Birds in God's Birdcage
Luke 17:5

INTRO: God has many different ones that serve Him. Tonight, I want to use the idea of Birds in God's Birdcage for the message. When I get into the scripture, you will see that this is a message about faith! The disciples approached the Lord and wanted to increase their faith. We need more faith.

Do you want to flutter about like an sparrow? Or would you like to soar to great heights like an eagle? How many of you have ever seen an eagle in the wild? When my wife and I made our last trip to Missouri, I saw a bald eagle in the field. Boy was I excited! I told all of her relatives about it, explained how it was in a field eating something, how pretty and impressive it was. It was really special.

How many of you have seen a sparrow? Of course all of us have. What if I had told everyone about an experience I had seeing a sparrow perched in our yard? People would probably ease away from me wouldn't they. We need to remember sparrows are important to Go. He watches over them, but, do we really want to be a sparrow or do we want to soar a bit like an eagle?

Of course there are many other birds besides these two. Let me get into the message.

Before I get started, let us look at some of the birds we know about…

Eagles - Swift; Strong of wing; Build their nest high up on the mountain where it is safe (we need to stay away from Satan if we can); And they tend their nest well. Accomplish much and encourage others.

Sparrows - Flutter to and fro; Not noticed very much; Not of much consequence in most eyes. Accomplish little (by themselves - but as a group or flock can do much).

Ostriches - Depends on its legs (self-dependent); Runs in circles (busy doing own thing instead of God's, thus, they are easily caught (To be honest, they are almost not like a bird - like many self-dependant Christians)

Owl - Looks around everywhere; Big eyes (Sees all - knows all - and tells all WHO will listen all!); Strike under the cover of darkness; Hunts some of the same areas Eagles hunt - just at night; more solitary

Pelicans - I call these selfish birds - they stuff their mouths and run off with the food (blessings); Many have the ability to share the Gospel, but will not, they hoard it for only their interests, not God's.

Crows - These big, noisy, disruptive birds are found all over. They are only good to be seen and heard in the neighbors corn. You cannot keep them out of your fields (busybodies); They are destructive (hurtful) to the work; They are noisy (great complainers) and thus get a lot of attention; They even are regularly busy dragging in "roadkill" (revive dead things). They are still there, even when you try to scare them away, hope they will go elsewhere, etc.

Raven - This is the "bigdady" of the crows. Their hero, model, trainer and leader all rolled up in one. He wrote the book on stubborn. Remember the raven Noah sent out? There was no land, yet he would not come back in. These guys are so big and powerful, he can make it on his own, many times he is just enough to keep God's good birds away.

Peacocks - We have all seen them. Every feather in place, a view of excellence (of course they know it - and tell you they do). They are only good for strutting around and showing off what they can do. Forget that hard job, that would muss their feathers! No. they will just do another lap around the "birdcage" 'til they get tired. Oh yes they are great to see and kind of exciting to be around, but when they leave the scene, nothing has changed.

Hummingbirds - These are really neat. They can do things science says cannot be done - fly backwards (like compromise - something that probably should not be done) and hover (stand still). They are tiny birds, they get all the sweets (like many Christians - church hoppers) then on to others places - never in one place very long. Oh yes we see these birds all the time - for a while, and then HMMMMMMNNNNPPPHHHHTTTT they are gone.

Robins - We see them every spring (Easter) - need I say more?

Cowbirds - These birds are like many we sight today (well at least we see their young). You see these birds will take their egg and place it in another (usually smaller) bird nest so the parents of that nest can raise their young for them. The surrogate parents run themselves ragged trying to keep up. Yes we see these "birds" send their young for others to train them (of course they would not complain about the job the surrogate parents do would they?)

Quail - These birds are good birds, they stick together, and they call out to others (attracting them to their group or covey. The problem is they are often hidden by their surroundings and go unnoticed. They also are too easily scattered - sometimes by "hungry hunters" (It would amaze you how many pastors come huntin' when they hear of a big covey of "quail."

Turkey - These amazing birds are almost an enigma. In the wild they are capable of taking care of themselves, looking great, they can fly, they can get up off the ground and get to higher heights (in trees, etc.), and they see danger coming a long way off, in fact it is hard to fool them. This is one of their problems, they are so wary, they will have little to do with any of God's other "birds." They spend more time running form others and trouble than they do soaring for God.

Tame ones, however, are only good for getting fattened up for the dinner table, some have been said to actually drown by looking up when it rains and opening their mouths.

So we go from two extremes, one so wary it will not work with others, and the other so trusting they just stand in groups and do nothing.

Parrots - Just sits around and echoes or repeats what others say (gossips).

Chicken - This maligned bird makes up many a flock in God's Birdcage. They have good points. They often work together, keep a watchful eye (they will cluck to their young ones and when they run to them, protect them with their life), they lay eggs all over the place (spread the gospel). Yet they do have shortcomings. Most of them cannot fly very well (Could it be spend too much time scratching on the ground instead of learning to soar?) If one of them has a problem, they will gang up and peck it to death. They make a lot of noise (even though low-key - it is still there) and some of them "crow" all the time.

Buzzards - Many people asked me after preaching this one time, "What about the Buzzards, why did you not mention them?" I am not going to go there. It is a dead issue!

Before I get into the message, let me say, there are many birds in danger of dying out, so we have the Endangered Species Act to help protect them. God has his own Endangered Species Act to save us! John 3:16 tells us what He has done for us…He gave His Son, Jesus for our rescue. Praise God!
 
 

OKAY…

How much faith do you have?

Do you want to Soar like and Eagle, or flutter like a sparrow?

The disciples wanted something special, better, good. They wanted to increase their faith. We need a desire to increase our faith.

Luke 17: 5And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. How can we have faith? Rom. 10:13-17 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So we need to make God's Word a premium in our lives. Lord, Increase our faith

Let me compare some Biblical examples, that by faith, soared like eagles and others who fluttered like sparrows.
 
Soared Like an Eagle
Fluttered like a sparrow
David (against Goliath)
Israel's army
Job (in the time of problems) Job 19:25
Job's friends & even his wife
Daniel and the 3 Hebrew Children (would not eat the (sweet) food of the king. Instead ate pulse (yuck).
Other captive Israelites
Joshua and Caleb ( believed they could take the land God gave them)
10 spies and the camp of Israel

(No faith)
Abraham (trusted God's blessings)
Lot
Elijah (called fire from heaven)
Prophets of Baal (perished in the fire)
Woman with issue of blood 

(healed because she believed & acted)
Those that were just watching to see what happens

Matt. 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

We just need to increase our faith! Lord, Increase our faith

We can be like an eagle - Is. 40:29-31

29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
 
  We need to stir the nest & tend our young like an eagle - Deut. 32:11-12 11As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
12So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
 
  Let us do better than an ostrich does with her young - Job 39:14-17 14Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
15And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
16She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
17Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding. By faith we can receive Him & believe Him - Ro. 5:1,2; Heb. 10:23-26 Rom. 5:1,2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Heb. 10:23-26 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

 When we quit soaring and come in for a close look at sin, we are in trouble! - James 1:1-6, 14, 17 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
 
  We need renewal like an eagle - Ps. 103:5 Lord, Increase our faith Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. An eagle gets to the place where his beak does not work right. He cannot even eat. He will beat the beak on a rock until it breaks off and then it will grow back and he can eat again - renewal comes when we go to the "Rock" and let Him "break" us so we can become usable again.
 
 
 
 

Gary Marcum - East 38th Street Free Will Baptist - 072201pm

(this message was preached by me over 20 years ago - I have slightly updated it.)