The Blessing of Small Things
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700 years before Jesus was born, God used a prophet of doom to declare where His Son would be born, and reveal the nature of His coming.
The prophet Micah lived and prophesied at the same time of the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah (The southern kingdom).
His prophecies deal with the impending judgment of God upon the northern kingdom of Israel, and the southern kingdom of Judah.
Neither kingdom took him seriously. Their own prophets foretold pleasant situations where they would not go into captivity - Micah prophecies against these false prophets as well.
But in the midst of these prophecies of doom, destruction and captivity, he reveals something very interesting. A glimmer of hope! the place where Messiah would eventually be born 700 years later!
But most people stop at the place, Bethlehem of Judah, and don’t see the hidden treasure of this prophecy, that the law giver over Israel (Northern kingdom) would come from the southern kingdom. God will restore more than just these two kingdoms to health and prosperity, He will restore them as one people in the Lord!
Now the prophecy of Micah is unique that it discloses the place of Messiah’s birth. It is specific and well understood, not just by people today as still evidenced by the nativity scenes that dart our communities or displayed in our homes, but by the scribes themselves that located the prophecy for Herod nearly 2 years after Christ’s birth when wise men came from the east asking Herod where the Christ child was.
But just as those things that were “written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” () there is much to glean from the birth of Jesus.
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
romans
I. God chooses the small things to magnify His glory.
I. God chooses the small things to magnify His glory.
One of the smallest towns in Judea would be the birth place of the Son of God.
One of the smallest towns in Judea would be the birth place of the Son of God.
What does this say to us?
What is significant about it?
A. By using the insignificant and small, He is seen for who He truly is.
A. By using the insignificant and small, He is seen for who He truly is.
The scripture tells us - “and I will not give my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11)
For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it;
For how should My name be profaned?
And I will not give My glory to another.
Isaiah
Most times God’s glory is hidden by us!
That is by our human strength, wit, talents, etc.
But God gave those to us,you might say, and you’d be correct.
Those innate traits are to be used to the glory of God. It’s when those traits are melded with pride, that the glory of God is dwarfed!
So what does He do in our lives for His glory’s sake?
B. He strips away the safety of human machinations.
B. He strips away the safety of human machinations.
If we are trusting in our own schemes and maneuvers, He will strip them from us one at a time until we are helpless, and then His glory will shine.
As the apostle Paul says, “When I am weak then I am strong.” ()
His grace is made perfect in weakness.
I will pause here to bring to your attention an erroneous doctrine that has crept into the church of Jesus Christ: This unfounded idea that God’s desire is for every believer to be healthy and physically whole. I’ve referred to this several times, but feel I need to point out that what I am sharing with you this morning about God’s glory goes against the very essence of this notorious position.
They will affirm that God’s glory is not present in sickness and that He is glorified when we are healed.
And although He is glorified when we are healed, the opposite is actually true. God is glorified in human weakness. In fact most times, we are far more effective for Christ when we are weak, whether that weakness is physical sickness or physical persecution.
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
The “word of faith” movement is promising far more than God ever did, and leading Christians astray with their health and prosperity doctrine.
No, God is glorified and magnified in the small and insignificant, and that means us!
C.
C.
C. He loves to use us even when we feel we have nothing to offer.
C. He loves to use us even when we feel we have nothing to offer.
He uses empty vessels.
Because He can fill them with Himself.
So much of our enthusiasm for the Lord’s service is wrapped up in whether we feel we measure up to someone else.
He uses willing vessels.
I can’t
I could say that God does not force himself on anyone, and that would be true for salvation. However, when it comes to His children, His will for you will be done.
If we are not willing to become empty vessels for the Master’s use, He will certainly empty us!
II. God makes seemingly impossible things happen.
II. God makes seemingly impossible things happen.
Unifying the split kingdoms of Samaria & Jerusalem
Unifying the split kingdoms of Samaria & Jerusalem
When the nation of Israel went into captivity, they were a divided kingdom with two separate capitals and two separate kings. Seventy years later when God as promised brought them out of captivity, they were one nation again.
It is also God’s promise that makes all believers one -
where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Col.
It is truly amazing to see God at work in the lives of everyday ordinary people.
He gave a stutterer like Moses the ability to speak to the most powerful man in the world.
He made a young dreamer with a multicolored coat, sold into slavery by his brothers, the second in command to Pharaoh.
He gave victory to a young boy with a sling shot over a giant warrior no-one wanted to fight.
He took a gentile woman(Rahab the harlot) who helped some Jewish spies, and brought her under His grace, and inserted her in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He took some hippy looking dude with camels cloth clothing who’s diet consisted of honey and locusts, and made Him one of the greatest prophets of all time.
He took a college dropout, saved his miserable soul, forced him to attend Bible College, put in he and his wife’s heart to sell everything and move to a strange city and plant a church, giving their entire lives to whatever God desired, to where he finds himself shepherding the greatest church ever. New Hope Bible Chapel.
Now, what’s your story? It’s time to fill in the blank!
Now, what’s your story? It’s time to fill in the blank!
Now, what’s your story?
It’s time to fill in the blank!
It’s time to fill in the blank!