(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Well I'd like to begin this morning first of all of course by saying thank you to Pastor Brzezinski and Ms. Heide and of course the entire Brzezinski family. We appreciate your friendship and your hospitality and we've enjoyed the last couple of days being able to spend some time with you. We appreciate you giving us your time and of course I want to thank the whole Fast Baptist Church for being here. Thank you all of you for being here and congratulations on three years of ministry. Of course like Pastor Brzezinski said you spent a couple of years as a satellite of our church there in Sacramento so whenever I think of your anniversary it's always hard for me. I think of you guys being older because we had you for two years then you've been on your own for three years so you've really been here for five years and but three years of course as Hold Fast and I'm excited for the work that's being done here and I'm thankful for you. I appreciate your faithfulness and of course we love all of you very much and we are constantly thinking of you and praying for you and the work that's being done here. So thank you. Thank you for your steadfastness and thank you for holding fast to the things that have been committed unto you. Of course I have my entire family here with me today and I'm happy to have them with us unfortunately we're going to have to leave pretty much right after the morning service because we have to make it back to Sacramento for the evening service. They won't give me too much time off there and if I miss too much they'll fire me so I have to get back and preach there of course I'm sure you understand that but we look forward to talking to you and just fellowshipping for a few minutes after the service and we've been here for a couple of days we've really enjoyed our time. I also want to thank of course those of you that came from Sacramento I appreciate you being here for this weekend. All right we're there in James chapter number 4 and this morning I'd like to preach a sermon and before we get into the text let me just tell you what I'm preaching about and give you introductory statements here but I'd like to preach on the subject of how to be mightily used of God. How to be mightily used of God and let me just begin by saying this I am not preaching this sermon from a position of I'm being mightily used of God and let me show you how to do it. To me the reason I want to preach the sermon the reason I want to study this out in scripture and read about it and things of that nature is because I'm really preaching this from a position of I'd like to be mightily used of God and I'd like to know what the Bible says about how to be used of God and I'd like for us this morning to explore some of these thoughts together as we consider this idea of being used of the Lord and you know being here this weekend and of course being here in Fresno seeing the work that's being done here reminiscing about the history of this church and starting this church here in Fresno and of course thinking about other churches that we've had the privilege of starting in Vancouver and Idaho all the work being done of course in the Philippines there at the Verdi locations and it really reminds me that there is much still to do there's a lot of work to be done even now and we need to be reminded of this we're going to look here in James in a second but it reminds me of this verse in John 4 you have to turn here I'll just read this for you John 4 35 Jesus said say not ye therefore yet there are four months and then cometh the harvest behold I say unto you lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest and there really is much work that can be done and much work that needs to be done and we want to be used of the Lord to do his work not only in our lives but in this area here in Fresno for myself up in Sacramento and I'd like you to look down at James chapter 4 and if you look at verse number 6 the Bible says this but he giveth more grace wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud but he giveth grace unto the humble submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you I want you to look down at verse number 8 and I want you to notice this little statement these couple statements at the beginning of verse 8 and the Bible says this draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you and of course we're talking about this morning how to be mightily used of God but I want to begin by pointing out that the scripture tells us here that we are in control of how close we get to God God is available to all men God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and once people are saved God wants to walk with all men he wants to be close to all men but the Bible here tells us that our closeness to God our relationship to God our ability to draw close to God is not within the scope of God in the sense that he does not control that because God desires to be close to all people he desires to save all men and he desires to be close to all saved people but we have a decision as to how close we're going to get to God here we're told if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you now you're there in James chapter 4 I'd like you to flip back if you would to James chapter number 2 and let me just say this not only does scripture tell us that we are in control of our closeness to God if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us but scripture also tells us that God is not a respecter of persons here in James 2 9 we are told this but if you have respect to persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors so here we're told look having respect of persons is a sin and the phrase the term respect of persons respect to persons is the idea that you're going to give more respect or more admiration more honor to one individual versus another simply just because of who they are and the Bible tells us that that's a sin here we're told but if you have respect to persons ye commit sin in Romans chapter 2 and verse 11 again you have to turn there the Bible says for there is no respect of persons with God now I want to begin with these thoughts because when we put these thoughts together we can understand something first of all is that our closeness to God is not dependent on God because God is willing and God wants all of us to draw close to him but our closeness to God is dependent on us we must make the decision to draw nigh to God and when we draw nigh to God the Bible promises that he will draw nigh to us and then James also tells us that respect of persons is a sin and God does not sin there is no respect of persons with God why am I bringing that up I'm bringing that up to say this God does not choose any one individual and say well I'm just going to like this person more I'm just going to respect this person more I'm just going to use this person more anyone who has ever been used of God has the same ability to be used as any other person I mean have you ever wondered why it is that God uses some people it seems like more than others I mean think about the Bible in the Bible we have many biblical characters but there are definitely some heavy hitters you think of men like Moses men like David men like Elijah men like the Apostle Paul and you have to wonder these men were mightily used of God they were powerfully used in the service of the Lord and you wonder why is it that God maybe uses some men more than others some women more than other if you think of preachers of yesteryear men like Jack Hiles or Curtis Hudson or John R. Rice you wonder why is it that God sometimes it seems like he uses some men more than others and what I would say to that is this that God is no respecter of persons and that God wants to use you and God wants to use me as much as he want to use Moses and Elijah and the Apostle Paul if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us and what I'd like to look at this morning is just some principles that maybe we can adopt in our life to help us get closer to God and to help us be mightily used of the Lord now you're there in James chapter 2 flip back to James chapter 4 if you would and then do me a favor put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there in James because we're going to leave it and we're going to come back to it and I'd like for you to be able to get to it quickly make sure you keep your place there in James 4 and what I'd like to do this morning is give you as quickly as I can seven thoughts seven principles in regards to how to be mightily used of God and maybe you can jot these down of course I notice there in your bullets on the back there's a place you write down some notes and maybe you can write these things down number one if we need to if we want to be mightily used of God we must first be fully surrendered to God in James chapter 4 and verse 7 I'd like you to notice what the Bible says here it says submit submit yourselves therefore to God so the word submit means to yield it means to succumb to it means to relent it really means to fly that white flag of surrender and to just say okay you're in charge here James tells us submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you and I would say that this is the first step if we'd like to be used of the Lord if we'd like to be used of God we must fully surrender to the Lord and I'd like you to keep your place there in James we're going to come back to it but go with me if you would to the book of Matthew Matthew chapter 22 first book in the New Testament Matthew 22 we're also going to come back to Matthew throughout the sermon so if you don't mind keeping your place in Matthew as well I'd like you to keep your place in James and Matthew and we're going to go back and forth between those two parts of the Bible this morning the book of James and the book of Matthew notice Matthew 22 and look at verse 36 Matthew 22 and verse number 36 the Bible says this master which is the great command which is the great commandment in the law this is a question that Jesus is being asked and notice his response in verse 37 Jesus said unto him I want you to notice the response and this is taught all throughout the scripture the Old Testament the New Testament he says this is the great commandment this is what God expects of all men if you want to know what does God want from me what does God expect from me what is the will of God for my life it is right here actually Matthew 22 verse 37 Jesus said unto him thou shalt love the Lord thy God now he wants us to love God but then he tells us how it is that he wants us to love God he says thou shalt love the Lord thy God he says with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind in other portions there is it said in different ways the same thought it says with all thy might and the idea is this that we are to love God with everything we have if you're giving him all your heart and all your soul and all your mind you're giving God everything and the idea is this that God desires for us to be fully surrendered unto him he desires for us to submit to him to yield unto him and to say we are giving ourselves completely to the Lord someone said once they said this the world has yet to see what God can do with a man or with a woman that is fully surrendered unto him and you know when I look at a room like this and I see all the young people in this room and I see all these kids that are sitting here I wonder what if one of these young people just decided to make some sort of a crazy decision and they decided to say I'm going to give myself completely to God I'm going to give my entire life unto the Lord I'm going to let the Lord control every aspect of my life every decision that I make I'm going to yield myself to God I mean imagine what they could do imagine what could be done even in this room with these young people and with the not so young people here as well if we were to decide I want to fully surrender myself to the Lord this is something that is found like I said all throughout scripture it's something that is taught all throughout the Bible this is what the apostle Paul was talking about when he said to the church at Rome he said I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice he said a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service this idea that we must be fully surrendered to God now here's the thing I can stand up here like a preacher and sometimes we preachers we use spiritual talk and biblical talk and there's nothing wrong with that but you might think well what does that mean or you might say yes I agree we should be fully surrendered to God living sacrifice give ourselves to God what does that actually look like in a daily basis what does that actually look like in our lives and I think this is what the Bible is talking about in the book of Proverbs in Proverbs the Bible says trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding and then it says this in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct the paths see when we talk about being fully surrendered to God giving ourselves to the Lord allowing him to take control of our lives Romans talks about yielding our members unto righteousness giving our bodies as a living sacrifice what does that actually mean what does that actually look like and I will submit to you today that what that looks like is this acknowledging him in all your ways every day every day of your life every moment of your life every decision that must be made every choice every time you open your mouth every time you write something think something say something communicate something decide something go somewhere do anything are we acknowledging the Lord the Bible says that the ungodly don't think of God that their thoughts are never on the Lord but I wonder how many of us as Christians will maybe think of the Lord in the mornings and we might do a little devotional and spend a little bit of time in the word of God and I'm not minimizing that I think that's needed but then we close our Bibles and we go on our day and we do not acknowledge the Lord every day see what does it mean to be fully surrendered what does it mean to give ourselves completely to God what I think it means on a practical level is this in all my ways acknowledge him and he shall direct my paths see when we acknowledge the Lord and we say okay Lord today's yours the decisions I need to make today the things I need to do today I'd like to acknowledge you in that I'd like to do that which is glorifying to you I'd like to do that which is pleasing to you I'm gonna let you decide I'm gonna yield my will to you and then the Bible says that he will direct our paths and what we mean when we say fully surrendered it means that we give our bodies a living sacrifice to allow God to live through us and again this is what Paul was saying when he said I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me so I think if we want to be mightily used of God and I hope you do I know I do then we have to make a decision to say we need to fully surrender in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths but then I'd like to give you a second thought this morning you're there in James and if you would go with me to second Peter if you go past James you go first Peter and then second Peter second Peter chapter number one not only must we be fully surrendered and what does that mean it means that we acknowledge him in all thy ways acknowledge him and we allow him to live through us so that the life that I now live I'm not living for myself but it is Christ living through me but I think there's a second thing that we must do we want to be mightily used of God not only must we be fully surrendered but we must also focus on scripture the Bible says here in second Peter one and verse 17 for he received from God the Father honor and glory when there came such a voice as is Peter speaking and he's speaking about an event that happened that Peter experienced with the Lord Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration and Peter is telling us that he Jesus received from God the Father honor and glory so God the Father gave honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Bible documents for us that there were two times in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ that God the Father audibly spoke about the son and he said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. The first time it happened was at the baptism of Christ the Bible says that lo the heavens were open and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and the Bible tells us and Peter is reminding us that that also happened at the Mount of Transfiguration when they went up to that mountain and Jesus was transfigured from his physical flesh into his glorified body and they got to see him in his glory they saw him and remember Moses was there and Elijah was there and Peter trying to be helpful but putting his foot in his mouth says should we make three tabernacles should we set up three tents one for Jesus and one for Elijah and one for Moses and what Peter was doing maybe without even realizing was putting Jesus and Moses and Elijah on the same level and saying we want to do for Jesus the same as we want to do for Moses and Elijah and God the Father in a rebuke to Peter then opens his mouth and speaks audibly and says and he says wait a minute this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Peter is recounting that and he says that God the Father gave honor and glory to Jesus by saying that look at verse 18 and this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mountain now Peter is telling us a story that physically literally happened he literally physically heard a voice from heaven saying about Jesus this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and then Peter makes this amazing statement in verse 19 he says we have also a more sure word of prophecy I think that's amazing because what he's referring to is the fact that we have the word of God and I'm here to tell you this morning and I know you know that this King James Bible that I hold in my hand is the inspired and inerrant it is the perfect the flawless word of God and here's what Peter is saying. Peter is saying I heard a voice from heaven he said I literally the voice of God the Father saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased but then he points at scripture written scripture and he says this is an even more sure word of prophecy than even that and what he's saying is this he's saying this is more sure than the physical voice that I heard on the Mount of Transfiguration. Now Peter really did hear the voice of God on the Mount of Transfiguration but I think this is a good verse for us to know and to be reminded because today there's a whole lot of Pentecostals and Charismatics out there who try to tell us that they hear the voice of God and they're not hearing the voice of God if they're hearing a voice it's not God I'm telling you that now and what we can say to them is hey this is a more sure word of prophecy than whatever you heard or whatever experience you had. Peter actually heard the voice of God the Father and he said this is a more sure word of prophecy aren't you thankful you have a more sure word of prophecy aren't you thankful that we can receive the word as it is in truth the word of God we don't have to sit here and doubt and wonder and think is this what God really said is this what God really meant is this what God really wants me to do I can have all authority in the word of God and know what it says is truth what it says is the word of God you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free it is the more sure word of prophecy but let me tell you something I believe in the King James Bible I believe the King James Bible is inerrant I believe it's inspired I believe it's the word of God I believe it's without error I believe all of those things but do you know that the more sure word of prophecy cannot help you if you don't do anything with it look at verse 19 we have also a more sure word of prophecy and then he says this where unto ye do well that ye take heed and he says look we have a more sure word of prophecy but you need to take heed to it inside in fact you would do well to take heed what does it mean to take heed it means to pay attention what does it mean to take heed it means to consider carefully what does it mean to take heed here's what it means it means it does nothing for you to stand there with a Bible in your hand and say this is the word of God this is inspired this is inerrant this is God's will this is everything this is all truth that I'll never need but I'm not gonna read it but I'm not gonna know what it says but I'm not going to apply it to my life see the truth is this that the Bible cannot help you if you don't get in the Word of God and know the Word of God and look if we're going to be people that are mightily used of God we're going to have to focus on the Scriptures you're there in 2nd Peter 1 go backwards if you would with me to the book of 2nd Timothy 2nd Peter from 2nd Peter 2nd Timothy you'll go past 1st Peter James Hebrews Philemon Titus the 2nd Timothy 2nd Timothy chapter 2 today people think we need a political revolution in this country or we need an economic revolution in this country and I'm here to tell you know what we need we need a revolution back to the Bible we need to get back to the Word of God and we can't expect the world to get back to the Word of God if God's people won't get back to the Word of God we must become people of the book we must become people who love the Bible and read the Bible and know the Bible and study the Bible and learn the Bible and memorize the Bible and practice the Bible if we're going to be used of the Lord we have to focus on the Bible notice 2nd Timothy 2 look at verse 15 the Bible says this study study study I don't know like that word you got it you got a bad connotation in your mind from from school and college and study is not a word that we like but the Bible says study to show thyself approve them to God now look at these words a workman a workman you say I'd like to be used of God okay well then you would be a workman you would be someone that God would put to work and the Bible says here study to show thyself approve them to God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of truth and I'm here to tell you if you and I are going to be used of the Lord if you're going to be used of God and you might say well I'm not a preacher I'm not a pastor do I need to be used of God used to be used of God in whatever area of life that God has you in if you are a husband you should you should have a desire to say I want to be a husband that's mightily used if you're a wife you should want to say I want to be a wife that is mightily used of the Lord if you're a father or a mother raising children then you should want to say I want God to use me as I raise my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord you say well I'm not a pastor are you a soul winner I'm not a pastor are you serving the Lord in some capacity I'm not a pastor are you a Christian then you ought to work for God we should all be in the ministry we should all be focused on serving the Lord and if you're going to do that then you must study to show thyself approve them to God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of truth here's all I'm telling you is if we want to be used of God we must be fully surrendered to the will of God we must in all our ways acknowledge him and if we want to be used of God and we must focus on scripture we must make it the focus of our lives we must become people of the book we must become people who don't just get up in the morning and read the Bible so we can check it off some chart somewhere if we even do that we must be people who actually love the Bible actually know the Bible who meditate on the Bible Joshua said this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein all the days of thy life book of Proverbs tells us the book of Psalms excuse me tells us that we should meditate but his delight shall be in the law of the Lord and in his law that he meditate day and night we must allow the Bible to guide us Psalm 119 105 says this you have to turn there it says thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path if we're gonna be God if we want to be use of God then we must fully surrender with us focus on scripture we must make this our daily meditation we must think about it every day and by the way if you're thinking about the Bible every day if you're thinking about the Bible all day if it doesn't depart your mouth what does that mean it means you're constantly talking about it it means you're constantly communicating it it means as you're going down the road with your children as you're going through life and and you're talking to people and they're talking to you and I'm not talking about having this holier-than-thou attitude they should be something that's constantly you know the Bible says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and as Christians we should be people who are constantly referring to the Word of God and talking about the whatever somebody says something to us and we should say well that reminds me of the Bible and that reminds me where the Word of God says this and again I'm not talking about this holier-than-thou proud pharisaical attitude it should just be something that is in our heart and it comes out of our mouths Peter said we can but only speak the things which we have seen and heard and as we allow the Bible to be something that we meditate on all the days of our life every day of our life then that will help us I think to acknowledge him in all our paths to allow the Bible to guide us wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word so we must be rendered we must be focused on scripture let me give you a third thought if you would go back to James James chapter 5 not only must be fully surrendered not only must we focus on scripture but I would say third this morning if we'd like to be mightily use of God we must be fervent in prayer James chapter 5 in verse 16 says this confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed and I want you to just notice this little phrase at the end of verse 16 the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much the Bible says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much and and and and that's a beautiful statement I think we would all say that's a beautifully worded statement our King James Bible but let's make sure we understand what's being here the word effectual is defined as successful in producing a desired or intended result the word that we would probably use we don't use the word effectual too much in our modern vernacular but the way that we would probably say it is this effective when we say this individual is effective what do we mean we mean that they're good at what they're doing they are successful in producing in that specific arena and they're effective at their job where they're effective at soul winning or they're effective at whatever it might be and here the Bible is using that term about prayer the effectual prayer the effective prayer and I wonder how many Christians would say my prayer life is effective my prayers are successful in producing a desired result but the Bible says here that that's possible the effectual then it says this fervent the word fervent is defined as having or displaying a passion or intensity and again I would ask I wonder how many of us could describe our prayer life as fervent I mean it's prayer something you get excited about it's prayer something I get excited about is prayer something that we get now I think that we would get more excited about prayer if our prayers were more effective if we thought that God was going to actually and hear our prayers and answer our prayers we might get more excited about prayer but here the Bible says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man then it says this availeth the word availeth means to help or to give an advantage it says availeth much and then in verse 17 we have this idea again of some people are better at this than others some people are more mightily used of God but it's not because they're better people notice verse 17 Elias Elijah spelling of the name Elijah in the Old Testament Elijah the Prophet Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are that mean here's what it means Elijah was a normal man just like anyone else Elijah was a normal man just like you and I Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are but notice it says and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months I mean the Bible is telling us here that if you go back to that story of Elijah and Ahab and the famine and the drug that that was a result of Elijah's prayer that was not just something well God was going to do it anyway no the Bible says that God did it because Elijah asked for it Elijah got on his knees and said Lord this nation needs to be humble Lord this nation is too proud and too arrogant their economy is too good you need to destroy their economy and Elijah a preacher a man of God he didn't get on his knees and pray Lord please let Trump become the president of the economy gets better he got on his knees and said Lord please let Kamala Harris become the president and destroy the economy you say why some of you would get safe so you can stand him out and say why stand ye between two opinions so you can stand up and say give yourself to God surrounding yourself to God save God Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained out on the earth by the space of three years and six months and he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth the fruit and I'm not I don't want Kamala Harris to be president for the record I'm not as but I want you to notice that the Bible says here that he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rain not and then in verse 18 and he prayed again and the heavens gave rain and I'm here to tell you something and I think that one of the reasons that we as Christians and many of us in Christianity are not being used of God is because we're not fervent in prayer John R Rice said it this way he said all our problems are prayer problems and the truth is that we don't pray because we really don't believe in it I'm not saying that we don't believe in it I think if you were to ask somebody do you believe in prayer to believe that God hears your prayers to believe that God is a person and in a theological sense we would all say yes but our actions prove that we're not praying because we really don't think they're effective notice James chapter 4 you're there in James 5 just flip over to James chapter 4 look at verse 2 before in verse 2 the Bible says you lost and have not you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain you fight in war and I want you to notice this phrase the Holy Scriptures say this yet you have not because you ask not and you know I think that too many of us have too much of a Calvinist attitude towards prayer we just say well if God is gonna do it he's gonna do it and if he's not gonna do it he's not gonna do it kiss it I said ah whatever will be will be and we have this attitude that says it doesn't matter if I pray about it doesn't matter if I ask about it doesn't matter if I asked about it it doesn't matter what I do God's just gonna do whatever he wants to do but I'm here to tell you the Bible says you have not because you ask not you ask and receive not because you ask a miss that you may consume it upon your loss go back to Matthew if you wouldn't Matthew chapter 7 look at verse 7 Matthew chapter 7 and verse 7 here's what the Bible says here's what Jesus said Matthew 7 7 ask and it shall given you and it will give you and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you for everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and him that knocketh it shall be open and I think a lot of people they don't understand that God is waiting God is often waiting for us to ask you have not because you asked not we need to ask and we need to seek and we need to know and when we ask it shall be given unto you and oftentimes people want me as a pastor to explain to them why is it why is it that God makes us ask it and there's things he wants to give us that he would give us but he won't give it if we don't ask him and and and how does that work and to be honest with you at some point I'm gonna have to sit down and try to create some verbiage around this to try to communicate it better I don't know that I have the language or the communication skills at this point in my life to be able to communicate to you why that is but what I can tell you is this I can't put it into words I can't explain the reason behind it I can't explain the the the philosophy behind it but I know this and and and I'll try to just give you this as an illustration as a pastor I have three full-time staff guys that work for me as a father I've got six children that the Lord has blessed my wife and I with and I can't really explain it I can't put the words around it maybe somebody who's smarter a better communicator could hear this and and create the dialogue to explain what I'm about to explain but I can tell you this that there are often times in our church and in our ministry where I'm watching one of my employees work on something and do something or I know they're working on something and I know that they're struggling and it's not going how they plan and and and I've got a thought and I've got an idea and I've got this concept that I I know I'm thinking myself I know what you're missing and I know what you need but it just kind of bothers me that they won't ask and I kind of have this thought and I'm not saying that I'm God or I'm like God but I think that maybe this is how God feels sometimes it just kind of bothers me why don't you just ask why don't you just humble yourself a little bit and say hey pastor hey boss I'm messing up here and I just think that maybe that's how God looks down at us and he's looking at a struggle and he's looking at us work and we're trying to work and we're trying to do it and we're trying and God's up there say you know if you just humble yourself and ask I could help you I would open that door I would give you that blessing I would show that favor I would change I would change the outcome but you have not because you ask not and sometimes isn't it true sometimes as parents we kind of let our kids fade some area and we think well you should have asked I've been here the whole time I I'm available I can leverage my resources I can leverage my experience I can leverage my knowledge to try to help you and what I'm telling you is that we need to stop trying to do life on our own we need to humble ourselves and get back to the Word of God and get back to prayer how many blessings have we forfeited because we won't ask because we won't seek because we won't knock Jesus said everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened unto him go back to James chapter 4 if you would let me give you a fourth thought and we kind of already touched on this but let me just give it to you officially we're talking about how to mightily be use of God I believe that we're going to be mightily use of God we must be fully surrendered in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct path we must focus on scripture thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path we must be fervent in prayer you have not because she asked not but let me just say this number four if we want to be mightily use of God we must have a foundation of humility foundation of humility James chapter 4 and verse 6 notice what the Bible says but he giveth more grace wherefore he saith look at this wherefore he saith and this is a quote from Proverbs God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble you know the Bible literally teaches that a way to get God to be against you and against me is to allow ourselves to be filled with pride in fact the minute that we are in pride the Bible says that God resisted the problem I don't know about you but I don't want God resisting me I want God helping me I don't want God resisting me I want God pushing me along helping me along the way I want to open those doors I want to answer those prayers but when we allow pride in our life the Bible says God resisted the proud go to 1st Peter if you would 1st Peter chapter 5 if you're there in James or just flip over to 1st Peter chapter 5 and look at verse number 5 1st Peter chapter 5 and verse 5 the Bible says likewise you younger submit yourselves unto the elder yea all of you be subject one to another and then notice these words and be clothed with humility be clothed with humility I like the wording here be clothed with the humility because I feel like what this tells us is humility is not something you're born with people get well I'm just I'm just not like that I'm just not that type of person well then become that type of person because here he says humility is something you put on like a garment I wasn't born with this coat on I just put it on and I wasn't born humble and neither were you but we can choose to be clothed with humility and be clothed with humility why would I want to do that here's why for God resisted the proud and giveth grace to the humble and then in verse 6 we find one of these spiritual laws in the Bible you know that in the Bible in the same way that God has placed laws of nature that are neither moral or immoral they just are you don't understand I'm saying gravity gravity is neither good or bad it just is now depending how you use it it could be very good or it could be very bad but it's just a law of the universe that God put in place well there are spiritual laws of the universe that God has put into place for example the Bible says that we reap what we sow that's a law of the universe and that's neither good or bad it could work in your favor it could work against your favor if you sow good things you'll reap good things if you sow evil things you'll reap evil things well here is a spiritual law of the universe humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God notice these words that he may exalt you in due time and what the Bible teaches is this that God the way the way to go up is to go down that when you and I humble ourselves then God exalts us and the opposite is true when you and I exalt ourselves God humbles us did you keep your place in Matthew back to Matthew look in Matthew 23 Matthew chapter 23 look at verse 11 Matthew 23 verse 11 but he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant Matthew 23 verse 12 and whosoever shall exalt himself shall be a vase and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted this is what the Bible teaches and look I think that if you and I want to be used of God then we need to have a foundation of humility in lives because if God is going to use us I think the problem is that oftentimes God can't use us because we're just too much in the way it's too much about us and if God is going to use us then we're going to have to get out of the way here's how John the Baptist said it he said he must increase but I must decrease and the idea is this that God can't use proud people God can't use arrogant people God can't use people that are too much about themselves promoting themselves exalting themselves God is looking for people that are humble and and this should be something that is a blessing to us and it should be something that encourages us that God is not looking for big shots maybe you're hearing you say well I don't I don't have I don't have those skills and I don't have that ability sometimes I look at other people I think man there is an impressive individual look at that person there is someone that is impressive and they're smart and they're talented and they're good-looking God would really want to use somebody like that but listen to me God isn't looking for people that are impressive God told Samuel when he went to anoint the next king of Israel he said look not on the outward appearance I don't care how impressive they are on the exterior he said I'm looking for a David who has a head after God you know what Paul said Paul said that they said about him his bodily presence is weak and his speech is contemptible Paul said they look at me and they say this is it this is the great apostle Paul when we read his letters his writings he's mighty but his bodily presence is weak and sometimes in life we might go through times and situations where we feel weak and we feel like God what are you gonna do with this but I'm here to tell you that God can take even five loaves and two fishes and multiply it until a beautiful banquet because he's not looking for people that are impressive he's looking for people that are willing to get out of the way and that are willing to say he must increase and I must decrease so we must be fully surrendered we must be focused on scripture we must be fervent in prayer we must have a foundation of humility but let me give you the fifth one you're there in Matthew if you would go to Matthew chapter 6 and let me just say this we must forsake covetousness forsake covetousness Matthew 6 and verse 24 here's what the Bible says here's what Jesus said no man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other now up to that point that makes perfect sense and Jesus saying you can't serve two masters you can't serve two kings you're gonna either love one hate the other or hold to the one who despise the other and then he says this he says you cannot serve God and you cannot serve God and and if I was gonna write the Bible or if you're gonna write the Bible I think what we would say is you cannot serve God and the devil that's probably how we would say it or if you're really spiritual you might say well you cannot serve God and yourself now those things are true but what Jesus says he says you cannot serve God and mammon now the word mammon is just an older word that talks about material possessions the things of this world and here's what God says here's what Jesus said you cannot serve God and money you cannot serve God and the things that money buys you you cannot serve God and material wealth these two are at odds with each other now when we understand that it helps us in Hebrews 13 could you go to Hebrews 13 if you kept your place in James right before James you have the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 13 and look at verse number five Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 5 because in Hebrews 13 and verse 5 he talks about okay covetousness is bad you cannot serve God and mammon so how do I combat that here's how you combat it Hebrews 13 5 let your conversation or conversation is an older word means lifestyle or way of being let your conversation be without covetousness let your lifestyle be without covetousness look at it and be content with such things as you have now look there's nothing wrong with having nice things there's nothing wrong with having money God blesses you with nice things and God blesses you with money praise the Lord for it use it for his glory use it for his kingdom nothing wrong with having things just make sure those things don't have you nothing wrong with having money just make sure money doesn't have you let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have say how do I fight covetousness learn to be happy with what you have learn to be happy with what God has blessed you with and you might find that when you're happy with what God has blessed you with and when you say I don't need anything else all I need is gone the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want then God might actually bless you with more things if he knows that you won't make a god or an idol out of them here's what I think is interesting he says let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have for he has said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee and I would often when I would read this first I would think to myself what does one have to do with the other I get this let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have and I would think again if I was writing the Bible aren't you thankful I didn't write the Bible but if I was writing the Bible I think I would put a period there and then I would say next verse different subject we're shifting gears he had said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee what does I will never leave thee nor forsake thee have to do with be content with such things as you have but the truth is this they are connected because you cannot serve God and mammon so to be content with such things as you have we must remember that he will never leave me nor forsake me and we need to get to the place where we say all I need is God all I want is God all I want is to serve God and whatever God wants to bless me with and give me on top of that it's neither here nor there like job we would be able to say Lord giveth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord so we must forsake covetousness why must we forsake covetousness well first of all because of the fact that you cannot serve God in mammon you cannot be fully devoted look you cannot be fully devoted to God while you're chasing things but the second reason is this because you might say well I don't care about that I don't want to serve God anyway so I can go ahead and chase things but here's what you need to understand as well not only can you not serve God while you're chasing after money and possessions but also chasing after money and possessions is going to destroy your life it will destroy you this is why Paul said but godliness with contentment is great game so we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and Raymond let us be there with content but they that will be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lust which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil which was some covenant after they have heard from the faith and I'm here to tell you that you're not going to make it in the Christian life you're not going to be here three years from now you're not going to be here ten years from now you're not going to be living for God if you make your life about things so why not just learn to be content with such things as you have why not just decide I'm going to stop come out the house I live in car I drive the clothes I wear the job I have I'm going to look at everything that I have is a gift from our Heavenly Father because every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of light and if God has given you a good job if God has given you a nice house if God has given you a nice car if God has given you nice clothes if God is blessed with those things then be thankful to God but always remember they came from God and God can take them away at any moment and let's live our lives in such a way that we hold the things of this world loosely and we say God it's yours it's for you to do what you want with it I just think I just think that if we want to be mightily use of God we're going to have to get used to finding our contentment in God and not in things and you might find when you get there that God now begins to trust you with some nice things because you'll realize I can give this person I can give this person this house I can give this person this car I can give this person this money I can give this person these things and they're not going to turn it into an idol see the problem is not in the money the problem is the love of money no money nothing wrong with money at all money can send missionaries across the world money can plant churches like whole fast Baptist Church in Fresno obviously I'm not saying it's just money but money can help us along that path let's make sure we don't love money so we must be fully surrendered focus on scripture fervent and prayer foundation of humility forsake covetousness let me say quickly I've got two more and I'd like to move through these quickly go to Matthew chapter 9 if you would if you kept your place in Matthew Matthew chapter 9 we must be faithful and soul winning faithful and soul winning I I enjoyed going out soul winning yesterday morning with brother Jeff and then in the afternoon with the guys and I'm thankful to hear there's 1920 salvation's praise the Lord for that we must realize that if we want to be used of God if we want to be used of God then we need to get in the business that God's in God is in the business of winning souls God is in the business of of discipling converts God is in the business of what we're going to see this afternoon baptizing new believers God is in the business of the Great Commission Matthew 9 36 but when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no Shepherd then sayeth he unto disciples the harvest truly is plenteous but the labors are few let me tell you something God is not in the real estate business he's not in the stock market business he's not in in in in whatever business those this world has and there's nothing wrong with that I believe that God can bless you in all sorts of business and that God wants to bless you and all sorts of business but you know better be about our father's business and we better make sure that his last commission is our first priority and that guess like I hope God blesses you in real estate I hope God blesses you in the stock market I hope God blesses you and in in commodities and I hope God blesses you and whatever it is that you're doing to earn money in the secular world but I also hope that you like we talked about for seeking coverage business realize that that is a tool that God has placed in your hand to give you the means so you can go spend Saturday out soul winning spend some money on vacations but spend some money on missions to spend some money on on nice things nothing wrong with it but make sure you're tithing and being faithful with your finances to the house of God we need to realize that the harvest truly is plenty is but the labors are few look at verse 38 Matthew 9 38 I think this is interesting one time Jesus gives us a prayer request he says pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labors into his harvest Matthew 21 if you would look at verse 28 real quickly I got to finish up Matthew 21 28 but what think ye a certain man have two sons and he came to the first and said son go work today in my vineyard and those are all purple here I'm not going to get into it but I want to say this God the Father is looking down at each one of his sons and each one of his daughters and he's saying this to all of us he's looking at you if you're here this morning and you're safe and you're a Christian God is looking at you and he is saying son go work today in my vineyard he wants you to be busy about his work I love it when Jesus said I must be about my father's business so we must be faithful in soul winning and then let me give you the last one and we'll finish up go to 2nd Timothy chapter 2 if you kept your place in James if you go backwards you go past Hebrews Philemon Titus 2nd Timothy 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and it is this to be mightily use of God we must be fully surrendered we must be focused on scripture we must be fervent in prayer we must have a foundation of humility we must forsake righteousness we must be faithful in soul winning and then lastly we must be filled with the Spirit but you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you Ephesians 5 18 says and be not drunk with wine where in his excess but be filled with the Spirit of God there's much that could be said about the filling of the Holy Spirit now I'm not going to take the time to go through that but I am going to say this in order for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit we must be a vessel that we hold up to God and we say Lord here is a vessel that is available here is a vessel that is empty of self here is a vessel that is clean will you please fill it are you there in 2nd Timothy 2 look at verse 20 2nd Timothy 2 and verse 20 but in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and of earth see some people are more used of God than others God looks at his great house and he looks at some vessels and he says those are gold and silver he looks at other vessels and he says they're wood and earth some to honor and some to dishonor if a man therefore purges himself you say well how I want to be a vessel of gold I want to be a vessel of honor I don't want to be a vessel of wood I don't want to be a vessel of disorder how do I get God to use me well remember when we began draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to you the decision is ours we get to decide whether God will use us because God wants to use you God wants to use you the decision is already made he wants to use you mightily then how can we be used verse 21 if a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified and meet what meet means suitable look at it for the Masters use is that what we're talking about how to be mightily used of God meet for the Masters used and prepared unto every good work we've got to be a vessel that says I'm not much but I'll give it to you it's not much but you can have it it's available I'll empty it of self and I'll clean it and I'll make it meet for the Masters use and if we draw nigh to God he'll draw nigh to us and here's what I believe I believe that God wants to use you and he wants to use me he wants to use holdfast Baptist Church and he wants to use Verity Baptist Church as much as he's ever wanted to use anyone else he's no respecter of persons but maybe we need to work on being fully surrendered we need to make sure we're focused on scripture we need to make sure we're fervent in prayer we need to maintain that foundation of humility and forsake covetousness we have to be faithful in our soul winning and make ourselves available to be filled with the spirit of God and then maybe God will use us too.