BE A VESSEL UNTO HONOUR

Text: 2 Timothy 2: 20-21

A vessel unto honour is a person regarded as a carrier of good tidings. He or she is someone who is set apart for special purpose, someone precious in the sight of God and preserved for specific assignments. He or she is meant to deliver God's messages. The Bible says, "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour and some to dishonour." Some vessels are more precious than the others. Some are for special purposes and others are for common use. The vessels unto honour are for specific purposes, carrier of specific messages. As gold is more precious than silver likewise are vessels unto honour in the hand of God.
God places honour on such and gives him or her specific things to do in the kingdom assignment.

Few examples of vessels unto honour in the bible are Gideon, King Cyrus, King Hezekiah and Paul.

Gideon (Judges 6:12-14).

God sent him to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites. God supported and empowered him to carry out the assignment successfully.

King Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1-6).

The special assignments God gave him were to allow Jerusalem to be rebuilt and to set the exiles free without expecting anything in return. He became a very useful vessel as he carried out these assignments according to God's instructions.

King Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:18-24).

He devoted himself to the re-establishment of the testimony of God. God used him mightily to deliver Jerusalem from the King of Assyria.

Paul (Acts 19:11-12).
Paul was mightily used as a vessel and it was recorded that God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul such that the sick that touched his handkerchiefs or aprons were healed and the evil spirits went out of them.

I pray I will be a vessel unto honour in Jesus name. The prerequisites to be a vessel unto honour are:

Sanctified: To separate yourself from all that is evil, sinful, unholy and impure; it is to dedicate your whole heart and life to doing the will of God; to surrender totally to Him and be broken completely. When you do these God will cleanse you and accept to use you.

Fit for the Master's use: “Fit” means to be devoid of pride, selfishness, worldliness and other hidden evils known to you only. It is to have the likeness of Jesus Christ and to exhibit godly character.

Prepared unto every good work: To be ready for any assignment in the kingdom of God. It is to desire to make a good work of whatever is given to you to do and to do it as unto the Lord in the best and most perfect way with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Diligence: To be very hard working and committed. God will only use someone who is diligent and has zeal for his work. He will not entrust special assignment into the hands of a lazy person/sluggard or anyone who procrastinates. Prov 22:29 says a diligent man shall stand before kings and not mean men. For you to qualify, you just have to be very diligent.

To have a good character: Your behaviour must be excellent and Christlike. Meekness and humility are necessary ingredients you need to be able to handle kingdom assignment. Prov 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, it brings peace." It is rewarding to be gentle towards others with your words and actions. Our Lord Jesus Christ is meek and lowly in heart. The measure of your character is related to the measure of your success. You may have to work on your character to qualify for a vessel unto honour.

Willingness, availability and obedience are attributes that play a role too. If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the fruit of the land. God will use someone who is readily available, willing and obedient for his assignment not someone who is worldly, complains and grumbles. God will use somebody like Isaiah, who says, "Here am I send me." When God said in Isa 6:8, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? Isaiah willingly said, "Here am I send me."

Brethren, it is honourable to be a vessel unto honour. Are your secular engagements standing in the way of God's assignments? As you try to obey all the conditions listed above God himself will cleanse you, make you whole and use you in Jesus Name. Amen

Matt 9:37-38 says, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of harvest therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field." Ask God to send you to his harvest field. You are preserved till this day for a purpose and I pray you fulfil it in Jesus Name. Amen

Jesus said in John 9:4-5, "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work." In other words tomorrow may be too late.

Brethren, consider all it takes to become a vessel unto honour and ask the Holy Spirit to fill and prepare you for it. Benefits of being vessels unto honour:

It enables you to live a life of purity and holiness.
It helps you to be focussed as you will always be waiting on God for the next assignment to carry out.
It singles you out from the multitude because you are more honourable.
You become special and useful in God's hand.
He backs you up and supports you because it is his assignment you are carrying out just as He backed up and supported Gideon.
He makes you a victor and a winner.

Prayer
Father, create an opportunity for me to be readily available, willing and obedient. Grant me the grace to live holy and to be fit for your work. Help me to surrender myself and to submit totally to you so that I can be a vessel unto honour in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.