Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things
When Faithfulness Meets Opportunity
The audio of this teaching is available on Spotify.
Message 17 | The Unstoppable Church Series | Acts 11:19-26
Key Takeaways
The most influential church in the New Testament was started by unnamed, ordinary believers who simply stayed faithful to Jesus' command to make disciples
Extraordinary things already lay before ordinary people - the question isn't if God can use you, but will you step into what He's already prepared
Three keys to impact: Stay the course, be full of faith, and reap the harvest God has placed in front of you
In God's kingdom, "a great many" is simply one more person - one friend, one neighbor, one coworker finding life with Jesus
How Ordinary People Can Make an Impact for God in Their Everyday Lives
The 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team wasn't made up of professional athletes. They were college players with an average age of 21 who defeated the "invincible" Soviet Union team and won gold. Sports Illustrated later called it the greatest sports moment of the 20th century.
What made their story compelling wasn't just that they won - it was who they were when they won. They were regular, ordinary people who loved the game.
The same is true in God's kingdom. Noah was an ordinary guy who built a boat. Moses had a speech impediment and argued with God about his calling. Peter, James, and John were fishermen. David was a shepherd. All our Bible heroes were ordinary people who said yes to God and experienced extraordinary outcomes.
What the Church of Antioch Teaches Us About Church Planting and Ministry
Acts 11:19-26 introduces us to the Church of Antioch - arguably the most influential church in Christian history. This church:
Sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey
Became the launching point for churches across the Roman Empire (Ephesus, Corinth, Galatia, Philippi)
Served as Paul's "home base" throughout his ministry
Became the new headquarters of Christianity as it moved from Jerusalem
But here's what makes this passage famous: This world-changing church was started by unnamed believers. Scripture calls them "some of them" and "those who had been scattered." We don't know their names, backgrounds, or stories.
They were just ordinary people who did something extraordinary.
Three Biblical Steps to Stepping Into God's Extraordinary Plan for Your Life
Step 1: Stay the Course in Your Faith and Calling
When Barnabas arrived in Antioch and saw what was happening, Acts 11:23 says he "encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts" (CSB). The ESV translates it as "remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose."
Barnabas's message was simple: Keep doing what you're already doing.
These believers were living out Jesus' command from Matthew 28:19-20 - "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them... and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
That's the primary call on every follower of Jesus - whether you're a "superstar" like Peter, Paul, or modern ministry leaders, or you're a regular person working at FedEx, meeting with moms on Friday mornings, or serving coffee at a local gym.
Application for church planters and ministry leaders: Don't get distracted by what seems to be working elsewhere. Stay faithful to the core mission Jesus gave us: helping people find life with Jesus.
Step 2: Be Full of Faith That God Can Do More Than You Imagine
Acts 11:24 describes Barnabas as "a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith."
This description should mark every follower of Jesus:
Good character and integrity - living out what we say we believe
Full of the Holy Spirit - walking hand in hand with God as a real relationship, not a theoretical concept
Full of faith - not just "I believe in Jesus" faith, but big faith that acts on God's call
Church planting and starting something new is about hearing God's call to reach the world and then acting on that call in faith.
As James reminds us, faith without works is dead. We're not working FOR our faith, but we're working FROM our faith. God has created us for good works (Ephesians 2:10).
Don't be a "little faith" church. Don't play it safe. Step out with big faith that believes God can do more than we ask, think, or imagine.
Step 3: Reap the Harvest God Has Already Prepared for You
Acts 11:24 concludes: "And large numbers of people were added to the Lord."
This is the second time in this passage that Luke mentions great numbers of people coming to faith. Throughout Acts, we see this pattern:
3,000 saved on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)
5,000 more baptized shortly after
Entire households giving their lives to Jesus
The Ethiopian eunuch
Cornelius and his extended family
But here's the truth: In God's kingdom, "a great many" is simply one more person. One more friend. One more coworker. One more neighbor.
The harvest didn't come because they had:
The perfect strategy
The best marketing plan
The most talented team
The harvest came because ordinary people stayed the course and were full of faith, and God met them there.
What It Means to Make Disciples in Your Community (Not Just Convert Them)
The harvest isn't just about "getting people saved" or "snatching people from the fire." That's not the full call of Jesus.
Making disciples means:
Teaching people to obey all that Jesus commanded
Growing them in knowledge and faith of who God is
Helping them understand their identity in relationship to God
Training them to make more disciples who make more disciples
Life transformation, not just decision cards
Paul and Barnabas spent a whole year in Antioch teaching large numbers of people. They were training the next generation of church planters, missionaries, and everyday disciple-makers.
How to Overcome Feeling Too Ordinary to Be Used by God in Ministry
We celebrate when we see ordinary people do extraordinary things - the shark attack survivor who surfs again, the underdog team that wins the championship. But we struggle to believe it could be true of us.
You might think:
"They must have had more followers on Instagram"
"They had more resources than we do"
"We're just too ordinary for something extraordinary to happen"
But this isn't about what ordinary people CAN do. It's about what God has ALREADY placed before us.
These unnamed believers in Acts 11 didn't set out with a goal to plant the most prolific church in the New Testament. They just set out to be faithful to Jesus' command to make disciples. They went to Antioch, proclaimed Jesus, made disciples, and God met them there with opportunities they never expected.
Practical Ways to Stay Faithful in Church Planting and Ministry Work
The question isn't: Can God use ordinary people?
The Bible proves that over and over. Noah, Moses, David, Peter, James, John - all ordinary people who said yes.
The real question is: Will we step into the extraordinary things God's already placed before us?
This means:
Taking seriously the places God has called you - your job, your neighborhood, your gym, your coffee shop
Having conversations about Jesus without needing all the answers figured out
Inviting people into relationships where they can encounter Jesus and His people
Building community together where we can point people to those who can answer the hard questions
Being bold in your witness while trusting God's hand is upon the work
Biblical Encouragement for Small Churches and Church Plants Starting Out
As Bear Creek Community Church enters 2026 with a focus on "building what matters," this passage provides three critical elements:
Encouragement: You can do this. The most influential church in history was started by people whose names we don't even know.
Inspiration: Extraordinary things lay before ordinary people who are willing to stay faithful and step out in faith.
Propulsion: God has given us the power of His Holy Spirit to step into the places and spaces of our lives to make an impact.
Jesus' promise in Matthew 28:20: "I am with you always, to the end of the age."
You don't need to be a blue-checkmark celebrity Christian. You don't need to know the Bible cover to cover. You just need to be an ordinary person who takes God's call seriously and acts on your faith.
Because God is still using ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
Prayer Focus: Stepping Into God's Call with Faith and Courage
Lord, help us be people who:
Stay the course - remembering daily that You've called us to help others find life with Jesus
Are full of faith - believing You can do more than we ask, think, or imagine
Reap the harvest - having bold conversations and witnessing Your power at work
Help us take seriously the truth that You've been calling people to Yourself for 2,000 years, and You're still using ordinary people like us to reach the world.
About This Sermon
This message is part of the Unstoppable Church series, an expository journey through the Book of Acts exploring what the early church can teach us about following Jesus today. Each sermon answers the question: What can we learn from the early church and apply to our lives today to continue the movement of Jesus going forward?
Want to continue your faith journey? Visit us at www.bc3.church to connect with our community, find more sermons, and take your next step in following Jesus.