Olsen Park Church of Christ


Are You Careless with Your Soul?

Introduction. (Matthew 16:24-27). Care for the soul is important because the soul can be lost. There is a song we sing, written by James H. Stanley in 1909 which focuses on this fact. The first verse asks:

Careless soul, why will you linger,

Wand’ring from the fold of God?

Hear you not the invitation?

Oh, prepare to meet thy God.

Chorus: Careless soul, oh, heed the warning,

For your life will soon be gone;

Oh, how sad to face the judgment,

Unprepared to meet thy God.

This morning I want to ask you the question: are you careless with your soul?

I. If You are Not a Christian You are Careless with Your Soul When...

A.      You follow your natural inclinations.

1.      Some speak of this as “following your gut” or “living out your own truth!”

a.       That is a mistake because we don’t have it within us to direct our own lives unto eternity (Jer. 10:23).

b.      Men can often believe they are doing right when they actually do wrong—cf. Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, Joseph Stalin, etc. (Prov. 14:12).

B.      Neglect your opportunities for salvation.

1.      Man or woman on parole who violates the terms of parole—value freedom?

2.      Criminal disrespectful to one they have wronged—remorseful?

3.      Sinner indifferent to the terms and payment that grants pardon? (Heb. 2:1-4).

II. If You are a Christian You are Careless with Your Soul When...

A.      You lack spiritual focus.

1.      Jesus taught that we should seek submission to His kingship (Matt. 6:33).

2.      Our mind should be set on heaven (Col. 3:1-4).

B.      You lack biblical interest.

1.      The Christian should know how to use the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15-16).

a.       You can't know and use properly something that bores you.

b.      You can’t know and use properly what you spend little time studying.

2.      Christians are to grow in the knowledge of God (2 Pet. 3:14-18).

a.       The Bible is the only way we can know God’s will.

b.      The Bible is the only way we can know what pleases Him.

C.      You increase in worldliness.

1.      Of thought.

a.       Our thoughts must be “captive” to the Lord (2 Cor. 10:3-6).

b.      We must think about godly things (Phil. 4:8-9).  

2.      Of speech.

a.       Our speech must “always” be with grace (Col. 4:6). To family? To a waitress? To our enemy?

b.      We should speak “as the oracles of God” (1 Pet. 4:11).  You must know the oracles of God to speak as the oracles of God.

3.      Of action,

a.       Our conduct must be worthy of the gospel (Phil. 1:27).

b.      Would we be ashamed to be in Christ’s presence while doing some of the things in our life? This is being careless with our soul.

Conclusion. The Gospel calls us to stop being careless with our soul. We must start addressing the needs of our soul. It starts with obedience to the gospel. “Careless soul, why will you linger?”—“Careless soul, oh heed the warning!”—“Prepare to meet thy God.”

Kyle Pope 2015
Modified from a lesson
by David Flatt

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