timelygospelpro 
We will see that what the Lord is talking about in these verses for both saints and sinners,
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul?” (Mark 8:36). The Lord is talking about our most valued possession, which is our
soul. The Lord wants us to think about this in our hearts and lives. Let the word you hear
at this Bible Study sinks into your heart, that you ponder over this, ‘What is your most
valued possession?’ Think about your life and surrounding, what are the possessions that
you have, earthly gain, material possession or prosperity, worldly, political or academic
position, or personal desirable thing that you hold on tightly to. The possession of the
whole world if it were possible will not compensate for the loss of your soul. This was why
Jesus asked the question, that ‘what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and
lose his soul’. The soul of man is our greatest possession. All the thing we have on earth
we are going to leave behind, the wealth, money, interaction, and the only thing that we
will take with us is our soul. So we need to ensure that before that final day when we leave
the earth, that our soul is prepared and valuable to take with us to meet the Lord. How
can your soul be valuable? It must be saved, restored and renewed, purged from all sin,
iniquity and evils, secured in Christ, abiding in Him. You need preparation and
preservation, and to be ready so that day come, you will get to Heaven. Don’t throw away
your most precious soul on the rubbish heap of the world. Don’t toss your soul and heart
to the devil and the world. Make sure that the question Jesus asked you are able to answer
that question that you know that your greatest profit, possession and desire is to have
your soul saved for that wonderful day. What shall it profit a man? He was talking to every
church goer, man, woman, believer, disciple and sinner.
- HIS INCONTESTABLE WORD ON OUR ENDURING SALVATION
Mark 8:34-35
He is talking about our salvation, that if we are following Him, we turn away from the
world and with the grace that got our souls saved, which is an enduring and abiding
salvation, and then He gives us an incontestable word concerning that our salvation. And
that word is indisputable. “And when he had called the people unto him with his
disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34). When you get saved, and
you understand what salvation truly means. That you are following the Lord, walking in
His steps until we get to heaven. Our salvation that is enduring, that we embrace and
keep, and we will not allow anything or anyone to take it away from us. And this is how
we have an enduring salvation that we deny ourselves, carry our cross and follow after
Christ. And this is the incontestable word of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
Three lessons here;(i) His Command to Deny Self – Mark 8:34; Matthew 16:24. “Whosoever will come after
me, let him deny himself…” (Mark 8:34). Are there things that come to your life –
temptations, trials, persecution, challenge or difficulty? What the Lord is expecting is that
you will deny yourselves for the sake of your salvation and your love for the Saviour. “Then
said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself…” (Matthew 16:24). What does it mean to deny himself? Remember when Peter
denied the Lord Jesus Christ. He indulged himself and denied Christ that he does not
know Christ. So what does it mean to deny self? To deny self, entails that you say ’NO’ to
self. Self wants you to do things that will get you into sin, you say no. Self wants you to
act in a particular way that will show the nature of Satan and evil, you say no. To deny
self entails that you; (a) Deny Self, (b) Deaf to Self, (c) Disobey Self, (d) Discipline Self, (e)
Dominate Self, (f) Diminish Self, and (g) Die to Self. That you don’t recognise that authority
of self in your life anymore and that self must die in Jesus Name.
(ii) The Carrying of our Cross Shamelessly – Mark 8:34; Hebrews 12:2. You know that
there are some people that if they have any cross, challenge to bear, any persecution or
need in their lives, they are ashamed of Christ and the Cross. “Whosoever will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross…” (Mark 8:34). Everyone has
a cross to bear – the pastor, minister, member, we all have a cross to bear. As a minister,
if you think that coming into the ministry will make people to honour, respect and
recognise you, you will be disappointed. There are people that will disrespect and not
recognise you. We are not to feel hurt as ministers because the Lord has already told us
that there is a cross to bear. Even as a Christian that you are now holy, righteous, gentle,
meek, humble and lowly in heart, and you will think that because of that people will
appreciate your life. But persecution will come because you have a cross to bear
shamelessly. People will disagree with you. As husband and wife, there might be some
challenges or disagreement at home, we are to bear the cross and not to divorce nor
separate from one another. You will bear your cross by prayer, faith and grace. Grace,
faith and prayer can endure anything and carry any load. You will bear your cross by the
power of the Holy Ghost. As you will have boldness and courage to carry your cross. The
timidity, and fear will vanish in your life when you come to Christ. There are people who
are parasites that you always calling on others to help you to carry your cross. Others
have their own cross to carry too. But from tonight, power, courage and boldness will come
into you, and that cross you will carry and bear. Also, you will carry the cross without
compromise. And then you are carrying the cross in His service. In the service of the Lord,
there are difficulties, challenges and problems, but then you will carry the cross so as to
serve the Lord faithfully. You will carry and bear the cross, and never allow anything to
make us disregard our salvation. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our
faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
Jesus endured the cross for our salvation and eternal life. If He endured for you, then you
will endure for Him as well your own cross.
(iii) The Call to Follow His Step – Mark 8:34; 1 Peter 2:21; Luke 9:59-60; John 21:20-22;
10:5. “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me” (Mark 8:34). In that condition in which you are, you will ask yourself:
what will Jesus do in that condition? When people wants you to disobey the word of God,
you know that Jesus never disobeyed God when He was here on earth, but always did
what pleased His Heavenly Father. This is exactly what we are to do in following the Lord,
and you will follow the Lord. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter
2:21). Here is our calling as believers to follow the footsteps and footprints of Christ. The
reason Christ suffered is to save us, and to leave an example for us to follow. Following
the Lord sometimes will contradict what your relatives want because they may not have the full knowledge of the calling of the Lord upon your life. And when there is a decision
to choose between Christ and your relations, we are to choose to follow Christ. “And he
said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my
father” (Luke 9:59). Once you put whatever belongs to you humanly speaking first before
the Lord, that is self right there. But if you are going to follow the Lord, you must deny
self. “Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach
the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). This is what the people of the world will fight against
you, that when you put Christ first. We are following the Lord whatever the cost, and we
will keep on following Him. We are to follow the Lord without any comparison with anyone
(John 21:20-22). You will follow the Lord, and you will not follow a stranger nor a
backslider, “And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they
know not the voice of strangers” (John 10:5).
- THE INCOMPARABLE WORTH OF YOUR ETERNAL SOUL
Mark 8:36-37
You have a soul that is why you are alive, you have a soul to save, which is the most
important treasure in your life. That soul, which is the breathe that came from God will
never die, but will go and answer before the Lord immediately you depart the earth. There
are many people who don’t understand that we are in the period of probation on earth
now. We are on earth not just for the temporary gain of life, nor bread and butter. The
Lord brought us to this earth so that we can prepare for eternity. There are many people
who have forgotten that, that they lose their souls. “For what shall it profit a man, if
he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). Everybody has
just a soul, a soul to save and get to heaven, and avoid hell. A soul to be in fellowship with
God forever and ever
There lessons here;
(i) The Great Worth of Your Soul – Genesis 2:7; Psalms 49:9; Matthew 10:28. Why is the
soul so precious and great in the sight of God? “And the LORD God formed man of the
dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). This is what makes the soul of man so precious
and great because he has the breathe of God in him. Man is eternal as God Himself is
eternal. And nobody could give redemption for that soul except God Himself through His
Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ Who died on the Cross to redeem man as the Saviour
and Lord. How valuable or worth is that soul? (a) The soul is greater than the whole world;
(b) The soul is precious than all the things on earth; (c) The soul is greater than all the wealth
and money in all the banks of the world; (d) The soul is greater than all the positions and
privileges you can have in the world; (e) The soul is greater than your body, belly and
pleasure of the body; (f) The soul is greater than the favours and frowns of all men; and (g)
The soul is so great enough for Christ to purchase with His own Blood. He did not purchase
the planet, but your soul is so great and valuable that He gave His own Blood. This is why
we will not exchange anything for our souls. “And fear not them which kill the body,
but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Always remember that whatever they killed or
take away from you; your soul is greater than that. You will fear the Lord
(ii) The Grievous Waste of Lost Souls – Mark 8:36,37; Luke 12:16-20. Lost souls are
wasted, they have wasted their opportunities and the possibility of getting saved. “Or
what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:37). If that soul is lost, it
is a great and grievous waste! “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods
laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said
unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:19-20). If somebody is running
after money, material gain, certificates, riches and degrees that he abandons serving God,
if he lose his soul in that pursuit, God calls him a fool. What makes us rich is towards
God is not money, houses, certificate, children, extra-moral studies, women. You will not
lose your soul for money, possession, women, men, and politics.
(iii) The Gracious Wealth of Liberated Souls – 2 Corinthians 8:9; Ephesians 1:7; 2:4-5;
Colossians 1:27; Revelations 3:17-19. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his
poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9) He is talking about the riches of
righteousness, salvation, sanctification, Holy Ghost power and opportunities in the
kingdom of God. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). His grace comes into
our lives, and our sins are forgiven, and our names are written down in the Book of Life
in Heaven, that is the wealth of the soul. Grace, salvation, and all that grace can
accomplish in your life, that is the wealth, and you will not lose your wealth (Ephesians
2:4-5). As you have been zealous in time past running after money and riches of this world,
turn that zeal around and run after your soul salvation, soul winning and pursue after
the things of God.
- OUR INCOMMUTABLE WATCHFULNESS AGAINST EVERLASTING SHAME
Mark 8:38
This is a kind of watchfulness that is not interchangeable, and this must always be in
your life. Because there is a devil that wants to drag your soul into hell. So, you need to
be watchful so that you don’t lose your soul. “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed
of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall
the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the
holy angels” (Mark 8:38). If you are ashamed of Christ in the world, the Lord will be
ashamed of on that final day. You will not be ashamed of the Lord. Can you think of
somebody that is ashamed of Christ? He was nailed, stripped of His clothes, worn a crown
of thorns on the Cross all for you, just because of your soul to save, your shame to bear
and your destiny to put on and make you get to Heaven. Why are people ashamed? They
forget Christ and they remember the person in front of them and are afraid of them. People
are ashamed of Christ because they forget their soul, salvation and the word of God.
Three lessons here;
(i) Contemptible Companions Ashamed in the World – John 12:42-43; 2 Timothy 2:12.
This is like a man who had paid the greatest price to marry a woman, gave his all and
provided for the woman to be his wife. The man has even left his own family just to be
with his wife. And now as they go out in the world, the woman is ashamed of her husband,
that kind of woman is contemptible, not worth any value. The same thing Christ as done
for us in paying the greatest price for our redemption, that He left His glory in Heaven,
gave His all to redeem us. And now you in the world, that you are ashamed of Christ, that
is contemptible, but pray that will not happen to you. Why are people ashamed?
“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the
Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43). You
will not love the praise of men more than God. People are ashamed because they are not
willing to suffer for Christ (2 Timothy 2:12). You will to deny the Lord in your place of work,
extended family, amidst church goers, you will stand uncompromising for the Lord.(ii) Corrupted Compromisers Ashamed of His Word – Luke 9:26; Matthew 24:35; 2
Corinthians 2:17. The word of Jesus Christ is greater and higher than any other word you
can hear. The words of men cannot take us into Heaven, it only the words of Christ. “For
whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man
be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the
holy angels” (Luke 9:26). You will not be ashamed of the words of the Lord in Jesus
Name. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”
(Matthew 24:35). The words Christ spoke on righteousness, being born again, that word
is still abiding today, and we will not be ashamed of His words in Jesus Name. We will
not corrupt the word of God in Jesus Name (2 Corinthians 2:17).
(iii) Consecrated Conquerors Unashamed in Their Witness – Mark 8:38; Acts 5:41;
Romans 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 12:2-3; 1 Peter 4:12-16; 1 John 2:28; Hebrews 2:11.
On the words of Christ, Name of Christ, in times of persecution, rejection, you will not
ashamed. The grace of God and the power of the Holy Ghost will see you through. And
your conviction will stand firm till the very end in Jesus Name. “And they departed from
the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for his name” (Acts 5:41). The same salvation they had is the same salvation
that we have. And if they were rejoicing even though they were shamefully entreated, we
too will rejoice in times of our persecutions and trials. “For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). The gospel of Christ is the
power of God in our lives, and we will not ashamed of this gospel. Have you ever suffered
for the gospel? Have you suffered rejection or persecution for the sake of Christ? Or are
you are methodically practising your Christian faith so that you will not offend any sinner
so that they will not reproach or persecute you. Smile at your storms, belittle that shame,
laugh at that shame, and show that you are happy that you are suffering for Christ, and
don’t cry nor regret that you are a Christian. Just be like the children of Israel in Egypt,
the more they oppressed them they stronger they became, and for you, the more the world
persecute you, the stronger you will become. “If ye be reproached for the name of
Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their
part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14). From today
you will not be ashamed even if your stand brings persecution, oppositions, criticisms,
you will rejoice in the Lord. “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he
shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his
coming” (1 John 2:28). You will abide in Him. Christ is coming for those who are saved,
sanctified, consecrated, unashamed, and standing on their convictions on the word of
God, and when He comes He will not be ashamed of you. “For both he that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to
call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). They are one soul, in one spirit and in one word
with Christ. When He comes, He will not be ashamed of you, and you will not ashamed of
Him too in the church and in the world, they will know what you stand for . And when He
comes for you, He will not be ashamed of you too.
