Joyce Meyer - Don't Disturb Me - Part 2

I'm gonna challenge you, to pray every morning, "God, would you put somebody, in my path today, that I can help"? How many of you would be willing to do that? Okay. Now, you stuck your hand up there, and God saw it. Amen? And you can't be picky and choosy. And remember there's none of this, "No, Lord," that doesn't work. You can't be selective about what God asks you to do. And then, one other story, my daughter... You know, it doesn't always have to involve money. Sometimes, people just need you to listen, or sometimes, even, just a smile, or just to tell somebody, "You're doing a good job". My daughter was coming out of the store, one day. And this elderly gentleman, was waitin' at the curb by her. And there was all kinds of traffic going by. She was in a hurry, wanting to get home and do all these things. But she had to wait for all this traffic. And so, this man starts talking to her. And she didn't really wanna listen. But, you know, if we're gonna be real Christians, we don't always get to do what we wanna do. Amen?

And so, she said, "I felt like God just put it on my heart to just stand there, and listen to him". So, she said, "I stood there, for 15 minutes, and just listened to him". And you know what? That was just a kind thing to do. But you know what? We've always got somethin' else we have, in addition to our "Do not disturb" sign, is we've all got an excuse bag. And so, really, to be honest, most Christians just look like this. Oh, the cameras come out, when I act silly. Now, of course, we wouldn't wear 'em like this, but they're really there. We always have an excuse when it's not gonna be convenient. Love always finds a way, but indifference finds an excuse. A reporter interviewing people, on the street, approached a well-dressed, successful looking man, and asked, "What are the two most pressing problems in America"? And the man said, "I don't know, and I don't care". And the reporter said, "Sir, you are absolutely correct. Those are the two biggest problems: people don't know, and they don't care". Ew hallelujah.

"Well, I went to church last Sunday. Isn't that enough"? No! See, we're just fooling ourselves if we're not gonna get out in the world and live it. Yeah, you're being a little too quiet. We're just fooling ourselves if we're not getting out, and I know that's a little bit scary. Because you think, "Joyce, I don't know if I can do that kind of stuff like you're talking about". Well, it's not that, you know, God has me do something like that every day. But I get interrupted a lot by God. 'cuz it's about more than just comin' and sittin' in a pew. Amen? Indifference is the attitude that pervades our culture today. "I don't know, and I don't care". "Don't disturb me". "I've always got an excuse". "I'm too busy". "I'm too this, I'm too that". "I don't know how to do that". "I'd feel silly," whatever it might be. In Luke 14:12-14, it said, "Jesus said to his host, 'when you give a luncheon or a dinner, don't invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors: if you do, they might invite you back and then you'll be repaid'".

Now, you know, Jesus used a lot of over exaggerations to make points. And that was very common, in those days. I do it sometimes, in my preaching. I'll overstate something to make a point. And so, he's not really saying you can't have your friends for dinner. He's just saying, make sure that, that's not all that you have. How 'bout let's having some of the people that you don't know, that can't pay you back. "'but when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous'". Luke 14:16-20, "Jesus replied: 'a certain man was preparing a great banquet and he invited many guests. And at the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, "Come, because everything is now ready". But they all alike began to make excuses'". And I think maybe, Jesus, might be sayin' today, "Okay, everything is already. Come now, and get out in the world, and start doing what you say you believe". Hmm, "But they all alike began, to make excuses. The first one said, 'well, I just bought a field and I have to go see to it. Please excuse me'. Another said, 'i just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Would you please excuse me?' and still another said, 'well, I just got married, so I can't come. Please, excuse me'".

In Matthew 8:19-22, it says, "Then a teacher of the law came to him, 'teacher, I will follow you wherever you go'. And Jesus replied, 'foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the son of man has no place to even lay his head'". In other words, "If you're gonna follow me, it's not always gonna be comfortable". "Another disciple said to him, 'Lord, I'd like to go, but first let me go and bury my father'". Listen to what Jesus said. "But Jesus said, 'follow me and let the dead bury the dead'". So, what's Jesus sayin'? Leave the dead stuff alone, and follow me. How many hours a day do you spend on social media, listening to all the gossip and the stupidity that people spurt out about stuff, they don't even know anything about?

You would not believe the stuff that I can find out about me, if I get on there. I mean, three years ago, I was dead. We had people callin' the office crying, "Oh, my God, Joyce is dead". I had to get on Facebook, and say, "I'm not dead, right here". We have people calling the office, still to this day, insisting that they can buy our diet pills that I'm selling. I don't sell diet pills. I'm preaching the Gospel. I mean people just really need to get something to do. But, you know what? That's just wasted time. Just to go through all that stuff. And everybody tellin' you, every move they're making all day long. I mean, who cares? I guess somebody does. They keep readin' it. And if you're somebody, who does that, I'm sorry if I'm offending you, but there's so many more things to do, than to spend hours a day, reading all this stuff. A lot of it is just gossip.

And I thank God for the internet, because we can put the Gospel anywhere, and the devil can't stop us. If they got a signal, they can pull it down. But then, of course, Satan always tries to take advantage of every good thing that's out there, too. And so, be careful about spending too much of your time on dead things. Jesus said, "No, follow me". Well, let's go back, for a minute. We have to go back, for a minute, to the good Samaritan. Who should we help? Who should we be concerned about? Jesus said, "Your neighbor". "Well, who is our neighbor"? "In reply Jesus said: 'a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, where the man was: when he saw him, he took pity on him'".

Now, the Samaritan did some things that I want you to notice. First of all, he noticed. It was interesting, when we were in the back room, before we came out, I used the last kleenex, in my little package. And todd noticed that, and he brought me a new package. A little thing, but, I love people that notice. So, he noticed. He stopped. He sacrificed. Because he took this man, put him on his own horse. Took him to an inn. He apparently was going somewhere that he had to get to. And he said to the owner of the inn, "You take care of him, get him healthy again. And whatever it costs, I will pay you when I come back". He didn't even put any limits on what he would do for this guy that he didn't even know. Oh, this is better than you're acting. I love that. A man named c.T. Studs said, "Some wish to live within, the sound of a chapel bell. I want to run a rescue mission, within a yard of hell". Do you wanna sit in church, and just be religious? Or do you wanna get involved? How many of you agree with me, that large majority of people today, they just don't wanna get involved. I mean, you know it's true. Don't wanna get involved.

A lot of people love to come, sit in the back row of church. Come in halfway through worship. Leave the second it's over. Don't wanna, don't know. You don't wanna know, you just wanna check off "My went to church" box this week. You'll recover for the next time I come. He noticed. He stopped. And he sacrificed without limits. I love that. "Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith," Galatians 6 says. That scripture has been life-changing for me. Because what it says, "Be mindful," he's saying, on purpose have your mindful, of ways that you can be a blessing. So, see, if you'll pray every morning, like you said you would: "God, show me somebody I can help, today". "Show me something I have that I can give away". "Put somebody in front of me that has a need". He'll do it. And it may not be every, single day of your life. And some days, it may just be a little thing. It may just be that you'll notice something, and pray for the person.

A man called me the other day, that actually has a prophetic ministry. And he was ministering some things to me. But he said, "Well, tell me, Joyce, what's on your heart these days? What are you teaching"? And I said, "For quite a while now, I've been trying to get all of us, to realize that love, is not just a word. It's not a sermon. It's not something we theorize about. It's action". And it's expensive. Love always costs us something. Some money. Some time. Some effort. Verse 10, in Galatians 6, says, "So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good to all people". Can everybody say, I'm not gonna miss another opportunity? I wish some of you guys, would smile more. Say it, like you mean it. "I'm not gonna miss another opportunity". I think this part of Florida is gonna have a better day tomorrow. Let me shut this down with one last scripture. Amos 6, verse 1 and verses 4-7. These scriptures tell us this: those who are idle, and don't stay active helping others are the first to go into captivity themselves.

"Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come. You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lamb and fatted calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on your musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlfuls and use your finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into captivity or into exile: your feasting and your lounging will come to an end". Hmm, I got too much other stuff. And I don't have time for it, but. Okay, let me tell you this. If you want to be dangerous to the devil, this is the way to do it. If you want to change the world, or be part of helping to change the world, this is the way to do it. One scripture in the Bible, makes the point. "What are we gonna do about everything that's going on in the world today"? Romans 12:21, "We overcome evil with good". Walking in love, I mean love that's got some action to it, is the highest form, of spiritual warfare, that you can do. The devil will not know what to do with you, if you really start caring about people.