The Journey of Faith Balancing Hope, Fear, and Eternal Choices

As I sat through a funeral that felt more like a fire and brimstone sermon, I was struck by the profound impact our words and understanding of faith can have on others. This experience sparked a heartfelt conversation with our guest about the nuanced dance between God's grace and His justice, an exploration that led us from the tough lessons of Pharaoh's stubbornness to the transformative journey of the Israelites. We've all encountered moments where the divine complexities of love, mercy, and holiness seem at odds, and in this episode, we unravel these threads, guided by both personal narratives and scriptural insights.

Wrestling with the warning against hard-heartedness, we find resonance in the message of Hebrews 3:7-19, where the call to stay open to God's voice echoes not just for skeptics but for believers as well. I unpack the subtle dangers of spiritual consumerism in modern faith, contrasting it with the profound narrative of Jonah—a reluctant prophet whose story reminds us that redemption is within reach if we choose to listen and act. Whether you're steadfast in your beliefs or questioning, our dialogue offers a fresh perspective on staying receptive to the transformative work of God in our lives.

Facing the sobering truths of eternal separation from God, we share a message of hope rooted in Jesus' ultimate sacrifice. We touch upon the uncomfortable topic of hell, not to instill fear, but to illuminate the vibrant hope that exists in choosing a life with God. Through candid reflections on personal transformations and the relentless pursuit of God's redemptive love, this episode invites you to consider the profound impact of grace in our lives and the life-changing decision that lays before each of us. Join us as we delve into these deep waters, offering a beacon of hope amidst the stormy seas of faith.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:06

Here in the last couple weeks has been. I feel like I've been beating some people over the head, myself included, and it's never my intention, obviously, but when we start talking about the nature of who God is, we have to strike a balance. I think that the way that the conversation gets handled of who God is, we have to strike a balance. I think that the way that the conversation gets handled sometimes nowadays is we talk a whole lot about grace and love and mercy and, by the way, that's not a bad thing but we talk so much about it that we forget that God is also a God of justice and that he's holy and that he's righteous and that he's perfect. And then, on the other side, you can talk about that side of justice and that he's holy and that he's righteous and that he's perfect, and then, on the other side, you can talk about that side of him the holy, righteous, justice side and you can almost try to beat people into submission. And, by the way, I don't know if you know this or not, but it doesn't work. I was at a funeral one time a couple years ago and the minister who got up to deliver the message and this was in my family. So he gets up and he starts talking about the person who's deceased, and then he finds himself into what I would call and if you're older than me you probably know what it is, if you're younger than me you probably don't he got into a hellfire and brimstone sermon and so for the next 35 minutes this guy was sweating profusely, thought he was going to have a stroke and he's like yelling at people and he's kind of screaming and he's really just poured it on heavy. And listen, I don't disagree with a lot of what he said, but I think the way he said it probably could have been better. And so we're having I'm sitting here listening to this and my one aunt who sits in front of me and she turns around and she says to me yeah, that's why I don't go to that guy's church. And then she said to me you better never. And I'm like just hold on, hold on. So once again, I think you can go to the extreme the other way, but I think you have to have balance because, like I said, I don't disagree with what he was saying, because hell is a very real place. There are consequences for those who don't follow Jesus, so we can't act like it doesn't exist, but I do think it's important of how we have that conversation. You know, we've been talking about this idea of a heart of stone and we saw last week in Pharaoh his resistance to God. God showed him multiple times that he really was who he said he was and he gave Pharaoh multiple opportunities to do the right thing and he still failed to do it through arrogance or pride or whatever was keeping him. Several times we saw throughout the scriptures that he actually hardened his own heart to God's message.

Speaker 1: 4:31

And then you see the Israelites who are set free from Pharaoh and they find themselves with the understanding that the promised land is coming. So they leave Pharaoh. They're sort of in exile. They're traveling towards the promised land and this same group of people who had just witnessed what God was able to do had a hard heart response to God. They started to doubt who he was. They started to question him. Some of them even said that they would rather go back and be slaves than to be wandering through the wilderness. They finally get a glimpse of the promised land and they refuse to accept it because in their mind they don't understand of the promised land and they refuse to accept it, because, in their mind, they don't understand, they can't see the fullness of God. And so they end up being punished, and they spent 40 years wandering around the wilderness. Now, mind you, god took care of them, he provided for them, but their response, their hard heart, brought upon them. Instead of stepping into the promised land, they would spend a great deal of time walking around feeling lost.

Speaker 1: 6:03

And so we're going to jump to the book of Hebrews. We're actually going to jump way ahead. This is one of the letters that we believe Paul wrote, and Paul is writing to the current Israelites, the current Hebrews, and he's trying to remind them of the danger of having a hard heart. And so he says to them Hebrews, chapter 3, starting in verse 7, give me a second to get there says so, as the Holy Spirit says today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for 40 years. They saw what I did.

Speaker 1: 6:59

That is why I was angry with that generation. I said their hearts are always going astray and they have not known my ways. So I declared on oath in my anger, they shall never enter my rest. See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God, but encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end, as has just been said today. If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion. Who are they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses let out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for for 40 years? Was it not with those who sin, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief.

Speaker 1: 8:13

And once again, paul is reminding his original audience and saying listen, don't forget what happens when you ignore God. And we see this all throughout the Old Testament, even in the book of Ezekiel, where we've been. Israel ignores God and turns away. And as they turn away, they start to do atrocious, awful things, so much so that God's cut. You know he mourns what's happening and he's grieved, he's angry and he feels like he needs to address them and he punishes them and he puts them in exile. And we see this as they escaped Egypt and they could have entered the promised land and God allowed them instead to stay in the wilderness, all because their choice was to ignore the God who created them.

Speaker 1: 9:18

Having a hard heart towards God is a choice. I believe that. I believe that I believe that you and I every day get to choose the way we respond to him, and I think that we see hardened hearts in a couple of ways. I think we see it in people who hear the message of the gospel and they turn away from it. Social media is everywhere anymore, but I see so many people on social media who they spend their life trying to pick apart the Bible and talk about its fallacies and how flawed it is, and they talk about how bad Christians are and how much. You know. It's ironic, but as much as they don't want to be judged, they sure do judge. But listen. I also see it in Christians who have a relationship with an all-knowing, all-loving, all-graceful, all-merciful God who walks. They walk around and they act like they're the only ones who deserve to be saved. I've met those people. I've got to work on liking those people a little better and I see it in their response to what God's trying to do in their life and the change that he's trying to make when he's challenged them to live better, to give more, to be a stronger leader, to go out and continue to serve him, to be a disciple who makes disciples. I see a hard heart in people who know what God is calling us to do and they reject it and instead they make it all about themselves.

Speaker 1: 11:05

Consumerism in this country is crazy. Consumerism in the church shouldn't happen, but it does, and it's ugly Because we forget that the God who saved us, the God who redeemed us, is the same God who offers redemption to every person on the face of the earth. We were talking about this in our Thursday night group. We were looking at the life of Jonah, jonah being another prophet found in the Old Testament. Jonah's called to go to the city of Nineveh and to warn them of the Old Testament. Jonah's called to go to the city of Nineveh and to warn them of the upcoming disaster, because this is the beautiful part about God is he's a God who gives people chances to do the right thing always.

Speaker 1: 12:05

All throughout Scripture, all throughout the time in the wilderness, all throughout Ezekiel coming as a prophet, all throughout the time in the wilderness, all throughout Ezekiel coming as a prophet, all throughout the New Testament. God is a God of redemption. He continues to offer redemption for those that he has created if they would choose it. And so God calls Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh in order to offer them redemption, and Jonah says nope, completely runs the other way. Like what's crazy about the whole story is, if you go through and it's not, I think it's like five chapters there's a point when he's on the boat and like chaos is abounding and there's a storm and everyone's like going to die and everyone's trying to figure out what's going on, and Jonah's like sleeping, acting like you know nothing's wrong, like Jonah is the one who knows the truth, who knows of God, and in the moment of distress, has chosen to be silent because he would rather die than to tell anyone about how good God is. Jonah ends up going to Nineveh. He tells them and he reminds them, he warns them and their response is they grieve and they mourn and they stop sinning and they give their life over to God. And Jonah's response is God, I knew you would do that. I knew that if I went to them, you would offer them redemption. And I'm telling you right now if that's not a hard heart, I don't know what is Because Jonah thought that he, in that moment, was the only one who deserved it.

Speaker 1: 14:06

Where we're headed today is my favorite part of the Bible, because, as much as I love the Old Testament and I love the narratives and the history and the different miracles, nothing that I will ever stand here and talk about will ever compare to the grace offered through Jesus on the cross. Nothing will ever change your life more than responding to the grace and mercy of Christ. Romans 11, 25 through 36. It's Paul writing to the early church in Rome. Once again, he's going back to the nation of Israel, using them as an example. Starting in verse 25, it says I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited Israel has experienced a hardening in part, until the full number of Gentiles has come in, and in this way, all Israel will be saved and, as it is written. The deliverer will come from Zion. He will turn godlessness away from Jacob, and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake, but as far as election is concerned, they are loved and count the patriarchs For God's gifts and his calls are revocable. Just as you, who are one time disobedient to God, have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you, for God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. Oh, the depth and the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgments and his paths. Beyond tracing out who has known the mind of the Lord, who has been in his counselor or who has been his counselor, who has ever given to God that God should repay them for, from him and through him and for him, all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Speaker 1: 16:42

And once again, paul is using Israel to show that the early church in Rome, that they rejected God. And we see this once again all throughout the Old Testament. But we see this in the New, when Israel, they embrace Jesus and then they're the same ones who crucify and Paul goes on to become a missionary to Gentiles. Because once, even after the resurrection, the Israelites were still kind of stuck, because they were still convinced that they were the only ones who deserved to have redemption. And Paul is reminding them, he's showing this church in Rome, that they've been hardened for a little while because their hardened hearts are allowing us. Their disobedience has led now to me sharing the message of the gospel with you. But then he brings it back and says but don't forget, don't underestimate God, that the same grace and redemption I'm offering you is also going to be offered to them. They still have an opportunity to come to know Jesus. But the response of Israel is but the response of Israel is in that moment they were convinced that it was only for them.

Speaker 1: 18:24

How many times have you come across someone in your life and you know, you just know, you can feel it in your spirit that I should tell them about Jesus, and then they do something crazy and you're like, nope, not today. Or how many times do you see people in your workplace, in your school, in your friends, in your family that the grace and mercy of God is for everyone but them. We talked about this several months ago and I bring it up again because I think it's an important conversation to have. Jeffrey Dahmer was not a good person by any standards, if you know anything about what he did and really kind of the life that he lived. But I found out before he died that he gave his life to Christ and he was baptized into him in prison, mind you and listen.

Speaker 1: 19:44

I'll be honest and tell you that there's a part of me that wrestles with that a little bit, because if you compare me to Dahmer, I'm a pretty good guy. I mean, I think so anyways. But at the end of the day, the grace and mercy and redemption being offered by God, it's not because of what I did, but because of what Jesus did. So if I believe that there is a place for me in heaven, if I believe that, if I've given my life to Christ and redemption has been given and offered to me, then I have to believe that anyone who makes that choice receives the same thing that I have. Because, yes, compared to Dahmer I'm a good guy.

Speaker 1: 20:40

Compared to a holy and perfect, righteous God, I'm not, but that's the beauty of where we are is my heart. God wants my heart to be changed. He wants a heart of flesh for me. He wants to come into my life and offer redemption and mercy and grace, and he wants me to become everything that I'm supposed to be, because he wants to come into my life and offer redemption and mercy and grace. And he wants me to become everything that I'm supposed to be Because, compared to what he wants for me, I'm not that good. But Jesus didn't die for me because I was good. Jesus didn't die for me because I deserved it or I did anything to earn it. Jesus died for me and offered me redemption because I needed it.

Speaker 1: 21:44

Because outside of Christ, there is no other way to which we are saved. There is no other way to which we are saved. There is no other path, there is no other idea. There's nothing you can accomplish, nothing you can do. You cannot save yourself, but the God of all creation sent himself in the form of a man and saved you because he needed you to know how much he loved you. And every single day we have a choice to make. For those of us who haven't chosen to follow Jesus, I believe, if you're still alive, the choice is yours.

Speaker 1: 22:35

Every day, every day, god is knocking on the door of your heart saying listen, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here. I know what you're going through. I know life is hard. I know you have addiction problems. I know that you're struggling in your family. I know your finances don't make sense. I know I know everything that is wrong in your life. But I need you to know that I am here to offer you eternal life with me, that I'm here to come in to change your heart, to change your mind, to change the way you live. I am here and all I need you to do is open the door and let me in, because if you don't do that, I'm not going to force myself on you, and for those of us that are in Christ, I believe it's the same conversation. Hey, I'm here, I'm knocking on your heart. I know you're struggling with addiction. I know you're struggling with your marriage. I know that life is hard right now, but I need you to let me change you. You've already accepted me. I need you to let me continue to do the work in your life to change you, to listen to me, to read my word to become everything I want you to be, because I want you to live and I want you to understand everything I have for you. But I'm not going to force it on you. Listen, I'm struggling right now because I've spent the last three weeks and the amount of broken people that have crossed my path has been more than I would ever expect.

Speaker 1: 24:48

I walk the streets of this city and I see the families that are falling apart. I listen to story after story of those who literally have no hope. I listen to people who tell me that the reason they do drugs is because it's the only way they don't feel anything. Most of the time, I watch a world fall down around me, wishing, praying that I could do more, and then the chaos of that moment. The one thing that remains consistent and I can feel it, it's every day.

Speaker 1: 25:46

Jesus says to me. The Spirit in me says tell them about me. Tell them about what I can do. Tell them about how a life can be redeemed. Tell them about a 15-year-old kid who wanted to die. Every single day of his life Looks forward to waking up every morning. Now, tell them about a young man that struggled with bitter and rage and was so angry that the simple word, the wrong word, from the wrong person would elicit a fight response. Tell them about a man who's experienced grief and loss, the loss of children. Tell them about the man who, not even two years ago, almost lost his family because he was so busy chasing a paycheck. Tell them your story. Tell them your story. Make sure you tell them that it's me who did it, because the God of all creation believes, knows and has shown us that no one is unredeemable. Us that no one is unredeemable, that anyone who would come to him can not only find hope and grace and mercy, but they'll find a God who's gonna change, become everything he wants them to be.

Speaker 1: 27:41

Acts, chapter 2, starting in verse 22. This is Peter on the day of Pentecost. It says Fellow Israelites, listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you, by miracles, wonders and signs which God did among you through him. As you yourselves know, this man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him on the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Speaker 1: 28:27

David said about him I saw the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand and I will not be shaken. So therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. My body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead. You will not let your holy ones see decay. You have made known to me the past of life and you fill me with joy in your presence.

Speaker 1: 28:52

Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried in this tomb that's here to this day, that the patriarch David died and was buried, and this tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him, and on oath, that he would place one of his descendants on his throne, seeing what was of what to come. He spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear, for David did not ascend to heaven yet he said. The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand and shall I make your enemies a footstool for your feet? Therefore, let all of Israel be assured that this God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.

Speaker 1: 29:52

And when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and they said to Peter and the other apostles, brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied repent and be baptized, every one one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord, our God, will call the crowd. They hear this message, they hear everything that Peter has to say and they ask what do we do? Peter says repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Because you and I have a choice to make.

Speaker 1: 30:48

For those of us who are not in Christ, the choice is are we going to give him our life? Are we going to submit to his ways, to his purpose, to let him change us and become everything we're supposed to be, not just for salvation, not just for eternity to be, not just for salvation, not just for eternity. But are we willing to give him our life because, god, we can honestly say we can't do this without you? For those of us who are in Jesus, the question is still the same Are we going to submit every day to become the men and women God wants us to be, to allow him to take the things out of our lives that are not good for us, to allow him to challenge us to be more than just people who attend the church, but people who understand that you and I are the church everywhere that we go, when we do everything in our power as God redeems us, to offer redemption to every person we know? It says the way of Christ is not easy. Jesus may offend us at times, but he is our only hope of salvation and the only way to God. Therefore, we must remain open to the call of Christ in our lives. This is what Peter is saying, and I said it already God is knocking.

Speaker 1: 32:20

You have a choice to make. I can't do it for you, I can't make you follow him. All I can tell you is it's the best decision I ever made. Am I perfect? Nope, are any of us? No, I know we might act that way sometimes, but we're not. But is God continuing to work in my life every single day? No, I know we might act that way sometimes, but we're not. But is God continuing to work in my life every single day? Am I grateful for the redemption that he's given me every single day? Could I do this without him? I don't think I'd want to try.

Speaker 1: 33:08

You can choose to have a heart of stone if you want. You can ignore God. You can continue to ignore the change he's trying to make in your life. But I'm telling you what comes with that ignorance is not good. Not only a hard heart to the things that he's doing, but those who are outside Jesus, and eternity in hell is very much a reality. I can't ignore that. I know a lot of churches don't talk about that and maybe I'm crazy, but I can't ignore that. But what I can tell you is that God doesn't want hell for you. Jesus didn't die on the cross so that we could all be punished. Jesus died and took the punishment so that you and I could receive redemption.