Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...

Jeremiah 1:4-10...

Sermon #7

DRIVING THEME:

God is still present and active in human affairs and intervenes on our behalf.

PROPOSITION:

God who calls us into service is capable of providing the ingredients to facilitate our performance of duty.

ANTITHESIS:

The title of this sermon became the title of a book authored by Dr. Richard Carlson. In the introduction to the book, Dr. Carlson tells the story of how he arrived at the title. His previous book, bestseller, "You Can Feel Good Again," was about to be submitted for a foreign edition. The publishers wanted the endorsement for the English edition of his friend, Dr. Wayne Dyer, to be included. Without any success, Dr. Carlson tried to contact Dr. Dyer. To Dr. Carlson’s surprise, when the book was published Dr. Dyer’s endorsement was included.

Dr. Carlson hurriedly rushed off a missive to Dr. Dyer, apologizing for the error. Much to Dr. Carlson’s consternation, Dr. Dyer replied in a note with this advice, "Don’t sweat the small stuff; it’s all small stuff!" This is a lesson Jeremiah had not yet learned.

Jeremiah was called to be a prophet voicing the intentions of God to a people bent on their own destruction. The call narrative of Jeremiah is recorded here in vivid detail. Jeremiah is scared to death by the six verbs that describe the mission to which he is being called. He is to--"pluck up" and "break down," "destroy" and "overthrow," "build" and "plant." Jeremiah considers himself too big for the task.

The words aimed towards Jerusalem are burdensome and unwelcome. The message requires a messenger, and Jeremiah objects. Jeremiah cannot comprehend how God can bring about God's purposes and he becomes outlandishly vocal about his feelings. Jeremiah was sweating the small stuff. Like Paul (Gal. 1:12), 600 years later, Jeremiah was certain and confident that it was God who did the calling.

THESIS:

The scriptures demonstrate that God is indiscriminate in God's choice of prophetic leaders.

In 1 Sam. God chose a boy, a sling, and one smooth stone from the creek to stop Goliath.

In Jer. 1 God chooses a boy.

In Numb. 22:28 God chooses a donkey to speak his message to the apostate Balaam.

In Judges 4 God uses a woman named Deborah to lead the Israelites.

In Jonah 1:17 God prepared a large fish to get God's point across to the missionary Jonah.

God is speaking to us today concerning the need for those who would raise the prophetic banner.
The hindrances, objections, and excuses abound, but don't sweat the small stuff, leave it to God.

RELEVANT QUESTION:

Could we be assured of God's calling and is God going to be with us while we fulfill the obligations of the call?

SYNTHESIS:

God can lead you to realize exactly what God has appointed you to be, do and accomplish (1:4-5). Don't sweat the small stuff!
God can help you, as God did Jeremiah, to overcome any of your shyness, low self-esteem or hesitancies to obey God (1:6-7). Ask the Lord for confidence in God's ability to perform everything God asks you to do. Don't sweat the small stuff!

God will embolden you as God did Jeremiah (1:8), giving you a lionhearted approach as God directs. Don't sweat the small stuff!

God will give you the articulative ability to speak God's message with a supernatural power that gives proof of your special anointing (1:9). Don't sweat the small stuff!

God will endow you with special authority from Jesus Christ's commission to make disciples of all nations (1:10). Don't sweat the small stuff!

God will give you a new and improved identity facilitating your ability to get all of God's will for your life completed (1:18). Don't sweat the small stuff!

God will prepare you for any eventuality, as God did for Jeremiah (1:19). Ask the Lord to help you be prepared emotionally, mentally, socially, educationally, financially, morally, physically and spiritually for the big attacks that are coming to your relationships and ministries. Don't sweat the small stuff!

With God, it’s all small stuff.