The Power of Small -- FPC sermon excerpt
Let me begin with three quick stories, with one common theme:
Story One. In about 500 B.C., Gautama Buddha meditated alone in an Indian cave for 40 days, and then staggered out — nearly dead from starvation. A girl from a nearby village saw him, and offered him some milk and rice pudding. Energized by this snack, Buddha walked to the famous tree under which he meditated and achieved enlightenment. The village girl gave a small gift that launched an entire religion.
Story Two. In the early 1700s, the French army had come close to taking the citadel in the city of Turin in northern Italy. But then a common Italian soldier developed a clever plan — he armed a mine in the tunnel, lured the French army closer, and then blew himself up, along with his enemies. This event turned the tide of the battle, and eventually the war. A single soldier took out an entire army.
On this particular Sunday, the day before Memorial Day, we remember the many men and women who — like this Italian soldier — made the supreme sacrifice for comrade and country.
Story Three. When William of Orange assumed the English, Irish, and Scottish thrones in the year 1689, a group of opponents called the Jacobites took action to overthrow him. But they were unsuccessful in their efforts. One day, a little mole kicked up a clump of dirt which tripped William’s horse, threw the rider, and shattered the king’s collarbone. As he tried to recover from this fall, William caught pneumonia and died. For years afterwards, the Jacobites toasted this mole, calling him the “Little Gentleman in Black Velvet.” The tiny mammal had helped to eliminate their nemesis, William of Orange.
Three stories, one theme: Small can be surprisingly strong and effective. According to mental_floss magazine (March-April 2008), the village girl, Italian soldier, and tiny mole were all “little guys who became historical heavyweights.”
They were all Davids, showing the world the power of small.
The first book of Samuel tells the story of David and Goliath, and it presents their contest as a completely lopsided mismatch. David is “just a boy,” says Saul, the king of Israel, while Goliath “has been a warrior from his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33). There seems to be no way that David the shepherd can prevail against 10-foot-tall Goliath of Gath, standing strong with a helmet of bronze, a coat of mail, a javelin, a spear, a sword, and a shield (vv. 5-7).
David was kind of like the Duke basketball team that went up against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the 1991 Final Four. Las Vegas was predicted to win by at least 12 points. They were bigger, better in statistics, and faster. Virtually everyone thought Las Vegas was going to triumph, and some predicted that the game would be a blow-out — after all, they had crushed Duke the year before, winning the championship game by 30 points.
In the locker room before the game, Coach K gave his Duke Blue Devils a message that was surprisingly biblical. He compared their situation to that of the contest between David and Goliath. Duke was described as the little shepherd who was ready to go out on the hardwood and do battle with the mighty Las Vegas giant.
Coach K reminded his team of who they were and where they had come from during the year. He told them that if they believed, anything could happen. Duke went out the underdog, the David of basketball, and defeated the giant Las Vegas Goliath. That year, Duke won its first NCAA basketball championship.
“You come to me with sword and spear and javelin,” says David to Goliath; “but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head” (vv. 45-46).
David knows that if he believes, anything can happen. He is convinced that the battle is not his, it is the LORD’s. Trusting God all the way, David runs quickly toward the battle line, flings a stone at the Philistine, and knocks him to the ground. Then he draws Goliath’s own sword, and uses it to cut off the giant’s head (vv. 48-51).
“I come to you in the name of the LORD,” says little David. “This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand” (vv. 45-46). David is not full of self-confidence as he faces the giant — he is full of God-confidence. He knows that if you believe, anything can happen. He trusts that God will deliver Goliath into his hand, and God does just that.
When you talk about the power of small, you are really talking about the power of God.
Story One. In about 500 B.C., Gautama Buddha meditated alone in an Indian cave for 40 days, and then staggered out — nearly dead from starvation. A girl from a nearby village saw him, and offered him some milk and rice pudding. Energized by this snack, Buddha walked to the famous tree under which he meditated and achieved enlightenment. The village girl gave a small gift that launched an entire religion.
Story Two. In the early 1700s, the French army had come close to taking the citadel in the city of Turin in northern Italy. But then a common Italian soldier developed a clever plan — he armed a mine in the tunnel, lured the French army closer, and then blew himself up, along with his enemies. This event turned the tide of the battle, and eventually the war. A single soldier took out an entire army.
On this particular Sunday, the day before Memorial Day, we remember the many men and women who — like this Italian soldier — made the supreme sacrifice for comrade and country.
Story Three. When William of Orange assumed the English, Irish, and Scottish thrones in the year 1689, a group of opponents called the Jacobites took action to overthrow him. But they were unsuccessful in their efforts. One day, a little mole kicked up a clump of dirt which tripped William’s horse, threw the rider, and shattered the king’s collarbone. As he tried to recover from this fall, William caught pneumonia and died. For years afterwards, the Jacobites toasted this mole, calling him the “Little Gentleman in Black Velvet.” The tiny mammal had helped to eliminate their nemesis, William of Orange.
Three stories, one theme: Small can be surprisingly strong and effective. According to mental_floss magazine (March-April 2008), the village girl, Italian soldier, and tiny mole were all “little guys who became historical heavyweights.”
They were all Davids, showing the world the power of small.
The first book of Samuel tells the story of David and Goliath, and it presents their contest as a completely lopsided mismatch. David is “just a boy,” says Saul, the king of Israel, while Goliath “has been a warrior from his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33). There seems to be no way that David the shepherd can prevail against 10-foot-tall Goliath of Gath, standing strong with a helmet of bronze, a coat of mail, a javelin, a spear, a sword, and a shield (vv. 5-7).
David was kind of like the Duke basketball team that went up against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the 1991 Final Four. Las Vegas was predicted to win by at least 12 points. They were bigger, better in statistics, and faster. Virtually everyone thought Las Vegas was going to triumph, and some predicted that the game would be a blow-out — after all, they had crushed Duke the year before, winning the championship game by 30 points.
In the locker room before the game, Coach K gave his Duke Blue Devils a message that was surprisingly biblical. He compared their situation to that of the contest between David and Goliath. Duke was described as the little shepherd who was ready to go out on the hardwood and do battle with the mighty Las Vegas giant.
Coach K reminded his team of who they were and where they had come from during the year. He told them that if they believed, anything could happen. Duke went out the underdog, the David of basketball, and defeated the giant Las Vegas Goliath. That year, Duke won its first NCAA basketball championship.
“You come to me with sword and spear and javelin,” says David to Goliath; “but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head” (vv. 45-46).
David knows that if he believes, anything can happen. He is convinced that the battle is not his, it is the LORD’s. Trusting God all the way, David runs quickly toward the battle line, flings a stone at the Philistine, and knocks him to the ground. Then he draws Goliath’s own sword, and uses it to cut off the giant’s head (vv. 48-51).
“I come to you in the name of the LORD,” says little David. “This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand” (vv. 45-46). David is not full of self-confidence as he faces the giant — he is full of God-confidence. He knows that if you believe, anything can happen. He trusts that God will deliver Goliath into his hand, and God does just that.
When you talk about the power of small, you are really talking about the power of God.
posted by Henry Brinton | 1:06 PM
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