People Like Elijah - God Uses Common People
Pray – (1/2 minute)
Read – (2 1/2 minutes) – “Now Elijah the TIshbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, . . .” (1 Kings 17:1a)
Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Elijah was one of the greatest prophets of God and one of two men in human history that did not experience physical death, since God took him straight to heaven at the end of his ministry. However, he was not someone most people would have expected to be used by God to impact the world. He was from Gilead, a mountainous region within the territories of Gad or Manasseh. The land of Gilead was a rugged, mainly unsettled place and considered by many in its day a half-civilized region. In addition to that, Elijah was from a town so small, it is not listed on any maps I’ve seen. He was a common man from a common place, yet, God called him and commissioned him to confront King Ahab and start the process of bringing a revival to the land.
Throughout biblical history, we see God using common people to do great things. He chose a teenage girl from an obscure village to be the mother of Jesus. God chose shepherds to be the first to see and then tell people about the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus chose men, who the world would not have chosen, to be His 12 disciples. Acts 4:13 points out the surprise of the Jewish leaders at the people Jesus chose and gives the secret of their impact. It says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and Joh and realized that they were unschooled, common men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Do not ever think God cannot use you. He can and will. He uses common people like you and me when we spend time with Him.
Apply - (2 1/2 minutes)
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Pray - (1 1/2 minutes)