Summary: JUST AS HEAVY BAGS IN THE LITERAL SENSE WILL WEIGH YOU DOWN, HEAVY BAGGAGE FROM OUR PAST WILL ALSO WEIGH US DOWN SPIRITUALLY. THE CHALLENGE FOR US TODAY IS TO LET GO OF OUR PAST, OUR PAST PROBLEMS, OUR CARES, CONCERNS, MISTAKES, AND FAILURES.

EXCESS BAGGAGE

I SAMUEL 10:20-23

. . . NEIGHBOR (BOLD STATEMENT) – YOU/SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS CARRYING TOO MUCH BAGGAGE.

FIRST SUNDAY . . . SPRING FORWARD. . .

SEASONAL CHANGE/SPIRITUAL CHANGE – EXCESS BAGGAGE

THE YEAR WAS 2000 WHEN R&B, HIP-HOP, NEO SOUL ARTIST ERYKAH BADU RELEASED A SINGLE ENTITLED BAG LADY.

UNORTHODOX:

BAG LADY YOU GONE HURT YOUR BACK

DRAGGING ALL THEM BAGS LIKE THAT

I GUESS NOBODY EVER TOLD YOU

ALL YOU MUST HOLD ON TO

IS YOU, IS YOU, IS YOU

ONE DAY ALL THEM BAGS GONE GET IN YOUR WAY

ONE DAY ALL THEM BAGS GONE GET IN YOUR WAY

I SAID ONE DAY ALL THEM BAGS GONE GET IN YOUR WAY

ONE DAY ALL THEM BAGS GONE GET IN YOUR WAY

SO PACK LIGHT

BAG LADY YOU GONE MISS YOUR BUS

YOU CAN’T HURRY UP

CAUSE YOU GOT TOO MUCH STUFF

WHEN THEY SEE YOU COMIN

BROTHAS TAKE OFF RUNNIN

FROM YOU IT’S TRUE OH YES THEY DO

SO PACK LIGHT

GIRL I KNOW SOMETIMES IT’S HARD

AND WE CAN’T LET GO

OH WHEN SOMEONE HURTS YOU OH SO BAD INSIDE

YOU CAN’T DENY IT YOU CAN’T STOP CRYING

IF YOU START BREATHIN

THEN YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT

YOU’LL FEEL SO MUCH BETTER

BAG LADY

LET IT GO, LET IT GO, LET IT GO, LET IT GO

SONG – SUGGESTING – HARD TO MOVE FORWARD – WEIGHED DOWN

RUNNER – TRAIN WITH WEIGHTS . . .

THIS MORNING – TELL SOMEBODY: TAKE OFF THE WEIGHTS

HEBREW 12:1 “ALET US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, AND THE SIN WHICH SO EASILY BESETS US, AND BLET US RUN CWITH ENDURANCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US, 2 LOOKING UNTO JESUS, THE 1AUTHOR AND 2FINISHER OF OUR FAITH, ”

LUST, GREED, ENVY, ANGER, GLUTTONY, PRIDE, SLOTHFULNESS

RUNNING WITH WEIGHTS/EXCESS BAGGAGE CAN PROVE COSTLY.

AIRPORT . . .

I CAN’T HELP OTHERS . . .

TEXT

C.O.I – WANTED TO BE LIKE OTHER NATIONS . . .

WONDERFUL, GIFTED, TALENTED . . .

GOD DETERMINED SAUL – FIRST KING

POTENTIAL/CREDENTIAL

SAUL: NO ONE WAS LIKE HIM, ANOINTED, CHOSEN, KINGLY STATURE, DELIVERER OF GOD’S PEOPLE, FULL OF THE SPIRIT, GOD HAD CHANGED HIS SPIRIT, NEW TALK/VERNACULAR

WHAT DOES YOUR RESUME SAY?

JOB . . .

HEBREW (BAGGAGE): WEAPONS, CLOTHING, CARRIAGES, FURNITURE, THINGS THEY CARRIED AROUND WITH THEM, THINGS THEY POSSESSED OR POSSESSED THEM. . .

PROBLEM . . . CAN BE SUMMED UP IN TWO AREAS:

LOW SELF-ESTEEM: REMNANTS OF HIS PAST. GOD SPECIALIZES IN USING BROKEN PEOPLE. THAT MEANS NO MATTER HOW WEAK, UNWORTHY, INSIGNIFICANT. STOP PUTTING YOURSELF DOWN . . .

I SAMUEL 9:21 . . . “BUT AM I NOT A BENJAMITE, FROM THE SMALLEST TRIBE OF ISRAEL, AND IS NOT MY CLAN THE LEAST OF ALL THE CLANS OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN? GOD SPECIALIZES IN USING THE LEAST, THE LAST, AND LEFTOVERS.

SAUL – LEAST

DAVID – LAST

300 THAT WERE LEFTOVER AFTER GOD CUT DOWN GIDEON’S ARMY . . .

OVERRATED THE OPINION OF OTHERS:

. . . WORRIED ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THOUGHT ABOUT HIM

WERE GOING TO SAY ABOUT HIM

WORRIED ABOUT BEING CRITICIZED

INSECURITY/CRAZY

WINSTON CHURCHILL “THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID CRITICISM IS TO SAY NOTHING, DO NOTHING, AND BE NOTHING.”

GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO SOMETHING . . .