This morning we continue our series entitled, “Power of Fellowship.” Yesterday I share three examples of how ordinary people become extraordinary vessels in the hand of God simply by fellowshipping with God long enough to become the men they were destined to be. This is all about having a true relationship with God. If you do, if you develop your relationship with God through fellowship, you can fulfill your destiny and in the process, you will live a life that is beyond your wildest dreams.
Looking at examples is powerful because it gives us a clear picture of what the Bible teaches. By looking at real life use-cases we are able to relate and subsequently open our hearts for the same thing to happen to us. So let’s look at three more examples.
So what does this mean to you today? Let’s see.
1. Gideon. In Judges 6 Israel is under the captivity of Midian. The Lord picked an unknown farmer who was hiding under a tree to lead a revolution. Why? Because selections like this highlight His grace and power. When God uses the most unlikely to do the extraordinary, the emphasis is clearly on Him and He gets the glory.
— Gideon originally saw Himself as the weakest man from the weakest clan.
— God sent an angel to tell him that he was a Mighty Man of Valor. God always looks at your “right now” and speaks to your “to be”. We must have the faith to believe what God is saying.
— Gideon accepted God’s call and he went on a journey of transformation as he walked with God. He was changed from a coward to a champion by simply fellowshipping with God. His relationship with God ushered him into his destiny.
— In the end, Gideon led 300 men in a successful revolution against a vast army. The victory came by God’s grace and it highlights His limitless power. The same can happen in your life. God can usher you into your destiny. But you must be willing to open your heart to God and this is done best when you have true and intimate fellowship with Him.
2. Peter. When Jesus was looking for disciples, men who would spend quality and intimate time with Him, men who were called to continue what He started, Jesus did not look for the most educated, affluent or influential men of His day. Jesus picked simple, ordinary, hard working and industrious men. Guess what? He is doing the same today. He is picking ordinary people to do extraordinary things, because God can do anything through anyone who is willing to walk with Him. So don’t count yourself out if you don’t feel like you have the most impressive qualifications. You are a perfect candidate to be a grace case for Jesus!
— Peter was originally known as Simon the Fisherman. He was not polished, refined, cultured or sophisticated. But by the grace of God Simon the Fisherman became Peter the Apostle, the leader of the New Testament church.
— God transformed a fisherman into an Apostle because Peter was willing to walk with God.
— Peter was far from perfect. He often made mistakes. He was top-tempered and quick to ‘fly off the handle’, but he was called and he accepted the call. Peter focused on his new assignment, his new life, and his new reality. As a result, he changed the world by God’s grace. The same can happen for you if you are willing to die to your old man and become the person God called you to be.
— God looked past Peter’s faults, flaws and failures, and focused on his purpose; his destiny. God will do the same with you. You just have to be open to it.
3. Paul. While the Apostle Paul is arguably the most influential church leader of the first-century church, his story does not start out that way. In the early beginnings of the church Paul was known as Saul of Tarsus and he was the church’s Enemy #1. As Saul of Tarsus, he persecuted Christians, had them imprisoned, stoned, burned at the stake, and eaten alive by wild animals in coliseums. The crazy thing is, Saul thought he was doing this for God. He was being groomed to become one of the Jewish religious elites. He was doing what he was doing in the name of religion, but he did not have a relationship with the God he claimed to serve. God got ahold of Saul by knocking him off his high-horse (literally). And God revealed to Saul that he was on the wrong side, that he was using his God-given passions the wrong way, and that he was called to minister to people he had no dealings with, the Gentiles. Paul spent the rest of his life becoming the man he was destined to be.
— Paul wrote over half the New Testament. He went on amazing missionary journeys. He was a Pastor or Pastors. His impact is still being felt today. None of this happened because Paul was perfect. All of this happened because Paul was simply willing to walk with God and walk out his destiny. The same will be said of you if you make time to spend time with God in fellowship.
4. Like Gideon, Peter and Paul, God can you use despite your flaws. The best ability is availability with God. God has the grace, but He is looking for your willingness. There is nothing He can’t do, but He will not force His will upon you. For God to fully operate in your life, He is looking for your to cooperate with Him. This cooperation is developed in fellowship. This is why you must spend time with God daily.
5. If you learn to fellowship with God, He will speak to you about the plans He already made for you, and you will be in a position to fulfill your destiny. This is all I want to do. I don’t want any more or any less than what God planned. It is my prayer for me, and it is also my prayer for you. May you become the man or woman you are destined to be!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for giving me examples in scripture I can relate to. I look at the lives of Abraham, David, Joseph, Gideon, Peter and Paul. These were ordinary men who were used of You to do extraordinary things. These were things You planned before the world began. These things were part of their destiny. Like them, You have called me for such a time as this. I have a destiny and I declare, by faith, that I will discover it as I spend time with You. Once I do, I will spend the rest of my life becoming the man/woman I was born to be, and doing what You have graced me to do. I will change the world because I am destined. I was born for this! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
