 |
|
|
|
It is said that human beings are born twice in this world; ·
Born to be existed ·
Born to work If he or she could not find work, there is no meaning of
living. We are worthy to
exist in this world if we have enough work to do.
There is a strong desire to the human being to serve others. If we are needed by
others, especially, by God, that is a blessing. Beloved
brothers and sisters, I would like for us
to be needed by God. We need to understand
that the entire population could not be utilized 100% by God. In the Bible,
in a
large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of
wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 2Tim 2:20 In a church, there are so many positions: elders position, deacons
position,
bible womens position, Sunday school teachers
position, Cell leaders
position, praising teams position and choir position, etc. Even we haave a
position; it does not mean we are needed by God. Even if it is the same
articles, some are used for a great useful purpose, but some are not. The
purpose of the positions is different and is needed differently. For example, in the
Bible, able workers were rejected
by God and incapable workers were lifted and needed by God.
Saul and David are good examples. Sauls
appearance was excellent and had all the characteristics of leaders.
However, he was rejected by God. David
was a shepherd who did not have a good education.
But he became a great king of Israel and a leader of leaders who
were respected and honored by the people. What is the
difference between Saul and David? God
said that I have found
David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want
him to do.' God
told Samuel that then
I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with
knowledge and understanding. Finally, David was
utilized by God and accomplished what God wanted.
Today,
we want to review how God selects His servant and how He utilizes His
servant. Also, we want to be
utilized by God. First,
the Lord utilizes those who have faith at the heart. Verse 7절
여호와께서
사무엘에게
이르시되
그
용모와
신장을
보지
말라
내가
이미 그를
버렸노라 나의
보는 것은
사람과 같지
아니하니 사람은
외모를 보거니와
나 여호와는
중심을 보느니라
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not
consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected
him.
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the
outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the
heart."
The only reason David was selected, was that he had faith in
his heart. As a young boy, he
had the faith. He
was not as strong as others; but he had the encouragements to kill lion
and he had the faith when reaching
into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the
Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the
ground. David
said to the Philistine, "You come against me with a sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the
armies of Israel, whom you have defied. David had the faith in his
heart. After he became a
king and was living in a kingdom made by cedar beams, his heart was in trouble as he thought about the ark
that was not in the palace. Most people seek God
diligently while they are poor and in trouble, but easily forget when they
enjoy their happiness. But
David thought about God when he was in glory, and he decided to build a
sanctuary when he was in peace. In
Psalm, he said that my soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my
heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
David had the faith at his heart
as well as love toward the Lord. God
observed Davids
heart and utilized him as one of the great kings. One of research
institutes has
a
survey of public opinion that if you want to change your appearance, would
you like to change it? 94% of
males said yes and 99% of females said yes. The
results indicated that most of the people are not satisfied with their
appearance. These kinds of
dissatisfaction about their appearance might lead them to dangerous inferiority complex. Korea is well known as the heaven of plastic surgery. Even
elementary students started to have plastic surgery.
Also males who have had an oral examination for a job do plastic
surgery. When I was a young
boy, I wanted a shot to grow my height. God in
heaven was confused to see His children when they come to heaven due to
cosmetic surgery. Man
looks at the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at the heart." Do
you believe it? Do you wanted to be
utilized by God?
Please
love Him with all your heart and have the faith to trust him all the way. Second,
God lifts and utilizes the weak man. Verse 1 Fill
your horn
with oil
and be on your way; I am sending
you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king. Man
looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD
looks at the heart.
Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him,
The LORD has not chosen these. There was no hope for the youngest, so his
father asked him to tend the sheep. So
he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?"
"There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but
he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we
will not sit down until he arrives." God did not select
the first son of Jesse but the last son, David, who became the 2nd
king. Beloved! In order to be used
by God, we should think we are not the first, but the last. What do you
mean by that? God utilizes
a humble spirit.
Do you believe it? God
opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. God
utilizes a
humble spirit. God
uses those who believe they are the last. There was no other
great king, army general and poet like David in the Old & New
Testament. However, he committed
adultery and was a murderer. He
committed adultery with Bathsheba,
the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later sent Uriah to the battlefield and
was killed. In spite of adultry
and murder, he was called by God. It
was simply because he recognized his sins, repented and had a humble
spirit. In the Bible, God has
a basic principle to call people. He likes the humble spirit and
the
powerless for His kingdom. David was that kind
of man as well as the disciples of Jesus and Paul, the Apostle for foreigners. Paul explained later
the theory of selection. Brothers,
think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by
human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 그러나
하나님께서
세상의
미련한
들을
택하사
지혜
있는
자들을
부끄럽게
하려
하시고
세상의
약한
것들을
택하사
강한
것들을
부끄럽게하려
하시며
하나님께서
세상의
천한
것들과멸시받는
것들과
없는
것들을
택하사
있는
것들을폐하려
하시나니
이는
아무
육체라도
하나님앞에서
자랑하지
못하게
하려
하심이라
(고전1:27-29)
But
God chose the foolish things of the world
to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He
chose the lowly things of this world and the despised
things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are,
so
that no one may boast before him. Do I have an Amen? God
chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
I want us to be used by God. Dong Ahn Presbyterian
church pastor and a seminary faculty in Seoul, Korea, Rev. Kim told his
life story. He serves 4-5,000
members. He is a great man of God, but he was the last in the class in his
middle school. He said that
being the last in the class is harder than being the first.
Nobody in the classroom bothered him at all and they tried to help
him out. He said that he enjoyed being the last.
Later on he realized his performance and the parents
expectation; he studied hard to be a pastor. Verse11
so he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?"
"There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is
tending the sheep. David was chosen by
God, because he was faithful in his duties. The Bible indicates that God
always chooses those who are diligent and devoted. ·
Moses was called while he was tending
sheep at Jethro,
Moses' father-in-law. ·
Joseph was recognized by God even though
he was in a jail as an honest and spirit filled prisoner. ·
Elisha was called
while the herd was out of the field. ·
Peter was called
while he was fishing with his fishing net. ·
Tax Collector, Matthew was called while he was working hard at his
office. Brothers and sisters, Sometimes, God called
stupid, under educated sinners, but He never calls those who are lazy and
irresponsible. Those who understood
the mission and became a great man in the Bible usually lived with the
mission and died with the mission. Man
evaluates with the results and achievement, but God sees the motivation
and the heart. ·
How did he do his best? ·
How did he faithfully, diligently and
responsibly carry out his duties? These are his criteria. The reason God chose
David is that he was faithful in his duties and responsibilities. Man said that if you
give me the job I want, I will be faithful to you.
However, God said that if you are faithful to me, I will give you
the job you wanted. 4.
Lastly, God uses those who were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Verse13 사무엘이
기름 뿔을
취하여
그
형제
중에서
그에게
부었더니
이
날 이후로
다윗이
여호와의
신에게
크게
감동되니라
사무엘이
떠나서
라마로
가니라
So Samuel took the horn
of oil
and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day
on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to
Ramah. God is the Spirit.
Therefore, He uses only a spiritual person.
No matter how much they are devoted, they could not do the work of
God without the Holy Spirit. If we work with our
own power, determination and enthusiasm, we would not have the joy we need
and start to complain to others. Sometimes
it keeps up appearances only. The
man of God and those who want to be utilized by God should be filled with
the Holy Spirit. Saul
was a great king, but he was arrogant, so God rejected him.
After departure of the Holy Spirit, he became an ugly criminal and coward man. However,
David was anointed by God via Samuel and filled with the Holy Spirit. After being anointed
by the Holy Spirit, Davids
life was dedicated to the Lord and the miraculous victories followed him...
How can we be filled
with the Holy Spirit? We must kneel down in front of the Lord and hear the
word of God. The most important and fundamental belief is to hear the
word of God. As an
extreme
view, without praising, we can believe Jesus as our personal savior.
Without praying, we might live as Christian, but without the word
of God, we could not survive as Christian.
It is impossible go through without the word of God. As we read and hear
the word of God, we will be filled the Holy Spirit.
I want you to invest more time in reading and meditating the word
of God. The word of God will
fill the Holy Spirit in our heart and lead us to be used by God. I saw so many
Christians in my 48 years of Christian life and the last 15 years of
ministry. ·
I
met so many Christians who had enthusiasm in serving others. ·
I
met so many Christians who make great offering without an unsparing hand. ·
I
met so many Christians who had zeal in evangelism. ·
But
I realized that the winner at the last was that those who were close to
the word of God and meditate the word of God. I am not saying that serving others, giving offering and
evangelism are not important. They
are very important in the Christian life. When we are filled
with the Holy Spirit, serving
others, giving offering and evangelism come automatically. We must take care of
the most important things first, which is reading the word of God. Without
the word of God, we will be an empty Christian. He,
who has ears, let him hear. Beloved brothers and sisters, Do you want to be
utilized by God? I want you to keep only God in your heart and satisfy
with Him. Lets
remember the following comments: ·
I am the last for you to use me. ·
I am still imperfect. ·
I am incapable and wanted to be humble. ·
Do your best whatever you are in,
especially your duties and responsibilities. ·
Be filled with the Holy Spirit with the
word of God Then God will lift
and utilize us for His kingdom. As I review our
church and this community we are in, we need faithful servants. In community and
business, they need capable workers. They
should have professional knowledge, experience and good college education
and good family background. However, Those who are needed
by God or needed by the Church do not need external conditions.
They do not need to have good appearance, but faith, humbleness,
sincerity and filled with the Holy Spirit. We want to be used by
God to glorify Him and
acknowledged
by God and fellow Christians. May
Gods richest blessing be upon you and your family. |
|
 |
|
|