IMPORTANCE OF LITTLE THINGS

TEXT: I Chronicles 13:1-12

INTRODUCTION: The death of Uzza is a sad and unfortunate event, and it did not need to happen. They were moving the ark in a manner that was not the way God said to do it. Maybe they forgot what the divine law said. Maybe they felt it was too far for the priest to carry. It is a sad day for the people of God, when they fail to completely obey the revealed will of God. This passage teaches us some valuable lessons on the importance of little things

I.          God’s judgment for sin is much different than ours  

1 Chronicles 13:10 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.

A.        Do not most of us feel like David, that Uzza was treated to hard       

1 Chronicles 13:11And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.

1.      Uzza’s motive was pure, he did not want to see the ark fall to the ground

2.      In our thinking he could almost be justified for so little of an offense

3.      Most of us would think that this judgment was undeserved

B.        We may not perceive the evil, but there was sin or else He would not have punished it –

1 Chronicles 15:13 For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

1.      God does not give us more than we deserve

2.      God never exaggerates our sins, but sees them as they are

C.        We do not know how terrible a thing sin is

1.      If the act of touching the ark brought death, how terrible is sin

2.      Sin is an immeasurable evil

3.      We shall never know how evil sin is, unless we feel its terror in hell

II.       any alteration to the Word of God is wrong

A.        The false idea that many things in the Bible are not essential or may be altered is commonplace

1.      If we are right in the fundamentals, the other things are of no concern

2.      It seemed a very small thing to the people of Israel, if the ark was carried on a cart or on shoulders

3.      This first alteration is what caused the ark to shake, and then Uzza was tempted to touch it

4.      The death of Uzza was the punishment upon all the people

B.        God’s book is our only rule of faith and practice

1.      Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are often fashioned according to our desires, and not the Bible

2.      Even the preaching of the gospel has been marred by human invention

C.        The slightest violation of God’s Word will bring judgment upon a church -

1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

1.      God’s doctrines are to be preached as God has delivered them

2.      Whatever God has commanded is important, and we have no right to change anything

D.        Whenever the practices of Christians differ from the written Word, they are sure to suffer

1.      Altering only one word will get us into trouble

2.      If we do not see it immediately, be sure your sin will find you out

III.    one compromise of Scripture will lead to another

A.        A little error leads to a great one

1.      When they put that ark on the wagon, they never thought that it would lead to Uzza’s death

2.      Nobody ever intended for Uzza to touch the ark

3.      Had they known the outcome they would have kept the Scriptural plan

B.        Among early Christians, it was the practice to baptize those who believe in Jesus Christ, by immersion

1.      First came the idea that there was some benefit in the water (salvation)

2.      Next came the sprinkling of dying people because it was to hard to immerse them

3.      Then they wanted children to be a part of the church, so they sprinkled babies

4.      These errors came in slow degrees, and not all at once

5.      There is not an error that causes the damnation of more souls than infant baptism

C.        If you tamper with one truth in the Bible, there will be no end to it (new Bible)

IV.    refutes a common error: if we do a thing with the right motive, God will accept it

A.        Many think that if they are sincere and do what they think is right, they will make it to heave

1.      By this standard devil worshippers will make it to heaven

2.      God has revealed to us the one true way; all other ways are false, no matter how sincere

3.      When we stand before God, it will be no excuse to say, "I did wrong, but I thought I was doing right"

4.      Just like Uzza, he thought he was doing right

B.        It is a very fatal mistake to alter God’s Word –

Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

1.      The ways of God are intolerant

2.      It is our duty to believe what God tells us

3.      We are to take the Bible the way it is, or else deny it and suffer the consequences

CONCLUSION: Where do you stand on the Bible?-