An Ordinary Man In the Hands of An Extraordinary God

There are few stories that capture one's attention like that of a hero. The story of an ordinary person who finds themselves in a seemingly unwinnable circumstance; where they have two choices: to take the easy way out, and ignore the problem facing them, or the much more difficult solution: to find their courage and step up and do something incredible for the benefit of others. There is a story of a man who is truly a hero, a man who was convicted in his beliefs, selfless in his sacrifice, and a role model to others. This man was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman, following his service in the Pacific Theatre during WWII, where he never fired a single shot. The story of Desmond Doss is an incredible one. He was a seventh Day Adventist, and like many of the young men of his age, very patriotic and desired to serve his country. He found himself given that very opportunity when he was drafted in 1942 at the age of 23. He was assigned to the 77th Infantry Division and sent to the Pacific Theatre of WWII.

From the beginning, the men of his unit ridiculed him for his beliefs. They threw boots at him during his nightly prayers as he knelt in front of his bunk; they made fun of him for reading his bible. Their ridicule turned to resentment, as Desmond refused to work or train on the Sabbath, staying in his bunk and studying his bible. He didn’t eat the meat provided for dinner… to the men of Desmond’s unit, he was just, ‘weird’. Despite the ridicule, he held firm to his beliefs. At his units’ first qualification with a rifle, Desmond refused to even touch the weapon. He informed his commanding officer that he was a medic; he was to heal, not to kill. His commanding officer began the paperwork to have him released from military service on grounds that he was ‘mentally ill’. Desmond fought his release, saying that it would be bearing false witness to let them release him for mental illness for his religious beliefs. He was granted conscientious objector status by the review board, and was assigned to train as a medic. The military had determined that Desmond would stay.

The men of Desmond’s unit were not happy to see him return, and one of the soldiers in no uncertain terms notified him that when they finally hit combat, when he showed himself the coward that he was, that he would kill Desmond himself. The 77th Division shipped to the Pacific Theatre, and starting with their first battles in Guam, Desmond showed himself no coward. He charged into a hail of bullets time and time again to rescue those men who had been cut down by enemy fire. In fact, following his heroic actions on Guam, he was awarded the Bronze Star. The same story repeated itself in Leyte, and in Okinawa, and after a time, he began to become the units good luck charm. So when Doss suggested that the men pray before they made their initial attack on the Maeda Escarpment on Okinawa, a massive ridge of rock named ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ by the American Soldiers stationed there, the unit didn’t complain. The assault began, and the men of Company B, Doss’s company began the climb up the fortified hill.

As they neared the top, they were pinned down by enemy fire, and Company A, who were coming up the other side, began sustaining such heavy losses that they were unable to continue. Headquarters contacted Company B, and when they found that they had not sustained a single casualty, ordered them to take the hill. They continued on, achieving their objective, and when the dust settled. They hadn’t sustained a single casualty. One man was injured when a rock rolled onto his hand. The military launched an investigation into the assault to discover how they were able to achieve the objective without a casualty, and the only conclusion that the military mad; their official finding was, ‘Doss Prayed.’ The battle for the Hacksaw Ridge swung back and forth 8 times. The U.S. would move in and take the hill, often with heavy casualties, and later that evening the Japanese would counterassault and take it back, and the battle would start all over again. Oddly enough in the wake of the retreats, men of the 77th battalion found a few Japanese soldiers who were taken prisoner with American bandages on their wounds as well.

On March 5th, 1945 Doss’ unit found themselves in the middle of one of these counter assaults. They were pinned down and were sustaining heavy casualties, and they were forced to retreat. Somewhere between 50 and 100 men of Company B remained on the field under fire, many of them severely injured and unable to retreat. Desmond ran out into a hail of enemy fire, dragging men to the cliff where he rigged up a rope to lower the men to safety. He returned multiple times, dragging men to the edge of the escarpment, and lowering them down the rope to safety. When they finally evacuated Desmond Doss, his battalion commander said he had drug 100 men to safety. Doss humbly said that it was more like 50, so they compromised. The Medal of Honor citation for his actions that day lists him as saving the lives of 75 men. Later that month as fighting in Okinawa continued, was finally injured. He was hit with shrapnel from a grenade as he tended to a wounded soldier, due to the mortar fire and gunfire in the location, he shouted to the medics to stay put until it was clear to come and get him, and he spent 5 hours in the area of enemy fire, painstakingly removing the shrapnel while he waited for a litter to come and get him.

Once that litter arrived, as they began to evacuate Doss, they were pinned down by a tank, and seeing a man hurt worse than him, Doss rolled off the litter and told the litter bearers to get the other soldier first. While waiting for the bearers to return, he was hit by a snipers bullet which fractured his arm. He bound a shattered rifle stock to it and crawled the 300 feet through enemy fire to the medical aid station where his wounds were treated. The Japanese soldiers on Okinawa were intentionally targeting medics and litter bearers, as losing their medics caused soldier morale to drop significantly, and interviews with Japanese soldiers after the war discussed their inability to kill Doss on the battlefield. They’d have him in their sights and a gun would jam, something would get in the way, or in one case, a soldier who had him lined up, found himself physically incapable of pulling the trigger. Try as he might, straining to pull it, he was unable to. The stories of courage under fire associated with Doss are incredible, and his bravery and fearlessness is undeniable. Yet, Doss himself recognized that he was just a regular guy. That he wasn’t a hero, that anyone would have done what he had done in his place.

He recognized that his courage and bravery came from a faith and trust in God that is incredible, he knew, he just knew that God would take care of him so long as he didn’t compromise his beliefs. Doss recognized that he was an ordinary man, but that he was in the hands of an extraordinary God. If you are a fan of sermon titles, that is the title of our sermon today. An Ordinary Man, in the Hands of an Extraordinary God. From Genesis to Revelation, the bible is FULL of examples of ordinary individuals that God has used to do extraordinary things. We’re going to take some time today to explore three of those examples. Three ordinary individuals that God used to do extraordinary things. All of them had humble beginnings, and God used them, and developed them, and they did incredible works through Him. Let’s start with our first example in the book of Judges. Turn with me please to Judges 6, and we’ll begin today by exploring the story of Gideon. Judges 6:1, we’ll see an example of an ‘ordinary man’ who was used in an extraordinary way by his God.

Jdg 6:1 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. Jdg 6:2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds. Jdg 6:3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them; Jdg 6:4 and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance in Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. Jdg 6:5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents; they came in as locusts for multitude; both they and their camels were without number: and they came into the land to destroy it. Jdg 6:6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah.

Jdg 6:7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah because of Midian, Jdg 6:8 that Jehovah sent a prophet unto the children of Israel: and he said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; Jdg 6:9 and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land; Jdg 6:10 and I said unto you, I am Jehovah your God; ye shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell. But ye have not hearkened unto my voice. So we can see in this account the wrongs that Israel had committed. They didn’t listen to God’s instructions. God had delivered them from Egypt, had wrought miracle upon miracle to get them to this point, and we see Israel fall back into the pattern of idolatry. The word fear in verse 10 is the Hebrew word Yaw-Ray, which means reverence. This is the fear that God demands of his people TOWARDS HIM.

Not towards other gods. Israel was delivered into the hands of the Midianites for 7 years because of their lack of faith and trust in God, and their reverence to foreign gods. Jdg 6:11 And the angel of Jehovah came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. Jdg 6:12 And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him, and said unto him, Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. Jdg 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if Jehovah is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Jehovah bring us up from Egypt? but now Jehovah hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. Jdg 6:14 And Jehovah looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent thee? Jdg 6:15 And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. Here we meet Gideon, a man as ordinary as they come.

A man from the poorest house in Manassah, and a man who is least in his father’s house. Most of the commentaries agree that the phrase, ‘least in my father’s house’ indicates that he is likely the youngest son, and therefore, not in line for blessings or inheritance. He is a regular joe, just threshing his wheat in a winepress hiding it from the Midianites. Jdg 6:16 And Jehovah said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. Jdg 6:17 And he said unto him, If now I have found favor in thy sight, then show me a sign that it is thou that talkest with me. Gideon perhaps in an attempt to prove to himself that he isn’t losing it, begins to go through a process to test God. He desires a sign as proof. Jdg 6:18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and lay it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. Jdg 6:19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. Jdg 6:20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

Jdg 6:21 Then the angel of Jehovah put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there went up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Jehovah departed out of his sight. Jdg 6:22 And Gideon saw that he was the angel of Jehovah; and Gideon said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! forasmuch as I have seen the angel of Jehovah face to face. Jdg 6:23 And Jehovah said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. Gideon gets his answer. He is dealing with the real deal. God gives him strength in his promise, do not fear, you will not die. In addition, we see in the next few verses that God gives him his first set of marching orders -- to begin dismantling the altars to the idols that are in the land. Jdg 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto Jehovah, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Jdg 6:25 And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said unto him, Take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the Asherah that is by it; Jdg 6:26 and build an altar unto Jehovah thy God upon the top of this stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shalt cut down. Jdg 6:27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had spoken unto him: and it came to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. Gideon and his men follow Gods orders, toppling the altar of Baal and cutting down the Asherah pole, then as directed, used the wood from the Asherah pole to offer a burnt offering to God. Though, fearing for the reprisal of their actions, they did this at night. Imagine the surprise of the people of the city when they awoke the next morning to the altar gone.

We actually don’t have to imagine it, its recorded. Jdg 6:28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. Jdg 6:29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. Jdg 6:30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die, because he hath broken down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the Asherah that was by it. The men of the city are calling for blood. To Gideon’s father’s credit, we see him stand for his son. Jdg 6:31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or will ye save him? he that will contend for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him contend for himself, because one hath broken down his altar. Jdg 6:32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him, because he hath broken down his altar. In other words, what business is it of yours? The affront is against Baal, and if Baal is truly a god. He will avenge the wrong himself.

Jdg 6:33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel. Jdg 6:34 But the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together after him. Jdg 6:35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. The battle is on its way. The Midianites and Amalekites are headed their way and Gideon now a leader amongst the people with God’s help, blows a trumpet and the army begins to gather. Gideon however still uncertain asks for another sign. Jdg 6:36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken, Jdg 6:37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing-floor; if there be dew on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the ground, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken. Jdg 6:38 And it was so; for he rose up early on the morrow, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. Jdg 6:39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once: let me make trial, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. Jdg 6:40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. Gideon gets his proof. He was in fact the one that God had chosen to save Israel.

We see in the next chapter of Judges, that God slowly dwindles the army that Gideon begins with down to just 300 men, and those men, with the hand of God protecting them, route the Midianites, slay two of their princes, and deliver the host of Israel. Gideon was a man who was least in his father’s house, a man of the poorest house of Manasseh, a man who was common, nothing special -- but a man whose potential was recognized and worked with by God to do something incredible. He stepped up. Ruth, was another ordinary person through whom incredible things were done. Ok, granted, she’s not a man, but God worked through her as well, and through her incredible faith in God, set a lineage in motion. Let’s explore the story of Ruth. A little background into the story of Ruth. There was famine in Judah and times were difficult for many. The family of Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and two sons, Mahlor and Chilion leave Judah for Moab in order to survive. While in Moab, the two sons marry Moabite women. Ruth becomes the wife of Mahlor. Both boys die, and Naomi, confronted with the death of her husband, and two sons, has no reason to remain in Moab. The Targum of Ruth, a Jewish text goes as far as saying that the men’s days were shortened because they transgressed the Lord’s decree, and went to Moab and the sons days were shortened because they married foreign women. Whether that is the case or not, we really have no way of knowing as it is not specifically stated in scripture, but we do know that Naomi begins the trek home, and tells her two daughters in law to return to their land.

Ruth 1:8 Rth 1:8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother's house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. Rth 1:9 Jehovah grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept. Rth 1:10 And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people. Rth 1:11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Rth 1:12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons; Rth 1:13 would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me. Rth 1:14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her. Rth 1:15 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law. Rth 1:16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; Rth 1:17 where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.

Ruth showed incredible loyalty to Naomi, and in addition to her loyalty to Naomi, she showed incredible loyalty to God. Here was a Moabite woman willing to give up her foreign gods, live amongst God’s people, and take their God to be her own. She exhibited incredible faith. She stepped up. The rest of the story continues with their return to Bethlehem, and in verse 20, Naomi seems to indicate that there might be something to the reference in the Targum we mentioned earlier as she asked the women at the gate to refer to her as Mara rather than Naomi, as Mara means, “God dealt bitterly with me.” Ruth begins gleaning in Boaz’s field, to help support herself and Naomi, and Boaz notices her. Not just for her beauty as we can see beginning in Ruth 2:8. Rth 2:8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither pass from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Rth 2:9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. Rth 2:10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found favor in thy sight, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a foreigner?

What have I done to deserve this? I’m a Moabite, a foreigner, why are you taking kindness upon me? We see Boaz’s answer in verse 11. Rth 2:11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people that thou knewest not heretofore. Rth 2:12 Jehovah recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge. Ruth continues to work in the fields of Boaz, and ultimately they are married. God blessed Ruth and Naomi as well through Ruth for her loyalty, love, and faithfulness to Him, Naomi and Boaz. She is an incredible example of what can be done through ordinary people. Particularly when you take into account the lineage established through the marriage of Boaz and Ruth. They begat Obed, who begat Jesse, who begat David. The house of David, the lineage of Christ was established through a foreign woman, who showed incredible faith and loyalty to a God who originally was not her own. The apostle Andrew was another ordinary person whom God wrought incredible things through. In fact, the majority of the disciples were just regular guys who were convicted that Christ was the Messiah and followed him. With regards to Andrew however, your bible doesn’t have a book of Andrew, he is mentioned a few times, kind of in passing -- in fact you mention Andrew to many today as an apostle, and often people go… wait, who? What do we know about Andrew?

According to the book of John, Andrew was the son of Jonah, and brother to Simon (who would later become Peter). He was a fisherman by trade, and when we pick up the story in John, a disciple of John the Baptist. John and Andrew were two of his disciples, and in the beginning likely though that John the Baptist was the foretold of Messiah. That all changed however, when John is brought before the Sanhedrin in John 1:19 where he testifies before the priests. Joh 1:19 And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, Who art thou? Joh 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ. Joh 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No. Joh 1:22 They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? Joh 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. Andrew and John at this point knew that John the Baptist was not the Messiah. It’s very possible that they knew this before this point, but we know for certain that at this point, Andrew realizes that John the Baptist is not Christ. However, he hears his testimony that there is another coming, who is in fact, the Messiah.

A few mornings later, the morning after Christ’s baptism according to the book of John, as Andrew and John stood with John the Baptist, Christ walked by, John the Baptist exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God”, and Andrew and John began to follow Christ. They followed Christ to where he was staying, and were convicted of who he was, so much so that the next morning, Andrew rushes out to get Simon and bring him to Christ. John 1:41 Joh 1:41 He findeth first his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah (which is, being interpreted, Christ). Joh 1:42 He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter). Despite being convicted of Christ’s identity, they didn’t become “disciples of Christ” until after John the Baptist was killed. Christ comes to Andrew and Peter as they are fishing, and utters the now famous phrase recorded in Mark 1:17 Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. We know that they dropped all that they were doing, and followed Christ. As the ministry of Christ continues, we see Andrew present, but in a limited role. He is largely overshadowed by the Apostle Paul, Peter, James, John, but he is there. He is working behind the scenes so to speak. Acts 6:8-10 indicates that he was present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes, in fact he was the one who found the child with the loaves and fishes and brought him to Christ. Though he didn’t have the vision of what to do with them from there.

The book of Mark indicates that the disciples went out in pairs as they traveled, and the way their names are listed in Matthew 10:2, it’s likely that Andrew and Peter were paired together. Andrew was one of the four disciples listed with Christ outside the temple when they ask him of the signs of the end of the age. Yet we know very little of Andrew’s ministry follow the crucifixion of Christ. Catholic traditions hold that Andrew spent a good portion of time in Asia Minor, which is likely given the routes that the apostles were following at that point. The English flag according to tradition has an X in it symbolic of the cross upon which Andrew was traditionally crucified as he is the Patron Saint of Scotland, is it possible he made it that far? Maybe, we really don’t know. What we do know for a fact about Andrew’s life is that he was one of the first Disciples of Christ, he brought his brother Peter into the fold, he was close to Christ, he was an Apostle, and therefore he had a ministry, one that frankly we don’t know a lot about... he remained largely in the background. The point however… is that despite not being in the forefront of things as it is recorded… We know he did a work. There was an article written in the United News by Milan Janicich a few years back. I loved it, and wanted to share some portions of it with you today, you might remember it. It’s on the topic of service. [Share Article]

Andrew was an ordinary man, a regular guy, who was called by God. He answered the call, and did the work. He preached the gospel to the world as a witness, he kept the faith. Through him, God did incredible things. He wasn’t the most recognizable name in the group, he probably wasn’t the most outgoing guy in the group, but he did what needed to be done. All 3 of these stories, Gideon, Ruth, and the Story of Andrew have one thing in common, an ordinary person, with an incredible faith and trust in God. The examples in both the Old and New Testament go on. I would challenge you to find more of your own as the week progresses – stories of ordinary individuals in the bible that God has used to do extraordinary things. God intentionally uses those that are not great, those that are not mighty for his purposes, and he does this for a reason. 1 Corinthians 1:26, we’ll see exactly what that reason is. 1 Corinthians 1:26 and we’ll read through verse 31. 1Co 1:26 For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 1Co 1:27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; 1Co 1:28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are: 1Co 1:29 that no flesh should glory before God. 1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: 1Co 1:31 that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Lest we think we’re something special, I’m here to knock us down a peg. God has purposely chosen the lowly of the world. We’re here because WE ARE the lowly of the world. We’re the regular Joes. Among us in this room, there aren’t any princes, kings, world economic powers, individuals who at the snap of a finger direct armies; we are as a whole are like those that God used in the Old and New Testaments, we are meek, and humble individuals with a heart for God. Verse 27 tells us why God uses these individuals for his purposes. To put to shame them that are wise, and those that are strong. Think about it. Politicians, Kings, Princes those that are in power make the claim that it is because of THEM that important things happen. They claim it was THEIR decision making, THEIR might, THEIR power that caused everything to go right. All the while, ignoring the fact that God himself has put them in power, has blessed their country, and has provided for their people. The truth is, it has nothing to do with them. Likewise, when those blessings are removed, they are the first to point fingers at someone else to distance themselves from the fallout. People that are humble, and meek, and lowly – when incredible things happen in their lives, have no other choice to conclude that God is responsible.

The glory is given to God because the reality is, who are they to have done any of this. They are lowly people, and as verse 29 says, ‘No flesh should glory before God.’ Desmond Doss recognized that all that he did was through God - that he was in and of himself INCAPABLE of doing the incredible things that he did throughout the war. To serve with such fearlessness, courage and bravery, with little to no thought for his own life. He had faith that God would protect him. God did protect him, and utilized him as a witness of his way of life, and to the blessings afforded to those who obey and serve him. By the end of their campaign on Okinawa, the men of Doss’ unit recognized that God was with Desmond Doss. They stayed as close to him as they could because they knew they’d be safe if he was with them. Doss served his fellow man, with no thought of himself. It wasn’t about him, his life meant nothing; it was about the men in his unit. Doss was awarded the Medal of Honor, two Bronze Stars, and was awarded 3 Purple Hearts for his service to his unit. He did it all without ever touching a weapon.

He was the first Conscientious Objector to receive the Medal of Honor, and the only one to survive to receive it. His story is a story of true heroism, a story of service and of love. Brethren, I am looking out at a congregation FULL of ordinary people, full of talents given by God. Some of you have incredible writing abilities, musical abilities, some of you are able to comfort, to strengthen, and to encourage, some of you are speakers. We all have our talents… We also have fears, we have our doubts, and we have our self-limitations. We are called to serve, and we need to step out in faith and use our talents in support of God’s work, because while we are all ordinary people, we’re in the hands of an extraordinary God …and the possibilities in HIS hands are limitless.