God's  Delivery Boy

    So what is the point?   We, as Believers, are to be God's "Delivery Boys".  "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"  (Jeremiah 23:28-29). The chaff only holds the grain of wheat until the grain is matured and ready to be harvested. We are to deliver what God gives us to other people who are in need of a miracle.  The package from God may be just an encouraging word from God.  It may be that we offer them money to pay their rent or house payment.  It may be that we lay hands on someone and see God heal them.  It may be that we cast out an evil spirit and see the person set free from spiritual bondage. It may be that we share the plan of salvation with a stranger. It may be that we greet someone that we don't know with a smile.  Here are some truths to see:

     1. The Delivery Boy does not deliver by his own authority but by the authority that the boss delegates to him.  The State Trooper that stops the 350 pound guy for speeding and gives him a ticket, may be a small woman of five foot two and having eyes of blue.  However, she does not deliver the ticket on her own authority, but the authority of the State.  Furthermore, she has a gun on her hip to reinforce that authority and a radio to call for back up. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen"  (Matthew 28:18-20).

    2. The Delivery Boy is responsible to wear the right clothing.  If the UPS Delivery Boy had showed up at the front door wearing raggedy beach clothes, my wife would not have answered the door.  In fact just a few days later, a rather rough and poorly dressed couple came to our font door.  When my wife looked through the peep hole and saw them, she called to me and said, "You better answer this one." We are to take off the old sinful man and put on the new man in Christ. "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness"  (Ephesians 4:22-24).

    3. The Delivery Boy is responsible not only to receive the package, but also to give it.  "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give"  (Matthew 10:8).  How long do you think that you would continue to work for the UPS, if you only received packages and stored them in your warehouse not to be delivered?   The city of Samaria had been under siege and the people were starving, even eating their work animals and even turning to cannibalism.  Then God has the enemies to turn on one another in the night and kill one another leaving behind a great amount of goods.  Four lepers outside the gate of the city saw what had happened and went and told the people in the city about the spoil.  "And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.  Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household"  (II Kings 7:8-9).

    4. The Delivery Boy is responsible to receive his orders from his boss as to whom he is to deliver his package, where he is to deliver the package, when to deliver the package, and how to deliver the package.  If you are to receive a package, you don't want your package sent to the wrong address or to have someone else receive your package. Neither do you want to have to wait longer than necessary to receive your package.  Neither do you want your package damaged in the delivery process.  In I Kings 13 there is a story of a young  man of God who was sent to prophesy before Jeroboam over an altar at Belthel. The prophet was told by God not to eat, stay overnight, and also to depart another way.  An older prophet tricked him by telling him that God had also spoken to him just the opposite.  The young man fell for the lie and stayed and ate with the older prophet. He was quickly fired from the job of being a prophet.  The next morning the young man of God was killed by a lion.

    5. We should also remember that packages are only sent to those who have a need.  Now, it might be debatable as to how much I needed the new laptop, but God provides miracles where there is a need for a miracles.   No need ... no miracle.  John recorded, "And he must needs go through Samaria" (John 4:4).  WHY? There was a woman there that needed the living water, Jesus.  Why did Jesus cross the sea of Galilee and go to other side to a land of pig farmers?  There were two men who were demon possess that needed freedom.  Furthermore, the good news of Jesus was to be sent to Decapolis. (Mark 5).  Decapolis was an area of ten cities joined together.  From Decapolis, the Gospel would be spread to a many people.

    6. The Delivery Boy should be prepared and willing to take whatever assignment that the boss desires.   This means that the Delivery Boy needs some training before he goes out to deliver the packages.  "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men"  (Matthew 4:19).  Then Jesus went about teaching, preaching, and healing.  He taught them for three years.  Paul, though a Pharisee, took more than three years after becoming a Believer to prepare to preach the Word.  "Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascusa.  Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days "  (Galatians 1:17-18).  Jesus said, "Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests"  (Matthew 22:8-10).  They were to deliver the invitation to ordinary people of the world.  Jonah was to make a delivery to Nineveh, but he headed the opposite direction and started on a down hill slide.  In fact, he failed to deliver the messages of God's mercy and grace. He only delivered a message of condemnation.

    7. The Delivery Boy is not to be concerned about the size or value of the package, only to deliver it as ordered.  Size and value are the factors the recipient are concerned about.  We may not think that it is important to give a smile to someone, but to them it may mean everything in the world that day.  "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42).   In the Old Testament there was a young Jewish maid who was to deliver a message which was to save the life of Naaman.  "And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.  And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy"  (II Kings 5:2-3).

    8. The Delivery Boy must have the equipment to deliver the package.   He needs the strength to carry the package to the door.  This means for some packages, he needs a dolly or power lift to deliver the package.  For the Believer, he must have the Grace of God to deliver whatever package God gives him to deliver.  "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me"  (I Corinthians 15:10).  All too often, someone gets saved and then is told, "Now, just straighten up and fly right."  He is also told, "You must share your faith." With great determination and effort he tries to do what is right, but when trials come, he falls flat on his face.  He tries to witness, but stumbles around sometimes doing more harm than good.  After a while he may simply gives up and drops out of church and out of  fellowship with other Believers.  Someone forgot to tell him, that he CAN'T live the Christian life by his on strength.  He CAN'T effectively witness doing it through his own effort.  However, the truth also is that God will give him GRACE to deliver whatever message or package that God assigns for him to deliver, if he will come to depend upon that Grace.

    9. The Delivery Boy should be more concerned about how he represents the company than how he sees himself.   We are to be ambassadors for Christ. "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God" (II Corinthians 5:19-20).  An ambassador is the highest ranking representative of one country to another.  All too often we work harder at trying to get everyone's approval than demonstrating the Grace of God.

    10. The Delivery Boy should be ready volunteer for the assignment.  Isaiah listened and then volunteered.  "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me"  (Isaiah 6:8).   Samuel made himself available to hear from God.  "And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth"  (I Samuel 3:10).

    11. The Delivery Boy is only deliver what he has been given to deliver.  Peter and John gave what they had to to lame man. "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk"  (Acts 3:6).  Paul wrote,  "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God"  (II Corinthians 1:4).

      12. The Delivery Boy is not responsible for what the recipient does with the package. Some may receive it gladly, but another throw it down and stomp on it. It is sad that Christians often become offended, angry, and discouraged when others don't receive the gospel. We may feel rejected and offended because they didn't receive the gift. However, we should remember it is the gift that is being accepted or rejected more than us. "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul"  (Ezekiel 3:17-19).  "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me"  (Matthew 10:40).   Some of the people are joyful over the truth that I share with them in counseling.  They take the truth and apply it in their lives.  Others receive it, but then lay it aside like yesterday's cold coffee.

Application:

1. If you have a need, make it known.   "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not" (James 4:2).

a. Maybe you just need a hug from someone.
b. Maybe you need physical healing.
c. Maybe you need direction for your life.
d. Maybe you need to overcome a sin problem.
e. Maybe you need restoration for your marriage.
f. Maybe you need a place to live.
g. Maybe you need salvation through Jesus.
h. Maybe you need emotional healing.
i. Maybe you need just to have someone say, "It is going to be O.K."
j. Maybe you need a word from God today.
k. Maybe you are in desperate need of some finances.

3. If you feel unworthy to be God's Delivery Boy, please understand no one by their own worthiness is worthy.  We are to be God's Delivery Boy because of His GRACE.  Furthermore, it is God's grace which we are to deliver.  Look at how Paul saw himself.  "For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me"  (I Corinthians 15:9-10).

4. Maybe you have a need yourself, but still want to be God's Delivery Boy.  That is O.K.   When Job prayed for his friends, he receive freedom and restoration in his own life.  "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again"  (Luke 6:38).

5. God wants all of us to become His Delivery Boys even in a greater way.  "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen"  (Matthew 28:18-20). Maybe God has already spoken to you about that.  Begin to move in that direction.  Receive the training that God has laid before you.  If it looks impossible, it probably is in the natural, but with God all things are possible.