Worth

Worth!

Like the willingness of a deported soldier, no word or gift could qualify as an equivalent return for the price that Jesus paid on the cross for our sins.  And yet, for that sacrifice to go unnoticed would be a disgrace to the price paid.

Could a man actually repay Christ for His gift of eternal salvation?  No- however, the life that we live for Him declares His worth to us as thankful and humble recipients of heavens greatest gift.

We get a glimpse of this evidence of worth from Romans 12:1.  Will someone please turn there and read loudly?  The word “reasonable” seems to have a double emphasis: if you are “able” to do a thing, that should be “reason” enough to do it.  The shear fact that God has made it possible for us to do a thing doesn’t necessarily mean that it is ours to do. However, it certainly does qualify us to pray about God’s will concerning that thing.  It’s amazing how so many can walk directly passed an open door to glorify God (with full capability of doing so) and never consider that door to have been opened for them.

When Judas betrayed Jesus, he did so for an amount.  33 pieces of silver was that the worth of Christ in the heart of Judas.  It seems that everyone has an amount.  If we had asked Judas 3 years earlier of the value of his relationship with God’s Son, I’m confident he would have laughed at such an amount.  However, his heart could not lie or be deceived.  In fact, the worth of Christ in the heart of Judas could be registered in a dollar amount.  Going around the room, what price would you put on the worth of Christ?

I’m sad to report that each of us daily place an amount on the worth of our Lord in our hearts: 

• Our disobedience to tell others of Christ’s great sacrifice equates to the worth we hold for that sacrifice.  In other words, whatever excuse we use to not tell others the Gospel- is valued greater than the gift of the Gospel itself.
• Our excuse to not take on ministry, that is an open door opportunity, is the value that we have placed in our hearts concerning ministry.
• Whatever excuse we use to end our service for the Lord, when put on a scale, is heavier than our view of the One who gave everything… without excuse!
• Our excuse to not repent of sin is the worth we put on our relationship with Christ.

Matt. 27 is the horrible telling of the governor’s judgment of Christ as he gives them the choice of setting free either Jesus, the King of the Jews or Barabbas, a murderer and thief.  Verses 21 and 22 tell of the worth of Christ as seen in the hearts of those forcing the hand of Pilate: “The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.  Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.”

It’s easy for us to say that we would never do such a thing.  However, we do it everyday: Laziness, failure to pray, failure to give, failure to take joy in God… the list is endless.

Listen to the words of Paul as he made comparison of everything that would seek to devalue Christ in his life.  Phil. 3:8, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency (Worth) of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,”  In short, I suppose we can know the worth of Christ in our heart by the value placed on this world.  May we repent today of loving ourselves too much.  For in the end, any excuse to not serve God is our excuse to love ourselves more than Him.

Worth!

Like the willingness of a deported soldier, no word or gift could qualify as an _____________ return for the price that Jesus paid on the cross for our sins.  And yet, for that sacrifice to go unnoticed would be a disgrace to the price paid.

Could a man actually repay Christ for His gift of eternal salvation?  No- however, the life that we live for Him declares His worth to us as ___________ and _________ recipients of heavens greatest gift.

We get a glimpse of this evidence of worth from Romans 12:1.  Will someone please turn there and read loudly?  The word “reasonable” seems to have a double emphasis: if you are ________ to do a thing, that should be __________ enough to do it.  The shear fact that God has made it possible for us to do a thing doesn’t necessarily mean that it is ours to do. However, it certainly does qualify us to pray about God’s will concerning that thing.  It’s amazing how so many can walk directly passed an open door to glorify God (with full capability of doing so) and never consider that door to have been opened for them.

When Judas betrayed Jesus, he did so for an amount.  33 pieces of silver was that the worth of Christ in the heart of Judas.  It seems that everyone has an amount.  If we had asked Judas 3 years earlier of the value of his relationship with God’s Son, I’m confident he would have laughed at such an amount.  However, his heart could not lie or be deceived.  In fact, the worth of Christ in the heart of Judas could be registered in a dollar amount.  Going around the room, what price would you put on the worth of Christ?

I’m sad to report that each of us daily place an amount on the worth of our Lord in our hearts: 

• Our disobedience to tell others of Christ’s great sacrifice equates to the worth we hold for that sacrifice.  In other words, whatever excuse we use to not tell others the Gospel- is valued greater than the gift of the Gospel itself.
• Our excuse to not take on ministry, that is an open door opportunity, is the value that we have placed in our hearts concerning ministry.
• Whatever excuse we use to end our service for the Lord, when put on a scale, is heavier than our view of the One who gave everything… without excuse!
• Our excuse to not repent of sin is the worth we put on our relationship with Christ.

Matt. 27 is the horrible telling of the governor’s judgment of Christ as he gives them the choice of setting free either Jesus, the King of the Jews or Barabbas, a murderer and thief.  Verses 21 and 22 tell of the worth of Christ as seen in the hearts of those forcing the hand of Pilate: “The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.  Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.”

It’s easy for us to say that we would never do such a thing.  However, we do it everyday: Laziness, failure to pray, failure to give, failure to take joy in God… the list is endless.

Listen to the words of Paul as he made comparison of everything that would seek to devalue Christ in his life.  Phil. 3:8, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency  (__________) of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,”  In short, I suppose we can know the worth of Christ in our heart by the value placed on this world.  May we repent today of loving ourselves too much.  For in the end, any excuse to not serve God is our excuse to love ourselves more than Him.