Saved Soul, But A Lost Life
1Cor. 3:14-15
[14] If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
[15] If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Jesus said, “ I have come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 10:19
The bible says “ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
The bible teaches that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved. Rom. 10: 13
Scripture clearly teaches that it is God’s desire for you to be saved.
And salvation is the process where by a rebellious and sinful man is ransomed and redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Salvation comes when a man first of all realizes his position.
That without Christ he is an enemy with God.
He is outside of the family of God.
That his only choice of destination is hell, the lake of fire destined for the devil and all that reject the sacrificial death of the Jesus.
Salvation comes when a man sees God’s provision
John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
A man may know many things but until he knows the gospel of Christ he is lost.
Until he is able to see the gift of God in the shed blood of Jesus he is without hope.He is dead in trespasses and sins.Salvation comes when a man by faith accepts God’s gift.When he looks at himself and realizes he’s not saved, and hears the gospel and understands that the only hope he has of ever being forgiven,The only way he can ever be redeemed is in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
And by faith, he believes what God says And accepts the precious gift of God’s mercy and bows before Jesus Christ as savior and Lord.
Many have heeded the call
Many have yielded to the Spirit
Man have walked an isle and have confessed their sins
Many have acknowledged the saving power of Christ
They have been born again.
They have been forgiven
Their names are written in the lamb’s book of life.
And yet for too many in our churches the story stops here.Hell is a past fear, and heaven is a present reality.Divine judgment is replaced with divine forgiveness.Need for mercy is replaced with a gift of grace.The unregenerate soul has now past from death unto life.And now this new creature who needed God’s power to be reborn No longer relies on his power to live.His soul is saved but the life is lost.He’s heaven bound but no earthly good.When his life ought to be bringing great joy to God. – his daily walk only brings shame
When he ought to be free to be a blessing to the kingdom. – he’s still blind to the reason he was created.He’s still entangled in the cares of this world.He still trying to live in the flesh rather than the Spirit.He begins to go to church rather than be the church.He begins to be a hearer but not a doer of the word.
God wants us to understand that heaven is not the prize; it’s just an added blessing.The prize is being reunited with our creator.Being able to once again walk in daily fellowship with the Father.To be able to seek his face To be able to rely on His strength To be able to rest in his loveTo be directed by His word
God wants you saved He wants you born again But he also wants you to be a living sacrifice.
He wants to see some Spiritual fruit in your life.
He says if your saved you ought to live it.
If you’re saved your life ought to show it
If you’re saved somebody ought to be blessed by it.
But our churches are full of carnal Christians
Who are tolerant of sin Who are indifferent to immorality in the world as well as in the church.
They are the ones Paul describes in Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
You better hear me this morning
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
There are too many people who want to give God lip service instead of life of service.
Mark 7:6
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Churches today are filled with
Carnal Christians who worships, but with an empty heart
Carnal Christians who put their own rules above God’s commandments.
Carnal Christians who will wear the title but wont live the life.
Saved souls with lost lives
As we look at our text this morning
God wants every one of us to see and understand a very important message.
A message of concern and a message you to pay attention to.
God wants you to know that what you do with the grace he’s given to you is a big deal to him.
He wants you to understand that getting you to the cross is where you needed to be.But carrying your cross is what he needs you to do.
The cross Jesus carried was the cross of your sinful nature The cross He wants you to carry is the cross of His holy life.
As we look at the text this morning the first thing I want you to see is a divine warning.
Vs. 10 0According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
Paul says the right foundation has been laid.
The solid rock of grace and redemption is in place.
Jesus is that solid rock
He is the Chief corner stone.
There is the only one foundation, Jesus Christ Himself.
All other foundations are as sinking sand.
Christ, is the only foundation upon which men can build their lives.
Jesus Christ is the only foundation upon which men can build a true church.His death at Calvary has set the groundwork for building your new life.But Paul warns “Let every man take heed”
Take heed to what?
To a divine truth that there is
One foundation but two kinds of materials
There may be only one foundation, and it may be laid by Christ and His apostles,
But there are two different kinds of materials within the market of the world.
And the believer must choose which material he will use to build his part of the church.
1.There are the permanent and valuable materials.
a.The materials that are not corruptible and do not deteriorate and decay like the things of this earth.
b.Permanent materials last forever;
c.They are incorruptible and undefiled and do not fade away.
d.Scripture says they can be compared to gold, silver, and precious stones.
These have lasting value, they have worth.
What are the permanent materials?
a.An unyielding faith in God, which produce the fruit of love for God and for your fellowman.
b.It’s using the talent that God has given you to serve His kingdom.
c.It’s having compassion for the lost bybeing willing to share the gospel
d.It’s by sacrificing your desires to help meet someone else’s needs.
e.It’s having belief in His word that motivates you do what ever He says do.
f.It’s living an uncompromising life of holiness.
g.It’s about stop going to church and becoming the church God has called you to be.
h.It’s realizing that you are special
1.You are a holy nation
2.A royal priesthood
3.Chosen and set aside by God to be a witness to the world.
Permanent materials are things that have eternal value.
2.There are the perishable and combustible materials.
a.They are the materials and things of this earth that are corruptible; that rust, decay, and deteriorate.
b.Scripture says they can be compared to wood, hay, and stubble.
c.What are the perishable materials?
4.They are the treasures, wealth, and cares of this world.
(Matthew 6:19-21).
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”.
2.They are the works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21).
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
You need to know this morning that there is a day of inspection coming.
(2 Cor. 5:10). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”
When it is finished, the building inspector, the Lord Jesus Christ, will come to either approve or disapprove what you have built.
(Matthew 16:27).“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works”
Every man’s work, the work of every believer, will be manifested and declared.
No believer will be exempted.
Every single believer will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and have his works tried and tested by the Lord.
Every single work will be tested, and the truth and quality of his work will be exposed.
(Romans 2:16).
“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel”
How will this inspection take place? By fire.
In the Bible fire is constantly used as a symbol of judgment and terrible trial.
The building is to be set afire, and only the permanent materials of the Spirit will survive the fire.
All the materials of this earth will be burned and consumed and gone forever.
We sing the song I’m sending up my timber.
But this morning I ask you, what kind of timber are you sending up?
What kind of building are you building on the precious foundation that God has laid?
God wants you to know this morning that he’s concerned about how you’re living.
Christian, He’s concerned about your walk before him.
The journey may not be easy but if you endue to the end the rewards can be great.
Besides the crown of salvation God offers four other crowns
Wants to give you a crown of incorruption (1 Cor. 9:25).
Wants to give you a crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8).
Wants to give you a crown of life (James 1:12).
Wants to give you a crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4).
But to receive these you must lay your life down at the masters feet.
