Acts 4:1-35
The Person God Uses
In Directions, James Hamilton writes;
Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door: In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer.
One man lost a valuable watch wile working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but did not find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the icehouse during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch.
Amazed, the men asked him how he found it.
“I closed the door,” the boy replied, “lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking”
Often the question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are being still enough, and quiet enough, to hear.
I’ve come to share with you today that God wants to use you!
I hope you heard what I said; He wants to use you. That should give you reason to be optimistic today.
This story here in Acts is an incredible story.
Peter and John are on the way to the temple to pray.
They come upon this man who has been crippled from birth.
Peter speaks to him telling him that he doesn’t have silver or gold but what he does have he gives to him and in Jesus name he is healed.
They go into the temple and the man Is praising God.
The religious leaders are not happy!
Three Observations: The religious leaders had trouble…
1. They had trouble with the message – vs. 2
The religious leaders didn’t like Peter and John proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ. Let that be a lesson to us today. The opposition you encounter may come more from the religious people than it will the secular people!
2. They had trouble with the results – vs. 4
Can you imagine? Here is this man who has been crippled from birth up walking and leaping and praising God and they are not happy about it. What he did testified to the power of God, God’s ability to perform miracles and this just didn’t sit well with the religious leaders.
3. They had trouble with the source – vs. 7-10
Who had healed the man? God did – through Peter. Peter didn’t heal the man God did. The religious leaders had a God problem. We must understand that. They may have thought their problem was with Peter and John but their problem was with God.
This story encourages me in many ways. I would like to share four of those ways with you today. Because I have a feeling that you will find yourself in one of these four descriptions of persons that God uses.
Ands wherever you find yourself I want you to know God can use you.
So if you are ready let’s look at the person God uses.
1. God uses ordinary people – vs. 13
Notice what they took note of. They took notice of their formal schooling. They took notice of their degrees. They took notice of their preferred social status. Right?
No, it says that they were ‘unschooled, ordinary men”.
That should give many hope today that in light of the fact that you may be “unschooled and ordinary” that God can use you!
The qualifier here was simply that Peter and John believed that God wanted to heal the man.
And God’s ability to heal the man was not affected by Peter and John’s schooling or social status. It simply didn’t matter.
Peter was smart enough to believe God could do it and that God could do it through him!
Key Thought: God uses ordinary people to accomplish extra-ordinary things!
Observations: Why God uses ordinary people
1. God uses ordinary people to confound the wise – I Corinthians 1: 26-31
26Brothers, 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. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
2. God uses the ordinary people who don’t care who gets the credit – vs. 28 & 31
The wise person might be able to logically explain what has happened. A knowledgeable one might be tempted to take credit for what God has done.
But an ordinary person is bright enough to realize that it was not by their ability that God did what He did.
They realize that God is all-powerful and it is by God’s power that these things have been done.
Let me add here before we move on that on the flip side of this that there is no special premium on ignorance either. I don’t think God is pleased with deliberate stupidity!
I believe that God expects us to “study” to show ourselves approved - a workman that does not need to be ashamed.
2.God uses broken people – vs. 14
God used this crippled man who had been in that condition from the time of his birth. He was broken physically.
Hear me this morning, God uses broken people. Not just broken physically, but people broken emotionally, people broken relationally. God has not overlooked you in His plan either.
Despite the brokenness of his past the man was used as a testimony of God’s power and love.
I want you to know today that despite the brokenness of your past. Despite the pain or how many pieces you have been broken into, God can put you back together and God can use you as an example of the completeness you can find have in Him and Him alone
I thought of the story in John where Jesus had the conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well.
The woman’s life has been broken. She’s already had five husbands and the man she is now living with is not her husband.
But Jesus offers her living water. And if she would just partake of the living water she would never thirst again.
She went back to her town and told them of Jesus who offered her the living water. In John 4: 39 it says, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.”
In verse 42 “They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said: now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world”.
The others believed because they saw the change that had taken place in this woman who had been broken.
Key Thought: Brokenness becomes a blessing when it’s placed in the Master’s hand.
Observations: Truths about broken people
1. Broken people are God’s specialty –
2. Broken people are God’s mouthpiece
Out of the brokenness of life, out of the ashes of all that has been consumed, comes a hope that brokenness is not fatal, brokenness is not final, that what the enemy has meant for your harm and destruction – God is turning it around for good.
The good news today is that God uses broken people. Your brokenness can serve a valuable purpose.
Hear me this day – God doesn’t waste tragedy. God can use your tragedy to reach someone else. You haven’t experienced brokenness for nothing. God can use you!
3. God uses obedient people – vs. 18-22
Of course Peter and John just couldn’t help themselves. They had to talk about what God had done. They just couldn’t help it.
They have been commanded not to preach or teach about Jesus. They are under orders not to talk about it.
But they just couldn’t help it.
Out of their obedience to God come opportunities to be used by God.
Remember, God is not looking for your education, your social status, your extra-ordinary abilities so much as He is looking for your obedience!
The test for us is – are we going to be obedient to God? God uses obedient people.
Key Thought: God will overlook your stupidity but not your disobedience!
Observations: The measure of obedience
1. My level of obedience determines God’s level of trust in me.
God will not use me beyond my level of obedience. No more – no less.
2. My effectiveness tomorrow is determined by my obedience today.
It is in showing myself faithful in the small things that God rewards me with the bigger things. W must past the test in the small things in order to be promoted to the big things. There are no shortcuts!
4. God uses worshipping people – vs. 21-22
After further threats they let them go. They didn’t know what to do with them. Because everyone was rejoicing and praising God over what has happened.
The man has been healed and from the moment he was, as he entered the temple he was praising God along with the others.
Because of their praising of God they simply just didn’t know what to do with them at this point.
When you and I will praise God and worship God – it moves the hand of God.
Look at what happened in 2 Chronicles 20.
Jehoshaphat is facing the threat of an opposing army coming against them. God sets up the battle plan.
Look at what they did in vs. 22 – “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Aammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated”
You want to tell me that God is not moved by our praises and worship; I don’t think so!
Key Thought: God’s hand is moved on our behalf when our lips declare His praise!
Observations: About praise
1. We don’t praise Him for difficulties we face but for His help to go through them.
2. We don’t praise Him for the enemies that we see but for His hand that is unseen.
God uses people who will praise Him. God uses people who will not be moved by what they see and get mad at God but will praise Him by faith for what they cannot see.
The secret to seeing what you do not yet see is to praise Him in advance for it.
What would you like to praise God in advance for today?
Let me conclude by offering you the hope that God can use you!
God uses ordinary people.
God uses broken people.
God uses obedient people.
God uses worshipping people.
Friends, I want God to use you!
No matter where you find yourself I want you to know He is right there with you. He hasn’t left you or forsaken you. He wants to use you. All He wants is for you to give yourself over to Him.
All you may have to offer up is broken pieces – give it to Him. He can use it.
You may not have a lot of knowledge or skill – give it to Him. He can use you!
For some, you just need to walk in obedience to what He wants you to do. Just do it!
God can use people who will just sing His praise and worship Him.
Wherever you find yourself in the process. Know this. God can use you!
