The Man God Uses—Part 10: Submitted and Willing
Originally published in Issue 48 of Calvary Chapel Magazine
In this installment, Pastor Chuck explains how God uses a person who is faithful in small things and fully submitted to His will.
Small Things Matter
In response to a dilemma in the early church at Jerusalem, the 12 apostles instructed:
“Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.” Acts 6:3
What business? Verses 1 and 2 explain: that of waiting on tables, or distributing free food to widows (single women were generally unable, in that culture, to earn a livelihood for themselves). The apostles—in order to free themselves to preach and to pray, according to verse 4—appointed these first seven deacons to manage the time-consuming task of daily distribution. Our church today needs many people of similar capacity: janitors, parking attendants, ushers, secretaries, receptionists, Sunday school teachers, counselors, prayer warriors, and more. While some may incorrectly consider these positions menial, they are necessary for the smooth functioning of the church.
Faithfulness in All Things
If God has called you to be a janitor, then follow Paul’s exhortation:
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. Colossians 3:23
Cleaning up trash around the church is a ministry to the Lord. If we do it as such, we are blessed by the Lord—just as much as someone who preaches the Gospel.
When a person works faithfully unto the Lord as a janitor, though, he frequently does not remain a janitor. Many men who were once janitors at our church are now senior pastors at other churches. If we are faithful to the Lord in small things, He may raise us up into greater areas of responsibility.
Later in the Book of Acts, we read about two of these seven deacons, Stephen and Philip, whom God raised up to preach His Word. In chapter 7, God used Stephen to deliver a message so powerful and so convicting that his audience stoned him to death before he could finish his sermon.
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God gave Stephen, a waiter of tables, the distinction of being the first Christian martyr. Philip, likewise, became one of the great first-century evangelists. In fact, we read in Acts 8 that God called Philip out of a major revival in Samaria to share the Gospel with an Ethiopian eunuch. The man was reading the scrolls of Isaiah while traveling back to his homeland after visiting Jerusalem. Upon hearing Philip’s explanation of how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53:7-8, the eunuch came to faith in Christ, got baptized then and there, went back home, and presumably shared the Gospel with his countrymen. History tells us that thousands of people all over northern Africa came to the Lord because of this man’s testimony.
So God uses people who are willing to serve Him in small things. The man God uses is faithful—in all he does.
Submitted and Willing
What kind of man does God use? God uses the man who comes to the cross daily, who has no ambitions for himself. God uses the man whose life brings honor and glory to Christ. God is looking for the person who refuses to seek the applause of men—who, like Jesus, is centered on submission to God’s will. He is looking for the person who is willing to present his body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Are you willing?
We are living in the last days before Jesus returns for His bride, and I believe that God wants to give this world one final witness of His love, grace, and mercy before His righteous judgment comes. The prophet Joel spoke in Joel 2:23 of the former rain and the latter rain. I am praying that the Lord would pour out His Spirit all over the world, that we would see genuine revival—not of the “circus” variety that brings attention to man, but of the genuine variety that draws people to Jesus Christ.
Since Adam’s original sin, God has been looking for people He can use to accomplish His purposes. Genesis 5:24a tells us the simple testimony of such a person: “And Enoch walked with God.”
When your life here on earth comes to an end, do you want to be known as a person who walked with God? Are you willing to allow the Holy Spirit to take complete control of your life right now? During the time of Ezekiel, God searched for a man who would stand in the gap between Himself and the sinful nation of Israel (Ezekiel 22:30). Will you be that type of person?
We catch a glimpse of God’s heavenly glory in Isaiah 6, when Isaiah entered into God’s presence. Isaiah recorded in verse 8:
“I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’”
Do you want God to use your life? Are you willing to say with Isaiah, “Here am I, Lord! Send me”? If so, then it’s time to strap on your spiritual armor, pick up your sword, and get in the battle. For the man God uses is willing to be used.
Follow Pastor Chuck's teachings in this series:
Part 1: Prayer is Key Part 2: Keep an Effective Prayer Life Part 3: Give God the Glory Part 4: Knowing God's Word Part 5: Persecution Part 6: Born Again Part 7: Uncompromised Part 8: Obedience Part 9: A Good Steward
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All verses above are quoted from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
© 2022 Calvary Chapel Magazine (CCM). All rights reserved. Articles or photographs may not be reproduced without the written permission of CCM. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.® Used by permission.