Becoming Usable (Sermon: Acts 8:9-25)

There is a sharp contrast in Acts 8:9-25 between Simon and the other men listed. Philip preached to change lives. Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit to bring unity to the church. Simon amazed people with his magic to draw attention to himself. Keyword with Simon...self. Philip, Peter, and John all experienced the type of following and fame that Simon was seeking. Yet, unlike Simon, they were not seeking to be an attraction, they were seeking to attract people to Jesus.

Here is the problem I think many believers face: Whether we are teaching a Sunday School class with only 2 members or preaching to great crowds, we are often rewarded with complements and admiration. Be careful. Many who started their service out of love and a desire to serve the Lord have drifted from these motivations and began serving for glory, or for money, or for __________(you can fill in the blank). If we want to be used by God, we have to get self out of the way. We must examine our heart and be willing to let God transform those areas that are not right. Philip, Peter, and John were all used in mighty ways by God, but look at what Peter told Simon about the ministry: "You have neither part nor lot in this matter" (Acts 8:21). And what was the reason that God would not use Simon: "for your heart is not right before God" (Acts 8:21).

You might conclude that there was no place for Simon in the Kingdom of God or that he was unusable, but neither of the conclusions would be true. There was a place for Simon, but he chose to make his own place. And Simon was only unusable for the moment. If Simon had truly repented, he could have been used by God.

Are you usable? Is your heart right before God? If not, do you realize that your current state is only permanent if you want it to be? If you will repent, God can and will use you for His glory. And the amazing thing is that by denying yourself, you will receive more than you could have ever achieved for yourself. Simon could have been a great missionary of the early church, but instead we know of him today as a magician whose heart was not right before God. What could you be if only you were usable?

Learning to Trust (Sermon: Acts 8:1-8)

Trust in the Lord is not something we are born with; it is something that we learn. It's difficult to trust. Something inside of us wants to remain in control, and yet, most of life is out of our control. But do not fear, God is in control. We fear the unknown. We worry about the uncertainty of our future. But do not worry, the future may be unknown to us, but God sees tomorrow as clear as yesterday.

As Saul and others began persecuting the early church, they scattered in fear. I can't blame them for being afraid, but as we now look back in hindsight, we can see that they had nothing to be afraid of. As for the church, God intended the persecution to spread missionaries all over the world. It was part of His plan. As for those who lost their lives, remember what Jesus taught: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt 10:28). John wrote of the revelation that God gave him: "I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been" (Rev 6:9-11). What a great reward was waiting for those who gave their lives, as Paul said: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21).

We see all throughout scripture how God has protected and provided for His people. We have so many reasons to have faith in the Lord and to trust Him completely. So why is it still so difficult to practice trust? For one, recognizing that God has provided for others is a matter of our mind and our reason, but trusting God with our own lives is a matter of the heart. Our heart--our will and our desires--is reluctant to change. So we must constantly surrender new areas of our heart and allow God to mold us and shape us into the image of His Son. Trust in Him comes little by little, but take heart, oak trees don't grow over night.

There are two things that may help you to learn to trust the Lord. First, as you read the scriptures, watch how God never fails those who trust in Him. Second, look back at your own life and recognize how God has been faithful to you in the past. As you meditate on these things, you should find a source of strength to help you to learn to trust Him even more.

Faith Leads To Action (Sermon Acts 7:56-60)

Stephen was a bold preacher, but words are cheap. Many people talk a big talk, yet fail to produce a corresponding walk. Stephen, however, was not the norm. Through his death, Stephen demonstrated that he truly had the faith to support his words. After preaching a harsh and accusatory sermon, Stephen's prayer for his executioners to experience forgiveness reveals that his motives were to bring them to repentance. What a heart Stephen had, to be willing to preach to those who had the power to execute him, and then to pray for their forgiveness will being stoned to death.

That's the thing about faith...it leads us to do things we would never do without it. Faith is difficult to hide, because it keeps producing works. James said, "faith apart from works is dead" (James 2:26).

So why do we see so many people today who profess faith and yet lack works? The saying is: "If it talks like a duck, and it walks like a duck, it probably is a duck." But what about people who talk like believers, and walk like unbelievers, are they believers? I think it is safe to say that in most cases the answer is no, because if you truly believe something, it will always have an effect on your actions.

Stephen believed the message that he was preaching and so he was willing to die for it. Stephen believed God would take care of him through death and so he committed His spirit into His hands. Stephen believed that Jesus' teaching on forgiveness was the best path to take with his life and so he forgave the men that stoned and prayed for them. Why did he do these things? Because faith leads to action.

What acts can you point to in your own life that demonstrate your faith? If you don't have any, don't go and perform acts of service just to produce evidence, that will only lead to empty religion. Instead, if you are lacking acts of service in your life, focus on developing your faith and genuine acts of service will be sure to follow.

Living A Christ-Centered Life

We are born self-centered; the goal of the Christian life is to become Christ-centered. Early on, it seems so simple. In every situation, just put Christ first and ask yourself what would Jesus do. But looking at a Christ-centered life is a lot like watching professional sports. We watch Tiger Woods drive the green and think all you have to do is take a club and hit the ball. We see Peyton Manning lob a 50 yard bomb in for a touch down and think I could do that. But when we first pick up that golf club and swing for the fence, we stand there gazing into the sky, squinting to see our ball that has apparently broken the speed of light, because we can't see it. What a disappointment to finally look down and see the ball still on the tee, unintimidated by our ferocious efforts.

Or we go out to pass the football with our kids. On back we say. No, keep going. Then we rare back, setting our rocket arm, ready to impress the kids. Boom! We fire that ball looking for a perfect spiral. But what we see looks more like a drunk weeble wobble, than a rocket. 20 yards out it hits the ground, 30 yards short of the intended target. "I think the ball is only supposed to go end over end when you kick it, Dad," laughs your daughter. It is at that moment that we realize, this takes skill, practice, hard work, and dedication--so much for your NFL career.

So it is with the Christ-centered life, every moment that we seek to do something for the Lord, something keeps getting in the way--ourselves. To give over control of our lives to Christ is completely against our own sinful self-centered nature. It's hard to do. Trying to make Christ the center of our lives is like trying to train a pet pig not to root in the yard. It might not be impossible, but it is sure difficult to train an animal not to do something that is ingrained in its nature.

The other frustrating part of seeking to live a Christ centered life is once you think you are doing well, all of a sudden you recognize another area of your life that needs to be surrendered. It's like pealing an onion. You remove one layer, only to find another.

So what should you do if you truly desire to live a Christ-centered life. Here's some tips: 1. You can't transform yourself. Only God can truly change your life and enable you to be like Christ. So start by spending time in God's Word. Any scripture will do, it is all inspired and helpful. Just read and try to understand, God will do the rest. 2. Find some Christ-like friends who will speak to you honestly. Everyone needs a friend who is close enough to point out their mistakes. 3. Find a support group, a.k.a. a local church. Even the lone ranger had Tonto, and you and I need other believers who will strengthen and encourage us. 4. When you fall down, get up. Every believer sins, but we must learn to seek forgiveness and try again. 5. Finally, be patient. One day in heaven we will be completely transformed to the image of Christ, but for now we must be content to slowly forge ahead.