Praise God! You're Insignificant

Have you ever felt completely insignificant?

Like you might possibly have been born, go through your entire life, & move along to Heaven without making a difference?

Have you ever felt like your life, talents, skills, etc. really don’t matter - especially compared to what others are doing?

Get ready to be encouraged BIG TIME!

The Devil’s Plan:

Do you know that the devil isn’t just fighting you, he hates you and wants to destroy you?

The Bible calls Satan:

A Lion looking to devour (1 Peter 5:8)

A liar (John 8:44)

The Accuser (Revelation 12:10)

The one who can destroy our soul (Matt 10:28)

2 Corinthians 2:11 NKJV

11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

One of the primary weapons and strategies that the devil uses against us is the feeling and perception that we are insignificant.

He used this strategy from the very beginning

Genesis 3:1–5 NKJV

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The devil successfully convinced Eve & Adam that they weren’t enough without that fruit.

But…

They were already made in the image of God (alike in every detail)

Genesis 1:26 NKJV

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Have you ever felt like if you could just do this, or have that - then you would be significant?

Maybe you’ve even been willing to eat what you knew was forbidden fruit in the pursuit of feeling significant.

If possible, the devil would like us to believe that we are so insignificant that we are obsolete.

Obsolete - to fall to disuse; replaced by something newer & better; discarded or outmoded; of no practical use or purpose

The devil wants you to agree with him that you are so insignificant that you don’t matter and never will; there is no purpose for your life.

Don’t agree with the Devil!

How God Sees:

When God saw Adam & Eve and all that He had created, this was His perspective

Genesis 1:31 NKJV

31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

God & Satan saw the exact same thing, but God said, “It is very good.” & the devil said, “It’s not & you’re not enough.”

Genesis 50:20 NKJV

20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

The insignificance the devil points out is the very thing that God will use for His glory through your life!

Saul:

1 Samuel 9:20–21 NKJV

20 But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?” 21 And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”

•From the least significant family from the smallest tribe of the Nation of Israel

David:

1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

• Youngest of 8 sons & wasn’t even invited to the prophetic party.

Moses:

Exodus 4:10 NKJV

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

• Could not speak well & was a fugitive from murdering an Egyptian

Jesus:

John 1:45–46 NKJV

45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

•Conceived from what appeared to be out of wedlock & from a town never even mentioned in any genealogies or Biblical accounts - It was so obscure that it was almost certainly a mockery to refer to Him as “Jesus of Nazareth”

The devil wants to kill your purpose by twisting & magnifying the perception of insignificance to lead you to self-imposed obsolescence.

Jesus wants to take your insignificance & put His greatness and glory on it so you can be a walking, talking miracle!

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 NKJV

26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

“Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room.” -Christine Todd Whitman

Just One Thing:

Don’t be ignorant about the attack of the devil on your purpose. Begin to thank God for His greatness on your life that makes your insignificance insignificant!

Discussion Questions:

If money and practicality weren’t a problem, what would be the most interesting way to get around town?

Have you ever struggled with feelings of insignificance? Share a little bit about those feelings & how you responded to them.

Please read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 & Matthew 5:13-16 and share how these verses minister to you.

Please share a little about what made the biggest impact on you from this sermon.