God’s Greatest Treasure

1. Read: Mark 8:36, 37 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

2. About the Text:

1) Parallel, Mat.16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Luke 9:25 “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”

2) People in the world do not understand the value of the soul.

3) Lawyer joke.

4) Many people think this way. Illustrate joke with each of the following: Career Oriented–Family Oriented–Recreation Oriented.

5) Indeed, “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

6) Satan thinks that man will give anything for his life–including his faith. Job 2:4 “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” So, he is going to try to get you to believe that as well.

7) We must, therefore, value our soul even above our own life.

3. Reference to S, T, P, O.

1. The soul is eternal–2 Cor.4:16-18 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

2. Our life is temporal–James 4:14 “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” To which of these should we give the most attention–that which will be with us forever, or that which is only with us for a few short years?

3. Notice which one Jesus prefers that we give up when we must make a choice between the two–“And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” Mat.5:29, 30. (Father-in-law says, “surgery”).

4. Ecc.12:7 teaches us concerning this contrast between the physical and the spiritual. Notice which one is more valuable in death. “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”

5. The Christians attitude of rejoicing in the midst of persecution reflects the value he places on his soul above that of his body.

1) Mat.5:10-12 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

2) 2 Cor.12:11, 12 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

1. Man is made in the image of God, his life begun by the very breath of God himself–Genesis 1:26, 27 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

2. God recognizes the soul at the time of conception–Psalm 139:14-16 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

3. Psalm 82:16 “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” We are “gods” because we are God’s unique creation and our soul gives us that uniqeness.

4. Paul made it clear what the value of the soul was in Acts 20:26-27 ” And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”

5. Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.” (ASV).

6. The soul is God’s greatest treasure because it is eternal.

1. Sin separates man’s soul from God. Isa.59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

2. What is it that made it possible for man’s soul to be bought back from the dominion of sin?

3. Rom.5:6-8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

4. Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

5. 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

6. 1 Peter 1:18-20 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”

1. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” What will you give for the salvation of your soul? He has given his life for you–now do the same for him. Matt.16:24, 25 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

2. God’s greatest treasure is you!

3. His treasure, however, is not for the taking, but for the giving.

4. Won’t you give yourself wholly to him?