"The Magic Is Not In The Faucet!"

"THE MAGIC IS NOT IN THE FAUCET!"

Matthew 17:14-21

INTRO:

Thomas Edward (T.E.) Lawrence was born on August 16, 1888 in Wales. Popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia, Lawrence became famous for his exploits as British Military liason to the Arab Revolt during the First World War.

The desert raids of British officer T.E. Lawrence and his Arab rebels tied down many Turkish troops who could have been fighting the main British armies in the Middle East. Lawrence of Arabia's struggle against the Turks during World War I was a classic of guerrilla warfare, and his personal account has become a classic of world literature. And, of course, many of you have seen the movie about the life of Lawrence of Arabia.

Lawrence wrote about his Arabian adventures in The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

During the war, Lawrence formed close friendships with many of the Sheiks of Arabia. After the war, he brought some of these Sheiks back to England to show his appreciation for their support against the Turkish domination.

They had a wonderful visit, appeared before the Joint House of Commons and Parliament, had an audience with the Queen.

On the last night of their visit, Lawrence offered them anything they wanted to take back with them to their desert homes.

They led him up to the hotel room, into the bathroom, and pointed to the faucets in the bathtub and said that they wanted to take faucets with them that would provide them with running water in the deserts.

They didn't realize that the faucets were superficial. Behind them was plumbing, a hot water heater, an energy source that heated the water, a city main that supplied the water, and from the city main went a line to an outside source of water!

The magic is not in the faucet! It is what is behind the faucet that gives the water!

• The faucet can be 24 carat gold, but if its not attached to a water supply, its useless!

• The magic is not in the faucet, the power comes from what is behind the faucet! Things that are not visible to the human eye, but are there nonetheless!

• If the pump, or the plumbing, or the reservoir ever to out of service, the faucet is useless! It's what's behind the faucet that gives it its power!

THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY THIS MORNING IS THIS; THE FAUCET IS NECESSARY TO GET THE WATER TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

•I don't want to minimize the importance of a vessel! God needs faucets!

•God has always worked through human vessels.

•In fact, most of the time, God works through the most unlikely vessels!

God Can Use Anyone

• Moses stuttered.

• David's armour didn't fit.

• John Mark was rejected by Paul.

• Timothy had ulcers.

• Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.

• Jacob was a liar.

• David had an affair.

• Solomon was too rich.

• Abraham was too old.

• David was too young.

• Peter was afraid of death.

• Lazarus was dead.

• John was self-righteous.

• Naomi was a widow.

• Paul was a murderer.

• So was Moses.

• Jonah ran from God.

• Miriam was a gossip.

• Gideon and Thomas both doubted.

• Jeremiah was a bullfrog;

• Just kidding -- he was depressed and suicidal.

• Elijah was burned out.

• Martha was a worry-wart.

• Mary may have been lazy.

• Samson had long hair.

• Noah got drunk, and that's not all.

• Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?

• But God doesn't require a job interview.

• He doesn't hire and fire like most bosses,

• because He's more our Dad than our Boss.

• He doesn't look at financial gain or loss.

• He's not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging,

• sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need.

A Christian minister once said, "I was never of any use until I found out that God did not intend me to be a great man."

God needs us to be faucets! John 7:38

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

• God can have all the plumbing in place, have the pump hooked up, ready to pour out blessings on His people, on the world, but He needs us to be vessels! He needs a faucet!

• In many cases, the only thing that stops a move of God is the lack of a vessel.

• When Elisha was performing the miracle for the prophet's widow, and the oil was flowing freely, the Bible says:

2 Kings 4:6 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.