God Uses Flawed People Sermon Notes

TELLING THE GOOD NEWS Part 5

God Uses Flawed People

We are at a fascinating point in world history and American history. We are wealthier, more connected, more resourced, more informed, and more affirmed than any time in history, yet we are the most anxious, depressed, and angry people on the planet. I think is largely due to the reality that we are all overwhelmed right now because of how much information we access to right now. I don't think we are not prepared for the firehouse of data coming at us.

In addition to education, news, and entertainment, we have a crushing amount of social media available to us and with this comes the temptation for us to compare ourselves to each other. What I have noticed in this climate is that the incredible pressure we can feel to be "successful" is like a carrot on a stick in front of us. There is actually a condition that has been dubbed "Facebook Depression" when we feel like failures compared to everybody we may see on Facebook or other places online. It seems that we either believe we have to work ourselves to death to make some of ourselves, or we give up and tell ourselves that we are losers as we choose the path of least resistance in our lives.

The gospel of Jesus has never been more relevant to or more needed by our world. Our need to compare ourselves and feel valued is insatiable and leaves us without hope. The good news is that before God we are both worse off than we can ever know, especially compared to Jesus, and simultaneously more loved than we could ever dare imagine through the work of Jesus. This puts God's people in a perfect position to be preachers of the gospel.

Big Idea: God uses flawed people as heralds of His flawless grace.

This morning we are going to look at some flawed heralds through the Scripture and at God's flawless grace.

1. The Bible is Filled with Flawed Heralds

Moses was a murderer with a speech impediment

Exodus 3:10-12 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

Exodus 4:10-12 But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue." 11 Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."

Naomi was a widow who had left the promised land

Ruth 1:15-18 And she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 16 But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you." 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Peter was an uneducated fisherman who spoke too soon

Acts 4:8-13 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was

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TELLING THE GOOD NEWS Part 5 rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

Paul was rabbi who was actively persecuting the church

1 Timothy 1:12-17 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

He uses all kinds of people He uses all kinds of circumstances There is no one right kind of evangelist

2. Our Flaws Reveal His Flawless Grace

God's calling of the "weak" and "foolish" is an evidence of His glorious grace

1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

God's power is perfected in our weaknesses

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Let's own our flaws and failures Let's not let weakness be our excuse for not being faithful Let's not doubt God's power Let's pray that God will help us

Big Idea: God uses flawed people as heralds of His flawless grace.

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