Being much concerned about the rise of denominations in the church, John Wesley tells of a dream he had. In the dream, he was ushered to the gates of Hell. There he asked, "Are there any Presbyterians here?" "Yes!", came the answer. Then he asked, "Are there any Baptists? Any Episcopalians? Any Methodists?" The answer was Yes! Each time. Much distressed, Wesley was then ushered to the gates of Heaven. There he asked the same question, and the answer was No! "No?" To this, Wesley asked, "Who then is inside?" The answer came back, "There are only Christians here."
(1 Corinthians 1:10-17)
This morning beloved I want to preach on the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ I pray that you lend your ear for a moment because I do believe that Christ will speak to our hearts this morning and touch the heart of your soul. This morning beloved their seems to be a multitude of people that believe that they do not have what it takes to be a Christian. Many people that I have spoken to will not flat out say I do have what it takes to be a Christian but they blow off the invite of conversation because condemnation has told them that they will never amount to anything. Even good-meaning Christians go out of the will of God to fulfill what they can only receive through Jesus Christ.
There might even be someone here this morning that has been told all your life that you would never amount to anything but this morning I want to declare to you that even in your state Jesus can use your life for His glory. Beloved I want to preach a sermon I’ve entitled “Who Disqualified You?” I was pressed upon this sermon yesterday as we were outreaching and later that evening as we had shown the movie as I heard a voice tell me something that I want to share with the congregation. That voice said “Who said you’d make it here, you are going to fail just like everyone else and be disqualified”, and as I heard this voice in my heart how I was broken in spirit as I had to look up and cry to my Savior and say; “Whatever your will Lord let it be done with my life”. This was how this sermon was birthed and I want to encourage you this morning with the hope that Christ has given me for you this morning.
Acts 1:15-26 (New International Version, ©2011)
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters,[a] the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” 18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood. 20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his place of leadership.’ 21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” 23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
“The world’s Qualifications”
Beloved this morning the world sees qualification a lot different then you and I do. People size you up in the streets, they look at what you drive or what kind of clothes you wear, or how many kids you have or what school you went to. If you drive a mini-van with duct tape on the bumper you’re not worth talking to, or if you have four kids looking for an apartment the landlord says that you’re disqualified for having too many children for a three bedroom, many even base your character on your credit. The qualifications and standards of the world are contradictory and unjust in many ways as the world has a spirit of partiality in their lives.
My question to you this morning beloved is “Who disqualifies you?” What beloved has made you believe that you will do nothing more besides filling a seat in church this morning? Many people look at their lives and remember everything that was ever told them of failures and mishaps and have made a decision to not try to move any further because they feel disqualified. As I have mentioned before beloved “Your failures do not define you”.
As we look at our scripture this morning it has been brought to my attention that there has been a decision made between men of God that has supported my question and that is who disqualified the other 118 men? In the word of God beloved God takes the lowly the weak the unwanted to bring shame to the mighty, God takes the feeble and makes them strong, God takes the unlearned and places them in places of authority, so if God does that who disqualifies you? What makes you believe otherwise?
1 Corinthians 1:25-29 (New King James Version)
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
See beloved God choses those that haven’t been seen by men but have been seen by Him as those that have been obedient in His truth no matter what the world might think or say them who happens to be you. Because truth be told beloved God is in to redeeming the broken and unrested in His bosom to bring forth peace and assurance.
“The Church and the infiltration”
Hebrews 10:20-27 (New King James Version)
20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
As Christians we see a way of life as the bible has given you and I an assurance of a new life in Christ Jesus and has adopted you and I into His glory. The church beloved has a commitment to those who enter in as Christians to support them that have no support as Christ has supported you and I. But the world has infiltrated the church with its lies and having us believe them rather than God and leads you and I to believe that we are covered in the tainted sin that Christ has washed away from our lives. As Christ lived He loved, as He died He saved, as He was buried He took our sins with Him, as He has risen He has justified us, one day He is coming and that will be a glorious day, let us place aside the doubt and uncertainty of who and what God wants to make out of our lives as we have been made qualified as obedience sets in our hearts to serve Him.
I was disqualified to the world, I was tainted with hands of blood, with felonies, with shame and guilt, I was tainted with the sin of the world and the same world that told me they would give me everything has given the rejected spirit to go with it. I was not accepted by all and rejected by many as they looked at my life and has told me why are taking space. But God beloved has made me whole this morning and He wants to bring a new life to you.
“The healing”
As life continues on we know and understand that there are not to many ways for us to get rid of the hurts and aches of life but to accept them for what they are, we say we can’t change what we have become it is too late or this is who I will always be. Beloved the wonderful thing about our Savior is that this is not true, but Christ our redeemer is true. He is the healer of our soul, the Redeemer of our minds, the strength that we need in times of weakness and the Refiner of our very spirit.
Zechariah 13:9
I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
God brings us healing through the refiner’s fire, why beloved? Because as we go through the fire the element of sin that has tainted our lives and that has defined our character will be wiped away as dross from refined gold and made pure. As God does this in your life and you and know this to be true why do we still disqualify ourselves as though we are God?
See beloved the bible in the beginning of our sermon reads that there were one hundred twenty men of God but only two were presented I wonder if all that were present were men of God as the bible reads why is it then that the apostles cast their lots at two and not at the one twenty? I believe that the other men felt the shame of past failures and thought it to be impossible to do more for God, if God is involved beloved it always works, when you and I give Jesus our whole hearts God can do with our lives the unthinkable, do not disqualify yourself and allow God to do as He wills in your life. Amen!
