iCan – God Can Use Me
iWill – Obey Him & Commit my life to His Will
“iCan…iWill” God CAN use me & I WILL commit my life to His Will!”
Just as any good employer would not send you off to a job site without the necessary tools, God through the teaching of this series has equipped us with both rationale & the Biblical tools needed to love, serve, & share the people of this generation.
And today, I want to remind you that today, you have everything you need to Know God’s Word, Share God’s Word, and live God’s Word! Everything you need is promised in the pages in the Bible!
II Peter 1:3-4 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
So, for a moment, let me first embed this encouragement in your heart, that if you are a child of God – meaning, you have accepted Christ as your Savior to both forgive your sins and save your soul – then you have everything you need to live a God-empowered life!
iCan
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
You gotta love when the Bible just says it plainly & clearly.
This verse needs no explanation so let me just apply it to day-to-day living.
This verse means that:
God has given you the ability to know His Word (iKnow).
God has given you the capacity to Love people…even though you may not believe it, you can love people (iLove)
God has given you the truth & message to Tell of his love & salvation (iTell)
God can give you the humility to Serve as He served (iServe).
God has given you His Truth in His Word so that you can Stand on solid Ground (iStand).
God has given you the wonderful privilege AND invites you to Praise the God of Heaven & Earth, Jesus Christ (iPraise).
God has given you the compassion & mercy to Forgive as He modeled for us (iForgive)!
He Empowers…so that…iCan!!
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
If you have spent any amount of time in church, this is considered a very familiar & favorite passage by many. We quote it often – many have memorized it.
But I don’t know if you have thought about exactly what it is teaching:
It does NOT say, “Be strong in the Lord and in His power.” …and stops there.
No.
Notice it teaches something much more assuring!
Notice that there are THREE words for “power” in this verse –
They are all different in the 1st Century language (Biblical Greek) of the Apostle Paul when he penned this verse:
Two of the three words refer to God:
…in the power of his might!
“power” taken from the Greek word (krat’-os) which means, “power” or “greatness” or “strength”
“might” taken from the Greek word (is-khoos’) which means, “ability” or “forcefulness”
You see, this verse is not just teaching us to know the basic “God is powerful”…
RATHER, it is instructing us – actually commanding us - to rest confidently in…
…in the “power of His power”
…in the “greatness of His ability”
…in the “strength of His might”
But the third word refers to us/you/me!
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord…”
This word (a verb) comes from the word (doona-meh’-o)…where we get the word “dynamite” from – meaning, “explosive power” “overwhelming power” “uncontainable power/strength”
Meaning, that we as believers we are to show “explosive, overwhelming, uncontainable power/strength” in our lives.
HOW?
Because of my own power? No.
Well, than WHOSE Powerful ability?
Be strong in the Lord…
…Not I, But Christ.
Zechariah 4:6b 6 …Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.
So, I can Know his Word.
I can Love the people He loved!
I can Tell of his love & salvation.
I can Serve as He served.
I can Stand on His Word.
I can Praise as He taught me to praise.
I can Forgive as He modeled for me!
…ALL BECAUSE He empowers me & protects me and infuses me with a power source that I can not find in & of myself!
iCan!
Galatians 2:20 promises that as a child of God - I Can! I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
iCan!
BUT, the question is “Will I?”
And hopefully your answer is “iWill.”
You see, it is one thing to say, “YES, LORD, you have the words of eternal life!” – All of us who have accepted Christ would probably echo the response Peter gave to Jesus when asked this question in John 6:67-69 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, “Will you also go away?” 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe and we know you are the Holy One of God!”
We all would probably say that in our hearts!
We sing about our Great God…we amen truths about our Great God!
Now we have the wonderful opportunity to demonstrate to him that we take seriously our commitment to him by obeying His Word!
[e.g. Inviting folks Friend Day, TRBC Community Groups, being lay leaders/ministers in our community, etc…)
This iTruths Series has equipped us to execute! But now it is a question of “Will you?”
The Lord calls out for those who are willing to be obedient to His call reach the world, to tell the world, to praise the Lord in this world, to show God’s love to this world:
Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
This is a question for all of us that we need to answer this morning:
Will you know God’s Word?
Will you Love the people He loved!
Will you Tell of his love & salvation.
Will you Serve as He served.
Will you Stand on His Word.
Will you Praise as He taught you to praise.
Will you Forgive the way He modeled for me!
It is a matter of the Will…of obedience.
Listen, my friend, your job is to be obedient.
That’s all that God calls for you to do.
You can leave the results to Him for He is the one who will draw all men to himself…YOU just have to be found faithful!
Four Encouragements For Us As We Obey!
1. Let God’s Word Do the talking!
I Corinthians 2:1-5 1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
2. Let God Guide Your Steps!
Exodus 4:10-12 10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." 11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
3. Let God’s Hand Ease The Stress!
Jeremiah 1:17-19 17 "Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.
4. Let God Use You To Change Others!
Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Rom. 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
AND He promises us that He will always comfort us & protect us - Always!
Often in the Old Testament, when the scripture writers wanted to refer about God’s guidance, they would refer to God’s “HAND” guiding us…but when they specifically wanted to talk about God’s Power and protection – they would refer to God’s RIGHT HAND…because the “right” hand was a symbol of power. Because, for example, Kings in that day would make a decree with the signet ring on their right hand, settle issues with their right hand, fathers would transfer their blessing to their children with his right hand… So, listen to how the Psalmist describes God’s protection for us:
Psalm 139:7-10 7 Where can I go from thy spirit? Where can I possibly flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou are there: if I make my bed in the grave, behold, thou are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and fly into the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there you hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
Let me remind you of a verse that we have reflected on for many, many weeks now:
I Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Be anchored in the Will of God…and as you are anchored in His perfect Will, start working like crazy…remember that the word “labor” is the word that means “to work to the point of exhaustion.” Like a runner who stretches to reach the finish line and is panting after he crosses the line, we are to labor for the Lord…
What situation do you know that you will face this week that you will be able to demonstrate one of the attitudes that we have discussed within this series thus far?
Love…someone
Tell…someone
Serve…someone
Stand…by Truth regardless of repercussions
Praise…God for many, many blessings
Forgive…someone
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
