It's Just A Little Thing — Alan Martin

Faithfulness in Little Things

16 verse 10. Luke chapter 16 verse 10 says this. He and this is the New American Standard Bible. I like this particular translation. I read the Koine Greek. So when I looked at different versions this seems to be the best expression here of the Koine Greek.

Some of the versions say he who is faithful with very little will be made. But it's not. It's not a future tense. It's a present tense. They're both present. Is. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.

The same faithfulness he gives two little details. He's going to give the great details. He who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much. It's just you are what you're doing. So I thought little things.

Jesus' Teaching on the Least Commandments

What little things Lord are you desiring for me and us as a church to focus on. Well Jesus mentioned a little thing in Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5 17 through 19 Jesus says. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.

I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest little letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished. And whoever then annuls one of the least these little commandments and teaches others to do the same shall be called little or least in the kingdom of heaven.

But whoever keeps and teaches them he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you he adds that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

And these thoughts occurred to me you what man-made religion is. Man-made religion is when men decide what is and what is not relevant what is and what is not pertinent what is and what is not weighty.

Whereas true religion true faithful religion is men who tremble at every word. Men should not live by read alone but by every word. But when men decide this is important and this is not that's how man-made religion gets formed.

Receiving Every Word of Scripture

You know both the old and the New Covenant as they were being completed. As the book of the law was being completed the Lord said something to Moses. As the New Testament comes to a close the angel of the Lord says something to John on the Isle of Patmos.

And they're very similar. We should think about it and gain wisdom and understanding from it. When Moses was finishing writing the book of the law the Lord instructed him to tell the people whatever I command you you shall be careful to do.

You shall not add to or take away from whatever I tell you. Don't don't become the editor. You're not the editor of your Bible what God says he says. And we are to receive and cherish every word seek to understand it in its context.

The angel spoke a very similar word to John on the Isle of Patmos as in as the book of Revelation was coming to a close. In Revelation 22 18 to 19 the angel says I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book.

If anyone adds to them God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the Holy City which are written in this book.

You know it tells me in both both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant this I can understand that God is going to deal with man according to their attitude towards his word. If a man trifles with God's Word and decides this is relevant this is not becomes the editor.

God will deal with him a certain way. And the man who trembles at his word every word is to be heard cherished received honored followed. God will dwell near that man even though he lives on high he will make his presence known to that man.

So my encouragement was let us be faithful. And even the least the smallest of God's commandments that faithfulness will transfer will transfer over into becoming faithful with even even the greater things.

The Sheep, the Goats, and Serving the Least

Jesus used the word again little again. And it's it comes in the form of least. But here in Matthew chapter 25 verse 40 do you remember the parable of the sheep and the goats where the nations are assembled and he separates them like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and and the sheep he places on his right and the goat he places on his left.

And the sheep represent the righteous and they let and the goats represent the unrighteous. And the sheep are brought into the everlasting joy prepared from the foundations of the earth to enjoy the all the full promises and blessings of the Father.

And the unrighteous on the left are told to depart into everlasting condemnation. This is what both of them were addressed in in regards to dealing with the least the little things. Then the king will answer and say to them these to those of the right but to the righteous truly I say to you to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did it unto me.

You know you wonder whether someone saw the Lord how they would be how their how their posture how their countenance how their words how their how their their motivation would be. And then you see this other thing this other person you've got an attitude towards will you deal differently with how you would deal with the Lord Jesus.

And you would deal with this. The righteous evidently didn't make that distinction. They would have they treated the least in the same way it would have treated the Lord. And he said come blessed of my father enter into the joy prepared for you.

But to those on the left the goats then they themselves will also he said you know depart from me. Then they will answer. They didn't. They didn't get it. When do we see you hungry or thirsty or strange or naked and sick or in prison and did not take care of you.

Then he will enter them. Truly I say to you to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it unto me. These will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous into eternal life.

Stewardship in the Parable of the Minas

There's another place Jesus used the word little Luke chapter 19 verses 11 to 27. I'll read the passage. While they were listening to these things Jesus went on to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

So he said a nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself and then return. And he called ten of his slaves and gave them ten minus and said of him do business with this until I come back.

But his citizens hated him and they sent a delegation after him saying we do not want this man to be a reign over us. Well the man went away when he returned after receiving the kingdom he ordered that the slaves to whom he had given the money be called to him that he might know what business they had done.

The first appeared saying master your Mina has made ten minus more. And he said to him well done good servant. Because you have been faithful in a very little thing you are to be in authority over ten cities.

And the second came saying your Mina master has made five minus. And he said to him also you also are to be over five cities. And another came saying master here is your Mina which I kept and put away in a handkerchief.

Or I was afraid of you because you are an exacting man. You take up what you did not lay down and you reap what you did not sow. So the master said to him by your own words I will judge you. You worthless slave.

Did you not know that I am it go. Did you know what that is that I am an exacting man. Okay. Then why did you not put my money in the bank. And having come I would have collected it with interest. Then he said to the bystanders take the mine away from him and give it to the one who has ten.

And they said their master he has ten minors already. I tell you that everyone who has will shall be given more. But the one who does not have even that which he has shall be taken away from him. And then Jesus finished the parable with something very few people even remember.

But these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them bring them here and slay them in my presence. The reason I give this parable is the last statement is one of those things many are tempted to take away.

Many are tempted to just take that right out of their Bible. I don't believe that about Jesus. And you know what we do. Subconsciously we assign that kind of statement to some in our mind. We picture some foaming at the mouth fundamental preacher yelling and trying to scare the hell out of people.

Now now that man would say something like that but not Jesus. Jesus wouldn't say bring those who didn't want me to be king and slay them right in front of me. You know what we're doing. We're editing.

We're editing who we think Jesus is. Do you worship Jesus. Do you agree with him. That he he's wise to do that. The book of Proverbs. We you're encouraged by your pastors and your Sunday school teachers to read the book of Proverbs.

Do you know what the Bible says that the first thing that a wise king does when he takes the throne is he clears the wicked from his kingdom. The first thing a wise king does. And here Jesus is expressing the wisdom of God.

And some of us would edit that out because it makes us uncomfortable. And it's just a little thing you're doing and you don't even realize you're doing it. Just it's just something that you're not even conscious of.

I don't believe it's just I have in my notes that individuals who do this they're sincere they just have a concern and they even love the Bible. They believe that the Bible is true. They just simply have what I'm gonna call a little trouble with that concept of Jesus being at harsh.

Just have a little trouble with that. So it's gonna be easy to put that out of our mind and say I don't really believe. That's gonna be. I really don't believe hell is gonna be eternal. I don't really believe in eternal punishment.

Why. Because it's the Bible doesn't say it or it makes you uncomfortable. Just a little thing. How faithful will you be with a little a little thing. Paul uses the term little. I like this perspective of himself.

Paul as an Under-Row­er, Not a Boaster

You know he saw himself as little. You remember King Saul in the Bible. Saul was the first king of Israel. You know when the Lord made him king. It says when he was little in his own eyes. You know when the Lord rejected him as king when he had grown quite a bit could handle what what needed to be done.

He just took it upon himself and did it. So Paul's attitude about himself says a lot about his character. I find this in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 verses 1 through 7 where Paul tells the Corinthians remember he was dealing with them like they were carnal because they were claiming to be followers of Peter followers of Paul or followers of Apollos.

We don't have such men today. Today we have men who follow Calvin or follow some guy named Arminus. I don't even know who he is but or I follow this or I follow this or I follow this preacher or I follow this person.

It still happens in our day. And those who claim to be a follower of a man need to read this passage again in Paul let a man regard us as in this manner as servants. The word servant here is not do-loss and the regular word for do-loss and servants is not here.

It's who pair rate toss. You know what who perry toss was who bears under and rate toss. Is this what am I doing. You remember that you picture those guys in the slave ships where some guys won't and they're just all they're doing is wrong.

That's what Paul literally is telling Quentin's. You just need to look at me as someone who's simply rowing my row. I'm doing what I've been asked to do commanded to do. Men should regard us as under rowers of Christ stewards of the mysteries of God in this case.

Moreover it's that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very little thing that I may be examined by you or by any human court. In fact I don't even examine myself for I am NOT conscious of anything against myself.

Yet this doesn't make me innocent. It is the Lord who examines and judges me. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the hidden things in darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts.

And then each will have his praise from God. Now these things brethren I've applied figuratively to myself and Apollo's for your sakes so that you may in us you may learn this not to exceed what's written so that no one will become arrogant in behalf of one over another.

What are we doing if we esteem one man over another. We're being children. We're being carnal. We're not recognizing that anything any man we respect has come to know. How has he come to know that to the grace and mercy and the goodness of God.

It did not come from his own character or qualities. Is God's mercy because Paul said for who regard you as superior. What do you have that you did not receive. And if you did receive it why do you boast as if you had not received it.

And then he adds a little leaven leavens the whole lump. You know a little pride a little comparing ourselves to someone else. And and just a little bit of thinking. I am sure that I'm not like him. I'm sure glad I went to school I'm sure glad I know better than that.

And someone should teach him how to dress. That person needs to learn how to bathe. Just little little attitudes little leavens of pride little assumptions that you are something that you are somehow a little better a little smarter a little more than those ignorant people wish someone could learn them how to talk.

Just it's little. But these little attitudes are leaven. And here's what we don't come to grips with. We believe it's just a little area that does not hinder our ministry. And I'm telling you it affects everything you think everything you say every time you preach every time you teach every time you walk in the door of the church you are affected by every little carnal attitude you hold you.

You may not be aware of it. A lot of people have stage 4 cancer and they're not even aware of your blood sugar can be about to call you to go in a coma before you even realize it's going on. Little attitudes of pride comparing ourselves among ourselves do more damage than we're aware of.

I am so grateful that the Apostle Paul saw himself the way he did. I'm nothing. I'm nothing but an under rower. Don't boast in men. Doesn't it make sense why Jesus says don't call any man teacher. Don't call any man master.

There's no man who's learned anything on his own. Everything we know everything we understand our father in his mercy has enabled us to come to know. There's no reason to boast about it just to be grateful for it.

Pride, Judgment, and Poisoned Relationships

You know we all know the saying don't we. Well let me back up. Oh yeah. Little attitudes leaven by pride poison relationships relationships. There are relationships even in this church that are poisoned.

You know what. They're poisoned by the attitudes you're holding towards one another. Just a little attitude. You think you're being cordial. You're nice. You shake your hand you smile. But you got that little attitude.

Yep there goes sister so-and-so. Again. Not surprised brother. That's brother so-and-so. Just the way I guess you know. Yeah you know what these little attitudes do. They damage true spiritual fellowship.

They divide churches. And most seriously they unconsciously deny Jesus the sole authority as judge. Only Jesus is worthy to judge. You're not worthy to judge another. And this is what James meant. James understood it.

In chapter 5 of James he says this. He warns self-appointed judges. And of course the only place that most of us sit as a judge is in our heart and our thought. We sit judging. We have our opinions of this brother and this sister and this person.

We've got our opinions. But this is what the Lord Jesus heard through James had to say to self-appointed judges. Therefore be patient brothers until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil.

Being patient about it until it gets the early and the latter rains. You to be patient strengthen your hearts for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain brethren against one another so that you yourselves may not be judged.

You know what you're doing when you're complaining about someone else. You're bringing judgment on yourself. I'm gonna say that again. Go ahead and complain to me about another person. And you are bringing judgment upon yourself.

Do not complain brethren against one another so that you yourselves may not be judged. Behold the judge is standing at the door. Here's what I want. Your picture. The next time you feel in your wisdom and knowledge that you can adequately tell me or someone else about that person what they're doing.

Jesus is standing right there watching you do his job. And who. You decided to sit in my seat while I was out huh. You decided it was time for the judgment. You're not gonna wait. The Lord has put the judgment at the end.

It's appointed in. The man wants to die. And after this the judgment. But you they're still alive. You decided it's going it. You can judge them. Now you're taking the place of the Lord Jesus. You're putting yourself in his seat to judge.

It's okay if it's the Democrat though. Oh no. It's okay with the Republican. I forgot I got that confused. It's okay if they disagree with us. I mean we don't judge our friends. Just those other people.

Just the wackos. Yeah this this the same book. These little attitudes. I'll say this. It says at the end of this passage of Jane we consider the blessedness of those who have endured. You've heard of the endurance of Job and seeing the outcome of the Lord's dealings.

What was the outcome of the Lord's dealings. What do we. What do we know. What was the end of Job's life. What happened at the end after his terrible suffering. Most of us remember that he was all of his riches were restored.

That's not what James is talking about here. At the end of Job's dealings he prayed for his friends and the Lord had mercy upon them and forgave them all. And they had done nothing but made his life miserable.

But Job suffered long through it. And right before everything was restored to him he showed mercy to his friends and he prayed for them. That's example. We need to learn these little things these dangerous little things.

The Tongue as a Small but Deadly Member

Just I'm using one right now. A little thing. Didn't James call it just a little member of the body but full of deadly poison. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by such a small little spark.

Wow. And yet what is the tongue. These great ships are driven even though it takes a powerful wind to get them moving. All it takes to steer them is a tiny little rudder. Right. See. Even so the tongue is just a small part of the body.

And yet it boasts of great things. See how great a force we've talked about that. Hmm. The tongue is a restless evil full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father. And with it we curse men.

Now he's not saying it's possible. James is describing something he's observing. I see it all the time. Lord we thank you. We thank you brother. So-and-so don't do that. Get over it. Or we bless you.

Bless you pastor. You see what she's doing again. There they go again. You see what you're doing. Oh bless you Lord. I bless you Lord. I bless you Lord. But we have to live with people. Ministry would be great if it weren't for people.

What a ridiculous statement. What did God send his son to the world. For just with this tongue we are supposed to bless God and bless people. Not manifest poison and attitudes and say things that not that spark controversy and ignite attitudes and other people.

So despite it so little it can be so damaging. And that's why Paul said this. I believe it. It's one of those every words that I believe. I'm trying to believe it even more. But this is one of those every words.

Wholesome Speech and the Discipline of the Tongue

Ephesians chapter 4 verses 29 to 32. Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth. How many of us take that seriously. You never let an unwholesome word. Now can I clarify something. A lot of times we don't reckon recognize how unwholesome something is because we simply think it's accurate.

But they are like that. They do that all the time. So you don't recognize it's unwholesome because you think you're accurate. I'm seeing what I see. I know what I know. So that makes it wholesome because it's factual.

You want the Lord Jesus to be factual about your sin. You want him to tell it like it is what he sees about you. If the Lord did that none of us would be here unwholesome. So what makes something unwholesome.

Let's let's read on. Let no unwholesome. That's. You know what it would take to let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth. You know what it would take. That would take a pretty tight rein. Wouldn't it.

Wouldn't it. You know what the Bible says that if any man considers himself religious and doesn't keep a tight rein on his tongue he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. So yes to not let anyone wholesome tongue word come out of your mouth would take an extremely tight rein.

And I encourage every one of us to weigh everything before we say it because men will give an account on the day of judgment for every idle word spoken unless we choose that. That's just one of those little things we don't have to worry about.

We're under grace after all it's all under the blood not our. We're not going to be held accountable for what we say. Or is that adding to or taking away. Let no unwholesome word proceed forth from your mouth.

But only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness wrath anger clamor slander be put away from you. Every one of those things is damaging to other people. Bitterness wrath anger clamor slander to damage people along with all malice.

Be kind to one another tender-hearted forgiving each other just as God in Christ has also forgiven you. Our relationship with every other person needs to be exactly like the Lord Jesus's relationship with us.

That's what it needs to be. That's how Christianity works. So we are to get rid of. Okay. Get rid of every ungracious unmerciful attitude towards other men and women. The Greek word for unwholesome is sapross.

It's where we get the English word sap. Sap that runs. And it was used by our Lord Jesus to describe two types of things with bad quality. A sapross tree a bad tree. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

And what are bad trees. What's the end for a bad tree. They're cut down thrown into the fire and burn. Every bad tree is cut down thrown into the fire and burn. It's also used of bad fish. Sapross fish the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet thrown into the sea and pulled to the shore.

And it gathers fish of every kind. And the good are gathered into baskets. And the sapross the unwholesome talkers are thrown away. If I were you I would not ever ever ever let any unwholesome word come out of your mouth ever again.

And if you have not put a tight rein on your mouth now resolve in your heart. I will not sin with my mouth. I'm yielding my mouth and my tongue as an instrument of righteousness to God. And my tongue will only be used to do God's will to say God's words in his way to produce his blessing and his grace for others.

And I repent from speaking my own words my own opinions leavened by my own attitude and pride. Lord have mercy upon me a sinner. I just recommend that that's a position that we take. You know we all know the saying there's I'm back where I almost jumped in my notes.

We all know the saying one bad apple. You know how it does. Right. It's just that rotting area. We have a food ministry so I deal with cases of fruit all the time. And because most of the time the fruits given to us it's because it's not been good enough to go to the store.

So we open up a case of apples. And there's this one little apple that's not quite firm and it's kind of soft and all the ones around it. If you if you don't get it out of there and you let it stay in there everything that comes contact with that starts to decay as well.

And honestly I'm gonna say it again. Every little attitude that we walk in these doors with every attitude in our heart we take home. It's in our marriage it's at our job it's in our church. It's while we teach.

It's while we preach. It's while we pray. It's while we is whatever we do everything is leavened by it. We're deceived that it's not that bad it is that bad. We're just not aware of it. And just because we're not aware of it does not mean it's not having its detrimental effect.

A little comment a brief conversation can and will have a dynamic effect for the good or bad. A little attitude towards that you allow in a place in your heart towards another. A little irritation a little disrespect affects every area of the spiritual of the spiritual life of the person who holds it.

So I'm gonna just get ask you point-blank. Is there anybody here you've been critical about you've made comments about you've pointed out what you dislike about to anyone else out of the overflow of your mouth your heart has been revealed.

You have leavened and you were leavened entirely by it. And God in his mercy is giving you a chance to see it today before it does any more damage. It already has done damage before it does any more. And this is that sobering part where we're at.

Searching the Heart for Hidden Pride

A person who begins to comprehend how much they are affected by a little leaven is going to develop a heart like David. You don't I mean by that the man after God's own heart. You remember what he prayed so so aware that something lurking in the heart could affect him.

He said search me Oh God and know my heart. Try me and know my past. See how I'm walking and see if there be any any wicked way in me any at all. And I'm just asking let God search our heart to see if there is any attitude any pride any self-acclaim any boasting.

You know there is a picture that God gave us about the seriousness of this in the old covenant. You understand if you if you're familiar with the scripture that the writer of Hebrews says that all the things that were in the first covenant all the things in law what they were is types and shadows of the good things that were coming.

The realities are found in Christ. But there God gave us a type in a shadow in the Old Covenant about the seriousness of leaven. The first of every year was to be the month of Passover. Passover. Passover was the beginning of every Jewish year.

And we know what Passover was. Passover was a celebration that God instituted the feast in the law that would allow the people to remember it was the Lord who redeemed you from the land of slavery. So the 14th day of the first month of every year they were to celebrate prep Passover.

And the very next day the feast of unleavened bread began. Where for seven days they were to not eat a single thing with leaven in it the entire time. And to prepare for the feast before the day began they were to take the yeast out of their homes.

They were to be yeast free fasting from yeast entirely a full seven days in it. The picture is something Paul saw the picture. Are you following me. If you know you're. If you know your Bible you know where I'm going.

Leaven, Knowledge, and Humility

In 1st Corinthians chapter 5 verses 6 and 8 Paul said you're. He was talking to this church that had divisions among them the Corinthian Church. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.

Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump just as you are in fact unleavened for Christ our Passover has also been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast not with old leaven nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Unleavened bread. How many of you are bakers. How many you love to bake especially bread. Okay bakers. Then you know this those of you who love to bake bread you can describe what yeast does when you put it into your dough.

What is yeast do when you put it into your dough. It puffs it up. It literally causes a gaseous a gaseous reaction. And it puffs the dough up. You know what the Bible says. Knowledge puffs up. That's what it does.

That's the danger. Can I can I share with you. The danger about you is that you know something that's not the good thing that's the dangerous thing. Knowledge puffs up. That's why some who've been here the longest and been in the Lord the longest have more leaven than some that are just brand new because they don't know any better.

They're just glad to be here. They're just glad to be a part of the family while well brother or sister so-and-so 40 years in the faith have all kind of leather all kind of attitudes. Because all the stuff that they know.

And I know I'm being facetious. But I'm just trying to make us aware. That's kind of why Jesus said except you become like a little child. Let's start over. It's just too dangerous. And I had this note to myself.

I'm convinced that the danger of leaven is greater than we realize. Not only does a little leaven affect our attitudes that come from what we think we know. Not not only does it affect our hearts towards others but that same little leaven that same little attitude of knowing can actually affect our relationship with God.

How. So what does the Bible say. God opposes the proud and he gives grace to the humble. So if we are allowing ourselves to think I know and therefore somehow because I know I'm able to this categorize or make a judgment or make a decision or make a remark about someone else it is affecting your relationship with God.

And a loss of intimacy a loss of fellowship will gradually produce a loss of sensation and feeling kind of like you're when you're you're sitting down you don't realize it. You cut off the circulation to your leg and you don't know.

What do you stand up. Oh my leg went to sleep. It can happen unconsciously. I'm simply trying to make us aware of it. To make us conscious of it. The danger is real. It's there. And there's grace even for that.

Mercy, Forgiveness, and the Unmerciful Servant

Now why would God change in his attitude towards us. Why would he do that. I mean just remind you what Jesus said. And forgive us our trespasses. Take say it with me. And forgive us our trespasses. And we know he said it lead us not into temptation deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom the power the glory forever and ever. For if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your heavenly father forgive yours you. In other words you mean not forgiving someone else affects God's attitude towards us.