July 8 - Shaking off the Dust

Not necessarily address things that we might necessarily come across. I'm just by trying to figure out what we would like to preach for that Sunday morning is a challenge for me to preach the Full Gospel the whole thing. Not just part I want to pick out but the whole gospel. This morning and I'm calling this message shaking the dust from your feet and the Gospel reading for this morning was Mark 6 1 through 13, and it's primarily about Jesus coming home. Have you ever heard the phrase? You can't go home again? I am that's what that's one thing. I had to realize going back home after being away at college. And yeah, you had to go back to the home for different, you know, after the semester was over when you had a break and things like that, but there are some things that prevented me from actually going home for some of those break. So what happened was I started to have a job over the summer time. And so I stayed in school and I was at school for most of the year. And so when I went home was really spring break or Easter break or Thanksgiving or Christmas break. And you know when I went back home at home seem to change. Home seemed to be different we did when I was a teenager going through Crisfield. We only had one stoplight in the town, you know, and eventually they were to stop lights and then there was a McDonald's in the subway and you know, these these chain restaurants come in and then we had two small grocery stores. And one of those grocery stores had to shut down because of hurricane to come through and it floated to town and and that store was taken out and then a few years later. There was another hurricane in that grocery store. The last one that was there actually had to shut down and the problem with that is, you know, the the grocery store that was a closest was a Walmart that was half an hour away. It was a good drive to even get there. So it kind of made it into a hardship for some of the people who live there and we we had a huge population of Section 8 housing. People are on low in common they can 5 half an hour out of the way every weekend to go buy food and became a problem. So I sent you know, you can't go home again because things change time changes people things happen in our lives in it. That's a great thing because you know,

cuz when you're alive things change, that's what it means to live in this thing. We call time to have time to be a part of time to be a part of life. And then maybe maybe you realize that you were the one that James maybe the town didn't change a whole lot. Maybe you were the one that changed when I went away. To college one of the things that we said to me was don't change be yourself continue to be yourself don't change. Well the problem with that is I was going to college I was going to school I was going to be educated to get more education than when I got lived in a very small town not unlike Springtown a bit bigger just a small town as well and it was very out-of-the-way. Like I said, it's a half an hour to go to the nearest Walmart and There are a lot of attitudes and things that people had in common that I needed to rid myself of. And so when when you say don't change and you go away and you do something like go to college or get a different kind of job. Is that good advice to give

and maybe good and maybe not it depends on how you fly, right? yeah, like I said, some people don't change your great the way you are but then why to go to college and get some medication white. If you are great the Way You Are

and so I needed to know who I was.

I needed to know who I was and I needed to know guess what was coming into my life. And how it might change me for the future. So I needed to discern what were the good things and what were the bad things? What are some things I wanted to adopt and what were some things I didn't want that. Because I knew it was going to affect me. It could be good and it could be bad.

Things when you come home, there are people that you honor right there people that you love honor and respect and so their disapproval. Can reverse a change in ice and that could be a good chance it could be and not a good change in their disapproval can affect whether or not we adopt that change. I can be a good thing. That could not be a good thing. It depends. But approval from the people that we honor. Can really solidify and encourage us to continue to enact lasting change that will be a part of our lives. That continues to be a part of her life.

And so as a part of that.

So Jesus came home. And this was the first time that you had come home since he been around wondering and and being baptized and moving throughout Galilee and Ministry. This is the first time coming home after a bunch of that stuff. Right and so he was received with honor and respect and giving given the opportunity to speak given the opportunity to be in front of the people to have some knowledge spoken to them some wisdom given to them as he came.

the thing is When he went to Nazareth where he had been brought up and on the side of his day, he went into the synagogue as was his custom and he stood up to read. This is a passage from Luke for that that parallel this particular instance in that room and there's more to it. Right and so the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him and on rolling it he found a place where it is written. The spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news before he has sent me to Proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the line. Is that the oppressed free and interpret claim the year of the Lord's favor.

And then erode this girl gave him back to the attendant and sat down the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them today. This scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

Something happened, right? I use this passage because there's there's more to what happened. Then he just spoke in the synagogue and some people got angry. It feels out of this instance a little bit more. So Jesus specifically pulled out the passage from Isaiah because he's talking about The Prophecy of the Messiah the coming of the Messiah and then he says that the day has come and it has been fulfilled right here right now with me.

So he went away and people didn't know what was going on that day. They heard some rumors. They were some news going throughout the county are in Galilee the area of the region. And I heard some good things and they thought that was great. Okay, he's is going back. He's going to be you know, a good teacher and let's have him talk to do this gets up. And it says I am the Messiah I'm thinking that some people are going to get a little bit upset. If somebody just comes back home and says I am the Messiah I'm going to free you from all things and I'm going to kill you. All right now.

I'm thinking Some people are going to be upset. particularly because it's not what they were expecting. This is not how the Messiah was supposed to come. Damn set something happen. They became scandalize the word in the taxes. I'm amazed but the word root for the in the Greek for me comes from the word root and why they were scandalized. They were outraged that Jesus would come and say such a thing to them because they knew Jesus. All right, they knew Jesus they had seen him grow up. They had seen him play. They had seen him, you know what little education that he had. He had no formal training. It wasn't trained to be a rabbi. He wasn't trying to be a priest. Who is he to come up here and tell us what we should do. And he is the Messiah and he's going to free us and he's going to heal it.

By his disciples knew the wisdom that he had given them. And the people even recognize some with them. If you look into the text again the wisdom that Jesus had the problem is that Jesus was from a carpenter family. He was a carpenter. Who is this Carpenter but a carpenter and in back then is the artist that works with a stone iron and copper as well as would but this is a little of artists in our culture artists are giving a good place and things this is a guy who has to literally work with his hands in everything that he works with an S and go from working with stone and working from Eire and add the at his simplest. Simple list materials and try to work that and it's fashion that into something he can build with first. It's not like us where we can go down the street to Home Depot or Lowe's or whatever and get materials and flapping in the play and it's not like that. Then these things had to be worth my hand and easy even even rabbis and had to have some kind of of workmanship had to have some kind of a way to to get by the pay for food to do do anything really they had to have a job a carpenter is a in a provincial Village could only have held a very humble position and secured a very moderate confidence. That's from the Easton's Bible dictionary. Who what it means is that very little education at all. If if any education enough to be able to do the job and of course, he would have learned by being in the synagogue some things about God, but he had no formal training wouldn't going to haven't gone through the rigorous debates that you might have in a theological setting where you have to you have to think about how your theology is going to affect what you do tomorrow. What you're paying for a how your life is set up when the ways that you value family the the car that you buy, you know, like there are there's all these things that go into a theological education. Jesus had none of this stuff. So when when he said when they say he has wisdom that really means wisdom that did not come specifically from the person that self. There is some kind of wisdom that was there. That was beyond. What they understood the carpenter would never be considered a king. And this was what the Messiah was to do. This was the idea of the Messiah to set upon the throne in Jerusalem and become king again and established the kingdom of God set up and is real friend and cover the entire globe. without power and authority V with v expectation the carpenter would never be put in this spot a carpenter would never be considered in this and they knew who Jesus was.

They knew where he came from.

They presume to know him by his past. And how many times have people presume to know you? To continue to know you just because of your past.

See God doesn't do that. Jesus does not. Presume to know you by your path. Jesus wants to know who you are going to be in the future.

And them saying that he was Mary's son. This is a patriarchal culture. And it's saying that Jesus was Mary son. It was an epithet ostler and similar to the word that people call each other bastard.

This is the way his hometown treated. Cheese's. How dare this upstart try to claim Divine Authority when we know where he can't have head come from and whose son he is.

Do they still have this idea that something must have happened to birth Jesus? It wasn't from Joseph. Guess it didn't lay with her Mary. Oh wouldn't yeah, I did something with someone. We don't know who it is and the gossip spread all over the town in. This was still an idea that was said throughout the town. This is still the the thought going through their head as they use these players scored in Jesus. Can using his past or what? They presume to know as his past against him.

But I got up and drove them out of the town and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built in order to throw him off the cliff. They were ready to kill him. They were ready to tell him right then they're going to just do it, right because he was claiming to be the Messiah and he's not the first one. I mean there were a lot of people who claim to be the Messiah all throughout this time. Why because the people were touching a little lie state that they were they were hoping. humping

something

they were ready to receive a blessing from God. And every time every time someone claimed to be the Messiah and didn't fulfill the promise of every time a cut to the heart.

every time

Can we walk right through the crown and went on his way think about that the town is out there. There's a whole crowd around him the ready to throw him off the cliff. They are entirely focused on Jesus and there they they see him they grabbed him. They're ready to throw him off and somehow. Somehow Jesus walk through the entire crowd.

Any leave the town?

Aiden turn around and curse them.

Jesus marveled at their lack of faith, but I simply went on his way. To continue his mission get a mission from the father. And he was going to be about this Mission. He didn't turn around and curse them. It ain't withdrawal to Stew somewhere.

And he didn't directly go and pray about it. Why because he knew his mission and he knew his father.

And every step that he took was about that mission the mission of loving others in the animation of loving God. So then they can be transformed and be made whole in his presence. Say when our mission is about people being made whole and being transformed. We can't stop the stew. about one failure

She truly loving someone we must allow for that person not to love us back.

We have to allow for them to not love us back. Not even God.

Who has all the power? Will make someone love him. Will make someone log that's why God limits himself and allows us the ability to have free will. and that we can freely love God and sometimes that means I'm moving on with our lives.

Jesus then sends out his disciples to buy to write he doesn't just continue with the mission, right cuz continuing with the mission would be him. Just keep going in Ministry at throughout Galilee, but then he turns it around and he sends out the disciples to buy 2 in multiplication, right? This is where discipleship comes into play music doesn't doesn't sit and stew in the failure and allow the failure to overcome him. He doesn't have the fear of failure in the next things that he has to do instead. He turns it around and does the opposite thing. He has the disciples to go out to buy to going out of town healing people delivering them from demons. I mean So amazing. Jesus is going to turn around and then have faith in his disciples to to listen to what he said in to do more than what he did.

So why not send them out two by two you need a second person you need a second person to witness what's been going on to tell the truth to be able to say look know this person actually was healed because anybody can deny the people in the next town over can't deny it. But if you at least have a witness has someone that says know this person actually was hurting and and and they needed healing and if they've been like that for 25 years and then you come along you pray for them and they were killed. Tammy Wynette listen to you need safety. I mean these guys are going out and just like Jesus and you know, they were going to charge you to talk to Cliff and yeah, Jesus can pass through the crowd Naples Pastor require crowns and maybe God might might do that for them. But it's best not to tempt I would think we need to support me the encouragement of our brothers and sisters to be able to say you didn't you know, you're you are doing a good thing and know this really did actually touch me as well as it touched the person that you feel like it really doesn't build on my face and in the last is for accountability because why because we something happens in our minds even in R6S, right? We can take any success and turn it into something bad and it takes like a minute. I'm not even admit a second in our in our own brains actually far less than XR bring run. You suck a fast clip. I mean we can turn any good thing into a bad thing just by the enemy speaking into our ear and saying he not maybe you were little bit prideful when you do that. Maybe you shouldn't do that again.

Or you know it maybe it wasn't an actual healing, you know, maybe maybe the refueling anyway, and you just came along and you know, it might help a little or something.

Cancel our minds can distract us into Seva the one we have some somebody to come along. I saw a long side us and Ministry they can actually help us and say you know what? I think that's a bit negative. Maybe you shouldn't think like that toward this person because I'm not really seeing that from them, you know, or and actually did a really good thing from you in and you just like dumped on them, you know, we need somebody to sharpen us like iron sharpens iron. I mean, you think you take a hammer to a piece of metal and you fashion that thing into a sword you need somebody come alongside and they like this is what scripture says what you just said was the wrong thing brother. You need that accountability. That's why you sent them out two by two. When Jesus also gave him conditions. Trendy say go out to buy to an inferior Ministry thing and that's it. Right he gave him some conditions and they were only allowed to take the things that they had on them. They weren't even allowed to take it when they said a second tunic which is basically would just allow them to do be a little bit warmer during the night as like a blanket.

Medidas didn't allow them that didn't allowed in the bag and didn't know I'm a walking stick take food and ask yourself why they were going to be tested. You know, they needed a face. That was going to take them Beyond failure.

and Can we have faith is going to take us Beyond failure when we think we have everything that we need right now?

I think our faith is a little bit more in our stuff than it is on whether God can make it. Take us through our failure. I think we have a little bit more faith in our own thought processes in our own understanding in our own wisdom in their own guidance and strength. Rather than relying upon God to go before it God to strengthen us. God to give us wisdom and purpose and mission in life.

So they have to learn have faith. Faith, I wouldn't enter the hearts of the here. I will move them toward hospitality and gratitude.

because when limes are changed when people are healed from things that they are hurting from when people were delivered from those things that keep them down and keep them hurt. Put them in a state of depression.

And hurt other people because of that situation. When they are delivered from those things, they will be hospitable and they will have gratitude. I have seen it.

They will open their door. It will give up their food and no matter how much they have or how little

It will break bread together with you at their table. I know because I've been in a family like that. I've been in a place where it was hard.

hard place to find food a hard place to find courage and strength and just make it to the next meal.

Play yet when healing and encouragement and the people of God come into our lives.

And fulfill some Me by God. You can't help have gratitude. You can't help to express thankfulness to God. You can't help to give of yourself of your time of your efforts in your money. to express that

and in and their case with the disciples for them to share a couple of nights in their own home. So this is what the disciples did they go out and then head and with as little as they had and they relied upon the faith strength of God to go before them too. And for other people to help them. Then Jesus warns his disciples that they will be rejected just as he was rejected. But he also tell song. That what they should do or what they should do when that happens and that is the shake the dust off their feet. Commission can't stop stop because of one failure. Because they were always be the next person who is hurting who is longing for God to come into their lives and intervene.

So what we should do.

When I get back this shaking off, the dust was actually something that the people of Israel did when they went into the land and any land is really of the Gentiles anyone that that worship differently from those sell. Somebody didn't worship Hebrew Sovereign God. When they went into that land and they came home, what they were to do is to Fresh off their feet Shake the Dust off their feet to symbolize and they did not worship God and we are entering into the land of Israel where they did worship. So when Jesus is actually doing here is having them symbolize what is happening happening to these people. So what they're cannibalizing is that these people are not truly children of God, they might be the people of Israel, but they are not the children of God because they no longer trust and rely on and have faith in God. They are not children of God. They might have the same genetics. They might have the same blood. They might have the same in all flash as as mother and father and family.

But they are not really children of God.

And so what to do is a dust off their feet and get on with the mission.

So the disciples can't claim success, but specifically this is about whether or not they can claim success. I can't come for claims this success and they can't claim failure. As long as they go as long as they are a part of the mission, they cannot can claim success and they can I claim failure to success and failure comes from God. Why because the holy spirit is the one who nurtures of the soil mix the soil fertile and he we are the ones that said down the scene but she put on a rock on a rock somewhere and left in the sun. If he's going to bake in the Sun and died instead of Arden. Nothing's going to happen with it. I see that falls in fertile soil actually gross. And grow so we're not responsible. for whether that growth happens the Holy Spirit works in the heart of the person to do that. Our responsibility is to go our responsibility is to plant the scene and is he can be planted in if it's not sent if it's not turn out right if there are seeds out into the field or you you put them into the dirt one way or the other that scene has to get into the soil and I seen has to get into the soil of the heart Sao if we don't even talk about God. If we don't even talk about God, how can this even get into the soil? So it doesn't and I know people say will God will do it himself if we don't do it. Okay. Yeah and good sure, but you're not being a part of the mission of God. You're no longer a disciple. So can you call yourself a part of the church? If you're not being a part of the mission that Jesus established the church for

I plant seeds to make disciples to go on a mission.

So the Thirsty Soul finds water in the grace. I've got the grace of God that comes in in in anyway in the end entering their life and God is like nudging them to come to him and in their understanding of Salvation then that Christ died for them and the grace that he is given in the death and Resurrection. So if it's at the us then the tank a drink all that great and because of that we can continue to grow.

I will when we get distracted from our mission and I'm planning to see either by temperature dwelling on failures or letting our faith go dry.

We lose that knowledge of God. That we are children of God. And we become another thirsty soul.

So are we about the mission of God? And bringing that up that water this year the life that grease until I so that people can grow in God or are we continuing to be thirsty and cry and letting it die let him Lucy die on The Rock.

So don't don't I learn unlearn don't don't ignore your failures. Has fairies that are part of life. You're not going to be successful at everything. Don't let anybody tell you that it is a lion the enemy and it will only serve to depress you. You will not be successful in everything. That's the reality of this thing we call life. They're going to be failures that come your way if they haven't already cuz I know in my life, you know, I'm only 36 and I have experienced a lot of failure. I have to tell you why the failure but kind of has pulled me through so much. That I cannot not be here to tell you that.

I cannot not be here to do this. What does what God has done here?

And so the power of Christ dog can tell me. And I'm not talking about if you don't mind anything in control and authority and all that stuff, but the power of Christ compel me to witness. What God has done in my heart and in my life and to my family?

Cuz my family would not be around today. If God wasn't so faithful.

Continuing to be with him and praying for them on my knees. bottom

to learn from your failure review it sure review it at the end of the day like any other day, but don't review it to the point that you are obsessing let go and leave it at the cross. That's what Jesus is talking about my mind bringing your cross right bearing your cross. Leave it before Jesus feet. He's the one with the authority of all things spiritual and physical. And he's the only one that can deliver you from that cross. Do we need to leave it at the cross and get on with the mission for every Lawson thirsty soul and John 3:16 Says for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. That is my favorite verse and always will be my favorite person. That's why I can say it without having anywhere on the screen in front of me.

Cuz God loves the world. And no matter how many times we might put down the world. No matter how many times we are negative about the world. The world is full of lost and hurting and thirsty Souls.

And Jesus Christ wouldn't have not come but have not got on my cross would not have died and been resurrected again, and he did not load the world. So we should keep. Are condemnation of the world in Czech?

Do we love them like Jesus. Matthew 28 19 and 20 and I'm going to keep us focused on the mission therefore go and make disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything. I have commanded you and surely I Am With You Always to the very end of the age. And Matthew 2336 240 the greatest Commandments teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus replied love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is this and that is not second one above the other but equal to the second is like this love your neighbor as yourself all the law and the prophets. Hang on these two Commandments. This is our mission. This is our goal. crisis go whether or not the last thing that happened was a failure, but there's not the last thing that happened was this cat 6s whether or not Everything Has Changed around us or we had to change ourselves price causes to go. So would you go? thirsty Souls waiting