GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE
by Danny Johnson
ICE BREAKER
Do people have to be extraordinarily intelligent or talented for God to use them? Is there something special
about individuals God uses that makes them attractive to God?
Luke 1:39-55
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the
Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me
blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Is the standard for greatness that God uses different from ours? Yes. As a God of contrasts, the Lord
often uses the most insignificant characters to play the most significant roles. God looks past the outward
appearance to the heart.
Do impossible situations alter the work of God? No. God specializes in the impossible. That is what He
did with Abraham of old, and with Zacharias and Elizabeth as well.
Who is Gabriel? He is the angel, or messenger of God to humankind. While Zacharias ministered in the
Temple, Gabriel appeared to him and announced that he and Elizabeth would have a child and his name
would be John.
Why was Zacharias struck dumb? Because of his unbelief, Zacharias was struck dumb. He did not
speak until after John’s birth.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she, too,
was going to have a child.
Luke 1:26-27
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was
Mary.
God did not look for a royal family to use. Since God, who weighs the heart, is able to see beyond what
influences carnal man, He looked beyond social status and financial worth. (See Proverbs 16:2.) “Man
looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (I Samuel 16:7).
The salutation of the annunciation contained three parts:
1. “Thou art highly favoured.” This comment could have made Mary the envy of every Hebrew
maiden. The word favor is defined as “friendly or kind regard; good will; approval, liking; unfair
partiality.”
2. “The Lord is with thee.” For the angel to tell Mary that the Lord was with her would be the ultimate
encouragement. Contrary to the idea that God is not interested in what happens on earth, He is very
interested in people.
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3. “Blessed art thou among women.” Of all the young women in Israel at that time, she was chosen
to bear the Christ child. However, the word among is significant; we should note that the angel did not
refer to her as blessed above others. This role did not exclude her from the need of salvation, for she
was one of the 120 in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost.
The angel of the Lord also appeared to common shepherds in the fields watching their flocks.
Luke 2:11
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Mary traveled an arduous eighty-two miles over rugged terrain to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Distances and
duration do not seem as objectionable when one is excited.
Genesis 29:20
20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him a few days, for the love he had to her.
II Corinthians 4:17
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory.
Two miracles greeted each other; one miracle was with a husband, the other without a husband. God can
work with something or without anything at all!
Luke 1:41-44
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
These verses reveal the fact that what the mother hears and does affects her unborn baby. Many expectant
mothers are realizing how important it is to expose their unborn children to wholesome things as they sing,
read the Bible, and talk positively to them.
Paul indicated that Timothy had a grasp on the Scriptures, which must have been read aloud to him by his
mother or grandmother.
II Timothy 3:15
15 And that from a child [Greek word literally refers to an unborn fetus] thou hast known the holy scriptures, which
are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
II Timothy 1:5
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy
mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
God chooses ordinary people to become the channels through which He serves His purpose—people who
are doing ordinary things, but are submissive to His will.
Discussion:
Discuss the duties of Zacharias in the Temple.
Discuss the reason Zacharias was stricken with an inability to speak for nine months.
Discuss the purpose of John as the forerunner of Jesus.
Discuss the major difference in the conception of the two women.
Discuss the reasons we are not to worship Mary.
God used two obscure and unknown women who were holy and humble to be the chosen vessels to carry
out one of the greatest parts of His plan for the salvation of mankind. God is still looking for people who
are willing to yield to what He wants in their lives. We may feel unimportant and insignificant, but God is
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not concerned about popularity and notoriety. He is just looking for yielded vessels that will allow Him to
fulfill His divine purpose through them.
CLOSING CHORUS
If You can use anything, Lord, You can use me,
If You can use anything, Lord, You can use me;
Take my hands, Lord, take my feet,
Touch my heart, Lord, move through me;
If You can use anything, Lord, You can use me.
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GOD USES ORDINARY PEOPLE
by Danny Johnson
Luke 1:39-55
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the
Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me
blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Luke 1:26-27
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was
Mary.
Luke 2:11
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Genesis 29:20
20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
II Corinthians 4:17
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory.
Luke 1:41-44
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
II Timothy 3:15
15 And that from a child [unborn fetus] thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
II Timothy 1:5
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy
mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
CLOSING CHORUS
If You can use anything, Lord, You can use me,
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If You can use anything, Lord, You can use me;
Take my hands, Lord, take my feet,
Touch my heart, Lord, move through me;
If You can use anything, Lord, You can use me.
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