How Is Your Soul?

“HOW IS YOUR SOUL?”

George Crumbly January 29, 2006

Humphrey UMC Sunday AM

Maxium Security Unit Tucker AR

Wednesday February 8, 2006 7:00pm

Mark 8

INTRO:

Got home Monday night and received a call from some folks from a church I used to pastor back in the 90’s, their father has bone cancer & hospice has been called in. They want me to go & visit with him. The main thing? They are concerned about his soul. At one time he was strong in the church but over the years he sort of drifted away from the church. They’re not sure where he is going to spend eternity.

The next morning I met with my District Superintendent in Pine Bluff for our annual (yet my first one). He called me into the office, shut the door & we prayed. He set back in his chair & said “before we get started or go any farther”…………”Pastor…how is your soul?”

I thought for a minute….WOW!! I stay busy in the father’s business, yet how is my soul? As Christians WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED AS TO “HOW IS OUR SOUL?”

Mark 8: verses 34-37

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

You can be so busy, busy, and busy DOING the Father’s business & still LOSE YOUR SOUL. What is important this morning? The condition of your SOUL. Where you stand with God.

I told my District Superintendent that I was READY!! Whatever God had for me, where ever God wanted me to go, whatever He wanted me to do…. I was ready.

I asked my friend with cancer where he stood & if he was ready….he said he was ready. You see, hospice is taking care of him now & he can sort of SEE THE END. We don’t need to wait till we can SEE THE END because the END may be too late.

Ecclesiastes 11: 3 3When clouds are full they empty rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

We’re not going to be judged for our good intentions or things that we really wanted to do or thought about doing but according to the condition of our heart!! We will stand before God in the same condition we were in when we died….

(I was part of a funeral of a dear lady that was in the first church I pastored in 1984 when one of her family introduced me to the pastor of the church he attends on Christmas & Easter. After the service this Preacher came to me asking about the family member asking me if I knew whether or not he had ever gotten saved in his life time. I told him I had no idea whether he had ever been saved all I knew is how he was living and had been living)

When he stands before God it won’t be for what he did 25 years ago but THE CONDITION OF HIS HEART WHEN HE DIED.

The bible say’s that 2 things ARE going to happen…..2 things. (1) WE ARE GOING TO DIE. (2) WE ARE GOING TO BE JUDGED. Once we die it is too late to do anything about our Soul.

When we talk about “losing your soul” we are talking about our RELATIONSHIP with Christ. I preached a message many years ago called “Religious But Lost.” The most dangerous place to be today is not in Iraq or Afghanistan, there is a very dangerous place to be & that is:

TOO THINK YOU ARE SAVED AND ACTUALLY BE LOST……It is & has always been easier to deal with someone that was lost & knew he was lost than to deal with someone that thought they were saved yet were lost.

Before I can be concerned about other folk’s soul I better make sure about mine. There are teachers, deacons, board members, church members, preachers, evangelist that share the gospel & yet are lost……(God’s word will not return void.) Yet our religion may be in vain……..

Today it isn’t about religion. We don’t push “religion” on anyone, we want them to have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ. Today we need to ask God “how is my soul? You know what? If you will truly & sincerely ask God I promise you HE WILL TELL you & guess what? You can be thankful that you are still here & have time to get things right in your soul.

So.....How is your soul?