Small Things

Acts 12v34-13v5 ‘Small Things’.

28.04.2010 9.30am Wednesday Communion

Small things. Tiny specks of dust.

It has been very frustrating in recent weeks for millions of people stranded by volcanic ash in the atmosphere. Imagine! Tiny specks of ash floating in the air, preventing huge Jumbos and Airbuses hurtling through the sky. Millions left stranded and stationary, far from their homes.

Today, in this service, we think of other ‘small’ things. But these, instead of preventing travel, caused amazing movement, to go to the ends of the earth. And, these ‘small things’ are vital springboards for movement and action for you and me today. If the volcanic ‘small things’ grounded Europe, these ‘small things’ motivate a brand new world. What are these small things?

But first lets meet the cast? Verse 1: there is Barnabas who was from Cyprus (4v36), Simeon whose nickname Niger probably meant he was an African; Lucius from Cyrene meaning he was a Libyan, an Arab; Manaen who appears to be an aristocrat, brought up with King Herod, and coming from Antioch in Syria; and Saul the Jew from Tarsus in Turkey. In other words, we have here an astonishingly diverse group. In the Roman world these people of different cultures, ethnicities and classes would have kept their distance from one another. Today, the BNP would have been demanding their repatriation!

What ‘small’ things incredibly brought them together, and then sent them to change the world?

1. A Small Thing - a Word.

Words are cheap, ten a penny. The world is drowning in words. Especially during this election time we are especially aware of the billions of words being spewed into the atmosphere, just like that volcanic ash, clogging up our travel. Words are very small things indeed.

Incredible then that God chose to communicate in words. He comes to us as a verbal God, using the medium of small words to reach us, even calling His Son the ‘Word’.

v24 The word of God continued to increase and spread. The amazing word of God, although from the world’s view just a ‘small’ word, revolutionised these people, and sent them to travel throughout the world, changing it forever.

And that ‘small’ word, as we take the effort to read it, hear it, meditate on it, allow it change us - revolutionises us also. Some it literally send to end of the earth like a modern Paul or Barnabas. Most of us it sends to the world around us, our community, to serve it and bring them God’s word of healing.

Are we receiving that small word into our hearts and letting it change us?

The word of God continued to increase and spread.

2. Another Small Thing - Prayer

What a small, insignificant thing prayer appears. Something some religious people do before getting on with real life.

But no, it seems these people found it the well-spring to life itself. They were worshipping and fasting (v2) - and discovered the Holy Spirit sending Paul and Barnabas out into the world. They fasted and prayed - and sent them off to change the world forever with the new good news of the gospel.

It wasn’t insignificant. It connected them to God Himself. It wasn’t inactive. It motivated action. It wasn’t small really. It was hugely important.

Are we giving time to pray? Individually? Do we carve time out to pray? And corporately? Why not come to the morning prayer sessions, the prayer meetings, the meditation group, the prayer days we have from time to time.

They prayed and fasted.

3. Another small thing - Going.

They went, v4. It seems such a small thing. In the massive powerful Roman Empire two small people started a journey. It seemed to be so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. It wasn’t reported on Sky or the RBC, the Roman Broadcasting Corporation. Not even the Antioch Herald picked it up as a small local story. No, they just quietly went - and the Roman Empire was never the same again. The world was never the same again. The world was, and is, being changed.

We are also called to go. Not probably to Cyprus, like Paul and Barnabas and John - although that sounds nice! But to serve Stopsley. In our individual lives, to our families, friends, neighbours, colleagues, and all we meet. And in our church life, to young people, older people, people in need, people struggling through. Through the Toddler Group, the Listening Space, the Lunch Club, the Care Team, and many other ways to come.

They ‘went’. They did something small - and it was massive.

What are we doing for God? What is he calling us to do? Are you going? It will change the world.

They went.

Conclusion

So, small things - they can make such a massive difference.

A small little word. A small little prayer. A small little going.

Think big! Do the the small things! Hear, pray, go. Be big!