Text:
Matthew 10:12-16
(also Mark 6:11, Luke 9:5):
12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Theme:
I Did My Part
Introduction:
- The text comes from the Gospel according to St. Matthew.
- The Gospel according to St. Matthew is the first book of the New Testament and of the Gospels of Jesus, the Christ, and the 40th book of the Holy Bible as a whole.
- Matthew, the disciple of Christ, wrote in more detail of the life of Christ and His ministry than any other Gospel writer even though the book was written over 5-10 years later than the rest of the Gospels.
- The text occurs after the selection of the disciples. Jesus takes the time to properly direct and commission the newly appointed disciples.
- Matthew 10:5, “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:”
- He would not send them without the proper preparation.
- Romans 8:30, “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
- The text specifically addresses the scenario of service to God not “properly” received.
- What do you do when folk won’t even listen to what you have to say?
- What do you do when you tell folk, and they still won’t heed to God’s Word?
- What do you do when folk claim to receive the Word that you convey but are really just using you for self-serving, carnal reasons?
- When is enough ENOUGH?
- What do you do when you have done all that you can do????
- When can we say, “I DID MY PART”
Body:
Ø In the Black Baptist church tradition, we even find the preacher dealing with this issue. Remember at the Invitation to Discipleship? If no one comes to join the church, he says: “We have done as the Lord commanded. None came, and yet there’s room, and Jacob shall not lose his reward if Israel will not obey.”¡ “We have done as the Lord commanded”
- Old Testament says, Micah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
- New Testament says, Matthew 22:36-37, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
¡ “None came, and yet there’s room”
- The old Negro Spiritual says it best:
“There is room at the cross for you.
Though millions have come
Still there’s room for one.
There’s room at the cross for you”
¡ “Jacob shall not lose his reward if Israel will not obey”
- This is the Shakespearean “rub”!
- When can I JUSTIFIABLY walk away?
- When can I leave and know that I have done my part and FULFILLED my responsibility?
God tells us when we are finished è It is not when WE want to stop, quit or leave.
- Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
- As the old spiritual says, “Let Jesus lead you all the way. All the way from earth to Heaven. Let Jesus lead you all the way.”
- There are always two options in every situation: STAY or LEAVE
- To STAY means that God’s work is not finished:
- Be committed to God’s work è Mark 8:34, “…Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
- It ain’t easy, but press on! è Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
- To STAY means that God’s work is not finished:
To LEAVE means that God’s work is finished AND we can leave it alone:
- The text addresses this scenario directly
“shake off the dust of your feet”
- Why the focus on “the feet”?
- The feet represent the foundation of the individual
- Psalms 40:2, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”
- As the spiritual says, “plant my feet on solid ground”
- Psalms 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
- The feet or the foundation are to be maintained well to allow sustain effective work for God
- Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
- The preacher is expected to have nice shoes – the feet are expected to be nice and well kept.
- The “feet” can’t be dirtied with DUST — “shake off the dust of your feet”
- What is the “dust of the feet”?
- Dust the residue of a dirty or dead environment that blows in the air and settles upon stagnant objects.
- residue of a dirty or dead environment
- Dust particles can be anything from dirt to dead skin to hair to dead plant particles
- Living things do not yield dust
- Clean objects do not yield dust
- settles upon stagnant objects
- Only things that are still or stagnant can get dust on them
- Whenever we stop, we are collecting dust.
- What are the effects of “dust”?
- Dust takes away from the luster and shine of its object
- Dust separates the object from the hand that touches it — when touched one touches the dust and not the object
- Dust builds on the “feet” of the believer so gradually and steadily that it is often unnoticed.
- As Romans 10:15 supports, the feet cannot be “beautiful” if they are covered with dust!
- The feet covered with “dust” are separated from the touch of the Master.
- The “Dust” in the life of the believer is SIN! We must get rid of dust”!
- Isaiah 30:1, “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:”
- Once you can say, “I Did My Part”, it means that you have cleansed your “feet” of “dust”!!
- You need to CHECK YOURSELF!!!!
- Bad reputation
- Proverbs 15:30, ” The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.”
- Bad attitude
- John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
- Resentment
- Matthew 6:14, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:”
- Material wealth and possessions
- Mark 10:21, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”
- You can’t say, “I Did My Part”, unless you have cleansed your “feet” of all “dust”
- 1John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- As the hymn says so plainly, “Take you burdens to the Lord and leave them there!”
- Bad reputation
- The feet represent the foundation of the individual
Conclusion:
- Once done, you can SHOUT!!!
Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
- I Did My Part!
2Timothy 4:8, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
- I want my crown!!!
1Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
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