A spiritual leader named Henry Varley shared some words that still serve to challenge God’s people. Here are the words: “The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by a man who is fully consecrated to Christ.” God used these words to change a man named D.L. Moody forever.
As Moody, at the time a Chicago shoe salesman, thought about these words, he wrote, “He said ‘a man.’ He didn’t say a great ‘man,’ a learned ‘man,’ or a smart ‘man.’ He just simply said ‘a man.’ I’m a ‘man.’ And it lies within me whether I will or will not make this full consecration to Christ. I will do my best to be that ‘man.’”
D.L. Moody went on to start one of the greatest churches and Sunday Schools in all of America. He was the Billy Graham of his day, traveling around the world winning thousands and thousands to Christ. Christian radio stations around the world, including our own WCRF, were started by his ministry and still carry his name. The Moody Bible Institute in Chicago continues to train world-class leaders that impact the nations.
It’s all because he took seriously this challenge: “The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by a man who is fully consecrated to Christ.”
What would happen if you took those words seriously? Do you think God could use you?
“Who me?” “Yes, you!” “But I’m too weak. You don’t know how many times I’ve tried and tried to follow Christ closely and failed. That’s not for me. Can’t be.”
In the Bible is a man who tried and tried to follow Christ closely but failed time and time again… miserably. His name is Peter. He went to sleep when he should have been praying. He promised that he’d follow Jesus all the way to the death, but when he thought he might have to suffer a little, he denied that He even knew Jesus. He constantly was saying the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong way. He was weak.
Yet God showed His power in Peter’s life. If he can do that with Peter, he can do that with you.
God’s power in your weakness
Text: Acts 3:1-10
Series: Life Under Construction
Most of us are not the people God uses in big ways. He uses us in little ways. But not in big ways.
Yesterday, some of us from CVCC were at a conference on prayer and holiness. Greg Frizzell, our speaker, reminded us that 1905 was the last nation-wide spiritual awakening for the US. Almost 100 years since any kind of big move of God. None of us has seen a true spiritual awakening. In our day – in our time – on our watch, we have seen the worst moral and spiritual collapse in our nation’s history. We need desperately need to see God move in big ways. Dr. Frizzell said, “Our nation has slid to Sodom and Gomorrah. We are poised for a cataclysmic judgment… or a revival.”
Greg Frizzell reminded us about a great spiritual awakening in Wales. The churches were dry and dead. Hundreds of thousands of people didn’t care about God. But God began to move in big ways. People who never thoughts about God suddenly could think of nothing but God. The presence of God became real. In 6 months time, 100,000 people became Christ-followers. That was 10% of the population of the whole nation!
Think with me. If that happened in America, almost 30,000,000 people would come to faith. If that happened in NE Ohio, 200,000 to 300,000 people would start following Christ. In a five mile radius of our property, there are 100,000 people. If God began to move in big ways like He has in the past, 10,000 people within a five mile radius of CVCC would be utterly transformed by God.
What’s that going to take? It’s going to take men and women and teens and boys and girls to be the kind of people God can use in big ways. This morning, I have seven
God can use me in big ways when I …
1. … am filled with the Spirit. (see Acts 2:1-4)
It goes without saying, but let me say it anyway. You can’t really understand Acts 3 without understanding Acts 2. In Acts 2, Peter was with the other followers of Jesus waiting. For what?
The resurrection had happened. Peter and the others had received marching orders from Jesus. They watched Him ascend into heaven. Time to go to work, right? No. Time to wait.
Jesus said, “Before you go to work for Me, I want you to wait to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” So, Peter and the others waited. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came in power. The Holy Spirit flowing through Peter’s life is the kind of life he was living when God used him in a big way. In explaining it, Peter quoted from an Old Testament passage:
Yes, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will proclaim my message.
Acts 2:18 (TEV)
Question. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? You say, how do I know? When you are filled with the Spirit, you are intimate with God. God is real to you. There has been an explosion of God in your life. When you think of people you love who don’t really know Jesus personally, you cry. Your life looks like the fruit of the Spirit – love and joy and peace and patience. You care about what God cares about. You see people and life the way God sees. And when you do things for God or say things for God, something happens. God moves on you, through you, in you, for you in big ways.
You will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
Ephesians 3:19b-20 (NLT)
Are you filed with the Spirit? You are never more full of the Holy Spirit than you are empty of sin and self. Whatever experience you’ve had with God, there is more. You can go to a whole new level of intimacy with God – of usefulness to God.
God can use me in big ways when I am filled with the Spirit and when I...
2. … seek after God. vv. 1-3
Peter has been filled with the Holy Spirit but he must have known what we forget. We leak. So, he’s wanting more and more of God.
1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.
He doesn’t write, “One day, Peter and John went out so they could do some big things for God.” He doesn’t say, “When Peter and John woke up that morning, they knew that this day would be different from any other.”
From all evidence, this is just an ordinary day. Peter and John were on their way to the Temple at 3:00 in the afternoon. For the devout Jew, there were 3 special times of prayer: 9:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, and 3:00 PM. Peter showed up at the place of worship to pray.
Have you found a special time of prayer in your own life? If we want to be used by God to do big things, we must have at least one special time...perhaps in the morning or the evening. But what if we had three special times... The issue is this: If we want God to work in big ways through our lives, we must seek Him.
At the conference yesterday, we learned that II Chronicles 7:14 might be the most quoted but least practiced passage in all the Bible. God says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.” We’ve got to seek His face. But 92% of our prayers are “gimme, gimme, bless me, bless me” prayers. We aren’t seeking his face. We are seeking His hand – His hand-outs. We say “bless me” but leave out “cleanse me.”
The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him."
Ezra 8:22 (NASB)
Just because the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in Chapter 2, that didn’t change the way they felt about making their way to the place of worship – that didn’t change the way they felt about spending time with God in prayer. “Were going up” suggests it was a habit, a continual practice.
Peter is seeking after God. Now, let’s look at what happens.
2 And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.
Evidently this man had been brought to the temple habitually for a long, long time. Think with me. Jesus walked into that same temple many times. Jesus must certainly have seen him as he passed into the temple. But Jesus never healed him. Question: Why not?
God has stuff for us to do in His name and by His power. He wants to work with us and through us. And when the time is right, God moves. But don’t miss this: He moves through people who seek Him. Are you a God-seeker? There’s a closeness to God that you haven’t known about.
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1 (NIV)
Seeking God. It’s closeness to Him. Spending time with Him. Thanking and praising Him. Confessing sins. Praying for others to come to know Him and have their needs met. Asking God to make us like Jesus. Hearing His voice. Is that the way you seek God?
One statement that keeps tugging on my heart from yesterday was this: “There can be an explosion of God in your life. It’s possible that 6 months from now you can know God 10 times as much as you know Him now.”
He rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6b (NIV)
Frizzell said yesterday, “A little dab won’t do us.” God says, “You spend enough time with Me in Kingdom prayer, in cleansing prayer and I’ll work through you in big ways.”
God can use me in big ways when I seek after God and when I…
3. … care about people. v. 4
But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, "Look at us!"
This man was placed daily at the gate. So, not only Jesus, but Peter had passed this man many times before. But this day, when Peter looked at him, something happened. What?
Peter “fixed his eyes on” the man. No one else would have anything to do with him. The Jews believed that such a man must be a sinner to be a cripple. Or maybe his parents were sinners. This was the punishment of God. But as Peter saw him maybe he heard in his heart the words of Jesus: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”
Why did Peter stop when no one else gave the man more than a casual glance out of the corner of their eye? Peter was a Jew; like the other worshippers that day. He had the same background, the same knowledge of God’s word. He was going to the place of worship like the others. He spent time in prayer just like the others. What was the difference?
Peter wasn’t going the motions of religion. Something had happened in his heart. The difference is Peter had been filled with the Holy Spirit and was seeking God from the heart. And something happens when you are filled with the Spirit and are a God-seeker.
You see people differently. You understand their hurts. You understand their needs. You have a heart for people. And when you have a heart for people, God will use you.
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
I John 3:17-18 (NIV)
God uses ordinary people. People like you. People like me. … if we are filled with the Spirit and are seeking God.
Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts.
I Peter 1:22 (NLT)
Peter saw this encounter as a Divine appointment. He was willing to be interrupted. How about you. Do you see the hurting people around you?
A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or food. If you say to that person, "God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat," but you do not give what that person needs, your words are worth nothing.
James 2:15-16 (NCV)
God can use me in big ways when I care about people and when I…
4. … inspire hope in others. v. 5
5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
“Expecting to receive something.” Is that you? One of the reasons why there are people at CVCC who have been coming here for years, but whose lives are hardly any different than when they first came, is that they have never really expected to receive much. Too many of us just go through the motions. Too many have never expected to receive anything.
And so, the life-changing truth that goes out from the Scriptures misses you, passes right by you. And you sit here week after week and you don’t change.
This man began to give attention to Peter. He was expectant. Somehow, something in Peter’s eyes or actions gave this man some kind of hope.
That’s what happens when we are filled with the Spirit and seeking after God. We get God’s heart and mind for people.
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB)
We start begin to participate in God’s agenda for people. We stop being agents of discouragement. People won’t want to run away from us when we see them coming. We’re agents of God. We inspire hope.
God our Father loved us and by His kindness gave us everlasting encouragement and good hope. Together with our Lord Jesus Christ, may He encourage and strengthen you…
II Thessalonians 2:16-17 (GWT)
God can use me in big ways when I inspire hope in others and when I…
5. … give what I have. v. 6a
6a But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you…"
6b … in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!"
The church can be rich...financially; but it can be powerless because the people are not filled with the Spirit. On the other hand, the church can be dirt poor; but it can have great power; because the people are filled with the Spirit!
There may have been an absence of money. But there was the presence of power!
When you are filled with the Spirit and seeking after God, you become a generous person. You give what you have. Maybe you don’t have the gift of healing or miracles. But you can give your time. You can give a word of encouragement. You can give a note, a call, a kind word.
If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you.
Luke 6:38 (NLT)
Givers always find a way to give. Are you a giver or a taker? Are you taking from people or adding to people?
You must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35 (NKJV)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:9-10(NIV)
God can use me in big ways when I give what I have and when I…
6. … point people to Jesus. v. 6b
6b … in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!"
The name of Jesus is bringing about a healing.
How is that? The name of Jesus stands for the reality of Jesus. His name stands for who he is. When Peter said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk,” he meant: “I am speaking the words, but Jesus is now healing you. When I speak in his name, with the faith that he has now given me for your healing, he is acting not me.”
Later, Peter explained what happened – why this man got better.
It is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
Acts 3:16 (NASB)
This man stands here before you completely well through the power of the name of Jesus Christ… Salvation is to be found through him alone; in all the world there is no one else whom God has given who can save us.
Acts 4:11-12 (TEV)
Peter was pointing the people to Jesus.
God can use me in big ways when I point people to Jesus and when I…
7. … give glory to God. vv. 7-10
7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. 8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
God gets the praise. Abundant, leaping, exuberant praise. That’s the ending, the conclusion of when God works through us. God’s power appears where He gets man’s applause.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory.
Psalm 115:1 (NASB)
Let Him who boasts boast in the Lord.
I Corinthians 1:31 (NIV)
God can use me in big ways when I give glory to God and when I…
A point to ponder: God loves to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
A verse to remember: He said to me, "My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you." So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me. II Corinthians 12:9 (NCV)
A question to consider: What will I do differently this week in order to seek after God to be filled with His Spirit so I can be used powerfully by God?
Dr. Frizzell reminded us yesterday that we have three enemies: 1) The world. This is the busiest world we’ve ever known. The busy-ness will keep us from being used in big ways. We are not giving God a chance to do His great work in us and through us. 2) The flesh. Our flesh will resist this – especially the cleansing, the regular, deep confessing of sin. 3) Satan. His purpose is to keep you ineffective and fruitless – to keep you from being used by God in big ways. If he can limit us to five minute Quiet Times, if he can keep us praying those “gimme, gimme, bless me, bless me” prayers, then he’s won.
I want to ask you to commit to spend time over the next six months seeking God by using these five kinds of prayer
1. Worship – thanking and praising Him.
2. Confession – taking time to let God search your heart for sin.
3. Intercession – praying for others to come to know Him and have their needs met.
4. Petition – asking God to make you like Jesus.
5. Listening – hearing God’s voice.
“You must make an absolute commitment to spend significant time alone with God in uninterrupted prayer.” You spell love for God T.I.M.E. You must view your time with God as the heart of your relationship with God. What does God want most from you? Your church attendance? Your talent? Your money? No. It’s love! It’s a closeness thing.
Six months from now… an explosion of God in your life. You want that? Six months from now, know God ten times better. Six months form now – if I do this with greater passion, greater focus, greater intensity – you having in me a brand new pastor.
If our time with God is shallow, we won’t see the Spirit of God move in big ways.
“The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by a man who is fully consecrated to Christ.”
What would happen if you took those words seriously? Do you think God could use you?
