Your soul is priceless

Topics: soul, God

I. The riddle: What delivers your soul from death?

Hear this, all peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will be understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle on the harp (Psalm 49:1-4).
See 1 Timothy 2:3, 4 and 2 Peter 3:9.

II. The redeemer: Who can ransom your soul?

Why should I fear in days of adversity, when the iniquity of my foes surrounds me, even those who trust in their wealth and

boast in the abundance of their riches? No man can by any means redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him - for the redemption of his soul is costly, and he should cease trying forever - that he should live on eternally, that he should not undergo decay (Psalm 49:5-9; see Job 19:25).

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13, 14).

III. The riches: What can they do for your soul?

Review Psalm 49:10-14.
See 1 Timothy 6:10, 17-19 and Matthew 16:26.

IV. The resurrection: Only God can redeem your soul!

But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me. Selah. Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not descend after him. Though while he lives he congratulates himself - and though men praise you when you do well for yourself - he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they will never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, is like the beasts that perish (Psalm 49:15-20).
If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:17-19).

Sermon by Pastor Rod Akins, April 23^rd, 2023

Life group flow and discussion questions

"Your soul is priceless"

An important Guideline of Life Groups: In our Life Groups, we should all wrestle with the Psalmist's riddle, "what delivers your soul from death?" - the only true answer is the precious, unblemished and spotless blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:17-19).

Getting Started:

Have you ever known someone who tried to buy eternal life or thought they could work their way to heaven?
Why are Christians able to grieve the loss of loved ones with an eternal hope of a reunion (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)?

Discussing Truths:

The Hebrew word Ne-phesh, "soul" is used 780 times in the Old Testament and is also translated as "life", "heart" and "living being". It represents the essence of one's life - the real person. What does it make you feel that God says your soul is priceless?
Why does the Psalmist declare that "no one can by any means redeem his brother or give to God a ransom for him - for the redemption of his soul is costly"?
How do you respond to our Lord who was willing to die to redeem our lives, our souls from the pit of hell (Mark 10:45 and Titus 2:11-14)?
Do you have the same assurance that the Psalmist expresses in verse 15: "But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me"?
Can you say with Job, "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last He will take His stand on the earth"?
Why do you think that "Money is the king of this world, but not the next"?

Now What? Application:

How will you use your resources (your time, talents and treasures) for advancing the kingdom of God and letting people know that they matter to God and to us?
Have you included the Lord's Bride, the Church, as part of your estate planning of giving? The Psalmist reminds us we can't take riches with us, but we can send it ahead as "treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:20).