Illus: This sermon reminds me of a new pastor that came to his first church. Being new in the ministry he did not know what to expect. For four weeks he was very busy. He had eight funerals and five weddings plus his other duties. He did not have time to write his regular Sunday sermon so he used the same sermon for four consecutive weeks. The Council went to the Bishop complaining that this new pastor had used the same sermon 4 times in a row. The Bishop asked what the sermon was about. The Council couldn't remember, they scratched their heads and hemmed and hawed - but they really couldn't remember. The Bishop said, "He preached that sermon four times and none of you fellows can remember what he preached on! Let him use it one more time and maybe this time it will sink in."
I hope I will only have to preach this sermon one time before it sinks in. The topic of this sermon is important because it applies to everyone here.
• If I preach on tithing I would not be preaching to everyone, because some faithfully tithe every Sunday.
• If I preach on Church attendance I would not be preaching to everyone, because some faithfully attend the house of God every time the doors are open.
• If I preach on praying, witnessing, and Bible reading I would not be preaching to everyone, because some faithfully do these things everyday.
• If I preach on putting God first in your life I would not be preaching to everyone, because some put God first in your life everyday.
WHAT MAKES THE TOPIC OF THIS SERMON SO IMPORTANT? IT APPLIES TO EVERYONE HERE. I want to preach on WHO AND WHAT MATTERS IN YOUR LIFE!
Sometimes the best way to find out WHO and WHAT MATTERS IN LIFE is to play a game, and ask ourselves if our house was on fire and we could grab several things on the way out what would those things be.
(1) SOME WOULD GRAB THEIR TELEVISION SETS
They place a high premium on the television programs they love to watch each day. Whatever you do, do not make the mistake of visiting them when they are watching their favorite programs.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger went to see an elderly lady who attended his church. She had broken her leg. He was curious and asked her, “How did you break your leg?” She said, “I was in the yard walking around and looked at my wrist watch and saw it was time for my favorite television program to come on.” She said, “I made a mad dash to the house to watch it and I was running so fast I overshot the porch and fell off the porch and broke my leg.”
Illus: David Frost said “Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home.”
Nevertheless, if their house was to catch on fire and they could save anything, the television would be the first choice of many.
(2) SOME WOULD GRAB THEIR COMPUTER
Computer addiction is a real problem in this country of ours. As soon as some people get home they head for the computer and they remain there for hours until it is time to go to bed.
Illus: Did you hear about the husband with a computer addiction? His wife sent him an email that said;
“My Dear Husband,
I am sending you this email so that you will be sure to read it. I really have not been able to talk to you since your computer entered our lives FIVE YEARS AGO. The children are doing well.
Tommy is seven now and is a bright, handsome boy. He looks a lot like you did at that age. He has developed quite an interest in the arts. He drew a family portrait for a school project recently, all the figures were good, and the back of your head is very realistic. You should be very proud of him.
Little Jennifer turned six in September. She is an attractive child and quite smart. She still remembers that you spent the whole afternoon with us on her birthday. What a grand day for Jenny, despite the fact that it was stormy and the electricity was out.
I am doing well. George, I mean, Mr. Wilson, my boss, has taken an interest in my career and has become a good friend to me and to the children.
I discovered that the household chores are much easier since I realized that you didn't mind being vacuumed but that feather dusting made you sneeze. The house is in good shape. I had the living room painted last spring; I'm not sure you noticed it. However, I made sure that the painters cut holes in the drop sheet so you wouldn't be disturbed. Well, my dear, I must be going. George – err - I mean Mr. Wilson my boss is taking us all on a ski trip and there is packing to do. I have hired a housekeeper to take care of things while we are away, she'll keep things in order, fill your coffee cup and bring your meals to your desk, just the way you like it.
I hope you and the computer will have a lovely time while we are gone. Tommy, Jenny and I will think of you often. Try to remember us if you have to re-boot your computer.
Love,
Your Wife”
There are some folks that are like that. They are dedicating their whole life to a television set or a computer.
WHAT IS LIFE? Many people go through their whole life and never find out what life is all about! In order to find out WHAT LIFE IS, we need to ask two questions:
• WHO MATTERS in our life?
• WHAT MATTERS in our life?
If you want to know what MATTERS in a person’s life, do not listen to what they say. Look closely at a person’s life and they will reveal WHO and WHAT MATTERS IN LIFE with them.
If we read the writings of the apostle Paul, he reveals WHO and WHAT MATTERED in his life. Let’s look first at -
I. WHO MATTERS
Who mattered in the life of the apostle Paul? Have you noticed in Paul’s writings that when he greets a church he often lists people individually?
He could have said, “TELL EVERYONE HELLO,” but instead he lists them one by one.
Illus: If you read Romans 16:1-27 you will find a list of people that Paul greeted individually. Such as:
• In verse 1 - “…Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:”
• In verse 3 - “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:”
• In verse 5 - “Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ.”
• In verse 6 - “Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.”
• In Verse 7 - “Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners…”
• In verse 8 - “Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.”
• In verse 9 - “Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.”
• In verse 10 - “Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.”
• In verse 11 - “Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.”
• In verse 12 - “Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.”
• In verse 13 - “Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.”
• In verse 14 - “Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.”
• In verse 15 - “Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.”
• In verse 21 - “Timotheus my work fellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.”
Paul went through all the trouble to list all these people because he loved people. He knew them personally and knew them by name.
Have you ever met someone and the next day you saw him again and couldn’t remember his name? Why couldn’t you remember his name? It could be you have a touch of Alzheimer’s.
Illus: Paul was not like the elderly couple that was visiting another elderly couple for supper. The two women go into the kitchen for a moment, leaving the men to talk. One man says to the other, "The Mrs. and I went to the nicest restaurant last night." "Is that right?" the other inquires, "What was it called?" "That's just it," he replied, "I can't recall.” "Say, what's the name of that red flower that has thorns all over it?" "A rose?" he responds. "YEAH, THAT'S IT!" he says energetically. He then whirls around and yells into the kitchen to his wife and said, "Hey, Rose! What was the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"
Paul did not have a touch of Alzheimer’s, he listed these people individually by name because every one of them MATTERED to him. He CARED for these people and his concern for people showed.
Illus: In Hendersonville, North Carolina, one of the natives of that region allows his cattle to run wild through the mountains. He has about 30 or 40 of them that do this. One day one of them came into contact with a bear and the bear clawed the cow’s hind quarters badly. Dr. Odell Belger saw the cow one day and later asked him how the cow was doing. He told Dr. Belger he was doing great, but he said that bear would have killed that cow had it not been for the other cows.
Dr. Belger said, “What do you mean?” He said, “There is not much those cows can do to defend themselves against a bear. But if a bear attacks one of them, they will immediately gather around the bear and the bear sees that she is outnumbered and will leave in a hurry.”
Isn’t it something how God has made cows to care for each other like that? They are even willing to risk their own lives. When it comes to Paul, He CARED for the people in the same manner.
Paul said, in Romans 9:1-3, “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”
Paul’s love for people was so great that he was willing to spend eternity in hell for them. PEOPLE MATTERED TO HIM! God has always wanted us TO HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR HEARTS.
Illus: The High Priest in the Old Testament wore a special garment, the ephod – a breastplate, over his heart. On it were twelve stones with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on them, a jewel for each tribe (Ex. 28:15–29). Why do you think symbols of the people were on his chest over his heart? He was to carry the people over his heart in love.
When it comes to WHO MATTERS, most folks can only think of themselves.
• You can talk to many grandparents, and they will tell you they very seldom hear from their grandchildren.
• You can talk to many parents, and they will tell you the only time they hear from their children is when they need something.
We live in a society where people are CAUGHT UP WITH THEMSELVES. They think life ONLY REVOLVES AROUND THEM!
When you find a person in life where GOD and PEOPLE do not matter, you see a person that is living a wasted life.
Illus: When they are dead and gone, in a matter of weeks the people they left behind will never miss them because they know they never mattered in their life.
Illus: A Christian man was involved in a conversation with others about how much they missed their deceased parents.
A Christian man said, “I hate to say this, but I have never been back to my father’s graveside since we buried him.”
Someone spoke up and said, “That is horrible!”
He said, “It might be, but the whole time he was living we were not important to him and now he is not important to me!”
When people MATTER to us, THREE things will take place:
(1) PEOPLE WILL BE ON OUR MIND
Look at Phil. 1:1-5, we read, “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;”
Paul was constantly having fond memories of the Philippians. When people matter, they are on our minds constantly. He remembered things in detail and what they meant to him.
As Paul listed these people, he also listed the things they had done for him.
Illus: A church helped a couple to go to the Philippines because the husband’s parents lived there and they were sick. In less than a year, without a good reason, they left the church and went to another church.
HOW SOON PEOPLE FORGET! But when people matter, they do not forget! When people MATTER to us, we have them in our MEMORY. We know and love everything about them.
(2) PEOPLE WILL BE IN OUR HEART
Look at Phil. 1:7-8, we read, “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.”
When people matter, they will be on our minds, and in our hearts.
Illus: They are not like the guy who went to marriage counseling with his wife, and she said to the counselor, “He never says he loves me.” He said, “Ah come on, I told you when we first got married that I love you, and if I ever change my mind I’ll let you know”.
(3) PEOPLE WILL BE IN OUR PRAYERS
Look at Phil. 1:9, we read, “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.”
One way you can tell you have the right kind of love for people is that you HAVE THEM IN YOUR PRAYERS!
We looked at WHO MATTERS. Let’s also look at -
II. WHAT MATTERS
Again, as you look at the life of some, it is obvious that WHAT MATTERS to them is MONEY and MATERIAL THINGS. They are convinced that life is all about making money and buying things.
The Bible says the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil. People will:
• Cheat for it
• Steal for it
• Kill for it
• Forsake their family for it
• Forsake God almighty for it
Make no mistake about it, MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.
Illus: Someone said this about money:
• It can buy a House...............But not a Home
• It can buy a Bed.................But not Sleep
• It can buy a Clock...............But not Time
• It can buy you a Book.........But not Knowledge
• It can buy you Medicine.........But not Health
• It can buy you Sex..............But not Love
So you see, money isn't everything. It often causes pain and suffering. (Humor) I tell you all this because I am your Friend, and as your Friend I want to take away your pain and suffering. So send me all your money...and I will suffer for you.
Many today in the society in which we live have made MONEY the most important thing in their life. It has become the god they worship seven days a week. They will put it ahead of:
• Their Family
• God their Creator
You can ask people about attending church and they will say – “I would like to come but I really do not have the time.” What are they really saying? They are saying that they have things in their lives that matter more than God, their Creator.
But God asks them one of the most astounding questions they could be asked in Mark 8:36: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Those who have made WEALTH and MATERIAL THINGS their god may have:
• All the land and houses
• All the cars, boats, and campers
• All the clothes and Jewelry
If you owned it ALL, and you end up in Hell, you will then realize what a fool you have been in this life.
Conclusion:
Solomon had more than any man on this earth has ever had:
• He had wealth
• He had fame
• He had material things
• He had hobbies
• He had friends
• He had a family
He had everything a man can imagine having, but was he happy? No, you read the Book of Ecclesiastes and you hear this man with everything saying over and over again, “All is vanity!”
In other words, life is empty! Why? Because life is more than SELF, it is more than MONEY and MATERIAL THINGS.
Illus: People who drink from this fountain in life are like a man who drinks from the water in the ocean. The more he drinks the thirstier he becomes and he is never satisfied.
Solomon tried to find satisfaction in everything he could see and lay his hands on. It was only late in life that he finally found the secret to life. Look at Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
What really MATTERS in life is having God in your life and people in your life.
We have looked at:
I. WHO MATTERS
II. WHAT MATTERS
