"The Little Things Matter"
Matthew 28:1-7
January 7, 2007
(taken from "Seismic Shifts" by Kevin G. Harney)
Introduction: Have you ever been in an earthquake? The last one I was in was the San Francisco earthquake. I was at a pastor’s conference, and the seminar for the day was almost done. Then, all of a sudden, the ground began to shake. It was actually kind of a rolling movement, not the jarring kind. I moved toward the door, but it was one of the extensions on a hotel, and so the doorway was not solid, so I continued on outside hardly able to stay up as I ran. Many people were outside with me riding out the earthquake. Over the next few hours there were many aftershocks.

In the over 4 decades of my life living in Southern California, I have experienced many earthquakes. And it is interesting how many California natives tend to not panic during an earthquake. It becomes just part of living in an area where seismic activity could happen at any time. You know that, if the earth starts shaking, you just move to the doorway, and then move outside as soon as you can.

The amazing thing about earthquakes is that such a relatively small shift along a fault line, in the crust of the earth, could have such a significant and widespread impact.

This morning we are starting a new series called “Seismic Shifts,” taken from Kevin Harney’s book with the same title. In this series we are going to learn how “little shifts” in our lives can make for big results./ I believe this will be a very exciting series for us!!

I. Seismic Shifts Everywhere-

a. Small movements- In life, seismic shifts are small movements that

have a surprisingly significant impact. These shifts can take place in our homes, our work, our church, our family, even in our spiritual life; these shifts can take place almost anywhere. Each time we identify a “small change”…… that makes a “big difference”, we see a seismic shift in action. If we pay attention, we will discover seismic shifts all around us.

There is a true story of a man who walked into a pharmacy one day to pick

up a prescription for one of his boys. As he was waiting at the counter, he

noticed by the credit card machine a pen with a plastic spoon taped to it. On

the spoon was a happy-face drawn on it. When the pharmacist came over, he

asked: “What is the deal with the happy-face spoon taped to your pen?” The

pharmacist answered: “Well, people were taking all of our pens, so I decided

to draw a happy-face on this spoon, and tape it to the pen. The pen has been

here ever since!”

This little shift, taping a happy-face spoon to a pen, made the big difference of the pharmacy not losing their pens. It was a small change that had a big impact!

b. Dramatic Impact- Seismic shifts can also have a dramatic impact on

our attitudes and actions. Take a woman named Nancy, for example. Nancy had grown up in the church. For seventy years, the music she had known was led by the organ. She had grown up listening to the old hymns and traditional worship. Then a new pastor came to town and introduced guitar into the worship service. She did not like guitar music. She felt that it didn’t help her to connect with God, or go deep in worship. She decided to go and talk to her pastor. Here is part of the real conversation she had:

Nancy: “Pastor, can I talk with you?” Pastor: “Of course, Nancy.”

Nancy: “I just want you to know that I don’t like the guitar music. It does not help me to worship. I like the old music.” Pastor: “Well, Nancy, thanks for your honesty. Could I ask you a question?” Nancy: “Sure.”

Pastor: “Do you think we should use only the organ and not use guitar in church?”

Nancy: “Oh no, Pastor. I think we should use the guitar as well. I think that it will reach some of the young people and draw new people to church. I just wanted you to know that I don’t enjoy it.”

As Nancy left the pastor’s office, she realized that she had had a seismic shift. Even though she didn’t like the music, she realized that it would be beneficial in reaching people for Christ. A small movement of understanding, helped her to have a big change of supporting the pastor and the church in their new outreach./ Also, she made a shift of not just thinking about herself, but also thinking about others who needed Jesus. She made a choice, an intentional SHIFT, a willing sacrifice for the sake of others. This shift “transformed her heart.”/ Rather than becoming bitter and resentful, she rejoiced that lives were being touched and a whole new generation of people would be coming to love and worship Jesus.

In the church, there are many seismic shifts that create shock waves of transformation. These little changes have a wonderful impact by moving a congregation toward God’s vision and purpose.

Example: You may have heard the story of a woman who was frustrated

that her husband never told her that he loved her. One day she got up the

nerve to tell him her frustration. After she told him, he looked at her and

said: “Honey, I told you that I loved you on our wedding day, and if I ever

change my mind I will let you know.”

This isn’t exactly the answer she was hoping for. Many men believe they show love by their actions; by working hard and providing for their family. But what if he were to look in his wife’s eyes, and see the pain that comes from a lack of communication? And what if he realizes that he needs to express himself more to her? And then one day……..he takes a hard swallow…….and says….: “I love you.” After this, it becomes a regular part of his vocabulary. A small shift; a BIG CHANGE.

II. Dominos Are Falling-

a. Dominos- I want to ask you to help me with something right now; I

WANT TO ASK YOU TO MAKE A LITTLE SHIFT; AND THE SHIFT IS THIS….I WANT EVERYONE TO GET UP AND MOVE ONE ROW FORWARD; JUST GET UP NOW AND MOVE ONE ROW FORWARD. As you make this shift, I know it is a hard one to make, because we get so used to sitting in the same place. But I believe this little shift illustrates something important: by making this little shift, you will have a different attitude and perspective.

Have you ever seen a display of dominos, where someone sets up

hundreds or even thousands of dominos in a design for the purpose of knocking them down. Right before it is time to knock them down, the anticipation is amazing. People know that if even one domino gets slightly bumped, it will knock them all down. It would create a chain reaction.

I myself did this some when I was younger. I never set up thousands, but I would set up maybe a hundred, and then once they were all set-up, I would gently push the first domino, which would fall into the second, and the second falls into the third, and so forth all the way to the end. If you have ever seen this done you know it is a wonderful effect. THIS TEACHES US THAT ONE LITTLE PUSH IN THE RIGHT PLACE CAN START A CHAIN REACTION!

b. Big change- Seismic shifts is about change. Big change. But it focuses

on the small shifts we need to make if we want to experience transformation. So to get us thinking about transformation in our lives (and the first Sunday of a new year is the perfect time to think about change and transformation), I’m going to ask you some questions, and you answer to yourself “yes,” or “no.”

· Do want to experience deeper levels of joy?

· Do you desire to be more deeply connected with God?

· Do you want to have greater discipline in your life, not just spiritually, but how you care for your body, your eating habits, exercise, and your emotional life?

· Are you longing for better relationships in your life?

· Do you want to be able to express your faith to others?

These are just a few of the things we will be discovering over the next few weeks in this series. God offers the power needed to experience transformation in every area of our lives. And each week we will walk forward together to discover the little changes we have to make to create big differences in our lives.

III. Shifts That Bring Greater Joy- (Psalm 4:7, 5:11, 30:11; Luke 2:10;

Matthew 28:1-7)

a. Too much fun?- As God looks down at us here on earth, do you think

that God thinks we are having too much fun? Do you think that God thinks that any second now we are in danger of exploding with joy? The great Christian writer C. S. Lewis didn’t think so. He believed God has far more joy in store for us than most of us can imagine or dream. Lewis says it like this: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday by the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

This thinking is supported over and over again in the Bible. We read King David say in Psalm 4:7- “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.” King David wrote this in a time of great harvest, which had brought celebration for the community. A great harvest always brings about celebration and joy for an agricultural setting. And yet, King David says that God brings about an even greater joy than an abounding harvest!

In the very next psalm, Psalm 5:11, King David writes: “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” King David was one who would regularly run to God for protection, and King David knew that God was always there to offer protection, and in this protection one could experience joy. King David believed that God was his source of joy, in good times and bad, as he says in Psalm 30:11- “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”

b. Bring you good news- We just finished celebrating Christmas. But the

Christmas story fits into what we are talking about today, and throughout this series: GREAT JOY! When the angel appeared to the shepherds to announce the coming of the long-awaited Messiah, this news of Jesus’ birth was characterized as “good news of great joy.” Luke 2:10 tells us, “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’”/

Did you catch that? First of all, don’t be afraid. We live too much of our lives afraid. Afraid we won’t have the money to pay our bills, afraid that our relationships aren’t right, afraid of the sins we have committed, afraid of what others think of us, afraid that we don’t have the right job. But the message to us, is that we don’t have to be afraid. WHY? Because the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus Christ, IS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE; all the people! Jesus isn’t just for the rich, or confident, or the person who has it all together. Jesus is for ALL the people; for you and for me.

This message of joy was culminated when Jesus was crucified, but then was raised from the dead. When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit Jesus at the tomb, an angel visited them. The angel’s message was the same as before Jesus’ birth: “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid/ , for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said’….So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy…”

From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the Bible declares this message: in the good and hard times, those who walk closely with God can and should experience life-transforming joy.

Conclusion: Today is Epiphany Sunday. An “epiphany” is having that “aha” moment in life when you finally understand something important. EX: Have you ever seen this book, THE MAGIC EYE BOOK? In this book there are a display of colorful designs. But the magic is that if you look at it just right, you can actually see a picture. On page 36 of this book, you see the colorful design. But if you hold the book about a foot away, and let your eyes zone out, then a picture of a plane and a skydiver come into plain view. NOW, it took me a while to learn how to see these pictures, and when I finally did, I shouted out “AHA!” I finally understood how to see the pictures.

What I am preaching on each week will hopefully be some “Aha” experiences for you. As we talk about experiencing joy, expanding faith, providing rest, building relationships, unleashing riches in our lives, and changing the world. Do these sound like huge goals? They are, but they are possible by our making small shifts and trusting in a God who is capable of creating transformation which makes a difference. Amen.