Partnership - 1

Partnership - 1

Subject – God Uses People

By Rick Welborne

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (NLT2)
¹  Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.
²  They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.
³  For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.
⁴  They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.
⁵  They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. 

--Today we start a new series that I have been meditating about and praying about for quite some time. “Partnership” hopefully will be an eye opener for how God works.

--When I say “Partnership – God Uses People” I am not referring or insinuating God uses people like some use people. I am not talking about abuse or misuse but I am talking about partnership with God. 

--We see throughout Scripture how God has chosen to use different individuals to accomplish His will and to bring deliverance for His people.

--This is not to say that God has to partner with people but that He has chosen, in His Sovereignty, to use people for His glory. Our responsibility is to cooperate with Him and to do His will.

--Again, God has shown us His ability to accomplish what He wants to do without the help of man. He shows us that in creation.

Genesis 1:1-5 (NKJV) ¹  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
²  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
³  Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
⁴  And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
⁵  God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. 

--We see when it came to the salvation of mankind God could not depend on any man to purchase us and save us from our sin, it was something He did. It’s what Jesus did.

Isaiah 59:16 (NIV) ¹⁶  He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 

Hebrews 9:12-14 (NLT2)
¹²  With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.
¹³  Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity.
¹⁴  Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 

--I think it is important for us to ask the question or, at least, investigate why God would want to partner with people, with us? It is truly thought provoking.

--Over all the years of ministry, I know there are type “A” personalities out there who want to do everything on their own. Others will just mess up my plan. You know who you are.

--People like that are usually angry, judgmental, and controlling. They are never happy because the people around them never measure up.

--They usually do not have deep friendships with those around them. It is truly hard to get close to someone who thinks they know it all. Very self-righteous. 

--Maybe that gives us a hint of why God does what He does in wanting relationships and partnerships, just possible that He wants us to be His close friends. Not perfect friends.

Exodus 33:11 (NKJV) ¹¹ So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 

John 15:13-16 (NLT2) ¹³ There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
¹⁴  You are my friends if you do what I command.
¹⁵  I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
¹⁶  You didn’t choose me. I chose you. 

--It blows my mind that God has chosen us, that He has chosen us to be His friends, and He has chosen us to be partners with Him especially when it comes to reaching the lost. Back to our text:

2 Corinthians 8:1 (NLT2) ¹  Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 

1. When We Are in Partnership with God, He Gets the Glory.

--Notice the phrase, “What God in His Kindness has done.” Who did it? God did it! Partnership with God means that God always get the glory.

1 Cor. 10:31 (NKJV) ³¹ Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

--It is okay to give credit where credit is due and to give honor where honor is due…Even Paul, after what He says God has done says He did through the churches in Macedonia. 

--It is this beautiful partnership that causes God to get the glory. We have decided as a church to partner with God in the Great Commission.

--Yes, I appreciate getting recognition from the District and the GCAOG and I am thankful for what we have accomplished but unless God gets the glory…it’s just wood, hay, and stubble.

--Notice the churches in Macedonia were not affluent and they had their own problems for sure. They realized they could bring glory to God even in their poverty.

2 Corinthians 8:2 (NLT2) ² They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. 

--Partnering with God does not mean you have it all together, you have no troubles, and your bank account is huge and blessed. They were poor and had lots of trials.

--We don’t expect the poor widow here at Life Church to give the same amount in tithes and Faith Promises as the professional person who is making six figures. Everyone can partner with God.

2 Corinthians 8:2-5 (NLT2) ² They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.
³  For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.
⁴  They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.
⁵  They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. 

--Do you see it? See what, Pastor? Do you see how the people at the churches in Macedonia were giving God all the glory? 

--Was it their money? No. Was it their heart? Their motives? Their free will? Yes. Their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. 

--If you want to partner with God and if you want to glorify His Name, give yourselves completely to Him and He will have all you have.

2. When We Are in Partnership with God, People Are Blessed.

1 John 3:16-18 (NKJV) ¹⁶  By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
¹⁷  But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
¹⁸  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

--Verse 17 asks a very important question…How does the love of God abide in a person? The context is us seeing someone in need and choosing to do nothing about it.

--When we partner with God and we partner with each other, we not only can preach the gospel to people but we can also meet their felt needs.

--Jesus and His Body, the Church, partner together to feed the hungry (HOH), we have Joseph’s Storehouse to help brothers and sisters during a tough time, and we have Christmas blessings.

--When we partner with God and we give, we serve, we work, we pray, we love, people’s lives are changed and many can find salvation. People are blessed and God gets the glory.

3. When I Am in Partnership with God, I Am Blessed.

Mark 3:32-35 (NLT2) ³² There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”
³³  Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
³⁴  Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.
³⁵  Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” 

--When I do the will of God (when I obey His Word) I am in partnership with God. I become His brother. How amazing is that. 

1 John 1:6-7 (NKJV)
⁶  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
⁷  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.