SO THAT NO ONE MAY BOAST!
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
INTRODUCTION: Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Today we are all or all want to be Irish and will celebrate the day with parades, shamrocks and everything green. Something you may not know is that St. Patrick was not Irish, he was English. Patrick was kidnapped from England and taken as a slave to Ireland at the age of 16 and served as a slave for six years. It was there in Ireland were Patrick became a Christian. At the age of 40 Patrick had a dream and the Lord told him to return to Ireland and preach the gospel. By his death in 461, St. Patrick had founded over 300 churches and had baptized 120,00 converts to Christ: 1 Corinthians 1:28-29. Our God can and does use anyone who is willing for His glory: James 2:5.
I. GOD’S CALL TO SALVATION!
No one will come to God for salvation while living in their own pride. God’s calls the humble to salvation and to service: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. A person’s pride will always get in the way of hearing the call of their God: Matthew 5:5; Luke 1:53; Matthew 5:6. Only our Lord Jesus can fill an empty soul with the food of salvation: John 6:35. Only Jesus Christ can fill you with all the answers to life you are looking for: Psalm 90:14.
II. GOD’S CALL TO SERVICE!
When God saved Patrick, he called him to service, Patrick served and each of us have also been called to serve others: Galatians 5:13-14. Our God has an area of service for every one He saves but we must be willing to surrender to our Lord’s call on our lives. When we surrender our will to God’s will for our lives a new day is ushered into our lives. When we surrender to God’s will, God will begin to use us for His glory! In order to serve our Lord by serving others we must separate ourselves form everything that displeases our Lord: Psalm 119:115. Our God will not use a man or woman who has one foot in the Church and the other in the wicked ways of this world! We must be willing to separate for the evil of this world for our Lord to use us: John 13:17.
III. GOD’S CALL TO SUFFER!
Living our lives for God’s glory, not only for St. Patrick, but for all those who will receive Christ’s salvation and desire to serve Him with their lives will suffer for it: Acts 9:16. But the Bible makes it clear, not just the apostle Paul or St. Patrick but all those who will walk through this life for His glory will also suffer for it: Philippians 1:29; 1 Peter 5:10. Suffering for Christ’s glory and man kinds good is what will often wind up strengthening the Christian willing to serve even if it causes suffering. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Our God will not use the man or woman who runs away at the first sign of trouble: 2 Chronicles 16:9; Hebrews 10:32-39. Suffering will make you sober: 1 Peter 4:7. We are not called to a party: this is serious business and Satan will allure you with the pleasures of this world to take your eyes off the prize of faithful service to our Lord: 2 Corinthians 2:11; 2 Timothy 3:12. Do you yet understand that the closer you draw to Jesus Christ the more you will be called to suffer for Him? God is willing to call all to Himself regardless of our station in life: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. Our God used a simple country man; an uneducated man of very simple means to convert an entire nation to Christ. What were St. Patrick’s qualifications? He was willing to be used and submit himself to his God and to hear God’s call to salvation, service and suffering! Are you willing to do the same?