Sheryl Brady - Sometimes I Just Don't Know

Romans chapter 8 is where we’re going to go today. I want to just read a few verses of Scripture. If you have it, and you can stand for the reading of God’s Word, let’s do that quickly, and then I’ll let you sit down. But don’t rush me because I have to stand the whole time and y’all can stand. Wow. As we read this, let’s begin at verse 20. Romans chapter 8, beginning at verse 24, and the Scripture says, «For we…» Let me back up just a minute, go to 23. «And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope.» Now, we don’t always hear that; we always hear that we are saved by grace, so this is a little bit different. «For we are saved by hope.» But hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Verse 26 says that likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities because, if the truth be told, we don’t really even know what to pray for; we know not how to pray. And so, there are times that the Spirit within us begins to make intercession for us. I’m grateful for those times because there are times that I don’t even know how to ask. I don’t even know what in the world I’m asking for. I don’t know what to want; I don’t know what to pray for. There are just times that I just… I don’t know. I don’t know if that scares you to think that you’re sitting here today because when you come to church on Sunday morning, you want to think the pastor knows. But there are times that I just don’t know. I dare say that if everybody was honest in this room today, even those who are the most spiritual among us, there would be people who would say, «There are times when life hits me that I don’t even know. I don’t know what to say; I don’t know what to do; I don’t know what to think. I know where to turn, but that’s about all I know. I know to turn my face toward him, but life can hit you so hard that you just don’t know.» Look to your neighbor on the right and say, «Neighbor, sometimes it’s okay to not know.» Turn to your other neighbor and say, «Neighbor, sometimes it’s okay to say I just don’t know.» I don’t know; I don’t know. I’m not God. I serve God, but I’m not God. I love God, but I’m not God. Make no mistake about it; I am NOT Him. He’s greater; He’s amazing; He’s wonderful; He knows all things. Spirit of the Living God, what an awesome moment to sit and just break open this Word. I pray, God, that you would just move in this place today. Your Word is quickened; it’s alive; it’s sharp; it finds us right where we are and says to us what we need to have said to us. I pray that you would just anoint me, God, to declare your Word in this place. Find every ear, every hungry person, every reaching person, every person that wants to hear the sound of your voice. May they hear you in this Word today, and we’ll give you thanks for it in the name of Jesus. On your way down, just touch somebody and tell them, «I don’t know.» Come on, say it with a little attitude: «I don’t know. Why are you asking me? I don’t know.» The beginning of wisdom is learning what you don’t know. I said the beginning of wisdom is learning what you don’t know. Whenever I got to that part that said that we are saved by hope, when I read that—not that I hadn’t read that before—but it just kind of jumped out at me last night as I began reading that. And so, I want to just explain what that means or what I believe that means. When it says we are saved by hope, the Bible is not talking about our spirit because our spirit is saved by grace through faith. Our spirit man—how many of you know we are spirit, we are soul, and we are body? So when it’s talking about «I’m saved by hope,» it’s talking about our body. When Romans 8, where we just read that, says we are saved by hope, it’s talking about not just the saving of our spirit, not just the saving of our soul; for my spirit is saved, my soul is being saved, and my body shall be saved. By that, what I’m saying is when the candle of the Lord is lit and I accept Jesus Christ into my heart, I am immediately saved. If anything happened to me, I would find myself in the presence of the Lord because my spirit is saved.