Sermon Brief
Date Written: August 17, 2013
Date Preached: August 18, 2013
Where Preached: OPBC (AM)
Sermon Details:
Series Title: Miscellaneous Sermon
Sermon Title: God’s Chosen Instruments
Sermon Text: Acts 9:13-18 [HCSB]
Introduction:
Has God even called you into service to His kingdom? While it is true that we are ALL called to be His witnesses and faithfully share Jesus with this world… God does NOT call everyone into vocational ministry!
Today, we are going to commission four young men:
Wren DePratter, as Minister of Children
Brantley Ditto, as Minister of Young Adults
Joshua Peeler, as Minister of Discipleship/Outreach
Bart Taylor, as Minister of Senior Adults
These young men have demonstrated a firm faith and trust in God that He has called them into full time vocational ministry… and because of this they have surrendered their lives to educate themselves and train themselves up to become called the ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that they are called to be…
This morning I want us to look at a passage of Scripture about the calling of an individual… Paul was called by God on the Road to Damascus as he was going there to persecute the Christians!
The story goes like this… Paul had letters from religious leaders to go to Damascus and jail, torture or even put to death all the Christians he could find.
But on the way to Damascus Paul met Jesus… Jesus sent a blinding light and blinded Paul and spoke to Paul’s heart and told him that he was going to be a messenger to the Gentiles about Jesus Christ!
Paul had been taken from the road to Damascus to a house IN Damascus and God then begins to ‘commission’ Paul… God calls on the services/action of a man by the name of Ananias. Let’s go to Acts 9 and we will read v13-18 (HCSB)
God has called these men into His service – v15
15But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites.
Paul was chosen by God to be used by God… Paul was God’s instrument for reaching the Gentiles with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
We all know that Paul was used by God in some pretty mighty ways… Paul was submissive to this calling and God uses Paul for great things.
This morning four young men are being commissioned into the service of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! These men are being called by God just as Paul was called by God.
Paul was called by Jesus for the purpose of reaching the lost with His message… that message was for the Jews AND the Gentiles and Paul’s focus was going to be centered around the Gentiles.
Now these young men have prayed and have all expressed a calling of some sort into the Gospel ministry. These young men have been willing to surrender their lives for the sake of the Gospel…
Like Paul, one day they were headed in ONE direction in their life and then the next, God had them humbled before Him and then pointed them in the direction He desired for them…
Today we are NOT putting our seal on God’s calling, but today we are saying AS A FELLOWSHIP that we trust God and His choice for service to Him!
Today we acknowledge our faith in God and His choice of instrument to reach this community for Christ!
God has called these young men to be instruments of the Gospel… to both reach the lost of our community AND to help equip those IN our fellowship for the work of the Gospel IN our community. Today we acknowledge our trust in God’s choice of instrument!
God has called Wren DePratter along with his wife Jeannie and their two, soon to be three children to serve Him in our fellowship… with a focus on the children of our fellowship and OF our community!
God has called Brantley Ditto along with his wife Laura to serve Him in our fellowship… with a focus on the Young Adults of our fellowship and OF our community!
God has called Bart Tayler to serve Him in our fellowship with a focus on the Senior Adults of our fellowship (Our Live Oaks ministry) AND the Sr Adults of our community…
God has called Josh Peeler to serve Him in our fellowship with a focus on the discipleship/training of the believers within our fellowship and to reach and evangelize those who do NOT know Jesus in our community!
God has called these men to be HIS instruments… just as God called Paul as His instrument to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles… God is calling these young men to OUR community for His glory!
But not only has God called these men to be His instruments…
God has also called us to trust His calling – v17
17So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
As God has called these men, he is also calling us to trust in His calling! Ananias had heard the stories of Saul and knew how dangerous of a man he was…
In fact word of Saul’s mission to Damascus had already reached the believers and they were in fear of what he may do to them. When God called Ananias to go to Paul, at first he was reluctant because of what he had heard…
I can almost hear Ananias’ comments to God… God we have been doing FINE here without this man, we are growing and we are serving You… WHY do we need to change?
Against Ananias’ resistance, God insisted that Ananias obey Him… Ananias finally submitted in faith and trust to God’s calling of Paul!
Likewise there may be many of you here this morning with some reservations about what God is doing and is about to do here at Oak Park…
You could be sitting there saying, what in the world are we doing? Are we opening ourselves up to financial ruin by hiring these men? We were doing pretty good with Ben and Bro Bobby… why do we need to have these other men?
As your pastor, I want you to know that I have had those same thoughts… why change Lord? Aren’t we serving You? Aren’t we being obedient to Your calling?
God spoke to me clearly several months ago when He said, YES you are being obedient, but I don’t want you to settle for just what YOU believe can be done… I want you to experience what I can bring into this church!
God told me that it was His desire that I submit to Him in obedience and that He would open up Parc Fontaine Apts to our church…
God then assured me that He was going to equip our church to be able to minister to these people… He basically called me to have faith and know that He would provide!
Ananias knew the downside to God’s calling of Him to minister to Paul… but God knew the wonderful UPSIDE!
People there is always a cost of ministry, but when we are faithful to God’s calling the result of ministry always far outweighs any cost!
We must be willing to have faith that God is calling us and using us ALL as instruments in His hands… but specifically that God has called these men to lead us in service FOR God to see our community come to know Jesus Christ!
Are you willing to submit in faith like Ananias? I know that I have submitted wholeheartedly to God’s calling… are you ready this morning to do what God is calling you to do?
God has called these young men to serve…
God has called all of us to trust in His calling…
AND that brings me to my final point this morning that…
God has called for our service/their obedience – v18-19
18At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19And after taking some food, he regained his strength.
In v18 we see that Ananias was faithful in His service to God and he prayed for Paul and laid hands on Paul and because of Ananias’ faith… Paul was ready to begin his service!
People these young men have a definite and sure calling of God on their lives… They have been led by the Holy Spirit to join with us and serve God in our fellowship and in our community… BUT without our faithful submission to and complete trust IN God’s calling… they won’t succeed!
God is calling us as a fellowship just as much as He is calling them as a minister… We are called to be faithful to God and trust in His calling of these men… ARE you willing like Ananias was willing?
I know that there are doubts? I know that there are reservations? I know that some of you are thinking that we have tried ministers from the Seminary in the past and they have NOT worked out…
I know that many of you have a hard time believing these young men can come in and make a difference in our church or in our community…
But our faith today in submitting to God’s calling is NOT in their ability or their competence… our faith is in the calling of God! Do we believe God has called them? Do we believe God is working and moving? I know I do… are you ready?
Wren, Brantley, Bart and Josh… We are called to have faith in God’s appointment of YOU as His instruments, and it is incumbent upon you to now launch out in obedience FOR His kingdom…
Your obedience will be fleshed out in your actions…. In our verse this morning we see where Paul got up and was baptized and took in food to gain strength…
These actions may sounds simple, but they reveal Paul’s total commitment to the calling on God on his life! He submitted to baptism… a rite he had ridiculed and mocked just days before…
He was willing to break bread and fellowship with those he was trying to kill and destroy just days before… Paul’s attitude and outlook had changed!
Likewise, you are sitting here today and you don’t know our community… where you come from things were different… where you come from ministry may be different… but today you come in FULL faith and trust in God that he has called you HERE!
Simple obedience to that calling will propel your ministry to heights that you could NEVER imagine! God is going to use you men to minister to this community and to this fellowship! I praise God for sending YOU to us! So men, this morning you have heard me ask our people, “Are they ready?” but I want to ask you right now… “Are YOU ready to do this? Are you ready to serve? Are you ready to begin living out the calling you have surrendered to?”
Conclusion:
God has called these young men into His service and regardless of what we think about them or what others say about them… God has called them and God is going to use them.
If we trust God we are to trust in His calling of these men and minister to them as they begin this journey and service to Christ!
God has called this fellowship to be the mentoring fellowship for these young ministers. We are here for them, to pray for them and with them. We are here to lead them and to encourage them.
We are here to serve with them and support them! We are the sustenance God is providing for their spiritual obedience! Are you ready to trust God and support these young men of faith?
God is calling these young men to follow Him in obedience and faith… but He is also calling US as a fellowship to be there to serve and minister to these young men as they surrender their lives to Him and throw their hearts into service FOR Him!
The commissioning of those called by God is not our stamp of approval on these men… this commissioning is a testament to our faith and trust in God that He has called these men into HIS service and HE has led them here to serve Him in our fellowship… to provide opportunity for them to be obedient and grow in Him…
However, He is also providing us as a fellowship the opportunity to TRUST in the God we profess to serve… we have prayed for God to help us in moving forward into this community… SO HERE IT IS PEOPLE! God is providing… are you ready to trust Him today?
Josh, Brantley and Bart… please come down here to the altar. Today these men come laying their lives and their dreams aside to take up the cross of the Gospel in service to Christ!
Today there are three men here at the altar who are surrendering their lives to Christ! I call on you to pray for these men…
What I want to do is for our fellowship… our members and all those attending today who know Jesus as your Savior to come down with me today and let us gather around these young men…
I want us, as a fellowship, to gather around them and lay hands upon them and I am going to lift them up in a prayer of commissioning as you pray along with me! Would you come gather around these young men as Bro Ken sings our hymn of invitation…
Commissioning Prayer:
God in heaven, we praise You for your unwavering grace! We exalt You for Your mighty power and unending love! You are so wonderful to us!
Lord we thank you today for the handiwork of that love… You have provided these men as instruments for YOUR glory… You have brought laborers for the harvest into our fellowship!
God we thank you for bringing these men of leadership and faith into our midst and we pray that you will grant them wisdom and discernment in serving You!
We pray that you will strengthen them and encourage them in all that you call them to do… We pray for a hedge of protection around them as they serve You here at Oak Park.
God I pray for YOUR wisdom in my leadership of these young men… let me lead them as You desire! God provide for us the avenues of opportunity to penetrate this community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and give us the courage to step through those doors of opportunity and meet the challenges you have placed before us!
God today we acknowledge YOUR calling and we TRUST in that calling on the lives of these young men and we commit them to you Lord… FULLY AND WHOLLY we commit them to you for your service! In Jesus Name we pray… Amen!
