Extraordinary Calling Of Ordinary People

Extraordinary calling of ordinary people

Luke 23:50

Good morning everyone, glad that you are here

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year

As we are in the last Sunday of 2025 and heading fast to 2026, could we take a minute to pray that the Lord would be allowed in our lives to lead us and guide us into the New Year.

I need His direction, I forget what I go into a room for…sometimes. I look for my cell phone while I am talking on it! I need Jesus!

Prayer-

I did a study on Joseph of Arimathea. I don’t think I have ever preached a sermon about this Joseph and I knew little about his life but after this study I see that we can learn quite a bit from him. My study took me to the bible and to a book written by Ken Costa of Joseph life.

Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when God is in it and is allowed to be God and us to be servants of the Most High God.

If we allow God to use us in our everyday lives, that is where our light of God will shine brightest.

Jentezen Franklin says that World-changers are built in the ordinary.

To me, world changers are people who do things that are not common.

They are people who don’t blend in and are not like everyone else.

World-changers think for themselves and do not go with the crowd just because everyone else does.

BEFORE JESUS DIED-Joseph of Arimathea followed Jesus surreptitiously (sur-uhp-ti-shuh-slee) big word- (secretively, sneaky, avoiding being noticed, unauthorized) as he was afraid, and he was afraid that it would ruin his career.

AFTER Jesus died, something changed in Joseph’s life, he bravely identified with Jesus and gave Jesus an honorable burial.

WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO FOLLOW JESUS AT ALL COST

NO ONES CALLING IS HIGHER THAN ANOTHER- WE HAVE TO BE OBEDIENT TO WHAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO DO AND WITH WHAT RESOURCES WE ARE GIVEN.

Here is the text- Luke 23:50-56

What do we know of Joseph of Arimathea?

WE know that he is part of the Sanhedrin (71 rabbis appointed to counsel)

He was an IMPORTANT MAN

He was probably wealthy

A man of influence

Received money from the Temple tax collected

He was a secret follower of Jesus- He would have lost everything that he worked for had the Sanhedrin found out he was a follower of Jesus.

They expected a savior to come from the scriptures…but Jesus was not who they were looking for

To Them He was not coming in a manger

The long awaited messiah would not allow them to beat and strip him and for sure not crucify him.

I believe Joseph had a Damascus road experience of his own. I believe he went from ordinary to extraordinary by his faith in the crucified Jesus. His faith came alive and it changed him forever.

Pastor we have been talking about the virgin birth and incarnation. Joseph of Arimathea was an ordinary person doing extraordinary when he was obedient and allowed the Lord to use him.

He was used in the story of Jesus and he lived out his own story of salvation through Christ

Mark 15:42-47- Read from bible-

All four Gospels show that although Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, he was a believer in Christ. Mark and Luke mentioned with subtlety that Joseph was looking forward to the kingdom, but Matthew put it even more bluntly, that Joseph “had become a disciple of Jesus” (Matt. 27:57).

Yet when the time came, ordinary Joseph acted in a way that made his faith public. Luke wrote in his Gospel that Joseph disagreed with the Sanhedrin on their attempt to do away with Jesus, but that opposition alone might not have fully exposed him as a disciple of Jesus. However, there was no doubting his allegiance when he boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. His request was astonishing because Joseph stood to lose everything: his wealth (Matt.27:57), his influence as a member of the Sanhedrin, his reputation, and even his life. Yet regardless of the cost, Joseph (along with Nicodemus) took Jesus off the cross, wrapped him in spices, and buried him in a freshly-cut tomb. Joseph’s secret was out. There was no turning back. He was now known as a Christ follower.

What can we learn from the example of Joseph? Here are a few quick thoughts on why Joseph’s example is useful for us today:

Courage: Mark 15:42 says, “Joseph took courage and went to Pilate.”

Can you picture him pacing outside Pilate’s door and taking a deep breath before entering?

This was a big step for a man who probably didn’t want to stick out or draw any attention to himself. For too long, he had been a secret follower, and now he was pushing himself.