Warrior Church Home Fellowship Study
Dr. Kevin Zadai 08-13-2023 -- 08-19-2023
God Sometimes Starts Small
"When you get to Heaven, you will see that God required you only to produce a return on what you were given; He did not expect anything from what you didn't have."
~Kevin Zadai
His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many
things. Enter into the joy of your lord."
—Matthew 25:21
DISCUSSION:
Today we will discuss the fact that God doesn't always start big. Sometimes He may start with something small and expand it into something big. That is what He did personally for Kathi and me.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF SMALLNESS TO GREATNESS
There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?
—John 6:9
John 6:5–14 gives an account where Jesus miraculously fed the multitudes. When Jesus tested the disciples and asked where they would get food to feed them, in verse 9, Andrew mentions the boy with the five barley loaves and the two fish. Jesus used what the boy gave, which seemed so small in the face of an impossible situation, as the catalyst to feed the whole crowd (John 6:5–14). He took that small lunch and multiplied it into something extraordinary.
Let's look at King David's story (1 Samuel 16:1–17:58). His father, Jesse, sent him to deliver meals to his brothers, and he was supposed to come right home afterward. Previously Samuel had anointed David as king, but his time had not come yet; however, the small task of food delivery was a catalyst. When he brought the meals to the brothers, he inquired about the boisterous Philistine who was profaning the armies of God—Israel. This turned into a standoff, where David ended up killing the giant. David had a small beginning; scholars state that it took 17 years from the time he was anointed until he became king. So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.—1 Samuel 3:19
Samuel is another example of a small beginning that God significantly increased. When he was a child, Samuel's mother gave him to Eli to be trained in the temple of the Lord throughout his youth. He started to hear God calling him there and was prepared behind the scenes without yet being exposed to the world. 1 Samuel 3:19 says that none of his words fell to the ground, meaning everything he prophesied came to pass. In addition to being a prophet, Samuel became a priest who could perform the sacrifice. When Saul was king, he was not permitted to do the sacrifice (1 Samuel 13:1–15). In Gilgal, he refused to wait for Samuel and intruded on the priest's office by sacrificing, resulting in the loss of his kingdom. Samuel was one of the greatest prophets who ever lived, yet he started small and hidden from the world.
o Discuss how God often starts small in a person's life, then increases them. How does this impact your perspective of His process?
A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY
I want to talk to you about the small things that may now be happening in your life. David probably didn't understand all that took place in his youth and may have had many questions, but look at what eventually happened to him. The boy who gave his lunch to Jesus wasn't originally planning to share as it was just enough for one person. When you reach Heaven, you will see that God required you only to produce a return on what you were given; He did not expect anything from what you didn't have.
Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
—2 Timothy 1:6
This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.
—1 Timothy 1:18
Your whole life down here is a journey of discovery where you're finding out what God placed inside of you.
• On this journey, you are seeing, knowing, and learning about your own heart while also discovering your pathway of destiny.
• Once you understand who you are and your gifts, you must fan them into flame, as Paul instructed Timothy.
• Paul had imparted gifts to Timothy by laying hands on him and prophesying, yet it was up to Timothy to fan those gifts into flame and wage war with those prophecies.
• At that time, Timothy's prophetic words hadn't come to pass yet, but Paul essentially said, "You don't need another word."
• Today, many believers seek another prophetic word; however, as Paul said, you should take the words you already received and wage war with them. Most people have been given enough words.
• It's the same way with the gifts of the Spirit. Paul expressed that Timothy didn't need hands laid on him again; he just needed to fan the flame. He must have had just had hot coals or smoking embers, but was supposed to be on fire.
• Paul didn't come to him and say, "I'm going to have to lay hands on you again," or "I need to deliver some more words to you because the ones that I gave you didn't come to pass yet." He told Timothy to be accountable and take responsibility for what you have been given, even if it seemed small.
YOUR REWARD IS BASED ON WHAT YOU WERE GIVEN
Most people want the manifestation, but they don't want the responsibility. Many are just waiting for God to move, yet that is not how it works in the Bible. God starts by entrusting us with something small; then, He wants us to produce fruit. The path that you're on and your gifts are the seed of your future; they are the absolute potential in you, whether it be a word or a gift that must come forth. You must do two things: Fan your gifts into flame and wage war with the words you have been given. If you look at both entries where Paul gives these instructions, he's talking to Timothy, his disciple. Paul fathered, mentored, and prepared him for ministry. That is what's happening with you and others all over the world. You are being prepared for what God's called you to do. He has given you the gifts and everything you need for this (2 Peter 1:3).
