(extra) O R D I N A R Y
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Big Idea: God wants to use ordinary people in extraordinary ways! God wants to use us to do some incredible things for His kingdom. We only need to be available, and action-oriented (obedient).
God wants to use you…despite your past, despite your excuses, and despite your obstacles!
There’s something about God who sees things inside of you that you’ll never see…
Key Verse: Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The Tale of the Three Trees
Once upon a time, three little trees stood on a mountaintop and dreamed about what they wanted to become. The first tree said, “I want to hold treasure and be filled with gold and precious stones.” The second said, “I want to be a vessel that travels on mighty waters and carries powerful kings.” The third little tree said, “I don’t want to leave the mountaintop at all. I want to grow tall so that when people look at me, they raise their eyes to heaven and think of God.”
Many years passed, and the trees grew. One day, three wood-cutters climbed the mountain and saw the trees. The first wood-cutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is perfect for me! I will make it into a beautiful chest to hold treasure!” And with a blow of his axe, he cut the tree down. The second wood-cutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is perfect for me. I will make it into a mighty vessel that can travel any waters. It will serve as a ship for mighty kings!” And he cut the tree down.
The third tree felt his heart sink when the last wood-cutter approached. He tried to look tall and point toward heaven. But the wood-cutter, without even looking up, simply muttered, “Any tree will do for me,” and felled the third tree.
The first wood-cutter brought the first tree to his carpenter’s shop, but instead of making it into a box for treasure, he fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. Instead of holding gold and precious gems, the tree was coated in sawdust and filled with hay. The second wood-cutter brought his tree to a shipyard, but instead of fashioning it into a mighty vessel, the tree was made into a humble fishing boat, too small and weak to sail a river, much less an ocean. The third tree was brought to a lumberyard and made into beams. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountaintop and point to God,” he said.
Many days passed, and the trees eventually forgot all about their former dreams. Then one night, a young woman placed her newborn Baby into the feed-box that had been fashioned from the first tree. “I wish I could make a cradle for Him,” her husband said. His wife squeezed his hand and replied, “This manger is beautiful.” Suddenly, the first tree realized that he was holding the greatest treasure in the entire world.
One evening, a tired Traveler and his friends crowded onto the fishing boat that had been crafted from the second tree. The Traveler fell asleep, and as the boat sailed out onto the lake, suddenly a mighty storm arose. The little tree knew that he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely to the other side, but then the Traveler awoke and said, “Peace.” The storm quieted immediately. Suddenly, the second tree realized that he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, some men yanked up the beams of the third tree from a woodpile. They carried them through a jeering crowd, and then soldiers began to nail the hands and feet of a Man to him. The tree felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But then, on Sunday morning, when the sun arose and the earth trembled with joy beneath him, the third tree realized that God’s love had changed everything. He knew that now, every time people thought of him, they would also think of God. And that was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
We may think that God wants to use us in BIG ways…to change the world single-handedly…but the reality is much simpler than that.
God is simply looking for people who will be available and obedient to Him.
God is not looking for the biggest, the best, or the brightest.
He’s looking for ordinary people…just like you and me…who will place themselves in His hands to be used.
Ever heard of the word “recycling”?
It means to turn something that seems useless into something that is useful.
And God is in the business of recycling hearts and lives!
God chooses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary work!!!
- GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR PAST!
Remember Moses?
- He was a guy who had quite a past. (Exodus 2:11-15)
- God knew all about Moses’ past.
- God was seeing something in Moses that Moses didn’t see in himself. In spite of everything, God still chose to use him.
- God sees your past. He sees something inside of you that you may not even see.
- In spite of your weakness and failures, He still chooses you – He wants to use you!
- GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR EXCUSES
- God calls Moses (Exodus 3:1-10)
- Instead of jumping for joy at being called to serve God, Moses voiced doubts and offered excuses (3:11-13, 4:1-13)
“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (3:11)
“Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (3:13)
“What if they don’t believe me?” (4:1)
“I have never been eloquent…I am slow of speech and tongue.” (4:10)
“Please send someone else to do it.” (4:13)
- Moses was fearful and doubtful of his own abilities – just like us!
- Yet all the time, God just told Moses to focus on who He was and what He could do.
- Even after all of Moses’ excuses, it didn’t change how God felt about him or disqualify him from what God wanted to do.
- We’re just like Moses!
- GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR OBSTACLES
- Moses returned to Egypt, not knowing what obstacles would be in his way (Pharaoh’s hardened heart, Egyptian solders, even the Israelites).
- God was faithful to Moses. He removed all the obstacles and worked through Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
- The Red Sea was a pretty big obstacle – 1,200 miles long. 130 to 230 miles wide, and, at the deepest part, 7,200 feet deep! Not a small puddle!
- God, don’t fail me now! (Exodus 14:10-16)
- There will be many obstacles in our lives.
- But God is bigger than any obstacle we have in our way. He is willing to part the sea to use us!!!!
So, to put in simple and plain…this is our part…
BE AVAILABLE.
BE ACTION-ORIENTED (OBEDIENT)
A few questions to ask yourself in light of this talk…
- Moses didn’t have the perfect past. In fact, Moses wasn’t perfect at all. Why do you think God chose to use him for such a great task?
- Do you ever wonder if God has anything great He would like you to do? If so, why?
- If God chose to use you to do something great for His kingdom, what would you say?
- What are some of the excuses that you give God when faced with being used for something great, or with something small?
- What gifts, talents and abilities do you think you have to offer God?
- What can you do this week to use your talents, gifts, and/or abilities for the kingdom of God?
- If you could do something great for the kingdom of God, knowing you’d never fail, what would you want to do?
Ordinary guys, twin brothers, 16 years old. 2005.
Told by their dad one summer not to complain about being bored and having nothing to do, gave then a big stack of books to read.
Getting inspired to do something with their knowledge and zeal…the brothers starts a blog to encourage other teens.
It became the most trafficked youth blog in the world. Well over 15 million unique hits…and that stat is 4 years old…