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[0:00] This man, though, I think is just a normal guy. I don't think the visions that God gave him are a reflection of his intellect, or of his stature, or of his might, or his person.

[0:13] I think he's just a normal guy that has seen some pretty wild stuff from God. Things that are hard to understand and very hard to discern, looking from our perspective, looking into the Scripture and trying to get what is going on with some of these visions.

[0:30] There's scholars that have opinions, and they differ in their opinions, but to come down and nail down what some of these visions mean and their symbolism is over my head, I can promise you that.

[0:41] And I know something else, it was over Zachariah's head. Because as we read, I want to point this out kind of by way of introduction, the whole time he's getting visions and he's speaking with an angel, he's asking questions, just like a child.

[0:53] What's that? Why is that? I don't know what that is. What's that? I'll show you this just by way of introduction. And here, that Zachariah is just a normal guy. So take a look at chapter 1, and notice in his first vision here, in verse number 8, he says, And the angel that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

[1:38] And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth. Behold, all the earth sitteth still and is at rest. Hmm. So he gets to see some horses, and he's like, What's this?

[1:51] What are these? And that's not a big deal there, but look at chapter 1 and verse 18. He gets another vision. He says, Then lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, four horns.

[2:02] And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered, These are the horns which have scattered Judah and Israel and Jerusalem. Okay. Then he says another vision.

[2:13] The Lord showed me four carpenters. And then said I, What come these to do? Doesn't he sound like a kid? Everything he sees, what are they doing? What's this about?

[2:25] What come these to do? And he spake, and he gives them the answer. All right. Look into chapter number 2, verses 1 through 4. I lifted up mine eyes again. It's another vision. And looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand.

[2:38] And then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof and what is the length thereof. And behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him.

[2:49] And from here on out, Zechariah is just kind of an observer. He's just a third party in these angels speaking. Verse number 4, He said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, and so forth.

[3:01] But Zechariah doesn't know what's going on. Look at chapter 4. Verse 1, The angel that talked with me came again and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, and said unto me, What seest thou?

[3:14] And I said, I have looked, and behold, a candlestick all of gold with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps which are upon the top thereof, and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

[3:28] So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my Lord? What is this stuff? Verse 11, Then answered I and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick, and upon the left side thereof?

[3:46] And I answered again and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the gold oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, No, is thou not what these be?

[3:56] And I said, No, my Lord. Then said he, These will be the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. He sees the vision. He understands what he's seeing. I mean, he doesn't understand, but he can describe what he's seeing.

[4:09] But he has no idea what this is. And every time it comes up, he has to ask the question. Look again at chapter 5 and verse 5. Then the angel that talked, this is actually his ninth vision.

[4:20] The angel that talked with me went forth and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth.

[4:31] He said, Moreover, this is their resemblance through all the earth. And behold, there was lifted up a towel on a lead, and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And I think Zechariah is just like nodding his head like, Uh-huh.

[4:45] Okay. And the angel has to explain something. And verse 8, he said, This is wickedness. And I don't think Zechariah gets, he obviously doesn't see what the angel sees or perceive or understand this vision.

[4:59] Any of them. But the angel's like, Zechariah, you know this is wrong. This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah, and he cast a weight of lead upon the mouth thereof, then lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold, there came out two women.

[5:12] And the wind was in their wings, for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

[5:23] And he said unto me, To build a house and land of Shinar. It shall be established and set there upon her own base. One more, and carrying right into chapter 6, I turned and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of brass.

[5:40] The first chariot, in the first chariot were red horses, and the second black horses, and the third chariot white horses, and the fourth chariot bristled and bay horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my Lord?

[5:53] And he gives them the answer. Now, this is just an introduction to the book of Zechariah. Come back to chapter 4, is where we're going to set up for the day. From these ten visions, he goes on to do what might be more expected of the prophets, some prophecies of the Messiah, of his first coming, and prophecies of the second coming of Christ.

[6:16] Very strong statements in Zechariah 14. But early on, he gets just a cluster of visions that he shows, I have no idea what's going on here.

[6:27] And what that shows me is, Zechariah is just a normal guy. He's a normal guy that God uses, and shows a vision to. Now, we've been doing a series, I've been calling it One-Liners of the Prophets, and we're going to get to one here in chapter 4.

[6:41] There's actually two that are pretty popular statements here in chapter 4, that we'll read. But it's one of them that I'm going to focus in on. And in Zechariah 4, I skipped verses 6 through 10, so let's read through there, and then we'll get into the message.

[6:56] Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

[7:09] Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, thou shalt become a plain. He shall bring forth a headstone thereof, with shoutings crying, Grace, grace unto it.

[7:20] Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it. And thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you, for who hath despised the day of small things?

[7:36] For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hands of Zerubbabel. With those seven, they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth. We know, probably you've seen in chapter 4, verse 6, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.

[7:55] And that's a popular one-liner. It's all over. It's engraved on things. It's on those household plaques and pictures you can put up and different cards you could send back and forth.

[8:05] But that's not the line I want to focus on. It's in verse 10, where the question's asked, For who hath despised the day of small things? Who hath despised the day of small things?

[8:18] God's saying in that verse, you're going to see. You'll see. You think it's insignificant, what Zerubbabel did, laying the foundation of the house. But he said, You'll see.

[8:29] He even says in one of his books here that it's going to be greater than the first temple, this second one. And it's despised. It's despised. And God has a problem despising what he calls the day of small things.

[8:44] Folks think that things won't amount to much. And God says, You're not seeing it the way I'm seeing it. And I want to preach this morning on the day of small things and consider what the scripture has to say about this and make sure that you and I aren't despising things and overlooking things that really are very significant.

[9:03] Let's pray. Father, please get involved in this time here. Lord, as the word of God goes forth, I pray, Lord, that you'll take it and that you'll take it and put power behind it and that you'll push it into our hearts and into our minds into our beings.

[9:21] Father, we need the word of God. We're so deprived of it and it's our own fault. We're so filled with worldliness and entertainment and conversations that amount to nothing.

[9:40] And so God, I pray that this time would be a potent time in our life that you'd do something, that you'd just captivate our thoughts and attention and reveal in our own lives these small things and how important they are.

[9:55] And Lord, I pray that Jesus Christ will be glorified for his sake only, I pray. Amen. Amen. Number one, I want to say that God works in the day of small things.

[10:08] You might say, well, what in the world is the day of small things? The day of small things. Well, I can tell you what it's not. It's not the day of big things. It's definitely not that. So what could it be?

[10:20] What could it be? In this chapter, in this passage, he's dealing with a man that is laying a foundation for the house of God. And it was kind of a big deal.

[10:31] Zerubbabel was a leader of really what was just maybe an insignificant amount of people who left captivity in Babylon and came back into the land of Israel and around Jerusalem and Judah and established themselves.

[10:46] And I don't know if you recall, but probably two months or better ago, preached from Haggai and preached about this same setting of them building the temple where those men, Zechariah and Haggai, had to show up and say, hey, get back to work.

[10:58] What are you waiting for? It's time. Time has come. And so this is going to be the same setting and maybe you're familiar with it. But Zerubbabel was the leader of this group that came back.

[11:10] And he began working on the temple and then the foundation was laid. And the book of Ezra records all of this as a historical account showing us that they came, they worked, they established and laid the foundation.

[11:22] And at the time, some people were just singing and rejoicing and shouting, glorifying God and there were other people that were crying, weeping. The older generation, they were mourning at what they were looking at because they despised it.

[11:38] They remembered what it used to be and they thought this is small time, this is nothing. And they despised it in comparison to the one that they grew up and saw as a kid, Solomon's temple in all of its glory.

[11:52] So there was some opposition to the building of Ezra's temple and that caused the work to cease and then these men preached and they got back to work.

[12:05] The work revived. And God makes this statement through Zechariah to Zerubbabel asking who hath despised the day of small things. What is the day of small things?

[12:16] Well, in contrast, their problem was they were remembering Solomon's temple, some of this older generation. And in remembering that temple, boy, that was big time.

[12:28] That was the greatest day of their lives. That was an experience they would never forget for eternity what took place the day that Solomon built and dedicated that temple.

[12:38] It was gold for days around that temple. It was the most magnificent structure on the earth. The costliest building that ever existed.

[12:50] Solomon's temple put stuff in our world to shame. Just to shame. The cost, the amount of gold put into that place. Pure gold, refined, precious metal.

[13:02] That place was just so amazing. And then not just the structure itself but Solomon offered sacrifices galore. And the priest, the Bible says that the glory of the Lord appeared in that house on that day that the priest could not stand to minister.

[13:17] They had to get out because God's presence was coming in so thick and heavy. They come running out of the doors of the temple. The Lord is in there. A cloud showing up.

[13:29] And boy, did they ever start to praise the Lord. Solomon describes him on his knees with his hands spread out making this magnificent prayer to God chapter long. An enormous chapter in 1 Kings.

[13:40] Solomon praying. I mean, what an amazing day. What an amazing thing that went on that day. That's a day of big things. This thing, what they're looking at, this temple, this little tiny foundation being laid, that's pretty small.

[13:58] Small in comparison. But God's at work. God's at work in the day of small things. Because God works in the day of small things.

[14:11] You remember how, I don't know, I'll read you the verse at least in Ezra, how the younger generation rejoiced when this foundation was laid.

[14:21] Ezra chapter 3, let me read in verse number 10. It says, When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests and their apparel with trumpets and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals to praise the Lord after the ordinance of David king of Israel.

[14:36] And they sang together by chorus in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

[14:50] But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers who were ancient men that had seen the first house when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes wept with a loud voice.

[15:02] Many shouted aloud for joy but some were weeping. The old folks, the ancient men, the old timers. Now God works in the day of small things.

[15:12] So remember how they're rejoicing. Why is that younger generation rejoicing? Well number one, they never saw the previous temple. They don't have anything to compare it to. And they're not thinking about what took place back in the day when grandpa was walking in this land.

[15:28] They're thinking about what God has just delivered them from. All their lives it was captivity in Babylon. It's all they've ever known and now they're free. Now they're in their land.

[15:40] Now they laid a foundation which is going to be a sanctuary where God is going to dwell among his people again. Of course they're rejoicing. Oh it's just small stuff.

[15:53] Not to them. To them this is the greatest thing that's ever happened in their lives. Being delivered from captivity. Having a place they're going to raise their children in God's lands under God's laws.

[16:07] No more heathen music and ceremonies and worshipping of devils and all the idolatry that they've had to be just crammed down their throats. That's gone for them.

[16:20] They've escaped it by the grace of God. This generation is excited with zeal and true joy and rejoicing. But it's just a day of small things.

[16:31] But God's working in the day of small things. If there was ever a day of big things it would have been Solomon's day. If there was ever a day of big things in the Bible if there was ever one day that the Bible talks about that would be a day of big things it would be the day of the Lord.

[16:53] It would be the day that Jesus Christ returns to this earth and the Bible describes his glory being displayed for all to see. It describes destruction and it's always in great terms that the Bible describes this future day the second coming of Jesus Christ.

[17:14] But what about the day of small things? You know that before that second coming of Christ there was a day of small things where God was at work where a young virgin traveled to a small town in the middle of nowhere on the countryside heavy to be delivered and delivered a baby and laid that baby in a despicable place in a manger where cattle feed from and nobody on the planet even noticed.

[17:48] so the angels had to show up on the countryside and proclaim to a couple of shepherds a couple of lowly shepherds and tell them unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord but you know that's just a small thing.

[18:07] Him coming meek and lowly and God becoming man that was nothing nothing compared to when God comes back as God and comes back as king and it's easy to look at the two and to well despise the day of small things in comparison but understand God works in the day of small things.

[18:31] God works in the day of small things and Christian there was a day somewhere if you're born again there was a day somewhere along the lines where you had your mind quickened and your understanding opened to realizing that you are on your way to hell you are on your way to hell because you're a sinner and God is holy and if you don't do something about this right now you could end up there today and there was a time in your life where you got scared of hell and you got scared of a holy God and his judgment and the Lord by his grace allowed you to understand and to receive the truth that Christ died for your sins and made the payment for your sins and you by faith called out upon his name to receive him and his righteousness and receive eternal life and the world didn't stop the sun the moon and the stars didn't start flickering in the heavens business as usual just went on and went on and nobody noticed that's just a day of small things do you think it's a small thing do you to the world it's nothing oh you got religion did you they don't give a rip but to you

[19:48] God was working in the life of maybe even just a child I don't know how old you were but the holy God of eternity was working in a day of small things you know that this astronaut we know Neil Armstrong he's so famous for his quote stepping out on the moon and saying that's one small step for man one giant leap for mankind and it's a very fitting statement in the given the situation but understand that any step any step you take toward God and toward obeying his will oh it looks like a small thing it looks like the day of small things when you when you surrender a sin and get victory over it nobody watches nobody cares oh it's just a small thing when you're reading your bible and he gives you something a verse that just hits you so hard that you you you make that your life verse you make you like that's that's me that's good that's for me it's just a small thing but somebody sadly despises the day of small things those are not small things they might seem like it but they're real and they're things they're times when God's doing something

[21:11] I think you ought to record and write down when God does things in your life the day you trusted him as your savior write it down the day that you you get victory over something that was plaguing you write it down the day that God does something in your life that delivers you from something or answers a prayer write it down because nobody else is noticing small things but it's God dealing with your heart because God works in the day of small things he's alive and working in the day of small things secondly I want to say that it pleases the Lord to use small things it absolutely thrills the Lord God Almighty to use small things man overlooks them man just ignores them but God uses them on purpose so that he can get the glory for it because it's obvious that this small thing the small person couldn't have done it on their own and he gets the glory it pleases the Lord to use small things things that are small in experience or in significance like people like Zerubbabel in this passage who is Zerubbabel he's not a king the man's never sat on a throne a day in his life he's got no little if any experience at all in governing the people but he's called here the governor of Judah who is this guy sent by a king back to the land over 40,000 people to govern him and to see that this work gets done he's just a small nobody he must have been weak when I read about some passages in Haggai and later here in

[23:02] Zechariah God is telling Zechariah or I'm sorry he's telling Zerubbabel to be strong let your hands be strong he tells him fear not I think the man was probably a bit intimidated I think he was just a normal guy not cut out for the big things but that's okay because it pleases the Lord to use small things small people like Zerubbabel and it doesn't matter because with God great men are not needed he doesn't need a resume to see if he can use you with God he just looks for willing men they say in the Christian life that the greatest ability is availability that's what he's looking for availability here am I send me strength and might they're unnecessary look at chapter 4 of Zechariah and verse number 6 again then he answered and spake unto me saying this is the word of the

[24:04] Lord unto Zerubbabel saying not by might nor by power I don't need that from you Zerubbabel okay you're the governor you're in a position of leadership don't feel like you have to do it all I don't need those qualities in you I've got this but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts nobody's going to stand before you in verse 7 anybody even the size of a mountain the greatest kingdom on earth I'll put them low by my spirit don't you worry because God's not looking for great men he's looking for men that are available keep your place but come to 1st Corinthians chapter 1 if there's ever a passage that connects to this thought 1st Corinthians chapter 1 not by might nor by power those things don't even get God's attention 1st

[25:07] Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 26 to the end of the chapter for you see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised there that is the small things hath God chosen yea the things which are not to bring to naught things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence but of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord it pleases the Lord to use small things do you fit the bill in verse 27 foolish compared to being wise not the brightest would that fit a description of you weak compared to being mighty consider yourself weak in this world maybe base nobody's calling on your name nobody's looking after you looking for you to be on their side nobody's chasing you offering you things you're just you're a nobody you fit that things which are not then God could use you because it pleases the Lord to use the small things the insignificant things the base things why so that he gets the glory

[26:52] God used a lad and his five barley loaves and his two small fishes they use that to feed a multitude and they all were there were fed and were filled and their jaws were still on the ground thinking how did he do that God used a woman a woman to defeat the captain of the king of Canaan his name was Sisera he used a woman named JL who just just at home just to keep her at home but she saw him coming and she said hey turn in here and drove a spike nail through his temple down to the ground and ended the war small things insignificant no experience in battle but that's what God used to put an end to the battle just a woman God used a youth a little shepherd boy while the mighty men are out there scared shaking in their knees and their boots against this man of war

[27:59] Goliath never saw a man that big I've never seen a man that big and he used just a youth to come out there with a stone to take care of business because it pleases the Lord to use small things people that are small in significance and in experience it also pleases the Lord to use small things like people that are small in faith small in faith this passage reminds me of what Jesus Christ said in Matthew 17 about having the faith as a grain of mustard seed and being able to move a mountain and that's what God's doing with Zerubbabel in verse 7 oh great mountain who art thou oh great mountain he's talking about a kingdom rather than an actual mountain but it sounds like the same thing just somebody of little faith like Zerubbabel probably was he had to tell Zerubbabel fear not people that are small in faith God's not using

[29:01] Zerubbabel because he's a man of great faith I think he's just a normal guy intimidated just doing what he's told to do but God can use him that's okay because God can use anybody that will trust him one time a man said to Jesus Christ he said the Lord said if you have faith I can do it he said Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief that'll work he's admitting God maybe I don't have enough faith to see that happen then help me with that and the Lord said you got it I'll take care of it from here God uses small things even small in faith God uses small things like small in number Ezra records that the number is about 40,000 people that came back to the land that might sound like a lot to you but you're talking about infants children women this is an army of 40,000 men by any means and the ages ranged and they're in the land now and they're completely outnumbered in this land this small little flock of Israel coming back and they're completely surrounded but that's no problem because it pleases the

[30:08] Lord to use the small the insignificant the underdog so that group laid the foundation and as we've studied before then they stopped building because opposition came in and squashed it and so they backed off and they started taking care of their own homes and some years passed by until God raised these preachers up and came in and see this is one of his messages to Zerubbabel saying nobody's going to stand in front of you get up and get to the work don't despise this thing it's not a small thing to God Jonathan said to his armor barrel there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few and so they went up and defeated the Philistines that day God used one prophet one solo prophet to stand and proclaim Jehovah is God and there was 850 of them can you see a scene of 850 false prophets and you're the only guy can you see that

[31:15] I was going to say something else about a seminary but can you see that picture standing for the Lord and standing for the truth and then have God answer he doesn't need 850 men he just needs one God used Gideon's army it was too big I don't want you to go fight him because you'll vaunt yourself up and think that your own hand has defeated this Midianite army so it's got to be less nope it's got to be less than that down to 300 men to fight a battle come on but that's what God used because God uses small things it's not the size of the thing to be considered it's the size of the God that's behind it that has chosen to use it so then thirdly first of all it was God works in the day of small things and God uses the small things so then thirdly the challenge the admonition to you today church don't despise the small things don't despise the small things don't be guilty of this of thinking it has to be grand in order for it to be of

[32:30] God Paul told Timothy when God put Timothy in the ministry Paul said let no man despise thy youth God put you there now fulfill your work and stand up in the power of his might that resonates with me a little bit as a young man the first chance I had to preach a message I may have told you this the first chance I had I didn't want nothing to do with it but I had surrendered to the Lord I knew it was his calling in my life and I just got to start somewhere and I didn't know what to do but I was reading through my Bible and little things would stand out to me and I make notes I think I even still have the notebook somewhere today of just some of those little notes that I made my first time reading through the Bible and I was probably at this time that I was fully surrendered and like I'm not turning back was probably 20 21 22 I don't even know actually no I was getting close to being married so I was around 23 24 and

[33:33] Lord willing was putting the world behind me and was going forward I had an opportunity that I was asked to preach on a watch night service and I thought what in the world am I going to do but I had to say yes because inside my heart I had a conviction that God is telling me yet to do this so I can't tell him no I just sucked it up against everything inside of me and said alright I'll do it so I went back and got in the Bible and found a place and I had something and it was like six little points that kind of come out of a passage and I just felt like man this is good stuff and I practiced it and I practiced it and I wrote stuff down and I practiced it and you know walking around my apartment at the time probably preached my message ten times to nobody and then it was time to go and so I came to church that night and I was so scared to death I did not want to be in front of those people I was so scared and I had probably a 15 minute time slot and my practice went about 15 minutes but that sermon probably went about seven maybe eight

[34:39] I mean it was and I was scared and shaken and just it was a just a blur it was over so fast but I think I look back at that I look back at being intimidated to do this and to get in front of the church that I had grown up in as a baby literally as an infant in the nursery I was two months old when we moved to that area where my dad took a position and I was a two month old baby and so I looked and I was thinking about these people they held me in the nursery and changed my diapers and seen me come up through the Sunday school classes and seen me get away from God and be a rebellious youth and do some things and come back around and try to serve the Lord now and I just felt like who am I to stand up here and tell them what to do that's kind of like this hurdle I had in front of me who am I to stand up and tell these people who have been faithful all these years and who just see me as a kid to tell them and when

[35:44] I was describing this to my mom on the phone just kind of getting the nerves out beforehand she said well you don't have to think of it that way you're not telling them what to do it's not you that's telling them you're preaching the word of God to them so what you're doing is you're telling what God says that's where the authority lies and that just was light bulb to me that just released a whole lot of stuff that has never come back since that day was preaching is proclaiming the word of God thus saith the Lord and I stand in his stead to proclaim what he says is true and that made a difference and that's what Paul is telling Timothy don't let no man despise thy youth brother get up and preach preach the word is what he tells him in chapter 4 don't despise the small things let me give you a list here of some things this is a partial list but it could be it could be long don't despise the small things like prayer don't despise prayer you know why because prayer works you know why

[36:51] I know it works because God ordained in his word that you pray that you fellowship with him in prayer why would he tell you to do it just to see if you'll do it just to laugh and mock at you haha God works through prayer he wants to hear from you in prayer so don't despise it don't think oh this isn't doing anything I'm not seeing results that's despising the small thing of prayer God ordained it Jesus Christ made it available the Holy Spirit makes it possible the Bible says speaking of Christ it says through him we both Jews and Gentiles have access by one spirit unto the Father he accomplished a work and made a channel opened up that the spirit of God in us can carry our prayers through Jesus Christ or by Jesus Christ to the Father don't despise that don't ignore that that's a small thing huh well

[37:57] God likes to work in small things don't despise prayer don't despise daily Bible reading it's bigger deal than you realize it really really really is a bigger deal but your flesh sometimes you sit down after a long day and you turn the TV on and the Lord says you didn't read your Bible today and now you have a choice I'm tired and in that choice you can quickly despise the small thing of daily Bible reading and you can just say I've missed before I'll miss again big deal that's despising it but if you say you know what God's right put that aside open up that book and fellowship with God and just do your part that day the Lord sees it the Lord honors it the Lord likes it it's not a small thing it sounds small it seems insignificant it is if you despise it don't despise it it's such a big deal it's a discipline that's to be cultivated and not neglected

[39:05] God calls for you to be in that book don't despise faithfulness to your local church don't despise that don't think that God doesn't notice when you make the choice to go to church and don't think that God doesn't notice when you make the choice not to come to church I'm not just going to preach for attendance here and try to beat you down about it I'm preaching in my perspective I'm preaching on God's behalf don't despise what he has instituted for you in your life he has established the local church to exist for him to be glorified don't despise it by ignoring it by just when it's convenient I'll partake but if I got something else I could be doing right now or if there's sometimes things come along and God watches your decisions you get invited to this you get these people show up there's always going to be something and God watches to see what choice you make and if you despise your local church the institution that God has placed in your life for him to get something from you and for you to get something together it's important think of this place as a big dinner table a big big long dinner table and we meet to partake together as a family

[40:33] Sundays and Wednesdays and think about that big table and think about when you're not at your seat I want you to think of this as a place and this is your place if this is your church this is your place to be in on Sunday morning this is your place to be in when the doors are open and when we're having services I hit it in the announcements I want you to know that my heart is hard on this that you show up every time we have services here that you show up when we have special meetings that you commit to being in your place have a place that's another reason why membership is important it's being committed to the body to being part of it instead of just staying outside of it and just take it or leave it because I'm not really committed get committed make it something that's important to you have a place that is your place I don't mean a pew I mean this church the doors are open you're here in your place and imagine then that every time you skip your place is empty and sometimes it's awful fun to have the whole family around the table isn't it it's wonderful to have the table filled and the fellowship we can enjoy as we partake of the word of

[41:55] God and glorify him together but boy when it's when it's slim and when there's just a few people around the table the body hurts the body hurts the body is not being fulfilled it's not reaching it's not helping it's not doing its job don't despise being faithful to your local church that's a big deal but it's a small thing and for some they despise it so quickly any bigger deal anything comes up they'll jump on it don't despise it don't despise opportunities to speak up for Jesus Christ don't think oh no big deal oh I didn't hand a track out last time don't let it go by don't despise it little remarks that you can insert into a conversation or handing out a track or an invitation to church or even just to a special meeting that we're going to have just a friend somebody you know

[42:57] God can use and he has used those small things to do some amazing works in the lives of people you know there's people that God wants to reach and he'll use you to reach them so don't despise that small opportunity of speaking up for Christ I want to keep going with this list it's a good one don't despise the choices that you make each day to do right the small choices the times when nobody sees you the times when nobody's even going to know what choice you make the times when you have a choice to to click on that or the times when you have a choice to take another look that direction but inside you know it's wrong and you fight it the times when you fight temptation because you want to do right the times when you turn the channel instead of allowing the filth to continue coming out or you shut it off completely because you know it's wrong and no one's even around don't despise those small choices that are to be made each day to take the high road to walk in the spirit to keep it in and not pass it on to someone else to not grow bitter when you feel you've been done wrong but as we said in

[44:17] Sunday school to take the wrong with conscience toward God don't despise those small choices those small choices reveal your character they reveal who you are on the inside and if God's living through you or not don't despise obeying your parents it is the right thing to do for this is right don't despise it don't show not just your parents but show God that you value him more than yourself and don't despise don't obey your parents because they're going to give you money or because it's an easy thing to do this time it's not really a big deal I can do this one don't despise them because you know that if you don't do it they're going to tell you again and again and again or they're going to take something away from you and punish you don't despise or don't don't obey for that reason obey because it's right obey your parents in the Lord for this is right don't despise it it's easy to do don't despise loving your spouse and being faithful to them and available to their needs daily to listen to them to love them to fulfill your pledge to them don't think it's a big deal if you're not home again that's despising it don't despise giving to missions and to your local church even to the work of God in general it's not doing it because there's a blessing in there if I give and I'm faithful I'll get blessed and God will take it and multiply it and I'll get more out of it you don't give so that God will give back to you but show

[46:05] God that this money does not have my heart I've worked hard for it but it does not have my heart you have my heart and show God that don't despise the opportunities you have to give and to prove to you to yourself to the Lord and to your family where your heart is just a few more don't despise opportunities to serve in your local church don't despise an opportunity to take a turn in the nursery or to sing a song or to testify or give a testimony or when you're called on to do something outside of your comfort zone but don't look at that like oh I can't do that or that's not for me or that's don't despise that take the opportunity absolutely every time to offer your time and your assistance and give and help and do something that can be a blessing to others don't despise the small things church

[47:11] God notices God cares he's showing us that here and when you despise those small things of your church or your Bible or your money and the things the Lord's work you're not just showing the Lord you're training your children to do the same thing you're training your children to just church when it's convenient church when it's possible don't despise it because it does matter God asked the question in Zechariah 4 in verse 10 for who hath despised the day of small things God works in the day of small things God uses the small things small in number small in faith small in experience or significance so don't despise them understand that these small and insignificant things can be great in the hand of God there's a I saw this this week and I've heard this before this little line here it says 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 battle was lost for want of a battle the kingdom was lost and all for want of a horseshoe nail don't despise the day of small things things that can be overlooked and look insignificant can have quite a bearing on your life and can reveal true what's truly inside of your heart when I think

[48:53] I'm still dying to get up to these sequoias and redwoods and take my family up there and see that I guess it's all closed now when I think about those magnificent and mighty trees and I realized that there was a time when these things were just such a small little seed sprouting forth that you could hold that in your hand you could crush it and it would never exist if you chose to but because it grew and it wasn't despised like that it's it draws people from all over the world to come and view it God works in the day of small things church and God notices your small choices he sees and it reveals what's inside before we close I don't know everybody in here I don't know all your hearts but I mentioned earlier that the day that you received

[49:54] Christ as your savior wasn't glorious to the world nobody even cared but if you're here today and you're not saved don't despise how simple God made salvation God made it so easy that you just place your faith in the work of his son in the person of Jesus Christ and call out to him believing on him God wants to save every sinner he's not willing that any should perish but there's so many men and women and children and teens that are going to despise the work of Christ and think that's insignificant I have a better way I'll do my best I'll show God I'm good enough and it'll land you straight in hell I wonder this morning is anybody here wrestling with the salvation of their soul don't despise what Jesus

[50:54]  Christ did for you that's all God accepts that's it there's only one way Christ said he's the way the truth and the life and that no man no matter how big he is no matter how wise he is no matter how wealthy he is no man cometh unto the father but by me you need the Lord Jesus Christ if you're not saved today would be a great day let's have our heads bowed him who who