Watch

Listen

Click here to listen to the episode on our website

Read

What Is Holding Us Back?

How can God use somebody like me? A comedian who had substance issues — how can he be used by God? And yet here I am. Do you realize that starting off with a joke and showing you the rough edges of my past is off-putting to many who say, "That can't be used by God"?

What's your story? What have you had to fight? Because if you are being used by God, there's a struggle that happens. And many times the struggle's in the past and you have victory over it and now you're walking in that victory.

One of the hardest things for me in my 40-plus year career has been to accept the term pastor. I used to have a phrase when people would accuse me of behavior that wasn't leadership quality. I used to say, "I'm your radio show host, I'm not your pastor." Can't say that anymore. So God had to supernaturally continue to work in my heart for me to even be able to do this on day one, let alone almost four years later now.

See, many of us have come and asked the question straight up: can God really use my life?

The Unlikely Apostle

Every time I read the story of Saul's conversion in Acts 9, I stand amazed at the great grace of God. I see the Lord take this dude, save him by grace, and transform him into the great apostle Paul — the great apostle to the Gentiles. And immediately I realize there is hope for people like you and me. People like us to actually be used of the Lord. Because once you become His child, you want to be up and about His business.

Truth is, Saul was a very unlikely candidate for the service of the Lord. Here's a man who was feared and hated by Christians, a guy who did everything in his power to destroy the name of the Lord Jesus. Yet God reached down in grace and took this man from where he was and used him to change the world. God used him in such a great manner that Paul's ministry is still producing fruit to this day. Just the fact that we're talking about his life and the impact he had on the world is a testimony to the way God will use people then and the way He will use people now.

When we look at Paul, we may be tempted to think that he was some kind of supersaint. He was not. We may feel that there is no possible way the Lord could use us like He did Paul — or that God could even use us at all. I talk to a lot of people, and so many of us feel and fear that we're unworthy to be used of the Lord in His work. And I'm here to tell you that Jesus can and will use you if you will make yourself available.

So can God really use your life? The short answer is yes, God can use your life. Now, let me take a few minutes to look at the great apostle Paul and show you the obstacles that seemed to be in the way of his service — obstacles which God had no problem overcoming by His power and His grace. That's why I tell you that with full confidence.

Let's start with Acts 9:1–16:

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were open, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."

But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

— Acts 9:1–16

From these verses and others dealing with Paul's life and ministry, four truths emerge about what holds us back — and why none of those things have to.

1. Your Past Condition Is No Obstacle

According to Paul's own testimony, he was guilty of doing everything in his power to put Christianity to death. In 1 Timothy 1, Paul tells us something about his past — Paul was a murderer. He was a rebel against the Lord Jesus. Now, religiously, he had it all. He was to be envied. But internally he was wicked and stony-hearted as any man who had ever walked the face of the earth.

In Acts 7, the Bible indicates that Saul gave his approval to the murder of Stephen, since he guarded the clothes of those who stoned him to death. Let's be honest — dude was a wicked man.

Straight up, this proved to be no obstacle to the grace and saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Paul received Jesus on that Damascus road — truly, authentically received Him into his heart — he was changed forever by the grace of God.

And let me tell anybody who's listening: your past is no obstacle to the future in the Lord's work. It's not. Regardless of what you did before you received Jesus as your substitute, it matters no longer. When He saved your soul, He washed your past away forever. It is just as if you got a brand new start at that precise moment. In fact, the Bible refers to this event as a new birth in multiple places.

Three Records of Your Past

Now listen — there are three records of your past deeds in the world today. Three. Three places.

First, there is a record you carry in your own mind. Secondly, there is a record carried by all those that knew what you were before. And thirdly, the third record is carried by Satan himself — and he'll throw that up in your grill all the time. He'll throw that back in your face all the time.

But may I 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 and bugs me with it all the time — God in heaven has forgotten my past, and it is no obstacle for Him to use me now or in the future. That's incredible, isn't it?

What Scripture Says About Your Past

Let me show you some scriptures quickly to back up what I'm saying here.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." — Psalm 103:12

"Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness, but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back." — Isaiah 38:17

"I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." — Isaiah 43:25

Don't miss that. He's not doing this for you. He's doing this for His glory. And it's awesome when you understand it. "And I will not remember your sins." Thank you, Lord.

How about some New Testament? In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul gives a grocery list of the unrighteous who will not inherit the kingdom of God. And then he tells us the deal in verse 11. After this grocery list of all the people that — in the way they act and what they do — are not going to inherit the kingdom of God, he says this:

"And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." — 1 Corinthians 6:11

And such were some of you. You were — this was you. But you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God. That's a mic drop moment. There isn't one like it for those of us who know what this means.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." — 1 John 1:7

God Uses People After Their Greatest Failures

Do you see the door of opportunity? Throughout the Bible, God used people in spite of and after their greatest failures. I could just list them over and over and over again, but let me just give you five:

• Simon Peter preached the greatest message and had his greatest ministry after he denied the Lord. In spite of and after our greatest failures, God can still use us.
• Moses was a murderer. Yet God used him for His glory.
• Samson sinned against God. Yet he slew more Philistines at the end of his life than he did during his entire ministry.
• Abraham lied. Yet he was used of the Lord.
• Jacob was a deceiver. Yet the Lord transformed him and used him greatly.

There are many others. But these are sufficient to show the point that the Lord can take those who have failed in the past and He can still use them for His glory today and into the future.

2. Your Present Circumstances Are No Obstacle

If your past condition is no obstacle for the Lord, then your present circumstances are no obstacle either.

Paul's on his way to Damascus to find more Christians to arrest and hopefully take them to their death. That's his mission. Oh, happy day. He's filled with hatred. He wants nothing more than to completely destroy anyone and anything connected with Christianity. And in spite of all of this, the Lord was able to change this man and use him for His glory. He could do the same thing in my life and in yours. He can take us with all the baggage that we carry and He can use us for His glory.

Now listen, we all bring certain liabilities, right? Some are uneducated. Some are overeducated. Trust me, overeducation can be an obstacle. Others have few resources. Others are actually paralyzed by having too many resources. Some are weak in 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 we are, change what needs to be changed, and then use us greatly. And when I say greatly, I'm talking about in the view of God, not in the view of what man thinks is great. God's ways are so much higher than our ways. And how will you know you're being used greatly by God? When it's well with you. When that peace of God washes over you because you have committed your life to Him. We'll get more to that in a minute.

Your Circumstances Don't Surprise God

The Bible is filled with this kind of story.

Moses was 80 years old when God called him into the ministry in Exodus 7. He had other problems as well, just in Exodus 4. He's not very eloquent. He's filled with fear. He was totally opposed to the Lord's plan for his life. And yet despite all of this, God was still able to use him for His glory.

The man filled with demons in Mark 5 — this was a man feared by everybody. But the Lord was able to take this guy who had caused so much trouble and He was able to use him as a witness for the glory of Jesus Christ. God took him where he was, and God then used him for God's glory.

The four lepers in 2 Kings 7:1–10. A lot of people don't even know this story. It is so hardship right now in 2 Kings 7 that they're actually resorting to cannibalism to stay alive — it's in your Bible in 1 Kings 6. In the middle of all that, God takes four lepers who become the unlikely saviors of Jerusalem. God took them where they were and used them in spite of their circumstances.

What I'm trying to get to you is this: your present circumstances did not catch the Lord by surprise. He knows everything there is to know about you. He knows where you are, and He can still use your life if it is yielded to Him for His glory.

The Secret: A Renewed Mind

The secret lies in Romans 12:1–2. You've got to put that into practice. I've come back to this verse a lot, and I keep coming back to it because I have to look at it a lot myself:

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." — Romans 12:1–2

By the way, in modern times, if you want a great analogy for transforming your mind — just consider putting a brand new, complete new operating system into a computer. That's what this is like for us as human beings.

3. Your Personal Attributes Are No Obstacle

If your past condition is no obstacle and your present circumstances are no obstacle, then your personal attributes are no obstacle.

I have problems with my personal attributes and have for decades. Too abrasive. Too much of a loudmouth. I used to say I was "too honest" — that's a way to try to convince yourself you're not being a jerk, right? Didn't have the love. Didn't have the love to be a pastor.

And here's the secret as we talk about personal attributes: I still don't. I personally don't have the love. But here's what happens — in my surrender to Jesus, He gives me the love every day. And sometimes I love people so much that it actually annoys me. How can this be? It's because of God's great love to me and through me. Now I have a love that is a pastor-type love, and I see it and I feel it and I rejoice — and I rejoice because I know it does not come from me.

Your personal attributes are no obstacle when you surrender to God. He can use you. And that surrender isn't a one-time cross-the-goal-line, "now I have a touchdown" moment. It's an ongoing, first-down basis in the field of eternity. You never get to the goal line.

Even Paul's Conversion Was Doubted

See, Paul was feared by the followers of Jesus Christ. His conversion was seen by many to be nothing more than some sort of trap designed to find them and their leaders. Think about that — he's converted and everybody's thinking he's just playing games. They don't even believe his conversion. In fact, when he goes to Jerusalem to meet the other apostles, Barnabas had to go with him and introduce Paul to them. Yet God was able to overcome this hurdle and still use Paul in great ways.

Now, if you take the time to look at Paul's life, you will find that he was a man with many personal attributes that seemed to be unfavorable for his success. If you take a note — 2 Corinthians 10, 2 Corinthians 11, Galatians 4, Galatians 6 — he'll lay it out for you right there. Paul had many personal hurdles to get over to be used by the Lord, but God was able to use him in spite of what was wrong with him physically.

See, if we get into the business of comparing ourselves with others, then we're in for a very rough ride. Many of us have personal attributes that sometimes make us feel like we simply cannot be used by God effectively. That's a lie. I want to remind you that God can take that thing that we consider to be our weakness and He can use us anyway. Our Savior excels in taking the weak and foolish things of this world and using them in a great way.

Look at a verse that backs that up:

"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong." — 1 Corinthians 1:27

Mountains of Evidence

Over and over and over again, as you turn the pages of your Bible, you're going to find mountains of evidence to this truth. I'm going to give you six of them:

1. Moses — I've already mentioned Moses, but God took this old man who had a speech impediment and used him as the actual arm of God.

2. Esther — God used a Jewish girl named Esther to save His people from slaughter.

3. David — God used a young, unnamed, unknown boy named David to be the greatest king to ever sit on the throne of Israel. In fact, so elevated was what God did with a nobody — David was a nobody in his own family — that even the line of Jesus was created from him. And the messianic term to this day remains "the Son of David." Son of David, have mercy on me. Ring a bell?

4. Lazarus — God used a beggar named Lazarus to preach a daily sermon to a rich man.

5. The Twelve Disciples — God used twelve unknown men from various walks of life to set the world on fire for God. I don't know if you've ever heard me explain it, but when you really understand the calling of these twelve apostles, the disciples of Jesus Christ, you will understand immediately that you now have a role — no matter how big of a loser you were — because these guys were the losers.

Back in that day, the biggest thing you could possibly have was for a rabbi to select you to be one of his disciples. It's like getting a full ride scholarship to a Division 1 college. I mean, it's even bigger than that in that society — it's being a number one draft pick in the NFL if football is your thing. You get what I'm saying?

And all of these guys had missed the cut. None of these guys had a rabbi that was interested in them. They were all the losers that had to go back and do jobs. In fact, one of them was so bad he became a tax collector. That's awful.

Why do you think it is that when Jesus said to James and John, "Follow me," they dropped their stuff, left their dad with the business — and their dad was happy? Because a rabbi had selected his loser boys who had missed the cut. Don't you see that? That's what Jesus calling these disciples was, and He's calling us in the same way. Many of us have missed the cut. Many of us are not worthy. Many of us know that we're not those people, we're not that type. And yet God still says He wants to use us.

6. Even the Son of God Himself had several strikes against Him. All the people assumed that Jesus was the illegitimate child of a Roman soldier in John 8. Others saw Him as no more than the son of Mary and Joseph in John 6. Most thought there was no way God could use someone from Nazareth in John 1. Others questioned the fact that He came from Galilee in John 7. And some even said Jesus was nothing more than a tool of Satan in Mark 3. So even with all these strikes against Him, who can deny that Jesus our Lord used His life of 33 years more than any other which has ever walked on the face of the earth?

I say all of this to say this: regardless of who you are, where you came from, what problems you have, what personality quirks you exhibit, what your level of education is, what your level of acceptance by others — God can and will use you if you make yourself available to Him and His work. God has all kinds of folks in His service. The kinds of witnesses and servants that He has, it's truly astonishing globally. What He's looking for is those who are willing to serve Him.

4. Your Personal Issues Are No Obstacle

If your past condition is no obstacle, your present circumstances are no obstacle, and your personal attributes are no obstacle, then your personal issues are no obstacle.

I'm going to show you a scripture chunk now because this really helps the whole message. 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 says this:

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave 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 gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." — 2 Corinthians 12:7–10

Do you see that? To keep from being conceited — why? Because he's getting these incredible, surpassing revelations. A thorn was given him in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass him. Nobody knows what that is, by the way. A lot of speculation, but nobody knows for sure.

Weakness Is the Point

I've already touched on this, but God was able to use the apostle Paul in spite of all of his physical infirmities that plagued his life. In fact, Paul stated that his greatest weaknesses guaranteed him a greater strength. Why? Why? Because it's just like the love I have for people — it doesn't come from me. It comes from the Lord. It comes from the Lord. Therefore, you're now doing things that are beyond your physical capabilities. God is taking your words and blessing them in ways, He's taking your actions and blessing them in ways that you can't manufacture yourself.

When you step back and you see that a meager effort of yours has impacted a life greatly, you never say, "I did some pretty cool stuff for the Lord." No. You never do that. Because when you see it happen, you know that it's not because you have any strength at all. God did something with what He asked you to do, and it's amazing. You just feel fortunate.

Content for Christ's Sake

Take a look at verse 10 of 2 Corinthians 12 one more time. Look at this a little deeper: "For the sake of Christ, then..." Not for the sake of Christ, not for the sake of you, not so that we can live above the fray today. No — it's for Christ's sake. Then I am what? Content. I'm content. Not content that God has blessed me and all my needs are met and I'm driving around in a brand new Escalade with the bumper sticker that says "Blessed." No. I'm content with weaknesses. Content with insults. Content with hardships, with persecutions, and with calamities. I'm content because it's for the sake of Christ — and so when I am weak, then I am strong.

And when you are strong in the Lord that way, there is one thing that can frost that cake and make it even better. You want to know what that is? That's the unity of the brothers and sisters together with you. Nothing beats that.

God Doesn't Need Your Strength

So like Paul, you may look upon yourself as being weak and unable to do much for the cause of Christ. However, the truth of the matter is that God doesn't need us to be strong or to be able to stand up on our own two feet. He needs us to be weak and to be totally dependent on Him and His power. And when you are, and you see it — nothing beats it.

God is not looking for spiritual powerhouses. He's looking for people who have nothing more than faith and the desire to cling to the Lord Himself.

Let's look back at the Bible and we can find times when God took the weak and used them in a great way. I could have had twenty examples, but consider this: God took Mary — a young girl with nothing to offer by the world's standards — and He used her to reach the world. From her, He gave life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Whatever Your Weakness, God Says: "Your Problem Is Nothing to Me"

Look, I get it. Some of us fight depression. Others battle loneliness. Some fight against feelings of inferiority. Some keep the wickedness of days gone by constantly up in their face. And some feel so inadequate to do the Lord's work. Whatever you name your particular weakness — whatever weakness you may carry — it can be an obstacle to you if you allow it to be.

However, you know what the Lord says? The Lord says, "Your problem is nothing to me." He can take you in the midst of your weakness and still use you. He can confound the strongest of those about you and around you. He can take your life and make it an inspiration to folks who come in contact with you.

The secret lies in one word: surrender.

Are you totally surrendered to the Lord and to His will for your life? This is where the rubber meets the road. Can God use your life? Yes, He can. However, it must first be His to use.

Four Questions to Consider

There are a few questions to be considered as we wrap up these thoughts. Seriously, just a few polite, straight-up questions. Many times people will say, "Just give it to me straight. I can handle it." All right, here we go. Four questions.

One — Are you redeemed? Not good, not baptized, not a church member — but are you truly redeemed? Saved by the grace of God.

Two — Are you fully surrendered? Is your absolute all on the altar for Jesus, or are you holding anything back? Everything must be His. Please quit buying into this false sort of modern consumer Christianity where, in order to get commitments for Christ, they try to make it into something soft, something harmless, something cheap. It's not any of that. I call it the free gift that will cost you everything.

Three — Are you available for Him to use? What does that mean? That means, is your life so cluttered with everything that you do that there is nothing and nowhere for the Lord to get in and actually use you?

Four — Are you willing to be used by the Lord? That's different than available. The willing thing is a big deal because He won't force you to serve Him. He may make you wish that you had, but He will never force you into anything. You must come to the place where you are willing for the Lord to use you.

The Show Stopper

Now listen — this is the show stopper right here. This is a big, big, big finish. If the answer to any of those four questions is no, then the Lord cannot use you fully. Not until those things are taken care of by His grace. Sorry, not sorry. That's the deal.

I want you to think of it this way. Have you ever had to fill up a five-gallon bucket with water from a hose? What do you do? You turn that hose on full blast, don't you? And you're still going to be standing there for a minute for five gallons, right? Well, these four questions show how much of the hose you're squeezing off and how much of the water you are shutting off in order to fill that bucket. If you're so far off on those four questions that you have nothing but a drip, drip, drip in the bucket — it isn't going to get filled.

For Such a Time as This

Examine your heart and do that thing you need to do right now so that the Lord can use you for such a time as this. The bottom line is this: in this dark culture, we need people who are willing to stretch themselves in the power of the Lord and get into that place where He can and will use our lives for His great glory. Your past, your present circumstances, your personal attributes, your personal issues — none of them are obstacles to the God who took a murderer named Saul and transformed him into the great apostle Paul. He's ready to do the same kind of work in you.