When All You Have Is A Little

Carlisle Evangelical Free Church. Sermon. Shad Baker

We've become adept at giving excuses to everything: sales pitches, responsibilities
-we claim that failure is never our fault, but the result of something outside ourselves
- We even give excuses to God
--an excuse always claims some sort of poverty

3 Different Situations:
1. Criminal with no talent: Moses
[Scripture Exodus 2:11-4:17]
Exodus 2:11-15 = crime
- Moses became a quitter, a failure, and eventually humble
Exodus 3:7-8 - so GO
Exodus 3:10 - who am I?
Exodus 3:12 - doesn't matter, because I (God) will be with you
Exodus 4:1 - beginning of excuses and God's responses
- God is says he doesn't need us to be talented/rich/etc...JUST OBEDIENT
-- God will do the work
-- God PREFERS people who are not talented/arrogant so he gets all the glory
-- God isn't dependent on me/my talent/etc (no dependent on me at all/ever)
- no excuses, just give whatever we have no matter how little
-- God gave us exactly what we have
---it's insulting to say we can't give because we don't have enough

2. single mom with no money

2 Kings 4:1-7
4:1 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

- widow is poor and creditor is taking away sons
- Elisha say GO
-- be faithful with what we have
-- faithful in a little means we'll be faithful with more
---give what we've got
----God is looking for HEART OF FAITH not money/talent/etc
----God is not bound by our ability; he is not limited

3. Religious people with no food

Matthew 14:15-21
15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

- Jesus gives thanks for the little the had
- What is he teachings?
--he isn't bound by the resources we have
--he isn't dependent on us; we are dependent on him!
- it's insulting to god to claim God can't do as much with the little that we have
- we were created to do good works and share Christ
-- God gave us exactly what we need for that task

John 15:1-17
15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 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. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

- we can serve only because of Christ
- we could be the most talented/rich/etc but without Christ it doesn't matter
-- it's his work, not ours

We have an infinite God so why do we think he'd be limited by us? If he wanted he could speak and it'd appear, but he doesn't because he has given us all that we need already!