Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
February 1, 2004 - W0405

ìÖ thus says the Lord, ëIf you return, then I will restore you ñ before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesmaníî (Jer. 15:19)

God gives each of us an assignment ñ to separate the precious from the worthless in order to become His spokesman. It reminds me of a true story where a car was stolen while the owner had stopped at a store to do a quick errand. He was on his way to his mountain cabin. Heíd been having trouble with rats and had decided to lace crackers with poison. The problem was that he left the poisoned crackers on the front seat. Realizing the car was stolen and the possibility that the thief would eat the crackers, he did all he could to protect the thief. The owner of the stolen car enlisted the help of police, radio stations, and the general public ñ not to punish him, but to save his life. 

And thatís what God does. He rushes after us to tell us of the devastating effects of sin. So when God says ìnoî, He is really trying to protect. You see, God knows our future. Sin will deviate and distract us from that future. If we are in sin, then we become a slave to that sin and only the truth can set us free.

You see, sinning is just like fly fishing. I had a friend who loved to fly fish. In his tackle box he had different kinds of flies. He decided on which fly he would use depending on which one the fish liked the most. The devil is just like that! He will use the most alluring bait to reel us in ñ money, lust, insecurity, power. He will let us take the bait and may even let us run with it a while, but when heís tired of us, he will reel us in. Then heís hooked us as we cry out for help feeling as though our insides are being ripped apart.

And it is during these times that people need a spokesperson for God. God is the only One who can release us from being enslaved by sin without ripping your guts out. Thus receiving Christ will help us to heal the inside first. Then we can experience freedom from the inside out.

So who will be the ones God sends to be spokespersons for Him? There are people who need a spokesperson to share with them about the heart of God. They need someone to show His love and compassion, not His wrath. So God is recruiting every single one of us just as He did Jeremiah. How can we become a spokesperson for God?  Start byÖ

BUILDING QUALITIES OF A SPOKESPERSON

1.      STAYING NEAR TO GODíS HEART.

ìNow as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesusî (Acts 4:13)

If we are to become Godís spokesperson, we need to hang out with Him. We canít help being with someone without picking up their characteristics. Thatís why God says to choose friends wisely.  If we stay near the heart of God, we will become more and more like Him. And it will soon become obvious to others that we are near to the Lord. Well, how do we walk with Jesus? The first step is toÖ    

?        BE CONSISTENT IN DAILY DEVOTIONS.

ìWhat I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear,

proclaim upon the housetopsî (Matt. 10:27) If we will not listen in the darkness, what will we proclaim in the light? Thatís why we must be consistent in our devotions in order to know the words we must proclaim for Jesus.

Question: Howís your perspective? Are your words and actions aligned with Godís purpose?  What changes have you made to keep your focus on Godís purpose? 

As we read Godís words, we begin to see how God responds to things. Doing daily devotions re-patterns the way we think and transforms the spirit of the mind. Then when we face similar situations as Jesus did, we begin to respond in the same way. We begin to understand that His words always build, strengthen, affirm, and give life. And when we start to speak in that wayÖ

?        IT DEFINES US AS DISCIPLES.

 ìThe Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a wordÖî (Is. 50:4) Do our words give life to those around us? Does it refresh or make someone weary?

We all get weary and sometimes we just want to quit. I remember as a young pastor I too was weary. I was losing my enthusiasm and was becoming the target of criticism. One day a lady at church approached me and told me she wanted to tell me something. As I braced myself for more criticism, she quoted Jeremiah 17:16:  As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You. I knew that God had sent a spokesperson. It turned the tide of my life and Iím probably still in ministry today because of a ìspokespersonî. She knew the heart of God and shared something that gave life.

The world needs spokespersons. And God is asking us to learn to extract the precious from the worthless and then we will become His spokesperson.  Thus, the next step to building the qualities of a spokesperson is toÖ

2.   CHOOSE TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE WITH YOUR WORDS.

Question:  Think of a time when someone planted hope in you through their words or actions.  How did it make you feel?  What happened as a result?

ìDeath and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruitî (Prov. 18:21)

ìDo not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needsÖî (Eph. 4:29 NIV)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. We can choose to be destructive or life giving with the words we speak. Well-placed words can change lives, give a sense of assurance, or build rather than destroy. And those who are spokespersons for God choose words that are constructive. Iím not saying never to correct. Correct when you have to, but when in doubtÖ

?        LEARN TO ASK QUESTIONS.

ìHe who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to himî (Prov. 18:13)

Sentences convey judgment and lead to defensiveness. The key to creating room for dialogue is to learn to ask questions. Hearts become more reasonable. Even Jesus was good at asking questions. Asking genuine and appropriate questions is a skill that helps you to clarify the situation and choose a response more like God.

So when we are near to the Lord and learn to use words that build rather than tear down, we begin toÖ

3.       DEVELOP A LIFE MARKED BY WISDOM.

ìÖif you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesmanî (Jer. 15:19)

Wisdom is learning to see life in situations from Godís perspective. Knowing what is important and worth pursuing vs. doing or saying something unwise will help us to become a spokesperson for God. And it doesnít just happen; we must learn and develop the skills of wisdom.

For example, the Bible says, ìDoing wickedness is like sport to a fool, and so is wisdom to a man of understandingî (Prov. 10:23) It may not be right or wrong, but it is definitely unwise to make jokes at the airport security gate or tell your wife her diet isnít working. Some things are better left unsaid. 

Therefore build your skills at knowing what to let go (worthless) and what to capture (precious). Choose wisely because choosing poorly can lead to a vicious cycle. Remember that a spokesperson for God knows how to extract the precious from the worthless. Practice by staying near the heart of God. Learn to use words that will build up and encourage. And finally, if we follow Godís instructions we will develop a life marked by wisdom. Then it becomes obvious to others that we are hanging out with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

ìÖChrist the power of God and the wisdom of Godî (1 Cor. 1:24)

QUESTIONS:

?        Do I communicate to others that listening is a priority?

?        In the past, in what ways have I been able to influence others because of my willingness to serve as a spokesperson for God?

?        What may be a challenge for me as I continue to improve my ability and willingness to be a spokesperson for God?

?        What is one small thing that you can do that will make a difference in someone elseís life?

?        How do your actions and thoughts compare with Godís?  Share an example of your own thought and how it can be replaced as you commit to being a spokesman for God?

Mahalo to volunteer Phyllis Unebasami, (a woman who obviously hangs out with the Lord) for another beautiful summary of this weekendís sermon.