Goodbye Ordinary

Living the Extraordinary

What a better time to rethink our lives! Tired of living the ordinary life. Tired of our life being no different than the guy down the street. Thirst for something more. Attempt something radical for God. See God work radically around us. People around us will be impacted forever and for eternity. Dream that this year will be the year when we see God working everywhere around us.

Observe someone who decided one day that he wanted to say goodbye to the ordinary. Decided to live an extraordinary life. Entered the God life. The extraordinary life.

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 1 Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.”

I.       The extraordinary life is not natural

A.     No tools to accomplish the extraordinary

(NKJV) (NKJV) 1 Samuel 13 19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.”

22 So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

1.      Most talented – responsibility

2.      Insufficient – needs only availability

B.     Nothing extraordinary about the day

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 1 Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.”

1.      Random day

2.      Difference was the decision to let God do something extraordinary

C.     No support to try the extraordinary

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 1 … But he did not tell his father.

1.      Those that should have acted didn’t

2.      Demanded an individual decision not dependent upon others

3.      Others would have discouraged his action because they were not men of faith

D.    Others continue to live ordinary

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 2 And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men. 3 Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

1.      At ease in the midst of a war (Migron ‘gush forth’ – wasn’t)

2.      Means to talk with God yet not

3.      Yet remained ignorant

II.    The extraordinary life emerges only by faith in God

A.     Remained a Difficult task

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14  4 Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez (slippery), and the name of the other Seneh (thorny).

B.     Dependent totally on who God is

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”

1.      Lacked clear guidance

2.      Knew the Lord wants to save

3.      Knew the Lord the Lord alone is the means not dependent on men

C.     Not ultimately a question of human strategy

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 8 Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9 If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. 10 But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be a sign to us.”

11 So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.” 12 Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.” Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel.” 13 And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him;

1.      Not surprise attack

2.      Not with any advantage

a)      Lacked high ground

b)      Encumbered with climbing rather than fighting

D.    Resulted in the Lord showing up

1.      Individually

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 13 … and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them. 14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about half an acre of land.

2.      Beyond any individual effort

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 15 And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling.

3.      Obvious that God was there

a)      No other explanation

b)      Did some things that can only come from God

III. The extraordinary life inspires others

A.     Those desiring the extraordinary

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 7 So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”

B.     Those who live ordinary

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 16 Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there. 17 Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Now call the roll and see who has gone from us.” And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.

18 And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here” (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel). 19 Now it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion.

C.     Those  who had deserted

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 21 Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

D.    Those who were afraid

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14  22 Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle.

IV. The Extraordinary life has radical impact

A.     A Simple statement of the radical impact of the extraordinary life

(NKJV) 1 Samuel 14 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day,