This morning I was looking through some of my old sermon outlines when I came across this one and felt it would bless you.. It is entitled: "God’s not through with you yet!" And our text will be;

Acts 9: 13, 16
[13] Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
[14] And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
[15] But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
[16] For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

I can’t help but feel that you and I are chosen vessels unto the Lord. Hasn’t God given us the great commission to go unto all the world and preach and teach the inscrutable riches of the gospel of Christ? But I can’t help, as I read this text, feel that many of us, maybe some of you here, sometimes say to ourselves, that’s it, I quit....I’m not going to listen to any more sermons. I’m not going to go to church anymore and I just don’t have time to read the Bible. And I don’t care who likes it or not. I’m through, it’s over, It’s finished, kaput. It’s just to much trouble to be bothered anymore. No more teaching Sunday School, no singing in the choir, no being faithful every week, no giving my tithes, no supporting the missionaries, or backing our pastor. There is just to many persecutions from within and from without of our fellowship to keep going...

I suppose all of us have felt like that at one time or another haven’t we? Let’s all be honest with ourselves.. But you know, when I feel like that I read about ole Paul... In; II Corinthians 11: 16, 33..... We here in America have never known the sufferings of our early Christian forefathers have we? Because of space and time I’d like to highlight just a few of these verses but I hope that you’ll take a moment to read this passage of scripture..

In verse; [24] Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

One time I was fired from a construction job because I felt it more important go and preach to a little church in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania and miss Thanksgiving weekend with my family than to report to work on Friday.. I was also banned from the jobsite for 6 months and unable to sign the out of work list for fifteen days. And by the way you can’t draw unemployment under these conditions. But you know what? 3 young ladies were saved in the meeting. Want to know something else? I’ve never received, not even one stripe. But Paul has received, according to this verse, 195 stripes.
BUT GOD WASN’T THROUGH WITH PAUL YET!

In Verse: [25] Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

On a missionary trip to the Philippines I was caught in a hurricane while going from one island to another in a 30 foot pump boat and it was frightening. We were stopped and searched by their military and they were carrying machine guns. And that was scary... Also while I was there and crossing shark infested ocean for about 2 miles, in a canoe with 8 people and a little 5 horse motor, I was terrified watching the water splash into the sides of the canoe which was only an inch or two out of the water... And by the way, on that trip to the Philippines there were over 7000 accept Christ as their personal Saviour.. But I have never been Stoned and left for dead as Paul has. BUT GOD WASN’T THROUGH WITH PAUL YET!

In Verse; [26] In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

We have all had perils in life haven’t we? Once I was almost knocked from the 6 inch I beam I was walking on by a 10 foot sheet of steel being swung with a crane. Oh, yea, at the time I was about 180 feet in the air with only the ground below. Onetime while working in Maryland, I fell 18 feet, striking my chest across a scaffold board on the way down. Had it not been for a fellow boilermaker grabbing me I would have fallen 80 more feet to a steel boiler floor. As it was, I was laid up for over 4 months. Once I hit a deer doing better than 50 miles an hour. That wouldn’t have been so bad but I was riding a motorcycle at the time.. I have had many other perils but nothing to match the perils of Paul.
BUT GOD WASN’T THROUGH WITH PAUL YET!

In verses;
[26] In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; [27] In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
[28] Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

I would venture to say that there is not one of you who hasn’t had some perils trying to walk as Christ walked. But you know what?
GOD ISN’T THROUGH WITH YOU YET! And God isn’t through with me either. God wants for us to have victory in our lives. God wants for us to overcome the perils of this life. He wants for us to hang in there. Not change with every wind of doctrine. He want for us to talk to Him, to pray to Him..

I’m reminded of Hezekiah, in II Kings 20; 1, 6, where God granted him 15 years more to live because of the tears and prayer.. The Bible says; God had compassion. But God wasn’t through with Hezekiah yet..

In conclusion: God wants for you and I to take up our cross daily and follow Him...

Luke 9: 23, 26
[23] And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
[24] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
[25] For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
[26] For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

No, God isn’t through with you yet. But there are some things for you to do.
 

II Timothy 4: 5, 8
[5] But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
[6] For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
[7] I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
[8] Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Yes, Paul was saying here that God was through with him. He had finished his coarse and kept the faith. Paul had completed the task which God had given him to do and God was finished with Paul.. But God’s not through with you yet. What we need are more Paul’s today. Some men and women, boys and girls, young and old, healthy or disabled to take a stand for Christ. Some Paul’s who, regardless of the cost, will remain faithful to the end.

Who, when standing before Our Heavenly Father, will hear Him say, "Well Done Thou Good and Faithful Servant"

NO, GOD’S NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET! Nor is He through with me! Well Glory!