Embracing God's Call: Strength in Our Weakness
Summary
### Summary
Today's sermon focused on the profound truth that God chooses to use us in His divine plans, even though He doesn't need us. This reality should humble us and make us realize that our value in God's eyes is not based on our abilities or accomplishments but on His immense love for us. We explored various biblical examples, such as Moses, David, Jonah, and Paul, to illustrate how God consistently uses people who seem least equipped for the tasks He assigns them. This demonstrates that God’s power is made perfect in our weaknesses.
We also heard personal testimonies from members of our congregation who shared how God has worked in their lives. These stories highlighted the importance of being receptive to God's call and the transformative power of His presence. One testimony emphasized how a prayer experience confirmed a young man's calling to speak boldly about God, while another shared how the loss of loved ones tested and ultimately strengthened her faith.
The sermon concluded with a challenge to approach worship and our relationship with God with a sense of reverence and expectancy. When we come before God with an open heart and a genuine desire to encounter Him, He meets us in our need. This is a call to shift our perspective from seeing church as a routine obligation to viewing it as an opportunity to experience the living God.
### Key Takeaways
1. God Uses the Least Equipped: God often chooses to use those who seem least equipped for His work, like David, who was the least of his brothers, or Jonah, who actively resisted God's call. This shows that our inadequacies do not limit God's ability to work through us; rather, they highlight His power and grace. [04:02]
2. Personal Testimonies of Faith: Personal stories of faith, like those shared today, remind us that God meets us in our specific needs and circumstances. Whether it's through a prayer that confirms our calling or through the support of the church community during times of loss, God uses these moments to strengthen our faith and draw us closer to Him. [07:27]
3. Reverence and Expectancy in Worship: When we approach worship with a sense of reverence and expectancy, we create an environment where God can move powerfully. This means coming to church not out of obligation but with a genuine desire to encounter God, which transforms our worship experience and deepens our relationship with Him. [18:22]
4. God Meets Us Where We Are: God is a personal God who meets us exactly where we are and provides what we need. This was evident in the story of Peter, who received a miraculous catch of fish precisely when he needed it most. Similarly, God tailors His interventions to our unique situations, demonstrating His intimate knowledge and care for us. [13:57]
5. Drawing Near to God: The Bible promises that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. This is an invitation to actively seek God's presence in our lives, especially if we feel distant from Him. By holding God accountable to His word and earnestly seeking Him, we can experience a renewed sense of His presence and guidance. [27:17]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[00:39] - Examples of God Using People
[02:01] - The Story of Jonah
[04:02] - God Uses the Least Equipped
[06:04] - Personal Testimonies
[08:42] - The Impact of Loss on Faith
[11:53] - The Role of the Church Community
[13:57] - Peter's Miraculous Catch
[17:08] - The Importance of Expectancy
[19:40] - Reverence in Worship
[24:34] - The Posture of Our Hearts
[27:17] - Drawing Near to God
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NIV): "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. God 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."
2. James 4:8 (NIV): "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
3. Psalm 89:7 (NKJV): "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him."
#### Observation Questions
1. What are some examples from the Bible where God used individuals who seemed least equipped for the tasks He assigned them? (ex [01:17])
2. How did personal testimonies shared during the sermon illustrate God's intervention in specific needs and circumstances? (ex [07:27])
3. What does Psalm 89:7 suggest about the attitude we should have when approaching worship?
4. According to James 4:8, what is the promise given to those who draw near to God?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does God choose to use those who seem least equipped for His work, according to 1 Corinthians 1:27-29? How does this reflect on His power and grace? (ex [04:02])
2. How can personal testimonies of faith, like those shared in the sermon, strengthen the faith of others in the congregation? (ex [07:27])
3. What does it mean to approach worship with reverence and expectancy, and how can this transform our worship experience? (ex [18:22])
4. How does the promise in James 4:8 encourage believers to actively seek God's presence, especially during times of feeling distant from Him? (ex [27:17])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt inadequate for a task God called you to. How did you see God's power and grace at work in that situation? (ex [04:02])
2. How can you be more receptive to God's call in your life, as illustrated by the personal testimonies shared in the sermon? (ex [07:27])
3. What specific steps can you take to approach worship with a sense of reverence and expectancy, transforming it from a routine obligation to an opportunity to encounter God? (ex [18:22])
4. Think of a moment when you felt distant from God. How can you draw near to Him this week, holding Him accountable to His promise in James 4:8? (ex [27:17])
5. Identify one area in your life where you need to shift your perspective from seeing it as a routine obligation to viewing it as an opportunity to experience God. How will you make this change?
6. How can you support someone in your church community who is going through a difficult time, similar to the testimonies shared about loss and faith? (ex [08:42])
7. What practical steps can you take to ensure that your heart is in the right posture when you come to church, ready to encounter God? (ex [19:40])
Devotional
Day 1: God Uses the Least Equipped
God often chooses to use those who seem least equipped for His work, like David, who was the least of his brothers, or Jonah, who actively resisted God's call. This shows that our inadequacies do not limit God's ability to work through us; rather, they highlight His power and grace. [04:02]
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (ESV): "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; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."
Reflection: Think of a time when you felt inadequate for a task God placed before you. How did you see His power and grace manifest in that situation?
Day 2: Personal Testimonies of Faith
Personal stories of faith, like those shared today, remind us that God meets us in our specific needs and circumstances. Whether it's through a prayer that confirms our calling or through the support of the church community during times of loss, God uses these moments to strengthen our faith and draw us closer to Him. [07:27]
Psalm 66:16 (ESV): "Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul."
Reflection: Reflect on a personal testimony of faith that has impacted you. How can you share your own story to encourage others in their walk with God?
Day 3: Reverence and Expectancy in Worship
When we approach worship with a sense of reverence and expectancy, we create an environment where God can move powerfully. This means coming to church not out of obligation but with a genuine desire to encounter God, which transforms our worship experience and deepens our relationship with Him. [18:22]
Hebrews 12:28-29 (ESV): "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."
Reflection: How can you prepare your heart and mind to approach worship with reverence and expectancy this week?
Day 4: God Meets Us Where We Are
God is a personal God who meets us exactly where we are and provides what we need. This was evident in the story of Peter, who received a miraculous catch of fish precisely when he needed it most. Similarly, God tailors His interventions to our unique situations, demonstrating His intimate knowledge and care for us. [13:57]
Psalm 139:1-3 (ESV): "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways."
Reflection: In what specific area of your life do you need to see God's provision and care? How can you invite Him into that situation today?
Day 5: Drawing Near to God
The Bible promises that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. This is an invitation to actively seek God's presence in our lives, especially if we feel distant from Him. By holding God accountable to His word and earnestly seeking Him, we can experience a renewed sense of His presence and guidance. [27:17]
James 4:8 (ESV): "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
Reflection: What steps can you take today to draw nearer to God? Consider setting aside specific times for prayer, worship, or reading Scripture.
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Consider the reality that God didn't sacrifice his son because he wants us to do a task for him but that his love for us is so great that he invites us to be a part of his work." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Jonah did not want for Nineveh to be able to repent so imagine the most apathetic preacher more apathetic than me like imagine the worst possible person to go and share the gospel in the world who's just like guys God's going to destroy your city you don't stop doing what you're doing like he genuinely did not want for the people to be saved that he was preaching to and yet God still used his words." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "What I love is that even in the midst of those tragic moments where God is willing to come in and Minister and move and what I see throughout his stories I just want to share because I know we're running um a long time and so I want to hit something very important is you know how many of you would say without feeling like I'm I'm not going to put a microphone in your in your hand but for those of you who did come uh to balex um how many of you have ever did did you feel the presence of God at any point throughout their experience okay and what I'm trying to get to is is the why because I think often times we can kind of come into our home church and we feel God less than when we feel God when we're away and sometimes I think that that's there's a realization that or we feel like oh I need to go away in order to feel the presence of God and what I want to say is you know when you go away looking to find the presence of God you will find him you will." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "When we walk in to the presence of the or excuse me when we walk into a service or into an environment with a reverence for God he shows up when we walk in apathetic waiting for it to be over often times we're expecting nothing to happen and so all of a sudden nothing happens and we wonder why." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Each of us have something that you know what we're trying to fill that that our inside with and uh and we become aware of the emptiness sometimes whenever someone is taken away from us um but uh but what I love is that even in the midst of those tragic moments where God is willing to come in and Minister and move." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "The beauty of this question is there's not a single wrong answer because there's not a single person in the scriptures that we can point to that God used used that he needed there is not a single person in the scriptures that God used that he couldn't have used someone else but I love that God consistently uses the people who are the least equipped for the task that God is calling them for in fact King David as uh as emus brought out King David was the least of Seven Brothers he was at least of all the brothers his dad even viewed him as such his dad didn't even invite him when and when Samuel went to Jesse and said hey I'm coming to your house and I'm going to look at your sons and anoint one of them for King as a king Jesse went to his sons and says the prophets coming to anoint one of you as king so David you got to watch the Sheep so the rest of your brothers get to come and be anointed because you obviously aren't going to be the one who's going to be made King his own dad didn't even think that he was the guy yet God used him not only to slay Giants but to be the commander of the nation of Israel until one day actually uh command a group called The 30 which is a group of giant Slayers they actually David actually wasn't the most Renown Giant Slayer he was just the one who became king." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "What I love is is a very specifically exactly what Peter needed in that moment and so we hear these stories about what people share and what's so awesome is that God is such a personal God that he will meet you exactly where you are and provide exactly what you need in that moment but what I see as a commonality is that there was a receptiveness to his word." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "When we enter into a place where God is simply where we say God you're lucky to have me God you're lucky I'm here that I'm blessing this church I'm blessing this environment with my presence that you should be glad that I showed up often times we place ourselves as the highest prize but when we walk in and we say God I'm looking forward to seeing you I'm looking forward to hearing the word I believe that you have a word for me today all of a sudden the way we worship is different all of a sudden the way that we hear the sermon is different and we don't just allow for this to be a time of endurance and instead it becomes a time where we're actually here to encounter God." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "When we enter into an environment believing that well this is just what it is and it becomes common all of a sudden we get what we expected to get out of it and the same sermon that many of you are sitting up here and saying God radically showed up in my life was the same sermon I sat here and and heard curse words come coming from behind me and heard students saying things that just were not glorifying to God because they counted it as common and it reminds me of the story The of the nation of Israel who was being brought out of of of slavery in the time of Egypt and as the people wandering through the Wilderness and it took them less than 40 days to abandon God and to worship a chunk of metal because the glory of God had become common the thing that was once glorious had become normal." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "When we walk in to the presence of the or excuse me when we walk into a service or into an environment with a reverence for God he shows up when we walk in apathetic waiting for it to be over often times we're expecting nothing to happen and so all of a sudden nothing happens and we wonder why and so what I'm challenging us with today is I want to read um a passage of scripture in Psalms and it's Psalms 89:7 and we're actually going to bring it back to the uh New King James Version because I like this translation but it says God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be held in reverence by all those around him meaning when we enter into a place where God is simply where we say God you're lucky to have me God you're lucky I'm here that I'm blessing this church I'm blessing this environment with my presence that you should be glad that I showed up often times we place ourselves as the highest prize but when we walk in and we say God I'm looking forward to seeing you I'm looking forward to hearing the word I believe that you have a word for me today all of a sudden the way we worship is different all of a sudden the way that we hear the sermon is different and we don't just allow for this to be a time of endurance and instead it becomes a time where we're actually here to encounter God." (60 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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