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[Music] welcome to living water christian fellowship church where reconciliation recovery and restoration are real we are reaching the world for christ through the word our senior pastor is daryl c dade and we hope you enjoy this week's message [Music] good morning and welcome to living water christian fellowship let's look to the lord in the word of prayer this morning a father with god we just thank you so much lord we thank you for an opportunity to come into your presence today to worship you and to honor you lord with your word i pray lord that your word would lord sink deeply into our hearts lord as we uh begin to thank you for forgiveness lord and that we will glorify you for what you've done in our lives and even lord our past can't destroy our future because our future is in you and lord we thank you so much for your word we thank you for uh those who would be listening today lord that they would be encouraged and excited about lord a new life in you uh lord how we we've been transformed from what we were to what we are in you so lord we love you we pray lord that those who hear this message today that aren't saved would come to know who you are that the saints would be edified and lifted up and lord that jesus christ would be glorified now lord i pray you stand on my body think with my mind speak with my lips and love with my heart i'm available for your service use me now in jesus name amen well i want to speak to you today from this message god can use you in spite of your past again god can use you in spite of your past and it's taken from acts chapter 9 verses 1 through 6 and then verses 10 through 16. and it reads like this meanwhile saul was still breathing out cruelties and murderous threats against the lord's disciples he went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in damascus so that if he could find any there who belonged to the way whether men or women he might take them as prisoners to jerusalem in verse 3 as he neared damascus on this journey suddenly a light from heaven fell flashed around him he fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him saul saul why do you persecute me verse 5 who are you lord saul asked i am jesus whom you are persecuting he replied now get up go into the city and you will be told what you must do beloved every time i read this story i stand in awe at the great grace of god how gracious god really is i see the lord take this man saul save him by his grace and then make him or transform him into a great apostle to the gentiles i realized there is hope for people like you and me to be used of the lord it doesn't matter what our background is doesn't matter where we come from doesn't matter who we were uh god can take us and transform us when our hearts are willing to submit to him now watch this the truth is uh saul was a very unlikely person for for the service of the lord here was a man watch this it was a man who was feared and hated by christians and one who did everything in his power to destroy the name of the lord jesus christ i mean he went out of his way to destroy the name of christ amongst the people yet god reached down in grace watch this because that's what he did to some of us he reached down in grace and took him from where he was and used him to change the world and here it is paul wrote the majority of the new testament the same man who persecuted the church who hated the church wound up writing more um pages to the church than anybody else in the bible now god used him in such a great way that paul's ministry is still reaping fruit today just the fact that we are talking about his life and the impact he had on the world is a testimony to to to the way god used him then is using him even now isn't that something how god took this man who hated the church used them then and even today is still using him now when we look at paul we may be tempted to think that he was some kind of super saint like paul didn't do anything wrong but that's the farthest thing from the truth because we may feel that there is no possible way that the lord could use us like he did paul i suppose that we all feel inferior and unworthy to be used of the lord but i'm here today to tell you that jesus can and will use you if you will make yourself available to him now watch this so first of all not even your past watch this not your past meanwhile saul was in verse 1 says meanwhile saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the lord's disciples he went to the high priest now according to to paul's own testimony he was guilty of doing everything in his power to put christianity to death according to acts 22 verses 4 uh uh everything he could he did to try to put christianity to death um listen what he says i persecuted the followers of this way to their death arresting both men and women throwing them into prison then in 26 10 he says and that is just what i did in jerusalem on the authority of the chief priest i put many of the lord's people in prison and when they were put to death i cast my vote against them now this is saint paul who wrote the majority of the bible telling us how horrible he was in his past before he met christ then in first timothy chapter 1 verses 13 through 15 paul tells us something about his past paul was a murderer he he was a rebel against the lord jesus christ religious he was a man to be envied but internally he was a wicked he was wicked as a man who had ever walked the face of the earth in acts chapter 7 verse 58 um watch this dragged him out of the city and began to stone him meanwhile the witness laid the coats at his feet of a young man named saul now listen let me tell you every person under the sound of my voice this morning that your past is no obstacle to your future in the lord's work in other words don't uh believe that because you have a past assorted that god can't use you as a matter of fact you're just the kind of person that god wants to use because you're able to affect people who were like-minded just like you were now listen at this regardless of what you did before you receive jesus christ as your savior a man is no longer well when he saved you he washed away your past forever you hear me now when when you were saved when you were delivered when you were washed in the blood he washed away what you used to be and he made you over brand new as matter of fact second corinthians 5 17 says if any man be in christ he's a new creature all things are passed away behold all things have become new it cleanses us from all unrighteousness watch this first john 1 9 says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness listen if you confess when you confess the lord jesus christ the bible tells us that he is faithful and just and he'll forgive us of our past deeds and he'll make us righteous because of his imputed righteousness in our lives in him we have redempted through his blood the forgiveness of sins according in accordance with the riches of god's grace according to ephesians chapter 1 7 and that is what some of you were but you were washed you were sanctified you were justified in the name of the lord jesus christ by the spirit of god listen you look look at what this verse says it says and and and some of you this is what you were but you were washed you were sanctified and you were justified in the name of the lord jesus christ by the spirit of god in other words jesus christ blood washed you clean first of all what it did was it cleansed you second of all it sanctified you in other words to be sanctified is to be set apart for for use or for service you were justified in other words you weren't right but now you're made right not because of you but because of the blood of jesus christ you've been made right and set free and no longer are you bound to the sins of this world first corinthians chapter 6 verse 11 it is just as though you got a brand new start at the precise moment in fact the bible refers to that event as a new birth according to john chapter 3 verse 3 jesus replied verily verily i tell you no one can see the kingdom of god unless they're born again in other words paul had to be born again you if you ever want to uh see heaven you've got to be born again see you can't get to heaven like you are the only way you can get to heaven is you got to be made over again you got to be washed in the blood and it doesn't matter what your past was all it matters is that you got a new beginning and a new life by accepting the lord jesus christ in your life and then his blood washes you clean now you're in a right relationship with god and your sins have been forgiven watch this there are three records of your past deeds in the world today first there's a record you carry in your mind thinking about the way you were the things you did the places you went secondly there's a a record carried all those who knew what you did before and you you carried this freaking in your head uh yeah you knew you knew me when uh that's the second one and then thirdly there's a record carried by satan and he'll throw it up in your face every opportunity he gets about how you used to live and what she used to do but i want to remind you today that even though i may remember my past my friends and family may remember my past and even though satan surely remembers my past god in heaven has forgotten my past and it is no obstacle to him to use me now in this future somebody ought to say amen i know what i used to be i know what i used to do and every chance the devil and some other mean-spirited people get an opportunity they'll bring up your past life but beloved you got to remember you're not in the world anymore but you're in christ now according to psalms 103 verse 12 as far as the east is from the west has he removed our transgressions from us isaiah 38 17 says surely it was for my benefit that i suffered such anguish in your love you kept me from the pit of destruction you have put all my sins behind your back uh micah chapter 7 verse 19 you you will again have compassion on us you will you will tread our sins uh under foot and haul all our iniquities into the depths of the sea that's the god who saved you he no longer remembers your past and beloved what you got to stop doing is bringing up your past and acting like you're still living it because you don't and don't allow the devil and other people to keep dragging you back from where god brought you from now throughout the bible god uses people in spite of and after their great failures all of us fail at something sometimes but that doesn't mean you're a failure it just means there's some things you got to change in your life first of all let's let's look at some past failures simon peter he preached his greatest message and had his greatest ministry after he denied the lord moses was was a murderer yet god used him for his glory samson sinned against god yet he slew more philistines in the end of his life than he had during his whole entire ministry abraham lied yet he was used of the lord jacob was a deceiver yet the lord transformed and used him there are many others that could be named among these but these are sufficient to show that the lord can take those who have failed in the past and that he can still use them for his glory today and into the future and beloved the same thing applies to you you may have had past failures in your life there may be some things that you just didn't get right but i want you to know today that god wants to use you and he wants to use you in a special way number two not your presence state verse two in in in this chapter in chapter 9 verse 2 says and and asked him for letters to the synagogue and the master so that if he found any there who belonged to the way whether men or women he might take them as prisoners to jerusalem paul was on his way to damascus to find christians to arrest and to take them to their death he was filled with the hatred and wanted nothing more than to completely destroy anyone or anything connected to the name of jesus christ oh beloved there are people like that in this world today you can use any name you want to name just don't name the name of jesus because as soon as you do then controversy erupts yet in spite of all this the lord was able to change this man and to use him for the glory of god beloved listen he can do the same thing in your life and in mind he can take us with all our baggage that we that we carry and he can use us for his glory we all bring certain liabilities to the table some are uh undereducated others have few resources some are weak in the faith others are arrogant and filled with pride however i would like to remind you that the lord is able to take us exactly where he wants us to be and help us with the challenges in life so we bring him glory and praise again the bible is filled with stories of god using people that he changed and are now fit for the kingdom for work first of all remember moses moses was 80 years old when the lord called him into the ministry according to exodus 7 7 he he had other problems as well he was not very educated or eloquent in exodus 4 10 he was filled with fear in exodus 4 1. he was totally opposed to the lord's plan for his life in exodus 4 13 yet in spite uh in spite of it all the lord used him to bring glory to his name now now you you remember the man in in the tombs he was a demonic in mark chapter 5 verses 1 through 20. uh the man was was feared by everybody but the lord was able to take this man who had cussed who who did nothing but cause trouble uh he was able to use him as a witness for the glory of god god took him where he was used uh for god's glory and see that's what god will do for us he'll take us to places and he'll use us for his glory even when we think we we don't measure up god will bless us and help us to be all he wants us to be to glorify his holy name what i'm trying to get to you get you to see this morning is that your present circumstances did not catch the lord by surprise he knows everything there is to know about you hebrews chapter 4 verse 13 nothing in all creation is hidden from god's sight everything everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account the lord sees the lord knows he's omnipresent uh he he's omniscient he knows everything he's everywhere at the same time you can't escape or hide from god and so he knows what your past is but even though you may have assorted past god wants to use you in the future he knows where you're he knows where you are remember job job 23 verse 10 but he knows the way that i take when he has tested me i will come forth like gold now watch this watch this when he's tested me when i've been uh brought through the fire i'll come forth like pure go listen every once in a while the the goldsmith has to melt down a goal and uh he he gets it as hot as it can be almost when it turns white and as it gets hotter the hotter it gets the more drastic film or dirt comes from within the metal and then then he has to buff it and he has to buff it some more then sometimes depending on how much dross is in the metal he got to heat it up real good and then the more he polishes it the more the brighter it gets but beloved that polishing causes friction and sometimes god will allow friction in your life because he's trying to shine you up and make you into the person that he wants you to be and he still can use your life if it's yielded to him and for his glory first of all not your past second not your present state but thirdly your personal characteristics are no obstacle for the lord in acts chapter 9 verse 11 through 16. let's look at that the lord told him go to the house of judah straight street and ask for a man from tyrus named saul for he is praying now this is after the lord's encounter with saul on the damascus road hearing his soul was full of pride riding on his little horse and god had to knock him off his horse to get his attention now paul is praying like he was told to do in verse 12 it says in a vision he has seen a man named ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight now watch this in verse 13 lord ananias answered i have heard many reports about this man all the harm he has done to your holy people in jerusalem look like i imagine ananias is saying look lord why in the world you want me to go to this guy he's already killing our people hurting folk and you want me to go lay hands on him i mean you know sometimes the lord asked us to do things that in our own strength we never ever want to do or be able to do but when you trust the lord even though you know things might be a little weird a little dangerous when you trust the lord you already know that he's giving you victory for whatever mission he sent you on verse 14 says and he has come here with authority from the chief priest to arrest who call all who call on your name verse 15 listen to this but the lord said to ananias go this man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the gentiles and the king and their kings and to the people of israel i will show him how much he must suffer for my name listen the lord sometimes calls us and calls us into ministries that causes suffering in our own personal life but it's for his glory and when you suffer for god's glory then the lord is going to pay you back tenfold of what you've done for him listen he loves us so much and he cares for us but every once in a while the lord has to use us in difficult places which means sometimes we'll suffer great danger for his glory but the lord is faithful and he's good and he's just and and his grace follows us wherever we go and even if we have to give it all like paul paul was willing to give it all for the lord he was zealous in his attacking and going after the christian but he was even more zealous when he found out who the lord was for himself and his life and i'm telling you once you find him for yourself you you you'll be willing to do anything to to bring a smile to his face to bring glory to his name because of who we are who he is and what he's done for you paul was feared by followers of the lord jesus christ his conversion was seen by many to be nothing more than a sort of trap designed to find them and their leaders and to destroy them in fact when he went to jerusalem to meet the apostles watch this barnabas had to go with him and introduce paul to the leaders yet god was able to overcome uh this hurdle and still use paul in a great way if you take the time to look at paul's life you'll find that he was a man with many personal characteristics that seem to be unfavorable to his success listen to me regardless of who you are where you come from what problems you have what personality quirks you you exhibit what your level of education is what your level of acceptance by others are god can and will use you hear me now god can and will use you if you will make yourself available to him and let him work through you god has all kind of people here in service beloved you you got to know that uh and and um next uh not even your personal issues can affect god using you all of us got stuff with us all of us i said before all of us got junk in our trunk but god is still able to use us even though we're not perfect so just because you're not perfect don't let that stop you from working for the lord from doing what god's called you to do because you got issues all of us got issues all of us got defects all of us have problems all of us have a past but your past should never stop your future mobility in working for the lord in second corinthians chapter 12 verse 7 through 9. look listen at this or because of these surpassingly great revelations therefore in order to keep me from becoming conceited i was given a thorn in my flesh a message of satan to torment me uh three times i pleaded with the lord to take it away from me but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness therefore i will boast all the more greatly about my weakness so that christ's power may rest on me now listen the lord uh sometimes we'll let something stick in our lives things that are annoyances to us one because if he's gonna use you greatly then he doesn't want you to be arrogant and self-centered and prideful like whatever you doing you doing through your own strength and power so no god god says no i'm all you need now you know you don't need anything else you don't need me to take the trouble away you just need to keep walking in my grace and so that's one of the things i want to say to you this morning no don't don't always hope god takes the stuff away no you you just keep walking in his grace because some stuff's going to remain with you until the day you die but if you're walking his grace if you walk in his light then those things that hamper you won't stop your forward mobility because god's grace is covering you and so when you find yourself distracted by those thorns like paul head and his flesh nobody cares what it was it was trouble so trouble in your life don't let that stop you from working for the lord and doing what he's called you to do some of you fight depressions other of you fight loneliness some fight against feelings of inferiority some some keep their wickedness up of days going by constantly before their eyes some of you feel so inadequate to do the lord's work whatever uh whatever name your particular weakness may may carry it can be an obstacle to you if you allow it to be understand what i'm saying to you the only way your weakness can be an obstacle or a distraction for you is if you allow it to be but when you know you can do all things through christ who strengthens you then even the stuff that you know is messed up and tore up from the floor god is still able to use you and move you in the direction that he has for you to go however to the lord your problems is nothing you hear me now it might be a big deal to you but it's nothing to god he can take you in the midst of your weakness and still use you to confound the strongest of those uh who come against you listen at this he can take your life and make it an inspiration to everyone who comes in contact with you don't you know that here it is you're thinking everybody looking down at you when everybody's looking up at you because of the great work that you're doing for the lord surrender are you totally surrendered to the lord and to his will for your life beloved you won't ever ever in your life know what great god plans god has for you the directions that he wants you to go until you're willing to surrender that's why i love that song i surrender all of everything i have i surrendered to you lord i surrendered my life paul that day on that damascus road surrendered his life to the lord moses surrendered his life to the lord all those old patriarchs surrendered their life to the lord the apostles eventually they all surrendered their life to the lord paul peter became great because he surrendered his life to the lord so even his past failures uh didn't creep into his future and be like i want you to know today i don't care what you've been through i don't care what your past look like i don't care how many people you hurt i don't care how many things you stole i don't care if you were on drugs you you were a prostitute you were a liar you were a deceiver whatever you were you're not that in christ and beloved you you got to understand that even in your messed upness god can still use you he can use you because you surrendered your life to him he can use you because he gave you special gifts and qualities that he didn't give anybody else there is something special and unique about you don't let the devil fill your head up with junk that you're not worth it you're not worthy no you're not worthy but christ is worthy and if he's in you then that means then you're worthy too because he wants to use you in a special way but beloved you got to be willing to surrender everything that you are and everything that you got to be used in his service listen none of us now a whole bunch of friends of mine i know now that that are ministers they're in the ministry there they're serving in churches none of us wanted to be used by god none of us wanted to go to church none of us wanted to talk about the goodness of christ around our friends but the lord has a way of changing you and humbling you so that now you begin to give god glory and see that's what he wants from us he wants glory for myself the easiest way for us to give him glory is that when we're weak and he makes us strong then we give him praise glory and honor for what he did because we know the successes that we have didn't come from us but they came from him oh beloved god can use you in spite of your past yeah you failed yesterday god still wants to use you yeah you there's some stuff you just keep you just keep failing and failing but god still wants to use you and when you're willing to submit yourself when you're willing to humble yourself when you're willing to give yourself over to the lord when you're willing to sing that song lord i surrender all all to thee my blessed savior i surrender all lord you got me i stripped myself naked before you bear before you lord here i am use me in spite of me then god gets glory and he can use a vessel that would cause people to look and say man i remember when that cat was messed up i remember when he was toe up i remember lord when he when nobody wanted to be a wren but look at him now look at her now look at them now trust the lord with all your heart and watch him use you for great things for his glory i'm telling you today god can use you in spite of your past surrender to him submit to him become a blessing to the world and give him glory father we thank you so much we love you lord and lord we know that you loved us first and so father i come to you today thanking you for your word thank you for changing us lord thanking you for taking us from what we were and making us into the people you want us to be lord that we might give you glory and honor in this world so people would look at us and lord know the changes that took place and then one the same thing that we got that caused us now to be victorious and that's a relationship with you although you are marvelous and magnificent and we praise your precious name today so lord i pray today that somebody heard this message that they haven't given their life to you they don't know who you are they aren't sharing in the resurrection lord uh lord we pray that today the day would be the day that they would say yes that they would give you their heart and they would give you their life and they become saved today and lord it's really simple all they have to do is just simply repeat a prayer and lord if they mean it in their heart you'll save them today right where they are lord we're praying for that we trust you for salvation of your people in jesus name amen so if you heard that message today if you heard the message today and the lord convicted your heart and you know you don't have a relationship with him and one day you want to be in heaven with the lord then today is the day i want you to say yes and you can simply do that by just saying this little simple prayer after me the lord will save you right where you are and then he'll work out the logistics for you of where you need to go and how you need to serve he'll do that for you but if you heard this message today and you're not saved and you want to be saved today so you can be like paul a shiny star for the lord repeat this prayer after me lord i need you lord i'm a sinner lord i've sinned against you but lord i want to come lord to you now to become your child father come into my life come into my life and save me forgive me for all the things i've done wrong lord make me the kind of person you want me to be so i can grow strong in you but thank you for coming to my life if you beli if you said that and you mean if you paid that prayer um and you mean it say that to the lord tell god lord come into my life and save me save me right now make me the kind of person you want me to be so i can grow strong in you thank you lord for coming into my life thank you for saving me i believe that by faith lord we just thank you again for your word we thank you for lord your steadfastness in our life we bless you we honor you we glorify you and we lift you up in jesus precious name amen amen before we leave i want to encourage you next week to come and have communion with us next sunday so you know get your crackers and your juice and uh we're going to have communion next sunday after the word and um we're looking forward to that with you uh we praise the lord for you know some of the new uh vaccines that are coming out um we thank the lord there's a group here in philadelphia the black doctors association we want to praise the lord for for them and all the hard work that they're doing in philadelphia to help minorities to make sure that they get a vaccination a vaccine like everybody else and we want you to give them a hand you know give shout outs on facebook you know just thank the black doctors of philadelphia for all the work and service that they do for us in this community so as we leave you today remember this from my heart to yours i love you peace out bye if you receive jesus christ today we want to help you with the decision you've made please leave your name and your number call us at 215 228 1000 and god bless you today thank you for joining us at living water christian fellowship church we hope you enjoyed the message and enjoyed our service we want to serve you by asking if you have prayer please call us and leave a message on our prayer request line you can call us at two eight 215-228-1 thousand that's two one five two two eight one thousand and we will make sure we pray for you [Music] give and it will be given to you a good measure pressed down shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap or with the measure you use it will be measured to you ladies and gentlemen this is a blessing for the lord so we thank you for your act of worship and we know that this will be a blessing to you as you give to us now there are two ways that you can give you can mail it to living water christian fellowship church 2949 west clearfield street philadelphia pennsylvania 19132 or you can also give conveniently through our cash app that's dollar sign l and we so appreciate your act of worship by giving to us and helping us build god's kingdom [Music] you