In this February sermon, the speakers use Judges 3:31— the brief mention of the judge Shamgar who killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad—to illustrate a central theme: God can accomplish great, transformative work through people who remain largely unnoticed. They contrast Shamgar’s one‑verse record with the longer narratives of other judges, arguing that the lack of human endorsement does not diminish divine significance. The sermon weaves multiple analogies—a cardiac automaticity metaphor, an air‑traffic‑control story about a quiet hero on 9/11, the historical case of Brown v. Board of Education invoking the 14th Amendment, and the idea of ordinary tools (an ox goad) becoming instruments of extraordinary victory. Throughout, the speakers caution against chasing fame or validation, urging listeners to serve faithfully in ordinary contexts, trusting that God will become “the extra” in their lives. They also address identity marginalization, noting Shamgar’s non‑Hebrew name as a metaphor for outsiders in the church. The message culminates in a practical call: act now, without waiting for signs or self‑endorsement, because God can use even the most modest, uncelebrated service to impact the world.
Chapters
There's an exegetical invitation I want to extend to you. I pray that you accept. You've been invited to fellowship with me this morning in the book of Judges. Judges Chapter number 3. DC, I see you still got it, man. I ain't say took nothing from you. Quick drama group. Judges chapter number 3. Get to Judges chapter 3. I want to go down to the last verse in the chapter, chapter number 31, verse number 31. Word of God reads, after evil Shambal, son of Anak, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an ox goad. He also saved Israel. You make me sick. Thank God for his word. It's full of perpetual nature that lasts. Just a few moments, this first Sunday in February, I want to lift up the subject magnitude without dimension. Magnitude without dimension. All of us here this morning are living, breathing, human being. You're alive, meaning that you are breathing and you have a heartbeat. Thank you, Lord. You have mobility, you have activity, limbs.
Beyond those things that we can see, you also have a soul and a life.
Right. I look at you and you seem to be alive. Many of you have gone through various trials, things, ebs, flows. All of these are things that are part of the human experience.
Think about the highlights of your life. Think about those moments in your life in which you have accomplished great things.
Anyone in here this morning can remember the day in which they received Jesus Christ. All of these momentous moments in life in which you could reflect upon— look at you, you're breathing. Look at you, you can move.
We see all of these things, but what we do not see is a concept called—
here it is—
cardiac automaticity. Stay with me.
Cardiac Automaticity happens not after birth, but it happens before birth. All right, it is the moment in which we all went through, but none of us can even mention what it was.
That moment in your mother's womb was a moment in which Cells came together and formed an electric reaction that started the heartbeat. Happens one time, but that one time has kept your heart beating. That one time keeps you breathing, and the life that you see today started from a moment that is not mentioned again.
Such is life. Many of us are looking for those big moments.
Many of us are looking for those moments in which everyone talks about, and many of us negate the fact that we can have magnitude even in those moments that people don't mention. Brothers and sisters, I came with a strange assignment this morning to remind us and to let us know that it's not always in the big things in which God is moving, but God moves in major ways in which people don't recognize when people don't appreciate and which people don't see. Can we come here to the book of Judges this morning?
I don't want to be before you long. Here in Judges chapter 3, we find this judge by the name of Shamgar.
Shamgar is mentioned seemingly on accident.
We know about Ehud, the left-handed judge.
We know about Gideon.
Gideon had a longer story.
We know about Samson.
Samson had a longer story.
We know about Deborah and Barak. We know about all of these complex stories of these other judges.
But there's something to be mentioned about Oshembo. Because where others got several verses and chapters, old Shamgar only got one verse.
And in that one verse, we only know one thing: that he was a judge called by God, killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad. Now, why does Shamgar not get several verses? Why does Shamgar not get a longer story? And many of us today have the Shamgar syndrome because we are just like other people, but it seems like people look over us. We are just like somebody else, but it seems like they get more notoriety. We are human beings just like other people, but it seems like everybody celebrates them. And then you look in your life, you think that everything that you're doing is worthless. You think that everything that you're doing does not matter. You believe because it's not mentioned much that no one appreciates it. You think that because your name is not in the newspaper that you are not making an impact in life. You think that because you don't have the right last name that not— God is not moving through you. You think that because you just a regular church member and you not the preacher or the deacon or the usher or the choir member that God is not using you to make an impact. You think because you don't have an anniversary with your picture on the flyer with your Cash App on it that God is not able to use you because you never sung a solo, you ain't even done a poem, you hadn't done a welcome, you hadn't done a response, you haven't read the minutes, you haven't done anything seemingly significant. But I came today to let you know that you do not have to ever be mentioned to make a big impact in this life. And one thing I came to tell you today is that we don't know much about Shamgar, but what we do know about him cannot be denied. And God wants you to stay patient today. He wants you to stay faithful even if you fly under the radar, even if people don't recognize it, even if you don't see the value. Because God is saying today that it's in those moments where he's doing something through you that's going to change this entire world. Is there a believer in the house else this morning who has looked down on themselves for too long. You have looked at yourself through the lenses of other people, but God said today, today is your last day doing that. And God today is teaching us through this one verse that you don't have to be mentioned much, but God can still have a magnitude that he does through you. You don't have to be mentioned You don't have to have your name called, but God put you here for a reason, and for that reason is for you to make a magnitude.
God is teaching us today. My voice is still cold, so this is why I came to teach.
God desires to move in a major way through actions that have minimal mention. Gabby, you gonna make yourself happy in a minute.
Say it again.
God desires to move in a major way through actions that have minimal mention. In other words, no one shouted you out on Facebook. But if you do what God has called you to do, it can mean more than what somebody clicking a like will do. No one may ever say thank you, but they will be blessed by what God does through you. They may never pat you on the back. You may never get famous. You may never have prominence, but God will use you to have power and to do some impactful things on this life.
I've been preaching.
Let me make this turn, tell you what God has told me to tell you.
Let me see if I can ice skate up. Text teaches us this morning that this one verse about Shamuel is necessary because it warns us against excessive endorsements.
Wow, wow.
You have to be careful about excessive endorsed.
And I'll show it to you.
God shows us that influence is not always a derivative of self-interest. All right, influence— having influence does not always come from what you are even interested in. Having our hands— why do you say that? Because Shamgar is not a king.
Shamgar is not a political official. Shamgar is a judge.
And in order to become a judge, you don't run for office.
You don't put your name in a hat and say, I'm gonna go against Brother So-and-so and we're gonna let the people determine who's going to be elected judge. But theologically Judges were appointed not by human endorsement. Judges were appointed by God, which means that judges didn't nominate themselves for office. In other words, Samgar Shamgar became a judge not because it was his will, but God birthed Shamgar to do something that was not pleasing unto him, but it was something that God called him to do to glorify him. Some of us this morning are sitting on our do-nothings because we don't feel encouraged to do so.
Many of us are on the bench because we don't feel—
here's the word— motivated to do so. Many of us are waiting on some desire or inkling or passion inside of us to burn before we become obedient to what God has called us to do. But God is teaching us this morning that you cannot wait on self-endorsement before you submit to the Everlasting Father. And I want to let somebody know today that you've been looking for a sign, you've been waiting on a sign, you've been waiting on confirmation. But look at me this morning, I am your confirmation that God put it in you. And don't wait on yourself to feel like it, but just go right now.
You don't need self-indulgence to serve.
You don't need to feel like— you don't need to feel worthy. You don't need to feel the passion for it. You don't need to have a hunger for it first. God says, because I called you and birthed you, I have sent you already.
Can we wrestle a little bit Why is Shamgar mentioned in just one verse? He killed 600 Philistines. Philistines, if you feel like saying it that way.
I think that poor Shamgar deserves at least another paragraph.
Tell us where he went to school. What's his favorite color?
Do he like red velvet cake or chocolate cake?
What more? Why can't we know more about Shamgar?
Y'all want to learn something?
Shamgar, in his name, It is not a Hebrew name. It comes from a Gentile origin.
Now, we are in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is written mostly in Hebrew and about God's Jewish people.
It's the story of the children of Israel. Shamgar is a judge, but he's not a Hebrew.
Shamgar's a judge, he's not one of God's chosen people. Shamgar's a judge, but he's such a heathen He let the ice keep him at home. Samgar Satsahita, he never graduated from Sunday school or Vacation Bible School. He's a Vacation Bible School dropout, but somehow, some way, Samgar is a dude. And we believe theologically that perhaps the Jewish writers may have only written one verse about Shamgar because God's chosen people may have had a bias. Many theologians believe that if Shamgar was Jewish, since he was in the end crowd they would have had more to say about. Many believe that if Shamgar was a Jew, they would have known more about him because he's more familiar with the people. Is there a Shamgar in here this morning who you are not the fit-in?
You came from rugged stuff.
You came from a rugged background. You don't know the purpose of wearing them white things on your head on Lord's Supper Sunday morning. You don't know why the ushers look like sheriff's deputies with these badges on. You don't know why the preacher put these robes on because you didn't grow up in that. You don't know all of these churchisms. All you know is that God has a calling on your life, and you may not have the black dress, you may not have the white dress, But you got a God who calls you, and God knew you were not under the originals when he called you, but yet and still he called you anyway. You don't know a Dr. Watts. You don't know how to say Our Father in moan and E-flat. You don't know how to stay on your knees for 15 minutes and pray the same prayer every Sunday. All you know is, God, I need you. And God shows up when you just be authentic. To who you are. Don't you let the fact that other people don't see your value stop you from doing what God has called you to do, because they cannot deny what you did.
You still killed the 600.
And brothers and sisters, don't Let people who can minimize your story shut you up from knowing your story. You ain't got to give me a whole chapter, but when you mention my name, mention it right, because you don't need them know my dirt. It may be good you don't know my past. It may be good that you don't know where I come from. But when you tell my story, tell them that God empowered me to kill 600 with an ox goad. And is that anybody's testimony? They don't know your business. They don't know your story. But just tell them that no matter what you don't know, know this one thing: that he saved my soul. He gave me a brand new life. He has anointed me. He has called me. He has purposed me. And you may not mention the whole story, but just know that one thing: the less they say about you, the less of your business can spread. See, Paul Samson— we know Samson's dirt. We know Gideon was a scary cat, but see, we don't know none of Shamgar's dirt. All we know is how God used him. And sometimes you have to be glad for the fact that people ain't recognizing you, because the more they recognize you, the more the devil try to get in and show all that bad stuff that's in you. But sometimes you need to thank God that he's keeping you quiet so you can just make an impact without all the interruptions. Even though he's not mentioned much, right, you still got to know he didn't have all the endorsements.
And it lets us know we can't chase excessive endorsements. His name is being slighted. Being slighted. He name from his job, the African youth not really supposed to ever recognize. He worked for air traffic control. Air traffic control, guys who don't fly the plane, they just sit in towers.
I tell you what, No plane takes off unless an unknown man says so. You don't have to ever know his name, but just know that your plane ain't gonna move until the man you don't know calls your name.
This man chose to be an air traffic controller.
He chose to be an air traffic controller. He ascended to his career and he became the leader of the National Air Traffic Control.
He chose a life honorable of obscurity because he chose that vocation.
So that means he chose to not get recognized like the pilot.
Have you ever been on a rocket plane and when the plane lands everybody claps because the pilot is in there and the pilot gets all the credit?
Flight attendant's been bringing you all them cookies, cranberries and all that kind of stuff, and the pretzels. You see them and you say you did such a wonderful job. But I guarantee none of you have ever said air traffic control show did a good job of saying you prepared, you ready to take off.
So this profession—
but he ascended to the ranks after he chose this profession of not being mentioned. Do you know that because he chose this life of minimal mention, that he ended up saving thousands of lives?
Ask me how, please.
When he ascended to be the head, his first day in his new position was a date, September 11th, 2001. Since he chose a life of not trying to be recognized and he chose this profession, his first day on the job was a day when he did something that he thought was minimal. But he saved countless of lives. And if it would not have been for this man who chose minimal mention, thousands of more people would have died. And all I'm trying to tell you is that you don't have to choose what God wants based upon how high and mighty you think in your mind, but just do what you can, and God will use your simple service to impact this world in a brand new way.
Gotta be careful about sensing. I, I, I bid you good evening. Y'all ready to go home?
Text also teaches us—
y'all supposed to say take time, Pastor. I said it. Y'all got extra quiet.
Like, you right this time, man. We ready to go home. Let me see if I can speed this thing on up for you. Y'all sick of hearing about being slighted and all these folks.
It's too late now.
You think being slighted—
you y'all go up 167. Here it is. This text also teaches that God provides you with an enriched enablement. Can I show it to you?
You not in the Listen to me.
God does not accomplish the extraordinary by pulling people out of the ordinary.
But God does the extraordinary by becoming the extra in the ordinary. That was too good for me not to say it again. God does not do the extraordinary by pulling people out of the ordinary, but God does the extraordinary by becoming the extra in your ordinary.
What do you mean, Gethsemane? This is a man who's not one of those people. They didn't give him several verses. It may have been Bible, but something we see— he killed 600 Philistines with an ox bone. Nasco is a stick about 8 feet long. In case you didn't hear it in the word, it's an ox goad and not a sword. He did it. With an ox goad and not a sword, because the reason that he had an ox goad is because he was dealing with oxen, which means that he did common work.
Do y'all want to argue with me today?
God endowed him in his ordinary work.
Never gave him a sword, but worked in what he already had. God did not have to take Shamgar out of the field.
I'mma feel like I hear the music.
But God visited where he was. And when God became the extra in his ordinary life, God was able to do the impossible in the ordinary. And I want to survey the room this morning. How many of you this morning are waiting on God to pull you out, to elevate you first before you feel like he can use you? God says, I can do it right there in that ordinary house. In this ordinary church, at your ordinary job, with your ordinary income, and I can become the extra in that and slew the 500.
He took what he already had. You know something that's gonna bother you? I'm gonna tell you. God, you knew this man that you called was gonna have to face 600 Philistines. Why didn't you give this man a sword? That's for us.
Why didn't you give this man A better tool. It's not just Shamgo who has that question. Many of you have an ox goad in your hand and you're asking the question, God, what am I going to do with this? Don't you see the bills that I'm facing? And you gave me this little old job. I have a great anointing and you got me in this little old church. I know I'm talented and you got me with these people here. I have been dealt a bad hand. You knew, God, him away from the world.
Come here.
You knew what our people would go through. But yet and still you created me as a Black person. You knew I would live in a chauvinistic society and you made me a woman. You knew that Black men— you knew that men could be seen as aggressive, but yet and still you let me be a Black man in a corporate environment and you didn't change me.
God says, I sure did.
Because if you had a better tool, Shamgar, you would have thought that you were the one getting the victory. But I kept you with that same old tool that you was overlooking. I gave you that same tool that you are taking for granted. I gave you that same old tool that you think that you can't do nothing with. But when I get in the middle of that too, you'll be able to conquer the giants. You'll be able to defeat racism. You'll be able to defeat poverty. You'll be able to defeat illiteracy. You'll be able to do some great things from these minimal places because God don't take you out of the ordinary, but he gets in the ordinary to do the extraordinary.
And God didn't have to change the tool, he changed how you see it.
And that's somebody's word. I ain't wrestling with y'all too much longer. God ain't gonna change your tool, but when God gets in your tool, he gonna change the way you view it. You— there is no secret what God can do in your life, because God can take some meager beginnings and still feed souls. If he took 2 fish and 5 loaves He can take this church and feed the community. If he took 2 fish and 5 loaves, we can get drugs off the streets. If he took the 2 fish and 5 loaves, he can still save souls. We may not be a mega church, you may not have a mega house, you may not have a mega anointing, but you have a God who's inside of you. And God doesn't have to be God in Dallas, but right here in East Hodge. Right here in Louisiana, right here where you are, right here where your mind— God can take what you got and still defeat the enemy.
You're gonna change how you even view it. I bid you good night.
Sister Patty, I don't want to take your thunder.
Since it's February, let me, let me, let me, let me put some windows on, put some history. Brown v. Board of Education made conceptually, essentially segregation illegal. Essentially, that's what it did, right? However, Brown v. Board of Education was a response to Plessy v. Ferguson, which was a preceding law.
When Brown—
stay with me— v. Board of Education, 1954, when it happened, it was a dispute to allow everybody to be able to have access to the right schools, the same school, same, uh, amenities in life. However, This came to the Supreme Court, and when the decision came, they didn't change the Constitution. The reason that the decision came from Brown v.
Board of Education is that the Supreme Court looked at not a new law—
stay with me, please—
but they looked at the 14th Amendment, which was written 100 years prior. And that amendment, in the 14th Amendment— go look this up— was about how any citizen has equal rights to everything, right? So Brown v. Board of Education, they made the decision not on a new law But they went back to an old law, and when they went back to an old law, they had a new view on an old law and became new policy. Samoan did the same thing. I didn't need a new tool, but God gave me the same tool and he did some new things. With the same tool, and deliverance came because he did something new with something old. Now y'all think this sermon is just about some ox goats. You think that this sermon— I wish I could put in the E-flat— you think this sermon is just about killing some Philistines, but this new— this sermon this morning is about how God can do new things and give you a new view without changing the law. Say it one more time: God can do something new in old law. Y'all ought to see where I'm trying to go this morning. God gives a new view on an existing and old law. In the Old Testament, since y'all don't get it, there was an old law. And in the old law, sin meant that something had to die. And because sin came in the garden, all of us had to die. That was the old law. But the problem with the old law is that nobody could keep it. Moses had an anger problem. Abraham had a lying problem. David liked pretty women. Solomon was worse than him. Jeremiah was a quitter. Isaiah was a cuss. So God said, let me do something new to fulfill the old law. I tell you what I'm gonna do. I will come down myself in the form of a virgin. And I will pick a virgin girl. I don't need no man, I'll handle this myself. And Jesus came, meaning God with us. He did not sin. He died without sin one Friday on the hill called Calvary. But the story didn't stay there. He got up the third day, Sunday morning. And because he got up, I got a new view on the same law. Now I'm justified. Now I'm sanctified. Now I'm righteous. Now I'm saved. Now I'm anointed. Now I'm more than a conqueror. Because he did something new through an old law. And I came to tell somebody this morning that God may not do the same. He might give you another new law, but he'll give you a new view that you'll have more joy. You'll have more peace, you'll have more rest, you'll have more smiles, you'll have more happiness, you'll have more prosperity, because God has done something new in your old environment.
I got on a suit.
I came to tell somebody that people may not mention you, they may not even recognize the good you do, but God does not always want you to be prominent. God just wants you to be powerful. That's all I'm trying to say. You may not ever— nobody may not ever see it. Don't be guilty of trying to do good deeds to be seen, but just do what God has called you to do. Do it without no recognition, do it quietly, and watch how God use you to change lives. You ain't got to try to show it, you ain't got to try to do it louder, you ain't got to try to do it better. God said, I will promote you in the midst of people who did not see you.
It gets tough.
We often see it gets tough.
It gets tough. I'm about to pick on you for a while.
I'm joking with you, I'm saying this, so please don't get offended and not shake my hand at church, okay? But many of us As long as we've been together, we still have our little moments. They don't appreciate it no way.
You know, I might as well, I might as well, you know, you ain't gonna appreciate it no way.
My license say preach the gospel.
The truth is in the gospel. God said you and that spirit be quiet right now.
Not telling you just go do all kind of wild stuff and be out of order.
Give God your best.
