This communion meditation is based upon a February 1999 sermon of the same title.
In my study this week I came across the results of recent surveys that show that 90% of all Americans believe in God. The same surveys also show that a whopping 80% believe in God’s ability to do miracles.
Now-think about these survey results for a moment. Why would these statistics be so high? I mean, in this day and age when so many people live as if they don’t believe in God-and when science seems to come up with new “miracles” every day-why would such a high majority of Americans still cling to their belief in the existence and miracle-working ability of God?
Well, I for one believe it is because-in spite of the moral decline of our culture-in spite of the amazing advances of today’s technology, all people still face hopeless situations. For example: marriages still fail-wars still rage-economies still sag-doctors still give grave diagnoses-and, as a result people still yearn for a God Who is bigger than all these problems that they face.
In short-we all want Someone to appeal to for help when the natural laws of this fallen world threaten us. We need Someone Who is above those laws-Who can and will change them for our benefit.
Now, as Christians of course, we know that the Bible tells us that our God is that God. We know that from Genesis to Revelation the Scripture recounts miracle after miracle after miracle; BEGINNING with God’s creating this universe and all that is in it from nothing-in seven days and ENDING with His promise to create a new Heaven and a new Earth. In his newest book, Miracles and Wonders, Calvin Miller writes about this and says,
“Why would God do all these things? Because He is a God Who is crazy about the human race and His miracles are but His way of demonstrating His love for us.”
Our loving Heavenly Father IS a miracle-working God isn’t He!? As the old children chorus goes, “God can do anything, anything, ANYTHING! God can do anything BUT FAIL.”
Well, this morning, I want us to look at two Biblical texts to remind ourselves of TWO WAYS that God’s wonder-working power manifests itself. The first is in the writings of that Old Testament Minor prophet, Zechariah. We don’t read from this book too often so let me help you find it. Go all the way to Malachi-the last book in the Old Testament-and then go back one book and you’ll be there. Turn to chapter 4 and listen as I read verses 6 and 7.
6 – So He said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.’
7 – “What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!'”
1. This text tells us that one way God miraculously acts in our lives is when He makes BIG things SMALL.
In other words there are times in our lives when we face impossible problems or tasks-things that in a very real sense are like “MIGHTY MOUNTAINS” blocking our path. And experience teaches us that when we ask for His help, God makes these mountains-these BIG THINGS-small-just as He promises to do here for Zerubbabel. This is also the principle that God communicated through Isaiah when He promised, “every mountain and hill will be made low…the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.”
Now, this particular text from Zechariah was written during a period of Israel’s history where God used this MINOR prophet to teach His people this very MAJOR truth. And to refresh you on Old Testament history a bit let me remind you that Zechariah served God during the years in which the Jews had just returned from the Babylonian captivity. As soon as they arrived back in Jerusalem they realized that God was leading them to rebuild the TEMPLE that Solomon had built but which now lay in ruins. They were moved to do this so that they could once again worship in God’s house. And AT FIRST enthusiasm was high for this task. I mean, in the beginning, with great zeal the people quickly laid the foundation of the new temple. But gradually the rebuilding slowed to a standstill.
This happened for a couple reasons.
First of all, the local residents, the Samaritans, opposed this building project and made it their goal in life to discourage the people from participating. Also, many workers quit working on God’s house all together so that they could fix their own houses. As a result of these and other factors, all construction stopped. And as the years went by the unfinished temple became a testimony of the Jew’s preoccupation with their own lives and their lack of zeal for the Lord’s business.
Now, Zerubbabel was the governor of the little colony of Jews who had returned from exile and he apparently prayed for God’s help in resuming the building of the Temple. In my mind I can see ZERUBBABEL looking at that awesome task that was set before him and seeing the limited resources and all the obstacles and feeling like giving up. He probably remembered stories of the GLORY of the old temple and that made his job seem even more “mountain-sized” – even more impossible. But you know the amazing truth is this people: OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOD TO WORK are often disguised as IMPOSSIBLE TASKS. And Zerubbabel was mature enough spiritually not to give up. He continued to humbly ask for God’s help and God did come to his aid. He sent two prophets, Zechariah and Haggai and God’s response to Zerubbabel’s prayer is in today’s text where God commented on the seemingly impossible task before them by saying, “NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER BUT BY MY SPIRIT.”
In other words, God said, “Don’t worry Zerubbabel! The temple will be rebuilt. The capstone will be laid. This impossible task will be accomplished….but it will not be finished by your might or your power. It will be completed by the power of My Spirit.” God was telling Zerubbabel that this thing that seemed like an unscalable mountain-this task that appeared to be too much for him and his workers-WAS too much for them and their strength but it was not too much for God! God said that He would “level” Zerubbabel’s “mountain”-that it was less than a SPEED bump from His almighty perspective.
And you know, I believe that God had these words written down and preserved all these centuries because this message wasn’t just for ZERUBBABEL. God meant these words for you and me as well!
He wants those of us who live in the 21st century to know that we should not worry about the “mountains” we face in life because the same MOUNTAIN-MOVING POWER that was available to Zerubbabel thousands of years ago is available to us on August 17, 2003! You know, throughout my life I have faced numerous unscalable MOUNTAINS-problems that at the time I just knew were unsolvable-burdens that I just could not bear on my own. But each time I gave the problem to God, He did for me just what He did for Zerubbabel. He leveled the mountains in my path. In each of these experiences God has reminded me once again how essential it is that I trust in Him and rely on His strength and not my own. In short, God has taught this balding, aging preacher that I can get through any mountain, “not by might nor by power but by HIS SPIRIT.”
You see, this is one way that God miraculously acts in our fallen world to help us. He turns seeming defeat into amazing victory. He makes the IMPOSSIBLE possible. He DOES indeed make big things small.
The Biblical record states time after time that God did this. Remember?
He turned the Great Red Sea into a dry path so that the people of Israel could walk across safely-and then He let the waters return to destroy the pursuing chariots of the “unconquerable” Egyptian army. Years later He made it rain bread and meat so the people would not go hungry. God once stopped the sun so the army of Israel could win a decisive military victory. He pulled down huge city walls that were thought to be impregnable. When hordes of evil armies threatened His people, God destroyed them. And then when His Son came to earth, as God in the flesh, He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, raised the dead, and leveled the BIGGEST “mountain” of all when through His death and resurrection, He made a way for the sins of all mankind to be forgiven. For-as Martin Marty says, “It takes more doing for a holy God to forgive an errant person than it does to part the waters of a sea.” God does make BIG things small. As Jesus said in Luke 18:27, “What is IMPOSSIBLE with men is POSSIBLE with God.”
Now-what about your life?
What “mountains” do you face this morning? What are the things that seem to be impossible for you today?
- Is it sickness?
- Is it financial troubles or insurmountable problems at work?
- Is it a grief that you just can’t bear any longer?
- Is your marriage or family falling apart?
- Do you struggle with anxiety or depression so great you don’t think you can make it through another day?
Well, then hear this! NOTHING is impossible with God. He can make a way when there is no way. God CAN indeed take the BIG things in your life and make them small! As He told Jeremiah, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” But you know that’s not the only kind of miracle that God does these days. For, not only does He make BIG things small…
2. …God also makes SMALL THINGS big.
Let’s turn now to a SECOND text and I’ll show you what I mean. Look at Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians-chapter 1-follow along as I read verse18 and then verses 26-29…
18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
26 – Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
27 – but God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
28 – He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are,
29 – so that no one may boast before Him.
Do you see the truth I’m getting at here? This text and others throughout the Bible tell us that God doesn’t just show His power by making BIG THINGS SMALL. Often He does it by using SMALL THINGS to accomplish BIG tasks. In fact it seems to me that God takes PLEASURE in using SMALL things in a BIG way. Think of it.
- He chose two weak and aged childless senior adults to be the source from whom an entire nation would spring.
- He used a boy sold into slavery by his jealous brothers to rule the nation of Egypt and eventually provide a food source for God’s people.
- He used the tiny tear of a baby to move the heart of Pharaoh’s daughter so that Israel could have a great leader to deliver them from bondage.
- He used the ROD of a shepherd-just a stick-a piece of wood-to work mighty miracles through that leader: Moses.
- God made a shepherd boy into Israel’s greatest King.
- He used the skimpy lunch of another boy to feed 5,000 men on a hill side near the Sea of Galilee and to teach all mankind that Jesus is the Bread of life.
- He used twelve uneducated men to turn the world upside down.
So you see, God delights in doing BIG things through things that are SMALL and seemingly insignificant. As it says in our text, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise…the weak things to shame the strong…the lowly things and the despised things and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are.”
Well, can you see how this principle applies to you and me? That means that there is no one too small-no one too untalented-for God to use to accomplish GREAT tasks in His kingdom. In fact God prefers the humble-not the proud, the weak-not the strong. So as Henry Blackaby says, “If you feel weak, limited, or ordinary, then you are the best material through which God can work.”
You know, when the Apostle Paul asked God to take away his weakness-which he referred to as his “thorn in the flesh” God’s reply was, “My grace is sufficient for you, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” I love Paul’s response to this teaching. Writing to the Corinthians about this he said, “Because I know this to be true-because I understand this principle…I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me….I delight in weaknesses…for when I am weak….then I am strong.
Paul’s walk with Christ taught him to believe that he could, “….do all things (not through his own feeble strength but…) through Christ Who strengthened him!” And Paul is not alone. The Bible is full of the stories of small, weak people whom God used to do unbelievably great, things.
A great place to look is 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews-a portion of Scripture that has been called a “roll call of God’s heroes”. This listing of famous people in the kingdom of God like Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph begins with these words: “Those who out of weakness were made strong” (Heb. 11:34) Or, to paraphrase this verse, “Those who out of smallness were made BIG.” So you see doing BIG THINGS in the Kingdom of God is not about my ability or your ability. It is really about my weakness-your weakness-our SMALLNESS.
Years ago a Sunday School in Philadelphia was overcrowded so much so that one little girl was actually turned away. Can you imagine that?! Well, from that day on she began to save her pennies to help the church build a Sunday School with more room. But two years after the day she was turned away from Sunday School she died suddenly. In going through her things her family found a pocketbook by her bed with 57 pennies in it and a little scrap of paper with a note saying that this money was, “to help the church build a bigger Sunday School.” The pastor of that church, Dr. Russell Conwell, used that note to make a dramatic appeal to his congregation for funds to build and people’s hearts were touched. On hearing this story, one realtor even gave the church a piece of land. He said he just wanted a one-time payment of fifty-seven cents. The local newspaper picked up the story, and it was carried across the country. The pennies grew, and the results can be seen in Philadelphia today. There is now a church that seats 3,300 people and a very large Sunday School department. There is also Temple University and Good Samaritan Hospital that came about as a result of that initial effort. In fact, in Temple University there is a room where that little girl’s picture is on the wall with the reminder that she gave her 57 cents with an amazing result. Does this help you to see what God can do with a small thing-a seemingly insignificant thing?
This morning we gather at the Lord’s Table to celebrate the greatest example of this principle.
For, this bread and this cup symbolize the fact that God took some insignificant rough lumber-wood that was used over and over again for Roman executions and He turned it into the universally recognized symbol of Jesus’ victory over death itself. If you are here and are a believer then we invite you to join us in this celebration. Even if you’re not a member of this church. If you are a Christian-if you are His-then this is yours.
CELEBRATION OF THE ORDINANCE OF COMMUNION
Invitation:
I wonder-are you in need of the miracle-working power of God this morning?
Is there some MOUNTAIN you are facing-some IMPOSSIBLE thing in your life? I hope that you realize that God can move it. He can make a way when there is no way. All you have to do is ask for His help. In Jeremiah 33:3 God promised, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Perhaps the MOUNTAIN in your life is your own sin. It is blocking your way to God. You have never repented of it and asked for God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Won’t you do that today? If you do He will forgive you and move that mountain as far as the east is from the west. He’ll come into your life and you will know the sheer joy of walking through life with your Creator and Redeemer at your side.
Or-do you feel small this morning? Do you feel ordinary-weak-incapable of doing any GREAT thing for God? Then you are just the kind of person He is looking for. He can and will do BIG things-miraculous things-through your life if you will give it to Him. We would love to have you take the first step in this commitment by joining this church and working alongside of all the ORDINARY people here through whom God is doing EXTRAORDINARY things.
We sing now to give you an opportunity to respond publicly in these ways. Won’t you come and share your decision with me right now as we stand and sing?