The Necessity of Restoration

 Temple Baptist Church - 11-8-2023

John 12:1-3

 

Introduction:

 

A.  In chapter 11, we saw one of the more notable miracles of the Lord as He raised a dead man from the grave.  The desired result of this miracle that the people would see and believe that all things were possible with God.

 

B.  In chapter 12, verses 1-3, we find the necessity of restoration that believers need to experience after tragedy occurs.  Tragedies often have lingering effects that, left unattended to, can be permanent ones.  God wants us to come out of life’s valleys BETTER not BITTER.

 

C.  I have no doubt that prior to this, the Lord had been to this precious home on multiple occasions.  Lazarus, Martha, and Mary had opened their home to the Lord and welcomed Him like no others did.

 

D.  Though He had done a wonderful thing for this family in resurrecting Lazarus, the effects of the previous couple of weeks had taken a toll spiritually.

 

E.  Our Lord’s first opportunity to return to the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary was after a week or so.  He had not sat in their home at their table since.

 

F.  In the 23^rd Psalm, verse 3 say, “He restoreth my soul.”  He feeds us, He leads us; He restores us.  The third is as important as the first two.

 

G.  There are times when life gets so hard, problems so oppressive, the present so dim, that we tend to lose sight of our Lord.  These are times when restoration can only be done by Him!  I may cheer you up for a few minutes, but only God can restore your soul!

 

H.  I copied this from the Treasury of David.  Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the "Prince of Preachers," composed and polished The Treasury of David over the span of nearly half his ministry.

 

“He restoreth my soul.” When the soul grows sorrowful he revives it; when it is sinful he sanctifies it; when it is weak he strengthens it. “He” does it. His ministers could not do it if he did not. His Word would not avail by itself. “He restoreth my soul.” Are any of us low in grace? Do we feel that our spirituality is at its lowest ebb? He who turns the ebb into the flood can soon restore our soul. Pray to him, then, for the blessing - “Restore thou me, thou Shepherd of my soul!”

 

J.  In our text, I find 3 distinct areas of restoration that need to be done.  1)  Our Communion in Lazarus  2)  Our Service in Martha   3)  Our Worship in Mary.

 

K.  I want to make a comparison of our text with another such event that took place earlier.

 

Luke 10:38-42  Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.  (39)  And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.  (40)  But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.  (41)  And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:  (42)  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

 

L.  Now, look at our text for tonight and see the changes made after their restoration.

 

1.  Verse 2.  Our Lord restored Lazarus in Communion.  “but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.”  In Luke’s account, Lazarus was not even mentioned as Martha received the Lord into “her” house.

 

a.  Lazarus was never recorded as to speaking but our Lord referred to him as “Our friend Lazarus”, which implies communion. 

 

b.  Our communion with the Lord is important to both us and Him.  It needed to be restored and the Lord sat with Lazarus at the table.  I think that I can say that the conversation was both different and richer than it was before.  NOW, they had something to talk about.

 

c.  Our Communion with the Lord needs to be both personal and pleasing to the Lord and us.  It is praying without ceasing which is rich in its reward.

 

d.  After trials run their course, communion with the Lord often suffers.  It must be restored.

 

2.  Verse 2.  Our Lord restored Martha in Service.  “There they made him a supper; and Martha served”  In Luke’s account, Martha was “cumbered about much serving … And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:”

 

a.  In Luke’s Gospel, we find Martha previously serving but in a wrong attitude as it was a lonesome and cumbersome work.

 

Luke 10:40-41  But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.  (41) 

 

1)  She was cumbered in serving.  Cumbered – distracted.  She had forgotten the “why” of her serving because of the “what” of her serving.  She was serving the Lord!  This was not just another meal.

 

2)  She was cumber about “much serving.”  It is wonderful to serve the Lord, but you can get wearied by never sitting at the table with others.  Learn to “rest in the Lord” as well as “work for the Lord.” 

 

3)  She was careful: full of cares: worried and that caused her to be troubled about many things.

 

“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things”

 

b.  Verse 3.  Servants never sat at the table with others, but Jesus wanted Martha to serve. learn to sit, and hear His word.

 

c.  It is hard to serve the Lord during trials, but we need to be restored to a place where it is JOY to serve the Lord. 

 

c.  The Lord restored her to “serving and sitting.” 

 

3.  Verse 3.  Our Lord restored Mary in Worship.  The emphasis of the story rests on Mary, one who had previously sat at Jesus feet and heard His word.  “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”  In Luke’s account, Mary “sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word” but did not worship.

 

Luke 10:39, 42  And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word ...  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

 

a.  Previous to these events, Mary had a desire to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.  I do not think that part changed in this scenario that we find in John 12.  We need to sit and hear His words.

 

b.  But this time was so different.  Mary was still at the feet of Jesus where she could hear his words, but this time was also different. 

 

c.  The Lord restored her better than before.   This time, Mary worshipped! 

 

John 12:3  Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

 

1)  Notice the amount of ointment.  “a pound”  Not just a little hand lotion in the palm of the hand to cover and work into the feet but a pound.  Can you imagine how wonderful that felt to the Lord.  His feet weary from the dusty roads.

 

2)  Notice the ointment.  “Spikenard.”  Spikenard was a highly aromatic plant growing in India, whence was made a very valuable unguent or perfume, used at the ancient baths and feasts.

 

3)  Notice the worth of the ointment.  Verse 5.  “three hundred pence”  Clearly, the Spikenard was her own for personal use in bathing, etc.  Clearly, according to Judas, it was expensive.

 

4)  Notice the wiping with her hair.  “and wiped his feet with her hair:”  A woman’s hair was and is her glory.  Instead of using a towel which would have certainly been less messy and more convenient, Mary bowed her head and used her hair to dry His feet.

 

5)  Notice the noticing by all.  “and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” 

 

Conclusion:  Our Lord desired to not only restore this home back like the days before when He came and sat with them, He wanted to restore this home to better than the days before.

 

The Lord restores our souls so as to make our daily communication, service, and worship so much better than before.

A Man Born Blind

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-31-2023

John 9:1-7

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Tonight, I want to look at another great miracle performed by our Lord just after the Pharisees took up stones to stone Him.  Nothing or nobody could deter Christ from the task before Him.

 

B.  The importance of both words and context is found in the verses that I just read.  Let us see what I mean by reading two verses together.

 

John 8:59-9:1  Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.  (9:1)  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

 

1.  A Prepared Man. “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents”

 

2.  A Providential Meeting.  “but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

 

John 9:2-3  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  (3)  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

 

3.  A Proven Method.  This story will line up with the story of “The Woman at the Well”.

 

C.  These two verses are simultaneous.  Jesus immediately turned a bad event, the birth and life of a blind man, into a miraculous one!  This man no doubt was within hearing distance of the previous conversation because of his close proximity to what had gone on.

 

D.  I just make mention of this to show the love and compassion of Christ as we would have made haste to get away from the situation that He was in.  But, Christ, in His omniscience, both knew the blind man was there and foreknew that he would be there.

 

E.  This entire chapter deals with the healing and revealing of the man born blind.  I just want to key in on the miracle tonight.

 

F.  I find two things in the verses that we read, improbability and impossibility.

 

1.  Improbability – “a man”. 

 

a)  A man who had no hope of ever seeing.  This was not a child but a man who had been blind throughout his infancy, childhood, and manhood.  Never giving thought to being anything other than blind for as long as he lived. 

 

b)  We too often give up, having no hope of ever seeing things in our lives that we consider bad things going away or changing.  We become resigned to our fate.

 

2.  Impossibility – “blind from his birth”. 

 

a)  There had NEVER been a man, blind from birth, healed of his blindness.  His situation became accepted because there was neither cure nor hope.

 

b)  There are some things in life that we do not have the power to change and, therefore, we accept our predicament with both helplessness and hopelessness.

G.  In this chapter, we find that the Lord did the improbable and impossible!

 

John 9:6-7  When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,  (7)  And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

 

1.  This man was completely healed, in that, for the first time in his life, he could see clearly.  No need of rehab or glasses.

 

2.  This man was completely healed, in that, he understood everything that he saw.  A few people, in our day, can be surgically helped through retina transplantation, etc., but never having seen, must be told what their looking at is a tree or rose or the color red.

 

3.  This man both saw and understood what he was seeing without having to be told.

 

H.  Here is the message: never give up on the God of probability and possibility!  What the Lord did to this man born blind was both IMPROBABILITY and  IMPOSSIBILITY!  We serve the God of IMPOSSIBILITY.  What do you need today?  What have you been praying for?  How is your faith in IMPOSSIBILITY?  A “bridge too far”!

 

J.  “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” is the question asked.

 

1.  When we get tired, God says: Matthew 11:28-30  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (29)  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  (30)  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 

2.  When we think that nobody cares, God says: 1 Peter 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

 

3.  When we can’t go any farther, God says: Psalms 91:15-16  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.  (16)  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

 

4.  When we think that we cannot do it, God says: Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

5.  When we feel alone, God says: Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 

6.  When we are afraid, God says: Hebrews 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

 

7.  When peace fails us, God says:  John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

8.  In our IMPOSSIBILITIES, the God of ALL POSSIBILITY says: Psalms 121:1-8  I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  (2)  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.  (3)  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.  (4)  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  (5)  The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.  (6)  The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.  (7)  The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.  (8)  The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

What Sign Shewest Thou?

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-4-2023

John 6:22-31

 

Introduction:

 

A.  In the verses 22-25, we find the verification of the miracle of Jesus walking upon the sea. 

 

1.  Those whom the Lord fed knew that only one ship had launched out into the sea (it was getting dark when it left and not a time for sailing) and only the disciples got into it.  Jesus was not in the ship. 

 

2.  In the morning, they could not find Jesus, so they crossed back over the sea to Capernaum. 

 

B.  When they found Jesus there, they asked Him when He came, and He answered them not.  The Lord never explained how He did miracles, he just let men observe them and then, believe them or not.  They were aware of many miracles that this point:

 

1.  The Miracle of Incarnation.  John 1:14-18. 

 

2.  The Miracle of the Water made Wine.  John 2:9-11. 

 

3.  The Miracle of the New Birth.  John 3:1-2.  (The Pharisees knew that Jesus was sent from God.)

                         

4.  The Miracle of the Healing of the Nobleman’s Son.  John 4:49-52. 

 

5.  The Miracle of the Impotent Man made Whole.  John 5:6-9. 

 

John 12:37  But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

 

C.  The Lord knew that their interest was not in His previous miracles, but in full bellies.  Great multitudes followed Christ because he fed and healed them but forsook Christ for the words that He spoke because their hearts were hardened.

 

John 6:26  Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

 

Mark 6:52  For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

 

D.  Faith verses Sight or Works.  John 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

 

E.  They had the Son of God.  Verses 30-31.  They were knowledgeable concerning these 5 miracles (Nicodemus said that the Pharisees knew in John 3:1-2) and then they asked for a sign, after all these miracles, and gave Jesus an Old Testament example of what the Lord did for Israel in the wilderness. 

 

a.  Sign seekers grieve the heart of God.  Mark 8:11-12  And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.  (12)  And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

 

b.  Signs constitute extra-biblical revelations.  In many of today’s religious denominations, extra-biblical revelation is imperative.  Dreams, revelations, visions, tongues, etc. are examples of sight walking instead of faith walking. 

 

c.  We are to walk by faith, not by sight.

 

2 Corinthians 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

 

1.  Israel had the Word of God, both in the Old Testament Canon and the incarnation of Christ Jesus. 

 

a.  The Word of God in Jesus’ day.  They now had Christ Jesus, according to John 1, the Living or Incarnate Word of God.  John 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

 

1)  These Jews had the incarnate Word of God, Jesus Christ: their Messiah.  But Jesus Christ was not enough for them.

 

1 Corinthians 1:22  For the Jews require a sign …

 

John 1:10-11  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  (11)  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

2)  The Person of Christ, the Saviour of the World, became the Sword of Division.  Matthew 10:32-36  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  (33)  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.  (34)  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.  (35)  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.  (36)  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

 

3)  Four reasons that Israel rejected Christ:

 

a)  Because of where He was raised.  John 7:40-43  Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.  (41)  Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?  (42)  Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?  (43)  So there was a division among the people because of him.

 

b)  Because of His miracles that contradicted their religion.  John 9:15-16  Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.  (16)  Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

 

c)  Because of who He claimed to be.  John 10:17-19  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  (18)  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.  (19)  There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

 

d)  Because of the words that He said.  John 6:64-67  But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.  (65)  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.  (66)  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  (67)  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

 

2.  Today, we have the inscribed Word of God.  Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

a.  We have the King James Bible, but the Bible is not enough for many.  1 Corinthians 1:22b  … and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

 

1)  From 1611 until 1881, the King James Bible was not a version, it was the revered Word of God for the English-speaking people and was all that God’s people needed for the next 270 years.  The greatest revivals and mission outreach the world had ever known came out of this Bible.

 

2)  I believe the greatest extrabiblical revelation of the end time is that of the rise of critical texts from which come all the new bibles of our day have been translated.  In the mid-1800’s came the introduction of the Westcott-Hort Text with the translation of the Revised Version New Testament in 1881.  This line of texts was and still is extrabiblical revelation as they did not complement the Textus Receptus, they criticized and corrected it.

 

3)  These texts have been rightly labeled the minority text, the critical text, and the Catholic text.  There has been nothing but confusion and division since their discovery and translation!

 

b.  Though there have been sporadic groups who were different, for the most part, there were no extrabiblical revelations. 

 

1)  In 1906, unbiblical tongues (Biblical tongues were earthly languages, not unintelligible gibberish) were first heard in Los Angles, California, (The Azusa Street Revival) and the Pentecostal Movement was born.  This movement swept across this nation through people who were not content with the Bible as the only means of faith and practice.  They wanted extrabiblical revelations and began to seek these passing gifts.

 

2)  Today, this movement continues to speak in unknown tongues, dream dreams, see visions, and practice sign gifts that passed away 2,000 years ago. 

 

Conclusion:  They missed Christ then and they are missing Him today.  Salvation is found in the Word of God through the hearing of faith.

The Importance of Little Things

 Temple Baptist Church - 12-14-2022

John 6:1-15

 

Introduction:

 

A.  In these verses, we find the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 done by the Lord that John recorded.  We also find the same story in Mark and Luke.  There are several aspects of the story that are interesting.

 

1.  Verses 2, 10.  The Problem.   A great multitude of people.  5,000 men and possibly 4 to 5 times that many people including the women and children.  I say that because we find a “lad” in verse 6.

 

2.  Verse 5-6.  The Proving.  “Whence shall we buy bread?”  The place was a mountain with no Walmart Super Centers around and their money insufficient for the task.  The Lord knew what He would do but the disciples did not trust what He could do.

 

3.  Verses 8-9, 11-13.  The Provision.  Five barley loaves and two small fishes supplied the multitude with 12 baskets of fragments left over after everyone had eaten their full.

 

4.  Verse 6, 8-9.  The Perspectives.

 

B.  What I want to do tonight is to look at the 2 perspectives: that of the disciples and that of the Lord.

 

1.  The Lord’s Perspective.  John 6:5-6  When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?  (6)  And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

 

2.  The Disciples’ Perspective.  John 6:8-9  One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,  (9)  There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

 

C.  We live in the day of “big things.”  Today, it is always:

 

1.  How much did you make last year?  A great salary does little to impress God. 

 

a)  I am not against making a good living if it is done in such a way as to glorify God.  The Lord did not have much good to say about the rich of this world.  It was the poor that were rich in faith. 

 

b)  The problem with this “big thing” thinking is that people with modest incomes think they are either not as important as the rich or that they are failures because they did not become rich.

 

2.  How big is your home or automobile?  

 

a)  I pray that you have a beautiful home and the best automobile on the road but I am also thankful for a 23 year old truck that still runs and a modest home filled with quietness and love.  That is more impressive to both the Lord and me. 

 

b)  The problem with this “big thing” thinking is that people with less impressive homes and autos feel impoverished instead of blessed.

 

3.  How many points did you score or how many yards did you run? 

 

a)  I am not against scoring points or running yards but where are the assists and blocks statistics?  Media and fans always make men of numbers their heroes while those who assist are overlooked.  Try to score 30 points without rebounders and passers; try to run 100 yards a game without blockers. 

 

b)  The problem with this “big thing” thinking is that it overlooks the fundamentals and team players who make the big plays possible for others.

 

4.  How many people attend your church? 

 

a)  We live in the days of the “super” or “mega” churches.  I am not against numbers, but numbers can define who we are in a wrong way.  If we have great numbers by adhering to the Old Paths of doctrinal correctness and holiness, then these numbers impress and glorify God but, if we have great numbers because we neglect to preach and practice the whole counsel of God, then the numbers only impress and glorify men. 

 

b)  The result of the “big thing” concept is that men who pastor small but sound churches feel that they are a failure in the sight of men and, therefore in the sight of God.

 

5.  The list could go but I think you have the point.

 

D.  Now, let me say that “big things” are important! 

 

1.  I am not minimizing the importance of doing great things or having great thing, but “big things” are normally a result of the “small things” in your life. 

 

2.  If your “small things” are not impressive to God, then your “big things” will not impress Him either.

 

1.  Your “Little Things” are important to God.  He chose to use a little boy’s lunch! 

 

a.  Your little cares are important to God.  1 Peter 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  (We so often think that God only cares about the burdens that we bring to Him, but we are so wrong.  God cares for everything you and I care about.  “Casting all” means just that.  God cares about what you care about as every aspect of your life is important to Him.)

 

b.  Your little prayers are important to God.  1 Thessalonians 5:17  Pray without ceasing.  (I call this our “small talk” with God.  Most pray only when they have something big to ask for, but God wants to hear from us when we have not big things to worry about.  Enoch walked with God.  I used to walk a lot with a friend and, when we first started walking each day, we would discuss the “big things” that we had on our minds but, after a couple of miles, we would just “small talk.”  God wants you to tell him your “little things” as well as the big ones.)

 

c.  Your little tithes and offerings are important to God.  Fifty dollars a month supports another missionary!  Luke 21:1-4  And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.  (2)  And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.  (3)  And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:  (4)  For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

 

d.  Your little things are important to God.  1 Corinthians 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.  (Here we find a couple of “little things” that precede the “big things” of “whatsoever ye do, do all!”  Even what we eat, and drink is important to the Lord.  What we desire is as important as what we accomplish.  What we think is just as important as what we do.)

 

d.  If we fail to do little things for God, we will not be faithful to accomplish big things for Him.

 

2.  Your “Little Things” are important to you.  Our “little things” develop character in us that will later define our “big things.” 

 

a.  Think on “little things.”  Little things make big things!  Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Thinking big is great at times, but the “little things” of our thinking mold the “big things” of our thinking. 

 

Proverbs 23:7  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

 

b.  Be thankful for the “little things” of life.  If we are not thankful for the little things in life, we will not be thankful for the big things either.  1 Thessalonians 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  (Learn to smell the roses once in a while.  Our Lord rebuked Martha because she was “careful” about many things while missing the “needful” ones.  Too often the cares and problems of this life cause us to miss the little blessings that grace our days.  A breath of fresh air; a sip of cool water; the smell of the honeysuckle in the spring; a sunbeam showing through the trees; a rainbow after the storm; feeling good when you get up in the morning; food on the table, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, shelter from the storm, wind, cold, and heat.  Did I make this one clear?  God has so blessed every one of us that, if we would count our blessings, we would be blessed!)

 

c.  Practice “little things” that develop character.  If we do not have the integrity to do the little things, we will not have the integrity of do big things.  When we practice doing the “little things” right, we will do the “big things” of life right without having to even think about it.  Samuel Smiles once said:

 

“Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”

Conclusion:  We that are saved belong to Christ.  We were bought with a great price at Calvary.  Let our lives bring glory and honor to the Lord in all that we do: both big and little things.