God Uses Ordinary People for Extraordinary Things

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Q. Who are some of the extraordinary people in the Bible?
A. Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, King David, Samuel, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, etc.
Q. What was extraordinary about them?
A. They did amazing things.
Story of 1 Kings 18:20-40. (Elijah defeats the prohets of Baal) (Elijah prays for the rain to not fall and it doesn’t)
No doubt that is extraordinary.
But these things were not done because these people were extraordinary. They were people just like you and me.
James 5:17 “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.”
Q. What did all of these ordinary people have in common?
A. God—They were available to God.
These people saw where God was working and they joined Him in that work.
Oftentimes you and I try to drag God with us where we think He should be working. And then we get frustrated when we spin our wheels—and when nothing happens.
Henry Blackaby tells a story that really highlights the difference between seeking where God is working and joining him and trying to take God somewhere and put Him to work.
The church began to sense God leading it to launch an outreach ministry to the local university campus. So they sought to start a bible study ministry in the dorms. For over a year they tried to start one—that never got off the ground. When they tried to start it, it wouldn’t last. They were trying to put God to work where they thought He should be working.
They decided instead to look and see where God was moving and then to go where He was already working. They had two scriptures in mind.
Romans 3:10-11 “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”
John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
According to these passages, people don’t seek God of their own accord. So when you see someone who is asking spiritual questions or seeking God you are seeing where God is at work.
The pastor told the college students that if they encountered someone doing these things tha tthey should drop what they are doing and go see what the LORD is doing.
That Wednesday one of the students said, “Pastor, a girl who has been in classes with me for almost two years approched me after class today. She said, ‘I think you might be a Christian. I need to talk to you.”
So th girl skipped her next class and sat in the cafeteria with her to talk.
It turns out the girl had been meeting with 10 others and were trying to make sense of the Bible. She said that none of them were Christians and wanted to know if the girl would lead them in a Bible study.
As a result—5 bible studies were started between the women’s and men’s dorm rooms.
They had tried to do something for God for over a year and failed. But when they went to join God in the work that He was already doing it only took 3 days.
John 5:17 “But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.””
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
God is at work around you.
God wants you to join that work.
Do you believe that God can work in exrtraordinary ways through your life to accomplish significant things for His kingdom?
When we believe nothing significant can happen through us, it says more about our belief in God than it says about you.
On Sunday we talked about believing what the Bible says about us and not what we feel—not the lies that are told to us.
(At your table) Q. What are some lies that you believe about yourself—about God?
(At your table) Q. What does God’s word say about those things.

Steps to Joining God in His work.

Pray for God to show you where He is working.
Look for where God is working.
God reveals to you where He is working.
By revealing this God invites you into His work.
When God showed Moses the burning bush. He didn’t say I’m going to go and do all this in Egypt for my people…byyyeeee! God revealed where he was working and invited Moses to join in.
Jesus did the same thing with the disciples. Come, follow me.
Adjust your life to join His work.
You can’t follow God and stay still.
Trust that God can use you to do His work.
(At your table) Q. Where are some areas that God may be working in your sphere of influence?
(At your table) Pray together that God would reveal this to you and that you would join in His work.

Practical Example

We sensed that meeting here at Lakeside Baptist was something God wanted us to do.
So we sought out an opportunity. And here we are.
Let’s pray together that God would use this place and Tuesdays for His glory and that He would show us where He is working. Who will pray for us?
Break up into accountability and prayer groups.
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