Titus 1:1-4
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Have you ever heard someone say “I’m not sure what God’s will is for my life?” I have, plenty of times. I have even said this about myself on occasion. In my case, I thought God would make it real clear what he wanted me to do, and I would have aa sense of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt this was God’s plan and God’s direction. I figured someone would come along with a word of knowledge or a prophesy telling me this was God’s plan. I feel this way because this did happen once in my life. I received a powerful prophecy and it came into reality just a few months later. I may have shared this story here before, but it fits well here so I will share it again.
In the spring of 2008, my pride rose up to the point that I did something’s that were completely against my company policy, against Godly wisdom and against everything I said I believed in. I felt I was above the policies and procedures I had written for my company. I was a sales manager, after all, and I brought in a lot of business to the company. Surely looking at some porn on company computers would just get me a hand slap if anyone found out. Even if I printed some pictures that were borderline illegal; I would not be punished. And how would they ever find out? I was very careful.
But they did find out, and I was quickly and unceremonially released from my position and asked to clean out my desk and leave the property. I was distraught. Next, I had to tell my wife. She was angry. Then to tell my Pastor. He was upset. I had been caught doing things before and he slowly had worked me back into his trust. Now I had betrayed him again. He found out about Pure Life Ministries and said I needed to go there or never set foot in his church again. I went, and it was a life changing experience. Upon leaving, in December of 2008 my counselor there said wait two years before doing any kind of ministry. I had been a worship leader, deacon, lay minister and deacon in my church. While I was there, my wife started attending a different church, one we had been involved with before. So, I went there and sat, and sat and sat. I told the Pastor it was my wife who would make the decision when I would be available for ministry. She could tell what level my pride was reaching. For a year and half I sat.
In the summer of 2010, we went to a camp meeting that we had attended ever since we met. We had a lot of friends there and helped in the kitchen. One morning one of the ministers came in and asked the camp director if he could start doing a Sunday morning service. They were both friends of ours, and when the director said yes, I piped up and asked if he wanted some worship before the teaching. He said that would be great, so I looked over at my wife and asked her what she thought. She would play the piano, and she gave her approval. So we led worship that first morning, the first time I had ministered at all in over a year and a half. That night in the service, during a time of worship, that same minister came back to me with a word or prophecy. He looked right at me and said that God was going to do something brand new in my life. It would come from nowhere, and would overtake my life so much that I would know it was from God. He said it would be a brand new work, unlike anything God had ever done before in my life. I was in tears and just praising the Lord for this, having no idea what God would do.
When we got home from the services, my wife told our Pastor that she thought I was ready to help with worship again. He started to have me work with the worship team in mid-September. One day, when I was driving between two small towns in rural Iowa, I suddenly heard words in my head, like a poem. But they were accompanied by a melody. I had never heard anything like this before so I quickly pulled over to the side of the road and wrote down the words as I heard Him giving them to me in my spirit. Once I had those written, I recorded the song on my cell phone. This had never happened to me before. The next day I went to my pastor and his wife and sang them this song. They absolutely loved it. I told them what had happened and asked what I should do next. My Pastor, in all his wisdom, simply said “Keep Listening.” I followed his advice and since that time over 2,000 poems, songs and choruses have come from that tiny seed. This is what God has committed to me.
That is not all, though. This Bible study, and all those that have come before it, are things God has committed to me. Leading worship at my church, helping to find a good financial program, leading the men’s group and being a lay minister have all been committed to me. Being a good husband, father and grandfather, brother and friend have been committed to me. Being an Aflac agent. a Medicare agent, a cartographer and working in a restaurant have been committed to me. The list goes on and on. Whatever God has put into my life to accomplish, he has committed to me. As such, I should do them all to the glory of God (Colossians 3:17). All these things deserve my very best. In Paul’s case it was preaching. Whether that was in person or through his letters, Paul had a profound effect on the course of history, not only where he want, but throughout the world. You and I have no idea what influence we have or will have down the road. So let us do all we can to make the most of this life and do whatever we can to the fullest of our ability. The day of the Lord comes quickly. Let us help others be ready!
God's Maintenance Man 