Precious in His Sight - Wings, Part 1

The Bible is full of men and women that God used in credible ways me to do the impossible. Why were they chose what was it about them that made them was more ready in situations they face. To be greatly today to learn how we can be used by God.

Stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christian Bible to nearing the end of our series, precious in his sight taught by her guest teacher Teresa for these last two programs show impact us from being by God reminder if you missed part of the series to catch up to the chipping. It's a great way to listen to Living on the Edge anytime without.

Here's Teresa with today's talk and go when learn to reflect Christ in our world right of free expression of the truly unique individual that God is creating today the wonderful you are and God tells us that there is a calling upon each of our lives because of all the spiritual blessings is that because all all that he's given us because of what Christ has done in our lives because of who we are. We have a responsibility to make an impact in the sphere of influence so that others will experience the love of God through ask that we will bring the message of God's truth to them. We have a responsibility we have a calling because of all the wonderful things for guys given tasks in Ephesians 210. It says for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them and called to do good works.

We were all created and prepared to do God's work of and he is chosen to be in his feet and his voice in his arms of love and ministers of good works to others. He says let your light shine before men that they may do good works and and and and glorify your Father who is in heaven and S as we lost someone his unlovable and as we give sacrificially of our time. And as we serve others, and we put their needs before our own Nestlé's RTS Arst virtual gaps and abilities to build up the body of Christ in the light of Christ shines lately through the sayings and people see Christ in us will see Christ in his second Corinthians 520 it says therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, we have been called to be God's ambassadors. We have been appointed by him to be his ambassadors as an investor. We represent him with speak for him.

We influence others on behalf of Christ and were here as his representative. Tell others who God has entrusted us with this special job he's entrusted this to all of his children, so God didn't just give us a position in his royal family didn't just give us a new identity, but he has given us the privilege of being his representative of carrying his name being his witness to the world and he says to you that you are so significant to him that he is going to allow you to represent his name to the rest of the world. And as you do that, that his power will work in you and that he will use you in a mighty way. God's truth says about you. Says I am a competent person, equipped by the holy parent to carry out God's will in my life way that pleases him regardless of what stage of growth.

I may be in the present my real importance in life is connected with the way I am touching other people's lives with the love of God and the message of Christ now is sometimes so it's hard for us to believe that God would ever use us in a great way or that we could ever do anything significant with our lives and we think is my life really count for anything know when I die I made any difference at all you know we all down deep inside long to be significantly long to know that were doing something important with their lies.

But sometimes we wonder that when it's all said and done, you know, and I made any difference if I made any impact does anything really matter what people remember about me, but will they remember about me when I die.

Well many times.

The only hindrance standing in the way of our having a great impact for God in our lives is asked. The only thing standing in the way and sometimes the other thing is that we wrongly perceive the what are those significant activities. What are the things that are truly significant to God. We wrongly fists perceive what those are and so this morning going to talk about for roadblocks, negative beliefs that we can have that hinder God being able to use us in the way that he would want to. When my children were little.

I just loved reading stories next to them and I said I still wondering children's books.

I reliance is a kids books that we put in libraries because aunt Teresa, high-rise. Sometimes I would read at readme read a story my kids and and there was a truth in it just really spoke to me that would happen a lot and there was one particular story that I always remembered in the name.

The story was called wings and is about little garter snake and caterpillar and one day this little caterpillar slid down from the branch of a willow tree and a young garter snake came out of the flower bed and they introduce themselves to each other in the garter snake said.

Everybody knows me. They admire Michael's stripes and my shiny dark green again.

While the little caterpillar begin the stretch and curl down softly.

You don't do that right in the garter snake keep it more movement into a more wiggle and twist the garter snake began to show the caterpillar how he could twist do and often over side to side and borrow into a circle. The caterpillar tried again and did her best to dance like the garter snake house that she is probably terrible you'll never be a snake.

The garter snake looked at her sadly I'm afraid you just haven't got the talent but caterpillar was getting tired and decided she could rest for a while. Maybe she would be able to learn the caterpillar callback and in the tree and began to spend something fine, glossy, and tied yourself to branch 91 thought the snake, the snake glided away to another part of the garden forgot about the caterpillar wellspring came in the garter snake remember the caterpillar. He wondered what it become the firm went back to the tree to find out I could see was a strong looking bundle hanging from the stem of the leaf caterpillar is that you might hear sleepyhead. Do you know how long you've been there.

The little caterpillar stretched out a sticky wing to dry the air and then she stretched out another wing wings explained garter snake, caterpillar, what have you done I didn't thing butterfly said I really didn't do anything.

The garter snake began to beg her to think there must be something she could tell me grow wings, a bird looked out from her house. Why are you happy the way you are.

She asked me just to be me. She said that's all right for you say said the garter snake you already have wings. He begged her again to tell them what she did do anything I just want to sleep all that the economy of rest.

What happens the garter snake slid over to the rock and Jan but he wasn't sleepy and the bird said my poor boys don't waste your time grow wings, why not send the little snake grow wings because your peers didn't have wings.

That's why my parents had wings said the butterfly so headlines in the bird sanity garter snake realized he made never be able to fly any try not to cry know you want the butterfly said you can dance like a dream to down I set the garter and needed a special twist and twirl there not many as good as I am. I guess I like myself the way I am pretty cute story and the garter snake see thought it was pretty special until he began to compare himself with the butterfly and then he became dissatisfied with how he was uniquely made.

Even though he can dance like a dream, and our first roadblock to God being able to use in the special way that he wants to is comparing myself with others.

If I could be like her. If I can have her spiritual dance if I could have her money or her abilities or her personality, then God could really use my life if I could be like her, looking around at what others are doing and what their gifts are and we start thinking their gifts are better than mine or I may become envious of the way God is using her life and so then I tried to be like them, or to be better than them and I and I failed to see and to appreciate the national gifts and abilities that God has given me in second Corinthians 1012 it is what God says about comparison. It says for we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commit themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves. They are without understanding. He says that we compare ourselves with others. We don't really understand who we are.

We are not really being content with how God is made and were not accepting the special qualities that God gave us and we think that RTS don't really matter at the target site really is important to someone else's and we can find an example of this and John 21 is a real interesting passage here that after Jesus death and resurrection, he appeared to his disciples and he spent time with with the method. The Sea of Galilee. Jesus dearly loved on his disciples. They were very special to him and they were each one chosen very specifically by hand each had a unique background and personality and gifts that God would use in a special way to build his church and to proclaim the condemn of God in John 2021 verses 20 to 22 Peter turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, following them. The one who had leaned back on his friend to suffer and said Lord is the one who betrays you, appears referring to John here, he's looking back and he sees John and Peter therefore seen John DeJesus, Lord. And this man Jesus said to him I want him to remain until I come.

What is sent to you. You follow me and he said Peter was so was talking to Jesus. John Harrington used his life and what happened to John and he says you follow me and what I called you to do and I will take care of how I would use other people and John and Peter were called to very different types of ministry very different types of service for the Lord and they were not to question why and they were not to compare their ministries with each other but they were to be obedient to God and what he wanted them to do with their unique gifts and abilities and God would use each exam to impact have an impact in their world for Christ out of the life application commentary I read this says if we want to follow Jesus. We must be totally committed to obeying him.

But God's call and the result of that obedience are different for every person. God can use all kinds of people. He has specific plans and service for the impulsive peters the thoughtful and sensitive John and the forceful. Paul's God takes into consideration each person's nature and abilities. Each Christians call and guided by God and is accountable to no one but God. Christian should not make comparisons among themselves or judge others regarding how each is fulfilling God's plan.

We must be content with where God has placed us and not be jealous about what he is given others to do tells us not to compare our cells with other people but Jesus command is to come, follow me. That's what he wants us to do. And as we do that as we follow him with the unique gifts in the abilities and our backgrounds in our personalities and pain and I and our struggles, even if what we have seen small in comparison to others that he'll use this in a great way to spread his love and the message of salvation in this world to God wants to use you in the unique way that he's created you, no one else is like you and no one else has the sphere of influence that you have about that. The people that you are connected with her in an area that you have an influence over no one that that you and your life may be the only connection with Christ. To some people will ever have a Brian Mitch Chow wrote a little song called me and he says all my life I tried to please others. All my life I've put on an act for others. I will not do this for if I spend my time trying to be someone else who will spend time being that impact and this sphere of influence what he has placed you and what he wants you to do and sometimes our deeds seem so small and petty that we think that there is significant and God watched as the widow put her couple of pennies in the offering. That day she gave all she had to him and you want it was no small thing to God. It may seem insignificant in the world that it was no small thing to God and you know there's no small days that are done in God's eyes when they are done out of the heart of love towards him, and there are no spiritual gifts so small and unimportant that they are not critical to the health of the body of Christ need to remember that were all important. God needs you and he need your DS just the way you are and there's an older lady in our church and she just loves to bake cookies.

I'm sure some of you know who should pay she is. She loves to bake cookies and she's good at it can make all kinds a little fancy cookies and she had a streak of encouragement by baking cookies. Ensuring is cookies with other people and our family has been one of those been able to receive her cookies and and we call our kids call her affectionately lady because we know when a holiday rolls around, or sometimes just in between, there's gonna be a plate of cookies left for us and you know God is used her offering of love to encourage us some lines. Anderson amazing you know that she doesn't even know this, that she would leave cookies for us and it was right when we were having people over or we were reaching out in some way to people not the time to make something cookies remain are there wonderful cards using her an amazing, insignificant compared to other things that we think about, but it's not insignificant to God and she's doing that in the will of God and her reward will be great in heaven because of that love here if you're taking prayer seriously talk about something else that sometimes seems insignificant to be involved in. If you're taking prayer seriously in your life you're already had a great impact you already are and we tend to think that we were doing something out there when were accomplishing these great things are doing some kind of activity thing that others can see, we tend to think that that's really have an impact that were really doing something that you know why prayer is the most significant activity that we can ever be involved in. We can ever do. There's a prayer team that some praying for this retreat has been praying for you and for all that's happened here and I probably hardly anybody in here knows who they are. We not know who they are but they are having a great impact evidenced by what is here this weekend is that the most significant thing that we can do.

Prayer is a vehicle through which God empowers our ministries and our lives to accomplish as well and I am confused that in the storehouses of heaven that there's all kinds of blessings and answers. A prayer for which people didn't even bother to ask me to skin it says the effective prayer of a righteous person accomplishes much in James.

It accomplishes much you know it's easy to get out there and do things that look good but God might not been done and he uses those whose hearts are tender and open towards him and by spending time in prayer and seeking his guidance for life and for ministries we experience the power in those activities in and works that we do so that's not insignificant to God you're having a great impact.

If you're praying.

So robot number one is comparing myself with others. She measures herself and compares herself with others is without understanding. She doesn't see the whole picture. She doesn't understand who she really is what this roadblock is focusing on my weaknesses, failures, instead of God, and that is what might my life is to messed up my life is to broken for God to use me never use me. I used to believe that second Corinthians 12 910 says, and he has said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.

Most gladly therefore, I would rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses with insults with distresses with persecutions with difficulties for Christ sake from when I see Van dine strong receipts when were we that we realized that I can't do this on my own and I need the Lord. I can't do this in my own strength and that will take will stop and will allow the power of God to begin to work in our lives and we realize that I need coincide then I need the Lord. He will be the one that will give me strength and as I yield my life to him. There's no telling what God can do.

He will be amazed at what he can do. He says that we should set our eyes continually for him because he is at my right hand I will not be shaken. She will be there in a powerful way and God was to take ordinary people like you and me and with all of our cracks. All of our failures in Anbar weaknesses only have cracks similar cracks are just bigger than others, but we all have anyone to use us as his witnesses swirled God uses are broken past. He uses the sin in our lives that we have confessed to him. He uses the failures that we've experienced in our lives to help other people grow to teach other people and give them hope is they see how God is changed asking uses those things and he says of all things work together for good to those who love him crop.

God promises us that he will always bring good out of everything that is offered up to him. That is given to him with a sincere heart even though we know that we will experience the consequences of our wrong decisions and will experience at times the discipline for our sins as those things are offered up to him who use them in a great way and he'll use us to impact other people to help them in the one who loves you with an everlasting love who loves all of his children with an everlasting love never gives up on us and he'll bring something good out of the worst of experiences that we've been through whatever it is what you've been through. I don't care what you think.

I'm in your life.

God can use that for good in another's person's life. He wants to do that if you let them do it. Said he'd never messed up even never belonging to greatly for God not to be able to put the pieces back together and transform our broken vessels in the something use to the master open God's people were enslaved in Egypt, he allowed a Hebrew baby Moses to be raised in the Pharaoh's home by the daughter of the Pharaoh and he thinks, supernaturally allowed Moses to be placed in this place of authority in this position where he would one day be able to help God's people. Moses T-20 D blew it big time here Godhead and take time to allow this baby to be found in the water to be raised all these years complacent in the influence and authority. Moses Blewett when he did he murdered an Egyptian and then he fled for his life.

He ran to the land of Midian. We spent the next four years of his life. There 40 years while God's people were still enslaved in bondage in Egypt and you know God in place knows us there for a special purpose to deliver God's people influence how you think he felt about that and the counting give up on us.

He didn't give a point God came to Moses and Midian in the wilderness and he commissioned Moses to go back to Egypt and delivers people to go back and do what he planned for him to do.

And Moses after giving excuse after excuse of why she just couldn't do it. He finally obeyed the call of God, he stepped out in faith. And you know he was back is 80. He went back and he led God's people out of Egypt and he obeyed the call of God, he stepped out in faith and he did what God calling to do so. You see, you can't mess up too much stuff to match the God not taking into his arms forgive you and give you new marching orders. He wants to do something with your life. God is King David. Even after he committed adultery and murder because of David's repentant heart and God causing a man after God's heart condition on the earnings. God referred to David as part of Argus teacher Teresa Ingram's message titled with bursaries precious in his sight June trip will join us shortly to share some additional thoughts of application to what we've heard, you often feel like you don't measure up, or that your past mistakes were failures disqualify you in some way from being accepted through the series.

Teresa Ingram candidly reflects on her own painful journey with self-doubt and feelings of worthlessness will sure how God freed her from that mindset and opened her eyes to see her true beauty and value don't live so you can experience the freedom to better understand God's love. For more information about precious in his sight or series resources go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org up listeners top special offers before we go any further triplicates of your wanting to jump in here real quick. Thanks Dave. I want to share an important request with you if Living on the Edge is ministering to you. Would you consider returning the favor. If you been listening, but haven't yet become a financial partner with Living on the Edge. Would you prayerfully consider sending a gift today and if you've given but could do it monthly. I can't tell you make a huge difference if we all pitched in, it would just make an incredible difference in terms of what we can do here to reach and care for more people. So thanks so much for all that you do and thanks for just praying and doing whatever God chose you to do and we will receive it with great gratitude, but strip owes you prayerfully consider your role with this ministry I will remind you that every gift is significant when you partner with Living on the Edge you multiply our efforts and resources in ways that only God can do to send the gift call. Also AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org up listeners top donate elders Chip and Teresa to share some final thoughts Teresa as I listen to your message today. You know you talked about the roadblocks that hinder us from God using our lives mean using us and every day ways and for his purposes in impacting other people in the first one you talked about was comparing ourselves with other people. Why is it so dangerous to go down that path. Will we will never find satisfaction with who we are as long as were comparing ourselves with other people I used to do this a lot and I still struggle with it. To this day I always wished I could be an expert at something. If I can be an amazing teacher, or if I could be an artist or may be a good musician or a cook that I could cut gourmet meals and I used to think if I could just have a building named after make. That's so ridiculous.

But anyway, I used to think just something that would stand out and and I realize that God made me in a different way that he didn't want me to be that kind of person and he he made me to be like a Swiss Army knife and the way that he made me is that what ever is needed for the moment, for the time in my life are with that the circumstances or people with one of those tools pulls out and I began to use that to help others and so I am a teacher and I I I can't draw my drill so much with my grandchildren and I musician I love to worship the Lord into saying and and praise and I love to cook till all the things God uses at different times. Nothing stands out like newspaper worthy… As a matter it's worthy to God, it matters to him. Everything we do matters to him and there's no little things and in God's view and so I just say stop comparing yourself with other people as I was listening to trees. I was thinking you know you have way more than a building your living monuments are Eric and Jason and Ryan and Annie and for watching their lives and then in our 12 grandkids and and honestly anything I've ever accomplished. I know for sure would never have been without what Swiss Army knife is meant my life so what a great word to remember to be who God made us to be fixed for those Encouraging Word strip and Teresa will before we go with Living on the Edge we want you to know about a easy way to listen to our extended teaching broadcast your trip anytime on Amazon's Alexa echo and echo.just say Alexa open Living on the Edge and you'll hear that these extended teaching any time you walked over Chip. Teresa everyone is saying thanks for joining us for this additional will be