WHAT IS A VESSEL? A vessel is an object used as a container(especially for liquids).
This definition applies to Christians who wishes to become God vessels. They are containers that God wants to fill up so as to be useful for His glory. Vessels could be empty, there could be containers without content. Take it or leave it, they are also vessels. But not so in this Kingdom, the vessels God is raising for His work in this end-time era are vessels that must contain God! Any vessel that doesn't carry God in this Kingdom cannot in anyway carry out the works of God(Acts 10:38).
WHAT GOD DOES TO THE VESSELS HE WANTS TO USE.
1. HE PREDESTINES THEM. Romans 8:30; Jer.1:5.
To predestine means to ordain by divine will or decree. Every believer has been predestined by God to be a vessel, what I meant by predestined to be a vessel is not that we have all been called to be a Pastors, but we have all been ordained by God to serve. You don't need to become a Pastor before you can serve.
Revelations 1:6 says we are kings and priests to God. The works of kings and priest is to minister, to serve. Though we have been ordained to serve, the onus lies on us to make the choice to serve or not.
There are so many predestined daughters and sons of God wasting away in the house of God. Why ? They have not make up their mind to do the things of God.
You've been ordained by God to serve Him, the best choice you can ever make is to heed to His call.
HE PREPARES THEM.
God can not use a vessel He has not prepared. The vessel God uses is the vessel that God has prepared for His use. Let 's look at how God prepares a vessel for Himself.
a. He purifies. Titus 2:14.
God can not work through an unclean vessel. An unclean vessel is not fit to carry out the work of God. So what God does first is to make sure the vessel is clean.
Titus 2:14 says that anyone who must be zealous of good works must first be purified. It's not all about zeal, it's about being fit.
-God had to sanctify Prophet Jeremiah from the womb because of the work that lies ahead of him.(Jer.1:5.)
-God had to purge Prophet Isaiah of sin before he could be fit to pass across God's messages to His people.(Isa. 1:6-7).
b. He trains.
To be zealous is very good. But zeal without knowledge will make one a criminal. God does not use a vessel who has zeal but lacks training. Moses killed an Egyptian all in the name of being zealous for God. He did that because he lacks the training needed to work for God. God didn't call him until he was trained as a shepherd in the Land of Midian with Jethro the Priest.(Exodus 3:1-10). He was trained to lead sheeps so that he will be able to lead God's people.
-THE PLACE OF TRAINING IS THE PLACE OF WAITING.
One of those ways by which God trains us is by making us wait patiently till He tells us to move.
We are always in a hurry, we want to move as soon as we receive the message. Getting the message is not the same as START!
-David had to wait for many years before he could become king. He was anointed as king in 1Samuel 17. He wasn't crowned as king not until 2Samuel 5. What a period of waiting!
-Jesus had to wait till he was aged 30 before he could venture into His ministerial assignment.(Luke 3:23)
-The disciples had to wait in the upper room till they were filled with the Holy Spirit before they could carry out great exploits for God(Acts 2:1-3)
It is during this period of waiting that God gives us the full details of what He wants us to do for Him.
-He teaches us to be patient in the period of waiting.
-He teaches us to depend on Him wholly in the period of waiting.
-He reveals Himself and His plans for our lives in the period of waiting.
The period of waiting for individuals differs based on how God wants to deal with us. For some, it could be long; for some it is short. All the same, never launch out until you hear GO!
-THE PLACE OF TRAINING IS THE PLACE OF MAKING.
God can never use a person He has not made. If you must be used by God, you have to be made by Him.
The place of making is where God works on us till we become fit for His use, this is where He moulds us to His taste. This is where He works on our character till we become like Christ.
The reason why some of us are half-baked is because we ran away from the place of making.
-Moses was made. The same Moses that murdered an Egyptian was the same Moses that asked God to blot him out of His book so that His anger won't come upon the children of Israel.(Exodus 32:32). This same Moses became the meekest man on earth.(Numbers 12:3). What a changed being! He became a changed being because God worked on Him.
-The disciples were made.(Matthew 4:19). Jesus said He will MAKE them fishers of men. They were in this school of making till Jesus died. They never ran away.
How I pray for us that we won't run away from the place of making!
-THE PLACE OF TRAINING IS THE PLACE OF LEARNING.
One of the reasons why God takes us to His training workshop is to make us learn. It is at this point that God instructs and expose us(Psalm 32:8).
-Moses learnt at feet of Jethro for many years.
-Joshua was an assistant of Moses for many years(Exodus 24:13). He eventually succeeded Moses.
-David learnt so much from King Saul. He learnt from his deficiencies. He never allowed what happened to Saul happen to him.
-The disciples were tutored by Jesus for more than three years.
-Jesus learnt at the feet of the teachers of the law of His days.(Luke 2:46).
You must learn too! Some people have gone ahead of you. They have done what you are about to start doing. Why not learn from them? Why not learn from the errors of those that have gone ahead so that you won't make the mistake they made?
You will never learn if you know too much! It takes a teachable spirit to learn. You will learn so much, if only you are teachable.
-THE PLACE OF TRAINING IS THE PLACE OF TESTING.
Another way by which God trains us is to put us to test. He wants to know if we are really fit for His work. The result of the test you go through determines whether you are qualified or not.
-The Children of Israel were tested several times in the wilderness(Exodus 15:25; 16:4; 20:20; Duet. 8:16).They could not advance into the promised land because they failed the several tests that came their way.
-David was tested. Twice he had the 'opportunity' of eliminating his arch enemy- King Saul but he never did(1Samuel 24:4-6; 26:8-11).
-Jesus was tempted before He ventured into His ministerial assignment.(Luke 4:2).
You will be tested too. Test comes in forms, sizes and phases.
God could test you with money, food, women, etc. He wants to know your faithfulness in these things before he commits bigger responsibilities into your hands. (Luke 16:10-12)
c. He equips.(2Timothy 3:17.
Another way by which God prepares us for His. work is by equipping us. The work of God is spiritual, anybody who must do the work of God must be spiritually equipped, else they falter. God will not give you a vision without a provision. You can't work for Him if you are not equipped!
-God equipped Moses by accompanying him with signs and wonders.(Exodus 4:1-9).
-God equipped Joshua with courage to possess the promised land.(Joshua 1:1-7, 9).
God equipped Ezekiel with a strong face, stronger than that of the rebellious children of Israel.(Ezekiel 3:7-9)
-God equipped Jesus with Holy Spirit and power(Acts 10:38).
-God equipped the disciples by accompanying them with signs and wonders.(Acts 2:43; 5:12; 6:8; 8:13; 14:3).
-God equipped the disciples with boldness to preach the Word.(Acts 14:3)
You too must be equipped if you must work for Him!.
4. HE PROCLAIMS THEM. Matthew 3:16-17.
To proclaim means to declare formally; declare someone to be something.
When God choose you as His vessel, He announces you! He is so proud to tell the world that this is My vessel.
The mistake we make is that we try to announce ourselves and declare ourselves to His vessels. We don't need that! When the time comes, God Himself will announce us. Jesus never announced Himself to be the coming King, Son of God or the Saviour. He didn't! But God did, He proclaimed Jesus as His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased.
The reason why God will not announce some us is because we are not fit yet or it's not yet time.
-God announced David. He called him a man after His heart. (1Samuel 13:14).
-God announced Job to satan. God said he is a blameless and upright man. (Job 1:8).
-God announced Jesus. He called Him His beloved Son.(Matthew 3:17)
God announces us in order to set us as standard to the world. What God is telling others when he declares us is, "This is My son or daughter, follow him". When God declares us, He places His seal on and trust on us. This ultimately means that when God announce a man, everyone will be watching that man. They want to know whether he will live up to expectation or will falter.
A vessel that has been announced by God should be careful! When he falls, many falls with him, because of the seal(certification) of God on him, people sees him as as a person they should follow. Everything he does is always right in the sight of others. When he does the wrong thing, they do the wrong thing too because they see him as a standard.
Many proclaimed vessels have betrayed God's trust today and has led many astray.
I pray God will help us to live up to expectation as His proclaimed vessel.
4. HE PERFORMS THROUGH THEM. Acts 2:43; 10:38.
God can not choose a vessel without working through such vessel. He works through His vessels to show His mighty acts. The vessel is also blessed as he is being used by God to carry out His mighty acts.
-God worked through Moses. He did many wondrous acts in the land of Egypt.
-God worked through Joshua. Fought many battles and won.
-God worked through Jesus. He went all about doing good and healing the oppressed.
-God worked through the disciples. Many signs and wonders were done through them.
If God worked for this people, He will work for you too! But He won't work through those who loves to do things their own way. He will only work through those who will wait on Him for instructions and do whatever He says whenever they are instructed. God will only instructs the humble.(Psalms 25:9). Jesus Christ will never do anything until it is commanded by God.(John 5:30).
Until we admit our weaknesses in total submission to the will of God that we can't do anything on our own, God can not and will not work through us.
