Pastor Cecilia tackled Gideon in today's sermon. Not literally, of course (my wife is laughing at that image). She pointed out how Gideon was not a person who expected to be called by God, nor is he a person who we expect God to pick. Gideon is the self-proclaimed weakest person in his family, the least of their tribe.
Are you messed up? Excellent. That's who God wants to use. As Pastor Cecelia pointed out, messed up people can't claim all the credit. They have to recognize that things only happened through God working in them. Messed up people are in line for service for God; they're also in line for transformation.
Moses couldn't speak in public, David was an adulterer, Noah was a drunkard, Paul was an ideological murderer . . . that's just the sort list. Pretty much everyone had their issues. In referencing the AA greeting, Pastor Cecilia said, "We've all got a hello." Hello, my name is ______ and I'm a _________."
Judges 6:34 says, "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon" (NIV). Pastor Cecilia pointed out that the Hebrew word that gets translated as "came upon" can also be translated as "clothed Itself with." God's desire is for us to let the Holy Spirit clothe Itself with us. No matter how messed up we are.
"Hello, my name is David. I've got a lot of issues and am messed up in plenty of ways. But God wants to fill me with His Spirit, so He can use me and transform me."
1 comment:
Now that's good stuff...thanks for sharing it! I appreciate getting the insights you receive from your sermons to add to what I heard. God is good and speaks in many ways!
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