What Makes a Person Usable to God?
Speaker: Pastor Paul Bailey
Pastor Paul Bailey delivered a message centered on a simple but powerful truth: God is not primarily looking for the most talented, educated, experienced, or influential people to accomplish His work. Instead, Scripture reveals that God is searching for men and women with willing hearts. Using Isaiah 6:8 as the foundation, he explained that the greatest qualification for being used by God is a willingness to say, “Here am I; send me.”
The message emphasized that Isaiah volunteered himself before knowing where God would send him or what the assignment would involve. His willingness became the doorway through which God fulfilled His purpose. Pastor Bailey challenged listeners to move beyond asking whether God can use them and instead ask whether they are willing to be used.
Drawing from Exodus 35, he highlighted how the construction of the tabernacle was accomplished by people whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were made willing. God has always looked first at the heart, and willingness always precedes usefulness. Reluctant service may fulfill an obligation, but willing obedience brings joy to the Lord and positions believers for His work.
The sermon also addressed the common struggle of feeling unqualified. Moses believed he lacked the ability to speak, Gideon considered himself insignificant, and Jeremiah thought he was too young. Yet God consistently reminded His servants that their limitations were never greater than His power. Through passages such as Exodus 4 and 2 Corinthians 12:9, Pastor Bailey encouraged believers to trust God more than their own weaknesses, reminding them that God’s strength is perfected in human weakness. When believers depend on Him instead of themselves, God receives the glory for what He accomplishes.
Finally, the message underscored that genuine willingness is demonstrated through obedience. From Mary accepting God’s plan to Peter leaving his fishing nets, David faithfully serving as a shepherd, the little boy offering his lunch, and Ananias obeying God’s command to visit Saul, Scripture repeatedly shows ordinary people being used in extraordinary ways because they simply said yes to God. Their willingness became part of God’s greater purpose, often in ways they could never have imagined.
Closing with Romans 12:1, Pastor Bailey called believers to present themselves as living sacrifices, fully surrendered to God. He reminded the congregation that when a person yields their life to the Lord, God takes responsibility for equipping them for His service. The challenge remains the same today as it was in Isaiah’s day: God is still asking, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” This encouraging message reminds every listener that the most usable person in God’s kingdom is not the one with the greatest abilities, but the one with the most willing heart.