Do you believe that troubles can stop your life? Do you believe that you can do something special to change the world? Despite your troubles and worries?
We have a lot of stories about people who made great things despite the issues they had.
- Albert Einstein had a hard life. He did not speak until the age of 4 and He only learnt how to read when he was 7. These challenges didn’t stop him to win the Nobel Prize!
- Do you know the Beatles? When They went for a trial at this Record Company, The manager there said that they were a bad band and people would not like a sound like theirs. Soon after that, They became one of the biggest band of the world!
- Walt Disney, in the beginning of his career ate dog food. He didn’t have money as He had been fired because He had no imagination or creativity. Do you believe that?
Today, look at what is Disney world.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just feel small, too small to do things for God or anything better to change the world. I look at my problems, troubles, and my limitations and think: God, I’m sorry, but you cannot expect something good from myself! I don’t have anything to give to you. It’s improbable that you use me!
How many times Did you feel like an unlikely person to be used by God?
How many times do you feel too small to do something good for God?
Or, How many times do you feel you’re not good enough to be called God’s child?
Today, I’m gonna talk about unlikely people that changed the world. People who had big troubles, afflictions, but God still used them!
1 Cor. 1:26-29 “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things– and the things that are not– to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
God chooses unlikely people to accomplish his purposes so his power can be manifest in their weakness. God uses people who will depend upon his power rather than upon their own strength and abilities. They are humbled knowing they didn’t do it themselves, but it was God who used them. As a result, they are driven back to God in worship and prayer. When amazing things happen God then receives the honour and glory rather than us. So people will look at us and say, “how in the world are they able to do that?” And the only conclusion they will be able to make is, “it must be God,” and they will recognise we have Jesus. God wants people to be amazed at his ability, not ours.
We are gonna look at some examples in the bible that show how God likes to use unlikely people like me and you! So, be prepared! God is calling you today to enlarge your vision and strengthen you to the point of being an arrow in his hands, that will hit the target!
– First Example of unlikely people: Moses
When God was bringing his people back from their captivity in Egypt, he selected Moses to be the man through whom he would speak. After Moses killed an Egyptian for beating up a Hebrew, he fled into the wilderness because he didn’t want to be killed by the other Egyptians or by his own people. One day, God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, and he commanded Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, and to speak to Pharaoh on their behalf.
Look at what Moses thought about himself.
Exodus 4:10-12
Moses said to the Lord,
Vs 10: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
Vs 11: The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
Vs 12: Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”,
Moses said: I am not prepared for it! This is too big for me. I am in trouble, I have problems with my tongue.
But God used him to lead the people anyway, reminding Moses that he would always be by his side. God also used Moses to deliver the Ten Commandments, which many Jews and Christians still follow to this day. Hallelujah! Praise The Holy name of God!
Does that sound like something you think? I’m too young, or I’m too old. I don’t know how to speak. I don’t know how to speak english!
Come on! Look at me!!! I can hardly speak English, but I’m here being used by God to tell you: God uses unlikely people! You may not know how to talk properly! But, He will use you, guide you, give you strength, He will bring freedom through your life. Amen? He can open the Red Sea just using your life. Amen?
– Second example of Unlikely people: Jonah
Jonah was a prophet who was called by God to go and minister to the people of Nineveh. These people were considered to be very Godless, so Jonah was supposed to tell them that God’s judgment was coming for them. Because of how wicked they were, and others things, Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh, so he ran away from God. This resulted in his being swallowed by a large fish. While he was in the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to God for forgiveness and protection.
Jonah 2:2-3 “He said:
“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.
As a result of this prayer, God gave him a second chance and spared the people of Nineveh, so they also repented.
Let me know, Have you ever run from God? God asked you to do something, maybe talking to someone, changing your mind, preaching the gospel, doing something in God’s house, praying with more intensity and you ran away?
My brother, you can fail but when this happens cry out to Jesus! Cry out to Jesus. If you repent, God will take you out of the fish’s belly!
He will call you from the deep realm of the dead to light!
He always uses unlikely people!
– Third example of unlikely people: Peter
In Acts 3:6-8, Peter was going to church and a lame beggar asked him for money.
Peter looked at him and Then said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk.
Hallelujah! Unlikely people! God always uses unlikely people. Peter was a Traitor, an impulsive man, He spoke at the wrong time, acted without thinking, fought with everyone, was impatient, but Jesus loved him!
Jesus once said to Him in Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
God always uses unlikely people.
So, we can go back to the books of Acts. Peter healed a lame beggar. He was being using by God.
After it, Peter was preaching the gospel with a lot of wisdom and anointment. Many people became believers, around 5 thousands people.
After it, The Rulers, teachers, and men of the law were talking and arguing with Peter about his message.
So, Peter takes the word and starts to give his message to them. He says in Acts 4:11-13 Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Some of crowd did not believe that Peter was the same guy who denied Jesus in the past.
They thought: wow! Is that the same guy who betrayed, denied Jesus?
Some guys didn’t believe in what They are seeing and hearing.
Look what they said In the verse 13: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus”.
Peter was an unschooled man, an ordinary person.
He was an ordinary person like me and you.
– God always uses ordinary person, unlikely people for His glory!
In the Past, God used the prophets; ordinary men would become kings; God used Israel, a small nation to bring the saviour to whole world.
Even Jesus was born in a simple family and showed His power, love and salvation to whole world.
– God has a plan for you like Moses!
Even if you tell him that you don’t know how to speak, or you feel afraid. Oh God, I am an unlikely person for you to use.
If you are talking like this, He says to you: Like Moses, Do not be afraid: I’m with you. I gonna go ahead of you, opening the way, opening up the red sea and giving freedom to you and everybody around you!
– God has a plan for your life, like Jonah.
Jonah had a message from God to tell a nation, but He ran! He ran away from God. In the fish’s belly He prayed, repented and God called him from the deep realm of the Darkness to his kingdom’s light!
God is calling you from the depth of darkness to the Light, closer to Jesus.
You can feel scared, maybe you ran away from Jesus, but today He is calling you: Come back again! I love you. You are my chosen one!
– God has a plan for your life, like Peter.
Like Peter, you can be impatient, fight with everybody and you can feel that there is no solution for this.
Im gonna tell you: what Jesus told Peter is the same thing that He is telling you today.
“I prayed that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
So, brothers and sisters, Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
God always uses unlikely people. We are one of them. So, be ready and be an arrow in God’s hands. May God use you to His glory and use you to change the world!
Amen.