The Most Important Things

Turn with me please to the book of Mark's Gospel, chapter 8. Now mind you I'm tempted to tell how God reached and saved me. There's just something about an occasion like this that makes it so. But let's read in Mark's Gospel, chapter 8 and verse 36.

The Gospel of Mark, chapter 8, verse 36. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? If you have a Bible that shows the words of the Lord Jesus in red, these are red. He was the one who asked this question.

What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? What's important? What's really important? Your soul. Turn with me please back to the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 7 and verse 24.

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock, and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand, and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. What's important? The Lord Jesus uses these words.

These sayings of mine. These words of mine. What's important? What God says.

What God says. My soul and what God says. One more passage please.

The book of Acts chapter 4. The book of Acts chapter 4 and one verse there, verse 12. Acts chapter 4 and verse 12. Neither or in no other, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must, we must be saved.

We must be saved. The Lord Jesus, ah, he told us of the value of the soul, and he told us of the value and the importance of his word. And here we're told of the importance of being saved for all eternity.

Neither is there salvation in any other. There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. The most important thing, some things are important in life, and some things are far less important as we well know.

Some of us are right to think that family is important. In fact, if your house was on fire right now, what would be important? If you had a son or a brother in a war zone right now, what would be important? If you were to meet God right now, what would be important? I'm certain that each of us in this gathering tonight can easily answer some of those questions, but oh, the Lord Jesus leaves us in no doubt. He leaves us with no questions about the importance of these things.

And he speaks in the gospel of Mark chapter eight. What shall a profit a man if he shall gain a whole world and lose his own soul? How sad to think that there are some who live in this world and they never figure out, they never seem to come to reckon with the great truth of what's important. I'm reminded of a British nobleman.

He inherited a vast amount of money and a title and he was very devoted. He devoted his whole life to one pursuit and the one thing that he strove for in his life was to try and create in the labs that he funded a perfectly spotted mouse. He devoted his whole life, 92 years and all his finances to trying to produce a perfectly spotted mouse.

He didn't get it. I hope you get it tonight. I hope you get it from God tonight.

Hope you get it from the lips of the Lord Jesus tonight. What is really important? Your soul. You know, we read way back in the Bible, right back at the beginning that God created man in his own image and we're told in that passage that God breathed into Adam, the man he created from dust, he breathed into Adam the breath of life and man became a living soul.

A soul for eternity, heaven or hell forever. It's real. The real you is a precious soul.

The Lord Jesus asked this question and he didn't answer it. I didn't ask it because it was unnecessary. He answered it because this was a question that was very important to him.

You say it was important to him. Yes, it was important to him. And why was it important to him? Because you are important to him and I am important to him and he knows what he made as creatures for eternity.

He says, what shall profit a man if he were to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Way back in December the 7th, 1961, I was 15 and a half years old. And if you're trying to do the math, I'm 65. A man laid his hand on my shoulder.

Gospel meetings were taking place at the time and I was interested. I kept it pretty well hidden. In fact, I convinced those preachers I had no interest whatsoever in the gospel.

They were preaching and they thought I was the least likely person to get saved in that gospel series. When this man laid his hand on my shoulder, this is the thought that came into my mind. I don't remember the words he spoke, but I remember this well enough.

This man cares about my soul and I can remember standing there as he left and went off to the gospel meeting that night. I remember coming to this forcible conclusion that it was time I started caring about my soul too. Your soul, the real you, a creature of eternity.

The Lord Jesus said, what would it profit a man if he got it all and you'll never get it all? Ah, you might get a good portion of it. Yes. How will that console you when it comes to die? What will you be able to take with you then? What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose and lose, lose his own soul? The most important things, your soul.

There is nothing in this world worth losing your soul over. Not friends, not family, not things, not anything worth losing your soul for. Your soul for eternity.

So valuable in the sight of heaven. So much the concern of the Savior. He was moved to come down from glory and live in a world like this, to be rejected and refused and dishonored on every hand and at last taken to a cross of shame to die.

Why? Because he placed a value on your soul. It's the most important thing and to lose it would be everything. I remember a young lady coming to my Sunday school class when I taught late teens and early 20s.

Her name was Barb Lasso and Barb came for the first time. She was 22 years old. She sat down and she started asking questions before I got around to my lesson and I was a little bit peeved because I was ready to teach and she was interrupting me and I was trying to work it out whether I'd have enough time to get through my lesson, but I answered her questions and I answered another question, another question, and finally I said, look, Barb, if you're just trying to cause trouble, I'm not interested, but if you really need answers, then I'll answer your questions.

I'll never forget the look on her face. This girl had done a little soul searching before she ever entered my class. She said, I really need some answers.

I put aside my lesson, it would keep, and I answered question after question. There was no problem with class attention. I can tell you the questions she was asking, they also had an interest in themselves and they were afraid to ask, but she asked question after question.

A couple of weeks later, just attending just two gospel meetings, but a couple of weeks later on a Sunday night under the preaching of the gospel, Barb trusted the Lord Jesus as her savior. I'm glad I answered her questions and I'm glad she got saved when she did because two weeks after that, she was in a car accident and she went out into eternity. I'm glad I answered her questions.

And I'm glad she was earnest and sincere, but seeking for answers. I am so thankful that she understood something of value of her own soul. And when she heard the truth, she recognized it for what it was.

It's important, not only your soul, but what God says. The Lord Jesus uses those words in Matthew chapter seven. He says, whosoever hear these sayings of mine, you know the difference between the words that the Lord Jesus speaks and the words that others speak? His are as alive as God is alive.

The word of God is living, powerful, sharper than any two edged sword. A mighty word from God is sent to you through the word of God that we read and read tonight. The Lord Jesus, he says, whosoever hear these sayings of mine, he says he's like a wise man, a wise man that digs deep and places the foundation on the rock so that when the storm came and it came and when the winds blew and they blew and when the rain fell and the floods rose, he says that house stood as it was founded on a rock that couldn't be shaken.

Thank God the word of God is just like that rock that cannot be shaken. He says, these sayings of mine, the person who relies on them is a wise man. The Lord Jesus also said, whosoever hear these sayings of mine and does not do them, does not respond in obedience, does not take them for what they're worth.

Does not take the truth to heart, does not rest upon its power and its value. He says he's like a fool who builds this house on sand as quickly as he can, forgetting that the day will come when the storm will blow. And he says when the storm came, great was the fall of that house.

You know what would be really sad tonight? Is it someone who hears the gospel, the plain gospel, the powerful word from God, his truth to mankind. Wouldn't it be sad tonight if someone heard it, paid no attention, did not obey it, passed it by, refused its value, turned a deaf ear to the Savior and the storm came and swept you out into eternity without hope. What's really important? The word of God.

I remember having some meetings in Lansing, Ontario, and some children were coming out and some teenagers, and there was a teenager, a girl, 13, she was Roman Catholic background, lovely girl, and she'd been listening to the trying to tell them that I knew I was going to be in heaven and I was certain my sins were gone and I knew I had peace with God. And one night she came up to me with some of her friends and she said, Mr. Sharp, she says, you've been telling us that, you know, you're going to be in heaven. I said, yes, I do.

And then your sins are gone. I said, yes, that's true. And do you know you've got peace with God? I said, yes, I'm glad you got a hold of that.

And I hope for that for you too. You know, she said, she said, how come you're so sure? I said, tell me, can your mom lie? She looked a little shocked, but she went along. She said, yes.

I said, what about your dad? Can your dad lie? She says, yes. I said, what about your teacher at school? Can your teacher lie? She said, oh yeah. I said, what about the preacher or the priest? Did they lie? She said, yes.

I said, what about me? Can I lie? And she looked at me and she said, well, I don't think you would. I said, I didn't ask you that. I said, can I lie? She said, yes.

I said, do you know anyone who can't lie? She said, God. I said, then if you want to be sure of heaven, if you want to know your sins forgiven, if you want to know with confidence that you have peace with God, then you need to find out what God says. Friend tonight, you read your Bible? I talked to an old man this week.

I don't know. He might be 87. He might be 95.

He's not really telling. He's deaf as a post, but you try and get the Word of God into him. You try and speak to him about his soul.

He heard the gospel years ago, and he's been so blinded ever since. Somehow thinking that he's just a little better than is necessary. Can't believe how blind he is.

I asked him, said, Herb, have you been reading your Bible? No, yes, I haven't. I said, are you telling me that you're refusing to listen to God? That's how he speaks. You're reading your Bible.

That's how God speaks. You don't want to rely on the word of a person who can lie or make mistakes or make promises that they can't keep. When it comes to your soul, it's too important.

What you need is what God says. And if God has a word for you, and he does, if God has a word for you, then you need to ask yourself tonight, will I trust what God says to me? Will I depend on what he reveals? Our brother was just talking about how the truth of it is finished. Came home to his soul.

And the gray reality of John 5 and 24, barely, barely. It's true. It's true.

I'm speaking to you. He that hears my word. Are you listening to his word tonight? He that hears my word and believes God that sent me.

You know, the night I got saved, I realized that God had sent him to the cross for me. God says, has everlasting life, and I've got it. That's what God says.

And that's good enough for me. And I want you to think about the importance of your soul and the importance of what God says and all the importance of being saved for all eternity. My Bible tells me in Acts chapter four, in no one else is this found.

Neither is there salvation in any other thing or any other person. It's Christ alone. All the wondrous plainness of God's word.

It's not in church. It's not in ourselves. It's not in the things we do.

It's not in our reputation in the community. It's not in the grace that we give. In nothing else is this grace found but in Christ alone.

Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name. Friend, you look through your Bible. You'll not find any other person is pointed to but Christ for salvation.

You won't find that there's any other that God recommends as a substitute for him. He's the only one. Neither is there salvation in any other.

There is none other name. Absolutely none. Not even one.

There's none other name under heaven. Given amongst men that covers everything. Whereby we must, must, we must be saved.

Who says? God says. Saved, saved from our sins. Sin is a big problem.

God won't allow one single spot or stain or sin enter his holy heaven. And if you are found in that day when you leave this world with but one solitary sin charged against you, there's a place that fills my heart with fear. Not because I'm going there.

I know I'm not. But I wouldn't want to think of anyone else going there. Tonight there is one answer.

That answer is found here in the word of God. We must, we must be saved. We must be saved from our sins.

Oh, this is a big problem for God too. How can God take away our sins? How can we possibly, we who deserve his judgment, we who deserve the consequences of our sins, how can we possibly ever be saved? God knew how important this was. And God knew what it would cost the sinner if he met God unprepared.

And God was willing to give his only son to die on a cross of shame. Oh, wondrous love. Oh, the great reality of it all.

Christ died for the ungodly. We must be saved. It says must.

That means you have to be. If you're going to be in heaven, you must be saved. It says we must be saved.

That's God who gives this word. We must be saved. You know, there's a little word a lot of people would like to just skip over in this verse.

It's that little word be. We have to be saved. You know why? We can't save ourselves.

We can't make one sin go away. We can't make up for one sin or pay for one sin. We can't erase one sin.

We can't get that book of records that God has of all that we've done. We can't tear the pages out. We must be saved.

That means we need a rescue. And there was only one who was willing to die in our stead, that soul so unworthy might live in the path to the cross. He was willing to tread.

He made all the sacrifice. He paid all the price. He did what we couldn't do because we needed to be saved.

And salvation could only be found in Christ. Tonight, my friend, you need the Savior. And you can know with absolute certainty, you can know assuredly, you can know positively tonight that you're saved by the grace of God.

To understand that on that cross alone, forsaken, and where no pitying eye was found, the blessed Savior endured the wrath that was my due. The Savior died upon that cross. He paid it all.

His word. It's finished. The work is done.

And there you can rest tonight. What's important? Is your soul important enough for you tonight to take in God's holy word, to understand the greatest blessing a soul could ever know would be to be saved for all eternity. May God grant it for his namesake.