504 - God Uses Ordinary Men in Extraordinary Ways

Are You an Ordinary Man?

We are truly living in troubling times. Not times unknown to believers in the past, but times the church of today is ill-equipped to manage. But there is hope. And this hope is found in our faith in the One who “declares the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10)— the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, extraordinary times call for extraordinary people. Or, more accurately, it requires ordinary people doing extraordinary things by the power of the Holy Spirit living in them.

This leads to a few questions we will try to answer. One, what holds us back from being all God created us to be? Two, what does God need for us to be in the waning hours of the American experiment? And finally, what are our children going to remember about us when they look back on these troubling days?

Sobering questions. But do we have any answers?

In 2nd Timothy, Paul is giving final instructions to the one who will carry on without him. Timothy was a man that struggled with timidity and fear (2 Tim. 1:7) and avoided confrontation to the point of appearing ashamed of his calling and the testimony of Christ (2 Tim. 1:8). In fact, Paul’s first words to Timothy were to urge him not to leave for greener pastures, not to throw in the towel, but stay and see the task to the end (1 Tim. 1:3). And his final words to Timothy were to remain steadfast to his calling and don’t quit.

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry – 2 Timothy 4:5.

These are the same words we need to hear as the church today. Following Christ, standing for truth, speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves (Prov. 24:11), always comes at a cost. So what are we to do? We should start by remembering where we have fallen and do the things we did at the beginning (Rev. 2:5).

But there is more.

Stir Up the Gift of God in You

There comes the point in every Christian’s life when they simply must choose. We must choose to either stand for Christ and all that means or cower under the world’s pressure to be forced into its mold. We must be willing to suffer misunderstanding, cancellation, loss of jobs or family relationships, even overt suffering and persecution in our commitment and faithfulness to Him. After all, all our heroes have done the same when they had to choose. Why should we think we are exempt?

And we know that all we lack, He supplies. All we don’t have or can’t do, He can. No matter how broken or ordinary we may be, He is strong, mighty, invincible, and He lives in us. So there is no excuse.

The only thing lacking is our commitment. So, like Paul’s words to Timothy, we need to rekindle the spark of His life in us and surrender anew all we are not, to the One who is everything.

Therefore I remind you to stir up (or rekindle) the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands – 2 Timothy 1:6.

And then watch what the Lord will do through you.

To download the slides for this message, click – HERE.