Good morning everyone!
Anyone here ever feel like you just don't matter to someone?
Well, I know that I have! I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Maybe it was your boss.. maybe it was a friend, who you contacted, you wanted to share something you're going through.
But they didn't seem to care about what you're going through.
Instead, they made everything about them, and what's happening in their life!
Or maybe you felt that you didn't matter to your children, or spouse. Or kids, maybe you have felt like you don't matter to your parents..
Whoever it was, whatever the circumstance, it's not a very good feeling! Can I get a witness?
Well, let me start off by telling each one of you, now, today, YOU MATTER!
"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well"
Psalms 139:14
The Psalmist was acknowledging the fact that he understood that God had created him.
In this world and this great nation of the United States of America, we even worship to a certain degree, celebrities. We can't pass by a grocery store checkout line, without being bombarded with
newspapers and magazines with the lives and troubles of celebrities.
We quickly get the idea of which celebrities lives seem to matter the most.
But everyone of us, also know some people who are seemingly insignificant..
Now, anyone that knows me, knows I am not a fan of mixing the teaching of God's Word with politics.. But for the point of illustration, bear with me for a few minutes..
On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama, a junior Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois. I don’t mean to imply any disrespect for him, but until February 10,
2007, I had never even heard of the man, but then he runs for president, and
all of a sudden, in what seems like an instant, everybody in the world knows who he is!
Prior to that Tuesday morning September 11, 2001, life was as normal in New York
City.
Thousands of ordinary people went in and out of the World Trade Center
buildings without thought or concern as they did on every other day. Neither you nor I or
the rest of the world paid much attention to any of these people. That is until tragedy struck!
Until that September day, I would guess, that most of had never heard of the Taliban, al-Qaeda, or Osama bin Laden. So it's very likely, that none of them didn’t matter to you, or me, nor did they matter to most of the world.
But all of the sudden:
The world’s eyes were not on the Lower Manhattan in New York City prior to 9/11.
Nor were we concerned about the 2,996 people who would die that day,
In an instant, the entire world came to a stand still, stopped what it was doing and watched in fear
at the destruction and loss of life that was happening before our eyes.
All of a sudden thousands of lost and trapped lives became the focus
of the worlds attention!
And that focus, would last until October 6, when the last
Federal rescue team would finally leave ground zero.
Today the names of every single person who died in the terrorist attacks
of the World Trade Center are inscribed in bronze around the twin
memorial pools at 180 Greenwich St, in New York City.
If there's one thing the world needs to understand today, is ALL that people…
The seemingly insignificant people that you and I bump into every day…
The people that we just pass by…or pass by us
The people that we pay attention to and people that we choose to ignore…MATTERS!
Each and every human being on the face of this planet matters!
Each person is so important to God, that every single hair of every single person on the earth matters to Him.
They matter to God!
Therefore, people should matter to all of us!
"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31
Jesus had an attitude!
It’s an attitude and mindset that not every Christian in the world completely understands but would serve them well to have!
People mattered to Jesus.
The adulteress thrown at His feet mattered to Him.
The little children the disciples tried to push away mattered to Him.
The widow woman who left the smallest offering at the temple mattered to Him.
His friend Lazarus who became sick and died mattered to Him.
Are you getting the idea, people mattered to Jesus?
YOU matter to Jesus!
I understand that in this ever changing world that we're living in, that things are pretty
confusing at times and we want to hate those who hurt other people.
Especially those people that hurt the very people we love and care about..
But do you know who most of the terrorists in this world are?
They are children who no one cared about, or at least they didn't feel it, that is until some religious extremist
or some drug pusher decided to take them in and show them some attention
and make them feel important to the point that that kid would do
whatever evil they were instructed to do...
So if you take away nothing else from this message, it's important to me, that each and every one of you
know, beyond all doubt, YOU MATTER!
Exactly where you are.
Exactly who you are.
No matter what your social or financial status may be right now, You Matter!
Your existence is not insignificant.
You have value!
Your life means something to all of us.
Your soul is invaluably important to me and to God,
You are not just another face in the crowd!
You are not just another number on the world’s population clock!
Everyone feeling pretty good about the fact that matter yet?
Well, here comes the part, that some of you are going to have a problem with..
Whether you are:
Good or bad.
Pretty or not so pretty,
Skinny or.. not so skinny,
Young or old,
Single, married, divorced, widowed,
You've had an abortion,
You've gotten high last weekend...or even last night
Straight, BI, or Gay, Yes, I just said that!
You ALL Matter!
As some of you are gasping for breath, let me remind you what Scripture has to say:
"Who are you to judge
another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will
be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."
Romans 14:4
Whether you are in this very moment:
Loving life or hating the world - You Matter!
Never been in jail a day in your life or just got out last night - You Matter.
“Red or yellow black or white, you are precious in His site” – You Matter
Whatever your past religious experience - You Matter.
Whatever religion or doctrine you hold to or don’t hold to – You Matter.
Love Jesus or Hate Jesus – You Matter.
God loves ALL of you, we love ALL of you!
We care about you, and are very concerned about you...
You do not need to become famous, pretend to be famous on social media, YOU MATTER!
You do not need to destroy your life!
We don't have to read about you on the front page of the newspaper to get God's attention, or the attention of this pastor, You matter, right now, exactly who and what you are.
That said, I'm also concerned about your soul, where you will spend eternity, it all matters to this pastor! And to God!
But being saved, the free gift of our salvation, is NOT a license to continue in our sin!
God accepts you right where you are, but He is also all about seeing people’s lives changed.
Unrecognizably different, changed, transformed!
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Isaiah 42:9
We all have a past, we were all sinners, before we came to accept Jesus as our Savior!
Thank God, someone didn't see our sin, but they saw our soul...
They didn't see what we were, but we were created to be!
Thank you Jesus!!
The Bible says it very clearly..
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
Now, to those of who teach the Word of God, God also gave me a message for you..
I know that some of you are only teaching God's love, acceptance, forgiveness and so on..
But you have a responsibility, a calling..
There is a much higher standard of personal conduct when you are called to lead, guide, and feed souls!
And God expects each of us to do it, His way.
"My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment."
James 3:1
"holding fast the
faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound
doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict."
Titus 1:9
"They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience."
1 Timothy 3:9
"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."
1 Peter 5:1-4
"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."
Acts 20:28
"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."
2 Timothy 4:2
And as I am sure all of who have received the calling also know, there are many more verses in Scripture, as to the responsibility of that calling.
Every Book, every page, every verse in the Bible is relevant!
Even the ones we'd rather skip over, because it's too difficult to peach without offending someone in the congregation..
In closing, I'll leave all of you with this last thought, even something your pastor teaches makes you squirm in your seat, makes you evaluate yourself, don't blame the messenger! It's not an easy task!
Take your groaning and complaint directly to the source, Almighty God!
This pastor, this church, and this ministry is all about seeing people’s lives changed... and that includes the lives of my fellow pastors.
After all, we aren't called to become comfortable in our office chairs, or even the pulpit, we're called to TEACH THE WORD OF GOD!
I am all about those of who may feel like you just don’t matter coming to an understanding that not only do you matter…
But that you can be a part of something that is making a difference
in other people’s lives right here in our communities and around the
world.
Jesus loves you and wants you to become part of His family!
He will meet you where ever you are, because You Matter!
Now I leave this one last Word from Scripture:
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
2 Timothy 3:16
#YouMatterIMatterTheyMatter
Brian Monzon Ministries