Sermon Central
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Excess Baggage
Contributed by Sherman Gordon on Apr 2, 2006 (message contributor)
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
. . . 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 . . .
