Baggage Claim
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Bags. Backpacks. Shoulder Packs. Fanny packs. Bags come in all shapes and sizes. I have a slight issue when it comes to backpacks. I like them! Like, a lot. I’m always searching for the ultimate and perfect backpack. Just when I think I’ve found it, I find a better one. Just this past summer, I bought not one, but two bags just because I thought I needed both. I love that bags come in all shapes and sizes. They all serve different purposes…
[ Pause here and get serious.]
Baggage in all shapes/sizesYou know… everyone has baggage. And it comes in all shapes and sizes. Like me, you probably pick up a lot of baggage thinking it’s going to change things and make your life better. Some baggage you can’t help. Some baggage you can. Either way, we all have a baggage journey.
ask for volunteer
Your Baggage Journey
Your Baggage Journey
• [Beginning the Journey] The journey that brings us to pick up so much baggage starts early. It may be a small negative comment that a parent or someone says to us; that makes us feel like we aren’t good enough. It could be a mean comment on the playground. These comments may seem small, but they cut deep.
[Put on small bag]
• [Parent’s Divorce] Some of you come from split homes. You remember your parents arguing constantly until one day they finally give up. You wished when you were little that they would get back together, but it never seems to happen. You finally come to the realization that your family is broken.
[Put on bag]
• [Abuse/Family Conflict] It’s so sad to realize that many children face abuse of some kind during their childhood. It could range from verbal to physical to sexual to psychological. In every family, there is conflict. You soon realize that those closest to you can inflict the most harm. Some of you have baggage from abuse or maybe a family dynamic (like constant tension) or both.
[Put on bag]
• [Jr. High] Eventually we get to Jr. High… Enough said, right?! The first bag you pick up happens when you wake up one morning, head to the mirror and see a huge white mound on your forehead… That zit is so large it has its own zip code! Acne takes no prisoners.
[Put on bag]
Then, you see that cute girl or guy that you didn’t notice was so cute last year because you still thought girls or guys had cooties and were weird. You walk up to her or him hoping to make a good impression, but you find that her or his eyes are stuck on that older Jr. High kid (or even worse, a high schooler), not on you.
[Put on bag]
Or maybe he or she does notice you. You start “going out” even though neither of you can “go out” anywhere. Three days later, he or she is talking to someone else already and never let you know.
[Put on bag]
• [Sr. High] Fast forward to Sr. High. For some reason, the friends you hung out with in Jr. High don’t want to be your friend anymore. Maybe your parents suddenly got divorced. Maybe you’re trying to fit in and started using drugs or alcohol to do that.
Maybe you turned to sex to try and fit in.
[Pick up bag]
Some have started using pornography by this age and don’t even realize they’re addicted to it. There’s some more baggage you pick up, though. Your relationship with Jesus has cost you friends. You are singled out because you’re a Christian. Maybe you were asked a question about your faith, and you didn’t know what to say or feel like you said the wrong thing. Some of you may feel like your relationship with God is cold and distant.
[Pick up bag]
There’s so many more things that becomes baggage. New cars. New girlfriends. New boyfriends. New schools. New parents.
[Keep picking up more bags]
Before we know it, we are completely overloaded with what?... Baggage! That’s right. It’s easy to be overloaded with baggage, and it seems to come from everywhere. Baggage can make us feel unworthy. It can make us feel like we must act a certain way to disguise the baggage or adapt to the baggage. Instagram is a great way to do that. Think about it. Who honestly posts all their baggage on Instagram? Not many people. Instead we post the “ideal version” of our lives. We want to project to others what we think the ideal version of our life would be. We lie, plain and simple, because we intend to hide what’s really going on in our lives.
[Make sure you leave all the bags on while you teach this lesson until prompted to take them off]
Scripture
Scripture
I know I’ve got a lot of baggage. It makes me wonder, does Jesus has anything to say about this? Does the Bible talk about baggage? Better yet, does the Bible tell us WHY we have baggage? We could find out…
This is a letter that is written by the Apostle Peter. This means he walked with Jesus in person, and he wrote this letter to Christians all over who were experiencing persecution; one type of carrying baggage. When you read this section of his letter, which is the conclusion, you get a mixture of reality and hope. Let’s read it again.
I Peter 5: 6-13 ESV
Let’s dig into this passage tonight and see what it can teach us. This passage can help us understand WHY we have baggage. You may wonder why those memories come back. You may wonder why you can’t escape the porn addiction. You may be discouraged that you can’t seem to change even when you really want to. Peter gives us an answer to those issues. He tells us the reason we have baggage.
Application
1. Baggage comes from the Enemy, the Devil.“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” That’s pretty dark to put in a letter meant to bring people hope, but it is reality. Many of you here tonight have baggage and can’t even identify that it comes from the Enemy. We have one enemy, the Devil. Yet, we have hope in what’s next…
2. WE can resist the Devil.Peter tells us to resist the devil. We learn that all Christians suffer, but Christ is bigger than the suffering. I’ve counseled lots of students that think they’re the only ones struggling with their lives. If you struggle, you’re not alone! Christians need to realize that when they are firm in their faith, the Devil cannot withstand them! So, our struggles, our baggage, comes from the Devil, BUT we can resist him with Christ’s power in our lives. There’s still a third thing Peter teaches us here and it’s important…
3. Humility is the key to losing our baggage.What is humility? I used to think of it in negative terms, until I became a Christ-follower. The dictionary defines humility as, “a modest view of one’s importance.” We are humble when we realize we aren’t the most important thing in the universe. It also means that we can’t lose our baggage all by ourselves; we need divine help. We need help from God.
A note on humility… Humility is an attractive quality to find in someone. I like Levi’s jeans because their slogan remains true. Their slogan says, “Quality never goes out of style.” That’s a testimony to the quality of their clothing. You could replace the word “quality” with “humility.” My friends, hear this: “Humility never goes out of style!”
Once we know that our baggage comes from the Devil, that we can resist the Enemy, that humility is the key to losing our baggage, we can FINALLY find out HOW to do what Peter tells us to do. He says, “Cast all your anxieties on God, because He cares for you.”
Cast all Anxieties, because He Cares.Let’s talk about that key phrase. There’s so much contained inside that single sentence. See, when we understand the Devil is the reason we have baggage, and that we can resist him, and that our humility is key, it opens the door for Jesus to care for us! When we get out of the way, Jesus can get in the way of the Enemy!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Do you know what happens to our baggage when Jesus Christ gets in the way of the Devil? This happens…
[At this part of the service I can start taking off the bags and talking about how Jesus takes all our baggage onto himself. Once you take several off, throw the rest at the foot of the cross or on the stage and say the following line]
When we get out of the way, Jesus can get in the way of the Enemy!
The Ultimate Promise
Check this out! Verse 10 says that after we have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to Eternal Glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. If you know Jesus, this is an awesome promise to share with others. It brings you hope as you live your life every day. He wants to take your baggage and free you to bless others! If you don’t know Jesus, you can have that kind of hope when you place your trust in Him. He WANTS to take your baggage and turn it into blessing. Will you let Him? If you want to talk about that, let’s sit down tonight or sometime this week!
Application
Application
This week I want you to do something… I want you to identify the baggage in your life. I want you to realize that that baggage, no matter what it is, comes from the Enemy. Then, I want you to realize you can defeat the Enemy when you become humble and recognize the need for Jesus to take control of your life. Even Christians need this reminder each day! We often try to carry our own burdens instead of throwing them at the foot of the cross. Don’t forget the price Jesus paid for you. He got in the way so that you could be free.
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