While I was cleaning up the building Monday morning the Holy Spirit and I had a nice conversation. If you have never talked with the Holy Spirit I highly recommend it. Jesus sent him when He left to comfort us, to teach us, and to remind us of what we have been taught. We talk to God a lot. We talk to Jesus a lot. We need to talk to the Holy Spirit also. He abides within us.
It was during this time that He reminded me of my calling. So, I have a confession to make. Some of you might already know it. Some of you might not want to hear it. But it is the truth. I am a small church pastor. That is what I was called to be. As a great philosopher once said “I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam.”
He also reminded me that all of you come here by choice because you want a small church. Everyone one of you drove past bigger churches to come here. You did not select those churches that had more programs, better technology, and more dynamic speakers. Rather you choose to be here because of the friendship and family atmosphere.
I am a pastor, not a rancher. A pastor is a shepherd with a flock. A rancher is a shepherd with a flock so large that he must hire other shepherds to do the work while he manages. I could not do what the pastors at the bigger churches do. I do not have the organizational skills to accomplish handling thousands or even hundreds of people. But those pastors could not do what I do. They would not be comfortable with a small crowd where they would be expected to be the only pastor known to them. I feed off of that intimacy. There is nothing wrong with bigger churches. They meet the needs of thousands. And there is nothing wrong with smaller churches. They meet the needs of thousands.
Since I am a small church pastor I am not overly concerned about church growth. I see no reason to be motivated to invent methods to push our church for the single purpose of growth. In fact I would like us to stop desiring to do things because it would help us grow.
However, I am totally committed to serving our community. My desire is to seek ways to get out of these walls and into our community. And if the Holy Spirit leads people to come within our walls and we experience growth, it will be at his prompting. We are what we are and that’s all that we are. But we are what God has called us to be. My question to you is not “What can we do to grow?” but rather “What can we do to impact our community?”
It is true that we have some hindrances. We do not have a lot of funding like other churches. We do not have the available facilities like other churches. We do not even have a bus. But we have the mandate of Jesus to go into the entire world. And if He mandated He will make it possible.
In Deuteronomy 7:7 Moses told the nation of Israel, “The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!” God did not set us in the heart of Denver, NC because we were great in numbers or destined to be the fastest growing church around. We have a mission.
In Job 8:7 we find this promise, “And though you started with little, you will end with much.” God is not making us a promise of butts in seats. Remember, we are not concentrating on growth but rather ministry to our community. He is saying to me, “A few may step up to assist but in the end the impact you will make will be much.” I desire for our growth to come from outreach and people like you looking for that intimacy of a small church.
It does not take huge numbers to make an impact, just willingness. Let me read to you the story of David’s mightiest warriors. 2 Samuel 23:8-13 “These are the names of David’s mightiest warriors. The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three—the three mightiest warriors among David’s men. He once used his spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in a single battle.
Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. Once Eleazar and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled.
He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the Lord gave him a great victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder!
Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
Once during the harvest, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty—an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there.”
David had 30 elite fighting men. These were godly men who he could count on to be by his side no matter what. If they were outnumbered, these thirty were there. If was a difficult battle, these thirty were there. If all odds were against them, these thirty were there.
I ask myself, “What could I accomplish if I had thirty who would stand with me in ministering to our community?” Then I realize I do not have thirty attending our services. But I am cool with that! Jesus only had twelve to change the world and history.
Jesus had a lot of disciples, followers. We know of a time when He sent 70 out to minister. But the time had come to take the 70 plus followers and narrow them down to 12. We read about this in Luke 6:12-13.
“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:”
I am going to let my imagination run wild here for a moment. I picture in my mind Jesus and his Father having this discussion.
“Father whom shall I pick to carry the weight of making disciples through out the world”
“Well Son. I want you to make four unlearned fishermen part of your twelve. Pick Simon. He’s a bit impulsive and emotional. You will have to keep him close by you. He will be the one that you will eventually you will build your church on. And let his brother Andrew come along also.
Also pick James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They also will need to be kept in close. These boys are filled with pride and have a fiery temperament. You will need to teach them about love and being a servant to others.
Next pick Thomas. He is filled with a lot of doubts. You may find him asking a lot of questions.
Pick Matthew, the tax collector. He is a good record keeper and a keen observer. Not many in your group care for him though. He collected taxes for the Romans from some of these others. They need to learn about forgiveness.
This brings me to the next choice, Simon Zelotes. He is a zealot. He hates the Romans and everyone who works for them. He probably would like to dispose of Matthew. Pair him and Matthew up every chance you get. Simon needs to learn how to love.
Choose Phillip. He needs to see the supernatural at work. Choose Bartholomew, James (son of Alphaeus), and Thaddeus.
Lastly, choose Judas Iscariot. He will betray you for thirty pieces of silver, the cost for a common slave. Walk with him and love him as an example to the others.”
So these were the twelve that Jesus chooses to carry on his work. What impact did these twelve have on the world?
Simon, whose name was changed to Peter, would preach the first sermon about the Gospel of Jesus and 3000 people would join the movement that became known as the church.
John, the son of Zebedee, would pen the Gospel of John, the letters of John, and the Book of Revelation. Matthew would write the Gospel of Matthew. Thaddeus would write the Book of Jude. All would become missionaries and die a martyr’s death with the exception of James and Judas Iscariot.
These twelve men impact out life some 2000 years plus. If I had twelve willing to go out into this community we could impact lives that would last for decades.
However I do not have twelve. Many of you drive for 30 minutes or more to attend this church. You live in a different community than the one in which you worship. The distance makes it difficult. But what can God do with one?
God built the nation of Israel starting with just one. He took a nomad named Abraham and made a covenant with him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.
God transitioned this large family into a people using just one. He took an ex-convict named Joseph to start a nation of his chosen ones that exists even until today.
God gave the law that governs our morality to just one. He took a murderous traitor named Moses and gave him the laws to govern God’s people.
God gave the responsibility of taking the Promised Land to just one. He took a former slave and gave him victory in claiming the land promised to Abraham.
When the nation became corrupt, God used just one to revive the nation for him. He took an outcast named David and made him king of Israel.
When the world needed a Savior, God used just one. He took a man rejected by his own people to act as a sacrifice. This man was Jesus.
When the Gentiles needed to hear that the Savior was not just for the Jews but the non-Jews also, He sent just one. He sent an accomplice to murder. He sent Paul.
All of these men were just one. There was nothing remarkable about them other than their obedience. God chose them and God has chosen you.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. (I have known some of you for many years and I know you quite well. That’s the pleasure of leading a small church. We know each other well. I do not believe any of us has felt the overwhelming sense of being wise, powerful, or exceedingly wealthy.)
Let us continue. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world; things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”
I like that. People can think I am foolish and it is to their shame. People can think that I am powerless and it is to their shame. I can be despised and irrelevant but God can use me to bring no importance to what they consider important. Do you see the power you have through the Holy Spirit when you step out in faith to what God has called you?
There was a time in the land of Israel when God made this proclamation. Ezekiel 22:30 “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.”
I believe that this same proclamation is true for us today. There are some huge gaps in the wall of righteousness in our nation and our community. God is looking for someone to rebuild that wall. He is not asking us to fill all the gaps, just the ones we are assigned to fill. And we fill them with love and support to those who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus and see it in action.
We are a small church and we can only do so much. I know that. But we must start. Zechariah 4:10 reads “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,” Let’s begin a work today. Not a work of church growth but a work of service. How can you minister to the community of Denver, Mooresville, Huntersville, Stanley, Catawba, and Indian Trail? How can whitestone ministry help?
Let me leave you with Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me.’”
Will you say that today? Will you say “Send me?”
