Sheryl Brady - Never Forget What Matters Most

Most of you who have been in the church for any length of time can probably quote this; it’s a very familiar passage. We’re going to read just the first three verses. The Bible says, «Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.» Charity here means love. You could have all of the above, but if you don’t have love, you are nothing. You can be so gifted that you don’t know what to do with your gift itself, but if you don’t love people… I didn’t say it was nothing; He said it was nothing. Today, I want to take a few moments to talk from the subject, «Don’t Forget What Matters Most.» Spirit of God, I love you, and I thank you for this opportunity to declare this word to such a great congregation. You have brought us into this moment. I pray that you would anoint me to deliver your heart and my heart, Lord. Let your heart be heard, let your voice be heard, and let your touch be felt. Find every person, every listener, every student; find every person under the sound of my voice that needs you, that longs for you, that is asking questions. Find every believer in this place and touch us in a way, Lord, that we will recognize that it was your touch. Speak to us today, and we’ll give you the glory for it in Jesus’ name. Somebody shout, «Amen!» On your way down, just shake somebody good and hard— not too hard— and tell them, «Don’t ever forget what matters most.» How many of you are having a happy new year so far? Yep, that’s about half of you. But anyway, it’s going to get better; it’s going to get better in the name of Jesus. I’ve decided that if I’m alive, I have the activity of my limbs, I have my right mind, I have food on my table, and a roof over my head, it is good. It is good to give thanks unto the Lord. We read out of 1 Corinthians 13; I said it was a familiar passage of Scripture, and it is because a lot of people refer to it when they start talking about love. It is a very foundational passage of Scripture, and the author of it is the Apostle Paul. Paul is someone who you would not automatically assume God would use regarding foundational issues in the church because initially he was against the church. He didn’t just dislike Christians; he was a hater. He not only hated Christians but was also one who would persecute them. He was a murderer of Christians. Then one day, he had an encounter with God Himself and ultimately became what he hated; he became a Christian himself. And such were some of us. Some of us said we didn’t like church; we were never going back to church. Our grandmothers and mothers dragged us to church. For some of us, that was the only drug problem we had, but I’m grateful anyway. Some of us said that if we ever grew up and got out of church, we were done with it. The truth is, we laughed at people once we got out; we mocked those who were in the church. But here you are today, sitting right in the middle of church, and you are here whether you planned on being here or not. God lassoed your life, pulled you in, and brought you to the kingdom for such a time as this. Then you turned around and became the very thing you were making fun of. You never thought— some of you never thought— you’d be standing in a choir, clapping your hands, singing your song, and worshiping God. But here you are, and I’m grateful that you are here. It’s amazing that you’re here after some of the things we’ve been through. Look at your neighbor and say, «He turned it around for me.» Now that’s why we’re here. Truth be told, it’s because God literally grabbed our hearts and our lives, and He turned it around for us. Paul became a believer, and God began to use him to establish doctrine and set up New Testament theology. He began to make people aware of who they are and about the love of God, and He did this in the midst of all kinds of religions and philosophies and business ideas. He established what we now call the Church of Corinth, which was made up of a mixture of people. It consisted of individuals wrestling with their humanity and carnality, intermixed with those who were extremely spiritual. So, you had people who were very spiritual and people who were very carnal, and bless his heart, he’s trying to build a church in the middle of it all.