The Value of a Soul
Adapted from a sermon by Adrian Rogers on; the Love Worth Finding Program.
1-8-2006
First Baptist Church of Tawas City Michigan
Rev. Bruce A. Shields
www.TawasBaptist.org
Introduction
• Welcome guests
• Encourage speakers for the week of renewal
• Listening to God (Thank Patti C.)
Scripture Reading
Mark 8:34-38 (Topic - The Value of a Soul)
“34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels."
Prayer for the Holy Spirit and understanding
1. What is the value of your soul
God has created many aspects to our souls. We are multidimensional beings which were created in His image;
A. Creativity: The crowning work of Almighty God.
B. Potentiality: You can be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Being transformed into His likeness is not the same as trying to be Him. That’s where Lucifer made his mistake. He wanted to BE GOD.
But we are called to be transformed into His LIKENESS, not to BE God, but to be LIKE God in character.
(Illustration of a toy egg)
C. Durability: Eternity is endless, dateless and measureless.
The soul that God has given us will be in heaven or hell throughout eternity.
This has already been determined.
It is not a question of IF we are going to live forever, just a question of where.
D. Rarity: Each soul is unique – there is no one else like you.
E. Desirability (or worth): Our Father in heaven desires us to be with Him! We are valuable to Him.
The price a purchaser is willing to pay for something determines its worth or value.
Obviously, the higher the price, the more valuable something is.
The blood Christ shed on Calvary shows our worth or value to God.
What would you allow yourself to be tortured and crucified for?
Some of us feign from simple embarrassment when it comes to God and the gospel, unwilling to pay the price for relationship with God.
But Christ did not hesitate to pay the price for your soul, because you ARE that valuable to God.
But there is another who recognizes our worth to God. And therefore tries to purchase us daily with incentives of acts against God.
2. A Foolish Transaction:
The Devil bargains for our souls, but we need to remember what the scriptures teach us about the value of our soul:
A. Even if you could gain the whole world, it’s not worth your soul. You would be getting ripped off! You are more valuable to God than this world can afford.
(Guitar on eBay story)
B. What you gain you can not keep.
C. It would never satisfy you anyway. God made you for Himself. Your element is God; as water is the fish’s element and the air is the bird’s element, God is what we need.
The Chess Game
A visitor to an art gallery noticed a painting of a chess game being played between the devil and a young man.
The visitor, who was a chess master, saw from the board that the devil had his opponent boxed in, and was ready to pounce.
It was the young man’s turn, but his case seemed hopeless.
But the chess master, after much study of the board, discovered that there was a move which would enable the youth to escape Satan’s clutch.
You see, when adversity comes, when the devil has us cornered, when he is coming at us full force and the storms in our lives are raging, when the waves are coming over the sides of our boat, no matter how desperate our case,
When we turn to the Master for our next move, He will examine the board of this life and guide you.
No matter how desperate the case looks to us – if we will repent and invite Jesus Christ into our hearts as Lord and Savior, the master will be there to guide us.
3. When we are transformed
Ezekiel 18:1-4
“1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : 2 "Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”
“Can I not do to you as this potter does?” declares the Lord.
A. When we turn to the potter marred, He reshapes us as it seems best to Him and His purpose. The former shape is erased. The old passed away. We are a new creation.
Just as the clay was visibly changed by the hand of the potter, erasing the former self, we too should see a change in our lives when we accept Christ.
Are we not in the hands of the potter? Is the former not passed away?
If there has been no change in your life since you have come to Christ, you may not truly be in the Fathers hands.
B. There is no substitute or replacement for the transformation that must take place when we come to God. If there has been no change then there has been no potter.
C. Anyone who goes to hell, has had to work for it. You don’t HAVE to go to hell. God has given us a plan as easy as turning to Him and allowing Him to transform you and your life. He does the work; all you have to do is tell Him you need Him, then stay out of His way.
4. Count the cost of your soul. Christ paid for your soul with an unimaginable tortured death. To make a way for you.
What are you worth? Your soul.
What is your soul worth? The value is determined by the price paid.
What was the price paid? Christ on the cross.
You are worth everything in God’s eyes, because He paid everything He had to gain you.
THE SCARS OF LIFE
Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.
In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.
He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together.
In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.
Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.
From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two.
The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father’s fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.
The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because! my Dad wouldn’t let go."
You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He’s been there holding on to you.
The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way.
But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That’s when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.
God has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing to others. You just never know where a person is in his/her life and what they are going through.
Never Judge another persons scars, because you don’t know how they got them.
Right now, there is someone in your life who needs to know that God loves them, and you love them too - enough to not let them go.
Conclusion
