What God Can Do Through Ordinary People Series

Gideon - "What God Can Do

Through Ordinary People"

Today is week 5 in our series Real People - True Stories... So far we have met Elijah - who on Mt Carmel challenged us to get off the fence and really serve God... If God is God then we really need to serve him and quit playing games..... and if he is not God, then we might as well go home and have a drink....

Next we met Deborah who showed us how we can bring life back into our homes...(by bringing our kids words from the Lord, encouraging them, disciplining them and reminding them of God’s power.

Then we met Elisha who showed us why we don’t need to be afraid because God is with us...and greater is He who is with us, then he who is in the world..." There are flaming chariots of God surrounding us to protect us....

And Last week we met Solomon whose life challenges us to Go The Distance - To Finish Strong - Last Sunday, Solomon’s life warned us that a good start does not make up for a lousy finish...we need to go the distance.

Today, we are going to meet a man named Gideon - perhaps you have heard of him - his story is found in Judges 6-8. And what we will see in the life of Gideon is how God can use ordinary people to do some extra-ordinary things

LET’S PRAY TOGETHER......

Doctor Fred Craddock a homiletic (preaching) professor at Phillips University in Oklahoma was vacationing in Gatlinburg with his wife... they were sitting in a restaurant trying to get off by themselves and they noticed a distinguished looking white-hair man, going from table to table introducing himself and having a conversation. They said to each other, "I hope he doesn’t come over here to intrude on our privacy", but here he came and said, "where are you folks from." Dr. Craddock said, "Well we’re from Oklahoma."

He said "what do you do?" Dr. Craddock replied, "I’m a homiletics professor at Phillips University." He said, "Oh, you train preachers do you, well I got a story I’d like to tell you", and he sat down. Dr. Craddock though to himself, "Oh no, here comes another preacher story." (Time waiting at outback and when guy knew I was preacher - had to tell me stories - I thought we’d never get to our table)..

The man said, "You know I was born in these mountains. My mother was not married and as I grew up I had to put up with a lot of hassles. I felt self-conscious and just kind of kept to myself. What I hated most was coming into town on Saturday because people would stare at me and question me as to who my father was. Even when I went to church I would come in late and leave early, because I didn’t want anyone to ask me questions.

One day when the church had a new preacher, who had a short benediction I didn’t get out in time and got caught in the crowd. The preacher grabbed my hand and said, `whose are ya boy, whose son are you.’ And I thought Oh boy even the preacher is going to give me a hard time. But then he said, `Oh, I recognize the family resemblance your a child of God’, then the preacher patted me on the back and said, `you have a great inheritance now you go and claim it.’ Those were the most encouraging word’s I have ever heard and I have been grateful to preachers event since."

Then the man got up and introduced himself as Ben Hopper and he left the table. Dr. Craddock kept going over in his mind again and again, Ben Hopper, Ben Hopper, and then it hit Him, Ben Hopper had twice been elected as The Governor of Tennessee.

An illegitimate child, who was looked down upon was not a likely choice to become the Governor of the state of Tennessee. I’m sure that those who stared at, ridiculed and ignored him never picked Ben Hopper to become a future Governor of their state, He was a very unlikely candidate.

You know, to me that is one of the most exciting things about God, Time and time again throughout the pages of scripture we see God using the unlikely, using the ordinary to accomplish his will and get his work done.

When Moses, barely 3 months old was placed in that tiny basket barely escaping death, He was not at the time, from a human standpoint the one most likely to deliver his people.

What about David, even his own father didn’t think that he could possibly be a King after all he was just a shepherd boy. But when God looked at David, He didn’t see a shepherd boy,,but rather he saw a man after His own heart, And He told Samuel, this one, He will be my King.