Sermon Tone Analysis

*Little Things Mean a Lot*

* *

/The year was 1985; it was the 4th of July weekend.

Married less than two weeks, the newlyweds embarked on their first trip home to her parents’ home to pick up her car.

It was close to midnight when they finally left town./

/ /

/30 minutes outside of Houston, they stopped for fuel – diesel that is.

The first hint of what was in store came when the car wouldn’t start after they had filled up.

Just what they had feared.

That day the young man had picked up a part that needed to be replaced.

His dad had ordered it and was planning on replacing it that weekend when his son brought the car home.

The car had been acting up a bit, but he had assured his son that the car was still drivable./

/ /

/After trying unsuccessfully to get in touch with his dad, they did reach her mom and brother as they went out the door.

Her dad had already left for the river, where they were all going to spend the night.

It was decided that her brother would bring her car and pick them up.

They were still about 3 hours from home, but there was nothing else to do.

As they tried one more time to start the car by spraying ether into the intake, the car started.

They hurriedly took off after setting some check points along the route where they would wait for each other.

This was before the days of cell phones, so her mom was going to stay at home by the phone so that she could keep everybody in touch with one another.

All the while he would be watching the other side of the road in case they broke down again./

/ /

/15 minutes later – at the top of a long bridge – the car started smoking and stopped running.

There was an exit at the bottom of the bridge with a 24 hour diner.

They coasted in and raised the hood to find a melted mess.

They were obviously not going any further that night in their 1978 diesel Delta 88 Oldsmobile./

/ /

/Finding a pay phone, they called her mother to find out that her brother had had a flat, and had walked back to the nearest town to let her know that he had the spare key that wouldn’t open the trunk – which was of course where the spare tire was located.

The good key was still in Texas – at the all-night truck stop./

/ /

/The only thing to do was to hitch a ride – so we walked around the restaurant until we found someone heading east that had room in their vehicle and would drop us off a couple of hours down the road./

/ /

/We did make it home, and we did drive the 1972 2 door Toyota Corolla back to Houston.

It was now our only car.

There was no reason to put any money into the Delta 88.

I had burned up the engine.

All that it had needed was a little water.

Little things mean a lot./

 

/2 Kings 2:19-22//  And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.

And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein.

And they brought it to him.

And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.

So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake./

A little leaven leaveneth the whole loaf –Galatians 5:9

 

Little things have a way of turning into big things.

Our text is a beautiful picture of how the Lord works in our life.

Life on earth can be, just as Jericho was, a very beautiful experience.

External surroundings leave nothing to be desired, and at first glance, it seems that everything is fine.

But behind all the outer beauty something is wrong.

In the best prospect there is some flaw; in the clearest crystal a deformity can be found.

Jericho’s beauties were shadowed by the suffering of its inhabitants.

The disease affected every spring and stream.

The water was horrible, and it caused a mess.

The word “barren” in this verse does refer to dry, desolate, desert but rather of plants that would grow and flourish and yet would never come to fruition.

The actual definition is that of “miscarrying the fruit”.

At certain times of the year everything would look lush and promising, but then end up rotting or falling off the vine before it was ripe.

What a clear picture of what life without the Lord is like.

Money, accomplishments, and material possessions do not bring happiness.

On the other hand, those that have the most are often the most miserable.

They can drown the need, cover the emptiness and try to draw attention away from the peace that they don’t have, but the fact remains – you can never experience the fullness of life for eternity or for the present without God’s involvement in your life.

Stress

 

      A  lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience,  Raised  a glass of water and asked; 'How heavy is this glass of  water?'

 

               Answers called out ranged from 20g to  500g.

The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't  matter.

It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold  it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour,  I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll  have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight,  but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'

He  continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress  management.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or  later, As the burden becomes increasingly heavy,

We won't be  able to carry on.

'

 

'As with the glass of water, You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.

When  we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'

'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.

Don't carry it  home.

You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now,  Let them down for a moment if you  can.'

 So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.

Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

Not only do I grow weary, - it keeps me from picking up what God wants to give me.

Rock of stumbling, and stone of offense  Stumbling blocks-

 

Nobody trips over mountains.

It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble.

Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain.

I Peter 5:6,7 - Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.

Humbling and casting are connected.

We humble ourselves by giving it to God, we put ourselves into play where God can exalt us.