One really fascinating fact about the Bible is how often God chooses hidden, overlooked, or unlikely people to carry out massive purposes.
By human standards, many of the central figures in Scripture appeared completely unqualified, and were, by all definitions of the word.
· Moses had a speech issue and tried to talk God out of using him.
· David was the forgotten younger brother left in the field while the prophet searched for a king.
· Gideon literally described himself as weak and insignificant.
· Rahab was a prostitute.
· Peter was impulsive and publicly denied Jesus.
· Paul the Apostle once very extremely persecuted Christians before becoming one of the most influential figures in the early church.
Unique to a religious instrument, the Bible does not hide people’s flaws; it puts them on display. That is one of the things that makes scripture so unique compared to many ancient religious writings, which often tried to make leaders appear nearly perfect.
Instead, the Bible repeatedly shows this pattern: God does not choose people because they are already impressive. Instead, he transforms ordinary people through surrender, faith, and relationship with Him.
Another beautiful detail is this- the Bible was written across roughly 1,500 years, by over 40 different authors- shepherds, kings, fishermen, prophets, doctors, priests, and prisoners- yet it tells one well connected story, from beginning to end: Humanity falling away from God, and God relentlessly pursuing humanity back to Himself through Jesus.
And here’s another powerful thing, the first people entrusted with announcing the resurrection of Jesus were women. In that culture, women’s testimony was often dismissed socially, yet God chose them first anyway. Proving yet again, Scripture consistently elevates the overlooked.
The Bible is full of these reversals:
The weak become strong.
The rejected become chosen.
The hidden become called.
The broken become restored.
That theme runs from Genesis to Revelation.
I guess if there was one central theme to today's message, it's this... you are worthy to serve God's purpose. No one is beyond redemption and without great value in the Kingdom of God. He already chose us, as is proven by the cross. We just need to choose Him back!
~Devin
Devin Osborne
The Early Church
