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you Welcome to Faithful Word Baptist Church, could you please find our seats and nook our nimbles for Psalm number 68? Singing Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Singing out for us. Singing Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. Remember that we're gonna have Psalm number 68. This is the attitude that we have to have in the Christian life if we're going to be used to God. Being someone who plays out in people's lives. So many ways in which people tell themselves that they really don't have much to offer. You know that people can find themselves in different situations in life and think well you know there's really not much I can do. I don't have much opportunity. I don't have much ability. Why do anything at all? Because God can take what little you have and do great things with it. And even if even if it doesn't result in great things God in his you know marks it down as a greater sacrifice than what somebody else gave. You know a good example of this is when it comes to soul winning. And you know some people have more ability to go soul winning simply because of their life is such that they have the time. They don't have the responsibilities that some other people do. For example a young single guy or just a single guy period has more opportunity to go out and win souls than the busy housewife. The busy housewife you know she's busy every day with all the things that come with keeping house raising children which is you know biblically a ministry in and of itself. That's not to be discounted. That's fulfilling God's command. That's not that does I wouldn't sit there and try to discredit that or say that it doesn't count towards something towards the kingdom of heaven. It does. But a lot of times you know a woman in that position might think well you know I just don't have much to offer God you know I don't have much time to get out there anyway. Why bother? Well God can look at that little bit of time you have that one hour out of the week that you have. You know that one opportunity you might have at a grocery store or at some you know meet up somewhere or some group that you're a part of where you can give the gospel God might look at that and say that and be pleased with that maybe even more so than the guy who's just you know has all the time in the world to do all the soul winning he wants to go to this trip and that trip and everything else. Look I'm not trying to discredit those guys either. I'm just trying to give us some ideas about how this might play out in our lives practically where people get in positions where they think that because they don't have much to offer they might as well just not offer anything at all. We ought to have the completely opposite attitude right. People get you know they get older I got to be careful I almost outed myself Thursday night right. This is going to be another one of those like oh no you didn't right. People get older not anybody in this room right. I mean I mean eventually no one's there yet and we're all just spring chickens around here but you know people they get older they get they get on in years and they start to think well you know I'm in my twilight years I've only got so much time left you know I really can't do anything for God anyway. Well that's that's a bad attitude that's that and that's wrong and that's not even the biblical example as we'll see here later with Moses. Where people will you know make all kinds of excuses why they you know they've come up short some way in life or they're constrained in some way and they just say well you know I don't have much to offer to begin with so why offer anything at all. Why do anything for God I mean I'm so limited in my ability anyway you know I might as well not do anything. But the Bible is showing us here that what Jesus what the Lord took note of was not the person who had all the time and ability and resources to give but it was the person who seemed to have the least he looked on that and said she's given more than the rest because she gave all that she could. And that's that's the the attitude that we need to have. Now if you would go over to Second Corinthians chapter number eight Second Corinthians chapter number eight and I'm not going to read a lot out of this chapter it's a very wordy chapter but it's basically it boils down to you know giving monetarily okay and it says there we'll just read a few verses in verse one to get get the context there says more of a brother and we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia how that a great trial affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded under the riches of their liberality right so he's talking about the Macedonians who were being afflicted and they're you know we don't know exactly what the affliction was maybe it's some kind of natural drought there's some kind of need there maybe it's a persecution of the church but whatever it is they're going through this great trial of affliction and they have this deep poverty right how that in a verse two had a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty a pounded on the riches of their liberality and liberality meaning their open handedness their willingness to give of themselves to give of what they did have for to their power I bear record yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the Saints basically they had you know they're in poverty they are going through this great trial of affliction they're strapped they're scraping the barrel but they're filled with joy and they're beseeching Paul saying take this gift that we have and and distribute it to where it's needed take this gift and give it unto the ministering of the Saints and they you know they're they're forced in Paul you know maybe it was like you know how people are when you try to do something nice oh no you shouldn't I got and then you're like you're like you gotta insist sometimes right that's why he's saying you know how he bare record that they were praying us with much entreaty they're not you know being it's not being pried out of their hands they're trying to give this and these are people that are going through affliction these are people that are in deep poverty and yet they're very open handed they have you know they have this riches of their liberality they're willing to give of themselves now I don't know that they gave some great amount of money it might not have been just I mean they're poor it might not have been just this profound amount of money that they gave that just made this huge difference but the fact is is that whatever they gave it was enough enough enough to impress upon Paul to reiterate it to the Corinthians and say hey now it's your turn just as they gave of their poverty it's your turn to give as well and what I want us to get out of this chapter is verse 12 he says for if there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not you know we can only give what we have obviously and God you know that that's what's accepted and God sees us giving of what we do have so we should never live our lives thinking about thinking you know that we can't give anything because we have so little look whatever you have to offer whatever and I'm not even talking about money I'm saying of your time your ability to serve God in whatever capacity you can whatever you have to offer God accepts that don't ever have this attitude of well you know I can I can barely make a difference anyway so why bother and you know and and and here's the thing it's the people that really have the least ability that have the least resources that often God uses the most if you would go over to second well I'm getting ahead of myself go to first Timothy chapter number one you know Paul is an example of this in first Timothy chapter number one Paul is somebody that at certain point in his life you would have looked at and said God's never going to use that guy in fact God's going to destroy that guy God's going to judge that guy remember when Paul got converted before he became Paul he was known as Saul and he you know was confronted by the Lord himself on his on the road to Damascus when he was going to hail men and women and have them having letters to have Christians hauled off to jail and potentially even killed he was persecuting the church that's what he tells us that's what we know about him and yet Paul went on to be one of the most powerfully used men of God that has ever lived look at first Timothy chapter number one verse 12 and he says and I thank Christ Jesus the Lord who had enabled me for that economy faithful putting me in the ministry is before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious those are some pretty heavy things right and yet we tell ourselves so often well I can't do that because you know we because of this adjective or I'm this way or because of this setback in my life okay well are you a blasphemer no are you a persecutor are you injurious okay well then you know quit making excuses basically you know me the main excuse that people make for not serving God is this one I'm too busy that's their big hang-up well I'm just too busy well join the club you know everyone's busy but Paul here you know he's some pretty rotten things these are not something you want to put down on a resume blasphemer persecutor this is not what you would put you wouldn't walk into a pastoral you know pastoral interview for a position at a church and say well let me tell you a few things about myself I'm a blasphemer or a persecutor and I'm injurious and there was a time in my life where you know I had men and women killed for the for the for believing the gospel so when do I start you know that's that's not that's not how it's gonna go but this is who Paul was he says at the end of verse 13 but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief and the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant it's not like he just got a pass it's because the grace of God was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus right God was willing to see past that and see the potential in Paul and despite this wicked past that he had was willing to use him and this is just one aspect of Paul you know this is just his background this is just where he came from he said in verse 15 this is the faithful saying worthy of the exception that Christ Jesus came over to save sinners of whom I am chief and I love verse 16 how about how be it for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Christ Jesus might show forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should believe should believe on him to life everlasting he's saying one of the reasons God chose to use me despite my shortcomings despite my wicked past is so that I could be a sample a pattern a to them to which would believe on him until life everlasting he's saying I'm a pattern for everybody else it's gonna come after me for all the Christians and everybody else is gonna believe on Christ down through the ages they're gonna read first Timothy they're gonna read about who I am they're gonna read my life and then they need to walk away when they understand the life of Paul is that Paul is that God can use anybody that's willing to offer whatever they have that's the example of Paul and yet so often Christians they go they look back on their past they will God can't use me because you know my past is a little checkered well it's not as checkered as Paul's it's not as bad I'm sure as Paul's Paul was some pretty bad things and God was willing to give grace and grant mercy and look past that and use him for that and and he says he used me for that explicit purpose to be a pattern to them which should hear on believe after after on him to life everlasting so that's why God used me that's one of the reasons God's chose to use me the way he did so that other people wouldn't have this lame excuse well I can't offer God anything because you know I didn't grow up in a Christian home I really can't serve God the way other people can a bunch of hogwash it's a lame excuse go over to first Corinthians chapter number one first Corinthians chapter number one you know the fact is is that we all have something we can offer God and if we would just do that God would honor it God will take whatever you have to offer and use it whatever you can do for God you should and never think that well you know because I'm not this or I am that that somehow God's not gonna be pleased with that but there's plenty of people in this world plenty of Christians that could do way more for God they have the time they have the ability they have the resources they have the wherewithal to serve God and they can be used by God but they choose not to because they just they don't want to be inconvenienced by it they don't want to have to go through what's required they don't they don't want to give of what they can and yet there's other people who you know they don't have all that they don't have much there but they have something and they give that to God and God will use them look at first Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26 he said for you see your calling brethren how that many wise men after the flesh not many many not many noble are called you think I mean for suggesting that some of us might be a little later on in years past our prime right hey life begins at 40 okay amen you think I mean Paul's like basically saying you see how a lot of you are just a bunch of dummies I mean right not many wives are called you know according to this world I mean if you're a Corinthian right now you're kind of reading this you're going really come on man you see your calling brethren how that not many wise men are after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called and obviously he's talking in this you know in terms of this world but God have chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise God have chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised God have chosen yea and things which are not to bring that not things that are you know I think Paul can get away with saying with this saying this because that is Paul that is Paul Paul can say I mean we just got done reading it that's why we went to first Timothy first he said and you know this is a faithful saying worthy of I said all exceptation that Christ Jesus came the world saved sinners of whom I am chief he's saying I'm the worst of them all so I'm not taking a jab at Paul tonight he's the one that said it he's the one that said he was a persecutor and blasphemer injurious so when Paul says hey God has chosen the base things of the world Paul knows what he's talking about you know and Paul was one I was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel he's a very educated trained man in the Jews religion but he also understands that you know God has chosen these weak things to confound the wise of which he was people would elect him said wow what a wise man that's why they gave me authority that he did he was such an influential person but God looks at him and says well you were a fool God has chosen the base things the weak things well why would God do that why would God choose the weak I mean it almost seems it seems illogical why wouldn't God go find some someone other than a Paul why wouldn't God go find some guy who has loved the Lord his whole life and it's just instantly got on board with the gospel you know instantly got on board with the New Testament it was just you know just all gone home and look God there's a lot of people that were just like that that God did use mightily but why did this guy a guy like Paul get end up getting end up being used it's such a mighty way despite the fact that he was all these things well the answer is in verse 29 that no flesh should glory in his presence so I don't have much to offer God I you know I don't have much I don't have a very good background I don't come from you know some spiritual pedigree I don't have all these things to offer well good that way when God does use you you'll know it's God and God will get the glory and you'll be able to say well anything that I've accomplished in this life for Christ is to the glory of God because he did it through me and it's not it's not a me it's not that it's not me that did it it's God and if people want to walk up and congratulate us and slap us on the back and tell us what a great job we're doing you say well you know it's God it's his word you know every now and then people compliment me on a sermon believe it or not it's a good sermon and I you know I thank people and I and I they're genuine and sincere and I say I appreciate that thank you and I'm genuine sincere but honestly it's like all I'm doing is preaching what God wrote I'm just pointing out what we've all read before it's nothing new anything that comes across this pulpit and edifies anybody it's it's through the Word of God believe me it's it's not me it's the Word of God that has power it's quick and sharper than a two-edged sword so anything you know any excuses that we have to say well I can't do this and I'm not that and I come from this you know any excuse to we want to use to say why we can't be used as God is not good enough and in fact those are the exact reasons that God will use us and God will be glorified and our flesh will not glory in his presence look at verse 30 but of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is of God who of God has made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that according it is written he that gloryeth let him glory in the Lord you know where we come up short is where God starts where we come up short and we we miss the mark where we're not good enough that's where God starts the end of self is the start of God when we start to realize hey I'm not good enough I don't have these abilities you know that's where God says that's okay I can step in when we say all I have are two mites God says well I'll make up the rest go to uh well I know I got to move along here but go to 1st Kings 17 we'll look at another widow 1st Kings 17 there's so many examples of this of you know of God using people in spite of themselves in fact there's examples of God whittling people down so they'll know that it was him that did it God choosing the week God choosing though you know those that don't seem to have much to offer I mean think of Gideon right Gideon is threshing wheat in a wine press because he's trying to hide from the Midianites he doesn't want him to come take his food Israel's being oppressed and this angel shows up shows up and said it's inhales him and calls him a mighty man of valor and even Gideon's like what man of valor are you sure you got the right guy I think you're looking for somebody else I mean he's literally hiding and God calls him a man of valor not because of what he was doing but because he knows what he could do and you know I'll know the story Gideon ends up you know with 300 men I mean he's got tens of thousands of men to go fight the Midianites and God says this is too much and slowly it whittles them all the way down to 300 I mean the Midianites are spread out you can't even count them there's so many of them I mean anyone would look at it say this is your you're crazy there's just no way you're gonna win this fight but we all know the story how they hid and they smashed the lamps you know the the pitchers over the lamps and said the sword of the Lord of Gideon and the Midianites fell upon themselves and they did most of the work for him because God was on his side but what if Gideon said well you know you got the wrong guy you know I can't do this with 300 forget it let's just go back I don't have anything to offer I don't have much look sometimes that's exactly where God wants us lean lean not having much giving of our want because then we know whatever is accomplished through it it's it's done through the power of God and we don't get any glory for it God gets the glory sure we get the joy we get the joy of knowing that God has used us in spite of ourselves I had you go to first Kings right there's another story in Exodus I talked about this earlier Moses right God comes to Moses in the wilderness when he's keeping his father-in-law sheep and says you're gonna go deliver the children of Israel and he says I can't and what was one of the excuses he said well you know I'm not eloquent he said I'm a slow speech and of a slow tongue he's saying you can't expect me to go and talk to a whole group a whole nation on your behalf I can't speak now look I don't know if that's true or not I wonder if I seriously think Moses was just making that up right I don't know maybe not maybe he really had a some kind of impediment or whatever and this is when he's 80 years old by the way I love that his excuse wasn't well I'm too old right it was like well you know I can't speak well I'm not I'm no I'm not some I'm not eloquent right you know I could this is something I can relate to here's some other guys preaches like wow that's good like I wish I could speak half as well as they can you know and the fact is there's people out there that could speak ten times better than I can they could probably preach a sermon better than I can but you know what they're not here are they they're not willing that's their problem so you're stuck with me and you know it's you know it's it's it's interesting in the story that it's actually angers God it says that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses he starts making excuses of why he can't do things it actually upsets God he tells him you know send I pray thee by the hand of whom thou will send he says well I'm sending you buddy and you got this lame excuse well here's Aaron he'll be your mouthpiece and God takes away our excuses so really I mean the lesson there is that we don't really have excuses well you can't expect that widow to give of what she has that's all she's got and yet she did and God I believe blessed her for I mean that's another example of this in first Kings 17 look at verse 8 the word of Lord came unto him that being Elijah and saying arise get thee to Zareph as memories hanging out in the book Brook hydrant and God's feeding him with the Ravens he said I've commanded a widow woman to sustain thee does that inspire confidence especially back then I mean cuz a lot of times if you were a widow woman you were you're probably destitute you knew you were desperate to be without it's not like today where you don't need no man like back then you needed a man you needed a man to provide and help you and I get it was a team effort even then but it's like this this go girl girl power thing did not fly back then it was tough times and so here's God coming to Elijah single well I got a widow she'll take care of you if I were Elijah I'd be going you sure we can't just hang at the brook you know if you send the water back cuz my other Brooke had dried up and you got Ravens bringing me I'm happy to stay here just have send them with some water I have more faith in the Raven than some widow woman and really when we know the story you know it's not of course he doesn't have that excuse I'm not saying that at all but he he could have made that excuse and would have even been justified because when he gets there the widow woman is making her is cooking the last of her food and getting ready to die right that's the story but verse 10 so he arose because he's a great man of faith of course and he says it says that in verse 10 he rose and went to Zarephath when he came to the gate of the city behold the widow woman was there gathering of sticks and he called to her and said fetch me I prayed the a little water in a vessel that I may drink and as she was going to fetch it he called to her and said bring me I prayed the amour of bread in thine hand and she said as the Lord my God liveth I have not a cake but an handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruise and behold I am gathering two sticks they may go in and dress it for me and my son that we may eat it and die she's like all that we got this is the last of it buddy you're too late I'd give you some but we ain't got none and Elijah said unto here fear not go and do as thou has said but make me up thereof a little cake first just take that little bit that you have you widow and give me a little first and you see what God does with the rest and she is a great woman of faith as well for thus saith the Lord God of Israel verse 14 the barrel of meal shall not waste neither shall the crews of oil fail until the day that the Lord sent rain upon the earth and she went and did according the saying of Elijah she and he and he and her house did eat many days I mean she's on the brink of starving to death which is not fun and this guy shows up this total stranger it says give me some water on while you're at it make me some make me something to do but she believed the Lord she believed the word of the Lord verse 16 the barrel of meal wasted not neither the crews of oil fail according the word of Lord which she spake by Elijah so it's another widow that's taking just the last bit that she has whatever it is that she has to offer and giving unto God it's an act of faith you know if you we would just take whatever it is we do have to offer and and just give it God would use it God would bless it go to John 6 there's another great example of this in John 6 God doesn't need abundance from people what God needs is people who are willing to sacrifice God doesn't need people that have a huge intellect God doesn't need people that have deep pockets God doesn't need people that are some you know great orders God what God needs are people who are willing to do what needs to be done to sacrifice that's who God ends up using in this world you know God doesn't need some giant building for people to serve in God doesn't need you know a whole bunch of different programs for people to do the work of God what God needs are people that are willing to do the work to sacrifice to give of whatever it is they have to offer whatever time they can spare whatever you know resources they can give whatever they can do that's what God needs from people and that's what God will bless and God will do great things with the little bit that we give look at John 6 and verse 5 it says when Jesus excuse me when Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him he saith unto Philip when shall we buy bread that these may eat and this he said to prove them he's testing him for he himself knew what he would do he was hoping they would say well you're God you can do anything you want we're just gonna ask you Jesus tell us what to do Philip answered unto him answered said 200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them that everyone may even take a little he's saying I don't know Jesus I don't know what we're gonna do good question I was wondering the same thing this is often our response say well I know God wants to do this great work I know God wants to move I know God wants to build this church I know God wants to reach these souls I know God wants to do something but I just don't know how he's gonna do it well God's gonna take what of little that we have and use it if we're willing to give it one of his disciples verse 8 Andrew Simon's Peter brothers saith on him and you know to Andrews credit you know he's he's got the right idea he's like well there's a lad here which had five barley loaves and two small fishes that's all we got but what are they about so many well you're on the right track Andrew and he kind of blows it at the end but I don't know what we're gonna do with any of that well he should have just said you should have just stopped at two small fishes all right and Jesus said make the men to sit down there there was much grass the place so the men sat down and the number about 5,000 that's just the men and Jesus took the loaves and we given thanks he distributed the disciples the disciples to them that were set down and likewise of the fishes as much as they as they would I mean it just kept coming you want more you want more you want more who wants seconds and you didn't have to wait till everybody had firsts every you want you're ready to eat more here you can have some when they were filled he said unto disciples gather up the fragments that remain that nothing be lost when they gathered together they filled 12 baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above unto them that had eaten I mean people are stuffed that there's food left over you know none of this would have happened if there hadn't been a lad there and you know the story doesn't say it but it's like it's not like they said give me that lunch kid you know it's not like they stole the milk money you know it wasn't some kid in the playground socked him in the gut and took his quarter I believe what happened is that maybe this lad came and you know pulled on Andrews coat as well I know what Jesus can do I'm just a little kid now I've got these few loaves and I've got these few fishes you can have it and you can you can do some of that Jesus can't you I mean here's this little lad this little boy that has more faith in Jesus perhaps than even the disciples well what are they you know what's this among so many I wear with you know I don't know how we're gonna feed these people all of a sudden you know what do you want kid I've got some I got some bread a couple fishes my mom gave me it's all I got it's not much among all these 5,000 plus men I see now my dad eats but if you want it you can have it and you know what God said I'll take that thank you imagine being that kid maybe they gave him a basket to take home mom said where'd you get that well gave Jesus my lunch and now I got a whole basket it's such a great story about somebody just taking what little they had and just giving it to God that's all God expects from any of us what do you have to offer not much well give it anyway and don't sit there and think well you know it's not much to begin with so why even bother that's that's the excuse so many people use my time so tight my finances are so tight my ability is so limited I you know I'm just not even gonna bother well then you'll never see anything at all from God and you're just like you're just like everybody else you just like all those people that have all the time resources and ability you're no different from them at that point go to one last passage Philippians chapter number two Philippians chapter number two you know this this widow she just she's not trying to impress anybody she's like oh there's Jesus let him show him how pious I am she's just this is just in her heart to just give whatever she has she just loves God she just says you know I'm just gonna give this to God I'm just gonna step out in faith and give these two these this farthing I have these last two mites that I have I'm just gonna give them to God this little boy says you know I don't have much I just got this little lunch my mom gave me but you can have it the widow other widow in Elijah's day said you know all I've got is just a little bit of oil this little bit of flour I can make this one little cake for you and that's it but I'll do it because I believe God look at Philippians chapter number two verse 12 were for my beloved as you've always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your salvation with fear and trembling and that working out I believe he's talking about you know flesh out your Christian life is what he's saying he's not saying work for your salvation I believe what he's saying is you know you need to make your your your needs that you need to get to do the works of God in this life work out your salvation verse 13 why for it is God which worketh in you both to do will and to do of his good pleasure well I don't know that God can really use me I don't really know that God's gonna do anything well do you have the Holy Spirit you have the Word of God then God can use you I don't care who you are I mean they said of Paul you know that he is his bodily presence is weak in a speech contemptible they looked at Paul and they said you know he's a pipsqueak you know and he and he probably wasn't a big guy I mean why would they say that about him his bodily presence is weak he is this little guy you know and he's got this this little voice and yet his words and his letters are powerful and yet God used that guy that Paul in spite of his wicked past instead of his you know less than imposing physical stature God used him in a great way why because he's an example the rest of us it doesn't matter where we come from it doesn't matter what our past is and look I understand that certain in certain instances there's gonna be things that are off-limit to us in the ministry okay but there's more to the ministry than being a pastor than being a deacon you know that's that's not in the ministry they're just those are just office that are there just help guide the church to do the work that it needs to do as a body that's it without people doing the work of God there's no point having a pastor there's no point having deacons you know and if we've violated certain qualifications then obviously that office is off-limit to us but that doesn't mean that we can't be used of God in a great way because we can because the greatest preaching any of us will ever do is out there in those streets when we're preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ the lost and God used a guy like Paul for an example for us and that seems Holy Spirit that same God that worked in Paul's life now works in us that's what he said for it is God which worketh in you that's why he says in verse 14 do all things about murmurings and disputings I'll bring that into the to the Corbin Russell translation it basically means shut up and get to work quit making excuses quit making excuses of why you can't serve God why you don't have time why why this and why all these reasons that people have why they can't so why it's not for them it's murmurings it's disputings you're arguing with God you're like Moses because you know most people probably believe that if they did serve God if they did sacrifice if they did put it all on the altar that God would use them they just don't want to do it they're comfortable you know some guys that they'll never go into the ministry because they know that it's a sacrifice oh I know if I did go in the ministry that God would use me that people would get saved that a church could be started somewhere that thousands could be reached with the gospel of Christ if I did do that but I'm not going to because X Y & Z and whatever comes out of your mouth I mean that's an excuse it's a murmuring it's a disputing and it might anger God and look I understand look the ministry is not for everybody the longer I'm in it the more true those words ring it's not for everybody but you know some people's excuses it's it's not because it's not for them it's just because they just don't want it they just don't feel like it some people are never gonna go knock a door preach the gospel to someone because they just think well you know it's just not for me that's not what I'm called to every single one of us is called to preach the gospel every single one of us is commanded to go and preach the gospel that's for everybody that's not some unique gift given to certain people that's for all of us and we can you know and we can say well I'm nervous every single one of us was nervous I still get nervous I've been preaching the gospel for a decade or more I still get nervous when I get up this pulpit sometimes now it's just like it's just stressed right people every guy came he was like man how do you stop being so nervous behind the pulpit what's the secret I gave him the same advice and I asked that question of Pastor Anderson do it about a thousand times just preach another you know seven eight hundred sermons and you'll get used to it but what well I can't preach I'm not gonna get up and preach a sermon friend I'm not gonna fill in the pulpit I'm not gonna go preach here preach here cuz I get I get nervous you ever think there's been a guy that's ever gotten a preacher sermon never been nervous once in his entire life every person that's gotten behind a pulpit has been nervous your most seasoned guys that preached are still at fried I'm willing well I would I'm not a betting man but because it's simple but if I was I would bet large money that every single one of them and still to this day from time to time gets nervous in certain situations eventually you just start making everybody else nervous but I mean I'm just saying these are all excuses I got a stuff people say they murmur they dispute and God's trying to work in them it's God that works and you both to do and and to will of his good pleasure and if we would let God use us he would if we would just take and stop with the excuses and stop saying well I don't have much doesn't matter give it anyway God would use us I like verse 17 he said most look at verse 16 he says holding forth the word of life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not rained run in vain neither labored in vain and he says in verse 17 yea and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I join rejoice with you all it's a powerful statement he said if it costs me everything for your faith my joy and I rejoice if I'm offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith if this runs me into the ground it's worth it is what he's saying if it costs me everything to serve God it's worth it because it's not in vain the labor that you labor for Christ is not in vain there is no service for God too small there's no service for God that is not worth it what we do matters the preaching that we do matters the souls that we reach with Christ it matters you know showing up and being encouragement to our brethren matters being a part of a local church matters big time encouraging your preacher encouraging your brother and sister in Christ matters and if it costs us something all the better you know I like what David said when he went and and built and bought the threshing floor to build the alt to sacrifice and have got a sacrifice of God you know the guy tried to give it to him and said you know you just take it you know you're the king just have it here's the instruments here's some oxen and he said no but I'll pay you exactly what it's worth I'm gonna get I'm gonna pay you for every single bit of it the fair market price because I don't want to offer up to God of that which cost me nothing I don't want to just cast in of my abundance folks I don't want to just you know give what's just easy to give that doesn't cost me anything and some people approach their Christian life like this they're willing to do what's easy they're willing to give of what doesn't really cost them anything what they're comfortable with but it just seems to me that when God really moves when God really starts to work is when people start having to actually make a sacrifice present their bodies a living sacrifice actually have to put something on the altar stretch themselves beyond measure a little bit stick their necks out and maybe take a risk and that's when God shows up maybe they have to give what little they have before God will do something great let's go ahead and close in a word of prayer dear Lord again thank you for the opportunity that we have in this ministry to serve you and or I pray that you would help us Lord to continue to serve you and that we would Lord be willing to give of what it takes to serve or of our time of our resources of all that we have in Christ's name amen all right well