, those who worked all day grumbled at the master’s generosity.
Matt.20:11-12 Grumbling and resentment is a common theme in Scripture:
- Pharisees resented Jesus’ compassion for tax collectors & sinners. Mark 2:16
- The prodigal son’s elder brother resented the father’s forgiveness. Luke 15
- The leader resented the sinful woman who loved Jesus much. Luke 7:36-50
The woman with the alabaster jar loved much because she was forgiven much. Luke 7:47
If we fail to appreciate God’s grace and our own sinfulness, we too can grow resentful.
When God blesses others, our sinful reflex is to think that we are more deserving.
God’s grace depends not on our merit but on His good purposes. When we are crushed by our failures, this message is our only hope.
God works through the weak things of this world, so that He alone receives glory.
Because of this truth, we need never fear that our shortcomings make us useless to Him.
About This Series
The goal of this series is to become more useful in serving the Lord Jesus Christ, as an instrument in the Redeemer's hand. The theme verses for the series are Ephesians 4:22-24, Philemon 11, 2 Timothy 2:21
- to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
- and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
- Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.
- Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
|
|
|
