Who Says One Day Is Like Every Other Day?
VBC Albuquerque · Jul 21, 2024
This sermon explores the theological meaning of ordinary days that God uses to transform human lives. Through the history of Nehemiah and many biblical figures, the pastor demonstrates that no day is truly ordinary because God can use any day to accomplish His purpose. Today could be the day that changes your life if you open your heart to hear God's call.
The opening section presents the main theme that although daily life appears ordinary and repetitive, each person has special unforgettable days—days of crossing borders, starting a family, or accepting Christ. The sermon uses the book of Nehemiah as its central focus, beginning with an ordinary day in the month of Kislev in the year 445 BC when Nehemiah encountered his brother Hanani and people from the region of Judah. The author explains the historical context, how human history was previously calculated by the reign of kings, but after the incarnation of Christ, history is reckoned from the year of Christ's birth.
The second section develops the theological argument through significant events in the history of salvation. The sermon recounts ordinary yet transformative days in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, and the prophets. Each period is described in detail with specific biblical references, such as God's call to Abraham to leave his homeland, or the day Moses saw the burning bush. The sermon also presents the history of Judah's enslavement and exile, the seventy years of captivity in Babylon, and finally the return to rebuild the temple in 515 BC. All these events began with a seemingly ordinary day.
The third section applies the message to the life of the contemporary church and believers. The sermon emphasizes that even during the time of Christ, ordinary days such as when Peter, John, and James were called as disciples, or when Paul (Saul) encountered a light from heaven on the road to Damascus, became transformative. The sermon weaves together modern stories, such as a young man meeting an ordinary man at a gas station, and how that encounter changed the boy's life. The conclusion exhorts believers to live wisely, redeem the time, open their hearts to hear God's purpose for their lives, because we do not know which day God will use to transform our lives and the lives of those around us. Today could be the very day God will work in your life.