For who hath despised the day of small things?

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 8 MAY 2022

ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 4

“For who hath despised the day of small things”

Listening to so much on our televisions, radios, social media we hear talk of church attendance being depleted and going down.  I am always reluctant to put those things down because God tells us not to despise the day of small things.  We need to read the whole context of Zerubbabel and what he was doing in Jerusalem.  We need to take in other books like Esther and Nehemiah and Haggai to see what was happening in Jerusalem at that time.  But before any commentaries are used we need to read and re-read the scripture for ourselves.  Sometimes the best commentary is the bible itself.  This text tells us not to despise the day of small things.  What are the things we notice about small things?

 

There is a challenge here.  Today is akin to the day Nehemiah found himself in.  Difficult and discouraging days for him.  There wasn’t much to encourage him.  He had to lift his eyes heavenward and encourage himself in the Lord.  Just like David when he came home to Ziglag and found the place on fire and all the people gone.  The men who had fought with him were so discouraged, they started to turn against David.  “David encouraged himself in the Lord.” (1 Samuel 30 verse 6)  That is what we need to do today.  This portion of scripture finds its roots after Israel had rebelled against God, who allowed Nebuchadnezzar to come down and carry them captive into Babylon.  He made them a promise though – after 75 years had passed, he would bring them back to Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 25 verse 12).  In 2 Chronicles we read that God raised us Cyrus to challenge the people in Babylon to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple – “All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah, Who is there among you of all his people?  The Lord his God be with him and let him go up.” (chapter 36 verse 23)  Cyrus looked at himself, what he had been given and gave all the glory to the Lord.  He wanted to do God’s will and, in his pausing, realised what God expected of him.  What a heritage we have today.  God sent his son into the world, he watched him being despised and rejected and nailed on cross to save this world.  If God has spoken to me, how can I turn my back on him?  That was what Cyrus felt – he was charged to build a house in Jerusalem.  He is challenging us to do great things for him today.  There were those in Babylon who did return but not all came home.  Some had set up homes, had families and businesses in Babylon, were very comfortable and they didn’t want to leave.  They were happy to leave it to others to rebuild the house of God.  They were cold and careless.  After 20 years of returning to Jerusalem though no work was going on.  In Nehemiah’s day the people got together and started the work of rebuilding.  There were however local people who didn’t want to help, who didn’t want to get involved, didn’t want to knuckle down to the work.  There are people today who would still prefer to be in the COVID days.  They would rather sit back and watch what is happening.  That leaves us with a problem.  We see our churches half full, and it is easy to criticise – but don’t despise the day of small things.  The challenge of small things.

 

The courage of small things.  Cyrus had stood up above his people and princes, testifying to what God had told him.  He gave the challenge to the Israelites. What courage it took for him.  If you are going to take a stand for the Lord today, you are going to face the enemy.  If you are going to testify in the workplace you are going to face the enemy.  In the days of Ezra, they started to build and the enemy didn’t like it.  They set every obstacle in their way.  Whatever you do for the Lord you will find the devil will prevent you, hinder you in some say.  The devil will tell you do not offend people.  When Nehemiah came back with the people and started to build the walls they met with a problem.  They had to get rid of the old stone to build firm foundations.  Tobiah his enemy questioned what they were doing.  Ezra 4 verse 4 “Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building.”  The local people did not want them building and they set out to stop them.  Ezra 4 verse 2 “Then they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the fathers and said unto them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as ye do and we do sacrifice unto him.”  The local people even sent letters back to the king to try and stop them from continuing.  We have to be careful in this day of small things.  Nehemiah was clear in his day – they had no right to help them.  He told them that the God of heaven would prosper them, and they didn’t need their help.  We need to watch our standards today.  Yes it would be good to see people coming into God’s house but as John warns us “do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see if they be of God.” (1 John 4 verse 1)  Think of the COVID days when the bigger churches had to close the doors.  Our little fellowship here took the decision to broadcast daily devotions.  Then we set up the church in the car park and relayed our message to everyone who came in.  When we were able to come back into the church, we opened our doors again maintaining all the correct procedures.  We need to be careful – this is the day of small things.  There were those who preferred to stay in the car park, they were comfortable listening in that way and at that time.  It is the day of small things now and we cannot despise it.  It is the same God.  Think of the courage of David when he went out to face Goliath.  Goliath looked down on David.  He was not dressed in any military armour or equipment.  He was the best Israel could offer.  “Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves?” Goliath said to David.  David responded “Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied.” (1 Samuel 17 verse 45)  David was in God’s company.  God was in the majority.  He stepped out in the Lord’s name, and he could do anything as a result.

 

The confidence.  It doesn’t matter about small things as long as we are confident in the Lord.  Notice the confidence that Cyrus had.  Verse 6 “not by might nor by power but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”  Nehemiah encouraged the people to continue in the work God had planned.  The people committed themselves to the work and completed the rebuilding of the city gates.  Remember Moses when he was sent into Pharoah’s house – he was a simple shepherd, but God used him to bring the people out of Egypt.

 

The comfort God gives.  God would complete the work.  “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? For they shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.”