Little Things Matter

There is a spirit of encouragement that is already here and God is bringing that and he wants to bring additional encouragement for several weeks in preparation for this message. The Lord kept reminding me that I want to encourage my people. I want to encourage my people. God bless you. You may be seated.

There is a consistent recurring message and theme throughout all of scripture for God's culture and God's kingdom. It's captured in many verses. I've selected only two of those. Matthew chap 25 and verse 21. His lord said unto him, well done, thou good and faithful servant.

Thou hast been faithful over a few things. Would you say that word few with me? Few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.

Luke 16 and10. He that is faithful in that which is least. Would you say that word with me? Least is faithful also in much. And he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

He's talking about faithfulness. And at first there is a hesitancy to refer to faithfulness as little or small because faithfulness is always big. But perhaps think of it this way this way. faithfulness is little in comparison to going to heaven and the rewards of heaven and the rewards that are going to be granted and giving given by our faithful Lord. So what we're doing here today, our trip to church, our drive or however you arrived here today, our worship, all of those may seem like little things.

I want to preach today little things matter. The concept of little things mattering is captured in the words of an old song. Little is much when God is in it. Labor not for wealth or fame. In other words, keep priorities correct.

There's a crown and you can win it if you will go in Jesus name. This chorus that was written a long time ago has several themes in it comparative to those themes of scripture from the verses that we read. God can accomplish great things and remarkable outcomes through the smallest act of faithfulness. It doesn't take our big act to let God be big and for him to do big things. efforts, no matter how small yours or mine are, have eternal value if they're offered to him.

Greatness in the kingdom often comes through humble, faithful acts. And how spiritually significant something is is not measured by my contribution or my talent or my actions, but it's by the heart's dedication and motivation and our reliance on God's spirit and God's power. It's not so much what we do, but why we do it. Every effort, and I emphasize that word, every, no matter how minor, holds lasting worth when it is given to God. Every effort counts.

Every one of your efforts count. Everything that we do for the glory of God counts. Stay and be faithful even in seemingly minor task knowing that God honors sincere service. No service is too insignificant when it's done in obedience to God. your consistent faithfulness, no matter how small that faithfulness action is, it's just another backdrop that is glorifying God.

God does see our daily commitments, however small they are, he sees that as another opportunity that we have taken to glorify and honor him. And if God sees it that way, I think it's all right if we see it that way. That every small effort, though it might be that glorifies God, he sees it and honors it and someday, if he hasn't already, will reward it. Be committed. Serve faithfully regardless of the apparent impact.

Trust that God receives it and will bring fruitfulness in his timing. Serve and commit regardless of visible results. And we all like results and we all like to see the fruit of our labors. And thank God those do come and they will come. But at times when it's not visible, when prayer seems to do no good, keep serving and committing faithfully.

And also God can use anyone who offers their wholehearted surf service to him. God can use anyone. Those of us who have been in the church all of our lives and those who are freshly committing their life to the Lord, God can use it all. Greatness in the kingdom often arises from humble people offering humble faithful actions to our Lord. The scripture in Luke 16, he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much tells us the size or the amount or importance of a task does not dictate the efforts of the faithful one.

We're not just faithful just in big items. We're not just faithful when there are going to be big results, but he that is faithful in that which is least. He that is faithful in that which seems so small. faithful in the small, the unnoticed, the minor duties, responsibilities, the same as though it were the most important and noticed assignment that they are doing. I read not long ago the story of President John F.

Kennedy going through the halls of NASA and he comes upon the janitor who is mopping the floors and he asked him, he said, "Sir, what are you doing?" and he said, "Mr. President, we're sending a man to the moon." He saw his task, as menial as it might have been, he saw it as part of a bigger cause. So I say today, every effort that every person is making that is in this room and many of you that are online, God sees it as big in his kingdom and in his purpose. Faithfulness such as faithfulness to church attendance. Every church service, every prayer meeting that you attend matters to God.

It may not seem like it. It may not feel like it. It's easy for us to be distracted. Faithful on Sundays in January, faithful on Wednesdays in January, faithful on Sundays in February, faithful in March, and faithful to services in April, and go on down through the year until we get to where we are on November 30th, the last day of this month. Uh it may not seem and feel like it matters all that much, but it counts to God.

It counts for you. It counts to others. I read a post just this week. Quietly faithful church members should never underestimate the encouragement they bring to their pastor. Your faithfulness matters to God.

Whether anybody else sees it or marks it or knows it, your faithfulness to every event in God's kingdom that you make, it matters to the Lord. One of our pastors in Oklahoma recently wrote this, Brother Michael Wisdom. He said, "I'm thinking about faithfulness today. We pastor my wife's home church. During her teen years, she was often the only one in the youth group, but she stayed faithful.

She stayed involved. She was unwavering in her walk with God. Now 30 plus years later in that very same church, our son serves as student pastor to more than 50 students. Brother and sister wisdom pastor that church. He wraps it up with this little phrase.

God truly honors faithfulness. Matthew 25 and 21 that we read, he said, "You've been faithful over a few things. Little things matter." And so be faithful over those few things because the word few does not mean it's unimportant. The word few is a comparative view to all that heaven is going to bless us with because we have been faithful to him. Faithfulness is an investment that appreciates forever.

Watch the strongest Christians that you know. Their secret isn't complicated. It's daily deposits of faithfulness. daily prayers, choosing worship over worry, speaking life instead of complaints. These small consistent efforts are not they're more than religious checkboxes.

They are investments earning in eternal interest. Faithfulness pays you today and forever. Faithfulness pays you both now and forever. The unexplainable peace during a difficult season. That's a dividend of faithfulness.

Joy despite living in the midst of a disappointment. That's compound interest on faithfulness that is at work. Every prayer builds resilience. Every act of faith adds strength. Uh I would say continue or if you need to start to start small today, read just one verse.

Engage one grateful thought because I'm preaching that little things matter. Speak one kind word. Go out of your way to meet one other person. Maybe it's just quote a small act. And the more I preach, I almost hesitate to use the words few and small and least.

But really, in comparison, that is a true word. But here's what we know. There are great dividends that are already coming and that will come. I'm just saying, faithful saint of God or faithful believer, keep on because the little things matter. Tiner tiny choices create spiritual giants who handle life with grace.

The old-timers used to say, "Keep on, keeping on, keep on, keeping on." And somebody added to that, "Keep on." And when you come to the end of the rope, tie a knot and hang on. Just keep on keeping on. Your faithfulness counts. Oh, it counts. God is going to reward.

He's a faithful rewarder. He's faithful in every aspect of faithfulness in even the simplest things and task is attended with a promise that God will honor it. what seems like small commitments and small faith actions to us. Hear me somebody because you may have already performed this today or the last few days are you will be called upon to perform it sometime in the near future today or this week. But what seem like small commitments and small faith actions to us often have a remarkable result.

and impact. When astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface during the Apollo 11 mission, he was trying to convey the significance of that moment, not only to himself, but for all of humanity. This was a historic moment. And as he became the first person to walk on the moon on that Sunday, July 20th, 1969, the landing and its and his famous words were broadcast to an estimated 530 million people worldwide. And Armstrong said, "That's one small step for a man, but it's one giant leap for mankind." Little steps matter.

That one in the natural world mattered and made history that is still remembered now, many, many years later. Church, it's the little things. There's a lad here and all he has is five barley loaves and two. And here's the way John recorded it. Too small fishes.

And Andrew, and I'm not picking on him today because I probably would have been right there beside him, behind him, or maybe trying to get in front of him to say, "Jesus, duh. What is this among so many? But the few, the small that's offered in honor to God, that small when it gets in Jesus' hands, we will or we are providing only a few. And there's so many. But little things matter.

Little things matter. I thought about Paul going over that wall in Damascus. That would have been interesting to have just witnessed that, seen that activity. We don't get the names of all the people that were along the rope helping the great apostle to escape. But because he was able to escape, we have the rest of his life history.

And we have books of the Bible because somebody got along that rope unnamed and all they used was their hand. Maybe it was just one or maybe it was both. But those two hands helped to preserve a wonderful legacy and a great apostle. Whoever it was, God evidently said that doesn't necessarily need to matter. I know who it was.

God knows who prayed the prayer that kept us protected. God knows who it was that prayed the prayer that triggered the healing in your body or in your loved ones body. Barnabas and Saul. The book of Acts 11 talks about them. First, it talks about in verse 29 that every man was giving according to his ability because they were trying to send some kind of relief or some kind of benevolence unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea.

And verse 30, which also they did. Now, I think most of us normally think of the Apostle Paul as a great theologian, speaker, and teacher, but not as an usher. But the Bible says they received the offering. Barnabas and Saul received into their hands what the body and what the church had given. I would say this is a New Testament version of the way we give our offerings to the Lord and the way we give whether it's our regular tithe and regular offering or whether it is the benevolence offering they sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

So I just encourage you today, keep giving that tithe. And I know the thought can come, well, it takes a whole lot more than I can give to operate this building. And that's not an untrue statement, but God honors every effort. And when you're talking about money, he honors every dollar or even every penny. And they're not making them anymore now.

But that don't stop God from honoring if that's all somebody can give. Keep giving that offering. Keep giving that building fund growth offering. Keep giving to Christmas for Christ or other special need. Your faithfulness in giving, whether it's global missions or general offerings or building fund, it all matters.

No matter the amount, it matters. It matters when it's done unto the Lord, when it's done for his glory. And God knows what we can do and what we can't do. But if we give it out of a true heart of service to God, every cent, every quarter, every dollar or $10 or whatever it is, it matters to the Lord. It matters to him.

Praise God. Anybody feel like giving right now? Praise God. We're living in a day where it doesn't take much. Many of us don't carry much cash, right?

And that's okay. That's the day and the culture that we we live in. But everything matters. Every effort matters. Pastor, would you mind helping me?

Now, way back in the day on Sunday night, Brother Black would go down one aisle and brother Branding would go down another aisle and what the bishop called folding money he was collecting. And then he said, "The ushers come behind him and pick up the fragments, the coins." But it all matters. It all matters. We're in a season of benevolence. We're going to give relief to somebody in these next few weeks.

So, let's just let this giving I'm going to walk over here. If you've got anything you'd be willing to give, we take credit cards. Linda's got the square. We take bills. Not electric bills, dollar bills.

Now, I'm making a little light here, but I'm going to tell you, everything counts. When we collect, we're not we're not we're not the counters. Pastor, you and I aren't going to count. All I know somebody puts a dime in my hand, it matters to God. Or if you put one of those leftover pennies in my hand, it matters to God.

No matter what it is, little things matter. And if you're giving it out of a heart of love, if you're giving it for the sake of the kingdom of the Lord, it matters to the Lord. Praise God. I want us to just a moment thank the Lord for what he's given us right now. Would you just thank him for what you have and what you've been given?

God, I thank you. I thank you. I thank you so much. I praise you, oh Lord, for what you have given to us. Oh God, there's no way there's no way that I could have ever planned for what I have received.

It's by your grace and by your goodness. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. So, I'm just going to receive. Sometimes we preachers say, "I'm going to take an offering." Well, that's that's We're not taking we're we're not grabbing.

Okay, just give us a minute here. Don't count this as part of my preaching time. Okay. Praise God. Thank you for your generosity.

Thank you. Thank you. I want to tell you, I argued with the Lord about this. I came I came a minute close to not even doing this, but I would have I could have robbed somebody because my flesh is a little hesitant because we do get Thank you, darling. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Praise God. by the hands of ministry. I dropped that.

I don't want you to miss a blessing, brother. Thank you. Thank you. God bless you. And I truly mean this.

God bless you for your faithfulness. I bless you. I'm coming. Coming. Coming.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Blessings. Every little bit matters.

Thank you. Bless you. Bless you. Bless you. Bless you.

Somebody else is going to be blessed. Thank you. I tell you, there's been times when I needed to be on the receiving end. And some of you have been on that receiving end as well. Thank God for the faithfulness of God.

And many times his faithfulness is expressed through his people. You put Acts 11 back up there, please. 29 and 30. than the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea. In verse 30, which also they did.

We did this morning. We did. and they sent it by the hands of those leaders of the church. Many times we clap because we're going to give. I want us to clap because we have given right now.

There's some pennies up here, but they count. They matter. Dime, nickel, quarter, 2010 one. They matter. When you pray, you are not interrupting heaven's schedule.

Somebody said, "We're stepping into a conversation where our name was mentioned long before we entered the conversation." The one who operates the universe always comes close the moment we speak his name and we call him. In the mid 1800s, a tailor by the name of Jeremiah Lanfir. He moved to Manhattan and he established a clothing business. He was a Christian and he was a sidewalk evangelist they called him in the Wall Street district. On Wednesday 23rd, Wednesday, September 23rd, 1857, he invited people to drop by for prayer at a room on Fulton Street there in New York during their lunch hour.

Didn't sound like any great prayer crusade. The first day, six people showed up. Oh, we might as well give up. All that invite didn't do any good. The next week, 20 people came.

The next week, 40 people came. Soon, churches all over New York City overflowed with daily prayer meetings. Fire departments and police stations opened up their facilities for prayer, and local businesses set aside rooms for employees to pray in. You never know the small effort that you make about prayer where it's going to go. That movement swept the eastern seabboard and pushed toward the west.

The article said there were citywide awakenings. Cincinnati, Louisville, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, and this made me stop, St. Louis. I don't know what prayers were prayed during those prayer meetings, but I might be a benefactor. My family may be a benefactor.

You never know who's going to be a benefactor of that faithful prayer that you keep praying every day and at every kneeling session or prayer session. That revival, that prayer revival spread to Ireland and Scotland and Wales and England and churches recorded that two years for two years approximately 50,000 people made some kind of commitment to the Lord. And within a year over 1 million had made some form of a commitment to the Lord. And the article said there were thousands of church members. Their faith was renewed and revived.

Prayer matters. Your prayer works. Whether it's simply by a chair or whether it's simply in the vehicle or wherever it is, keep praying. We recently read the book as a staff, the anatomy of a revived church. It was written by Thomas Reineer who is a church consultant.

He consults churches to try to help them to be revived if they're dying or to grow if they are thriving and alive. He said one of the common things that he found in every revived church was how important prayer was. When I read that section about prayer, I was arrested because some of the things he said to me, it wasn't coming from an apostolic pen, but it was coming from somebody that had experienced where the real power rests and resides. He tells of a 92year-old woman that church was dying and she took to 2 to 3 a.m. prayer time and in due time that church made a tremendous turnaround and it was no longer a dying church but it was a living church.

I'm convinced the reason that Apostolic Pentecostal Church has survived is because of the prayers. The prayers of past and current people of God, young people and elders praying, praying. They He said one thing I noticed all of the prayer warriors that he interviewed, the prayer leaders had something in common. They all would say, "There's only a few people coming to the prayer meetings and working alongside them." One lady said, "When I called for a prayer meeting, I was so excited, but I was the only one that showed up, but they kept praying. They kept praying.

They kept praying." Really, it does. But really, it doesn't matter what others are going to do about prayer. Just go ahead and keep praying. You keep praying. You keep praying.

It may feel like a ritual, but it's not. It's a rhythm, not a ritual. It's his rhythm. It's the ritual of rhythm of spirituality and relationship. Just think small steps of prayer.

I I measured it today. It only takes a few steps. Your salvation started with just a few steps. I went back over here toward the back of the building and I counted with my steps and my stride. It was only about 22 steps and about halfway back was half of that amount.

Only 11 steps. 11 steps to repentance leading to water baptism and then leading to receiving the Holy Ghost. Small things, little things matter. Little steps. Aren't you thankful for the little steps that you took toward salvation?

And I know they're big steps in this sense. Sometimes they're hard to take. When you compare 22 steps to eternity, you you compare 11 steps of commitment. God, I want to draw closer to you. God's stopping me right here.

Somebody wants to rededicate today. I don't know how many steps you are. Maybe you're only five. Maybe you're 22. Or maybe you're 13 steps.

However many steps away that you are from a fresh commitment to God, if you will make it, God will honor it. I want to speak somebody's thought. You've been feeling it. It's been stirring in your heart and mind some kind of commitment that you're feeling to make and do for God. And it's very easy to discount that.

Here's here's what I say often. Maybe you say it. Oh, that's just me. That's just me. But what if it isn't just you?

What if it's the Lord's gentle nudge? God can use anything he wants to to get us and draw us. He can use anything he wants to. He can do it. I feel like so often it's just a little nudge.

Hardly enough to move us. But he doesn't want us to be robots. How many steps away from eternity are you? Aren't eternal difference making all the difference for eternity? Maybe it's for intercession.

There's somebody on your heart that you want or need to pray for. However many steps you are away from this altar today, that step could make a difference for that soul. That song said it for us. Every son and every daughter Would you stand with me and would you just bow your heads with me in reverence to his presence that's here? Lord, we honor you today.

God, you are working on our hearts. Oh God, you are working in our thoughts. God, I speak a word of faith for individuals. I can't decide for them, but I speak a word of authoritative faith that it is you speaking to them. It is your affirmation.

It is your pulling. It is your drawing. It is your calling. It is your calling. And Lord, thank you.

Thank you that little moments like this matter. Just another November Sunday and of all things on a holiday weekend. But God, you love us so much that you are not curtained out by any kind of calendar date, but you're here and you're real. Thank you for it, Lord. I want to open this altar to anything that you want to come and pray about or pray for.

You may not have seen the harvest and the results yet, but it's coming. You may not understand why right now, but one day you're going to hear, "Well done." I'm saying, "Keep walking. Keep sewing. Keep believing." I would offer if there's not another need you feel drawn for, come to pray for endurance and perseverance. Pray for renewed and continuing faithfulness.

It's very easy to get distracted when we often can think others are not. Others have not. But you're not going to have to answer for them. Some can come and just thank him for the opportunity to serve him and his church. Some can come to be a continuing example.

somebody is watching our lives. We're not doing it mainly for them, but we're doing it for the Lord. But it will have an impact. It will make a difference. Thank you, Lord.

I'm going to tell you some simple prayer that you pray in this altar time. It counts. It counts. It counts. God's listening.

Lord, you're listening right now. Yes, you are. Oh, from wherever you are, would you just begin to pray right now? Would you just join together? Let's let a chorus of prayer.

And I'm not so much talking about the volume right now. I'm just talking about everybody in unity praying before the Lord. Oh yes. Oh yes, it is. Yes, you are.

Lord, thank you for hearing. Whether it's a whisper, whether it is a microphone, no matter. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes. God, you hear it, Lord. Yes, you do. Yes, you do. Yes, you do.

Oh, thank you, Lord. Oh, God. But encouragement come today. Oh Lord, even though we don't see the results right now, we don't see the faces of the people impacted, Lord, you you're moving on people's lives and people's hearts right now. You're faithful, God.

Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Lord, you can use Hallelujah. Offer it to him.

If you can use anything, Lord, use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart, Lord. Speak through me.

If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet.

Touch my heart, Lord. Speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.

Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart. Lord, speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.

If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart, Lord.

Speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord.

Take my feet. Touch my heart, Lord. Speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.

If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart. Lord, speak through me.

If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet.

Touch my heart, Lord. Speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. You can use anything, Lord. You can use me.

You can use anything, Lord. You can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart, Lord.

Speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. You can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.

Just take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart. Lord, speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.

If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. You can use anything, Lord. You can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet.

Touch my heart, Lord. Speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Jesus, if you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.

Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart, Lord. Speak through me. You can use anything, Lord.

You can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet.

Touch my heart, Lord. Speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can you offer yourself right now and everything you have to the Lord. Let's sing it again together. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.

If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet. Touch my heart. Lord, speak through me.

If you can use anything, Lord, can you use me for everything? If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Take my hands, Lord. Take my feet.

Touch my heart, Lord. Speak through me. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. that widow with the might. It was literally the least she could give.

But for her, it was everything. And Jesus stops the whole service, calls his disciples over and says, "Look, look what she just did. your trip to the altar, your raised hand, your prayer, your showing up today. I believe it gets heaven's attention and you've gotten the attention of the master. We're going to continue to be faithful.

We're going to continue to do the little things because the little things like this penny, they no longer make anymore. They add up. I believe that the Lord has helped and encouraged all of us today, myself included every one of those prayers. Your response today, it matters. I wonder if we could just end this by committing to the Lord that we're going to keep being faithful.

He's encouraged us. He's told us in no uncertain terms, I see you. Would you tell the Lord, Lord, I'm going to be faithful tomorrow and the next day and the next? Would you commit that to him right now, Jesus? I thank you, Lord, that these things are not missed on you, oh God.

You notice every sparrow, Lord. You notice the widow's might. Oh, God. You notice every act, every prayer, every sacrifice that's given, every act of faithfulness. And as a church and as individuals, we commit to you, Lord.

We're going to continue to be faithful. We're going to continue to sacrifice knowing that it honors you, knowing that it adds up. and that if we'll be faithful over the small things and you'll reward us, oh God, you'll bless and you'll strengthen us. Oh, thank you for your faithfulness to us, Lord. We're going to be faithful to you.

We thank you for your word today in Jesus name. Jesus name. Amen. Amen.