You do not have to be big to make a difference!

TEXT:

‘For who has despised the day of small things?’ (Zechariah 4:10)

THOUGHT:

My New Year message to both churches and Christians is this: You can make a difference whatever your size or age! A young Jewish girl captured by the Syrian army became the catalyst for Naaman’s healing from leprosy.¹ Also a young lad gave up his lunch that Jesus used to miraculously feed the 5000.²

The prophecy concerning Messiah’s birthplace states, ‘O little town of Bethlehem, you are not just an unimportant Judean village, for a Governor shall rise from you to rule my people Israel’ (Matthew 2:6 TLB). Now the whole world knows where Bethlehem is because of the Christmas story.

When Philip told Nathaniel he had found the Messiah, the response was, ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”’ (John 1:46 TLB), such was its unwelcome reputation, but it was the home and workplace of Jesus before He started His ministry. You and your church can make a difference for good whatever the reputation of the community you are in.

Take these following truths to heart and see 2022 become a significant year both personally and as a church.

1. Paul commended the Thessalonian Christians for influencing their surrounding regions with the gospel – ‘And now the Word of the Lord has spread out from you to others everywhere, far beyond your boundaries’ (1 Thessalonians 1:8 TLB)

Paul’s first missionary journey to Thessalonica only lasted a few weeks before the Jews incited trouble and he was forced to flee.³ This fledgling church continued to suffer persecution but that did not stop them evangelising northwards throughout Macedonia and southwards into Achaia. They were small but believed in a big God! Their message about Jesus spread far and wide.

It’s a great shame when Christians let the least thing stop them from witnessing while others continue to preach even though it may cost them their lives.

2. Every Church and Christian has the same access to all of the Kingdom of God – ‘Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom’ (Luke 12:32)

Unity is always more powerful and productive than being on one’s own, ‘Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you, ten thousand!’ (Leviticus 26:8 TLB). A five-fold increase in effectiveness for the united hundred, but remember that five can still overcome odds of 20:1 against. ‘If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?’ (Romans 8:31 AMP).

Jonathan with just his armour-bearer, routed a garrison of twenty Philistines because he believed, ‘Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few’ (1 Samuel 14:6 NIV).

Usually God prefers to use the few to achieve His purposes to prevent man from claiming the glory of victory as Gideon experienced when his army was reduced from 30,000 to just 300. ‘The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength’ (Judges 7:2 NLT).

Little churches can take on big projects because they have a great God!

3. When small begins to grow, be careful pride does not undermine dependency on God

‘Samuel told him, “When you didn’t think much of yourself, God made you king of Israel’ (1 Samuel 15:17 TLB).

Saul started out too shy to think he could be king but ended up thinking he knew better than God! The fear of man became stronger than his fear of God.

God chose Israel when they were the smallest of nations.⁴ When they multiplied and prospered so their reliance on God diminished. Before they entered the Promised Land Moses warned them, ‘When all that you have is multiplied, when your heart is lifted up and you forget the Lord your God … and say in your heart, “My power and this might of my hand have gained me this wealth”’ (Deuteronomy 8:13-14. 17).

Paul instructed Timothy, ‘Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment’ (1 Timothy 6:17 NLT).

Let’s remember, ‘First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall’ (Proverbs 16:18 MSG). God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.⁵

4. The potential to double what we have is for everyone, but only if we use what God has given us

Jesus taught two parables to confirm this. In the Parable of the Talents, five became ten and two became four.⁶ In the Parable of the Pounds or Minas, ten became twenty and five became ten.⁷ In both parables, one talent or Mina stayed as one because it was hidden and not used, but such action incurred the master’s wrath.

God can take what is in your hand and make it work miraculously as He did when Moses’ rod became a serpent⁸ and Samson killed one thousand Philistines with just the jawbone of an ass.⁹

This year every church has the potential to double in size and that would be wonderful. But if the building is already nearly full, why not plant another church out of the existing congregation and double that way? The two churches could then become five times more effective working together.

Who will take up this challenge? Who, reading this, feels faith stirring in their heart to believe God and do great exploits? Do not let this pandemic determine what you can or cannot do. In spite of every setback, believe God for more.

Be like Mary, although her first reaction was, ‘How can this be?’ she then said, ‘Lord, let it be to me according to your word’ (Luke 1:34, 38). Individually, every Christian can believe God that by the end of 2022 there will be someone else in the Kingdom of God because they have shared their faith.

Endnotes:

¹ 2 Kings 5:1-19           ² John 6:5-14               ³ Acts 17:1-10              ⁴ Deuteronomy 7:7

⁵ 1 Peter 5:5                ⁶ Matthew 25:14-30    ⁷ Luke 19:12-27           ⁸ Exodus 4:3

⁹ Judges 15:15-16