People God Can Use

MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

(Powerpoints used with this message are available for free. Just email me at mnewland@sstelco.com and request #396.)

SCRIPTURE TEXTS: Ephesians 4:1-6; Acts 13:36; Colossians 3:11

ILL. Maybe I should have realized it earlier, but during the first few years of our marriage, it dawned on me that my wife & I are different in a lot of ways.

For example, Ethel plans carefully & thoroughly, & goes to a great deal of effort to get everything done well ahead of time. Now I make plans ahead of time, too, but I’m likely to be putting the finishing touches on at the last minute.

That really bothers her – particularly when I’m hollering for help because it’s taking longer than I had anticipated.

And when we go places together, she believes in getting there a few minutes early, while I’m content hitting it right on the dot. Then again, she’s an early morning person, while I’m more of a night owl. The result is that her brain begins to shut down around 9 p.m., while mine is just beginning to hit its peak.

We’re different in a lot of other ways, too, but we long ago realized that the differences between us could either be a source of conflicts, or the building blocks of some of our greatest strengths. And it didn’t take me long to decide how fortunate I was not to be married to somebody just like me.

Our differences have created opportunities for us to mature, for her strengths to compensate for my weaknesses, & vice versa. Our differences, when nurtured, have led to new & sometimes exciting experiences.

We could have chosen to sink into selfishness & manipulation, but we chose openness & cooperation. And we have been richly blessed because of it.

A. Now why did I share this with you? Because I want you to realize that

differences between people, even in churches, don’t have to divide us.

The apostle Paul talks about this in Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIrV). “I am a prisoner because of the Lord. So I am asking you to live a life worthy of what God chose you for. Don’t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be Patient. Put up with one another in love.

“The Holy Spirit makes you one in every way. So try your best to remain as one. Let peace keep you together. There is one body and one spirit. You were appointed to one hope when you were chosen.

“There is one Lord, one faith and one baptism. There is one God and Father of all. He is over everything. He is through everything. He is in everything.”

Paul is saying that there is a basic unity within the church. Did you notice? Paul tells us “The Holy Spirit makes you one in every way. So try your best to remain as one.” Even though we have become one, it doesn't take long to discover in the church what I discovered in my marriage - there are differences between us.

Paul acknowledges that in Colossians 3:11 where he points out that in the church there are differences in race, education, social standing, wealth, gender, & religious background. And at times these differences will challenge us.

B. That's why Paul says, “…try your best to remain as one.”. Even though the Holy Spirit has brought us together & made us into one family, because of our differences, keeping that oneness, that spirit of unity, will require a lot of effort.

PROP. Now I have been ministering here for quite a while, & one thing that excites me about Ridge Chapel is our diversity. And this morning I’m going to talk about various generations in our congregation, & what is special about you.

But before we do, let’s remind ourselves that God can & does use all kinds of people - people with different gifts, preferences, & backgrounds – people of different ages - to build His church & accomplish His will in the world.

Now I don’t know how much you know about the subject of Sociology –defined as “the study of the history, development, organization, & problems of people living together as social groups.” But I’m going to take advantage of some of its thoughts & pass them on to you.

And the very first thing they teach is that there are differences between generations. Of course, we could have figured that out ourselves. But sociologists have given names to the generations, & have identified some of their common characteristics

Now before I mention those generations I need to say that one size doesn’t fit all, that all parents didn’t treat their children the same, & that whether you were the first child, or a middle child, or the baby of the family sometimes made a great deal of difference. But despite that, sociologists have lumped you into certain groups according to when you were born.