OceanSide church of Christ

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LORD, USE ALL OF ME

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     1 Corinthians 6:19-20

 

What!  know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price:  therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

 

1.       We are not our own.

2.       We are bought with a price.

3.       Our body and spirit belong to God.

4.       Thus, we should glorify Him in both.

 

B.      Romans 12:1

 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

 

1.       Our bodies are to be presented to God as a living sacrifice.

2.       Paul says this is a “reasonable” service.  In other words, this is a rational and logical thing to do.

 

C.     These two texts give rise to the title of our lesson this morning:  “Lord, Use All of Me.”

 

I.                    USE MY MIND:  to know your will

 

A.     The mind or heart of man is the control center of all that he does.  Solomon tells us that “out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23).

 

B.      There are numerous texts that tell us where our minds are to be centered.

1.       “…and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of  Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

2.       “Let this mind be in your, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).

3.       Philippians 4:8

 

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 

C.     Satan tries to get our minds off of spiritual things.  He wants us to think about material things, wordly pleasures, sinful things, negative things, and useless things.

 

D.     In order to please God, we must fill our minds with spiritual things.  This can only be done by a diligent study of God’s holy Word (Jer. 15:16).

 

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:  for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

 

 

 

II.                 USE MY EMOTIONS:  to love and have compassion

 

A.     Man is an emotional being.  We have the ability to experience happiness, sadness, fear, and anger.

 

B.      In our service to the Master, two emotions of man need to brought to the forefront:  compassion and love.

1.       Compassion enables us to suffer with others (Jesus, Luke 17:13).

2.       Love enables us to sacrifice for others (God, John 3:16)

 

C.     These two emotions can be developed in each of us because both of them have been commanded.

1.       Compassion (1 Pet. 3:8)

 

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.

 

2.       Love (John 15:17)

 

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

 

III.              USE MY EARS:   to hear your words

 

A.     God has given us two ears for hearing.

 

B.      Too often, our ears are used in the wrong manner.

1.       We hear bad news.

2.       We hear gossip.

3.       We hear lies.

4.       We hear blasphemy.

 

C.     We need to tune our ears so we can truly hear God’s Word.

1.       Proverbs 1:5a

 

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning…

 

2.       Isaiah 1:1a

 

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken…

 

3.       Jeremiah 22:29

 

O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.

 

4.       Revelation 13:9

 

If any man have an ear, let him hear…

 

IV.              USE MY MOUTH:  to praise you and tell the good news

 

A.     The mouth, sometimes referred to as “the tongue” in Scripture, can get us into trouble:  it lies, its speaks evil of others, it curses, it boasts, etc.

 

B.      We would be wise to use our mouths to praise God and to tell the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

1.       Praise (Ps. 34:1)

 

I will bless the Lord at all times:  his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

 

2.       Spreading the good news of salvation (Mark 16:15)

 

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel unto every creature.

 

V.                 USE MY EYES:  to see the needs of others

 

A.     One of the most precious things that we have is our eyes.

 

B.      They take in all kinds of things throughout the day.

 

C.     We need to allow the Lord to use our eyes to see the needs of others.

1.       Jesus did.

a.       Jesus saw Zacchaeus (Luke 19:5).

b.      Jesus saw the man who had an infirmity 38 years (John 5:6).

c.       Jesus saw the hungry multitudes (John 6:5).

2.       James 1:27

 

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

 

a.       The word “visit” means more than simply going to someone’s house and discussing the weather and children.

b.      Note who is being visited:  “the fatherless and widows” who are afflicted.

c.       When we visit, we inspect and search out the needs of these individuals and do what we can to assist them.

3.       Peter fastened his eyes upon the lame man at the gate beautiful (Acts 3:4).  Having seen the problem, he provided for this man (Acts 3:6-7).

 

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee:  in then name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.  And he too him by the right hand, and lifted him up:  and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

 

D.     It is sad when someone sees the needs of others and fails to respond.  Remember, the priest and the Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:31-32).

 

VI.              USE MY HANDS:  to serve others

 

A.     Two verses:

1.       The virtuous woman (Prov. 31:20).

 

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

 

2.       Ecclesiastes 9:10a

 

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might…

B.      Jesus often used His hands in service to others.

1.       “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him…” (Matt. 8:3).

2.       “And he touched her hand, and the fever left her…” (Matt. 8:15).

3.       “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him…” (Matt. 14:31).

 

C.     What would happen if we used our hands serving others as much as we use our hands to control our cell phones?  What kind of good could we accomplish?

 

VII.           USE MY FEET:  to take the gospel to others

 

A.     Jesus has commanded us to go.  “Go ye therefore and teach all nations” (Matt. 28:19). 

 

B.      One of the methods by which we can go is with our feet to take the precious message of truth to the world. 

 

C.     The Bible pronounces a blessing upon those who do this (Rom. 10:15).

 

And how shall they preach except they be sent?  As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

 

D.     There are all kinds of devices now that are used to track the number of steps we take each day: iphone, fitbit, etc.  It would be interesting to record the amount of steps we take each day taking the gospel to others.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Lord, use all of me in thy service.

1.       Use my mind.

2.       Use my emotions.

3.       Use my ears.

4.       Use my mouth.

5.       Use my eyes.

6.       Use my hands.

7.       Use my feet.

 

B.      Lord, help me to remember that I am not my own, that I have been bought with a price and belong to you.  Therefore, give me a deep desire to glorify thee in my body and in my spirit.

 

C.     Father, help me to present my body unto thee as a living sacrifice, which is my reasonable service.