Do We Really Believe the Gospel - John 8:24

Welcome to Weekly Wisdom, an inspirational series hosted by Pastor Jeff Schreve. Each week, Pastor Jeff illuminates different sections of the Holy Bible, meticulously extracting pivotal themes and life lessons that can enrich and uplift your daily life. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
John Chapter eight, verse twenty four. Jesus said, therefore, I
said to you that you will die in your sins,
for unless you believe that I am he, you will
die in your sins. Let's pray together, Father in heaven,
thank you for the good news of your son, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you that you sent him as

(00:22):
the savior of the world. Lord, we're so grateful for
the cross in the empty tomb. Teach us now, as
we come before you with an open heart, to learn
about the gospel. Before you, pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Speaker 1 (01:53):
Well, welcome to this episode of the Weekly Wisdom Podcast.
I'm Pastor Jeff Shree from Texarkana, Texas, and I want
to speak thank you today regarding this question do you
really believe the Gospel? It was several years ago when
my oldest daughter had to have some serious surgery. She
had a foot of her in flame small intestine removed

(02:16):
and then resected. Although performed laparoscopically, this procedure was no
walk in the park. We were a little on edge
as we prayed for a great result, and after two
hours the surgeon came out and informed us that all
went well. We were so grateful to God for the
good news. But postop was a different story. The gas

(02:38):
that they used to blow up her stomach so that
they could do the procedure laparoscopically caused tremendous pain after
the procedure was over. Now my heart broke as my
daughter suffered hour after hour with a ten plus pain level.
She was crying in agony, unable to get relief, wondering
if she could take it any Finally, after a four

(03:02):
hour wait, the attending doctor came to reassess her. This
doctor up Jill's meds and the pain slowly subsided to
a more bearable level. Now, as I watched my daughter
writh in pain, I was totally helpless to fix it.
I prayed for God to take away her pain. I
prayed for him to give her relief. Without question, I

(03:24):
would not want my worst enemy to experience the level
of suffering that she experienced. And then it dawned on me,
this is a faint picture of the horrors of hell.
In Luke sixteen, Jesus told of a rich man who
died and went to Hades. This man said, I am
in agony in this flame. The Bible clearly teaches that

(03:47):
there is a terrible, horrible place called hell. It's the
place of outer darkness, a place of weeping, wailing, and
gnashing of teeth. This awful place was not created for people.
It was created, as Jesus said, for the devil and
his angels. And the Lord doesn't want anyone to go
to this place. Jesus died in agony and blood on

(04:09):
the cross so that you and I would never have
to go there. He took our hell so that we
would never have to experience that horrible place. However, those
who reject Christ and his love and grace will find
themselves in Hell one day, just as the rich men
did in Luke sixteen. It's definitely not God's will or

(04:32):
desire that any go there, but it is the just
end to any sinner who refuses the love and grace
of the Savior. As some have asked, why is hell
a place of torment? Why not just make it a
place of banishment? I believe the answer to that question
may be more simple than we tend to make it.

(04:54):
God is good and gracious and kind and loving, and
every good and perfect gift comes from God. And if
a person rejects God and refuses to bow the knee
to His lordship and salvation. That person gets his or
her wish a place without any shred of the goodness

(05:14):
and grace of God. If you remove all light from
a room, the result is darkness. And if you remove
every vestige of God's goodness and grace from a place,
the result is hell. So here's the sober truth. Every
person you know who does not know Christ is one
heart beat away from the agony of hell. This agony

(05:38):
will not last for hours or days, but forever and
ever and ever. It's this truth that should motivate every
Christian to fervently pray for lost friends and neighbors and
work associates and loved ones, and to boldly share the
Gospel before it's too late. I heard a man give

(05:58):
his testimony a few years back. He came to know
Christ out of the iron clutches of Islam. He admonished
the Christian audience by saying this quote. I knew many
Christians in high school who never ventured to tell me
about Jesus. Did they not really believe I was going
to Hell without Christ? Or did they not really care?

(06:21):
May you and I always keep on the forefront of
our minds the reality of hell for all those who
reject Jesus and his love. May it spur us on
to pray for the opening of blind eyes. May it
give us the boldness to open our mouths and confidently
share the good news that Jesus conquered death, hell and
the grave, and he will save anybody who comes to

(06:42):
him in repentance and faith. You and I possess the
cure for sin. It is Jesus and Jesus alone. Let's
tell the world about him while there's still time. Father
in Heaven, give us a heart for people who don't
know You. Help us to see that they are one
heart beat from hell and that we have the message

(07:02):
they desperately need to hear. Remind us, Lord that our
number one job on this earth is to be your witness.
May we shine for Christ in the way we live
and boldly share the good news of Jesus as a
way of life. And Lord, may we trust you to
use us for your glory. And we pray this all
in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, thank you for listening to

(07:26):
this episode of the Weekly Wisdom Podcast. I'm Pastor Jeff
Shreeve and I would love to connect with you. Visit
my ministry website at Fromhisheart dot org for resources and
materials to help you grow in your faith, for more
wisdom to last a lifetime, and to make prayer priority
in your life. Download Theprey dot com app, and if

(07:46):
you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with someone in
your life who might also be encouraged by it. Thanks
again for listening, make it a great week, and may
God richly bless you.