St Theodore's

Wattle Park

Sermon of the Week
Look up the passage

19/6/05

How God uses human weakness to bring about his purposes
By Camille Lang
Acts 15:36-16:5

Have you noticed the world and people in it are just … well, out of control?

A life lived seems messy … even off the rails at times….

However it seems to me that today people seem to be showing even less tolerance … more impatience and more anger and I seem to be coming across more and more situations which are just really out of control.

   Don't believe me … Let me give you a few examples …

   You may have noticed in your travels the increasing incidents of road rage…

   In fact someone was just telling me that in the insurance policy fine print, that after an accident, you can't get out and apologise … even if it's your fault …you can't actually get out and say sorry mate my fault. If you do then you are obviously admitting fault and your insurance won't pay. Instead you'll pay out of your own pocket … (and here I was, thinking that that was the point of having insurance!!!) But it's like people are given a licence to actually start yelling abuse at someone.

   "Oh you idiot … how dare you stop and wait for me to drive past … I know I ran into you but how dare you! I can't believe you … you're such an idiot!"

   It's laughable I think….. It's just upside down …..

   What about the materialism, that goes on here in Australia?

   I had a look at some stats about credit card debt put out by the Reserve Bank at the end of 2004…As of December last year

   Credit and charge card debt reached a record high of 28.2 billion…..28.2 billion

   Now 68% of Australians are rolling over their monthly credit card debt and paying only the minimum payment – being charged interest from 15 to 20%

   and lastly the average debt among 70% of households with a credit card reached $5162 in 2004 compared to $1601 in 1996

   Spending that's just out of control

   Still don't believe me … just read the daily newspaper for more examples … crime rates that are spinning out of control … murder, rape, teenager pregnancy, STD's they're all on the increase…..

   The world and people in it are just totally out of control.

   Now as I reflected on the many out-of-control situations I've been involved in … most of them not involving the youth … parents will be glad to hear …my mind automatically jumps to all the good things that have resulted from these crazy, messy situations … now it's not necessarily the good I would have chosen but nevertheless … something good has come out of them. Let me give you an example.

   Rob & I had a massive fight … massive … it was over the phone. I was walking around in the city about 5ish, 5pm that is, during the week, so there was a reasonable amount of people around and I remember just yelling at him or yelling into my mobile. In the end I think I hung up on him.

   No, I definitely hung up on him … yet that night after a lot of prayer & journaling …well we had an awesome conversation … a conversation where we were able to think really constructively about how we dealt with conflict as a couple (which clearly wasn't that well!!) … but that conversation is one that has really grown us as a couple … a good result that came out of a bad situation … And I could give you numerous examples of this…

   And this is what I want us to think about today … the good that comes out of the bad … the good that comes out of a crazy and out-of-control situation. I also want us to think about how that happens. See in the situations I've just mentioned it's been about humans who drive too fast or are too impatient or are driven by materialism or they act out in anger. But what would happen if these humans acted responsibly and wisely? People would learn from being in debt and consequently not spend outside their means. Or like Rob & me people would talk civilly and respectfully after an accident. Isn't that how good comes out of bad??

   In our passage read out today we see good that comes out of bad. We see good things resulting from an argument ... a real barney between 2 head honchos in the Christian church of that time … 2 godly leaders in the church. Just what were those good things were and how did they come about

   For those who are visiting today let me update you from where we have come. During the last couple of months St Theo's has been preaching through the book of Acts. Acts begins after Jesus has been taken back into heaven. His time on earth has finished and he commissions his disciples to keep spreading the message and we see just that. The word is spreading and many people become Christians and many churches are also established.

   Let me give you some background on our 2 main characters in our passage Paul and Barnabas.

   It's not too far into Acts that we meet a bloke called Saul. Now Saul was a Jew whose particular speciality was persecuting believers. This was something that he saw right through to the end … usually death for the believer. He certainly wasn't someone to fool around with.

   However as we read on we see that Saul has an encounter with Jesus and the result of such an encounter is basically a total turn around. Saul goes from persecutor to preacher. The total turn around even includes a name change, from Saul the persecutor to Paul the preacher, preaching the message of Jesus. He's a completely changed man. And this man Paul goes on to become probably the most influential person in the early church……

   Barnabas is also a highly influential member of the early church. Originally from Cyprus. He is sent from Jerusalem to Antioch to lead the many new believers there. Barnabas is also highly strategic … and whilst in Antioch he go and finds Paul brings him back … trains him up … and together they lead the Antioch church

   Now before we know it … we see these 2 head honcho missionaries … Paul and Barnabas heading off around the countryside together … preaching the word … healing people … establishing churches … encouraging Christians … and seeing more people respond in faith to the word … now they have returned from there highly successful journey…..

   And now back to our passage. We see Paul asks Barnabas … reading from verse 36…..

   Paul is wanting to revisit people from their last journey … visit and see how they are doing…. yet it is from this moment that the trouble begins.

   See, Barnabas wanted to take his cousin John … also called Mark … the same Mark we read about in Acts 13:13 who left them to return to Jerusalem … left Paul and Barnabas on their journey around Asia Minor.

   On that basis alone we are told Paul disagreed (pause) …strongly … in fact so strongly that Paul and Barnabas actually parted company … We read from verse 39…Our team has fallen apart … Our dynamic duo is no more … Paul and Barnabas had separated …

   Now it is likely that Barnabas was concerned for the welfare of his cousin and Paul was worried about the situation recurring … the situation that Mark might desert them again … Now the passage doesn't really say … but what we do know is that 2 Strong Christian believers are arguing.

   …..surely that is unheard of??!! Christians don't argue … they don't have different opinions about things do they?? Surely not…..

   Well the reality is Christian or not…. humans are weak … humans make mistakes … humans have arguments … that's the reality of my life and indeed all of us sitting here today…

   But lets have a look at the results of this argument …

   Well Barnabas took Mark and they went onto Cyprus … where we know he came from and Paul chose Silas and they went off to Syria and Cilicia …

   Now what do we have here??

   Instead of one missionary enterprise we have 2 … that's a good thing

   We also find that Silas gets a go, gets to hang out with Paul … where he might not have been able to previously…

   We find Paul goes on to meet Timothy and this relationship would have a very significant ministry together…

   See good things came as a result of this disagreement between Paul and Barnabas…..

   But the question is why did these good things come about? Why did these good things come about?

   It seems pretty likely that Paul and Barnabas, 2 godly yet still weak humans acted wisely, they acknowledged their differences … which by the way… both could have been right … yet they recognized they would be weakening the message they brought by their actions. That is, in their being together arguing … so rather than weakening that message they parted ways.

   And we see this wisdom particularly from Paul carried over when he meets Timothy.

   Timothy we read about from chapter 16 verse 1.

   To continue the theme of strengthening the message of the gospel, Paul had Timothy circumcised. Now previously Paul has argued that there was no need for Gentiles, or non-Jewish people, to be circumcised when they responded to the gospel. There was no need for circumcision.

   Yet Paul knew there were Jews in the area who knew Timothy and his Greek background. When Timothy would be preaching to these Jews, would the Jews be focusing on the message itself or the fact that Timothy wasn't circumcised? Paul assumes that they would be focussing on the circumcision or lack of, so he has Timothy circumcised. Nothing in Paul's mind was to weaken this all important message. Again we see Paul's wisdom.

   However behind the wisdom shown by Paul and Barnabas, in fact behind all the wisdom in the world, is God. All the intellect and reasoning would amount to nothing without God because wisdom is actually a gift from God. He has given us the ability to think. It's just up to us how we use that wisdom.

   God also causes good results to happen even in the midst of bad situations … like arguments between humans for example. Because he is the creator of this world. He is the Lord of everything here on earth. Whether people acknowledge it or not he is ultimately in control. And his purposes will not be thwarted….. Eg today's drama. Now I'm not saying God's idea of good will be the same as ours. But I trust God more than I trust myself.

   Did God cause the argument between Paul and Barnabas? No he didn't. He allowed the argument and he used the argument, but he didn't cause it.

   Did God cause the argument between Rob and myself? No, but he does allow it and uses it. Does God cause all the evil in this out of control world we live in?? No but he does allow it and he uses it. You see God uses everything in this world, including human weakness to carry out his purposes. We see that purpose in the final verse of our passage, reading from verse 5. For those of you who acknowledge God as your Lord understand that God wastes nothing, that everything is used … your personality, your passions, your skin colour, your natural talents, everything you have been given is used by God.

   God has also given us a mind to think and his Word in the Bible … where we can learn how to live wisely and in a godly fashion. So whilst acknowledging that God wastes nothing … read his Word and learn how to interact with people in a way that aligns with God's purposes because they are the only one's that will last.

   And in all this good … know that God also uses the bad … including your weaknesses … your arguments … everything. Now please at this point don't hear me say go and start arguments or drive fast or spend $$ just to see God use it for good. Barnabas and Paul had to pay the consequences of their sin, of their argument, just like we have to pay the consequences of our sin.

   But the point is that God will use the bad. You might not see how God is using it, but know that he is using the good, the bad and the ugly!!!

   For those here today who don't acknowledge God as their creator and their Lord, please don't judge God through Christians who are human, who are weak and who will make mistakes. Instead let me encourage you today to find out who God is and what his purposes are for a world that he has created. Because one day everyone will know that he is the creator of all, that he is the Lord of all and there will be judgement for those who don't acknowledge that.

   Thank God that he does indeed use everything, weaknesses included, so that our church will be strengthened and our numbers will be increased.

   *** Let's pray. Our God and our Creator
Thank you that you are sovereign in this world.
Thank you that you are in control of everything.
Thank you for the wisdom you give.
Please help us to use in a way that aligns with your purposes.
God I pray that all of us here would acknowledge you as our Maker and Creator.
In Jesus name. Amen

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	Sermon of the Week	Look up the passage
	19/6/05
	How God uses human weakness to bring about his purposes By Camille Lang	Acts 15:36-16:5

	Have you noticed the world and people in it are just … well, out of control?
	A life lived seems messy … even off the rails at times….
	However it seems to me that today people seem to be showing even less tolerance … more impatience and more anger and I seem to be coming across more and more situations which are just really out of control.
	Don't believe me … Let me give you a few examples …
	You may have noticed in your travels the increasing incidents of road rage…
	In fact someone was just telling me that in the insurance policy fine print, that after an accident, you can't get out and apologise … even if it's your fault …you can't actually get out and say sorry mate my fault. If you do then you are obviously admitting fault and your insurance won't pay. Instead you'll pay out of your own pocket … (and here I was, thinking that that was the point of having insurance!!!) But it's like people are given a licence to actually start yelling abuse at someone.
	"Oh you idiot … how dare you stop and wait for me to drive past … I know I ran into you but how dare you! I can't believe you … you're such an idiot!"
	It's laughable I think….. It's just upside down …..
	What about the materialism, that goes on here in Australia?
	I had a look at some stats about credit card debt put out by the Reserve Bank at the end of 2004…As of December last year
	Credit and charge card debt reached a record high of 28.2 billion…..28.2 billion
	Now 68% of Australians are rolling over their monthly credit card debt and paying only the minimum payment – being charged interest from 15 to 20%
	and lastly the average debt among 70% of households with a credit card reached $5162 in 2004 compared to $1601 in 1996
	Spending that's just out of control
	Still don't believe me … just read the daily newspaper for more examples … crime rates that are spinning out of control … murder, rape, teenager pregnancy, STD's they're all on the increase…..
	The world and people in it are just totally out of control.
	Now as I reflected on the many out-of-control situations I've been involved in … most of them not involving the youth … parents will be glad to hear …my mind automatically jumps to all the good things that have resulted from these crazy, messy situations … now it's not necessarily the good I would have chosen but nevertheless … something good has come out of them. Let me give you an example.
	Rob & I had a massive fight … massive … it was over the phone. I was walking around in the city about 5ish, 5pm that is, during the week, so there was a reasonable amount of people around and I remember just yelling at him or yelling into my mobile. In the end I think I hung up on him.
	No, I definitely hung up on him … yet that night after a lot of prayer & journaling …well we had an awesome conversation … a conversation where we were able to think really constructively about how we dealt with conflict as a couple (which clearly wasn't that well!!) … but that conversation is one that has really grown us as a couple … a good result that came out of a bad situation … And I could give you numerous examples of this…
	And this is what I want us to think about today … the good that comes out of the bad … the good that comes out of a crazy and out-of-control situation. I also want us to think about how that happens. See in the situations I've just mentioned it's been about humans who drive too fast or are too impatient or are driven by materialism or they act out in anger. But what would happen if these humans acted responsibly and wisely? People would learn from being in debt and consequently not spend outside their means. Or like Rob & me people would talk civilly and respectfully after an accident. Isn't that how good comes out of bad??
	In our passage read out today we see good that comes out of bad. We see good things resulting from an argument ... a real barney between 2 head honchos in the Christian church of that time … 2 godly leaders in the church. Just what were those good things were and how did they come about
	For those who are visiting today let me update you from where we have come. During the last couple of months St Theo's has been preaching through the book of Acts. Acts begins after Jesus has been taken back into heaven. His time on earth has finished and he commissions his disciples to keep spreading the message and we see just that. The word is spreading and many people become Christians and many churches are also established.
	Let me give you some background on our 2 main characters in our passage Paul and Barnabas.
	It's not too far into Acts that we meet a bloke called Saul. Now Saul was a Jew whose particular speciality was persecuting believers. This was something that he saw right through to the end … usually death for the believer. He certainly wasn't someone to fool around with.
	However as we read on we see that Saul has an encounter with Jesus and the result of such an encounter is basically a total turn around. Saul goes from persecutor to preacher. The total turn around even includes a name change, from Saul the persecutor to Paul the preacher, preaching the message of Jesus. He's a completely changed man. And this man Paul goes on to become probably the most influential person in the early church……
	Barnabas is also a highly influential member of the early church. Originally from Cyprus. He is sent from Jerusalem to Antioch to lead the many new believers there. Barnabas is also highly strategic … and whilst in Antioch he go and finds Paul brings him back … trains him up … and together they lead the Antioch church
	Now before we know it … we see these 2 head honcho missionaries … Paul and Barnabas heading off around the countryside together … preaching the word … healing people … establishing churches … encouraging Christians … and seeing more people respond in faith to the word … now they have returned from there highly successful journey…..
	And now back to our passage. We see Paul asks Barnabas … reading from verse 36…..
	Paul is wanting to revisit people from their last journey … visit and see how they are doing…. yet it is from this moment that the trouble begins.
	See, Barnabas wanted to take his cousin John … also called Mark … the same Mark we read about in Acts 13:13 who left them to return to Jerusalem … left Paul and Barnabas on their journey around Asia Minor.
	On that basis alone we are told Paul disagreed (pause) …strongly … in fact so strongly that Paul and Barnabas actually parted company … We read from verse 39…Our team has fallen apart … Our dynamic duo is no more … Paul and Barnabas had separated …
	Now it is likely that Barnabas was concerned for the welfare of his cousin and Paul was worried about the situation recurring … the situation that Mark might desert them again … Now the passage doesn't really say … but what we do know is that 2 Strong Christian believers are arguing.
	…..surely that is unheard of??!! Christians don't argue … they don't have different opinions about things do they?? Surely not…..
	Well the reality is Christian or not…. humans are weak … humans make mistakes … humans have arguments … that's the reality of my life and indeed all of us sitting here today…
	But lets have a look at the results of this argument …
	Well Barnabas took Mark and they went onto Cyprus … where we know he came from and Paul chose Silas and they went off to Syria and Cilicia …
	Now what do we have here??
	Instead of one missionary enterprise we have 2 … that's a good thing
	We also find that Silas gets a go, gets to hang out with Paul … where he might not have been able to previously…
	We find Paul goes on to meet Timothy and this relationship would have a very significant ministry together…
	See good things came as a result of this disagreement between Paul and Barnabas…..
	But the question is why did these good things come about? Why did these good things come about?
	It seems pretty likely that Paul and Barnabas, 2 godly yet still weak humans acted wisely, they acknowledged their differences … which by the way… both could have been right … yet they recognized they would be weakening the message they brought by their actions. That is, in their being together arguing … so rather than weakening that message they parted ways.
	And we see this wisdom particularly from Paul carried over when he meets Timothy.
	Timothy we read about from chapter 16 verse 1.
	To continue the theme of strengthening the message of the gospel, Paul had Timothy circumcised. Now previously Paul has argued that there was no need for Gentiles, or non-Jewish people, to be circumcised when they responded to the gospel. There was no need for circumcision.
	Yet Paul knew there were Jews in the area who knew Timothy and his Greek background. When Timothy would be preaching to these Jews, would the Jews be focusing on the message itself or the fact that Timothy wasn't circumcised? Paul assumes that they would be focussing on the circumcision or lack of, so he has Timothy circumcised. Nothing in Paul's mind was to weaken this all important message. Again we see Paul's wisdom.
	However behind the wisdom shown by Paul and Barnabas, in fact behind all the wisdom in the world, is God. All the intellect and reasoning would amount to nothing without God because wisdom is actually a gift from God. He has given us the ability to think. It's just up to us how we use that wisdom.
	God also causes good results to happen even in the midst of bad situations … like arguments between humans for example. Because he is the creator of this world. He is the Lord of everything here on earth. Whether people acknowledge it or not he is ultimately in control. And his purposes will not be thwarted….. Eg today's drama. Now I'm not saying God's idea of good will be the same as ours. But I trust God more than I trust myself.
	Did God cause the argument between Paul and Barnabas? No he didn't. He allowed the argument and he used the argument, but he didn't cause it.
	Did God cause the argument between Rob and myself? No, but he does allow it and uses it. Does God cause all the evil in this out of control world we live in?? No but he does allow it and he uses it. You see God uses everything in this world, including human weakness to carry out his purposes. We see that purpose in the final verse of our passage, reading from verse 5. For those of you who acknowledge God as your Lord understand that God wastes nothing, that everything is used … your personality, your passions, your skin colour, your natural talents, everything you have been given is used by God.
	God has also given us a mind to think and his Word in the Bible … where we can learn how to live wisely and in a godly fashion. So whilst acknowledging that God wastes nothing … read his Word and learn how to interact with people in a way that aligns with God's purposes because they are the only one's that will last.
	And in all this good … know that God also uses the bad … including your weaknesses … your arguments … everything. Now please at this point don't hear me say go and start arguments or drive fast or spend $$ just to see God use it for good. Barnabas and Paul had to pay the consequences of their sin, of their argument, just like we have to pay the consequences of our sin.
	But the point is that God will use the bad. You might not see how God is using it, but know that he is using the good, the bad and the ugly!!!
	For those here today who don't acknowledge God as their creator and their Lord, please don't judge God through Christians who are human, who are weak and who will make mistakes. Instead let me encourage you today to find out who God is and what his purposes are for a world that he has created. Because one day everyone will know that he is the creator of all, that he is the Lord of all and there will be judgement for those who don't acknowledge that.
	Thank God that he does indeed use everything, weaknesses included, so that our church will be strengthened and our numbers will be increased.
	*** Let's pray. Our God and our Creator Thank you that you are sovereign in this world. Thank you that you are in control of everything. Thank you for the wisdom you give. Please help us to use in a way that aligns with your purposes. God I pray that all of us here would acknowledge you as our Maker and Creator. In Jesus name. Amen

St Theodore's

Wattle Park

How God uses human weakness to bring about his purposes By Camille Lang

Contact us

Check our Mission Statement

Our Mission Strategy

Our 5-Year Plan

Preaching Program

Home

Last Week's Sermon

Nexts Sermon in series

Index of Sermons

How God uses human weakness to bring about his purposes
By Camille Lang