Are you a Christian?
Would you consider yourself part of God's kingdom?
If you answered yes to either question, then let me damage your ego for a second.
You think you are smart? Well, you are probably not.
Talented? Sorry, not really likely.
Influential or powerful? Odds are no.
Born into a great lineage? I can almost assure you, you were not.
Some of you have stopped reading, others are thinking, "How can you be so denigrating?", and the rest of you are now opening a dictionary and looking up denigrate.
The truth is, we do not like to be criticized or humbled. No one is raising their hand as a volunteer when someone is looking to bring someone low. No one is saying, "Yep, me, shatter my confidence, tear me down, ruin me, make me realize how small I am!" So, we do not like to like to be told we are not smart, powerful, or important. In fact many of us yearn for the opposite.
With that in mind, let's bring Pastor Paul to the stage. His sermon today is entitled, "You are Not Special" or alternatively, "You are Foolish, Weak, and No One Important."
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. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Paul stands up and says, "Think about this for a second, are you the smartest people, are you powerful and influential, were you born into some great lineage? No, not at all. In fact, God chose the lower things of the world on purpose, because when the lowly, disdained, and the discarded do the work of God, that brings glory to His name."
Everyone expects big things from the wise, the smart, the influential, and the powerful, but when the nobodies, the not good enoughs, the not smart enoughs, the weak, and the powerless do big things people take notice. They notice because these people are accomplishing things that are bigger than themselves, they notice because Something Else is at work, they notice because there is Something Not Normal going on. And so, when God chooses His instruments, He doesn't choose the ones in tune, or the ones with the greatest or loudest sounds, instead He goes to the thrift shop and finds the jacked up, mangled, and dented instruments in the discount bin. He then takes these instruments and plays the most beautiful melodies you could ever hear.
As a guitar player I understand that the quality of the instrument in your hands is only so much of your sound. I understand that the greatest players could pick up a toy guitar and play beautiful melodies.
Melodies that would make your mouth drop in amazement...
Melodies that would cause anyone listening to gather around...
Melodies that would bring recognition and honor to the player...
So, if you are a Christian, guess what? You are most likely that jacked up instrument that God picked up at the thrift shop. You weren't the best of the best, you didn't have a great sound, and you were sitting in the discount bin, missing strings and in need of repair. Yet, God picked you! He pulled you out of the bin took your to register and said, "I want this one." The clerk laughed, as he sold the instrument, happy to get the item out of the store, and continued with his day. But, when some time had passed and there was this new Artist playing the broken, beat up, cast-out instrument on the largest stage playing the most beautiful melodies you would ever hear, the clerk's mouth dropped. And in that moment, the clerk realized just how great that Customer was, just how amazing of an Artist he was dealing with.
The bottom line is that God chooses people that will make His name great, instruments that show how amazing He is. So, He doesn't choose the best of the best. He needs a deliverer? He chooses a dude with a criminal record, an anger issue, and a speech impediment. He needs a bringer of the Gospel and compassionate church planter? He chooses the dude who likes killing Christians violently. He needs someone to be the father of His people on earth? He chooses a chronic liar and a guy who likes to take things into his own hands instead of waiting on God. God chooses what is foolish to shame the wise, weak to shame the strong, and the lowly to bring glory to His name.
So if you are a Christian, realize you are probably not all that smart, powerful, wise, or talented. Know that you really have no reason to boast in yourself, because after all, you are that jacked up instrument from the thrift store bin. Your only source for boasting is that the great Artist picked you, and if you allow Him to, He will use you in a way that will cause the jaws of others to drop, in a way that will cause others to gather around and honor and worship Him who is using you.
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