Willing and able
7 March 2010 – Wayne Austin
Reading: Exodus 4:1-16
I have just come straight from taking part in a service at Arohata Women's Prison. The song we have just sung "This is my desire" was also sung there - it is almost an anthem of the prison - it has so much meaning for the women there and they sing it so beautifully with Maori and Polynesian harmonies. Ministry there is a real privilege and joy - the women are so receptive to the gospel. Other Christians have asked how we are able to be not judgmental with the women and to relate to them. We usually don't know what they have done, and they are people who need to be loved just as much as any of us. Most seem truly sorry for what they have done and want to change. One woman we got to know very well became an inspirational Christian, even leading worship in the services. Her face lit up the room with the joy of the Lord - it was that obvious. We did find out what she had done, and it wasn't very good at all, but didn't make any difference because Jesus loves her just as much as anyone of us. AND…………God can, and does use anyone and everyone who yields their life to him.
None of us are worthy. We may not have committed a crime. We may have always sought to do good, and we may be really good people. But even that is not enough (Refer Eph.2:8-9) - none of us are any more worthy of salvation than the worst criminal. Paul tells us in Rom.3:23 that we ALL have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. There is no distinction or scale of sin - whether people in prison, us in our comfortableness. We all need God's forgiveness, mercy, and grace.
Growing up as a child I learned all about my Bible heroes. They all seemed larger than life and perfect. They could seemingly do no wrong. But I discovered later on in life that all of those great characters of the Bible were just human with their own fallibilities and failings just like you and me - and like those women in Arohata Prison. Stephen was my big hero as a kid - not sure why - he just was. I now know he was one of 1st 7 Deacons appointed, so that has great significance for me now being ordained 2000 years later also as a Deacon. Mind you Stephen was stoned to death because some took exception to what he said. I am hoping that history doesn't repeat itself………
But the point is this - when we do yield to God and let him have his way with us, then he can really use us for the purpose he created us (Eph.2:10. But we have to yield our will to him. That is really difficult isn’t it? We just want to be in control.
We sang a little earlier the song “Take my life and let it be” I was delighted Robyn chose this song because it is one from my early church days. I wonder if you found that a challenge to sing? I always do. Listen to the words again…………
Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days; Let them flow in endless praise;
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my voice and let me sing, Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee;
Take my silver and my gold, Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee.
I find it is almost impossible to sing. It's taking all we have and are and offering that to God to use in HIS way - not ours. It means we won't be in control. It is that yielding that is so hard isn't it? We are so used to wanting to have control. But when we have control - God doesn't, which is a bit silly really. When we do let go and let God, we achieve so much more than we imagine is possible because then he can really work in and through us and do amazing things.
Rob and Kerri gave me permission to share a little story. About a month ago they led the music in our service here, and for me it was a most Spirit lead time of worship of God. I sent them and email saying this and thanking them, and I said “it was just like the Lakes of old”. They emailed back thanking me and asking what I meant by “like the Lakes of old”. As I thought more about that I said there was a lovely sense of nothing being forced and they were just being them. It is when we are being who we are meant to be, and not trying to be otherwise, that the Holy Spirit has more opportunity to minister to us and through us.
I had this revelation too about 5 years ago, when I discovered that something someone had said to me in my childhood had had a profound affect on how I lived my life for the next 40 years. It meant I was always striving to please others and be someone I wasn’t designed to be. When God revealed that to me a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I became a “new me" with a totally different outlook on life – a sense of release and freedom to be the person God designed me to be.
When we acknowledge who we are to God and to others, and don't try to be someone else, then God will step in and enable us and use us. And then as Paul said "we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us".
Moses was someone very human with failings and inadequacies. Listen to what happened when God asked told him he was the one God wanted to lead the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt to the promised land (Read Ex.4:1-16.)
Moses had murdered an Egyptian because the Egyptian was beating up an Israelite. What possible credibility would Moses have before the Egyptian Pharaoh or the Israelite people? Yet Moses has gone down in history as one of the great leaders of people…………… because time and again he did what God told him to do despite his failings. Sure, just like you and me, he questioned God many times, but at the end of the day HE WAS OBEDIENT TO GOD. Moses accepted who he was and didn’t try to be someone else. He came across so many difficulties and trials that he couldn't possibly overcome in his natural way, like crossing the Red Sea, yet despite his fallibility and feeling of inadequacy he is still acknowledged as a great leader.
How? The only possible way was that in openly acknowledging to God that feeling of inadequacy, he was yielding to God's control, and THEN and only then was God able to work through him in a mighty way. AND then God got the glory, and not Moses.
It was God's triumph to return the people of Israel to their home - not that of Moses. Moses didn't actually get to see the final outcome of his obedience. It was Joshua who had the privilege of finally leading them into the Promised Land.
It doesn't seem fair at times does it? Sometimes we seem to do the hard yards without seeing the result of our efforts. But I often wonder if that is maybe God's way of keeping us humble and showing us that really it is he who is in control and knows that real plan.
What does this all mean for us - as individuals - and as a church as we enter a crucial 3 weeks in the life of this church in Churton Park? Firstly in the future ministry consultation, and then 2 weeks later at our AGM to appoint leadership for the year ahead.
I believe it means this.
For us as individuals the Bible clearly tells us we are each members of the body of Christ - his church. Each one of us has a role to play. We just have to be us - whatever our gifts, our failings, any sense of inadequacy. As long as we are open and available for him to use us we will contribute to his mission for the church in our own unique way.
For us as a church body, we have an amazing opportunity next week for God to reveal through us each one of us, and to us as a church body, his plan for this church moving forward. But we must take part! God's revelation is unlikely to come in a blinding flash. We must seek him prayerfully this week, and then come together to share what we believe God is saying to his church. We will be facilitated in this process by experienced people, and it is a process to be looked forward to, and not feared. I consider it a privilege to be part of it these exciting times in our church.
We as individuals can't do everything. Sometimes we have to recognize that a particular task is not for us to do and we have to leave it to someone else - or accept that it maybe just isn't meant to get done at this particular time. God doesn't expect us to over-commit ourselves and be worn out. Remember that verse in Eph.2:10? God created us to do what he planned for us to do - NOT MORE!
I believe it is the same for us as a church. At this particular time we may not have all the resources to do what we would like to do. We have to be very careful that what we would like to do is in fact what God wants us to do. We may have to accept that God's timing for some things may mean delay - in his time - or doing things quite differently - or not at all.
Are we as a church ready to hear that? To be obedient to what we believe God says to us over these coming weeks? Or will we be determined to do it our way?
I sense a spirit in our church now of an openness to hearing what God is saying to us and being ready to move into whatever direction God is leading. That is exciting!!
I encourage you……..TO BE YOU…….the person God designed you to be and allow him to minister through you. To play your God designed part in this church going forward.
AND for us as a church to be what God wants us to be………missional………..
The Great Commandment – ends with loving your neighbour as yourself - mission
The Great Commission – say GO into the world and make disciples - mission
And with Great authority – Acts 1:8 - And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth – mission
Let's be open to how God wants us to play that out, even if it means a quite different approach. I pray we will be open to that if that is what God wants.
If we are willing, then I can promise you God is more that able.
Paul reminds us in Eph.3:20-21 - when we are willing, God is able to do far more abundantly that we can ever imagine.
