Yes, “ordinary people” can still change the world.
Peter and John were a couple of rough and tough fisherman. They were pretty ordinary guys and were uneducated and untrained. THEY WERE NOTHING SPECIAL in the world’s eyes. Yet, the people “could tell that they had been with Jesus.”
Table of Contents
Changed by the Presence of God
By Rev. Adam Simon
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
~ Acts 4:12-13
When people see you, meet you, or even think about you, can they tell that you’ve been with Jesus? Does our closeness with Jesus Christ instantly cause people to “marvel” in a way that can change the world, or do we “blend in” with everyone else? Peter and John had a boldness that came only from experiencing intimate friendship with God Himself.
Remember, Peter is the foot-in-mouth, denier of Jesus!! If anyone had reason to keep his mouth shut, it was him! It’s interesting to note here that his “failures” weren’t thrown in his face by the people he was speaking to. And it’s not as if he were a stranger to his audience. Notice that he just healed a paralyzed man near the temple in Jerusalem, a place where they were very well known! These people were his neighbors and family who knew him best! If ever there was a time to point out all of his screw-ups, it was right here by these very people.
But no one said a word. They couldn’t. They knew that Peter and John had been changed forever and, seeing that the paralyzed man was truly healed, “they could say nothing against it.”
The chapter before this one tells the story of how 3,000 people were saved as a result of Peter’s boldness to reach a lost world. Their transformation would go on to change the world. The very power and authority that Peter spoke with, is inside of all of us. I’m going to ask God for open doors of conversation and opportunities to step out for Jesus today. If we ask, it will be given to us.
- How many people have you talked to about Jesus today?
- Yesterday?
- This month?
Making a Difference Around You
My own numbers aren’t very impressive and won’t be setting any evangelism records. But that can all change. On an ordinary day with another trip to the temple, a place that Peter and John have been hundreds of times before….it changed. Healing a paralytic and preaching to the masses was not on their itinerary that day. But it was on God’s. And their ears and eyes were OPEN and their hearts were in tune with Jesus.
- What does your day look like today?
- Are you willing to be “distracted” by God to reach maybe just one person who may be going home at night and begging God to just give them hope that their life means something and that there is more to it?
- If so, get ready. You might not be asked to preach the whole gospel message to someone today, but who knows?
When you attempt to change the world, it doesn’t have to be a massive gesture. It can start small, touching those around you. Maybe the best sermon you can preach comes in the form of a smile to someone you don’t usually smile at. Or complementing someone. Or asking if everything is okay with them.
God has done some amazing things with gestures that seem “too simple” to be used to touch someone. Have a great day today. I pray that God blows you away to the point that even you will “marvel” at how awesome His grace is.
