Happy Feet Continued…

• Moses – When approaching the burning bush was commanded of God to remove his shoes…he was on Holy Ground. Basically, Moses was to bare his feet. God was about to set Moses’ feet on a mission!
• Isaiah – In Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
• Romans – But I like how Paul says it better in the book of Romans, “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!”
• Mary – The sister of Lazarus made the feet of Jesus HAPPY FEET…John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
• Jesus – John 13:12-17 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Of all the things Jesus could have used to illustrate servitude and humility, he chose to wash our feet.

Jesus knew that the roads ahead of the disciples were going to be tough and that happiness was going to be the furthest thing from their minds.

They were going to face cruel scourgings, beatings, torture, and death, but when Jesus was facing His own darkest hour, His greatest concern was that His disciples would be…Happy?

If you think for a minute that God’s content watching you be miserable…You don’t know God like I know Him.

God wants us to be happy and he knows that if you really want to be happy, you won’t be able to do it with feet that are fettered and hurting.

So, God has been kind enough to allow a word to be fitly spoken into your spirit today…IT’S TIME YOUR FEET BECAME HAPPY FEET!

Time to Turn Your Mourning into Dancing

God knows, if he can get the fetters off your feet…if he can get you through your trial or test. He’ll pour some healing into your soul that will make your feet so happy you’ll want to DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!

God’s not concerned with the rhythm of your dance, or how stylish it is, He just wants you to be able to dry your tears long enough to get your DANCE back.

We have a Savior that cares so much about you that the very night he was to be given up to the authorities, He wanted His disciples to know, if you want to be happy…take care of one another’s feet!

If our creator could humble himself enough to bow down and wash the feet of the 12, including one that was going to deny him, and one that was going to betray him, couldn’t we be big enough to do the same for our brothers and sisters.

Paul’s Feet Kicking the Pricks

The day that the Apostle Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, Jesus makes a peculiar statement

Ac 26:14 – 18 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

The Apostle Paul was so busy kicking against the pricks, spiritually speaking, his feet HAD to be hurting. Constantly kicking against something he knew full well was what God was calling him to.

Listen to the rest of the story…

 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

 18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Paul’s feet were far from being HAPPY FEET! He was spending so much time and energy kicking against the pricks that he wasn’t seeing the ministry and the purpose God was calling him too.

But when he stopped kicking, and his feet stopped hurting, God granted him a ministry that resulted in millions coming to Christ!

Now those are some HAPPY FEET!

I don’t know where you’re at today, but I’m almost certain, your feet are killing you right now.

If it’s been a long time since you’ve danced before the Lord you have to ask yourself one of these questions…

1. Am I bound by something?

a. Perhaps it’s a habit

b. Perhaps it’s a sin

c. Perhaps it’s the enemy

2. Am I kicking against the pricks?

a. Am I purposely avoiding doing what I truly know is right?

b. Am I so wrapped up in my own life, my own plans, my own schemes that I can’t see the ministry, or the purpose that God has for me right before my very eyes?

God wants His people to have HAPPY FEET! He went to great lengths to ensure that we could enjoy this great truth, and fulfill our purpose in Him…but we can’t do it without HAPPY FEET!

Happy Feet

March 16, 2008

Psalm 105:14-15

 14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;

 15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

 16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

 17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

 18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

 19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

 20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

 21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

John 13:12-17

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

 16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Without a doubt one of the most inspiring stories in all of the scripture – the story of Joseph going from favored son, to slave, to a ruler in Egypt, brings with it all the elements of a great story…Tragedy, treachery, travail, and ultimate triumph.

If you have never sat down and read the story of Joseph starting in Genesis Chapter 37, you owe it to yourself to read it.

Joseph’s story illustrates for us that when God institutes a calling and purpose in your life – you better pursue with all diligence.

Hebrews 10:23 – Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

When you’re feeling challenged in your spirit, and the enemy comes against you; don’t you for a minute think that God’s going to sit idly by and watch you flounder around. We serve a God that cares – and cares deeply for His people…

1Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Sore Feet

We find in our reading a brief summary about the story of Joseph but I want to queue you into a particular passage of David’s account of the story. He says it like this…

Psalm 105:18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

This particular account brings to light an element that even the original story doesn’t. We knew Joseph was experiencing pain. You know, the pain of being sold into slavery, the pain of betrayal, and just the overall pain that somehow he may be missing the mark.

But this reading shows us that something was adding to that misery…Joseph’s feet HURT with fetters!

Of all the things the writer in Psalms could have included in his description of Joseph’s account, he dialed right into how Joseph’s feet hurt due to the fetters.

What’s Got Your Feet Fettered?

Have you ever been so tired, and walked so much that your feet ached…no, I mean downright hurt? I think one of the most miserable feelings a person can have is when their feet hurt.

I may be stating the obvious here, but if you’re feet are hurting you’re going no where fast.

• Washington D.C. Trip
• London Trip (if time)

Those stories illustrate that we put our feet through some serious abuse and expect peak performance every time.

• Now, imagine if your feet were fettered or shackled.
• Now imagine they’re put there to restrain you.
• Imagine how your ankles would ache, the sores and blisters that would fester and ooze.
• You’re so tightly bound that freedom of movement is impossible.

Joseph was there – full of hopes, dreams, and ambition but he was in fact bound so tightly by the fetters, or leg irons, that his feet just hurt.

When in the midst of his trials, Joseph’s only real complaint…my feet hurt!

My feet don’t hurt because I’ve walked too much or because I’m retaining water…my feet simply hurt because I’m bound and I can’t get free of my fetters.

Some of you within the sound of my voice today have sore feet. They’re not sore because you’ve done a great deal of traveling, or because someone has been stomping on them…Your feet hurt because you sit here a miserable wreck, bound by fetters of the enemy and you’re in PAIN!

Won’t you admit it? You’re feet hurt – you’re tired of pulling at the leg irons that have you so tightly bound.

I’m here to declare men and women…

• YOU WERE NOT MEANT TO BE BOUND!
• HE WHO THE SON HAS SET FREE IS FREE INDEED!

We have a Savior today that’s not content to watch you rot in the prison of your present circumstance…GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE HAPPY FEET!

The Bible and Feet

If you did your homework in the scripture, you’d see that feet play a very prominent role in the Bible…

To be continued later this week…check back soon!