OceanSide church of Christ




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I AM RESOLVED…

To Be Serious about My Soul

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Have you ever seen someone who was serious about something versus someone who was flippant about a matter?  (Pics of apes)

 

B.      The word “serious” means: 

1.      Of grave concern or sober disposition

2.      Weighty, heavy, important

3.      Critical, crucial, dire, essential, urgent

 

C.     This morning we want to go back to our theme for this year:  “I Am Resolved…”  The title of our lesson is:  “I Am Resolved…to Be Serious about My Soul.”

 

I.                   MAN’S SOUL

 

A.    Every human being has a soul.

1.      I Thessalonians 5:23b

 

…and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

2.      Matthew 10:28

 

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:  but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.

 

B.      Several points we could make about our souls.

1.      It is our actual self.  It can exist without our body.

2.      It is a spiritual entity.

3.      It can be stained with sin.

4.      It is of grave concern to God.

5.      It is of grave concern to Satan.

6.      It survives death.

7.      It will be judged by God.

8.      It is our most valuable possession (Matt. 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?

 

II.                WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT ONE’S SOUL

 

A.    To be serious means to be aware.

1.      Aware

a.      To have knowledge of

b.      To be alert

c.       It came from the Old German meaning “to be fearful” and from the Old English meaning “to be watchful.”

 

2.      Proverbs 14:8; Ephesians 5:17

 

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way:  but the folly of fools is deceit.

 

B.      To plan and purpose for the soul

1.      We must be intentional when it comes to our souls.

2.      We know that we have one.  Now, what will we do with it?

a.      Deuteronomy 10:12

 

And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee?

 

b.      Micah 6:8

 

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee…

 

C.     We must give our souls to God.

1.      This is done through obedience to the will of God (I Pet. 1:22).

 

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit…

 

2.      If we have not entrusted our souls into the Lord’s care, we are like a lamb wandering in the dangers of the wilderness by ourselves.

 

D.    We must feed our souls.

1.      The soul involves the inner man.

2.      It needs nourishment as much, or more, than our physical man.

3.      We do this through obtaining knowledge of God’s Word (Col. 3:10).

 

And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.

 

E.      We must protect our souls (Eph. 6:14-17).

 

Stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 

1.      Remember:  Satan is concerned for our souls.

2.      He has acted upon others.

a.      He falsely accused Job.

b.      He tempted the Lord Jesus Christ.

c.       He desired Peter.

d.      He entered into the heart of Judas.

 

F.      We must never forget our souls.

1.      Terrible things can happen when we forget our souls.

2.      Examples:  forgetting to lock doors, forgetting to take one’s medicine, forgetting a child in the car

 

 

 

III.             WHY AREN’T PEOPLE CONCERNEDABOUT THEIR SOULS?

 

A.    They do not understand that they have a soul.

1.      Perhaps they have never been taught that they have a soul.

2.      Examples

a.      People have never been taught about the need to be able to swim.

b.      People have never been taught about the need for good health.

3.      Jesus told His disciples:  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Matt. 28:19).

 

B.      They do not care about their souls.

1.      With some this is a very obstinate mindset.  They do not care about their soul because they do not believe they have a soul.

2.      For others, they do not care because other matters seem to be more important and pressing at the time.

a.      School, work, planning for retirement, living out retirement

b.      Examples:

1)      The excuse makers of Luke 14:16-20

2)      Felix (Acts 24:25)

 

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a more convenient season, I will call for thee.

 

C.     They don’t think.

1.      They don’t think rationally (Esau, Gen. 25:31-32).

2.      They think of self, not God (Achan, Josh. 7:21).

3.      They think of the flesh (David, II Sam. 11:2-3).

 

IV.             PEOPLE WHO WERE SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR SOULS

 

A.    Job

1.      Job 1:22

 

In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

 

2.      Job 13:15

 

Though he slay me, yet will I trust him:  but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

 

B.      Noah (Gen. 6:22)

 

Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

 

C.     Joseph (Gen. 39:9)

 

…how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

 

D.    Micaiah (II Kings 22:14)

 

And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.

 

 

 

E.      Paul (Phil. 3:7-8)

 

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:  for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

 

V.                INDICATORS THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT OUR SOULS

 

A.    We seek to attend all worship services and Bible classes.

 

B.      We diligently seek to fulfill our role as a member in the body of Christ.

 

C.     We manifest Christian respect, manners, and behavior in our daily lives.

 

D.    We obey the laws of the land.

 

E.      We build our homes on Christian principles.

 

F.      We endure trials and afflictions and temptations.

 

G.     We refuse the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

 

H.    We raise our children to know Jesus and His bride, the church.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    One day the state of your soul will be the only thing that matters.

1.      That day may seem insignificant right now.

2.      That day may seem far away right now.

3.      That day may seem more like fiction, than fact, right now.

 

B.      The day is coming (Acts 17:31).

 

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

 

C.     Get serious NOW because when it gets serious THEN, it will be TOO LATE to get serious.