"To Do Great Things, Think Small"

"To Do Great Things, Think Small"

Text: Luke 15:1-10

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Dear Fellow Christians:

For whatever reason I have always found most compelling the story of the young man walking along the beach, tossing starfish that had been stranded by the ebbing tide back into the safety of the sea. There were hundreds of them, as far as the eye could see. A wizened old man, obviously wise in the ways of the world, saw what the young man was doing and smiled at what he regarded as youthful exuberance in the face of inevitable resistance, which in his mind amounted to a hopeless effort. As the old man passed the young man he smiled kindly at him and asked, "Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?" The young man looked down at the starfish in his hand, tossed it into the retreating surf, and replied simply, "Makes a difference to that one."

Age does not always make us wise. Sometimes it just tires us out. How many human beings dream big dreams in their youth, only to be beaten up and beaten down by a lifetime of difficulty and frustration. The inevitable result is that the aspiration is abandoned, even though the goal is no less valid with age than it was with youth.

I suppose there are exceptions, but my guess, my impression, is that every young person here today has dreams – grand and marvelous plans for the future – and every older person had similar dreams and aspirations that have long since been abandoned. I'm not talking about vain and shallow things – like playing shortstop for the Twins or performing on stage before thousands of adoring fans. I'm talking about the desire to do something meaningful with the time that God has given you; the noble aspiration of doing something lasting, something that will somehow make a difference.

If you have ever wondered – maybe late at night during the quiet hours of introspective thought – "Is this all that there is for me, all that I have to contribute" and been disappointed at what you believed to be the inevitable answer, this morning's text is for you. If your head and heart are even now filled with the great expectations of youth and your expectations are pegging the excitement meter, this text is also for you. Our text for this morning talks about doing great things with your time of grace, and in so doing gives some invaluable guidance and direction to the aspirations of young and old alike. That text is found in the Gospel of Luke, the 15^th Chapter:

Luke 15:1-10 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. ² And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." ³ ¶ So He spoke this parable to them, saying: ⁴ "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' ⁷ "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. ⁸ " Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ "And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' ¹⁰ "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

So far the verbally inspired words of the Creator of all that exists. Pause for a moment and seek to grasp the profound importance of such words, praying that the God who provided such words for your study and mediation this morning would also grant to you the wisdom, strength, comfort and guidance that such truths can provide. To this end we pray: “Sanctify us through your truth, O Lord. Your word is truth.” Amen.

The problem with doing great things, of course, is never that we are incapable of great things. The problem is threefold:

1) Our focus is wrong, since man's idea of great and God's idea of great are two different things

2) Man assumes that the greatness and the power to succeed must come from within, and,

3) Man adopts the wrong sort of scale

There was a movie a few years back where Sandra Bullock played an undercover FBI agent in a beauty pageant. When asked about what this world needs she replies, “that would be harsher punishment for parole violators, Stan.” When the audience stares blankly at her, she quickly adds, “and… world peace.” To which, of course, the audience cheers enthusiastically.

If your aspiration is to bring about world peace, you will be disappointed. Jesus said so: "But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen..." Mark 13:7. If your aspiration is to wipe out poverty, you will be disappointed. Jesus said so: "For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good…" Mark 14:7. If your aspiration is to make a name for yourself and to go down in history as a great individual, you will again almost certainly be disappointed, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5.

The problem, of course, is that God nowhere commanded you to bring about world peace. Nor did he command you to wipe out poverty or to make a name for yourself. But he did tell you to "go and make disciples of all nations." The fact that God commanded this should tell us something. It should tell us something about God's idea of greatness and of the direction of our desire.

I'm sure that you've heard it before, but it certainly bears repeating – when you stand before the Almighty Creator-God on Judgment Day, and when all of the vanities of this present life are swept aside, what alone will be left? The answer, of course, is every single human soul. Each of those souls must then face an eternity in heaven or in hell. The Bible teaches this as clearly as could be imagined: "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world… ⁴¹ "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels…'" Matthew 25:33-41. All who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved. Those who do not will be damned.

Judging then from that vantage point, answer for yourself who or what should even now be considered great. The billionaire? The philanthropist? The inventor, musician, athlete, singer, dancer, politician? Will it be important who was able to hit a 95 mph fastball, throw a touchdown pass, or make a round ball fall through an iron hoop? Obviously not. God's idea of "great" always centers around eternity.

In fact an awareness of eternity was virtually always on Jesus' mind, even while he walked this earth. So also in our text he defined greatness for us in terms of a single lost soul that is returned to the fold of his Heavenly Father – an occurrence so dramatic and so significant that it causes "joy in the presence of the angels of God." Try as you might you will not find another action on the part of man that produces such a spectacular reaction among God's holy angels.

The first key to greatness, therefore, and to gaining a proper sense of purpose and direction, is to adopt God's idea of what is and is not truly great.

The second problem with man's natural pursuit of any noble ambition is the misconception of just how the goal is reached or from whom the power to accomplish that goal originates.

Anna Mary Roberts' great passion was embroidery. You can therefore imagine how devastating it must have been for her when arthritis set in and prevented her not only from doing what she loved, but denied her her very livelihood. Instead of giving up, she decided to take up something that would be a bit less taxing on her hands. Well into her 70's this woman, better known today as Grandma Moses, took up painting and became fabulously successful – famous throughout the world. In fact she produced over 250 paintings after her 100^th birthday.

Ever hear that story? I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have heard it used in an attempt to inspire and to motivate especially the elderly to hang onto their dreams and to continue to reach for greatness, even in their golden years.

I have no idea of the state of Grandma Moses' soul when her time of grace was ended, but it is certain that none of her pictures will be hanging on the walls of heaven.

There is another problem here. Such accounts condition us to look inside for greatness. Our text – in fact the whole of Scripture – teaches us to look outward rather than inward. The key to Jesus' parable had nothing whatsoever to do with introspective analysis on the part of the shepherd as he struggled mightily to determine if one of his strengths lay in seeking out lost sheep. A sheep was missing and he went to look for it. Virtually anyone could do it. And he found it – a truly great event in the estimation of the angels.

What this means is that the potential for greatness is literally all around us, since there are many, many lost sheep. There are countless souls that now wander far removed from the Good Shepherd, their Savior Jesus. What is the special talent required of those who seek out these lost souls? Go back to Jesus' parable in our text. What special gifts or attributes were ascribed to the shepherd? None that you and I do not already now possess. Where the shepherd laid the lost sheep on his shoulders, you can easily lift the lost sinner with the simple message of forgiveness in Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who has already done all of the heavy lifting, having carried the punishment of every lost sinner upon his shoulders, and on the cross of Calvary made full and complete payment for all that you and I owed. Again, you want to do great things, think small in terms of yourself, but great in the merciful power of your Savior God.

The final obstacle to greatness for the Christian is the matter of scale. We find it way too easy to remain paralyzed and inactive because we are intimidated by the enormity of the need and the sheer magnitude of the Great Commission. In other words, I can't save everybody, so I don't reach out to anybody. Again our text teaches us to think small if we want to accomplish those things that our God labels as great. The shepherd didn't search for the whole heard; he found one lost sheep – and the angels rejoiced. The woman didn't look for Aladdin's Cave of Wonders; she looked for one lost coin – and the angels rejoiced.

You and I need to adjust our scale – to think small – and great things will happen according to God's power and direction. To put this into practical terms, that means that you and I are not to think in terms of the masses, but to think in terms of your neighbor, your friend, your family member. It means that you do great things as a dad when you bring up even one child to know his Savior Jesus; or as a mom when you teach your child his prayers and sing him to sleep with the songs of his salvation.

That means that we will now consider the saving of even one soul as true greatness. It means that we will look for the power to accomplish that greatness in Jesus, our Savior, and there and only there directing the attention of the lost sinner.

Know finally that Satan will certainly try to introduce doubt and uncertainty here. He will try to convince you that this is all just one big rationalization, conjured up in a feeble attempt to justify our mundane existence. Could his accusation be true? Not according to our Savior-God, and, in the end, he is the only one that matters. Amen.

Scripture Readings and Sunday Bulletin for September 16, 2007

Exodus 32:7-14 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. ⁸ "They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' " ⁹ And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! ¹⁰ "Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation." ¹¹ ¶ Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: "LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? ¹² "Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. ¹³ "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.' " ¹⁴ So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. ¹⁶ However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Luke 15:1-10 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. ² And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." ³ ¶ So He spoke this parable to them, saying: ⁴ "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' ⁷ "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. ⁸ " Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ "And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' ¹⁰ "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

2510 E. Divide Ave.

Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 223-4885 Cell: (701) 226-8510

Website – www.bismarcklutheran.org

Mr. Mark Johnson, President (222-1855) Mrs. Eileen McEnroe, Organist

Michael Roehl, Pastor

The 16^th Sunday in Pentecost – September 16, 2007

The Opening Prayer by the Pastor

The Opening Hymn ‑798- (Verses 1, 3-4) (Brown Hymnal)

"God, We Praise You"

The Order of Service – Supplement page 12ff. (Brown Hymnal)

The Scripture Lessons: (Printed on the back page of this bulletin)

The First Lesson: (Exodus 32:7-14) As we read here how Moses pleaded for the lives of his rebellious people, bear in mind that God is not fickle. Do not ascribe human emotions to the all-powerful Creator. God relented from the destruction of Israel for the sake of his loving, gospel promise of a Savior.

The Psalm of the Day- Psalm 100 (Supplement page 40)

The Second Lesson: (1 Timothy 1:12-17) Note especially in our second reading how Paul in no way attempts to justify his sinful conduct, even though he thought that he was doing the right thing by persecuting the early Christian Church. Nor did he imagine that the work that he did for his Lord following his conversion in any way paid for his past sins. Instead he freely acknowledged his own sin and trusted in his Lord for full and complete forgiveness – even referring to himself as the "chief of sinners."

The Confession of Faith ‑

The Apostolic Creed – page 15. (Brown Hymnal)

The Pre-Sermon Hymn ‑#772- (Stanzas 1-3) (Brown Hymnal)

"On Galilee's High Mountain"

The Sermon – Text: Luke 15:1-10 (Printed on the back page)

"To Do Great Things, Think Small"

The Offertory – (Supplement page 16 insert)

The Post-Sermon Hymn ‑#772- (Stanzas 4-5) (Brown Hymnal)

"On Galilee's High Mountain"

The Offering Hymn ‑#792- (Brown Hymnal)

"Let All Things Now Living"

The Offering

The Prayer followed by the Lord's Prayer

The Benediction

The Closing Hymn ‑785- (Brown Hymnal)

"Children of the Heavenly Father"

Silent Prayer

Attendance ‑ Last Sunday (50) 2007 Average (55)

This Week at St. Paul:

Today -10:00 a.m. – Worship Service

-11:00 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

Wednesday -6:00 p.m. – Confirmation Class

-7:00 p.m. – Midweek Bible Study

Thursday -7:00 p.m. – Church Council Meeting

Next Sunday -8:45 a.m. – Sunday School and Bible Class

-10:00 a.m. – Worship Service w/ Holy Communion

-11:15 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

CLC News – Prayers have been requested for Pastor Ed Starkey, of Stambaugh, Michigan, who was hospitalized this past week with several serious problems, including blood clots in his lungs. We pray for a speedy and full recovery and a return to his Lord's service. Your prayers are also most appropriate for all of the pastors in our Synod as they struggle to maintain both an evangelical and orthodox ministry in an increasingly apathetic world.

Confirmation & Bible History – Parents of Confirmation Students please note that Confirmation Class is scheduled to resume this Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. The start time for Bible History will be finalized this morning. Parents of Bible History students please meet with the Pastor after the service this morning .