SERMON, EPIPHANY 5C, JUDGES 6:11-24a, 1 COR. 15:1-11, LUKE 5:1-11

Did you catch it? Did you hear what is being put forth in the lessons today? Gideon, Paul and Simon Peter are all just like us.

After the death of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land and through many military campaigns. After he died, the people worshiped the Lord all the days of the elders who outlived him. And then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the cycle began; that cycle of sin, separation, confession, restoration and back into sin.

I remember reading Judges when I was younger and wondering why the Israelites would continually fall away from the Lord. After the Exodus, after the mighty acts, after various military victories attributed to God, why couldn't these people hold up their end of the bargain? How was it that they were so quickly turned away from worshiping God to worshiping idols?

But they really aren't all that different from us. How many here raised your children in the church? Looking around, I often wonder where that next generation went to. Or we can look at ourselves. How many times in our own lives have we fallen away from worshiping God to worshiping idols of our own making: a better job, a better house, a better car . . . not that those things are in and of themselves idolatrous, but they become so when we let them take priority in our life. That cycle of sin, separatin, confession, redemption and sin again is constant.

At some point we realize that we made a mistake, we need to turn back to God, we need to repent, and we ask God to let us back in. And then God does something that reminds us he hasn't forgotten. He reminds us that regardless of our position, he is calling each and everyone of us to follow him. The problem, though, is that we tend not to believe it.

God called Gideon to be a leader of the Israelites and rescue them from Midian. Gideon's first response? "Not me. My clan is weak and I am the least in my family." God said, "Go in might," and Gideon said, "I don't have any might."

And even after he cooked a meal for the angel and saw it consumed, he still didnt' believe. Remember the bit with the wool fleece that he used to test God? Despite this, God used Gideon to free Israel from Midian.

Then there is Paul. Fiery, compassionate, prideful, humble -- in short, human. At one time he actively persecuted the church, but after a personal encounter with Jesus, he changed. Not only did he change, but Luke tells us in Acts that God specifically said this former enemy of the church would be a chosen instrument to proclaim God's kingdom.

In talking about being an apostle, Paul says that Jesus appeared to him last because he is the least of the apostles. He imprisoned people and oversaw the murder of others. Despite this, God used Paul to proclaim the kingdom to the Gentiles.

Finally there is Peter; loud, brash, devoted, short-sighted Peter. He's had a hard day's night, hasn't caught anything, and then Jesus gets into his boat to preach. When Jesus finishes, he sends Peter back out onto the lake and basically tells him where to catch fish. After they haul in a great load, Peter wants no part of Jesus and tells him to go away.

We don't know what Peter's background was. We don't know if he was the least of the least, like Gideon. We can probably assume he wasn't persecuting Gentiles. But we do know that, like a lot of us when confronted with the presence of God, Peter tries to get out of it. Despite this, God used Peter to proclaim the kingdom, fish for people, and establish the church.

Gideon, Paul and Peter weren't really anything special, or icons of faith; doubters and sinners each of them. What made them special, though, were two things. The first is that God called them. He calls the least of the least and says, "You are mighty." He calls a sinner and says, "I can use you." He calls a regular work-class Joe and says, "Follow me and you will be changed." He calls people just like us.

And the second thing was that they each decided to accept that call. Gideon finally said yes to being a military leader. Paul said yes and turned from persecuting heretics to preaching God's salvation for all. And Peter said yes to leaving behind what he knew and was familiar with for a new life.

Scripture is full of liars, cheats, adulterers and scoundrels of all kinds who heard God's call and answered. Like the Israelites before us, we may not be too good at keeping up our end of the bargain, but God is; and God wants us. The question is, do you believe that, and will you leave everything behind to follow?