Does God Annoy You?

Introduction:

1.      Sometimes the annoyances of life become irritants.

2.      What are some of the things that annoy you?

3.      Let me mention three:

a.      Knock (doorbell) at inopportune times

b.      Phone or cell phone ringing – interrupts TV, dinner, sleep

c.      Junk in the mail – fill the mailbox, fill the trash (we recycle), Stuffers with a bill

1.      Phone calls

a.      I am an early riser – I would be at the church office by 5:30 or 6 in the morning.

b.      I could get more done from 6-8 than the rest of the day – phone calls

c.      Phone calls:

                                                    i.      interrupt – study, dinner, sleep

                                                   ii.     Change schedule – news, urgent demands

d.      Phishing phone calls – no one on the other end – Hello, hello – nothing

                                                    i.     There are telemarketers using machines that call – they note the number is a good number and the time of day is when you are at home.

                                                   ii.     In a few days a “real” sales person will call at that time of day

e.      2 Thessalonians 2:14 – He called you by the gospel

f.       God is calling – Does God annoy you?

2.      Junk Mail

a.      Selling me stuff I don’t want, need or use –

                                                    i.     Don’t prick your finger any more – diabetic meter – not a diabetic

                                                   ii.     Leave cable – not on cable

                                                  iii.     Companies I already use – try to sell me their products – ATT – DSL

b.      Almost every bill includes:

                                                    i.     Credit card checks – just run them through the shredder

                                                   ii.     Ads for junk, stuff – just filling up the wastebasket

                                                  iii.     There are some suggestions for dealing with all this “junk” (see below)

c.      In the Bible over 270 times the word “written” – almost always in reference to God’s writing.

                                                    i.     God has written us.

                                                   ii.     Epistle = letter; 7 churches of Asia

                                                  iii.     John 20:30-31 These are written that you might believe

                                                  iv.     Do you treat the Bible like junk mail?

3.      Knock at the door

a.      I am not ready to have company – dressing, eating supper, middle of TV program

b.      What are you thinking as you head for the door?

c.      Revelation 3:20 – I stand at the door and knock

d.      When God knocks on your door – What do you do?

                                                    i.     Shhhh – Quiet and they will think no one is home.

                                                   ii.     Open the door just a crack – say No Thank You – close the door

Andy Rooney suggestions:

Telemarketers – 3 little words – “Hold on, please.” Then lay the phone down and walk away. When you hear the “beep, beep, beep,” you know it is time to hang up the phone. If each phone call becomes time consuming – boiler room sales would grind to a halt.

Phishing call – no voice – hit the # (pound) key 6 or 7 times. The machine will make the machine kick your number out of their system as a number no longer in service.

Junk Mail

1.      Ads with a bill – mail them back with the payment. Make them get rid of their junk.

2.      Pre-approved letters with a postage paid envelope – fill it with those fillers (or their own letters) and mail it back to them.

3.      It costs them nothing if you throw it away. They pay a high price to get that mail back.

4.      If you want to remain anonymous, make sure your name is not on any of the material you include in the envelope

5.      You can get rid of all your junk mail in these postage paid envelopes.

Sermon idea came from an outline by Brent Smith.