Finding The Extraordinary
In The Ordinary
1. Ordinary People That God Used
It was wonderful to be back at church on Sunday. Pastor Tripp preached a great sermon on, "Finding The Extraordinary In The Ordinary." You don't have to be extraordinary for God to use you. The Bible is filled with ordinary people who God used in an extraordinary way. Let's look at some of them.
2. Gideon Was Afraid
The book of Judges tells the continual cycle of the Israelites as they would trust in the Lord, stray and worship idols, then God would deliver them from their enemies, and they would serve Him for a while and then go back to serving idols. When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he was threshing wheat by the winepress to hide it from their enemies, the Midianites. They usually threshed wheat out in the open where the wind would blow away the chaff. The air was probably stifling at the wine press. But, Gideon was there to hide his wheat from the Midianites.
"12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." (Judges 6:12-15)
The angel told him to throw down the altar of Baal. "Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night." (Judges 6:27) At the end of the chapter we have the story of Gideon's fleece, where he wanted God's assurance that God would do as He had said. He was a poor man, the least in his father's house, lliving in fear, but God took this ordinary man and used him in an extraordinary way. Gideon's army was reduced to 300. Each carried an empty pitcher, with a lamp in it, and a trumpet. Can you imagine the sudden terror that the Midianites felt when they heard the battle cry of the trumpets, the pitchers break all around them, and suddenly saw the glowing torches that surrounded them? You can read the story in Judges 6 and 7.
3. God Used Ordinary Professions - The Shepherds
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem God didn't send His angels to declare it in the temple to the priests, or to the rich or important people of that day. He sent the angels to the ordinary shepherds, doing what they did... watching over their sheep at night. We don't have to be wealthy, or popular, or really smart for God to use us. We can be ordinary, doing ordinary jobs, and God can use us in an extraordinary way.
"8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds." (Luke 2:8-18)
4. Three Ordinary Shepherds Who Did The Extraordinary
I want to look at three more ordinary shepherds whom God used in an extraordinary way. First, let's take a look at David. He was a young shepherd boy who stood against Goliath that defied the armies of the living God. He knew God had been with him in the past and he was confident that his God would deliver him from the giant.
"34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God." (I Samuel 17:34-36)
Next, we find a shepherd who used what was in his hand. When God calls us to do a work for Him, He will place in our hands what we need. We are talking about Moses, at the burning bush. "And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.... And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs." (Exodus 4:2 & 17) Moses held the rod as he warned Pharaoh of the plagues on Egypt. He held it high as God divided the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross. God used Moses with an ordinary rod, in an amazingly extraordinary way.
Last of all I want to look at Amos. "Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel." (Amos 7:14-15) Amos was a poor shepherd who God used to warn His children. We may be plain, ordinary people, but God can use us in extraordinary ways!
5. Jesus Called Those With Ordinary Professions To Follow Him
When Jesus began His ministry on earth He didn't call the Scribes and Pharisees to follow Him. He called some ordinary fishermen.
"18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him." (Matthew 4:18-22)
Matthew was a tax collector when Jesus called to him. "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. (Matthew 9:9) Jesus called to those who would follow Him. We don't have to be wealthy or well known to be used by God. We just need to answer His call and follow Him.
6. God Can Hear And Answer Simple Prayers
A month ago when I had so many close friends with Covid, I was guilty of saying that I wish I could do something for them, but all I could do was pray. When we say, "All I can do is pray" it seems like we are minimizing the importance and significance of prayer. We are not giving God the preeminence that He deserves in all situations. God can hear and answer the simplest prayers that we utter. "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." (James 5:16-18)
When the Prophet Elijah was on Mt. Carmel with the false prophets of Baal he prayed a very short, simple prayer, and God answered in a great miracle. The fire of God fell and consumed the sacrifice, and then God sent the rain.
"30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God." (I Kings 18:30-39)
7. The Importance Of Prayer
At Pentecost, in Acts 2, Peter preached an ordinary sermon and God used it in an extraordinary way and 3,000 souls were saved. And they continued in prayer. "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:41-42) Then, in Acts 4:31 we read, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." We can pray simple prayers and be heard by God. Probably the shortest prayer in the Bible is found in Matthew 14:30. Peter prayed, "Lord, save me", when he saw the boisterous wind on the sea. I prayed that prayer when I was about 8 years old. If you believe that Jesus is God's Son, and that He died to pay for your sin, you can also pray that prayer and He will forgive you and save you. He is reaching out His hand to save you.
"27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:27-31)
8. The Prayer Of Hannah
I don't have leading from the Lord to begin a new devotional series, so I am going to continue our look at some of the prayers in the Bible. I want to begin with Hannah, as she prayed for a son. God answered her prayer and Hannah had a son and named him Samuel. She took him to the temple and lent him to the Lord as she had vowed. Then she prayed a prayer of thanksgiving which begins, "...My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God." (I Samuel 2:1-2) When we make a vow to God we need to follow through, as Hannah did. We also need to thank the Lord for answered prayers.
"10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him." (I Samuel 1:10-17)
9. The Prayers Of Hezekiah And Of Paul
When I was in the hospital with Covid pneumonia, the doctor told me that I also had sepsis. I knew how bad that could be and I prayed that the Lord would give me healing. I found out that others were praying for me too, and I am thankful for the prayers and God's healing touch. Today we see two examples of prayer. The first is the prayer of King Hezekiah. God answered his prayer and gave him fifteen more years of life. The second is from the Apostle Paul. God did not take away his infirmity. God is good and He knows what is best. We pray and trust in Him to answer in accordance to His will.
"1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.
6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake." (II Kings 20:1-6)
"7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (II Corinthians 12:7-10)
10. Hezekiah Spread It Before The Lord
We can pray anywhere and the Lord can hear us. We don't have to be at a certain place, at a special time, for our prayers to be heard. But, some of the most precious prayers I remember were times when I was alone at church, and I knelt down at the altar and poured out my heart, with all its burdens, to the Lord. The Lord lifted those burdens and gave me peace. When the king of Assyria sent a letter to King Hezekiah, he took it to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. Read the following verses from II Kings 19, to see how God heard and answered his prayer.
"14 And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.
15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.
17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,
18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.
20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.
35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead."
11. Our Call To Prayer
When I was young I was told not to ask people for things. It sunk in so deep that I wouldn't even ask my grandma for a cup of water. We don't have to worry that Jesus will be offended if we ask Him to fulfill our needs. Jesus wants us to pray and make our requests known to Him. He shows us this in the scriptures.
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)
"Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:2-3)
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)
"Pray without ceasing." (I Thessalonians 5:17)
12. Do You Believe That God Answers Prayer?
There is a story in Acts of how the church was gathered praying, and after God answered their prayers, they didn't believe it. Well, I will let the scriptures tell you!
"5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter." (Acts 12:5-18)
13. When We Don't Know What To Pray
You may be familiar with Romans 8:28, but do you know the preceding verses?
"26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:26-28)
There have been times in my life when I was so distressed, and the tears flowed so much, that I could not find the words to pray. There have been other times when I had to make a decision and I did not know enough to know how to pray about it. Sometimes we don't know what we should pray for. These verses tell us that the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us. He prays for us. That gives us the assurance that everything works together for good. Not only does the Spirit pray for us, but Jesus is at the right hand of God making intercession on our behalf. "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:34) "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25) We don't know what tomorrow will bring. But "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God" and we know that the Holy Spirit and our Lord and Savior are praying for us. That should help strengthen our faith to keep on keeping on.
14. The Last Prayers In The Bible
As we close this series, we are looking at the last prayers in the Bible, the last two verses of the last book, the book of Revelation.
"20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (Revelation 22:20-21)
When I look at all the sin in this world I have to pray, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." When I think about all my loved ones that have gone on to heaven I have to pray, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." When I remember what He has brought me from and the home He is preparing for me in heaven I have to pray, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." When I rejoice in the great love He has for me and I want to thank Him for what He has done in my life, I have to pray, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." And I close with this last prayer, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
