Honoring God. Shaking the dust off our feet.
Good Morning
Stand with me and lift your bible and repeat after me.
This is my Bible.
I am what it says I am.
I can do what it says I can do.
I am going to learn how to be what it says I can be.
Today I will learn more of the word of God.
The indestructible, never ending, living word Of God.
I will never be the same.
I will never be the same.
In Jesus Name
Amen?
Before you sit down, say good morning to your brothers and sisters, safely.
I have a couple of questions for you.
Do you and I honor God by walking in faith?
Do we put Him first in our lives?
The disciples had to and so do we. We are called to put Him first in our lives.
In every aspect of our life.
Amen?
Turn with me to the book of Matthew chapter 10 and say, “Amen” when you are there.
Let us start with verse 9.
9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—
10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.
11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.
12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off of your feet.
Verses 9-10-He is telling the disciples not to take anything that would burden them down, that God would take care of their personal needs!
We need to examine our own life and see how much baggage we have, to see what hinders us from fulfilling the great commission!
Because sometimes the stuff we acquire in this life can become very distracting!! Our personal possessions can become more important than life itself.
Our cell phone.
The car we drive.
The watch we wear.
The clothes in our closet.
Our shoes.
Where we live.
How many friends we have on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
The list goes on and on…….
Jesus wanted His disciples to be careful where they lodged, making sure they didn’t stay at a home that was scandalous or immoral, even if they had better accommodations, and once they found lodging, to stay put till it was time to leave that city.
Life is like that. Just like what He says in His words. As each year goes on, we need to think like Jesus told His disciples. Amen?
Let us go on to verse 12.
Verse 12-And when you go into a household, greet it.
What does this greeting represent, what does it mean?
Luke 10:5-But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'
John 14:27 -Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Philippians 4:7
Verse 13- If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
If the house be worthy - That is, if the "family" be worthy, or be willing to receive you as my disciples.
But if it be not worthy ... - If the family be unwilling to receive you; if they show themselves unfriendly to you and your message.
Many people in the world do not want to hear about God. They are so wrapped up in themselves and what they want in life that they don’t hear the true words of love and hope from God.
They also may just have developed a negative spirit and focus on all of the bad things going in the world that we live in. They forget about Him and stay so focused on the bad things that they forget about putting Him first and thanking Him for each breath they take.
Verse 14- And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
The Jews, when they came home from any heathen country they stopped at the borders, and shook or wiped off the dust of it from their feet, that the holy land might not be polluted with it.
This symbolical action, shook themselves from all connections and with all responsibility for the guilt of rejecting them and their message.
They participated in a symbolic action but they meant it.
They walked by faith putting God first.
Regardless of their circumstance, they always honored what God had given them.
They followed the call that God put in their lives. To share and show the love of Jesus Christ to all who would hear. They knew that God would provide what they needed if they continued to their trust and put Him first in all they did.
I heard story that I want to share about trusting God in all circumstances.
"A woman received a phone call that her daughter was home from school and was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication for her daughter. When returning to her car she found that she had locked her keys in the car. She was in a hurry to get home to her sick daughter, she didn't know what to do, so she called her home and told the baby sitter what had happened and that she did not know what to do.
The baby sitter told her that her daughter was getting worse.
She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door." The woman
looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground possibly by someone else who at some time or other had locked their keys in their car.
Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this." So she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help. Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "Great God. This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful.
The man got out of his car and asked her if he could help. She said "Yes, my daughter is very sick, and I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car, I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car." He said, "Sure". He walked over to the car, and in less than one minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank You So Much...You are a very nice man."
The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour." God has changed my life and I just wanted to help.”
The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud...
"Thank You God for Sending Me A Professional!"
Every single piece of our lives is a choice. Honoring God in not what we do, but what He has done, is doing, and will do can be so much more if we get in the habit of honoring Him as we should.
How do you honor God?
That is a great question, but it is easy to answer.
I will give you an example.
When I awaken in the morning. I know that I am alive and in a place that He wants me to be because of all I have been through in the past.
He also has done the same with you.
You may have been through or are going through a tough time in life, but He is with you.
Each breath, each beat of your heart, you are in His hands.
Let us honor God in what we do.
Amen?
How do we honor God?
By showing His Love in all that we do.
Sharing His love.
Changing our habits.
Removing our dislike and hate for those who do not know Him.
Becoming a light in this dark world that we are living in.
We should let the light of Jesus who lives in our hearts to shine in all that we do. You and I can make a difference in this world for Him, one day at a time.
Amen?
Let us go to Him in prayer now to strengthen us in our walk of faith that we go through here on the earth that He created.
Let us walk with Him as true believers that were made in His image.
Amen?
Please join me now and let us go to Him in prayer
