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The Value of a Soul

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In the last few months at my church (Cornerstone Church) my pastor, Chris Sippley, has been going though the Gospel of Mark. There are things I'm seeing for the very first time about the reason for the book of Mark, his teachings about Christ, and Christ's teachings about Himself. Not only what Jesus said matters, but also what He did: what He valued and what He prioritized. 

I'd like to share with you - as a sort of informal post - my notes taken from the sermon on Mark 5:1-20, spoken on July 29, 2018. (You can listen to this sermon - and plenty more! - for yourself HERE)


Demons wrecked this man who lived among the tombs. He was rejected, feared, and insane. They made a living hell in him and immediately falls down when he sees Jesus - when the demons see Jesus. They know their fate to hell - they know and try to do as much as possible before they're put away for eternity. They had to have permission from God to go into the pigs. They left the man because Jesus told them to. The demons are in full submission to Jesus. 

I might not be plagued by thousands of demons, but I entertain thousands of sinful thoughts that lead to the same end. I am unaware at how much I actually sin because I do not have the eyes of God. 

When I am wrestling with sin that is bigger than me, remember Jesus did not wait for this man to change himself. Jesus came and changed him because the man was useless to do so. Jesus changes and conquers sin because God is bigger than all of that. 

Why did Jesus completely disregard the pigs and the income they would have provided for their owners? Maybe that one man's salvation and complete rescue is worth SO MUCH more than a bunch of pigs and an income. That it was totally worth it for Jesus to cross the sea, heal the man with the Legion of demons, and go back! Jesus values human souls more than anything else of material value. 

The people in the village begged Jesus to leave. Were they afraid because they saw someone's livelihood wrecked in exchange for a ruined man's life?

The people didn't want Jesus, so Jesus sent the man to them - instead of sending him to foreign missions. My home is just as lost as the rest of the world. My story - like the story of this man - can be used by God. 

Jesus went to great measures to come to this man - in a storm He crossed the sea, rescued the man, sent him to the people who didn't want Jesus, and left. All of that effort for one man. Was it worth it?Yes. 

Jesus went where no one wanted to go to save the one no one wanted to save.           

This is the gospel. 

I pray this resonates and convicts your heart, just as it did mine. God's Word is not to be taken lightly, it is His WORDS. The Words of Christ, the perfect, sinless, holy, sovereign, creator of the world.

<3 Berea
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