THE EXTRODINARY POWER
OF THE ORDINARY
10/28/01
1 Cor 1:26-31
26 Notice among
yourselves, dear brothers, that few of you who follow Christ have big names or
power or wealth. 27 Instead, God has deliberately chosen to use ideas the world
considers foolish and of little worth in order to shame
those people
considered by the world as wise and great. 28 He has chosen a plan despised by
the world, counted as nothing at all, and used it to bring down to nothing
those the world considers great, 29 so that no one anywhere
can ever brag in the
presence of God. 30 For it is from God alone that you have your life through
Christ Jesus. He showed us God's plan of salvation; he was the one who made us
acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our
salvation. 31 As it says in the Scriptures, "If anyone is going to boast,
let him boast only of what the Lord has done."
Rom 12:16
16 Work happily
together. Don't try to act big. Don't try to get into
the good graces of
important people, but enjoy the company
of ordinary folks.
And don't think you know it all!
I
WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A STORY
ABOUT A LITTLE GIRL THAT LIVED IN A VILLAGE HALF WAY UP A HILL. TO CALL IT A TOWN IS GENEROUS ITS REALLY MORE
LIKE A MOBILE HOME COMMUNITY THAT JUST SPRANG UP AROUND A TRUCK STOP. AND IT THERE BECAUSE TRUCKES REALIZE THAT BY
TAKING THIS ROUTE THEY COULD SAVE SEVERAL HOURS INSTEAD OF GOING AROUND THE
VALLEY FLOOR. NO ONE WOULD WANT TO LIVE
IN THIS PLACE. NO ONE WOULD MOVE TO
LIVE IN THIS PLACE. THE PEOPLE THAT DO
LIVE HERE DO SO BECAUSE THEY WERE EITHER BORN THERE OR BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC
PRESSURE AND THEY’RE FORCED TO OR IN ESSENCE, THEY’RE RUNNING FROM THE LAW.
THE
REPUTATION OF THIS PLACE IS NOTORIOUS.
NOTHING GOOD IS IN THIS PLACE AND NOTHING GOOD EVER COMES OUT OF THIS
PLACE. THAT’S WHAT EVERYBODY SAYS ABOUT
IT. TO COMPLICATE MATTERS THE MEMBERS
OF THIS VILLAGE ARE OF AN ETHNIC GROUP THAT ARE AGRESSIVELY AGGRAVATED BY THE
DOMINANT CULTURE THAT LIVE AROUND THEM.
SO YOU’D THINK HAVING TASTED THE PAIN AND STING OF DISCRIMINATION THEY
OF ALL PEOPLE WOULD BE THE LEAST LIKELY TO DISH IT OUT. BUT ODDLY ENOUGH WITHIN THEIR OWN SOCIAL
FABRIC THEY HAVE ENACTED THE VERY KIND OF DISCRIMINATION THEY SUFFER. NOW SINCE THE RESIDENTS ARE THE SAME ETHNIC
GROUP THEM DISCRIMINATION IS BASED ON ECONOMICS. SO IF YOU’RE A MALE AND WEALTHY OR POWERFUL AND INFLUENTIAL YOU
ARE ON THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN. SO IN
YOUR IMAGINATION, THE WORSE THING YOU COULD BE IN THIS TINY VILLAGE IS A POOR
FEMALE.
NOW
THERE IS POOR LITTLE TEENAGE GIRL THAT LIVES IN THIS VILLAGE AMONGST MANY. BUT THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS YOUNG AND KIND OF
PRETTY IN AN ORDINARY WAY. IF SHE WERE
A CANDIDATE FOR A MAKE OVER SHE COULD BE RATHER DAZZELING BUT THE CHANCE OF
THAT HAPPENNING ARE NONEXISTANT. HER
DESTINY IS PRETTY WELL SET TOO. SHE’LL
PROBABLY GET MARRIED AND HVE SOME CHILDREN, NO SHOES AND NOT MUCH OF A FUTURE. BUT SOMETHING HAPPENS. SOMETHING EXTRODINARY HAPPENS. GOD FOR REASONS KNOWN ONLY TO HIMSELF, IS
DRAWN TO THIS POOR LITTLE FEMALE. IT
MUST HAVE BEEN AN AMAZING MOMENT IN HEAVEN CASUE NOBODY ELSE HAD EVEN NOTICED
HER. SO FOR GOD TO NOTICE HER AND TO BE MOVED IN HIS GREAT HEART TOWARDS HER
HAD TO TURN THE HEADS OF ALL THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN. AND I WOULD JUST LOVE FOR THIS NOBODY GIRL, IN THIS NO WHERE
PLACE, WITH A NO CHANCE LIFE, GOD DRAWS NEAR TO HER AND SPEAKS TO HER. AND HE OFFERS THIS LITTLE GIRL IN AN
ORDINARY PLACE, IN AN ORDINARY LIFE A PEHNOMINAL CHANCE TO ESCAPE HER BORING,
PLAIN, ORDINARY BOXED IN LIFE. IT’S A
GENUINE OFFER WHICH MEANS SHE CAN SAY YES OR NO. GOD WON’T FORCE THE OFFER.
SO
GOD OFFERS AN INCREDIBLE OFFER TO THIS LITTLE GIRL. SHE THINKS ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT AND THEN WITHOUT HESITATION
RESPONDS YES. BY SO DOING, SHE STEPS
INTO THE WILL OF GOD AND WALKS ONTO THE STAGE OF HUMAN HISTORY. WE KNOW HER TODAY AS MARY THE MOTHER OF THE
SON OF GOD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. AS A
FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL IN AN IMPORVERISHED TOWN CALLED NAZERETH THE ANGEL
GABRIEL WAS SENT TO HER WITH THESE WORDS:
Luke 1:26-38
26 The following
month God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,
27 to a virgin, Mary,
engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28
Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Congratulations, favored lady! The Lord
is with you!" 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the
angel could mean. 30 "Don't be frightened, Mary," the angel told her,
"for God has decided to wonderfully bless you! 31 Very soon now, you will
become pregnant and have a baby boy, and you are to name him 'Jesus.' 32 He
shall be very great and shall be called the Son of God. And the Lord God shall
give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he shall reign over Israel
forever; his Kingdom shall never end!"34 Mary asked the angel, "But
how can I have a baby? I am a virgin."
35 The angel replied,
"The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of God shall
overshadow you; so the baby born to you will be utterly holy-- the Son of God. 36
Furthermore, six months ago your Aunt Elizabeth-- 'the barren one,' they called
her-- became pregnant in her old age! 37 For every promise from God shall
surely come true." 38 Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am
willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true." And
then the angel disappeared.
THE
ANGEL SAYS TO THIS LITTLE GIRL IN ESSENCE, YOU ARE FAVORED OF GOD TO BE THE
MOTHER OF HIS SON. AND MARY’S RESPONSE
WAS BE IT UNTO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.
AND THE REST, WELL, IT HISTORY.
GOD TOUCHED MARY AND SHE BEGAN TO SING.
SHE SANG ONE OF THE MOST GLORIOUS PEOMS WE HAVE IN HUMAN
LITERATURE. ITS CALL THE MAGNIFICA. MY SOUL PROCLAIMS THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD,
SHE SANG. SO HOW DOES A 14 YEAR OLD
GIRL WITH NO EDUCATION, NO READING SKILLS, NO SIGNIFICANT TUTORING IN THE ARTS;
HOW DOES SHE SUDDENLY ERRUPT WITH WHAT IS NOW SUNG BY THE CHAMPIONS OF
ART? WELL ITS EASY…..GOD TOUCHED
HER. AND THE SAME THING CAN HAPPEN WHEN
GOD TOUCHES YOU IN YOUR ORDINARY LIFE.
THERE ARE SONGS TO BE SUNG, BOOKS TO BE WRITTEN, BUSINESSES TO BE
STARTED, CHILDREN TO BEAR, MINISTRIES TO LAUNCH THAT CAN ONLY HAPPEN WHEN GOD
COMES NEAR AND TOUCHES YOU IN YOUR ORDINARY LITTLE INSIGNIFICANT LIFE. THE ONLY WORD OF CAUTION AND CONDITION HERE
IS THAT YOU MUST SAY YES TO HIM LIKE MARY DID.
“BE IT UNTO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD.”
OR IN ONE WORD, YES! AND MARY
SAID YES AND BY SAYING YES SHE WALKED OUT INTO THE WILL OF GOD AND WALKS INTO
HISTORY.
John 1:45-46
45 Philip findeth
Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and
the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael
said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto
him, Come and see.
TODAY
WE’VE GOT THE BENEFIT OF THIRD PARTY OBSERVERS TO LOOK AT THIS EVENT AND LEARN
FROM THIS RECORDED EVENT THAT ITS NOT JUST ABOUT MARY. ITS ABOUT YOU AND ITS ABOUT ME. AND SUDDENLY ITS MY NAZARETH, MY NO WHERE
LIFE, MY NO ACCOUNT PLACE, MY ORDINARY,
ORDINARY LIFE. CAN ANY GOOD THING COME
FROM MY LIFE JUST LIKE THEY SAID ABOUT THIS MOBILE HOME PARK CALLED NAZARETH?
AND THE ANSWER IS THE SAME………...YES!
YOU BET, BUT THERE ARE SOME CONDITIONS.
THERE ARE SOME TERMS THAT HAVE TO BE AGREED ON. GOD MUST MAKE HIS OFFER AND I MUST ANSWER
YES. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU SAY NO? YOU’LL HAVE TO FIGURE THAT ONE ON YOUR
OWN. WHAT WOULD YOUR LIFE BE LIKE FROM
THIS MOMENT ON IF YOU SAID NO TO GOD?
COULD YOU COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATIVE BETTER THAN GOD? ARE YOU THAT WISE? YOU COULDN’T LOVE YOURSELF MORE THAN HE LOVES YOU. YOU COULDN’T POSSIBLY KNOW BEST FOR YOURSELF
MORE THAN HE KNOWS. GOD IS
OMNICIENT...AL KNOWING. GOD IS
OMNIPOTENT….ALL POWERFUL AND HE IS OMNIPRESENT….HE’S EVERY WHERE AND YOU AND I
ARE WAY, WAY BACK IN SECOND PLACE IN THAT RACE. SO PRUDENCE ALONE BEGS YOU TO SAY YES TO HIS OFFER CAUSE YOU
CAN’T POSSIBLY KNOW BETTER THAN HIM AND YOU’D BE EXTREMELY FOOLISH TO THINK YOU
COULD. SO FROM THIS LITTLE STORY ABOUT
AN ORDINARY LITTLE GIRL CALLED MARY WE CAN SEE THAT YES IS THE ONLY RESPONSE
GOD IS LOOKING FOR FROM OUR ORDINARY, INSIGNIFICANT LIFE. WE CAN LEARN THREE MAJOR LESSONS ABOUT LIFE
FROM MARY AND WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT EACH OF THEM THIS MORNING.
Zech 4:10
10 Do not despise
this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin,
to see the plumbline in the hand of Zerubbabel. For these seven lamps represent
the eyes of the Lord that see everywhere around the world."
1 Sam 16:6-7
6 And it came to
pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's
anointed is before him.
7 But the LORD said
unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature;
because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man
looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
1
NEVER OVERLOOK THE EXTRODINARY POTENTIAL IN THE ORDINARY. NEVER
OVERLOOK THE POTENTIAL OF THE ORDINARY.
WE LIVE IN A CULTURE THAT BOMBARDS US WITH BIG. EVERYTHING SUCCDESSFUL
IS...SUPER. WE HAVE THE SUPER BOWL AND
THE WORLD SERIES. EVERYTHING IS SCALED
IN AMERICA UP TO EPIC PROPORTIONS. OUR
ENTIRE WORLD VIEW IS CONTINULLY ASSULTED WITH BIGGER, BETTER, GREATER, THINNER,
SHINER, BRIGHTER, FASTER, RICHER, MORE POWERFUL. SO WE’RE CAUGHT IN THIS PULL THAT’S ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE BIGGER
BIG OR THE HIGHER HIGH, THE FASTER FAST, THE PRETTY PRETTIER OR THE WEIRD OR WEIRDER. EVERYTHING HAS GOT TO GO UP, UP, UP! AND WE STAY DRIVEN IN THIS MAZE LOOKING FOR THE SPECTACULAR AND
WHEN WE DO WE CONSTANTLY MISS THE EXTRORDINAY POTENTIAL OF THE ORDINARY (WHICH
IS ALL AROUND US). MARY, WHO WOULD
NOTICE HER, AFTER ALL, SHE WAS JUST A PEASANT GIRL. WHAT COULD POSSIBLE COME OUT OF HER. LOOKING OUTWARDLY, NOT MUCH.
BUT GOD LOOKS AT MARY AND SEES POTENTIAL OUT OF HER WILLINGNESS CREATES
A DEFINING MOMENT IN HISTORY. MARY
BECOMES THE ONLY WOMAN ON EARTH TO BE IMPREGNATED WITH THE SON OF GOD. So
never overlook THE EXTRODINARY POTENTAIL OF THE ORDINARY. YOUR LIFE MIGHT SEEM ORDINARY,
NON-DESCRIPT. YOU MIGHT APPEAR TO BE
NOTHING MORE THAN BLENDING INTO THE STATUS QUO OF LIFE AS YOU KNOW IT. YOUR YOUTHFUL PASSIONS THAT ONCE BURNED
BRIGHT FROM HIGH SCHOOL THAT CAUSED YOU TO DARE AND DREAM, HAS NOW DIMMISHED TO
A SLOW SURRENDER. THEN YOU START TO
ACCEPT SOMETHING SMALLER THAN WHAT YOU WANT OR DREAMED OF ACHIEVING IN
BUSINESS, IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS AND IN YOUR MINISTRY. DON’T DO IT, THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU WERE CREATED FOR. YOU AND I WERE CREATED FOR GOOD WORKS OR
GREAT WORKS.
John 14:12-14
12 Verily, verily, I
say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also;
and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.13 And
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Eph 2:10
10 For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them.
SO
GOD DRAWS NEAR TO US TODAY, JUST LIKE HE DID TO MARY OF OLD AND TOUCHES OUR
ORDINARY LIFE WITH HIS TRANSFORMING POWER AND RAISES OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND
INTO THE EXTRORDINARY. WHAT HE DID WITH
MARY HE CAN DO WITH YOU AND ME. YOU CAN
FOLLOW THIS PATTERN THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURE.
DAVID IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE FOR US.
1 Sam 16:1-13
1 Finally the Lord
said to Samuel, "You have mourned long enough for Saul, for I have
rejected him as king of Israel. Now take a vial of olive oil and go to
Bethlehem and find a man named Jesse, for I have selected one of his sons to be
the new king." 2 But Samuel asked, "How can I do that? If Saul hears
about it, he will kill me." "Take a heifer with you," the Lord
replied, "and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. 3
Then call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to
anoint." 4 So Samuel did as the Lord had told him to. When he arrived at
Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him. "What is
wrong?" they asked. "Why have you come?" 5 But he replied,
"All is well. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and
come with me to the sacrifice." And he performed the purification rite on
Jesse and his sons, and invited them too. 6 When they arrived, Samuel took one
look at Eliab and thought, "Surely this is the man the Lord has chosen!"
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by a man's face or height, for
this is not the one. I don't make decisions the way you do! Men judge by
outward appearance, but I look at a man's thoughts and intentions." 8 Then
Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But
the Lord said, "This is not the right man either." 9 Next Jesse
summoned Shammah, but the Lord said, "No, this is not the one." In
the same way all seven of his sons presented themselves to Samuel and were
rejected. 10 "The Lord has not chosen any of them," Samuel told
Jesse. "Are these all there are?" "Well, there is the
youngest," Jesse replied. "But he's out in the fields watching the
sheep." "Send for him at once," Samuel said, "for we will
not sit down to eat until he arrives." 12 So Jesse sent for him. He was a
fine looking boy, ruddy-faced, and with pleasant eyes. And the Lord said,
"This is the one; anoint him." 13 So as David stood there among his
brothers, Samuel took the olive oil he had brought and poured it upon David's
head; and the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him and gave him great power from
that day onward. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
HERE
WE SEE THE HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE SELECTION OF DAVID AS KING OVER
ISRAEL. THE LORD INSTRUCTS SAMUEL THAT
SAUL’S REPLACEMENT WILL BE ONE OF THE SONS OF JESSE. SO SAMUEL GOES TO JESSES’ HOUSE LOOKING FOR A KING. JESSE SHOWS HIM HIS FIRST BORN SON THINKING
THAT IT’D PROBABLY BE HIM BUT IT ISN’T.
HE THEN SHOWS SAMUEL ALL OF HIS OTHER SONS BUT OVERLOOKS DAVID ALTOGETHER. DAVID IS JUST SOME 12 YEAR OLD KID WATCHING
HIS FATHER’S SHEEP JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER ORDINARY12 YEAR OLD BOY AT THAT
TIME. WHAT MAN HAS REFUSED BECAUSE OF
THE ORDINARY IS WHAT GOD CHOOSES AND DELIGHTS IN.
Luke 16:10-12
10 He that is
faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust
in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful
in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not
been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is
your own?
SOME
OF YOU THINK THAT THE ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE SOME SIGN- IFICANCE IS BY BEING SOME
WHERE ELSE, WITH SOMEONE ELSE OR HAVING SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU DON’T HAVE
RIGHT NOW IN YOUR ORDINARY PLACE, IN YOUR ORDINARY JOB AND IN YOUR ORDINARY
LIFE. I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU IN THE
FACE OF ALL THE WORLD’S PRESSURE TO PURSUE THE BIGGER BIG AND THE HIGHER HIGH
TO REMAIN FAITHFUL IN SMALL THINGS LIKE DAVID DID. DAY IN AND DAY OUT, DAVID FAITHFULLY WATCHED HIS FATHER’S SHEEP
AND PLAYED THE GUITAR ALL DAY. DAVID’S
FATHER SAID SOMETHING LIKE THIS: “YOU’LL NEVER AMOUNT TO MUCH, YOU JUST SIT
AROUND AND PLAY THAT GUITAR ALL DAY.” HE WROTE MUSIC, WE KNOW IT AS THE PSALMS
RIGHT NOW — NOT A BAD DEAL HUH?
1 Tim 6:6-11
6 But godliness with
contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be
therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a
snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction
and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and
follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
ONE
DAY DAVID’S DAD COME TO HIM AND TELLS HIM THAT YOUR BROTHERS ARE DOWN THERE
DOING SOME REALLY IMPORTANT STUF IN THE ARMY OF ISRAEL AND I WANT YOU TO GO
DOWN TO THEM AND TAKE THE A WHOPPER, SOME FRIES AND A COKE. WHAT IS SPECTACULAR ABOUT ANYTHING DAVID IS
DOING? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. BUT BECAUSE
HE IS AN ORDINARY GUY IN AN ORDINARY PLACE DOING AN ORDINARY THING NOTHING WAS
SPECTACULAR. HE DIDN’T SEND OUT RESUMES
SAYING I WANT TO BE KING. HE DIDN’T
COMPLIAN ABOUT HIS PRESENT SITUATION: I KNOW THERE ARE BIGGER THINGS THAN THIS
FOR ME. I feel that way right now as a
church. We’ve gone through a major
church split and by that I mean 3/4 of the people just split out of rebellion
and left us with 15 families. What do
we do now? We follow david’s example: HE WAS CONTENT WHERE HE WAS AT,
SERVING THE LORD WITH ALL HIS HEART and
remained faithful DOING ORDINARY THINGS IN AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY.
SO
DAVID GOES DOWN TO HIS BROTHERS WITH A HAPPY MEAL AND STEPS ON THE STAGE OF
HUMAN HISTORY AND MEETS A GIANT. WHAT
DO WE SEE HERE? GOD BROUGHT HIM THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO AN EXTRODINARY THING.
GOD WILL ALWAYS BRING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY, YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRY AND
MAKE IT HAPPEN. MY WORD TO YOU IS JUST
CHILL, TRUST GOD WHERE YOU ARE AT IN YOUR ORDINARY LIFE AND BE FAITHFUL TO HIS
CALLING UPON YOUR LIFE IN BUSINESS, AT HOME AND IN YOUR MINISTRY AND GOD WILL
BRING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY WITH A GREAT DESTINY AND FUTURE. MAYBE YOU’RE JUST FLIPPING HAMBURGERS AT
MCDONALDS BUT JUST BE FAITHFUL WHERE YOU ARE AT IN YOUR ORDINARY LIFE AND GOD
WILL BRING TO YOU THE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THE EXTRAORDINARY.
1 Sam 17:33-37
33 "Don't be
ridiculous!" Saul replied. "How can a kid like you fight with a man
like him? You are only a boy, and he has been in the army since he was a
boy!" 34 But David persisted. "When I am taking care of my father's
sheep," he said, "and a lion or a bear comes and grabs a lamb from the
flock, 35 I go after it with a club and take the lamb from its mouth. If it
turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to
both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this heathen Philistine too, for he has
defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who saved me from the claws
and teeth of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine!"
Saul finally consented, "All right, go ahead," he said, "and may
the Lord be with you!"
SAUL
GAVE THE TYPICAL RESPONSE TO AN ORDINARY KID: “DON’T BE RIDICULOUS, HOW CAN AN
ORDINARY KID LIKE YOU FIGHT A MAN LIKE GOLIATH. DAVID SAID, I’VE BEEN FAITHFUL WATCHING MY FATHER’S SHEEP AND
WHEN A BEAR AND A LION CAME I KILLED THEM WITH A SIMPLE CLUB IN MY HAND. DAVID HAD LEARNED TO BE EXCELLENT IN SERVICE
AND EXCELLENT IN CHARACTER WHICH RESULTED IN THE PROVISION OF GOD WHENEVER THE
NEXT CHALLENGE CAME AROUND. HE WAS
FAITHFUL TO GOD AND GOD WAS FAITHFUL TO HIM AND ALWAYS BROUGHT HIM THE OPPORTUNITY
FOR DOING THE EXTRAORDINARY. SO STOP
TRYING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. YOU DON’T
NEED PSYCHIC HOTLINE OR ANOTHER 20 PROPHETIC WORDS FROM THE LORD. JUST GET BACK TO WORK AND BE FAITHFUL,
SERVING THE LORD IN THE ORDINARY.
NEVER
OVERLOOK THE EXTRORDINAY POTENTIAL OF THE ORDINARY.
2 Tim 2:24
24 And the servant of
the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto
all men, apt to
teach, patient,
Col 3:22-25
22 Servants, obey in
all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as
menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23 And whatsoever ye do,
do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24 Knowing that of
the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord
Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath
done: and there is no respect of persons.
I challenge you this morning to stop striving, stop
trying to make it happen. Just be
faithful to god in your ordinary life, in your ordinary job and god will bring
you the opportunity to step into the extraordinary works of god. Listen, promotion comes from the lord, so
serve the lord in whatever ordinary thing he has called you to do and the
opportunities for greatness will come your way.
John 6:1-13
1 After this, Jesus
crossed over the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias.
2 And a huge crowd,
many of them pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the annual Passover
celebration, were following him wherever he went, to watch him heal the sick.
So when Jesus went up into the hills and sat down with his disciples around
him, he soon saw a great multitude of people climbing the hill, looking for
him. Turning to Philip he asked, "Philip, where can we buy bread to feed
all these people?" 6 (He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he
was going to do.)
7 Philip replied,
"It would take a fortune to begin to do it!" 8 Then Andrew, Simon
Peter's brother, spoke up. "There's a youngster here with five barley
loaves and a couple of fish! But what good is that with all this mob?" 10
"Tell everyone to sit down," Jesus ordered. And all of them-- the
approximate count of the men only was five thousand-- sat down on the grassy
slopes. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks to God and passed them
out to the people. Afterwards he did the same with the fish. And everyone ate
until full! 12 "Now gather the scraps," Jesus told his disciples, "so that nothing is wasted." 13
And twelve baskets were filled with the leftovers!
Here’s another example, and the bible is full of
them! JESUS HAS JUST FINISHED
MINISTERING TO 12—15 THOUSAND PEOPLE AND THE DISCIPLES WANT TO SEND THEM AWAY
TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT. JESUS
CHALLENGES HIS DISCIPLES TO FEED THE CROWD.
IT TURN OUT THAT THE ONLY PERSON WHO THOUGHT TO BRING HIS LUNCH WAS A
LITTLE BOY. HE HAD FIVE LOAVES AND TWO
FISH BUT WHAT WAS THAT AMONGST SO MANY PEOPLE.
HERE’S AN ORDINARY KID WITH AN ORDINARY LUNCH AND OUT OF IT JESUS FEED
12 THOUSAND PEOPLE. I THINK IT’S
INTERESTING THAT THERE’S 12 BASKETS LEFT OVER FOR EACH OF THE DOUBTING
DISCIPLES TO CARRY AND CONTEMPLATE HOW GOD BRINGS THE EXTRAORDINARY OUT OD THE
ORDINARY. THE LESSON THIS MORNING IS
THIS: NEVER OVERLOOK THE EXTRODINARY POTENTIAL OF THE ORDINARY. BE FAITHFUL IN YOUR ORDINARY LIFE AND GOD
WILL BRING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SUCCESS.
