DATE: FRIDAY, SEPT.

1,2017
TOPIC: BECOMING A VESSEL UNTO HONOUR
FACILITATOR: PST. SAM ADU
 INTRODUCTION
MEANING OF VESSEL
THE MOTIVATION TO BECOME A VESSEL
UNTO HONOR
CRITERION TO BECOME A USEFUL VESSEL
CONCLUSION
 God created us for a purpose. Each individual was created
according to God's plan and purpose. Everything is created for a
purpose. A chair is made for people to sit on. A bed is made for
people to sleep in. A piano is made to play music on. Nature is
created by God to declare the glory of God. The Bible says;
Heaven declares the glory of God. The sky proclaims the work
of His hands . Psalm 19:1, 2 Mountains, seas, and stars and
indeed the whole of nature declares the glory of God. Flowers
bloom and birds sing for the glory of God. We humans are created
to glorify God. Like the moon which shines at night reflecting the
light of the sun, we should shine for Jesus in the dark sinful world
reflecting HIS light.
It would be very sad if creation was not used for its intended
purpose. If you buy a brand new car, and you never use it; what a
waste would that be! Our life will also be a waste if we are not
used to glorify God. We should fulfill the purpose that we were
given by God. We are to be used by God for his glory and honor.
The Bible says in Isaiah 43:7 Everyone who is called by My
name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him,
yes, I have made him . "
 Vesselmeans a large ship. And it also means
a container that holds liquid such as a bowl,
a cup and a glass. But in the Bible it also
means a person that God uses. Among
vessels, there are useful ones and not useful
ones. Would you like to be a useful vessel
that God uses?
 Know how much God loves you.
If you realize how much God loves you, you want to serve him in return.
Love is reciprocal, if you know you are loved by someone, it is natural
that you will have a desire to serve the person. So, learn more about
God's love, then your desire to serve God will be greater. The Bible says;
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love another.(I
John 4:11) If you realize how much God loves us, we will in return love
our neighbors and serve God.

Know the dire need in the world. Know how much your help is
needed.
Jesus said to his disciples : The harvest is plentiful, but the workers
are few. Luke 10:2 Jesus shows here that there are plenty of souls who
are waiting to hear the gospel and eager to be saved, but the workers are
few. There are great needs in reaching and saving the lost. We often fail
to reach people as we do not realize their desperate need. Awareness
and realization of the need is the first step to reaching out to the lost.
Holy Spirit will impress a particular need of the people so that reaching
and helping them becomes a personal one.
 1. The first condition is Proximity (Accessibility, Availability)The vessel
near the user is likely to be used. The obvious criterion, the essential standard for
vessels to be used is proximity, accessibility. It has to be in a convenient place. It
must be within a short distance from the user. The vessel has to be near the user if
it is to be used. The user will not bother to use the vessel if it is out of his reach no
matter how clean, how pretty, how expensive and how precious the cup may be.
Would you use a cup if it takes too much time to get it? So, it is important that the
vessel is within the user's reach. Accessibility is vital for the vessel to be
used.

Sometimes the greatest ability we can have is availability. To be where God can call
us, to be within whisper range of His summons, that is the beginning of a life of
meaningful discipleship. Just like a house or shop in good location, convenient place
is in great demand, an accessible person, an available person is in great
demand. So, where you will be in relation to God is essential to be used by Him.
You must be near God to be used by him. The Bible says : Come near to God and he
will come near to you. James 4:8
Isaiah was near God in the temple when he heard God's call Whom shall I send?
And who will go for us? And because he was near God, he could hear God's calling
and he could answer, Here I am send me. Isaiah 6:8 Samuel was near God lying
down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called
Samuel and he answered Here I am. 1 Samuel 3: 3, 4. Because Samuel was near
God, he was used mightily as a prophet of God.
2. Emptied vessel
Secondly, the vessel has to be empty. It cannot be used if it is full of things. Can you
use a cup filled with something when you want to drink water? Even if the cup is
near you, if it is filled with any other substance, you will not use it. You will, either,
empty the cup and clean it before using it; or, you will simply reach for an empty
cup. The vessels have to be empty if they are to be used.

No runner will run a race carrying a heavy bag. You even try to lose weight if you
feel you are overweight for the race. The Bible says in Hebrew 12:1,2 .. let us
throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us
run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Apostle Paul and the crew on the ship threw the grain out of the ship to make it
lighter as the ship was in danger of sinking in the storm. Acts 27 : 38
records: When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship
by throwing the grain into the sea. In order to save their lives, they had to
eliminate the less important things. In order to achieve the mission that God has
given to us, we often must eliminate the less important things in life.
3. Clean vessel
Even if the cup is near the user, and empty, if it is dirty with filthy stain
or mould, you would not use it; would you? The unclean cup is not
hygienic. It is harmful to your health. The vessel must be clean. God is
Holy. He cannot use unclean, filthy instruments. Impurity, sinfulness is
against His holy nature. God cannot use an unclean and sinful person.
Isaiah had to confess his sin and get rid of his sin before he could say
Here I am, send me. Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a
man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my
eyes have seen the King, the Lord almighty. The Bible continues to say
in Isaiah 6 : 6,7 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in
his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he
touched my mouth and said, See, this has touched your lips; your
guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. Isaiah had to be purged
and cleansed before he was ready to be sent for his work.

If a sinful man with a low moral standard tries to do God's work, it will
cause more harm than help the work. An unclean person is not fit for
God's work. Imagine what damage he could bring to the church, if he is
hooked on drugs, and living an immoral life sleeping with different
partners! A blind man cannot lead a blind person.
4. Willing vessel (desire)
We have already learned that the vessels are figurative and they
actually represent us, humans, particularly Christians. So, the
last criteria to be a useful vessel is whether it has a heart to
want to serve God or not. Would an employer want to use an
unwilling worker who always complains and grumbles if he or she
is asked to do some job? Even if the cup is near you and it is
empty and clean, but if the cup would say I hate this job. I do
not want to do it? Would you use the cup?

When God created man, God gave him free will. Man can choose
to love God and serve Him, or he can live a life to please himself
disobeying God. God respects our free will. The creator does not
want to force His creation to serve him. Love is voluntary. You
cannot force someone to love you. God would rather not use you
if you do not want to do the job. He loves a willing worker. The
prodigal son recorded in Luke 15 chose to leave home away from
father's presence and lived a riotous life in city. It was his choice.
And the father did not want to force him to stay against his will.
 God will use a vessel near Him, an empty
one, clean one and a person willing to be
used. Do you want be a useful vessel? If it is
your desire to be a useful vessel, let us be
near Him, let us be not occupied by the
things of the world, let us be clean and let us
be willing to serve Him.