The value of a soul

Mark's Gospel chapter 8 verse number 36. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Let me read that verse to you or with you one more time those two verses. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Just so that we understand and we're clear tonight the audiences about what we're talking about, somehow we have to understand something about the soul.

It is not the question, it has never been the question, what is the soul? It's who is the soul? It's you. It's you. I am looking at bodies tonight and in those bodies are souls that are going to live as long as God is going to live.

We read in the book of Genesis right at the beginning of our Bible chapter 2 that God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul, something he never was before. We read of a woman by the name of Rachel giving birth to a child and says for her soul was in departing for she died. That's gonna happen to all of us friend.

We've been reminded tonight earlier in the meeting and this this kind of you know after 40 years of gospel preaching and a lot of conferences a lot of gospel meetings and the brethren asked you for a gospel you think well we're gonna preach on and you think of some things and when brother Zach Winger quoted that verse what shall it profit a man I said that's it that's what I was thinking of for the meeting tonight so here we go. But the question is this friend, the question is this. So we come to the conclusion not what it is but it's you.

But more than that the soul is a part of you that relates to God, first to God. Well there are people that know you as individuals and characteristics that you have of that sort of thing. The soul is a part of you that relates to God.

God's salvation uniquely restores the value of the soul of what it was intended to be. Without it, without it my friend, there's no peace and there's no satisfaction and there's no and there's no joy. I have to tell you Tony even though there's times I don't advertise it like I should and I could I'm a happy man I am.

But don't take it the wrong way I've never been happier. I was thinking today I don't think I've loved my wife anymore and I love her right now. God bless her I offered her I said listen there's a seat why don't you come with me out to Iowa.

Oh she said I would I would but she says you know how I love home. So she's home. Love my children, four children, love my grandchildren.

Even though I've had to be plain with them at times one of them had to tell them plainly don't believe you're saved. That's not an easy thing but when you get a text from another grandchild the next day he says grandpa I talked to the brethren I want to come into God's assembly. I said wonderful best news I heard.

That makes your day brethren. Makes anybody's day. Overseer wrote me a letter here not too long ago and he said you're coming across as a cranky old man.

I wrote him back and I said listen before we go further in this discussion I am asking that you retract that part about a cranky individual. You have known me as long as you've lived and I've known you for nearly 50 years. I am an old man but have you ever known me to be cranky? He said I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. So he put his big-boy pants on and apologized said I do take it back. And we went on with the conversation.

Wonderful thing to be saved. You see friends tonight these men that have told you how they got saved. Anybody in this audience the women two sisters are saved.

They not only have a right to be happy they got a reason to be happy. Do you know why? Because they know where they're gonna be when life is over. What even makes me realize something about the brevity of life? I guess I relate it if you don't mind with my mother.

If I go at the same age as my mother I have less than five years. Less than five years. Do you know how I want those last five years to be? Happiest years of my life.

I want them to be years that I've loved the Christians like I've never loved them before. I love being here. I love coming to these parts.

If I didn't I wouldn't be here. I've come to know so many of these Christians in this part of Iowa and I love them dearly. It's mutual.

And back home I love the local assembly. I've never loved God's assembly like I love it tonight brethren. I know it's a gospel meeting but allow me tonight.

I have never loved God's assembly like I do tonight and I'm very happy in it. It's very precious. But listen let's get to where it starts tonight.

It's about you sitting in this gospel meeting. Now we have things in life that are precious to us. Okay they have value.

Do you know what determines the value of anything that we have? Come on that's not rocket science. What determines the value of anything we have? The care and attention that we pay to it. There are certain things that I can tell.

I go to a person's house and it's very important to them. Very important to them. I mean I've very kindly given a brand new pickup 2018 Chevrolet Silverado and when I saw that poor truck it looked like a 1945.

If it wasn't in the barn it was close to it. So I headed to the car wash in Parkersburg because my boys will tell you dad there's one kind of vehicle my dad doesn't drive. He doesn't drive dirty vehicles.

Okay very kind. But you understand Daryl got in it he said yep it's a work truck and he picked up a wrench. Now wait a minute.

Wait a minute. I could take you back to a neighbor I have that has a truck 15 years older than that and it looks like it was built yesterday. Why? Because it means so much to him.

It's not a tool it's a toy. But someday he's gonna leave it. And someday I'm gonna leave.

And someday dear you're gonna leave. And so what we're faced with in this meeting tonight is the fact of where are you going to be in eternity. I'm old enough to have gone through a few what you'd call FAA doctors.

My last doctor Catholic man spoke to him he retired. One before that he died. I have now a new doctor for the first time Dr. McCrae went into his office he said have a seat Mr. McCandless sat down.

He says I know more about you than you know about me. I said that could be. He said how's the Baron doing? I said it's doing fine.

That's what I'm flying. He started to ask some other questions but really my wife was out there and I wasn't interested in waiting okay. So I said listen.

I thought I gotta get this thing going. So he says well here so we gotta get going. I says yeah.

He says I kind of push for time. I'm always pushed for time. So he says what day were you born? I says November the 3rd 1945 72.

Save you the math okay. Well well. He said you might have.

Can I take time to look see what day you were born? He said oh it's interesting. I says go ahead. Will it take long? No no no.

He says it won't. So he goes through his things. Yep.

On a Monday. Imagine on a Monday he says you started for life. I said that's very interesting Dr. McCrae because it was a Monday night when I started with eternal life.

When I trusted Christ as my Savior. The paper shuffled and we went through that medical like a rifle shot. That was it.

All done. Out of there. Paid my money and gone.

He could talk about planes till the cows come home. But about the fact that I had eternal life. I took the track.

That's a wonderful thing. Wonderful thing to be saved tonight. Wonderful to know where I'm going to be.

Wonderful to leave realize that the greatest possession to all know of is the soul and I know I'm going to be tonight. Do you dear? You mean to tell me you can leave this auditorium after what you've been hearing and go out like nothing touched you? Just go out like you came in. Values are insignificant to you.

Really. My wife was in the hospital for eight days and I may as well be honest with you with influenza type B and pneumonia in the right lung. Doctor stepped aside.

He said Mr. McCanlis come here. He says you bring it. Been a day later bringing your wife in.

You wouldn't have one. I knew it. She was a sick girl.

God was very merciful. So while she's in the hospital for the eight days I was going down St. John to visit her. Big hospital down there and I thought you know I can't go to these roofs pass out tracks but I'm gonna start an elevator ministry.

Good place. Everybody's quiet. You've got an audience there and I timed it.

I said I got 13 seconds if we go to the third floor. I got 17 seconds to go to the fourth floor. Got in the elevator one day.

This is starting day. Just allow this. It's packed.

Her lady come run along. She said sure we got room for you. Held the doors.

Then she came. Oh she says thank you sir so much. She's just about out of the wind.

The doors closed. The elevator started going down. She said oh I thought I was going up but I'm going down.

I said mercy lady what a mercy you found it out in life. I says that's what I found a few years ago. I thought I was going up to her.

I was going down. I was going to hell. Well I'll tell you.

You know quite an elevator is. You could hear the relays running in that thing. Lady at the back I'd see her yet looked like I shot her.

And lady looked at me and she said well I guess that's one way of putting it. I said lady it's the only way of putting it. Doors open.

Done. I won't tell you them all. One other lady.

Got on one night. For some reason during the shortest time in the hospital elevator riders were getting less and less. More were going for the stairs.

So I got on this one night. One lady. I said well isn't it good to be going up.

She said up? Yeah. Like I said I'm going up to heaven. I said you know there's a man that loved me so much he died for me on Calvary so I could go up.

Oh she said that kind of up. I said that's all that matters dear. Remember everybody in this hospital.

You and me included. Up or down. Ministry over.

Doors open. She's gone. If I can't tell you in 13 seconds that you need to be saved.

That you need to listen to the only one who is the true assessor of the value of your soul. If I could understand corn futures, soybean futures, the Chicago Board of Trade as to pork bellies or whatever. I've got to go to somebody that deals in it.

Okay? Listen. You're listening to the only assessor that's worth listening to. Do you know why he knew the value of a soul? Because he came to pay the price.

He paid the price of Calvary. Of what it would cost to take a soul going down to hell in their sin and in their darkness and make it possible so they could go to heaven and be there forever. And he paid that price.

His name was Jesus. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. I said when Daryl was mentioning that verse that was my backup verse for elevator ministry.

I thought if I got nothing else can't nothing else comes to my mind going quote John 3 16. See what they say. Wonderful text tonight.

Listen my friend. We've all stepped into an elevator in life. It's up or down.

As I speak my friend if you're not saved I've got to tell you you're going further down than when you came in. I don't know what awaits me tomorrow morning let alone Monday morning. Will I ever see that wife I love and the four children and 14 grandchildren I have whether I'll ever see them again I don't know.

But I know this I'm on the way up. There's a man he's coming for me. His name is Jesus.

If I die before he comes I know I'm going up. That's a wonderful truth tonight. Wonderful to be saved.

Wonderful to be here and stand on this platform and tell you the truth of it. Eli well it depends what way you want to pronounce it. I know some of these are really particular but if you want to go to get the pronunciation off of Google it's Elie Wiesel.

That's his name. Jewish man. Very intelligent Jew.

Survived the Holocaust. The Holocaust. Survived it but lost everything.

Lost his family. Lost his friends. Lost all of his possession.

Lost everything. But he became a very prolific writer and speaker to the point that that dear man would win the Pulitzer Prize winning author. One of the highest in lifetime.

So he said that was a big loss. The second biggest loss he said I just died I think was back in 2016 at the age of 87 he died. He said that was a big loss.

The biggest loss. He said you know the next loss I had? It was 50 million dollars. It was the Elie Wiesel Foundation.

I took that 50 million dollars and I put it in trust of my Jewish brother Bertie Madoff. Lost it all. Lost it all.

Bertie's in prison tonight. That doesn't bring him back. That's a lot of money.

50 million dollars. But that man went on without divulging just how he said there's something in life I've never lost. He said you know whatever I lose in life my friend I could lose my health.

I enjoy the health I have. God has blessed me. My God has blessed me.

I'm not boasting tonight. It humbles me because I don't deserve it. God has been so kind to me.

But if I lost it I have something tonight I'll never lose. It's called eternal life. Wouldn't you like to have that? That you've got to come to trust the Savior that I have trusted.

That I know is my Savior. That I know that come what may all is well for eternity. I know where I'm going to be.

Absolutely. How about you tonight? You saved? Yeah you. I'm not speaking to the person behind you.

I'm speaking to you young boy. Are you saved? Do you think you'll ever be saved? One of the most terrifying moments in my life as a young boy was when I realized what if I never get saved? What if I never get saved and I die of my sins and end up in hell? What a dreadful moment. Listen my friend there's a lot of things in life you can get a second run at.

I know successful businessmen. Very successful. They weren't bankrupt before they got what they have today.

You've got some big players in this country. Same way with them. You've had men in this country that lost left everything and lost everything.

Steve Jobs, you realize tonight whether you are an Apple lover or not, that Apple has more cash on hand than Exxon does. Apples is bigger than the whole of the Afghanistan economy. It's over billions of dollars in cash.

Don't know what to do with it. When Steve Jobs was dying and he called his sister he said you better come quick because I'm not going to make it. Quote, I quote his sister Laura.

She looked at him. She said my brother looked like he was taking a final journey and he didn't know the destination. And tonight he doesn't even know if Apple exists.

Where are you going to be? Where are you going to be? What shall a profit a man? What shall a profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Was it not George Washington said, made the statement and he said this, he said very few people, very few men he said, have the virtue to withstand the highest bidder. You know the sad thing is what happened in Genesis chapter 3 didn't go to the highest bidder. It was a hostile takeover when the God of this world literally usurped power and took far and fast from the thinking of a man by the name of Adam any relationship that he would have with God.

Back in the 1950s there was a well-known doctor missionary in the East. His name was Dr. Oberman was his name really. A missionary doctor that was known but Pope Paul the sixth heard of him and he said he'd like to have an audience with Dr. Oberman.

Everybody gets to have a talk with the part of Pope Paul so the message got to him. Dr. Oberman says yeah he says I will meet with him under one condition. I will not call him holy father.

He says there's only one father I have that's holy he's in heaven. I will meet with him but I'm not going to call him holy father. If he'll allow me call him sir I will meet with him.

People said this meeting isn't going to happen. Message got back to Pope Paul. Yeah he says that's all right you want to call me sir that's fine.

I still want a meeting with him. So they had the meeting. That faithful doctor missionary leaned over to the Pope hardly firing the conversation.

He said sir are you saved? Well he said you've asked me a very difficult question. Oberman waited and I quote the missionary he said in a very flimsy way he tried to tell me of a little experience. Finally he said I turned to him and I said to him this if you died sir where would you be? He said doctor that's a harder question.

He said let me tell you something. If I die I have 700 million Catholics praying for me. The doctor said sir that will do you no good in the conversation.

Now just as I bring this to a conclusion I want to ask you tonight where lies the value? See you aren't you aren't the one that really is the assessor. It is you but it is not you that determines the value. There's a book called a black book.

Well I guess I could call mine that because the covers of it. That's the book that tells you the value of the soul and it's worth more than the whole world. Let me as I close point you to one who so loved you long before you were born or I was born came into this world and he went all the way to a place called Calvary and allowed the judgment and wrath of God against him for my sin your sin that you could say or sing happily I'm saved I'm saved.

You know I I had a farmer used to come he's a poultry farmer so we could relate used to come to gospel meetings he said to me listen Murray if you don't mind he named a barber in town that's saying it but he's likely the most unhappiest looking character you'd ever find. He says could you ask him just for a day for a change could he wear a smile I said why don't you tell him that I said why don't you tell him that I don't know if George ever did or not. I love it when people have said to me at times excuse me sir you seem to be a happy man is there a reason I can hardly wait I says is there a reason absolutely and I have to tell him sometimes in seconds why I'm happy listen friend true happiness true joy comes from knowing your sins forgiven and Christ is your savior might you leave this auditorium tonight after what you have heard the truth of the verse so clearly preached by our brother that's my verse he doesn't know it Luke 19 and 10 for the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost you trust him and you'll forever thank God there was somebody that understood a value that you didn't that of your soul shall we pray