Sermons from Good News: Getting rid of the dust

Blogger's Note: On Sundays, I will be copying and pasting on this blog notes I take in my phone from sermons at the church I attend. I'll be sharing sermons from the current week. On Wednesdays I'll also be sharing sermon messages dating back to October, when I first began attending my current church. Because of the backlog of sermons, I will be running posts on Wednesdays until sometime in May. My goal on Sundays is that sharing these sermons will theoretically be perpetual, or until I feel God nudging me to do something different. I want to also clarify that these are not my sermons, but rather the bullet point notes I put together. I enjoy our pastor's messages very much, and more importantly he preaches the Word of God as-is, which means the Spirit of God is imparting wisdom and knowledge through him. To God alone be the glory.

Church 1/23/2021

Offertory scripture:

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Proverbs 3:9-10 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Proverbs%203:9-10&version=NIV

Announcements related message
Importance of community
"Do not forsake the gathering of the saints." From book of Hebrews.

Sermon message

Pastor role: he's here to preach the word of God. Not the newspaper or anything else. Just the word of God.

The Bible also says to pray for those in leadership, in authority.

Thesis: we must get rid of dust.

God wants us blessed. God loves us. He loves us so much that He sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

3 John 1:2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=3%20John%201:2&version=NIV

God wants us to KNOW His love and desire for us that He wrote us a love letter. The Bible. He wants us to know Him. He wants us to talk to Him about what's on our heart and on our mind.

Pray in the morning. Pray in the afternoon. Pray in the evening.

God wants you to know He's available.

Question of how we keep our faith amid a changing world...

The Bible has advice on life skills...

Through His apostles...

Jesus is the son of God. Born of a virgin. Lived on earth 33 years. No one has impacted the world like Him. But His ministry lasted only 3 years. It's because rabbis are taken seriously only at 30 years of age. He then ascends after being crucified and resurrected. But before He ascends He passes the torch to the apostles. The responsibility of spreading the Gospel throughout the world. It went from 12 to 120 to... now 2.7 billion Christians in the world. How did Jesus pass it to the apostles? Gifts of life skills... golden nuggets of life skills...

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 your feet.

Matthew 10:11-14 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%2010:11-14&version=NIV

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

John 15:18-19 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John%2015:18-19&version=NIV

1. We must shake the dust off our feet.

We must get rid of the dust.

Don't get stuck in the dust; we must move past it.

Fact is, some people will receive the Good News of Jesus Christ; others won't. Don't let them bog you down.

2. The dust Jesus is telling us to get rid of us offense.

A conflict. An offense. Unresolved issue with a loved one, a friend, etc. -- get rid of it because it will slow you down.

Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!

Luke 17:1 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%2017:1&version=NKJV

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.

Luke 17:1 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%2017:1&version=NIV

3. There is danger in offense.

Several visual illustrations of what happens when dust collects: it causes machinery to slow down and even stop working. It distorts photos, especially if dust collects in rolls of film.

People at home will offend you.
People at work will offend you.
People at church will offend you.
People in politics will offend you.
But you must shake it off and move on.

Paul reminds us how to handle offenses.

The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Acts 28:2-6 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Acts%2028:2-6&version=NIV