The importance of one
You matter.
One to the power of two
Ever been in a huge crowd – like at a rugby game or at some huge event.
One feeling you get in such a crowd is the littleness of who you are and your own personal insignificance.
Your sense of importance diminishes even more if you realise that almost every thing that you do someone else in the world can do better.
But one thing that no-one can do is occupy the life that you occupy and liv e in the moments that are uniquely allotted to you.
Without God of course it does all become meaningless in fact Mate Frankovich a retired Auckland District Coroner with 16 years experience and a reputation for speaking his mind on the factors he sees contributing to suicide.
"Fear of God, the Last Judgement and spending eternity in Hell, were major deterrents to suicide. That religious belief has largely gone, to be replaced in a secular society by nihilistic attitudes - there is nothing (else) out there and nothing matters."
"This loss of a sense of personal worth and meaning to life, is a critical factor. I tend to agree with Rick Stevenson of Project Hope that kids need to be given a sense of purpose and meaning."
"You are really not supposed to mention any moral or religious dimension to suicide.
I received an official unsigned letter from someone in the Ministry of Justice, saying:
'Don't foist your religious views on the public.' Whereas from an empirical point of view I am saying that if you indulge in a certain course of conduct, death will follow. A religious person would say that wages of sin is death."
The truth is God matters and indeed you matter.
Some people ask if others believe in God like it was some theory or otion or something – well of course that would be stupid. God exists. Because he exists and this world belongs to him then God is incredibly important. As the Psalmists says – The earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord.
Having established that God is who he says he is then the matter of you and me as individuals is put into a new perspective.
The bible has a lot to say about who you are and why you are important despite the teeming millions and billions of people on earth right now.
It is the worth and indeed the importance of you and me as individuals that I felt to address this morning.
Firstly you are incredibly important to God.
Matthew chapter 18
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
The importance of this passage can not be overstated. Here Jesus uses the image of a middle eastern farmer to signify our importance.
One person writes The Palestinian shepherds were experts at tracking down their lost sheep. They could follow their track for miles; and they would brave the cliffs and the precipice to bring them back.
In the time of Jesus the flocks were often communal flocks; they belonged, not to an individual, but to a village. There were, therefore, usually two or three shepherds with them. The shepherds always made the most strenuous and the most sacrificial efforts to find a lost sheep. It was the rule that, if a sheep could not be brought back alive, then at least, if it was at all possible, its fleece or its bones must be brought back to prove that it was dead.
we can imagine the shout of joy when they saw the Shepherd striding along the pathway with the weary wanderer slung across his shoulder, safe at last; and we can imagine how the whole village would welcome him, and gather round with gladness to hear the story of the sheep who was lost and found. Here we have what was Jesus' favourite picture of God and of God's love. This parable teaches us many things about that love.
The love of God is an individual love. The ninety-and-nine were not enough; one sheep was out on the hillside and the shepherd could not rest until he had brought it home. However large a family a parent has, he cannot spare even one; there is not one who does not matter. God is like that; God cannot be happy until the last wanderer is gathered in.
The overarching message here is clear Jesus is telling you despite the masses of humanity on the world despite the fact that there are people more beautiful – stronger cleaverer and richer than you – none of that matters to God – You matter because he loves you.
If you want to build a foundation of self worth in your life you need to build it on something that never changes. No matter who you are or where you are from or what you hav e done you matter to God.
Sometimes you may distance yourself from someone because of their lack of popularity – I mean children do this at school but it is prevalent among adults as well. If I comment that I think homosexuality is morally incorrect you might want to distance yourself from me because that is no longer a popular view. IF YOU SEE ME WALKING WITH A PERSON IN RAGS down the road you might not want to know me particularly if you are with someone important you might just cross the road. Now if you are that unpopular person you might feel a little worthless. Undoubtably in the bible Zaccheaus felt like that “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ … All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a “sinner.”’” Luke 19:5-7 (NIV)
Zacchaeus was despised by people – have you ever felt like that - ThJews who were subjected to foreign rule in their homeland, would generally not look favorably on one of their own countrymen who became wealthy from serving the foreign government that exacted taxes. The text tells us of the reaction of the crowd of people. "All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a `sinner'."
But Jesus made two very interesting remarks after Zacchaeus had spoken. He first said, "Salvation has come to this house today," he then identified Zacchaeus as a son of Abraham.
Zacchaeus was a reject but was loved by God.
You are hghly valued by God – Do you accept jesus as your saviour and Lord then you are acknowledging his incredible love for you.
God loves you.
You are the sheep worth rescuing – the coin worth searching for – I read a secular book this week by a woman who went through incredibly difficult circumstances and all the way through I could see how God was calling her through her life and circumstances Jesus loves her but she only vaguely recognises him in the book. God loves you
First point is you are loved by God.
You are in a partnership with God.
Secondly God longs to use you.
In recent years it was popular for preachers to quote Jeremiah 29 verse 17 for I know the plans I have for you says the lord Plans for a future and a hope. God loves you.
God longs to use you.
The lost sheep had a purpose in the flock to provide milk and to provide wool and other products to bless the Shepherd. In Christianity the Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep – Jesus takes our place for the sheep. The sheep metaphor is valid we too can in turn lay down our lives for Jesus.
How great must the love be between a Christian and jesus for them to lay down their lives for him.
Kayla Mueller (August 14, 1988 – February 6, 2015)
Kayla went to Jordan as a humanitarian worker. From Arizona, Kayla didn’t expect that her faith would be tried and ultimately strengthened through an ordeal of capture, suffering and ultimate death. Held by a ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, she sheltered two other girls from additional harm and when a chance for escape came she decided to stay, telling the other two that her American appearance would endanger them. Soon afterwards, she was killed. She wrote in a letter, “I have surrendered myself to our creator b/c literally there was no else by God by your prayers I have felt tenderly cradled in freefall.”
Although not all Christians are martyred – God loves every person very much but also longs to use us very much as well.
Thirdly: What you do really matters.
We have matured beyond the era where we just want people to receive Jesus as Lord and savior.
For the Christian church that will always be paramount wherever the church wants to grow and flourish – but we need to understand that our lives themselves are to be a living canvas on which God longs to paint a masterpiece.
The process that gets you to being that canvass is called discipleship.
The word for disciple and the word for discipline both come from the same Latin root—discipulus, which means pupil. It emphasizes practice or exercise. Self-discipline and self-control are consistent and permanent characteristics of the followers of Jesus, as exemplified by Peter, James, and John, who indeed “forsook all, and followed him.”
What we do matters.
There is a old poem called the horseshoe nail.
For Want of a Nail
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 message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
(It is often related to King Richard whose horse got stuck in mud at the battle of Bosworth he is reputed to have shouted according to Shakespeare. However, historically Richard's horse was merely mired in the mud.[6] In the story, the proverb and its reference to losing a horse is directly linked to King Richard famously shouting "A Horse! A Horse! My Kingdom for a Horse!", as depicted in Act V, Scene 4[7] from the Shakespeare play Richard III,)
The person who neglected the horseshoe nail affected the entire outcome of the battle.
What you and I do for the Kingdom of God can have incredible consequences.
Jesus points this out when he says – Whenever you did this to one of the least of these bretheren you did it unto me.
(Bill Laurie says this)
What you do matters Jesus once said---
"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world-like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:13 NLT)
It is uncomfortable sitting on a fence – and there are consequences of doing so that Jesus points out in the salt and light passage but think what could happen if we use our influence well----
Without Edward Kimball, there never would have been a D. L. Moody. Kimball was a shoe salesman. He worked at a shoe store in Chicago and felt led by the Lord to share the gospel with young Dwight, a fellow salesman.
Dwight responded to the message, gave his heart to Jesus Christ, and ultimately went on to be the greatest evangelist of his generation. It was because of Edward Kimball's faithfulness to share the gospel that the Lord reached D. L. Moody, who in turn reached millions.
What about Robert Laidlaw from Auckland
Robert Laidlaw felt he could make a difference.
Robert was an active Christian Businessman the founder of what we know today as Farmers. as God blessed him with higher and higher levels of income going up to 25% of his income.1
In November 1911 Robert started a company magazine called The Optimist, for which he wrote inspirational articles including his Christian beliefs. This helped him to communicate personally with his increasing number of staff.
In 1914 Robert wrote a booklet called The Reason Why, translated into over 30 languages it has been estimated that over 50 million copies have been printed.3 It has become the most widely printed Christian Gospel tract of all time.4 It is not possible to calculate the difference that one little book has made.
In 1921 Robert and some other Christian businessmen and a Baptist Minister opened the first New Zealand Bible Training Institute (BTI). Later called in 2008 to Laidlaw College,
In 1935 Robert and another Christian man had been thinking about buying a campsite for Auckland young people. Walking to the top of Rangitoto Island, they were excited when they saw an ideal site at Eastern Beach. The purchase of this beachfront property was settled in 1936.8 Now called Willow Park Christian Camp & Convention Centre, it is still running fun camps today.
During World war 2 in a crazy holiday drive with his family Robert just escaped France ahead of the Nazis and spent world war two ministering to troops and leading many to Christ.
It is the power of one. Our lives can make a difference. In Ezekiel 22:30 God says, "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" (NLT).
If you are feeling that your life doesn’t matter much listen to the word of God – It matters really matters. What you do and say is of incredible importance.
I sometimes think of our lives like those dominos that fall over and create world domino records. It only takes only one to fail for the whole venture to fail.
But before you cozy down in the self pity of being a fallen domino let me conclude with this story.
A group of fishermen were relaxing after a long day at sea. As a serving maid was walking past with a pot of tea, one of the fishers made a sweeping gesture to describe the size of the fish he claimed to have caught. His hand collided with the teapot and sent it crashing against the whitewashed wall, where its contents left an irregular brown splotch.
Standing nearby, the innkeeper surveyed the damage. “That stain will never come out,” he said. “The whole wall will have to be repainted.”
“Perhaps not.” All eyes turned to the stranger who had just spoken.
“What do you mean?” asked the innkeeper.
“Let me work with the stain,” said the stranger. “If my work meets your approval, you won’t need to repaint the wall.”
The stranger picked up a box and went to the wall. He withdrew pencils, brushes, and some glass jars of linseed oil and pigment. He began to sketch lines around the stain and fill it in here and there with dabs of colour and swashes of shading. The random splashes of tea had been turned into the image of a stag with a magnificent rack of antlers. At the bottom of the picture, the man inscribed his signature.
The innkeeper was stunned when he examined the wall. “Do you know who that man was?” he asked in amazement. ‘The signature reads “E.H. Landseer.”
Indeed, they had been visited by the well-known painter of wildlife, Sir Edwin Landseer.”
If you have ever been to London and visited Trafalgar Square, it was that same artist, Sir Edwin Landseer, who, in 1858, was commissioned by the British government to make the four bronze lions that sit at the base of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square to this day.
“‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’” Isaiah 1:18 .
So you are one and are incredibly important to God – He loves you and has a plan for your life to make a difference. But, you know. Even when it goes wrong he will restore you then use you.
