Ordinary Means

It was a joy today to preach Peter’s Pentecost Sermon from Acts 2:14-41. (If you are going to steal someone else’s sermon, for heaven’s sake steal it from an Apostle!) What an extraordinary servant, sermon, and number of salvations that day! Thank God for such divine intervention and blessings upon His people.

But, this has me thinking about how the Lord so often works through, “Ordinary Means” rather than “Extraordinary Means.” Reflecting on Peter’s sermon and the blessed and happy result, I am tempted (from time to time) to consider a day to be, “a down day” when we do not see immediate and quantifiable fruit from the efforts of our faithful people.

The truth appears to be that while the Lord continues to do extraordinary things in a few places, the vast majority of people who are saved and made disciples of Jesus are won and equipped one-by-one through the ordinary means of ordinary people doing ordinary things in ordinary churches.

I really don’t know quite what to make of this. I know that our job is to be faithful and let the Lord take care of the fruitfulness of our life and ministry, but I am always disappointed when we do not see more fruit from our labors.

I want all of us to do the ordinary things extraordinarily well. I want all of us to be extraordinarily faithful. I want the Lord to use all of us to accomplish extraordinary things through the life and ministry of our beloved church.

We have just experienced a great series of revival meetings. A great concert brought a great crowd of people to our church. We have just heard an update on our 2020 Vision for ministry in the future. I have just had the joy of being called as your Pastor-Teacher full time.

I want us to do the ordinary things extraordinarily well, and I join you in prayer that the Lord will choose to use us to do extraordinary things through us and for us for the everlasting Glory of His Son, Jesus.