We are continuing this series entitled: “No Turning Back.” Jesus, on many occasions during His ministry invited people to become His followers ... .and whenever He gave an invitation to follow, He tells them that they must take up their cross and follow Him.

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I've entitled this message: “Don’t Lose Your Soul”; what does that mean? Your soul and spirit are that part of you that lives on forever. Your soul belongs to God; He made it and He decides on where your soul will dwell for eternity. Your soul is invaluable, it has no monetary price, it is priceless.

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The devil wants your soul, he knows the value that you place on worldly things that may keep you from following Christ. Money, fortune, fame, position, power, control, importance, pride, vanity, approval addiction. The devil's agenda is to snare you in one of these things and to make you pay the price in order for him to buy your soul. But Jesus offers the remedy to this.

Matthew 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

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 This is the great paradox …if you desire to save your life you will lose it, but if you lose your life for the sake of Jesus you will find it? This runs contrary to the flesh, because the flesh is always plotting self-preservation, living safe, not going out on the limb, not putting yourself in harm's way. Jesus is saying exactly the opposite to His disciples; that any efforts at self preservation will result in loss. But if you “lose your life”, that is, if your desire for the things of the kingdom is greater than your love of life - you will find true life and living. Then Jesus said this:

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Matthew 16: 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

 Jesus asks two questions here with regards to the soul and the spirit. What if you gained the whole world - you had wealth and power beyond compare in the present but you lost your soul in the process? The other question is: “What would you give in exchange for your soul? What price would you put on it? A business man this week offered almost 100 billion for a company – that’s a lot of zeros …but in God’s eyes it's just a bunch of zeros…the soul is priceless.

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Jesus offers a remedy to all of the soulish and fleshly endeavors that hinder our spiritual walk; die to them, take up your cross and die…this “taking up your cross” has everything to do with your soul – you’re dying daily to the things which keep you bound to this world. Is your soul (mind, emotions, will) fixed on the things of this world? Or is it “Well with your Soul? “- meaning I’m not bogged down with fleshly pursuits - I've died to them…the devil can't turn me around or turn me back…I'm a dead man walking.

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Join us in person on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. or via livestream by going to https://www.firstbaptistsudbury.com and clicking on livestream for “Don’t Lose Your Soul.”

    

Blessings,

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Kevin