14.02.10 - Please send me.

Does God want us to change the world? Of course, He does. He has commissioned us to make disciples of all nations. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” All the world; all creation.

Acts 1:8 You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Clearly, God intends us to change the world. That should be how we think. When some asks what you do, tell him you change the world! When he has recovered he will say, “Oh really? How?”

That is when you mention your job or your lifestyle or whatever. Your mission is to change the world. Everything else is simply the how. Some people change the world by being politicians; some people by being doctors; some by being teachers; some by being parents; some by dealing with rubbish.

Last week I talked about the book You Were Born For This, which says that every day, every Christian has the opportunity to be used by God to deliver a miracle (or maybe more than one miracle) into the life of someone else – and change the world. We possibly doubt that. Maybe we think that miracles are only very rare events and completely God’s responsibility. But Bruce Wilkinson, in this book, says that God is compassionate and caring and wants people to know that He loves them. He wants to intervene supernaturally in people’s lives frequently, not occasionally. God wants to perform miracles daily.

On the one hand, there are many, many needy people. There is no lack of need. There are hurting people or struggling people all around. On the other hand, God is keen for those people to experience His love and His provision. So what is going to bring those two together? There is limitless need. There is a compassionate God. There are opportunities every day. But generally God chooses to work though people. What is missing so often is a person willing to be used by God to meet that need.

Here is another story from the book. We could use our own stories and it would be good to do that. If you have got a story that fits what I am talking about today, it would be good to share that at the end. Anyway, in this story as Bruce Wilkinson was driving one swelteringly hot evening he prayed, as he often does. He imagined himself walking into the courts of heaven, and standing before the throne of God. He prayed “Please, Lord, send me to do your work. I want to serve You this evening.”

Just minutes later he came upon an older model van pulled off to the side of the road and a man in a turban motioning for help. He pulled up and the man came to his window.

“What’s the problem, Sir,” Wilkinson asked.

“My van is broken down. I called for a tow truck but they only take cash at night. I don’t have any. I have been here for hours.” He was soaked with perspiration and visibly traumatised.

Wilkinson invited him to sit in his car where it was cooler. He gave him a bottle of water and they talked about what to do.

“You’ve really been out here for hours?”

“Yes, and I have small children waiting for me at home.” He paused then said, “But what people have been shouting at me – that is the worst.”

“Shouting?”

“Yes, as they drive by. I’ve never heard such filth. Racial slurs. Profanities. Curses upon my mother. They throw things...”

Wilkinson says that he knew then that this was no coincidence. This was God’s answer to his prayer only minutes earlier and now God was nudging him to do something.

He said, “I am sorry, Sir. Hours of that would be extremely painful. If you will allow me, I want to apologise for every disrespectful thing those people said.”

The turbaned man looked at him in disbelief.

‘Please forgive us,” Wilkinson continued, “That’s not who you are. And that’s not who everybody out there is either.”

He then told him he wanted to pay for the tow truck and he reached for some money saying, “Here’s something for the tow truck and a little more to get your van fixed. It’s money I have been carrying for someone else. I have reason to believe he would want you to have it.”

At first the man was speechless. Then he thanked Wilkinson profusely and asked for his address so that he could pay the money back. Wilkinson said there was no need to pay it back. The man got out of the car and started towards his van. Then he paused, turned and came back to the car window. “Sir,” he asked, “are you an angel?”

“Well, I was sent you but I am not an angel.”

“It was God who sent you, wasn’t it?”

“Yes” Wilkinson replied.

In the book, Wilkinson talks about seven keys to being involved in miracles. The first key – what he calls The Master Key – is to pray urgently to be sent to do God’s work. His prayer that night in his car was answered within minutes.

Praying to be used is the first step to being involved in God’s miracles. By praying we make ourselves available. There are other keys about how to be effective but the first step is making ourselves available.

But Wilkinson talks about “urgent prayer”. He says it is not just a case of making ourselves available if God ever wants to use us some time in the future. “Lord, I want you to know that I am here if you ever need me.” It is more like jumping up and down saying, “Please send me. Pick me! Pick me! I want to deliver miracles today.”

Jesus has already said “Go.” Most Christians know that and agree with it. But few go. God is hungering for people who will say, “Please send me.” We can be part of God miraculously working in people’s lives. If God is really keen and if there is need all around us, is it possible that we could be involved in God’s miracles every day – if we were asking to be sent?

Last week we talked about the prophet Micaiah getting a glimpse into heaven. The prophet Isaiah also saw into heaven. It is a very familiar passage. READ Is 6:1-7.

It must have been an awesome experience. Heaven was bustling with activity and full of God train, full of smoke. God was seated on His throne. It is no wonder that Isaiah felt his uncleanness. God cleansed him, then, v.8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

God asked, firstly, “Whom shall I send?” and, secondly, “Who will go?” It is one thing for Him to send someone but who will actually go. Jonah was sent but didn’t go. Isaiah doesn’t say “Well, maybe I could.” He tells God what to do: “Send me!”

The passage goes on then to talk about the ministry that God had for him – what God planned to do in the life of Israel through this servant, Isaiah.

What would happen if we prayed with some fervour, “God, please use me in your work today”? He will put us in a situation tailor-made for us where we can help someone and be the delivery person of a miracle. He has situations for which we are the right person. God is looking for willing people.

Wilkinson suggests four steps in praying this prayer
1. Consciously enter the throne room of heaven.
He suggests we imagine being in that room with God on the throne and Jesus at His right hand and we think of our prayer as an actual event that happens in the courts of heaven rather than just words we pray.

2. Volunteer with the words, “Here am I. Send me!”
Imagine yourself saying to God “Pick me! Pick me! I want to go.” God just needs to hear you volunteer and He’ll use you.

3. Pre-commit to act when you are nudged
Part of praying the prayer is committing to God that no matter where, no matter when, no matter how God signals to you that there is an opportunity in front of you, you will take it. The temptation might be to rationalise and come up with excuses or doubt God, but part of praying to be used is being willing to act when God says to.

4. Actively put your faith in God to deliver His miracle through you
Trust that God will perform the miracle. You don’t have to perform the miracle. You just have to deliver it like a pizza delivery person. The miracle comes from God. We have to trust Him to come through.

Is that frightening? Being willing to act whenever God directs. Trusting God to perform a miracle. I find that challenging. And that could very easily stop me right there.

But that is why I said last week that I started this book somewhat cynical about its sub-title of “7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles”. I thought it sounded superficial and unrealistic and as if miracles were easy. But it is this sort of thing that made me realise that it is actually very realistic and challenging. It is about us believing that God wants to work in people’s lives and us being willing to be part of it even when we have no guarantee of success – only a belief that God wants to act. It isn’t glib stuff about how easy miracles are. It is serious stuff about what we need to do before God to be used by Him.

It is true, isn’t it, that if we are to be part of a miracle, we have to be ready to act when God says so and we need to trust God for the miracle. In other words, the first key is prayer. Linked to that are obedience and faith.

We might feel not ready. But, if we are willing to pray “Please send me” God won’t put us in a situation we can’t handle. He won’t set us up for failure. He wants to encourage us. He wants us to grow, so He will put us in a situation that is right for us. It might stretch us but God knows we can, with His help, meet the challenge. He wants to encourage us with this step so that we want to take another step.

Do you believe in a miracle-working God? Are you willing to be used to deliver some of those miracles? Can you trust God to not let you down? Even if there is fear in your heart, pray “Please send me to do your work” and see what God does.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could encourage each other next week with stories of what happened when we prayed that prayer? There might be stories already. Can you tell of a time when you prayed to be used and God put you in a situation where a miracle happened and you delivered that miracles?