“God wants to use you for His glory!”

Ever heard that line before? Or better yet, how often have we told this to others hoping it would be an incentive to ‘come to Jesus’ and join our church so God could use all their wonderful skills and talents for the kingdom of God? (Translated to mean it would help our church grow and bring more people in).

I don’t know about you, but does anyone else ever find it disturbing when a well-known celebrity shows any inclination to ‘joining God’s team’, and how they are quickly paraded about and celebrated by those in church leadership? Seems James had some harsh words about doing such things in his letter but what would he know about trying to build God’s kingdom in the 21st century? (James 2:1-9)

Yet this idea of ‘being used by God’ has sure taken a twisted turn in the modern day church world. It’s almost like we think God needs our abilities and talents to expand His kingdom and if ‘old so-and-so attended church here, we could really get some things done for God’.

So let’s talk about this: Does God indeed want to ‘use’ us for His ‘glory’? And why is it that God seems to want or need good singers more than any other person to be glorified by? This is not going to please a lot of folks but the amount of emphasis and attention given to singing/musical talents and abilities in the church world has been grossly over-emphasized and celebrated. And should that surprise any of us given many believe that Lucifer (Satan) was allegedly a leader of worship in heaven? And don’t get me started on the amount of TV shows today that are centered around people’s singing abilities and talents. I don’t believe this is a coincidence by any stretch of the imagination.

So just how is God really ‘glorified’? Well, if what Jesus taught carries any weight, look what He said in John 15:8 – “By this My Father is glorified- that you bear much fruit, so you will be My disciples.”

And guess what we learn in John 12:24-26 regarding fruit being produced? Something has to die first. Whup....one more time: Something. Has. To. Die. First.

Welcome to Christianity 101 and learning to be a follower of Jesus. Today, we are more inclined to putting a microphone into the hands of a new convert than we are teaching them to take up a cross instead.

So you really want to be ‘used by God’, do you? Well, let me ask you this:

Does the scrawny freshman who missed all the ‘2-a-day’ summer workouts on the football field get the starting nod to lead the varsity team on Friday nights?

Does the 18-year old, freshly shaven navy-recruit get placed on S.E.A.L. Team 6 to lead a group into Gaza (for relevant example) to rescue hostages...two days after he joined the Navy?

And that wild, unbroken stallion I referred to yesterday...Do they toss a rope around its neck, hose him down quickly and then throw a saddle on him and then tell the king he’s ready to be ridden?

I’m guessing we all know and agree with the answer to those three questions. Yet...when it comes to the most significant calling anyone could ever receive...this invite to follow Christ – we’ve tried to dismiss and cover up the truth that there will be suffering and ‘dying’ for any and all who come to Him with all their hearts. And to think there is any other way is simply a false premise and a deadly, deceptive doctrine; (or as Paul suggested- ‘another gospel’- 2 Cor. 11:2-4) If you truly want to ‘live in Him’, you are going to have to ‘die first’. You might just spend some time reading the first 11 verses in Romans 6 later today.

Remember that rich, young ruler who wanted to ‘join the team’? Jesus was ready to invite him in but first...there was a little ‘test’ to see if his heart was fully committed. Jesus asked him to lay something down and leave it behind. The young man balked...and decided he was not that fully invested. It was the old ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ response and it grieved him so as he turned and walked away. (Matt. 19:20-22)

Now before you are tempted to jump up and ask: “Are you saying God only uses perfect people?”, I would respond with: ‘of course not’. Look how Jesus sent out those 70 to cast out demons and such and were delegated power to do so by Him. (Luke 10:17-20). But they were ‘disciples’, not ‘church attendees’. And what is the difference you ask? That’s easy: A disciple is a follower. And guess what Jesus leads His followers to do? He leads us to take up a cross and put to death all the fleshly sinful desires that reside within our old man; our old, sinful nature. (Rom. 8:13). And guess how we know who truly belong to Christ? Try visiting Gal. 5:24 again.

That young 18 year old who sees the glossy pamphlet in the recruiter’s office suggesting he too, could become a trained SEAL member...most likely understands there is a bit of a rigorous training that lies ahead of him first. Why aren’t most believers enlightened to the same truth?  Bet that is easy to figure out.

Let’s get practical here for a moment and share how God will test our hearts early on. It’s really not complicated nor tricky. Jesus tell us all up front...”you are going to be perfect/complete just like the Father in heaven is perfect”. (Matt. 5:48) No ‘sleight of hand there’, just straightforward and honest. And this was the way He wrapped up some other ‘standards’ that would be expected...things like...”you heard it said in times past you shall not murder? I’m telling you if you call someone a fool you will be in danger of hell fire. And that command about not committing adultery? I’m telling you if you even look on a woman and lust in your heart, you have already committed adultery.” (Matt. 5:21-22, 27-28)

Um...say what? (Can't you see the young disciple recruit looking to the guy next to him with wide open eyes, hissing...”What did Jesus just say?”)

So you got teary-eyed at the revival or recent church gathering and you ‘raised your hand to accept Christ’. Good for you. Most likely at some point you will be encouraged to be baptized in water in order to “make your profession public”. Chances are, you won’t be read all the ‘fine, small print’ that suggest you are now ‘burying your old life and dying to self as you take up a cross and surrender to the Lordship of Christ’. (Rom. 6:3-6). And while God is going to take you at your word, make no mistake about it...He then will ‘test your heart’ to see how serious you are about all this. (Deut. 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4)

I’ve shared here in the past one of those first ‘tests’ I had early on in my walk. I was gung-ho and ready to follow Jesus wherever He led me, not really knowing what I had signed on for. Seems that after I was baptized early on, I kept coming across verses in my Bible about the sin of fornication. I was still ‘sleeping with’ my then, girlfriend at the time. We were not married and the Bible is quite clear- this is sin. And God is not good with that, at all. It was one of the first ‘Canaanite nations’ that needed to ‘come off the land’. And it stopped me in my tracks...ever so briefly. There was no question – IF...I was going to continue on with Jesus, I was going to have to repent and not do that anymore. Period. Well, unless I bought in to ‘another gospel’.

There was none of this...”Well, God understands you have needs and you are human and weak and He loves you and is merciful so if you keep doing it then just ask for forgiveness.” I’m sorry, but it does not work that way. I had a choice to make: I’m either going to love God with all my heart and obey...and repent (turn from) or I’m going to love the sin of fornication more and hold on to it. Then maybe I can ‘re-negotiate’ my contract with God and take the easier path of still being a follower of Jesus while I continue to eat off that tree of death. (Rom. 8:13)

Maybe your early testing's are different. So you are married and even ‘faithful’ to your spouse. That’s good. But what about that tendency to snap at one another all the time, make snarky and rude comments, criticize and find fault with each other. Does that sound like ‘loving others as Christ loved us?” And does Ephesians 5:25 exhort husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church? Why is it that we have bought in to the lie that ‘every marriage struggles’ and ‘is hard’ given of course, when any two imperfect people come together to live as one...that sparks of confrontation will always fly. Who told us that?

Oh...wait...maybe one of the first tests to see how serious you are about following Jesus is to lay aside that snarky and rude behavior, seasoned with outburst of wrath and anger. That is what ‘repenting’ means...you turn from it and don’t do it anymore. We put it to death as opposed to doing it over and over and then think we can just keep coming back and ‘being forgiven’ all the time. Yes, 1 John 2:1 promises forgiveness...IF...we sin; not ‘when’.

And before you slip off into the pit of despair and self-condemnation because you have tried repeatedly in the past to ‘do better’, it is quite probable that you have been trying to overcome on your own. I want to encourage you that there is more power and victory at hand that you could have ever imagined. I will expound on this more, tomorrow (Lord willing). But I want to close out with a statement that might be hard for some to accept but you need to hear it anyway.

When you begin this walk of faith with Jesus...and He points out a particular area of sin that ‘needs to go’ (be repented of and overcome), should you balk...and want to ‘offer up something else instead’...and. try to quote a bunch of other verses and nice sayings to make you feel better about continuing in your sin...do not be deceived...you just shut down the process of abiding in Him. He is Lord and you are not. And if you find yourself wanting to ask...”But are you still ‘saved’?,” well, then you are asking the wrong question. Join me tomorrow?