“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10, NLT).
Do you despise “small beginnings”? I think it’s in our nature—and especially our culture—to look down and disdain the things that don’t seem to be making any kind of splash.
The badly reviewed movie…
The poorly attended concert…
The twitter feed that only has one follower—and it happens to be his mom…
And sometimes that’s true even in the attitude of God’s people. We are attracted to the lights and the stadiums and the numbers, so if a ministry doesn’t attract large crowds, then it must not be a work of God—right?
But that’s not what God’s Word teaches us! In fact, the Bible says that the Lord rejoices to see a work begin—so what kind of work is He calling you to begin?
In 30 AD, He called a group of simple fishermen to make disciples of all nations—and the church was born!
In 1517 AD, He called an ordinary German priest to take on the religious corruption of the Catholic Church in that day—and the gospel of salvation through grace by faith alone was preserved!
In 1946 AD, He called a nun named Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu to minister to the poorest of the poor in India, and now there are over 4500 Sisters in 133 countries ministering in Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charities!
And in 1990 AD, He called a small group of students to go pray for revival around the flag poles of their high schools, and now the See You at The Pole movement unites over 3,000,000 teenagers from around the world at the Throne of Heaven!
I hope to See You at the Pole—but will I see you after the pole? Getting together to pray for our school and our nation once a year is fantastic, but I am convinced that on September 25th, 2014, God will call many (if not all) of you to start something on your campus or in your neighborhood.
And most likely—it will be a “small beginning”!
Unfortunately, when students start prayer clubs or Bible study groups, they aren’t always well attended. When we share the gospel, the crowds don’t usually throng to hear it. And it is in those times that we are tempted to be discouraged about the lack of “success” (as if that were determined by numbers)—and we give up.
Maybe this year will be the small beginnings that God will use to change the world? But like the disciples and Martin Luther and Mother Teresa and the teens from Texas, we have to say “yes” to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to begin the work. We must remember that if we are focused only on the results, then we won’t have to trust God alone for success or give Him the glory.
I love what the Apostle Paul (another guy who didn’t despise small beginnings) said about the movement he was starting at the command of the Lord Jesus:
Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we’re not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times (2 Corinthians 4:1, The Message).
My friends—See You at the Pole is something God has let us in on, and if you decide to keep the prayer and praise and THE Cause going long after September 24th, I guarantee that you will run into occasional hard times. You will likely be ridiculed and mocked and maybe even bullied for sharing the gospel and letting your light shine. You will lose friends and reputation and opportunities. You may even start with just a few people interested even though hundreds attend your school, and when that happens you must throw up your hands—not in defeat, but in praising the fact that God rejoices over your work, and you can claim this promise:
“I don’t think the way you think.
The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
they’ll complete the assignment I gave them (Isaiah 55:8-11. The Message).
See You After the Pole!
Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action
Attend See You at The Pole! Take note of who else attended, then get together with some of them and a youth leader to plan out a campus strategy for THE Cause. Say “yes” to the call that God has placed on your life to begin a work!
Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause
Pray: Jesus, thank You for small beginnings, because out of them come great Kingdom movements. Empower me to be obedient to Your call and Kingdom so that You will have the glory
Read: Philippians 1:6. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Get: To learn more about See You at the Pole or for helpful insights on organizing a gathering at your school on Sept 24, check out the See You at the Pole website.
Discussion Guide for Leaders
Big Idea: See You at the Pole is a fantastic event, and we can all further THE Cause after the event by starting movements on our campuses and in our neighborhoods.
Key Scripture: Zechariah 4:10
Discussion Questions:
- What has been your experience with See You at the Pole?
- Will you attend? Why or why not?
- What are some ways you can keep the momentum going after the event?
- How can you apply this Soul Fuel to THE Cause?
