Sweat the Small Stuff!
By: Todd Clippard
"For who hath despised the day of small things?" Zechariah 4:10
(Explain context of Zechariah 4 and the people’s discouragement concerning their "insignificant" temple - Haggai 2:1-9.)
Sometimes I get caught up in the "big" things I do each week (sermon prep. etc) and forget there are many smaller things I ought not to neglect.
I guess I'm in some ways the opposite of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:23. They took care of all the minute details of tithing, but omitted the "weightier matters of the law." Concerning them and their practice Jesus said, "These things ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." I must remember that both are important.
Some "small" things that can be despised ("despise" - to hold in contempt or consider as insignificant)
Our Spouses can be despised:
We may not say our spouses are insignificant, but we can often act as though they are. Speaking for husbands, we claim we are willing to give our lives for our wives, but won’t take out the trash or pick up our clothes (Hey CW, sorry about that one! That’s one on me too!).
Admonition to Wives:
Ephesians 5:23-24
1 Peter 3:1-6
Admonition to Husbands
Ephesians 5:25
1 Peter 3:7
Our Children can be despised:
Matthew 19:13-15
Psalm 127:3-5
Our attitude toward our children can change:
When children are first born, they demand and receive the lion’s share of our attention and concern, but when they are older, we often place less important things (work, recreation, etc.) before the needs of our children (family time, spiritual instruction, etc).
We may even try to put things in their lives as a substitute for ourselves. This not only shows a lack of love, but fosters materialism and misplaced values.
Titus 2:3-5
Wives are to love their husbands and children and be keepers of the home.
This includes discipline in the home. Message to Moms – it isn’t fair to your husband to let the kids run wild all day and threaten them with punishment "when you father gets home."
Ephesians 6:4
Prayer can be despised
Luke 18:1-5 (cf 1 Thes 5:17)
James 5:16
Bible study
1 Timothy 4:13
2 Timothy 2:15
The attention we give to all these things is a direct testimony to how important we consider them to be!
When a few words or small deed made a BIG difference:
Naaman 2 Kings 5
Israelite servant – ‘Oh that the prophet were here to heal my master!’
His servants who traveled with him - ‘Master, why not do this simple thing?’
These small, "insignificant" people made all the difference in the world so far as Naaman’s health, both physical (v 14) & spiritual (vv 17-19 ) was concerned.
The Widow’s "Might" – Mark 12:41-44
The Anointing of Jesus – Mark 14:3-9
How far does a little encouragement go?
How much good can be done through one "small, insignificant, hardly worth mentioning" act of love or kindness?
How many have benefitted from some insignificant act to which the doer didn’t give a second thought? Some have probably reconsidered suicide, drunkenness, leaving the church, etc because of one small act of kindness.
There are no small members of the Lord’s church, and especially none at Burleson:
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Galatians 3:27
Your "one lil’ ol’ talent" may be the only one of its kind in this congregation:
Because of your unique life experience, you may be the only one who can say or do the right thing to fill a particular need.
You might be the key to someone’s conversion, perhaps bringing a whole family to the Lord.
Galatians 6:9-10
Let each one be committed to doing his share this year to build up the body of Christ (Eph 4:11-16), no matter how small, inglorious, or unrecognized it may be.
WHAT WILL YOU DO IN 2002?