God Equips His People for His Work

You make a mistake when you use the world’s standard to judge the qualities of a Christian.  A person’s eloquence, coolness or success in the business world means nothing to God on their own.  A leading expert in a field can do nothing for God without a rock solid relationship with Jesus.  The most successful CEO will be an utter failure running a church without a heart for Jesus.  The sole defining quality of great workers for the Lord is being with Him.  God will give you the ability to do His will if you seek to do it.  God doesn’t call the qualified for His work.  They are a dime a dozen.  God calls the man who is devoted to God.  He then equips him for the tasks ahead.

Judging for anything other than Godliness is setting up the church for disaster.

Let Go of Your Fake Identity

Say there is an opening on the elder board of a church.  The standard operating procedure in response is to form a search committee.  The committee looks at the church members to judge who in the congregation would be best suited for the role.  If the job requires organization, they look to a winning coach or a leader in the professional world.  If it requires handling money, they look at the successful businessman or banker.  The reasoning is that they are used to handling people, leading people and raising money so they can transfer their skills into the church version.  This makes sense according to man’s logic but is a terrible error in God’s eyes.  God never judges a man by the world’s standards.  God’s leaders are very different than man’s.

The man who has all the skills but doesn’t have God is completely unqualified.

The person who is completely overwhelmed by the idea of the position but is on fire for the Lord is God’s first choice.

Your Invitation to Dangerous Discipleship

The Apostle Paul’s Job Interview

Consider Saul of Tarsus’ qualifications when he was chosen by God.  Paul is the greatest evangelist in human history.  He wrote much of the New Testament.  He is the example of faith millions have tried to emulate throughout history.  He was a great leader and awesome Christian.  Yet, when he was chosen to lead and serve, Paul was totally unqualified.

Can you imagine the search committee for the church at Antioch charged with picking the next evangelist for their church?  You know what Paul the Apostle did when he was chosen by God to be His anointed vessel of the Gospel.  It is easy to forget his resume. Saul’s interview before the official Antioch evangelist search committee would go something like this:

Interviewer Ananias:  So you want to be hired by our church, what were you doing in your last position?

Interviewee Saul:  Well Sir, I spent the last few years, up until a couple of days ago actually, doing my best to destroy other churches.  I even tried to go to Damascus and destroy the new church you have there.  I was really good at it too!  They compared me with a wild animal tearing at its prey.

Interviewer Ananias:  Ok, so I will write down that you are a real self-starter.  How did you find out about our advertisement for a position?

Interviewee Saul:  Well, it’s an interesting story.  You see, I was holding the clothes of those who were stoning your friend Stephen to death, stoning being hard work and all and I heard him talking.  Then I was helping put other church members in jail, forcing them to betray Christians and then having them killed.  They were all talking about how great the pastor of your church is, how you have great benefits and how I should apply here.  Then after I  purposefully ignored that for a while, goads stink BTW, while I was on the way to Damascus to get more workers I mentioned killed or jailed, I met the boss.  After He knocked me down and blinded me, He said I had the job!

Interviewer Ananias:  What position are you applying for?

Interviewee Paul:  I want to be a Chosen Vessel of God and an Apostle.  I would also like to write the majority of Jesus’ New Testament and preach grace to the world.

Interviewer Ananias:  Great, you are hired!

I have interviewed a lot of people in my career, but never someone as ill-suited for the position as Saul of Tarsus.  He should have been thrown out of the interview and perhaps into jail, if the calling of Apostle was based on worldly wisdom.  His resume proved he was totally unfit for the job.  Yet, God chose him.

God Chose You For a Purpose!

Paul was perhaps the last person in the world to be chosen an Apostle before meeting Jesus.  It would be like asking Osama Bin Laden to fill in as Prime Minister of Israel for a while.  Based on logic and history, it is just not going to end well.  But God picked Paul and made him His chosen vessel to use for the remainder of his lifetime.

God’s Power Made Perfect in Weakness Not Strength

Paul was extraordinarily weak in the very areas that God needed workers.  This is exactly how God wants it.  It is often when a man is totally weak and completely without ability that God does his best work.  God is happy to show His power in abundance when you are reliant on Him.  It is only when you think you are strong that God’s stage becomes cluttered.  There is only one star of the show in God’s theater and it is not you.  David is also a great example of the decision makin of God.  David was not qualified to fight Goliath.  God chose him anyway.  He wasn’t huge like Saul but Saul did not trust God like David.

God’s choice of Paul was perfect and awesome.  Paul converted thousands and taught holiness to the thousands more in the early church.  This was not because Paul was a diamond in the rough.  This was not Paul discovering his untapped potential.  It was God’s power working through a desperately unqualified but willing servant.  It was God’s plan, God’s mission and God’s power lived out simply, not Paul.

Why was David Chosen to Be King?

God Equips the Called – Do We Trust Him?

Do you feel called by God to do something in God’s Kingdom but feel unqualified?  Do you feel worthless in your church, like you can’t do anything and have nothing to add?

If the answer is yes, then answer this:

Have you been out trying to destroy your church?  Have you been killing Christians and forcing them to renounce Jesus’ name?

No, then you are already a better candidate for Christian service than Saul of Tarsus.  You are hired!

God chose you for a purpose just like He chose Paul and David.  His choice alone, His plan, His purpose.

It may not seem to make sense at the time, but God does not judge like you do.  He does not look at the outward appearance, but at the heart and He is never wrong.  He chose you, warts  and all.

Do you trust God in His choice? He will provide His power to get His results.  You provide the clay pot.  You are enough because God picked you.  God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

It is the One who called that is important not the one who is called.  Understanding and remembering this is the key to our every step in faith.

Do You Want to See God’s Glory?