Trinity Baptist Church

Making a Difference in the World

James the Less: Little Is Much When God Is In It

Luke 6:15; Mark 15:40

 

I want you to take your Bibles now this morning and I want you to be finding your place at two passages of scripture this morning if you will.  The first passage is found in Luke 6:15 and the second passage is found in Mark 15:40.  We are continuing this morning in a series of 12 character studies of the twelve apostles called “Making a Difference in the World”.

 

These are men that followed Jesus for about three and a half years listening to him and learning from Him and then at the end of His ministry here on earth He sent them forth to teach others what He had taught them.

 

That's why Jesus said in Matthew 28, in what we call "the Great Commission, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

 

By the way, that's still the way that it's supposed to work today.  Sure, there's a time when you soak up, but there comes a time when you need to be sent forth.  There is a time when you need to learn, but there comes a time when you need to teach.

 

 

 

You see if you've been saved for a long period of time and you're still in kindergarten as a Christian, there's a big problem with your spiritual growth.  Just like a little child needs to grow and learn and then one day, hopefully, prayerfully, go out to start their own family, you need to grow and learn the things of God, and then go out there and tell people about Jesus and see them born into the Kingdom of God.

 

Now, this group that Jesus called to come after Him and learn from Him wasn't the typical group that a typical Rabbi or Teacher would take on if he wanted to change the world.  I mean, think about it.  If you've already got all of the strikes that Jesus had going against Him, (the son of a poor carpenter from a little wide spot in the road in the hills of Galilee, not to mention the rumor that had been spread around about his birth) you'd think that He'd have tried to pick some disciples that would have at least given Him a little bit of a head start or allowed Him to just break even.

 

But here's the thing that you've got to remember:  Jesus wasn't your typical Rabbi or Teacher.  This was the Son of God, and Jesus knew that if he picked the smartest or the most successful or those with the greatest abilities then the world could say, "Anybody could do what He's doing with disciples like that."

 

So, Jesus went out and Jesus called those that nobody else would have wanted, those who everybody else would have passed over.  These were the men that anybody and everybody else would have said, "Thanks, but no thanks."  They were what we would have called growing up "the scrubs."

 

I mean, we talk about these being "ordinary men."  But that’s really being very gracious and nice. What you've got is first of all, a bunch of fishermen and everybody knows you can't trust fishermen.  Where do you think we get the phrase "fish story" from?  You've got a tax collector; enough said.  And then you've got a bunch of nobodies from nowhere.

 

The only one out of the whole bunch who had any potential at all, from a worldly point of view, ended up selling his Master out for 30 pieces of silver (the price of that had to be paid if you killed another person's slave.)   And yet, Jesus calls them and Jesus pours His life into them and then He sends them out to totally transform this world.

 

So why does Jesus choose to do it that way?  The answer is found in

 

1 Corinthians 1:27-29

 

You see, from that day until now, when you look at what Jesus did in these men and through these men, there's only one thing that you can say, "It's all God."  I mean, it's not ability or personality or heredity or popularity, it's all God. And perhaps that was never more true in the life of any of the other disciples than in the man who we are going to be studying this morning.

 

Luke chapter 6:13-15

 

Mark 15:40

 

 

 

 

If you want to know what we know about this man by the name of James, you pretty much just heard it.  We know that he was the son of a man by the name of Alphaeus and a woman by the name of Mary.  And since that's true, most likely he was the brother of the disciple, Matthew and some well known believer named Joseph.  That's really all that we know about his background or family.  As a matter of fact, the only real insight that we get into who he was as an individual comes from the title or the nickname that he's given in Mark 15:40 where he's called "James the less."

 

Now, just so you don't get this James mixed up with all of the other James in the Bible, let me tell you who he wasn't.

 

This wasn't "James, the son of Zebedee" the brother of John and one of the "Sons of Thunder."

 

This wasn't "James, the half brother of Jesus."

 

This wasn't "James, the father of Judas -- not Iscariot" as the Bible calls him.

 

This was "James, the son of Alphaeus" who was known as "James, the less."  And perhaps there has never been a title given that was more accurate about a man's person or position than the description given to this man by the name of James -- the less.

 

What do we discover about this man through that little description?

 

 

 

Let’s think, first of all, about

 

 

Let’s just think very logically and practically for a moment.  The word "less" is the Greek word micros."  And in a general, generic sense, it simply means "little" or technically, "very little" and it is a word of term we use all the time.  

 

In school you may have studied "microbiology."  You may have even used a "microscope."  If you work in a machine shop or a garage you may use a "micrometer."  If you're into finances, you've probably talked about "microeconomics."  And of course, we've all heard of "Microsoft."

 

We use this word all the time, and most of the time we never stop to think about what this word means.

Let me share with you some of the ways the word is used Scripturally.

 

In Mark 9:42 this word is used to mean. . .

 

- Younger.  Jesus said, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."

 

In Matthew 13:31-32 this word is used to mean. . .

 

- Smaller.  Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, "which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

In Revelation 3:8 this word is used to mean . . .

 

- Weaker.  The glorified Lord said, "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

 

And in Matthew 18:2-3 it's used to describe those who have less . . .

 

- Influence or status.  "Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3  and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."  Think about it; who has less influence, less status than a little child?  They can't determine when they go to bed, what they wear to school, what they eat for dinner, or anything.

 

So, that's what the word means.  It means, younger, smaller, weaker and a person who has less influence or status.  So, that brings us to. . .

 

 

All of those things that we just talked about in regard to the meaning of the word, most likely tell us a lot about this man.  Think about it.  He was probably . . .

 

- Younger.  Do you remember that I told you that he had two brothers, one named Matthew and the other named Joseph? Well, if you take what his name means, then this was probably "little James."  Maybe he was the baby of the family.

 

- Smaller.  Hebert Lockyer says that a good way to translate his name is "James, the little."  Maybe he was on the short side.  Maybe he was a lot like Zacchaeus.  As a matter of fact, there are a lot of Bible scholars who say that since his brother was a tax-collector there's a good chance that he could have been to.  That would have given him more in common with Zacchaeus than just the fact that he was vertically challenged.

 

Maybe that’s how men with a short man’s complex expressed themselves back then.  You are going to make fun of me for being short?  I’ll become a tax collector and we’ll see whose laughing when I get through with you!

 

And maybe he was

 

- Weaker.  If you put those first two things together then it's easy to see that compared to the older, bigger guys around him that he could have been weaker.  Or maybe he was just a runt. And then lastly, when you put all of those things together, we're probably talking about a man who had . . .

 

- Less influence or status.  As a matter of fact, let me show you something that I think is really telling about his position in this group of twelve.

 

Let's start with Matthew 10:2-4

 

Then go to Mark 3:14-19

 

Now turn over to Luke 6:13-16

 

And then finally, turn to Acts 1:13

 

You see, whenever and wherever these twelve men are listed, James the less is always in that last group, right before the traitor, hanging out with a fanatic named of Simon the Zealot and a guy with three names called "Judas Labbeus Thaddeus.  You see, he wasn't last, but he was "the less.")

 

So, there's the meaning of his name and the message of his name, and then thirdly, and this is what I really want us to see, there is . . .

 

 

Let me ask you a question, how would you feel if at the end of your life on earth, the only specific mention about you was your first name?  I mean, nobody knew when you were born, where you were from, what you had done, how you had died; the only thing that they knew about you was that at about this point in history there was a person named John or Joe or Sally or Susan, how would that make you feel?

 

Well, that's what happened to James.  I mean, even the guy we're going to talk about next week, as I've already mentioned, has three names.  No wonder John MacArthur calls James "the obscure disciple."  We're not told about his birth. We're not told about his accomplishments.  We're not even told about his death.

 

Unlike most of the other disciples, historians can't even agree on how he died.  Some accounts say that he was stoned; others say that he was beaten to death and still others say that he was crucified like Jesus.

 

 And yet, here he is listed with a group of men that the bible says turned the whole world upside down.

 

Do you know what that teaches me?  It teaches me that. . .

 

- Little is much when God is in it.

 

Do you know how many times the word "big" is used in the New King James version of the Bible?  Nine.  Do you know what it references every time?  The big toe.

 

Do you know how many times the word "little" is used in the bible?  Almost 217, and when you put it together with the word "small" its used over 325 times.  That ought to tell you something.  What we think of being big and what the Lord thinks of being big are two entirely different things.  And God in His greatness and God in his wisdom, the Bible says, has chosen to use the small things, the insignificant things, the little things, the lesser things of this world to accomplish the things that He wants to accomplish.

 

You say, "Pastor, I can only give a little, or serve a little or teach a little or witness a little -- Hey, little is much when God is in it.

 

Let me give you an illustration straight from Scripture.  Jesus told the story of a woman who went to church and gave just two little coins to God, while those around here gave large amounts of money.

 

 

 

 

And in regard to her offering, Jesus said, "I'm telling you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

Every week when you put that tithe or that offering in the plate, you may think, "It's so little," but if you have given what God's told you to give, that ten percent off the top, and if you've given how God has told you to give, out of a cheerful, willing, trusting heart, to where He has told you to give, the local church, God says, "I can use it to do so much!"

 

You say, "Pastor, I can only serve a little."  I don't have the ability to teach a class.  I don't have the experience to serve on a committee.  I don't have the boldness to go up to a complete stranger and tell them about Jesus.  All I can do is welcome people into the church."  Do you know what David said?  "I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked."

 

I could go on and on, but the point is, little is much when God is in it. By the way, I think it bears mentioning that little is much when the devil is in it also!

 

Have you never been hit with just the wrong word at just the wrong time?  Maybe under different circumstances, you wouldn’t even have paid attention to what was said, but you did this time!  See the devil is so opportunistic.  He knows just when to jab his elbow into your side!  He knows how to twist the truth so you are sucked into his scheme.

 

 

Or maybe you’ve said something and immediately with you could take it back.  Facebook and social media have changed forever the way we interact with one another.  It’s so easy to hide behind the keyboard and say things we would never say in person to someone.   

 

Even the way we talk in public, however private or innocent it may seem, can be used by the devil.  I was eating somewhere recently and overheard a conversation in the next booth as a couple had roast preacher for lunch.  They complained back and forth and griped about the church for several minutes.  I started to go to the table and ask where they attended so I could say, “I’m new in town and looking for a church and I wanted to make sure I didn’t visit where you are members after listening to what you’ve had to say for the last few minutes!”

 

No doubt little is much when God is in it, but far too often, it’s the devil, rather than God, who is in it!

 

We need to learn to guard out comments and our conversations and our words to make sure they honor God and protect our testimony and build up, rather than tear down.

 

Then here's the last thing:

 

- Unrecognized does not mean unrewarded.

 

Now remember, we know very little about the man and ministry of James the Less.  But let me show you one thing we do know.  It’s found in

 

Revelation 21:14

 

And there it is, inscribed forever on one of the foundational stones of the City of God, James the Less, a testimony to the fact that you may be little in the eyes of man,, but little is much when God is involved.  You may be unrecognized, but that doesn’t mean you are unrewarded.

 

God is taking note and you will never know the end result of one little act of obedience or graciousness. There are some of you who never look any farther than the immediate.  Children who are disrespectful or disobedience irritate you. People who don’t conform to your way or mindset are an aggravation.

 

Your life is void of grace and mercy and tenderness and therefore, your life is void of the blessing of the little things in life. 

 

 

In the early 1900′s in Canada during a bad snowstorm, a young man named Fred Suffield heard a knock at the door.  A train had stalled close to his house, and someone from the train came to his house and told Mr. Suffield that the passengers of the train were in danger of freezing to death.

 

Fred dressed, lit a lantern, and went with the man to guide the train passengers to his house. One of the passengers on that train was a young lady named Kittie Jennett.  She was a talented musician, both as

a singer and a pianist who had begun studying music as a young child with dreams of being a concert singer.  But after her conversion at age 19, she gave up her concert ambitions and began evangelistic work.

 

 

She would later send Fred Suffield a “thank you” note for his kindness, and they began corresponding in writing, and eventually they were married.  After they were married, Fred was saved under the ministry of Rev. A.J. Shea, a Wesleyan pastor in Ottawa Canada.

 

Eventually Fred and Kittie Suffield begin traveling as evangelists. Pastor Shea would often invite them to hold services for his congregation. In fact, it was during one of those revival services the son of the pastor, a young boy named George, was saved. 

 

When that boy was 17 years old, the Suffield’s invited him to join them at a month-long, Methodist camp meeting in Westport, Ontario. With Kittie playing the piano, George Beverly Shea sang his first solo in public. He was terribly embarrassed when his voice cracked on a high note. Devastated, he resolved never again to sing in public but Kittie gently encouraged him to try once more, this time in a lower key. Bev sang another solo before the camp meeting ended.

 

Kittie Suffield wrote many songs, but the song that was the theme of her life and the song she used to influence George Beverly Shea was . . .

 

In the harvest field now ripened

There’s a work for all to do;

Hark! the voice of God is calling

To the harvest calling you.

 

Does the place you’re called to labor

Seem so small and little known?

It is great if God is in it,

And He’ll not forget His own.

Are you laid aside from service,

Body worn from toil and care?

You can still be in the battle,

In the sacred place of prayer.

 

When the conflict here is ended

And our race on earth is run,

He will say, if we are faithful,

“Welcome home, My child - well done!”

 

Little is much when God is in it!

Labor not for wealth or fame.

There’s a crown - and you can win it,

If you go in Jesus’ name.

 

Think about it.  A small act of kindness to help someone in distress results in a young man finding a wife.  The faithful weekly ministry of a pastor of a church results in a couple coming to know and serve Christ.  An encouraging word to a young man to “try again” results in a life-long of ministry to millions of people around the world.

 

These are testimonies of how God can take the little things and do something great.

 

That is the message from the life of James the Less.   Don’t get discouraged in the little things.  Whether it is a kind word, a note of sympathy or appreciation, a pat on the shoulder or a hug around the neck, or a little patience and encouragement to a child, never forget , your “little” plus God equals “much.”

 

Let’s pray.