Thursday, April 5, 2018
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Look, I know I live in a digital world like computers, and I think I have an incurable case of technophobia anyway. But, you know, I've slowly made friends with all of this. It's great stuff! Early in my computer life, some of my non-technophobic friends were explaining a computer installation to me and what they needed to do with it, at least back at that time. They used a lot of words I didn't understand, but then they said, "Ron, we have to install a dedicated line." And I said, "Yes! At last! I understand that word."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Dedicated Line."
Now, today, you know a lot of times if there's a need for secure communication, we still have like dedicated phone lines for example. And so, all of that dedicated technology has helped me understand the word dedicated more clearly than ever before. So, long before all of the technical needs for a dedicated line, Paul was writing about the same idea in our word for today from the Word of God. It's from 2 Timothy 2 beginning at verse 20, except then, it was dedicated tools and containers. Here's what he said.
"In a large house, there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy" - then I love these words - "useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." Now, in those days, it was probably the difference between what held your garbage and what held your gold. Paul was talking about dedicated vessels, dedicated tools. Dedicated as in reserved for special use, for special purposes like a dedicated line.
I think we have a lot of undedicated lines, at least at our house. You know, they're used for all kinds of purposes: running a hair dryer, a microwave, the lights, the TV. But there are certain things that, you know, sometimes need a dedicated line, reserved for a singular purpose - a direct line to the power supply so there is no interference, no competition, no intrusion.
Now Paul didn't obviously know about all the things we know about today. Technically, his word processor was some guy taking dictation in the corner. But he knew about things being reserved for a special purpose. Sure, actually, being reserved for a very special purpose. See, you're meant to be a dedicated line - one through whom God can send His love and His thoughts without any interference or competition or intrusion. Yes, He wants to send His power uninterrupted through you. So, how are you doing with that?
Maybe you've allowed your dedicated body to do things that could not be called "noble" or your mouth to express what a dedicated mouth should never talk about. Maybe your hands have touched what dedicated hands should never touch. Your eyes have seen what dedicated eyes should never look at, so you've allowed your dedicated mind to collect garbage. And while you're trying to live pure, your mind keeps flashing back to sinful scenes, sinful pictures, sinful punch lines. You know, you're too special for that.
Jesus gave His life for you, not just to get you a free ticket to heaven, but to make you an island of clean in a sea of polluted. God's Son made you. God's Son paid for you with His life, and He wants to send His best through you. But God can't use a dirty instrument. You need to live as if there's a sign on you that says in bold letters, "Reserved for holy purposes. Reserved for the Master's use."
Your body, your mind, your mouth, your eyes, your ears, your talents are His. You are the Lord's dedicated line!