God Uses Weak People

Introduction:

Kyle Maynard was born March 24, 1986 with a condition known as congenital amputation that has left him with arms that end at the elbows and legs that end near his knees. His story begins as an 11-year-old that wanted to wrestle and a coach that gave him an opportunity to try. After losing every single match his first and second year, Maynard, with his iron will and a coach with a heart of gold became a very successful varsity wrestler on one of the best teams in the Southeast. In spite of his limitations, Maynard found a way to win 36 varsity matches his senior year, while defeating several state place finishers and state champions during his final season.

But Maynard's accomplishments extend far beyond the wrestling mat. With basically two elbows he can type up to fifty words per minute, eat and write without any adaptations, and drive a vehicle that has little modification. Maynard began weight training as a youngster and with leather straps and chains attached to his arms he lifted over 400 lbs. In November 2003, he attained the unofficial title of the World's Strongest Teen at the GNC Show-of-Strength by butterfly pressing 23 repetitions of 240 lbs. In 2005, he set the World Record in the modified bench press at the Arnold Fitness Classic with the bench of 360 lbs. In February of 2009 he successfully benched 420 lbs.

Maynard is the 2004 ESPY Award Winner (Best Athlete with a Disability), and was included in ESPN The Magazine, ESPN 100 - the single list that ranks the top 100 sports personalities, moments, trends, games and stories that mattered in 2004. He is the recipient of the 2004 Presidents Award for the Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. One year later, Maynard was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame with the Medal of Courage. In 2007, he was elected by the U.S. Jaycees as one of the Top Ten Outstanding Young Americans. In 2008, Maynard received the Highest Recognition Award of the Secretary of Health and Human Services because of his efforts as a life role model, motivational speaker and humanitarian.

Maynard is a Level 1 Certified Fitness Instructor and has always had a passion for helping people reach their fitness goals. In 2008, Maynard saw one of his most fervent dreams become a reality when he built his first fitness center where he endeavors to motivate people to better their lives on a daily basis. He also wrote the book entitled “No Excuses” to encourage and inspire others to allow God to use them in spite of their weaknesses, handicaps, and struggles in life. On April 25th of 2009, Kyle became the first quadruple amputee to step into the cage and compete as an amateur no-holds-barred fighter.

Questions:

Do you ever wonder if God can use you in spite of your weaknesses? Do you sometimes feel that you are worthless and you are not able to do something great because you have too many failures, problems, and struggles? Have you ever doubted your true potential and believed that you will never amount to anything good?

All of us have handicaps. Whether emotionally, spiritually, financially, or physically, our handicaps, weaknesses, wounds, problems, and pains are there for a reason --- but it does not mean that God cannot use us anymore. In fact, God is in the business of using weak, broken, imperfect, wounded, struggling, and make us into people who can do great things.

Message Title: God Uses Weak People

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:26-30 NIV

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

Do you ever wonder if God can use you in spite of your weaknesses? Well, I have good news for you. If you have weaknesses, God will use you. God chooses to use the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chooses to use the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

The point of the Christian life is not what I can do for God; the point of the Christian life is what God can do in and through me. It does not matter how weak or limited or imperfect you are… what matters is who is using you, holding you, and empowering you…

When I hold a basketball in my hands, it’s merely a basketball, but when you place that same basketball in the hands of Michael Jordan, it turns into professional championships. Put a golf club in any of our hands, and it’s merely a golf club, but when you place that same golf club in the hands of Tiger Woods, it turns him into the best golfer in the world. A paintbrush in my hands might result in a pretty good picture if it’s paint by numbers, but when a paintbrush was placed in the hands of Picasso or Van Gogh, it turned into incredible works of art. A gun placed in the hands of a hunter is a tool used for sport or obtaining food, but when placed in the hands of a terrorist, that same gun becomes a weapon of destruction. How is it that the same instruments and the same tools can bring about such differing degrees of results? Quite simply, it depends upon who is holding them and how they’re being used.