Word For This Sunday - When God Uses Ordinary People (Genesis 12:1-3)

When God Uses Ordinary People (Genesis 12:1-3)

I am always fascinated with how God uses ordinary things and ordinary men to accomplish His supernatural purpose.  Through-out the Bible, we can see so many examples of this.  Who would have known that an ordinary shepherd boy will become a king?  Even Jesse his father never thought of David when Samuel came to their house to anoint the next king of Israel.  How about a dead piece of wood?  While others consider it as good only for cooking or making our body feel warm, God used it to demonstrate His awesome power.  Imagine what Moses would have felt whenever he obeys God to use his staff.  It parted the Red Sea, quenched the thirst of the Israelites, defeated the magicians of the Pharaoh, etc.  We can go on and on and we will not have enough time to mention them all but one thing’s for sure, God uses ordinary things and men to do His extraordinary work.

In the 12^th chapter of Genesis, we will see another ordinary man, he is in his mid-70, and most likely, he has already enjoyed what the good life has to offer.  Although he doesn’t have a son, for sure he has experienced God’s abundant blessings. Maybe he’s thinking of slowing down, retiring into a nice quiet place in Haran.

But as we all know it, God has another plan.  His story won’t end in a retirement village somewhere; in fact, God will use him for one great purpose – to bless the whole world.

Have you ever felt this way?  You think your life has reached its end.  Maybe some people think or say that way about you because of a certain incident in the past or because of your present situation.  For them, you won’t go anywhere, you have met your end - that God can’t use you anymore because you’re too old or too young; or because you’re weak; or because of your failures in the past.

Be encouraged by this – if God can use a 75 year old nobody and barren, then He can use as too to become His channel of blessing.  We’re no Abrahams, but we have the same God who up to know calls and uses His people for His extra-ordinary purposes.

Through Abraham’s example, we will see 3 important things when God uses ordinary people for His extra-ordinary purpose.

1. It all starts with a call! – (Genesis 12:1)  The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

For Abraham, it wasn’t an easy call.  Imagine gathering all your belongings for the purpose of going on a trip.  He has already settled there for 75 years – made a family, and made a name for himself.  That place is his very comfort zone.  To make it worse, he won’t know where to go, until he starts the journey.  God is to show him where to go as he goes.  Why not just tell Abraham now?  When God calls, He wants us to fully trust in Him.  Sometimes He won’t tell us everything we need to know.  We are to fully live by faith and not by sight.

So yes, God starts it with a call but He wants us to pursue it by faith.  It won’t be easy and many times we won’t understand God’s ways and methods, but that is God’s way – using our physical senses won’t work.  Only through the eyes of faith can we see clearly.  As the Apostle Paul once said, our faith will become sight.  As we obey God and move in faith, then we will see and understand what He is doing in and through us.

2. We can not out-give God. – (Genesis 12:2)  "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

It is interesting to see that God asked Abraham to do three things: (1) Leave your country; (2) Leave your relatives; (3) Leave your household.  Then God promised him also three things: (1) I will make you a great nation; (2) I will bless you; (3) I will make your name great.  It is not just that for every thing that Abraham would do for God, God has something for Abraham in return.  God multiplies a thousand-fold what Abraham gives Him.  As Abraham leaves his country, God makes him a great nation.  As Abraham leaves his relatives – his source of strength, comfort, encouragement and resources, God blesses him.  From now on, Abraham will get strength, comfort, encouragement and resources directly from God.  As Abraham leaves his household – the very place where he grew up, developed his being and the place where he got his name, God gives him a great name.

How many times have we experienced this?  The God whom we serve is mighty.  Whatever we give to Him, He gives back in ways beyond what we could ever imagine.  In Luke 6:38, it says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

3. We become part of God’s purpose especially in blessing the whole world. – (Genesis 12:3)  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

It’s not just that Abraham will be blessed but others will be blessed through him.  Abraham becomes God’s channel of blessing not just to the people around him but also to the whole world.  The Lord will only bless the world through him.

Wow, imagine what went on Abraham’s mind.  At 75 years old, for sure, Abraham has already become a part of many things.  He became part of his family, community, work, and even his country.  But this time, as he obeys God’s call, he will become a part of what God is doing in the whole world.

Our God is indeed bigger than what we think He is.  When we obey Him, the Lord widens the scope of our service.  It is true that if we can be trusted with little, He will entrust to us bigger things.  Our small step of obedience can result into something bigger – even as big as becoming God’s channel of blessing the whole world.