Sunday, April 10, 2011
Jesus taught us that there would
be “joy in heaven over one sinner that
repents.” This is not a subtle hint
but a straightforward insight into what is truly important and valuable in
heaven! A soul that repents and is saved
by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
By way of contrast, we hear a lot of talk about heaven’s streets of gold as one of the things we’re looking forward
to. I’m sure this speaks of the overall
magnificence of heaven, but, remember, it’s still just pavement!
Forgive me for bringing out the
old poem “The touch of the Master’s Hand”
read it again:
It
was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.
And the auctioneer thought it
hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
but he held it up with a smile.
"What
am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"
But,
No,
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.
From the room far back a gray bearded man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.
The
music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
"One
thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.
The
audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."
And
many a man with life out of tune
All battered with bourbon and gin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin
All battered with bourbon and gin
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin
A
mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
But
the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.
Myra Brooks Welch
The
emphasis is mine, “the worth of a soul.” One of the great contributions of
Christianity is to bring us the understanding of the value of human life and
the worth of a human soul. This comes
from three sources: 1st, Creation: human beings
are made in the image of God. This
accounts for the cultural debate over the sanctity of human life that still
rages in our nation. 2nd,
Redemption: which is the apex of understanding. If Jesus died for the sins of the whole
world, He settled forever the value of the souls we encounter everyday of our
lives. 3rd, New way of assessing
people and things: “So we have stopped
evaluating others from a human point of view.” (2Cor.5:16a) We no longer
use a worldly measurement, especially an external one, to assess someone’s
worth or value. This should remind us
that Christianity is first and foremost a “rescue religion.”
There
is no question that God’s priority and the heartbeat of heaven is for souls.
Jesus called us “follow me and I
will make you fishers of men.” The two go together: following Christ leads
to a partnership in His enterprise as well.
The religious people were constantly criticizing him by saying “this man receives sinners and eats with
them.” Their criticism was actually
a back-handed complement! Jesus Christ
is the supreme example of a soul-winner.
He is the consummate “soul
Physician” in the way that He worked with people. After winning the woman at the well to
Himself, He told his disciples “I have
food to eat that you know nothing about!”
They’re wondering whether or not He stopped by McDonald’s or Taco Bell
or something. Jesus had to straighten
them out by saying, “My food is to do the
will of Him that sent Me, and to finish his work.” His “soul food” was all about touching people
with the Gospel and bringing people to Himself and God’s salvation! This is what caused D.L. Moody to say, “I would rather save one soul from death than
have a monument of solid gold reaching from my grave to the heavens! I tell you the monument I want after I am
dead and gone is a monument with two legs going about the world—a saved sinner
telling of the salvation of Jesus Christ.”
To
finish up, this is why if you’re looking for employment how about (Prov.11:3) “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of
life, and he who wins souls is wise.”
This winning implies a number of things: First, it is a word of burden,
or responsibility. Our calling has already
been determined for us by the Lord Jesus.
Second, it is a heart word, a word of romance (i.e. “wins her
hand”). A love for Christ, for His
church and for souls turns a work into a labor of love. Finally, it is a military word, talking of
winning a battle or winning a city. In
this case it is the fortress of the human heart with all its defenses that must
be breached. The divine appraisal is “he that wins souls is wise.” Not only is this
a developed skill but it tells us that this is truly worthy employment for every Christ follower. In choosing something to give your life to or
to make the aim of your life, then it’s hard to find a more noble
ambition! The prophet Daniel
put this in the final context of an everlasting reward and inheritance, “Those who are wise will shine as bright as
the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars
forever.” Shine on, my brother and
sister, shine on!
About Me
Popular Posts
-
We’re off and running into a new year, 2011! It has been my practice now for many years to preach to our congregation a New Year’s “th... -
In many places of the British Commonwealth, today is a holiday, Boxing Day , the day after Christmas, December 26 th . It was for years w... -
My practice of preaching a “theme” for the new year, and of late, incorporating this into our Conference theme, was never intended to be... -
As we reach the end of another year, 2011, I am reminded of one of the great secrets of life: to live life with as few regrets as possi... -
A good fisherman always “sets the hook” before trying to reel in the fish. Hopefully, now that I’ve got your attention, let me go back... -
One of the most famous speeches in recent times was delivered by President Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate, prior to the demolishi... -
Recently, President Obama’s “evolution” on his views on marriage came to an end in both an historic and tragic milestone: the first time ... -
*The headlines on the Drudge Report on the day after “Black Friday” tells it all. This was the list of articles relating to the activit... -
The event caught my attention on a number of different levels. It was billed as a “Reason Rally,” and it was held in Washington D.C... -
The early church gives us a great model to pursue and to pray for. I am reminded of the episode in Acts 4, where the apostles had been t...