Gain the World, Lose Your Soul?
Scripture: Mark 8:36Devotional Series: Money: Not the Root of All Evil
Teaching: Money: Not The Root Of All Evil pt. 2 (SUN_AM 2024-09-29) by Pastor Star R Scott
People sell their souls out for a lot less than millions of dollars. What is our treasure? Have we severed ourselves from everything that this world loves, and these ambitions, these worldly ambitions, and the lusts of this world and the fineries of this life? Have they taken hold of our lives and affected us in our decision making? Or are we still that young person that glimpsed that great pearl and forsook everything that he might obtain it? Do you remember what it was like the moment that you got saved? What would the devil have had to come up with, then, to draw you away from that pearl of great price? From that new birth you just experienced? That regeneration where you knew you were a new creature, and the things you used to love have now become offensive to you. What would it have taken to buy you out at that time, and what are we selling out for today?
I’m not just talking to us here in this local fellowship, I’m talking about this last-day church. Well, if we’re doing pretty good as a local fellowship, then how much time do we need to spend on this? How much time are you spending around other people who say they’re part of the straight and narrow? Who say they’re in “the way.” It’s amazing when we’re out sharing in different places, especially times like Carlisle, et cetera, how many Christians you run into. “Oh, we’re so glad you’re doing this. This is tremendous. Oh, we need to do this more. I want to go home and tell my pastor that he should do this.”
What about you doing it? “Would you pray for our children? It’s so great to see these young people and what they’re doing for God. My kids are going off to college and they’re getting caught up in the world, and they’re getting caught up in psychology, and all of the different areas that we raised them in a Christian school. But now, they’re in college and they’re being confronted with the Darwin theory and they’re just shaken in their faith.” We hear that so much.
Well, what were you teaching them when you were homeschooling them? What were you teaching them when they were in your Christian school? In conversations with many, they’re teaching—I’ll use the phrase of the day—their “world view” was no different than the world’s view. “Oh, we want our kids to go out and play ball and be successful in there and be prepared to be successful out in the world and in business.” “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
What does it profit us to boast in the eyes of men of all that we’ve accomplished, and in our great success, we find ourselves, then, in a place where we’re looking across a great gulf at that man that we used to despise and mock and use, who’s now in paradise, and I’m in torment? The one thing we need to understand clearly about financial wealth is that it’s temporal, it is earthly, it’s only for this life. Choose for eternity; amen?
Father, we thank You for Your Word and we ask You to strengthen us. We ask You to order our steps, open our eyes, prepare our hearts for the hour that’s coming. Let us be assured of this one thing: blessings are of You, Lord. If we use them for You, then, we know no sorrow. Give us wisdom, give us strength, we ask, Father. In Jesus’ name; amen.
I’m not just talking to us here in this local fellowship, I’m talking about this last-day church. Well, if we’re doing pretty good as a local fellowship, then how much time do we need to spend on this? How much time are you spending around other people who say they’re part of the straight and narrow? Who say they’re in “the way.” It’s amazing when we’re out sharing in different places, especially times like Carlisle, et cetera, how many Christians you run into. “Oh, we’re so glad you’re doing this. This is tremendous. Oh, we need to do this more. I want to go home and tell my pastor that he should do this.”
What about you doing it? “Would you pray for our children? It’s so great to see these young people and what they’re doing for God. My kids are going off to college and they’re getting caught up in the world, and they’re getting caught up in psychology, and all of the different areas that we raised them in a Christian school. But now, they’re in college and they’re being confronted with the Darwin theory and they’re just shaken in their faith.” We hear that so much.
Well, what were you teaching them when you were homeschooling them? What were you teaching them when they were in your Christian school? In conversations with many, they’re teaching—I’ll use the phrase of the day—their “world view” was no different than the world’s view. “Oh, we want our kids to go out and play ball and be successful in there and be prepared to be successful out in the world and in business.” “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
What does it profit us to boast in the eyes of men of all that we’ve accomplished, and in our great success, we find ourselves, then, in a place where we’re looking across a great gulf at that man that we used to despise and mock and use, who’s now in paradise, and I’m in torment? The one thing we need to understand clearly about financial wealth is that it’s temporal, it is earthly, it’s only for this life. Choose for eternity; amen?
Father, we thank You for Your Word and we ask You to strengthen us. We ask You to order our steps, open our eyes, prepare our hearts for the hour that’s coming. Let us be assured of this one thing: blessings are of You, Lord. If we use them for You, then, we know no sorrow. Give us wisdom, give us strength, we ask, Father. In Jesus’ name; amen.