A DAY OF SMALL THINGS

Judges 7:1-3 ¶ Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

There are not many here today this Sabbath. And across this state there are not that many that are worshiping God on his holy day.. But Dear brethren, do not despise the day of small things. Rest assured that God does not save by numbers. If numbers were a sign that God is with a group, then that would mean that God was with the Roman Catholic institution and the Muslims for they number into the billions. I dare any born again, bible believing Christian to say that God is with those two groups. Those of you who have read this bible, I ask you how many times do you find God with the multitude? With the majority?

There were but eight on the ark. In the days of Elijah there were but Seven thousand that did not bow their knee to Baal. There were but 120 in the upper room waiting for the promise of the holy Spirit. And there is a relative few upon this straight and narrow path today.

Sometimes we may look around and think "we are few, we are poor and we are weak, what can we do in the grand scheme of things", but I tell you friends, when we are weak, and we know we are weak, then GOD will show himself strong. When we are poor, and we know we are poor, God can show himself rich. When we are few, but we are faithful, God can show that there is a host of heaven on our side. As Paul said, "When we are weak, then we are strong". For when we see our weakness, we will depend upon the strength of GOD and realize that our help cometh from above.

Here Gideon had 32,000 men to fight against the Midianites. Thirty-Two Thousand was not a large army compared to their enemies forces who were like the sands of the sea. Yet God said, "that is too many". Why? For if they had won the battle they would have vaunted themselves up, thinking that they won the battle by their own might; and God would not had received the glory. But my friends if we win this battle we will not do it by might or by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.

Judges 7:4 -7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

Now the Lord looked at the 10,000 men and he said that is still too many, take them to the water, and those who drink like dogs, they shall make up your army. And how many was left? Just 300 men. And God said by these few men will I deliver your enemies in your hand.

D.L. Moody once said, "Give me three Holy Spirit filled men, and I shall turn a city upside down!" I tell you friends strength is not in numbers, but it is in the Lord. Strength is not in finances, but it is in his Spirit. Strength is not in costly church buildings, but in making yourself the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Today there are denominations that have gained prestige with the world, and have gained large congregations and money and applause, and they set out to accomplish their work by their own means. They may have all these things, but most lack the holy Spirit of GOD that converts the soul and saves it from the power of sin!

You may have heard of John Wesley, the great preacher, and the founder of the Methodist Church. When he began to preach the movement was very small. And those who were in his movement were not rich, but were very poor. His first preachers were not men of education, but they were good outdoor preachers, preachers who preached from the heart and from the book, and with the Spirit. And during the whole life Mr. Wesley his denomination did not grow to any great size.

But I tell you friend the Methodist movement was more glorious then, then it is now. Yet it is a 'great denomination' today in the eyes of men. It abounds with wealth, and it has many great speakers, but it has no increase. It is stale. There are not many souls being added to the kingdom through it. In fact, they are making people the children of the devil now. They have laid aside the holy principals of which it was built, and now they allow such disgusting things as lesbian bishops in their ranks.

They have wealth, they have numbers, they have the fancy church buildings, the pretty choir music, but the Lord is not with that denomination.

Let me tell you friends, when we are faithful to GOD, we may not have the means but we get the blessing. Oh! Thank God for the poverty; for we must rely upon GOD. Thank God that we are not fancy speakers, for we know we must rely upon the Spirit to touch the hearts of the people. Thank God that we do not have a mansion like church building, for when people come we know they are not doing it just to be seen.

I would rather serve GOD with the few, the poor and the faithful, than with a multitude who are in error! "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." Instead of despising the day of small things, we ought to be encouraged. It is by the small things that God works, but the great things he does not often use.

THE FAITHFUL ARE NOT ALONE

There in the book of 2nd Kings, it is told that the King of Syria became enraged with Elisha the prophet, because Elisha had exposed all of his plans. I tell you friends there is no secretes with the God we serve today. So the King sent a mighty force of men to come and take Elisha, and the army surrounded the city. A whole army against one man of God and his servant. And here we read.

2nd Kings 6:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

Sometimes we look on our situation and we say, "Alas,,, How shall we do?" The odds are stacked against us, we are outnumbered it seems on every hand. The night is closing in, and we wonder how we are going to make it. But I tell you friends here were two men who believed in the God of heaven, and the Lord said, where there are two or three, I will be there in the midst. You may think that you are weak, and that you are hopeless, and that you are worthless; but if you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are not alone. And I tell you friends you are more precious to God then all the stars of the universe. You are his child! He loves and adores you. He has every hair upon your head numbered. You are his, and all the forces of hell combined could not pull you from the safety of his arms. He is willing to send 12 legions of angels to protect just one of his children.

Oh, How shall we do, brothers and sisters? Trust the Lord and be faithful to him, and HE WILL DO!

2nd Kings 6:16-17And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Why do we not trust him like we should? Can he lie to us? Can he fail us? Is he not in control? Has he not promised us that all things work for the good of those who love him? If you will just trust him and be faithful to him, he will give you a crown of righteousness.
WEAK FAITH?

Some may say, "But my faith is weak and it is little, and I am not Elisha". But if you have a just a little faith, and trust Jesus Christ for salvation then you are his. Just a little faith has saved your soul from hell. Just a little faith has made you a child of the living God. Praise God for your little faith that he has given you and never despise it! Do not despise the small things, for the faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mighty mountain.

No, don't despise your small faith, but do not be satisfied with it either. But take it and use it. Take that little faith and be faithful with it. Cast it to the work. When God sees that you appreciate the faith he has given you, that you are willing to use it, he will give more faith to you.

The new born child cannot run, but first it must learn to crawl, then it begins to take a few wobbly steps, but the more he exercises his legs the better he walks, and the more he walks the more strength he receives, until he can finally run. It is the same with the Christian, we must crawl before we can walk, we must walk before we can run. But I tell you friends, if we sit and pity ourselves and refuse to crawl, then we will never learn to run.

But crawl dear child of GOD! Never mind your feebleness, brethren, your fewness, your poverty, your want of ability. Throw your souls into God's cause, pray mightily, lay hold on the gates of heaven, stir heaven and earth, rather than be defeated and you will see results that will astonish you yet.

THE LORD CAN SAVE BY A FEW

1 Samuel 14:6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

Here was Jonathan the son of Saul, the friend of David, and his young armour bearer; going to battle against a host of the Philistines. What kind of faith did Jonathan have? It was not rock solid, it was not the kind that would move mountains, for he was not certain the Lord would move, but he said, "the Lord might work for us".

But one thing we must learn from Jonathan, he was willing to step out on that 'faith' that he had, and so must we.

But we are few and there are larger churches out there! But God is not restrained by numbers. He can take a handful and accomplish the work, for the work is his! And what did the Lord accomplish through these two men?

1st Samuel 14:14-15 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

The Lord shook that place, and caused the uncircumcized to tremble. As with the day Paul and Silas sang praises to God, and that place was shaken and the jailor came and in trembling, asking, "What must I do to be saved?"

Can not a few of us step out on faith, trusting in the power of GOD to save, and venture into the land of the uncircumcised of heart, and see a trembling in the land? Not by our power, not by our might, but by the Spirit of the Lord! Dear Lord make us willing vessels!

Don't Despise the day of small things

"Who hath despised the day of small things?" Not our God! Every one of us must do our work for Christ, even if our work is not a great thing. It isn't one strike from an ax that causes the mighty oaks to fall, but many consistent blows will soon cause it to tremble and fall. Every little work we do is a blow against the kingdom of Satan.

You may only be able to give a dollar, but he that sat next to the treasury did not despise the widow's two mites! But he said she gave more than all. Don't neglect to do the little!

You may only give away a tract in the street. Don't say, "I won't do that." Souls have been saved by the distribution of tracts and sermons. Scatter the tracts because they are good seed and it is inevitable that some will fall upon good ground.

Where ever you go you can put a word in for Christ. At work, at the stores, or at the schools. Live your life as fully as possible, be faithful to God and his word at all times. Stand for the truth you know, and your influence will be for the good.

God accepts your little works if they are done in faith in his dear Son. God will give success to your little works: God will educate you by your little works to do greater works; and your little works may call out others who shall do greater works by far than ever you shall be able to accomplish. We don't want to keep the salt in the box: We don't want the seed forever kept in the jarn: let it be scattered and it will bring forth a harvest. Oh! brethren and sisters, wake up if any of you are asleep. Don't let an ounce of strength in this church be wasted--not a single grain of ability, either in the way of doing, or praying, or giving, or holy living. Spend and be spent, for who hath despised the day of small things?

I tell you friends I am glad to be a part of the little remnant, for it is the little remnant that angers the dragon so. The ones who keep the commandments of God, and has the faith of Christ. God does not despise the small, but he sees them as his precious jewels. Let us trod that strait and narrow path, where the few and faithful have walked before.