Will YOU be the ONE?

It was termed “The Unsinkable Ship,” but on April 15^th, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg in the cold, icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and over 1500 people lost their lives.

Now, the Titanic was the most advanced ship of it’s time.  The engineers that designed this ship designed it with 16 watertight compartments.  These compartments were designed so that if it hit an iceberg, it could survive a strike to 4 of the compartments and still make it safely to its’ destination.  However, when it struck the iceberg, 5 compartments were damaged by the iceberg.

Now, we can say that there is not a lot of difference between 4 and 5:  No, only One, but ONE can make all the difference.

In 1982, the North Carolina Tarheels were playing the Georgetown Hoyas for the NCAA Championship game, and with 17 seconds remaining on the clock, the Hoya’s were leading the Tarheels by a score of 62-61.  The Tarheels had gained possession of the ball and were throwing inbounds.  The ball was thrown to a little unknown player – number 32 – Michael Jordan.  With 17 seconds left, Jordan took the shot and made the score for the Tarheels 63-62 over the Hoyas.  The Tarheels won the National Championship game by one point.  You say, “Well, there is not a lot of difference between 63 and 62.”  No, there isn’t – but again – ONE CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

I believe what our Country needs today, and what our community needs today, and what our church needs is ONE person that will determine in their heart that they are going to be THE ONE.

Notice with me first of all:

ANYBODY CAN BE THE ONE

It always amazes me that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and God’s ways are not our ways.  I like what I Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”

• I like the fact that God can use the simplest things in life to confound the most complex;
• I like that God can take what you and I consider to be weak to defeat the strong.
• I like the fact that “When others see a shepherd Boy, God may see a King.”

Let me share with you some people that God used in the Bible because they made up their minds they were going to be THE ONE:

GIDEON 

In Judges 6:33, the Midianites and Amalekites have gathered to defeat the children of Israel.  But what they didn’t realize is that God had prepared the heart of an unknown servant by the name of Gideon.

• Gideon defeated the Armies of the Midianites and Amalekites;
• Gideon tore down altars of Baal and restored the Altar of God;
• Gideon took an Army that God reduced from 32,000 down to 300 and defeated an Army of 135,000.

And all this came because in Judges 6:36, Gideon said, “God, if thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.”

Gideon shows us that BY FAITH, anyone with tremendous disadvantage and difficulties can overcome them determining as Gideon did, “LORD, I WANT TO BE THE ONE.”

BARAK 

In Judges chapter 4 and 5, we find that Barak, the military commander for Israel defeated the Canaanites in a great battle.  He was a Man of War that made up his mind “God, I want to be the One!”  And because he did, he is forever recorded in the Hall of Fame of Faith in Hebrews Chapter 11:32.

DEBORAH 

Deborah is also found in Judges chapter 4.  Before Israel had a King – they were ruled by Judges.  Deborah happen to be the only female judge (and prophetess).  And the reason she was is because when all the men cowarded down – Deborah said, “LORD, I will be the one.”

SAMSON 

Samson is found in Judges 13:1-16:31.  Samson was the strongest man that ever lived in the Bible, yet he was morally weak.

Early in Samson’s life he had defeated a roaring lion.  He then had a great victory over the Philistines.

However, Samson was a lot like us, though he had won some great battles for God, he did not live consistently by faith.

Samson, this mighty warrior, laid his head in the lap of Delilah, he got a haircut in the Devil’s Barbershop – and he lost his strength and was captured by the Philistines.

Samson had his eyes plucked out and was chained to a grinding meal.  But in the last act of Samson’s life, he destroyed more of the enemy of God than he ever did before.  Why?  Because Samson made up his mind, “God, I know I’ve let you down.  Lord, I know I am not worthy.  But Lord, I give you what is left of my life because God, I WANT TO BE THE ONE!”

SHAMGAR

The name “Shamgar” is taken from a man to whom a total of 42 words is devoted to in the Bible – yet, what a mighty 42 words.  Shamgar’s story is told in only two verses – Judges 3:31 and Judges 5:6.  We find in these two verses that God used an unlikely source to impact an entire nation.  We know that Shamgar lived about 3000 years ago in the land of Canaan which is called Palestine today. The Bible says that Shamgar “killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad and he also delivered Israel.” Judges 5:6 tells us that he lived in difficult times not unlike the difficulties we face today.

Historically speaking the Philistines would terrorize a people through raiding parties of ten and twenty soldiers.  Israel had no military or viable judicial system at the time. Shamgar was a farmer with only a farm tool for a weapon.  An ox goad was a wooden pole approximately six to ten feet long with a point on one end and a flat chisel-like iron blade on the other.  The point was used to prod the oxen pulling a plow and the blade was used to clean the plow-share.  The ox goad would be about six inches around on the blade end.  This implement would be fairly awkward to use as a weapon.

What does all of this have to do with our ministry?  Jay Strack and Pat Williams wrote a book titled “The Three Success Secrets of Shamgar”. God used that book to impact my personal life at a time when I was trying to figure out after all my failures after all my disappointments – “What now?” The Three Success Secrets of Shamgar” are simply this:

1. Start where you are.
2. Use what you have.
3. Do what you can.

Shamgar committed all that he had and all that he was to the one true God. God used an ordinary man, an awkward tool, and limited abilities to impact an entire nation. When something is completely given into God’s hand for His use He will cause it to go further than it is supposed to go and do things it is not supposed to do.  Shamgar made up his mind that He was going to start where he was, with what he had, and was going to do what he could for the nation of Israel – because he determined “God, I want to be the One!”

The foundational essence of Church 247 is simply this – to meet people where they are and take them to the place God wants them to be?

JABEZ

Jabez is a man we find tucked away between a list of some 500 names in I Chronicles chapter 4:9-10, and these are the only verses in the Bible about Jabez.  But the truth is, it doesn’t matter if he is mentioned anywhere else in the Bible – he is mentioned here – which means that no matter how unknown or obscure or insignificant you think you are – GOD KNOWS YOU AND HE KNOWS YOU BY NAME.

What we learn from these two verse is that his mother named him Jabez- which means “Son of sorrow.”  Now, from every outward appearance, there should have never been a pause in Scripture to share about this man Jabez, yet if there was any man in the Bible I would like to mold my life after – it would be Jabez. You see, Jabez is not known for:

• Orating any great sermons;
• He is not known for singing any solo’s;
• He is not known as a leader of his people or a mighty king.
• He is not known for fighting any great battles for Israel;
• Or winning any great victories.

But what he is known for is praying a prayer that God answered!  Folks, I believe Jabez determined in his personal life – GOD I WANT TO BE THE ONE!

DAVID

Now we come to David.  Here is David, a shepherd boy, who been on the backside of the mountain, spending time with God.

• It was on the backside of that mountain that David had killed the Bear;
• It was on the backside of that mountain where David had killed the lion.

In I Samuel 17:22-42, we learn that David delivers food to his brothers and hears this Philistine by the name of Goliath defiling the name of his God – and he was not gonna sit by and take it.

• After pleading his case to his brothers;
• After pleading his case to the soldiers of Israel;

David finally pleads his case to King Saul.

In verse 36, after being told what he can’t do, David says, “Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear:  and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”

As King Saul tried to clothe David with his armor, David threw it aside, and as that Philistine came at David with his sword and spear and shield – David came at him “in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”

David slung his rock and took that Giant out and then ran upon him and cut off his head.  He left that giant laying there as bird food!

Why?  Because David made up his mind, “LORD, I WANT TO BE THE ONE.”

And folks here is what I want you to understand about Being the One:

• God can use and underdog like Gideon or a Mighty General like Barak;
• He can use a man or a Woman – like Deborah;
• He can use you all of your life, or He can use the left-overs of your life – like Samson;
• He can use a farmer with no formal training or weapons of warfare to defeat God’s enemies or a man that is nothing but Sorrow;
• God can use you no matter what your age is, just as He used a little shepherd boy like David.

God simply requires faithfulness from you and I and a determination in our own life that “God, I want to be the one!”

ANYBODY CAN BE THE ONE!

ALTHOUGH ANYBODY CAN BE THE ONE, MOST WANT BE THE ONE

I’m reminded of Matthew 7:21-23 which says, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

I think of the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 18:18-23:

“And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ¹⁹ And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. ²⁰ Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. ²¹ And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. ²² Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. ²³ And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.”

This rich young ruler was not willing to give-up what he had to gain the ONE THING he needed!

I Think About Judas Iscariot. 

Judas Iscariot was a disciple of Christ.  He kept the books for ministry.  He had every opportunity to turn his world upside down for Jesus Christ – yet, as a friend and companion to our Lord – he betrayed Him with a kiss.

I wonder how many of us betray Christ in our daily lives?  Judas could have been the One – But he wasn’t!

The Pharisees and Sadducces.

• They looked religious;
• They acted religious;
• They talked religious
• They hung around the Temple.

Yet, although they knew the Word of God – they did not know the God of the Word.

The sad truth is, Although anybody Can be the One – most people want be the One!

SO, HOW DO I BECOME THE ONE?

I am grateful today that God doesn’t just diagnose our problem, but gives us a remedy.

I would suspect that deep in every person’s heart here there is a desire that God might use him. That is a normal and a proper desire. There is no thrill like the thrill of being used of God. There is nothing that remotely approaches, in terms of excitement, satisfaction and fulfillment, the consciousness that a person has been the instrument in the hands of the Almighty God to do some of his work — to change the direction of someone’s life, perhaps, to prevent an injury, to resolve an argument, to answer a challenge, to heal a weakness, to rebuke a ruler, or to turn a nation.

In II Timothy 2:20-21, God gives us His remedy of How to be the One!  “ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. ²¹ If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

You have to Purify Yourself – Purge Yourself.

Listen, God want do that for you.  He provides the cleansing – but He will not purge you.  When you are outside working on your motorcycle and you get grease on your hands and arms – you go to the sink when you are finished and you wash with soap and water – or grease remover.  You did not do the cleansing – the washing materials did – but you used what had been provided!

That is the principle Paul is teaching us here.  I John 1:9 says, “IF we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to CLEANSE US from ALL unrighteousness.”  The cleansing has been provided, but we have to choose to use what was provided!  Hearing the Word of God is not enough – you have to apply the Word of God.

Not Only Purge Ourselves – We Must Consecrate ourselves.

That is a word that has a permanence about it: One is permanently set aside/sanctified in God’s mind for useful purposes, for thrilling, exciting, adventurous discoveries of being used by God.   When you determine to be the One – you then become useful, profitable, and effective. God can then use you in ways that accomplish something for His kingdom purpose!

Finally, We have to be READY!

I heard a story about a college football player that was in his last game of his last year of college.  Though he was on the team, he had never gotten into a single game.  As they were preparing for the final game, he begged his coach to put in him the game.  The coach said, “Let’s see how the game goes.”

Well, when they got to half-time, their team was behind by 3 points and nothing the team did seemed to work.  That young man put his helmet on and began pacing up and down the sidelines, ensuring that his coach saw him.  Finally, the coach put the young man in the game!  On the very first play, he took a hand-off from the quarterback and went 40 yards down field before being knocked out of bounds.  On the next play, he beat out his coverage and caught a pass in the end-zone that won their team the game.

After the game, the coach came to the young man and said, “Son, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone play with so much heart.  What is it that made you play like that?”

The boy replied, “Well Coach, you know my momma died when I was just a baby and I was raised by my daddy.  Well, my daddy only wanted two things out of me – 1) that I would go to college, and 2) that I would play football.  Well, my daddy was blind, so I knew he would never see me play football.  But, last week, my daddy died, so I know with him in Heaven, this would be the first and last time he would get to see his son play football – and I didn’t want to let my daddy down!”

Folks, I believe our Heavenly Father is watching us from Heaven, along with such a great cloud of witness – so let us play the game well – and one day, we will hear our Heavenly Father say, “WELL DONE THY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!”

I wonder who reading this post will say this prayer (with me), “Lord Jesus, I am going to start right now, where I am, with what I have and do what I can for Your glory, Because “GOD I WANT TO BE THE ONE!?”