Unlikely: All of Us
Something that is unlikely to happen could be defined as “improbable, doubtful, and likely to fail”. Pastor Alex began a new series this morning that will take a look at many of the “unlikely” characters of the Bible that God chose to use to further His grand story. We quickly see that ALL are unlikely, including us; but God chooses to use us.
The book of Matthew comes after 400 years of silence where the prophets no longer spoke about the things to come. The Jewish Bible, the TaNaK, ends with the book of Chronicles, which is a genealogy. Matthew, being the most Jewish of the gospels, begins his “chronicle” showing the genealogy of Jesus that begins with Abraham (very Jewish). The names that are in the line from Abraham to Jesus make up a very unlikely cast of characters. Some were bad kings, some were women (scandalous!), some were Gentiles (the audacity), but all were flawed and broken. All but one…Jesus.
There are NO heroes in the Bible except Jesus. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, which made him fully God and fully human. This made him fully sufficient to save us! When we read this message of hope, we can say, “I guess I belong too”. He takes the good, the bad, and the ugly and transforms us and uses us in His grand story.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
You are never “too messed up” to be used by God. He is a master at making beauty from ashes. Each of us must quit trying to be a hero by “fixing everything” and let the One True Hero use us for His glory.
To Discuss Today:
1. Read through Matthew 1. How does your family’s genealogy “stack up”?
2. Why would you say that you are “unlikely” to be used by God? Give that over to God and let Him reming you whose you are.
3. Ask God to prepare your heart so that you can hear Him when He asks you to do something for His Kingdom. (in the church, at work, in your home, in your neighborhood…)
4. Begin memorizing 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. Claim this that you are unlikely, but He makes you ABLE to live for Him and serve Him.
