“Little is Much – When God is in it!”
January 28, 2007
“…ever since we first heard about you we have kept on praying and asking God to help you understand what he wants you to do; asking him to make you wise about spiritual things; and asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better.
We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens--always full of the joy of the Lord, and always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the Kingdom of light. For he has rescued us out of the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom and brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who bought our freedom with his blood and forgave us all our sins.
Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all, and, in fact, Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together. He is the Head of the body made up of his people--that is, his Church--which he began; and he is the Leader of all those who arise from the dead, so that he is first in everything; for God wanted all of himself to be in his Son.
It was through what his Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to him--all things in heaven and on earth--for Christ’s death on the cross has made peace with God for all by his blood. This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies and hated him and were separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through the death on the cross of his own human body, and now as a result Christ has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing there before him with nothing left against you--nothing left that he could even chide you for; the only condition is that you fully believe the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting him to save you. This is the wonderful news that came to each of you and is now spreading all over the world. And I, Paul, have the joy of telling it to others.” Col 1:9-23 (Living)
James A. Francis wrote:
“He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. He never wrote a book; He never held an office; He never went to college; He never visited a big city; He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things usually associated with greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He was only thirty three when His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone. And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race. And the leader of mankind’s progress; all the armies that have ever marched; all the navies that have ever sailed; all the parliaments that have ever sat; all the kings that ever reigned put together; have not affected the life of mankind on earth as powerfully as that one solitary life.”
I wanted to read that to you again. Most of you have heard it or read it many times before – but I wanted to remind you who it is we serve. We serve Jesus Christ. He is the King of kings. And one day, the Bible tells us, that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord of lords and King of Kings.
Jesus is the great Creator of every thing that is good in this old world. The Bible says:
“Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together.” Col 1:16-17 (Living)
Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of Lord and the Creator of Heaven and Earth. But even more than that – He is our Savior. The Scriptures says:
“For he has rescued us out of the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom and brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who bought our freedom with his blood and forgave us all our sins.”
Col 1:13-14 (Living)
As we close out our old church year and plan ahead for the coming year, I want us to remember who we serve and who we are. We serve a Great God and a wonderful Savior. Is there any better cause or purpose we can spend our lives on? I don’t think so. With Joshua I say:
“… But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord." Josh 24:15 (Living)
And I think I can say that for my Church Family, too. “As for me and my Church family, we will serve the Lord!” Amen?
As I thought about this coming year, I thought about how much thought and effort has been put into it. This last year we studied “The Purpose Driven Life” for the third time. We did a wonderful Self Study from the district Church that was really a blessing to us. We are in the midst of studying “The Purpose Driven Church”, and I am looking forward to implementing some of the things we have learned from all of those good things this year. This could be the year when we see the miraculous happen. In fact, someone prophesied to me yesterday that this year they could see our church dramatically grow. I believe it could happen. In fact, the phrase that stood out in my mind when I was praying and pondering about this message and what I was going to say, was – “Little is much – when God is in it.” The bible is full of evidence of that truth. Jesus feeding the multitudes from a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish; Gideon defeating the multitudes; one solitary life changing the world. I could go on and on – but I’m sure you have your favorite examples. But I want to make that our key phrase this year. Maybe someone will make a banner for us. I want that to be our thought every Sunday and every day of the weak. I want us to repeat it over and over – until we really believe it. “Little is much – when God is in it”.
There are three thoughts I want to emphasis about that phrase this morning. First: Little is much when God is in it – but God has to be in it.
When I think about the early church and who Jesus picked as His twelve most important people – His board of directors, so to speak, it’s amazing! This Creator God, who knew people so much better than they even knew themselves, picked the most unlikely lot of people to grow a church. Simeon Peter was known for being kind of a hot head who made impulsive, emotional decisions that usually turned out to be wrong (at least at first). Matthew was a greedy tax collector. James and John were nicked named the “Son’s of Thunder”. (I’m not sure if it was because of an eating disorder or emotional make up). One of the disciples (the other Simon) was a religious zealot. He would make the right wing of the conservatives seem liberal. Some would say he was a religious NUT! John was too young, too immature to be in such a position of leadership – but Jesus picked Him.
You would think that Jesus needed a class on leadership or church growth or something. But maybe He chose those He chose – for our benefit. If He could use those uneducated, blue collar, crude, faulty folks – maybe – just maybe, He can use us, too.
But the key is not that they were common or fisherman or uneducated. The key is that they were willing. When Jesus called each one of them – they dropped what they were doing to follow; to obey; to serve. LITTLE is MUCH – ONLY when God is in it. Little is little – when He isn’t. Little isn’t much when God ISN’T in it!
What do we learn from that? Just that it doesn’t matter if you have faults or aren’t exceptional or maybe even an emotional mess – IF you will allow God to have you through and through. God has to be in it. God has to be in us – if we have any hope of accomplishing anything great in our lives. God has to have total control of our lives - if this church is to become the magnificent force He desires it to be. Are you willing to allow God to have control of your will and your life this year? If you are; if you and I are willing to give God total control of our lives – no matter how little or insignificant we may seem to ourselves or to the world – God can change this church; this community – even our world – through us! Little is much – ONLY when GOD is in it!
The second thought that came to me about this phrase is: “Little is Much -when the Little DO much!” Each one of the disciples gave their lives for the sake of the Church. I don’t mean they died for it – although all but John died a martyrs’ death. What I mean is that they changed their lives for the sake of the church. Their purpose in life was to build the church and see people saved. Not all of them became pastors or professional religious people. They didn’t make their living from the church. Some did. Some did become pastors and missionaries and were supported by the church – but most worked 9 to 5 (or sun up to sun down) just like everyone else. But their job was so they could support their calling. They worked to live for the Lord. They didn’t live to work – as so many of us do. Their priority in life was not to accumulate things or make money or to have an easy life – their priority was the church – building the church. Their priority in life was ministering and teaching and saving the lost.
What’s YOUR priority in life? If you will make it to use your gifts and talents for Jesus - your life will be far more rich and fuller than you could ever imagine. Your life will matter. It will have a greater impact that you could have hoped for. But the key is that little is much only when the little DO much. Are you with me? Are you willing to give your life- for Jesus?
When the early church did that – one of those who opposed them, who talked badly about them and did much hurt to them – became their greatest asset. And he did the most to accomplish their purpose. He did more than any of them in building the church. You remember Saul – who became Paul, don’t you? I think as we become what God wants us to become – maybe even those who have talked badly about us or even did harm to us – may become our greatest ally. Maybe our Paul is somewhere out their waiting for us; waiting for us to speak to him through our changed lives. Maybe the one who will help our church the most - is out there being prepared by God.
Then one last thought, Thirdly, “Little is much – one moment at a time!” Someone said, “Rome wasn’t built overnight”. And it wasn’t. Neither was the church. Today there are more Christians living than all of the previous centuries put together. It started with one solitary life; then twelve; then 120 in an upper room; then two thousand. People were added to the church daily; then they were multiplied daily. Then they became so many they were uncountable.
But it started so slowly. Those first 3 ½ years weren’t much. What do you think the 12 thought when (as recorded in John 6:66) many disciples (DISCIPLES!!) stopped following Jesus? Do you think they may have gone through times of discouragement? And how about when their leader became the bad guy in town and was crucified. They hid for 3 days behind locked doors – scared to death! Wasn’t much church building going on then – was there?
What I am saying is that the early church did not live in their defeats – and neither should we. The past is past – that why they call it the past. It’s over. All the failures are over. All the successes are over. Tomorrow never comes. Just about the time it gets here it changes! It changes into today! So it never gets here. All we have is ‘right now’. And we need to make the most of this moment; this day.
We need to take the things we have learned and apply them – right now! We need to do those things we know we should do – right now! We need to be used of God – right now! Today! Are you willing?
What do you do? Simply -the little things. Little becomes much when God is in it. So all we have to do is little things. There’s a poem the military often uses that I like that illustrates that point. It goes:
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
Do you get the point? Do the little things that God lays on your heart. Clean the church. Fix the plumbing. Visit someone who missed church. Visit that sick one. I don’t have to tell you what to do; I don’t have to tell you what needs to be done - the Holy Spirit will, IF you are willing. If you are obedient even in the small things – the big things will take care of themselves. If you will do the little things – God will take care of the significant things. We don’t have to grow this church – GOD will – if we will do the little things. Little is much – when God is in it. But:
1. Little is much – but God has to be in it.
2. Little is much – when the little DO much.
3. Little is much – one moment at a time.
I’m looking forward to this coming year. It may be the best year of our lives. It may be the most miraculous year of our lives. One thing we do know – it will be MUCH – if we allow God to be in it.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for the hope of tomorrow. I believe little is much when you are in it. Forgive me for not allowing you to be in all of me. Forgive me for not allowing you to be in all of my life. I give you my life and my heart right now. I ask you to be in all of me. Use me to accomplish your purposes. By faith, I believe that you will use me to accomplish much in this church.
In Jesus’ Name,
