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Fruit of the Spirit- FaithfulnessAugust 14, 2016When you look into the mirror… what do you see?When you look into the mirror… do you see this? (Picture of a cracked pot.)Have you ever felt like this pot with its crack – imperfect, unusable, damaged, or broken? There may have been something in your life that caused you to feel "cracked." In all honesty, probably most of us have felt this way at one time or another. Learning to be happy with yourself is a very important key to enjoying your life. If we know that God wants us to enjoy life, why does it sometimes seem impossible? Could it be that we’re unhappy with ourselves because we're not perfect? God doesn't require us to be perfect—He made us, and He knows we’re human and will make mistakes. Our job is to get up every day and do our best with the day He has given to us. And when we fail, we must get right with God, receive His forgiveness and go on. We need to quit being so hard on ourselves and enjoy our lives right where we are.?Many people feel that God can't use them because they’re not perfect. That is just not true. God (the Potter) uses cracked pots (that's us) to do His work. ….. God uses all kinds of people.Now you may be saying God cannot use me because...I am too old.I am too young.I am not well enough.I do not have any skills.I am less able.I am less physically able.Whatever the excuse maybe.But God can and will use you. God has a plan for you. God has a use for you. God needs you to further his kingdom.Rev. David?Dykes talks about how God uses cracked pots. He says, “God delights in using imperfect vessels.” We show truth faithfulness when we let God use us. And I don't mean use us like a bad college boyfriend. I mean use us for the good of and to do good for God's Kingdom.How can god use us?How can we be useful?How can we be faithful?In order to be faithful we must listen to where God wants to use us… where we can serve. To do this we need to listen to God. Even Jesus says, ‘I can’t do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide’ (John 5:30).And then we need to seek to please God. Jesus said, ‘I seek not to please myself but him who sent me’ (John 5:30). To live a life seeking to please God involves a complete U-turn. It is not only a one-off U-turn but it is something that you have to try to put into practice every day. It is not easy! But we need to obey God fearlessly. As Joyce Meyer says, ‘When fear knocks on your door, let faith answer!’God will tell us how we can serve. We will hear it as a small voice, and opportunity that knocks again and again, or sometimes a thought that pops into our head. We should listen to where the Spirit is leading us!Because God is leading us to do great things! God will use you… if you are open to it! Are you ready for God to use you? Are you ready are you willing to be used by God?In our scripture for today, by faith, they were all used by God and therefore did extraordinary things! Abel gave a pleasing sacrifice, Enoch did not die, Noah built the ark and saved his whole household, Abraham saved Isaac, had descendants and future blessings, and Moses was saved many times from trials. Then you have the other hero’s- Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthath, David and Samuel, and the prophets, right down to Jesus. They all accomplished great things because they listened and made themselves useful to God. They were unassuming people who listen and were faithful to the Spirit’s guiding.There is a wonderful story that illustrates the point of being used and useful. This is called The Cracked Pot.A Water Bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and one half pots of water in his master's house.The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the Water Bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said. The Water Bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in her compassion she said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologize to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." Like that cracked pot, you too can accomplish wonderful things. You can make somebody happy. You can encourage, edify and exhort those around you. You can use your gifts and talents to serve God—and as a bonus, you’ll learn to have joy in every area of your life.?Brothers and sisters, it’s okay if you’re a cracked pot. We throw away things when they’re broken, but God cherishes broken people. God uses broken things. Jesus took the five loaves from the little boy and broke them before He multiplied them. He wants to multiply your effectiveness but He can only do that when you’re broken. Jesus even said, “This is my body which is BROKEN for you.” So, broken down, cracked pots, rejoice because God uses cracked pots!We can be used by God. God can use us. Even if we do not see it. Especially if we do not see it. God sees it. God sees what we are and who we are. God sees what we're capable of. But more than that God knows what we can do even more than we do. Those are skills and abilities and our interests and our passions. And God will use us and put us to work for the good of the Kingdom. God will be able to use our strength to further the kingdom.Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. So as we seek ways to minister together, and as God calls you to tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you too, can be the cause of beauty in His pathway. Go out boldly, knowing that in our weakness we find His strength.Are you ready for God to use you? Are you ready are you willing to be used by God? ................
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