Too Much To Gain To Lose

Too Much to Gain to Lose

Sunday, January 10, 2009

By Pastor James May

Last year the career of one of the great names in gospel music, Dottie Rambo, came to an end. She was very well known in gospel music circles for the many great songs that she had written. Many of those songs are still popular today. But there’s one song that she sang that I really liked for it is exemplifies why I serve the Lord, and why I choose to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The title of that song was “There’s Just too Much to Gain to Lose.”

Over the years there have been many who have come into the doors of the church and have confessed a belief in Jesus as the Savior. Some continued to walk with the Lord in faithful service; and sadly many have chosen to pursue a life that has led them further from the Lord than they ever expected.

As a pondered this in my heart and mind, I wondered: Why do people cast aside the great and precious promises of God’s Word and consider them as unnecessary in the fulfillment of their dreams and goals? Is there anything of this world that is worth the risk of losing what I consider to be the most important thing of all; and that is the hope of the resurrection and eternal life in a place that Jesus told us that He would prepare for those who would serve him?

Now, as you can see from the picture, perhaps my little “pea sized brain” is incapable of coming up with the answer for such deep questions. Even so, there are at least two obvious answers that come to my mind concerning these questions.

1)Those that reject or ignore the reality of the promises that Jesus makes are not convinced that they are true. This idea can easily be seen in the words of those who say that the Bible is just a Fairy Tale or a great work of literature, but do not believe that it is the infallible Words of a Living God, and a blueprint for living a life that is pleasing to God. Many of these folks have even come to the conclusion, though their use of logic and acceptance of the teachings of non-believers that God doesn’t exist anyway, so why worry about serving Him.

2)The second answer to explain why some cast aside their faith is that they have been blinded to the truth and have lost their vision of Christ; having that vision of eternal things replaced with a vision that concerns itself only with the temporal things of the world. It’s not that they do not believe in eternal life, or in the existence of an eternal God who reigns over the whole of Creation. It’s simply that they are consumed in the cares of life and have no time for God.

It seems that the best way for me to bring the message to you this morning is to use what the Word of God has to say. After all, I believe that God’s Word is a Living Word, and it is capable of saying what it has to say without any help from me.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Since the words written on the pages of the Bible carry the power within themselves to accomplish in the hearts of men what God wants to accomplish, then it is best to allow them to do their work without the interference of men.

Isaiah 55:8, 9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As I searched the Word of God to find an answer to these questions, I was drawn to what the Apostle Paul wrote as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to address the church that was at Philippi. One of Paul’s concerns was that those who were in Philippi might fall prey to the idea that they were right in their own eyes. He voices this concern by saying that if any man could say that he was good enough in his own mind to be accepted by God, then Paul was better than most, yet he considered himself as unworthy to face God with only his own deeds and accomplishments as proof of his worthiness.

Philippians 3:4-6, "Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."