On Sunday, I invited a couple of the kids to the front and said, “Can you take this nut off of this bolt and give it back to me? I need it for my sermon.” After about thirty seconds, they said, “We can’t get it apart. It is too tight.” I then said, “Oh! I forgot to give you the tool to use”, so I reached around the podium and handed them a rubber mallet. They were not impressed! In fact, they would not even take the mallet from me, because they knew that it would not help. What they needed was not just “any tool” but the “right tool”.
To me, that simple little illustration points out one of the problems that many churches (and individuals) face. They, like the kids in my illustration, are ready to help. They put a lot of time and effort into their faith and service. Unfortunately, like the kids, they do not see positive results because they are going about their work in the wrong way. They do not have the proper tools. What is missing? Well, let’s look at some examples from the Bible and see if we can tell what made their work successful.
Let’s start with Moses. He sees the burning bush and hears a voice that tells him to become the leader of God’s people. Moses’ response is, “Who am I that I should go?” (Exodus 3:11). God’s response was simple, but important. He said, “I will be with you” (verse 12). Moses then went and successfully completed the job that God had asked him to do.
Later, God’s people are in trouble. The Egyptian army is chasing them from one side and the Red Sea is blocking their path on the other. The people are scared, but Moses says, “Do not be afraid… the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14). You likely know what happened next.
What about David and Goliath? A little boy armed with nothing but a slingshot and some stones kills a giant warrior. Before he went out on the battlefield he told the king, “The Lord… will deliver me from the hands of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37) and he did.
In each of those examples (and I could list hundreds more), the person fails miserably if left to his own devises and strength. They cannot succeed, because they simply do not have the tools necessary to get the job done. However, when God is involved, everything changes.
We need to find and work within the power of God. When we do, anything can happen.
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).
To me, that simple little illustration points out one of the problems that many churches (and individuals) face. They, like the kids in my illustration, are ready to help. They put a lot of time and effort into their faith and service. Unfortunately, like the kids, they do not see positive results because they are going about their work in the wrong way. They do not have the proper tools. What is missing? Well, let’s look at some examples from the Bible and see if we can tell what made their work successful.
Let’s start with Moses. He sees the burning bush and hears a voice that tells him to become the leader of God’s people. Moses’ response is, “Who am I that I should go?” (Exodus 3:11). God’s response was simple, but important. He said, “I will be with you” (verse 12). Moses then went and successfully completed the job that God had asked him to do.
Later, God’s people are in trouble. The Egyptian army is chasing them from one side and the Red Sea is blocking their path on the other. The people are scared, but Moses says, “Do not be afraid… the Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14). You likely know what happened next.
What about David and Goliath? A little boy armed with nothing but a slingshot and some stones kills a giant warrior. Before he went out on the battlefield he told the king, “The Lord… will deliver me from the hands of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37) and he did.
In each of those examples (and I could list hundreds more), the person fails miserably if left to his own devises and strength. They cannot succeed, because they simply do not have the tools necessary to get the job done. However, when God is involved, everything changes.
We need to find and work within the power of God. When we do, anything can happen.
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).
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