Small Obedience, Big Results - Pastor Daniel Batarseh

And before we read, let let's just ask the Lord to help us this morning. We need his Holy Spirit as we open his word. Father, we come before you in this moment, and we have gathered as your people to hear from you. Lord, we need to hear your voice loud and clear. Lord, we know that even through one week, even in one day, we can gather so much clutter that can make our hearts so callous, lord, and we need your word to be as it is, a double edged sword that would penetrate through the callousness of our own hearts.

Lord, that you may touch the nerves of our souls again, that we may be reminded of why we're here on this earth, why we're here in this house, and who we are in you. Lord, take this message, as simple as it may be, take these verses, and, Lord, let them burn in our hearts afresh. We ask, Lord, that every mind and heart would be submitted in this moment, Lord, not to be stirred only for this afternoon, but, Lord, that every single day after this moment would change, that our outlook and our in look would be different. And so, Lord, we boast in our weakness. Lord, in in your presence, I boast in my weakness that your power would be made perfect in this time.

We ask these things in the precious name of our savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Many times in this very room on Fridays and Sundays, we have unashamedly explored the truth of the scripture concerning sin and how sin, when one chooses to live in a pattern of such behavior and decisions, oftentimes reaps consequences that are beyond the expectation of the one who has been tempted to go into that decision. And not just a pattern of sin, but we've even discussed many times how even one act of disobedience can cause so much chaos in someone's life. And that truth, though it is unpopular today, that truth is absolutely necessary as a component in walking in something that we call the fear of the Lord.

In order to walk in the fear of the Lord, there must be a holy fear of sin, Knowing that though it is presentable, and though it does attempt to offer us some kind of satisfaction, the sting is always stronger than the satisfaction that it may offer in the moment. Always. And we've talked about that, and by the grace of God, I pray that our ears would never become itchy to hear something else, but that we would continue to crave truth because it's in truth that we are set free. But there's another aspect that maybe we haven't explored, and we know it, but maybe we haven't explored as much, and it is not necessarily the exceeding consequences of disobedience even in the small things. Right?

It's not just the major sins that cause sometimes catastrophic results, it's even the small things. Song of Solomon two fifteen says, beware of the little foxes. Those little cute things that run around in your life because they are the reason why your vineyard will be spoiled. And so it's the little things in life that can become great threats to us as well. And so we know that, and we've emphasized that, and we preach that, and we believe that, and we hold to that.

But again, perhaps we haven't explored as much, maybe, maybe I'm wrong on this, but not just the consequences of major sins as some would categorize, or small little foxes, but the consequences, the beautiful exceeding, above what we can imagine results of obedience. Not just obedience in the obvious things, but like sin that can produce great consequences in little things, also obedience can produce wonderful results in little things. See, we can look at the Bible and we can look at commands and realize that God has given us instructions even to the very details of our lives. Every aspect of who we are, God has given something for us to walk by. And some of those commands might be obvious to why we should obey those things, and some of them maybe are not too obvious, or maybe we don't see the benefit of it, at least in the immediate sense.

But I want us this morning to explore how small choices in your life and mine, if they are honored and they are submitted to for the will of God, can result in big blessing. That if we choose to give certain actions attention, and we choose to conform certain attitudes to Christ likeness, Though in the surface we say, is it really that big of a deal? I I just want us right now through the Bible to see examples of how it is a big deal. And what is God's motivation for us to walk in obedience? Let's look at our verses here.

Verse seven. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Verse eight. By this my father is glorified. How is God glorified?

That you may bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. So God gets glory out of our fruit. Then when we display ourselves as His disciples, He is exalted. Verse nine. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.

Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. Verse 11. These things I have spoken to you. Well, we just read the rest of the chapter before this, and you realize what he's asking us to do is abide in him.

And what is part of abiding? Obeying his commandments. And he says, what is in it for you when you abide, when you obey? That my joy may be in you, that your joy may be full. My joy may be in you.

So not just any kind of joy, we're talking about the joy that brims from Christ's heart. You know what that is? Supernatural joy. That my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. That's why I want you to walk in obedience.

Know this for certain, no matter what you do in life, if it is outside walking in the will of God, you do not know fullness of joy. Does not matter what you possess, it doesn't matter what thrills you go through, it doesn't matter what experiences you bought into, where you go around this world, what you have in your closet, what you have in your wallet. If you are not walking in obedience, no matter how much happiness you think you have, you do not have fullness of joy. Because that is only reserved for those who long to walk in what Christ wants them to walk in. That is where you and I know true happiness, purpose, and fulfillment.

And so it's possible even for those who are saved to periodically walk in disobedience to some degree, and God will deal with you and I because we're his children in that, and miss out on joy, and miss out on joy. I say that to say this, what makes this house so unique since we've been together these past four years as well is that there is faith to believe God for big things. I believe part of that is because God did something really big here four years ago. And because many people in this room have tasted of that, there is this fresh desire to believe God that if he's done something like that, he can do it again. And I pray with all my heart, do I pray, that that hunger and desire for greater things to be done, manifestations of God's power and glory in our lives through this church would never die.

Would never die. But this message is also catered to this, that you and I cannot just wait for God to do something big again until we experience joy and thrill and testimonies. I argue this, that even to get to where God wants to do something big, where we really long for Him to do something spectacular, it requires small step of obedience. And know this, it's not just doing these small steps of obedience so that we can get to this crescendo thing that God wants to do in 02/1819, whatever. It's that there's a process of joy even in the midst of that before we see God do something mighty.

What do I mean by mighty? Are we talking about a bigger place? Talking about bigger equipment? No. Talking about more souls.

Talking about God intervening. Talking about God opening doors for the gospel to go forth. That's what we're talking about bigger things. That's what we're praying for and believing for. Don't let that die.

I beg of you. Don't let that die. The moment that dies in you, where you fail to believe God can do more than He's ever done in the past, is the moment that your prayers are affected, your obedience is affected, and even your joy is affected. As long as you and I have breath brothers and sisters, you and I have a purpose, and you have a hope, and I have a hope, God still has something to write in your story and mind. So, this is simply a motivation that even between now and our prayers to see God do mighty things, that we would honor him in the small things and experience joy in those things.

And even as a result of those small things, they build the platform for the big thing. Three simple choices that we can all make in our faith that can make a great difference. And they seem so insignificant, they seem so small, they seem like they don't really produce anything, but if you honor them and we honor them together, oh God will honor and bless it. Number one. Choosing this is a choice that we have to make, choosing to be faithful in small things.

Turn your bibles to first Samuel chapter 16. First Samuel chapter 16 marks the moment where David was anointed to be king of Israel at a young age. And what is so amazing about the book of first and second Samuel is that you and I get a detailed account of the life of a man who has been titled as one who has a heart after God's heart. You and I have a detailed life story of a man who has been described by God himself as someone whose heart is beating for God's heart to be known. And what's amazing about seeing this man's life is seeing the different seasons of his life that would inspire us to walk in the same footsteps as him.

And oftentimes we think of David, we think of Goliath, which is a great story. We think of the wars that he's won. We think about the Psalms that he's written. We think about all these wonderful traits that he displays, but there's something here in chapter sixteen and seventeen even that is so inspiring, and it gives us a valuable lesson about our lives as well. Look at verse 12.

After Samuel the prophet has been sent by God to recruit the next king of Israel because Saul walked in disobedience, David's father didn't even consider him because, well, whatever reason he had, he didn't let him come in to be one of the men that would be a possible choice. Finally, Samuel said, is one of your sons not here or something? Because I went through all your sons and not one one of them God's told me is supposed to be king. And verse 12, it says, he sent and brought him in, being David. Now he was ruddy, and he had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.

And the Lord said, arise, anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and look at this, and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward, and Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. In this chapter, we realize that David was chosen by the prophet, by God more importantly, was anointed, and not just in a symbolic way, but the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. You read something like that and you realize he's ready. He's been chosen by Samuel to be the leader of the nation, and even the spirit of God has come upon him to perform such a task.

But what you read from the verses following that is that David doesn't jump into this big thing. David doesn't come to this awesome moment in his life where he becomes the leader of an entire people group. What happens instead? It says here in the following verses that he got caught up in little things, small things, maybe even insignificant things. Things that would not be fitting for somebody who had the Spirit of God rush upon him to be anointed as a king.

And this is a beautiful picture for us to realize. Look at verse 37 of chapter 17. What was David's motivation to be a shepherd, to be an armor bearer, to be a delivery boy? David said, the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine. David knew that God was with him in those seasons.

David knew that the Lord was watching him. David knew that the Lord was protecting him. David knew that the Lord was guiding him. And what was David tasked? Go back to 16 verse 21.

David came to Saul and entered his service and Saul loved him greatly and he became his armor bearer. You're talking carried this guy's luggage. King anointed spirit of God on him, and he was carrying Saul's armor, walking around and and placing it perhaps on him, removing it from him, polishing it, cleaning it, making sure it was intact, doing his laundry so to speak. Not just that. You go back to verse 15 of chapter 17 again.

I know we're bouncing around, but this is important. It says that David, when he was in the service of Saul as an armor bearer, David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. Really? You were just called out by I mean, how would you react in this moment right here if somebody walked in, pointed you out, and says God has chosen you to be the leader of this nation in front of your family, a reputable prophet, and then anoints you to affirm that, and confirms that you will have that kind of a future. How would you act?

How would I act? Next time the dad his dad says, go feed the sheep. He goes, do you know who I am? Can you imagine? I'm supposed to be the king of Israel.

Feed me. No. He serves God in the little things. He's trusting God in his timing, and he sees the joy in the service that he's been given with the limitations that have been placed on his life even though he knew and it's been already confirmed that there is something great on the horizon for his life. And it goes even deeper than that.

Israel goes to war, and you see in chapter 17 verse seventeen and eighteen, look what David's dad says to them. Jesse said to David his son, take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these 10 loaves and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. Also take these 10 cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well and bring some token from them. Saul's armor bearer, A shepherd.

Delivery boy. And this was not a man who just did it because he said, you know, let me just get this season over with, and let me just use this as a stepping stone. I know that I'm gonna get out of here eventually. We just read early on that first verse that this man risked his life for these sheep. That he was willing to die for the task that he's been given even though he did not have an audience to watch him.

You think, what was God's mind behind this? Surely he's building him up, obviously. Surely he's preparing him. But I believe it's a mark of a man who's after God's own heart. That whether you are killing Goliath or bears, whether the army sees you and the nation sings your praises or nobody sees you, and your father doesn't even recognize you because you know God is with you.

You're willing to lovingly and joyfully serve him and obey him. But not only is this is the point. This is the point here. These small steps of obedience led to something greater. Realize this, that if David in his lack of humility would have rejected these things, including the fact that he was called to go and deliver cheese to his brothers, realized that if he had not gone there, he would never met Goliath.

If David had not gone and obeyed what his father had said, if he would not receive that task with great joy and humility, David would not have stumbled upon the scene of the entire army shaking in fear because Goliath is making these great boasts. And so it was even these small acts of obedience, these little things, and this heart of humility that eventually set up the platform for the man to come and to allow God to use him in a way that he never thought, I'm sure, he would be used. And so you're per per you're probably serving God in a way that you never thought was significant. You think that this is just I I thought God would do something bigger through my life. I thought God would call me something the greater in this life.

I thought there'd be a greater audience. I thought there'd be greater fruit in this. And all the while you're killing bears and lions in preparation perhaps for something greater. And that's not motivation to say again, I'm just gonna do this because I know that there's something better. I'm sure David would have stuck there as long as he needed to stick there because he knew that God was with him.

You and I haven't make a choice. It's a simple choice in life, but this simple choice can bring about great results. Choosing to serve God in the small things. Not because there might be an open door because of this season of life, but because God is with me, and he sees me, and he's worthy of it. And if so, God chooses to bless me in this in a way that he opens greater doors, then let it be.

But if not, I'll still kill bears and lions. There's another choice that we have to make. Small steps of obedience that can bring about big blessings. Number one is choosing to be faithful in small things. Number two is choosing to be compassionate even if we don't feel like it.

If you wanna know how God can use you, all you have to do is ask him every day, Lord, use me. And if you make that a prayer every day, you can guarantee that at least two things will happen. One, God will set up for you opportunities to move in compassion, or two, God will set up for you conversations that will invite you to introduce Jesus Christ. So you in here, we can turn this into a testimony time where you can testify when you've really got up in the morning and you've made it part of your routine to say, Lord, use me. Sure enough, you came about a situation where an act of compassion was presented to you to perform or a conversation sprung up that invited you to introduce Jesus Christ.

And I'm seeing a lot of heads nodding because you know it's true. But that's a choice we have to make. That's a choice we have to make, and it seems like a small choice, but oh, small things can lead to big blessings. We've touched this text before, but let's go to it again. Genesis chapter 40.

Genesis chapter 40 beginning in verse five. This is when Joseph was in prison, and he had a choice to make. This is the choice that Joseph could have made. He was falsely accused. He's separated from his family.

It's really been downhill from this point on, and even earlier than that. But he has been given a task, and that task was to attend to certain people. And one day Joseph, it says here in verse five, encountered two men who had a dream of their own. And one night they both dreamed, the cup bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, each his own dream, and each dream with his own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the morning, Joseph pause here.

Here's a little commentary. When Joseph came to them in the morning, in parentheses, commentary, not inspired scripture, just commentary. Joseph had to make a choice. Joseph had to make a choice when he woke up to go to work. Joseph had to make a choice when he had a really bad week.

Joseph had to make a choice when his heart was depressed thinking, how did I get to this point? Joseph came to them in the morning, stepping out of the commentary, going back to the Bible. He saw that they were troubled. So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house. Oh, really?

Just a small thing. Small question. Small inquiry. Small act of compassion. Big results.

Why are your faces downcast today? And it was from that place where God enabled Joseph to interpret a dream, to offer hope. Now we don't interpret dreams, we give gospel. We give Jesus. We give inspired written scripture.

Gave him that, and this man was used to not only bring Joseph out of prison, but to bring greater hope to an entire nation. Jesus Jesus radiated compassion. After he sends his boys to go out on crusades and to preach and to cast out devils in Mark six, it says this in 31, and he said to them, come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while. You know, Jesus says that from time to time, even to the most fruitful and the most zealous of all, come away and rest a while. So he tells his boys, let's just go away somewhere to a desolate place, let's just relax, Let's just replenish.

Let's renew our minds. Let's encourage each other. Come and rest a while. And as they set up this weekend, so to speak, to get away, many were coming and going. They had even no leisure to eat.

And what happens? Word gets around that Jesus is in town, people start flooding to follow Him, and what does Jesus do when He really wanted to rest with His boys, when He really wanted to get away, when He really wanted to do something? And it's not a selfish thing obviously. We're talking about the Son of God. Says in verse 34, when he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

You and I have a choice to make every single day, and that is to look outside of ourselves, and to look on others, and to see what they are experiencing, or to pick up on clues of what they are going through, and choose to move in compassion, and those small little things can produce mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty results. Small acts of obedience, that's what we're talking about this morning. Just small things, little things, like a question. Like a question. And just reading this last night, I pulled my chair back, crossed my arms, and just thinking about this point and thinking in my own life, is it really true?

Do these small things, acts of compassion, do they really produce great results? And even this morning before coming here, I pulled out one of my first journals, and I opened it up, and I just began to scroll through them. 02/12013. I began to read different stories and my heart came to life, and it made this point even more true in my own life. And here are a couple testimonies and God forbid that it would come off as me being a hero or anything of the sort.

But it's just a simple illustration of how these small steps can make a big difference. I remember I was living in an apartment, three story apartment, basement apartment, and I came back from Friday youth night. Didn't have a car back then, so would take the city bus. And one night, having my bible in my hand, exhausted. The only thing I'm thinking about is my bed.

Awesome service, presence of the Lord, great fellowship, bone tired. It's freezing outside. I remember wearing my long peaco jacket. Get up to the stairs to put my fob so I can go in and walk into the building, and there is a man sitting there with two bags on the first steps there. I had a choice to make because this guy looked bad.

Bed or ask? And so as I came up, I had my bob in my hand, I looked and said, how how's it going? He goes, I'm I'm alright. I said, do you live here? I've never seen you here before.

Yeah, I live here. It's one in the morning. What are you doing out here? My wife kicked me out. I don't know where to go.

And he looked at me and goes, what are you doing here? Well, I live here. What's in your hand? Oh, it's a bible. We had youth night tonight.

Youth night? What's youth night? Begin to just talk. Begin to warm up. And then I looked at him and says, so what's going on?

Bad marriage, man. I think I've reached the limit. I don't know where I'm going tonight. Where are you planning to sleep? I think I'm gonna sleep in my car.

Do you have anything? I have no idea. And he begins to just just rub his head and he goes, I don't know what to do. So I looked at him and I said, want something to eat? I don't know this man.

The man doesn't know me. And he goes, sure. I looked at him and says, I can try to cook something. He says, that's fine. And so we walked in, we walked into the apartment, my roommate wasn't there, and I attempted to cook.

And God's grace was on it because it came out half decent. And this man sat on the bar stool there by the tape, you know, kitchen table, and he began to talk, talk, talk, and we were eating. He liked it. And then he looked at me and says, what are you doing? I said, listen.

Only reason why I'm doing this is because Jesus would have done it for you. And Jesus loves you and he cares for you, whatever pain you're going through, he cares for you and he wants you to know that he wants a relationship with you, and just began to present the gospel. And he stopped eating, and he says, I appreciate that. He says, I gotta go though. And I said, that's fine.

And and I said, do you need anything? He goes, I don't know. And I I you're sleeping in your car? Yeah, I'm sleeping in my car. So here's a blanket.

I gave him a blanket, and he he looked at me and he goes, I was planning to end my life tonight. I'm glad you didn't. He left, and after a year and a few months, I would see him periodically, and I would say hi, and and it it wouldn't go past that, and one day I thought this is really strange. I'm just gonna go up to him and ask him, let's let's hang out again. This is So I remember reading this just this morning, re reading and I'm going, where's the second part?

Because I remember writing a second part to this. And so I pulled out another journal that was from 2013, and I found the entry, and I realized and I remembered, oh, that's what happened afterwards. Came up to this man after a year, a few months, and I said, listen, and I didn't say anything, but I just wanted to see what was going on, and I said, can I grab your number? I mean, can we can we catch up? And he got excited all first, and he says, yes.

I'll I'll give you a text message, let you know if we can do something. I said, sure. So one day he text me, he says, my wife and I would love to invite you over for dinner. We'll be there, the date was set. He lived on the 3rd Floor, I was in the basement, so I went up, knocked on the door, came in, and there he is, his wife and him.

I sit down. As I sit down, she looks at me, and it didn't take too long before she looked at me and she says, Tell me about Jesus. Why are you a 23 year old talking about Jesus? What did Jesus do for you? And I I know the man's name, I won't say his name, but he was standing behind her like this, and she's there listening.

I began to explain to her who Jesus was, and what he's done for me. When I finished, they looked at me like they had to they wanted to announce something. They just had they they both had this huge smile on their face and they're looking at me, and I'm thinking, what's going on here? And they said, for the first time we walked into a church as a couple together, and we experienced God together as a couple in a way that we never thought we could. And I blew up.

I jumped from my chair. I said, what? Tell me tell me how this happened. And he he told me, well, after we met, it was still really really rough, and I, the man was speaking, I went to the mall, and when I went to the mall, a man approached me. And this man approached me, and when he approached me, he told me about Jesus.

And he gave me a business card with the church information on it, and I went back and I ignored it. I didn't care much about it. I put it, and I told my wife about it when I met him at the mall, and and then throughout those weeks, we argued and argued. One day the argument was so bad that my wife said, call the church that you got that man's information from. We're going to church.

And so they went to church. And And when they went to church, they didn't just go to church, they met God. And we sat down, we talked, we just talked about more of the truth of who God is and haven't seen him ever since. One sows another waters. God brings the increase.

Small things. Small things in life. And last night I just began to sit in my chair again and think, is there anything else? Are there are there more stories? And surely enough, God brings the things memories to to certain things.

Even here when I moved here not too long ago. Again, this is just to stir your hearts in faith. This is the first year I came here. I was in need of some boots. A lot of testimonies here for about boots.

I was in need of some boots. And so I went to the store to get some pair of shoes, and as I went, I was in line, I got those pairs. I I went there to the cast, and there's a couple behind me, and I brought those shoes, and she says, do you have a coupon? Because we have a big sale. And I said, I didn't know about the coupon, but I'm willing to pay whatever.

She says, it's a big big sale. You sure? You don't you don't have it? I'm like, no, I don't have it. Lady behind me says, I have a coupon.

And she she reaches over my shoulder, and she says, just scan my coupon. So this coupon was scanned, and I got the sale, and I got the deal, and I looked at her, I said, thank you so much. Oh, it's no problem. And then so I finished the transaction, and small things. Just small things.

Got the shoes, looked at her, and her husband was beside her, and I said, God bless you. Thank you so much. And I walked away. And as I walked away, I heard her say underneath her breath, Yeah, I wish you would. And so I I I walked to my car with my boots, and I'm happy about my boots.

I got a sale on the boots, and I put my boots in the back and get in my car and turn the ignition on and go, I can't go home. I I I would I can't though there are moments in your life where there's something that somebody says and you know it's deeper than just words and your heart is stirred and there's just a window of opportunity and all it requires is just a small thing. So I turn the car off, go back, and I'm trying to find this lady now. Now I'm looking like a crazy person, running around the mall trying to find this couple, and I find her. I finally find her.

So I approach her and I said, excuse me. And she turned around and says, I said God bless you, and you said I wish he would. What did you mean by that? And she looks at her husband, she looks at me, she goes, well my son was paralyzed five years ago, and he's been in a chair, and we're at the hospital more than home almost, and it's just been a whole adjustment in life, and she begins to pour out her heart. Small things.

And so I just looked at her, looked at her, I said, listen, this might sound crazy, but I'm a Christian. I believe in Jesus. I believe he answers prayer, and can we just pray right here, right now? I would love prayer. So we prayed.

Just can my son talk to you? Sure. Gave my information, go home. Wasn't a matter of hour or two, I get a message from this guy. I know his name even right now.

He says, I heard you met my mom at the mall. I said, yeah, I did. I heard about you. Yeah. We talked.

Can I pray for you? You can pray for me. I need all the prayer I can get. Small things. You don't need a pulpit, brother.

You don't need a pulpit, sister. You don't need a microphone, just small things. Ask the Lord. Lord, help me make the choice every single day to offer small acts of compassion even when I don't feel like it, even when I have a schedule, even when I have a hunger hunger pains or I have a busy day ahead of me. Help me just look beyond me and to look at others and to be so aware that I can simply ask a question like Joseph did, that I'm willing for my schedule to be interrupted like Jesus was, and you just may never know.

I'm not saying this is a 100% proof. I I can tell you testimonies where I said, hey, how's it going? Get away from you. Okay. God bless you.

But small things can produce big results. Lastly, amongst the many other things that we can choose to do, small acts of obedience or small conformities to the attitudes of Jesus, I would say choosing to be teachable no matter what. Choosing to be teachable no matter what. Acts chapter 18 is our final text. Acts chapter 18.

Some of us are familiar with this, but it's good to review. Acts eighteen twenty four now. June named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

Look at the description of this man. He was eloquent. He was competent in the Bible. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. Fervent.

He was passionate. He spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, and and it seemed like he had some traveling evangelistic ministry because he went around speaking boldly, verse 26, in the synagogue. Now what's amazing about Apollo's is if you continue in your Bibles, you realize that Apollo's eventually became part of Paul the Apostle's traveling team. Titus three thirteen. You see even in first Corinthians that Apollos not only traveled with Paul, but he was a great contribution to the ministry amongst the Corinthians with Paul.

What does Paul say? I planted Apollo's water, but God gave growth. And the question that we have to make here is from Acts chapter 18, where we're introduced to Apollos, to first Corinthians and Titus, how did Apollos go from who he was to being with the apostle Paul? Serving with the apostle Paul, ministering alongside with the chief of the apostle. How did that happen?

And I would argue that it is beyond the fact that he was an eloquent man. It was beyond the fact that he was fervent. It was beyond the fact that he was even competent in the scriptures. I believe there is one trait of Apollo's small thing That overshadowed all those other things, and I believe was the means by which he can go from step one to step two, small things. That was his teachable spirit.

Humility. The man radiated humility. Why? Look at verse 26. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Okay. So Apollos, though he knew so much and though he was so effective in his ministry, there is still something more for him to learn and grow in. And Priscilla and Aquila, this random couple that were not on the same level of influence as Apollo's, came alongside and says, we we heard what you had to say, but, you know, there's more to it. And they took him aside, meaning that it required Apollos to go aside, to sit with this couple, and to receive instruction for them and from them. And what happened as a result of this man's teachable spirit?

Look at verse 27. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, so he had a desire to go somewhere else to be used by God, The brothers encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. What would have happened if Apollos did not go aside with Priscilla and Aquila? What would have happened if he would have responded with an answer such as, Thank you, but no thank you. You don't know what you're talking about?

What what are your credentials? I've been trained in such and such a way. I've been used in such and such a matter. No. He he receives it, and I believe due to that, he built a relationship with the rest of the brethren.

And when he desired to go further, it was the recommendation of the brothers that he has associated himself with that gave him the recommendation to go. See, when you're willing to grow, God is willing to open doors and let you go further. But not only that, it says when he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed. So if he was anything before, he's much more now. Because of his humility, because of his teachable spirit, because he's willing to receive correction and instruction from anybody, somebody that's a year in the faith, that can happen.

Somebody's been in the faith for fifty years. Somebody who's not in ministry, somebody who may not have the experiences that you've had, does not matter. Because of that, he received, and when he received, he was able to give to a greater degree. It was literally one small decision to just have ears to hear and a heart humble enough to obey and being humble. That brought him places that he never thought perhaps he would go.

Why was he powerful? For he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. Never forget this. Despite ability pay attention. Despite ability, there is no hope for long term effective ministry for him who lacks humility.

Despite ability, there is no hope for long term effective ministry to him who lacks humility. But the greater your humility, the greater your ministry. So Apollos is an example of a man who made a small decision in his character and his attitude that brought about big results. I'm gonna choose that no matter where I go in life, no matter what God uses me for or what I get to see, that I will always remain in a state of, oh God, teach me, show me, renew me, sanctify me, grow me, stretch me. Lest you and I sabotage what God wants us to do because of our lack of choosing to do so, it's a choice we have to make.

It's a choice that we have to make. There are so many choices that we have to make, and sometimes they're hidden in little stories like we just read with Joseph and Apollos and David himself. These men were something big at one point, but before that realized that they made small decisions. Small decisions. Small acts of obedience.

Be stirred this morning to realize that the season that you're in right now, the ministry that you might be a part of, whether people know you or don't know you, God wants to bless those little steps that you take. If he chooses to bring you to a big place or on a platform or not, it does not matter because we just read in the beginning that whether the obedience is public or private, there's always joy. Always joy in it. So I encourage us this morning as we close and pray to say, Lord, as much as even as a church we are believing God for big things, help me be faithful in the small ones. And Lord, help me believe even, though this is not my main motivation, that these small things can lead to a big thing.

I pray that you're encouraged and I pray that you're stirred. Often times you hear people that are miserable or discouraged or even doubtful of what God can do through them because, again, they don't have opportunities like others. But when you make choices like being faithful in where you're at, when you make choices of being compassionate and being care caring even though you don't feel like it, and when you make choices of remaining in a state of humility, God can do anything through you. God wants to do things through you. God is ready to touch others through your life.

Let's ask the Lord to do that. Lord, we we come this morning because we realize that you are the God of the little, not just the God of the big. And because of that, Lord, we joyfully submit our lives and ask that you would enable us to look at the things that we may not give much attention to and say, Lord, help us realize that you wanna bless our five loaves and two fishes. And so Lord, this morning as individual Christians, we give you our five loaves and two fishes. So perhaps there's a person here that works that nine to five, they go, Lord, this is all I got.

Help me be faithful in it, Help me to be humbled in it, and help me to look outside of myself. Perhaps there's the student in here. They're waiting for life to start when you, in the spirit, give us life now. Here's my homework. Here's my busyness.

Bless it. Perhaps there's that person that's single and waiting to be married. Lord, here is my singleness. Help me be faithful in it. Help me remain humble in it, and help me to keep my eyes off myself.

Father in heaven, as a church we give You our five loaves and two fishes. We say, Lord, we don't have much, but whatever You give us, Lord, help us to be faithful. Lord, if it's bears and lions, let us deal with them and not ignore them. If you choose to give a Goliath, we'll deal with that when it comes. But, Lord, until now, help us to zealously serve you, and not be discouraged with what we may not see or experience.

We ask these things in the name of Jesus, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God. Amen.