LifeTalk Podcast
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LifeTalk Podcast
Pastor Podcast - Psalm 19 - The God Who Speaks
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God isn’t silent, and Psalm 19 refuses to let us pretend He is. We sit down for our Monday sermon reflection and talk through the weekend message from guest speaker Jonathan Noyes, whose background in Christian apologetics helps put words to what many of us feel: faith is not opposed to reason, and you don’t have to “check your brain at the door” to trust God.
We walk through the three big movements of Psalm 19: God speaks through creation, God speaks through His Word, and God speaks through His Redeemer. From mountains and storms to DNA and the human body, creation “preaches” the glory of God and challenges both atheism and the quieter agnosticism that says, “Maybe there’s a God, but we can’t know Him.” Then we slow down in Psalm 19:7–11 to spotlight what Scripture does in real life: it revives the soul, makes us wise, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, and warns us for our good. We also get honest about the fact that the Bible sometimes cuts before it heals, and we ask the hard question: if we’re not hearing from God, what noise, sin, distraction, or disobedience might be getting in the way?
Finally, we land where Psalm 19 lands, on redemption. David’s humility about hidden faults and “great transgression” points straight to Jesus, our Rock and Redeemer, and we talk about why the gospel only feels like good news when we understand our need. If you’re trying to have better conversations with atheists, agnostics, or friends who are angry and hurting, this is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone who asks big questions, and leave a review so more people can find the show.
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Intro music by Joey Blair
Welcome And Naming Challenge
SPEAKER_01Well, hey Lifehouse family, welcome back to our Monday time of sermon reflection with Pastor Mark. I think last week we gave you a challenge. We are looking for a good name. I got one suggestion, but we're waiting for that. We heard the Monday missive, you know. So kind of I know you had just now Monday musings. So we know we got to create a lot of people.
SPEAKER_00We want it to be stronger than that, you know.
SPEAKER_01I mean, like, you know, but anyway. Send in your thoughts. We're having a competition. Maybe we'll have a good giveaway or something. Yeah. A good study Bible. Who knows? But let us know what you think. But it is a blessing every Monday. We thank you for watching and taking some time with us. So this week, a unique
Men's Conference And Guest Speaker
SPEAKER_01week. We got to have a great guest speaker. So you got to sit and listen this week on Sunday.
SPEAKER_00Not even just Sunday, but really it was the culmination of our men's conference led by Jonathan Noyes, who is a pastor out in LA, but also serves on staff at Stan Teresa, a great ministry. Many of you probably are familiar with that. Lots of YouTube videos really focused on, you know, kind of the ministry of apologetics and helping Christians, emboldening Christians and equipping and arming Christians with knowledge and wisdom to know how to have conversations with people who don't believe and people who object to our sincere faith. And so a great weekend. Yep. I don't know. Did you like it? I loved it. And we can, you know.
SPEAKER_01Phenomenal weekend, guys, if you missed it. I think Jonathan says that you missed it. Like just You missed it. Yeah. Shame on you, but man, I feel bad for you too. No. Yeah, I mean strengthening our faith, but like you also said, emboldening. And I think how we can faithfully share our faith. It was we spent a whole session at the men's conference, you know, we need to be firm, but we don't want to be jerks for Jesus. So how we approach it, we have good answers. Christianity is true. Yeah. Something we talk about on Sunday. So from that, you know, we should, you know, share our faith from a position of confidence. Absolutely. And how we can continue to study, though, like be more confident in our faith.
Science And Scripture Fit Together
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell I loved, and I know we we want to get into the sermon, where this is more about Sunday and the sermon, the preaching of God's Word, but I my favorite session was on how we can trust the reliability of God's word and His just not just speaking of internal evidence within the Bible that that is validating, but external evidence and historical evidence and archaeology and how, and really what he kind of brought out not just in that session is how, you know, over the ages and through time with science, not at the expense of science or disregarding science, science really validates, it continues to affirm and confirm what is written in God's word. It doesn't object to it as much as people think. That's the concept. Like we think that almost you have to check your brain at the door to believe that God's word is true, but that's totally the opposite. And the way he presented that material was just really encouraging to me and emboldening. And some of the stuff I had already known and studied but had forgotten. So it was really I appreciated that session the most. And then of course, Sunday morning, and I I felt I feasted on God's word. I mean he preached God's word, Psalm 19, it was so good.
SPEAKER_01Yep. Tied right into everything you just said, our first two points, you know, science and creation.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Too often we view those kind of as opposed to each other, but they're not. Really God created science. So the more we explore creation, the more we see God. The more we see the designer that, hey, if there's a building, there's a builder. You know, if there's a creation, there's a creator. And, you know, where there's information, there's a mind behind it. Right. And so that should give us a lot of confidence just looking around that there is a God and a creative God, loving God.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, a glorious God. And really, so Psalm 19, really, so the three points that he brought out or drew out of Psalm 19.
Psalm 19 And Three Voices
SPEAKER_00And it's amazing for me to think about King David writing this and expressing this, you know, thousands of years ago. He's, you know, believing and believes in the same God and serves the same God that we do, you know, the same God who speaks. God speaks, so the three points were through creation, God speaks through his word, and God speaks through his redeemer. And so, first point, God speaks through creation.
Creation Preaches God's Glory
SPEAKER_00You know, and it's interesting. We have a prayer room, as many of you know, that meets prior to the first service on Sunday mornings. Open invitation for anyone who wants to come. It's a powerful time. I I I we're in there every time, every week, and one of the sisters who were there, Sister in Christ, was sharing, not knowing what Jonathan was going to preach about, but she testified that when she came to saving faith in the Lord Jesus, one of the first things that God did was open her eyes to creation. And really, what this was talking about, how creation essentially preaches, God speaks through his creation, reveals himself through his creation in a powerful way. And I have to say, yes, you know, I mean, I can relate to that. I'm a guy who has been called to preach the word of God, and so I really tuned in because essentially what his point was, what David was saying, and what Jonathan Noyes brought out was that creation is a preacher and so proclaims, like he doesn't whisper the glory of God, he preaches, proclaims, declares the glory of God. And I know that I can say I'm impacted by creation greatly. How about you? 100%.
SPEAKER_01And he mentioned being on top of Pikes Peak. I this summer an opportunity to go to Colorado wasn't Pikes Peak, but it was a different high mountain. And I can only say it was really a spiritual journey, like going to the top of the mountain and just seeing things that you would never see unless you went there. And so just seeing how much and how beautiful it was. There was like a thunderstorm going on down in the valley, and like, yeah, just seeing the ink beauty, the intricacies, like so much of it, and just as you're hiking, you know, all the way up, you know, you're just seeing so many things from so many different vantage points.
SPEAKER_00It clearly that there was a creator, that this didn't just happen by accident, you know, and that we didn't, and don't just happen by accident. And so I absolutely sunsets, mountains, big bodies of water and waves and all those different things, storms, you know, reveal the power, the glory of God. Like to me, so clearly, I'm like, man, how can people see this or that and not worship? You know, how can they not? And that's the thing, you you and you don't worship creation. Like when I see these sunsets of these mountains, it doesn't make me want to bow down and worship the mountain. And it wants me to work, I my natural response is to acknowledge the creator of that mountain and of that sunset. And for me, even beyond, you know, nature, but tied to that is the human body, you know, and you know, one of the guys at the the I'm a baby guy. I I make no apologies about that. Like I just I love to me, and part of it is tied to what I feel like I see, what I hear. God speaks to his creation when I look at the process and the formation of people, you know, men and women and these beautiful babies, you know. I just it screams, the process screams creator screams, preaches to me, and it fills and impacts me so greatly. You know, I was talking this morning to a non-believer at the YMCA about mitochondria, you know, you know, and I don't even he he's more of a scientist and kind of knows the ins and outs of this, but as he was talking, you know, the intricacies of the human body and DNA and mitochondria. Am I even saying that right? You know, and within the cells. Yeah, again, like intelligent design, you know, the complexity of even these small cells, it doesn't get, you know, simpler or dumbed down the smaller you go. It's just these cells are just as complicated and complex and in intricate as the whole human body. And it just again, it just testifies to the glory of a glorious creator. And I don't know, it it it it speaks to me.
SPEAKER_01So Jonathan mentioned DNA. If you ever study just how involved and to think that these things just happened, you know, that somehow by random chance or you know, haphazardly, really takes a lot more faith to believe that than that there is a creator.
SPEAKER_00I feel as though I can correlate it with when Jesus was, you know, ministering during his earthly ministry, and he, the Son of God, was right there preaching in a glorious way, and literally the people were told were in awe, you know, astounded by what they saw, by what they heard as Jesus ministered, but yet the Pharisees denied the undeniable. Like they rejected literally, it was like they were closing their eyes and sticking their fingers, like we refuse to see, we refuse to hear what you're preaching, what you're saying, and respond to that. And in many regards, like I feel that there's a correlation there with our world today and creation, you know. I mean, it's just so, and maybe it's I it's by the grace of God he's opened our blind eyes to see, like the sister who was sharing in prayer room about how the first thing she changed or noticed was that she was aware of creation in a way that she had not been before. So maybe it's just, yeah, like God by the Spirit has given me eyes to see his glory. I'm so thankful that he did because it's such an incredible impactful uh ministry, you know, that I receive from the Lord. He speaks, he preaches. Creation preaches loud and clear. It's such a glorious thing. Do you have ears to hear? Like, are you looking? Are you watching? You know, I think about even, you know, Samuel. I mentioned it on Sunday morning, how when he God was speaking, you know, he was sleeping, and you know, he was God was saying Samuel, Samuel, and at first he was really confused. He thought it was Eli, the priest, and finally he realized it was God, and his response was, Speak, Lord, for I, your servant, am listening, like I'm all ears, like I want to hear what you have to say. The same thing, open your eyes. Like I I pray, like show, reveal, Lord, for I, your servant, am watching, like I want to see you, I want to know you. So reveal yourself, more of yourself to me, to us, you know. And so I think that's should be our heart heart posture, our our readiness to hear, readiness to listen.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I think point one especially talks to anybody who's an atheist, and you know, Jonathan clearly shared, you know, that used to be his mindset, but bumping into reality. Creation really challenges if you believe there's no God. Creation is going to tell you there is a God, so you should be seeking him. But a lot of people still like, okay, there's a God,
God Speaks Through His Word
SPEAKER_01but he hasn't spoken. He's just out there, we can't really know him, which leads kind of to a which would that would be more agnostic than atheists.
SPEAKER_00I think now the agnostics God has spoken through his word. Through his word, revelation. You know, I think of the book of revelation, like it is God speaking, revealing, not just, you know, with eyes, but revealing truth through his written word. What a gift we have. So we don't have to wonder what this creator is like, who this creator is. He tells us, like he gets this is who I am. Scripture from Genesis to Revelation reveals in so many ways, shapes, and forms who our God is. Like you want to know him, if you want to listen here, read. Like I loved that that moment in the sermon when he said, you know, if you want to hear God speak, let me show you what to do. He opened his Bible and, you know, he looked, you know, be intentional, posture yourself, like show me, like God wants to be found. He's not playing games with us, he's not a riddle to be solved. Like, really, that like it is so clear. We see he reveals his nature, his character, his identity through his holy word. This is his love letter. I want you to know me. I want, I want to know you, and now you know, he knows us, he knows the number of hairs on our heads, but in relationship, and so I'm just so thankful for the word of God.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I think creation then points us to seek God, and you know, some people, well, we can't find well, absolutely we can't. God has spoken. Yeah. You know, I know he made the point, Hebrews 1 and 2, both in the prophets and now through Christ, which we'll get to point three. But if you feel like you're not hearing from God, are you digging into his word? Are you allowing it to speak to you? Are you allowing it to change you, reveal? Yeah. I think that's so important that, and you mentioned one of your favorite sessions, you know, this weekend of why we can trust the Bible. The Bible is true, you know, and it is the Word of God. It's more than just a book. It's not a human book, it is a divinely inspired book that continues to speak today.
SPEAKER_00And so Yeah, and really it is not to be weird, but it's magic. I mean, the Bible, like I love to read. I have a lot of, you know, books that I'm reading now. I love to read, I love to learn, to grow, but nothing compares to the Word of God. I have read it many times, and I don't say that in a boastful way, because I feel like I'm just barely scratching the surface, you know, of and the more you read, the more you dig, so to speak, the more you find. It's like a never-ending treasure hunt, you know. I I have taught Bible studies on the Gospel of John in particular so many times, and it just never gets old for me, you know, and I see more of Jesus. And even the things that I know, like the Spirit of God, gives me a greater, or it might just be in given what I'm going through at a time in life, like it just is so there's relevance that wasn't there the the prior time I read it, or just I'm able to comprehend in a deeper way, in a greater way, something that I hadn't comprehended it before, but I could appreciate it even more. And so it's just a never-ending blessing, a never-ending treasure. He's it's the gift, just like Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving, so is the word of God.
SPEAKER_01And like you say, it never returns void, you know, no matter where we are in life. I read a lot too, enjoy it, but very few books have I ever read more than once, and I don't know if I've ever read any more than maybe twice. And like, hey, you got something out of it.
SPEAKER_00Aside from the Word of God, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Other than, of course, you know, but that's where the Bible just continues to I can't read it enough. Uh always feel like there's more to find.
SPEAKER_00Let's read that section, second section.
Reading Psalm 19 On God's Word
SPEAKER_00Just the what, again, and I just love, I have this when I hear it just so David was a man, he was a king, you know, a good king, uh celebrated. I mean, he beat Goliath. I mean, just think about these testimonies, they're not fables. The scripture reveals to us about this man, and I feel this connection with him when I read what he says about the word of God, you know, and so why don't you read verses seven through eleven?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, verse seven says, the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold, sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned, in keeping them there is great reward.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so this is a guy who had gold, and he said, I value He had a lot of gold, but he's saying, I value the word of God, the commandments, the law of the Lord, the testimony of the Lord, the precepts of the Lord, the commandment of the Lord, essentially the word of God, more than gold. And and listen, I'm a food guy, I appreciate food, I like honey. He's saying, sweeter than honey, than the drippings of a honeycomb. I mean, this is proverbial gold. The word of God is treasure. And I loved when he pointed out, like, hey, look at the verbs here. Right. You know, look at what the word of God does. You know, it revives, it makes wise, it causes and brings about rejoicing, it enlightens, you know, and we could go on and on, but man, this is this is good. Like, this is what we want for ourselves, what we want for anyone that we care about, our children, our wives. And so, yeah, God speaks through his word in such a way that it's so valuable. So let me just sometimes though, the word of God cuts, right?
When The Bible Cuts And Heals
SPEAKER_01It 100% does.
SPEAKER_00Like sometimes the word of God is a hard pill to swallow. It doesn't really taste like honey at times, but it's good, it's medicine. I think about, you know, Hebrews talks about it's sharper than a two-edged sword. Yeah. So I acknowledge that there are times where given what we're going through, struggling, sin, pride, whatever, like, you know, what the world may be saying, and we might be feeling the tug to like go along with what the world feels. And so there's that confrontation, you know, with like, man, this is how I feel, but the word of God is telling me like I can't go with that. You know, I mean, that there's that hard, I acknowledge that, but in the end, I would say, when all is said and done, even though, you know, essentially heart surgery had to take place, which isn't a pleasant thing, or you know, it was a hard pill to swallow in the end, like I'm so thankful. Like I and I can say proverbially in the same way that David did it sweeter, it's better than gold. This is what we need, this is what we want. Right.
SPEAKER_01And if we love truth, if again, like the adjectives here, perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, those should all things to be desired, and like you say, more desirable than gold, which other than buying you some things, what's it really good for? All of those adjectives are what we should want in our life. And I think he pointed out a few, but wherever you are in your life, you know, reviving, you know, making, and he said simple, you know, open-mindedness, rejoicing, enlightening, enduring, righteous, you know, all of again, those are things that wherever you are, God's word can meet you there and take you further. Absolutely. Cutting, encouraging, reviving, opening our minds, so many important ways that God's word speaks.
SPEAKER_00I love verse 11, where it says by the words of God, the word of God, your servant is warned. So, yeah, like we're admonished, we're exhorted, like, you know, like we are like it not only does scripture speak and testify and preach about who God is, but it also reveals who we are as sinners in need of a savior, like that we're not okay, like we need help, like, and that Jesus is that help. That's the third point, but but by them your servant is warned. So the the word of God doesn't just tell us, like, oh, you know, UBU, you know, like bless your heart, you know, and like that that's where it's a two-edged sword or it's a hard pill to swallow. Like we're warned. And but keeping them, and I just, you know, that could also be translated obeying them, right? Obedience, Jesus said, Whoever loves me, obeys me. In the Great Commission, we're told not just to make disciples, but we're in addition to that to teach them to observe as and obey everything He commands. But what David says is in obedience to the commands, to the law of the Lord, there is great reward, right? There is great, it's a profitable thing, a valuable, like you receive when you obey or keep the the word of God. The word of God speaks. Are you listening?
SPEAKER_01Right. Yeah, and like you say, times we're just not listening or we're just unfortunately so distracted, you know, other things that grab our attention rather than focus on the word of God. You know, so many people like, ah, I'm not a reader, but it's worth it. You know, whether it's reading, listening, I mean, we've done whole classes on studying the Bible. There's a lot of ways to do it, but it takes time, no matter what you're doing. That dedicated, I think John said at some point this weekend, like a relationship and closeness with God doesn't just happen. Right. So it's not just going to appear. There's a a drawing near through God's word, through prayer, through those things, and and taking the time to really dig into it because there's so much there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I think if you're not hearing, you know, I mean, I think that you can look at your life and and and assess and say, like, what potentially could be hindering my hearing? Like, like what noise is in my life, like what distractions? It could be sin, right, in your life that you need to repent of. Again, God doesn't play games, you know, and maybe you need to repent of sin and get sin. Sin isolates. Us, it hinders our ability to hear, or there might just be distractions, like you need to turn down the radio, so to speak, or you need to eliminate things that are drawing your attention elsewhere so that you can focus on and tune into the truth. God is speaking, you know. The question is, are you listening? I've shared this illustration before or this saying, but Adrian Rogers was one of one of the best preachers of all time out in Memphis, Tennessee. And he's past now, but one of, I remember hearing a sermon preached by him, and you can still find some of the sermons online, but he shared as a pastor, and I can relate to this, how people had come to him and seeking wisdom and just saying, like, I need to hear from God, like I need God to speak, and they're so desperate, you know, to hear from the Lord. And I've been in those places too, but his response to some of those people, and I think it's worthy of us to consider as well, is like God's not going to speak something new, a new word, until you're obedient to the word that he's already spoken. And so I think that as we assess, if we're having a hearing problem, if we're not hearing, that's one thing to assess. Like, like, is there something that God has spoken that I need to respond to, right? So there's sins of omission and commission, right? He who knows the right thing to do but does it not, to him it is a sin. Sin keeps us from hearing. So maybe it's just God's been commanding, leading, guiding you to do something, and you've been ignoring, rejecting, not listening. And so you can't expect God to give you another word until you're obedient to what he has already spoken. So I don't know, that was helpful and impactful for me. But yeah, God is speaking. He speaks through his creation loud and clear. He speaks through his word, loud and clear, and he, last point, speaks through his redeemer.
God Speaks Through The Redeemer
SPEAKER_01I love that. I think the last few verses, you know, verse 12, who can discern his errors, declare me innocent from hidden faults, we don't even know. Like, you know, again, we we, as I think this is something in the Christian walk, the further we walk, the more we realize, you know, our sin. And even as we're trying to be obedient, and we just recognize that brokenness within us. Absolutely. And it becomes more like you kind of come to faith, like, yeah, I'm a sinner, but God continues to reveal, and sometimes it's things we don't even know, those blind spots, like he mentioned, a good quote I heard, like never underestimate uh humanity's ability to self-justify. Like we always want to justify everything we do, and instead of just admitting that you know there's a brokenness that we have.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. And I think of the context here and the fact that King David wrote this psalm. And here he's acknowledging his need. Like there's humility here. And I think this is something where there's a there's a rub here, like our culture, people in our culture don't like to admit their need, like they have a need. Look, I'm good. They look at that murderer, that rapist on TV, and they think, oh man, I'm I'm good. Like I, you know, compared to that person. But even King David, who was a man after God's own heart, and God had used and blessed him in so many profound ways. God's hand was on him, and yet he acknowledged his here. Like, I need help. Like I have errors. Like, who can discern his errors? Like, like I'm I'm desperate here. Who can declare me innocent from hidden faults? Like I'm guilty before a holy, righteous God. And like David is acknowledging that. And this is what's pointing. So so endpoint, but he doesn't stop there, right? That last word, he refers to the Lord as his rock and his redeemer, who forgives, who redeems him from his error, from his iniquity. I love that, you know, and and I shall be blameless, you know, and innocent of great transgression. I'm a sinner. And he doesn't try to downplay his sin of great transgression, but yet because of God, my redeemer, I'll be I will be redeemed, forgiven, considered blameless, righteous before him, even though I'm not in reality, I will be considered or counted righteous because of my faith in the Lord.
SPEAKER_01Yep. And I think John mentioned it. I had heard it before, but Francis Schaefer, you know, his idea if you wanted to share the gospel and you had an hour, you know, with somebody on a train, you'd spend the first 50-55 minutes convincing them of their sin. Yeah. Because, like you said, our culture, we self-justify. I'm a pretty good person. I haven't done anything too bad. I can make up for it. That used to be my mindset before I came to faith. But you know, David lays out 12 years.
SPEAKER_00This is what I think so many, and I want to say this humbly, because this is what God did for me by his grace. I grew up in church. We were there every time the doors were open. I was president of our youth group. It was a large church. Me and my brother sang, I could quote scripture, you know, and John 3.16, all these things, and I looked apart, parted my hair to the side. You know, we were there Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, like our life was church, you know. But I wasn't saved. I thought I was. I wasn't a hypocrite in the sense that I didn't believe, like I thought I was good, I thought I was in right standing. And in fact, I I thought I was one of God's right hand man because of all the things that I did and the activities. But when I actually got saved, is many of you know the testimony, but part of that is what God did was reveal my need. You know, that I didn't just fall short of the glory of God, I fell short that I was a sinner in need of a savior, that I was like all those people that I judged, you know, and that I felt better, like those murderers and those rapists. Like, in essence, like I was just as in need as they were and are. And so, yeah, God, and that's a piece that I think so many people, you know. Oh, yeah, I believe in Jesus, I'll place my faith and trust in Christ, but they don't understand and know their need. This is why Jesus says, Blessed are the poor in spirit, like those who understand and know that when it comes to the kingdom of heaven, they bring nothing to the table. Like Jesus paid it all, Jesus did it. We need to rely on Jesus from beginning to end for everything in regards to our salvation and our right standing with the holy righteous God. So, yeah, like you, like Francis Safer, and and what Jonathan Noyes was saying, that's a piece that so many people don't understand. We need to, so the good news is not the good news unless it's tied to the bad news. The reason the new the in other words, the reason the good news, the gospel is so good is because there's bad news in there. Like you're a sinner in need of a savior, like the wrath of God will be poured out upon all who do not believe. Whoever does not believe is on the road to condemnation already, you know. So you need help. Right. Jesus is the solution, Jesus is the answer. He has come, he has made a way when there was no way. Like this is why it's so glorious and so good news. You know, it's not as good if we he just helps us, you know, an inch to reach the glory of God. No, he bridges the chasm that cannot be bridged, you know. He builds the bridge that cannot otherwise be bridged. He is the bridge. That's why it's such good news.
SPEAKER_01There's a real failure to recognize the severity of our sin, how serious it is.
SPEAKER_00And I think that's how offensive it is to a holy righteous guy.
SPEAKER_01In verse 13, like it'll enslave you. Yeah. Really, we are enslaved until we're freed in Christ.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But a lot of times we don't even realize it. Yeah. So I think, yeah, societally, culturally, just humanity, you know, we want to try to justify it's not that big a deal. I'm not hurting people, rather than realizing the separation between us and God. And ultimately it separates from others, but we don't even sometimes recognize it.
SPEAKER_00Your good point, Nate. So yeah, the 13 is David prays, let not sin have dominion over me. And so what he's acknowledging is there is the possibility that sin could have dominion over me, over us. And so, yeah, like we need to realize, you know, our vulnerability, our susceptibility, again, our need. Jesus is the answer to that need. Him alone.
SPEAKER_01It goes all the way back to Cain and Abel, you know, sin is crouching at your doorstep. At the door, absolutely. You gotta rule over it. But what we see here is the only way you're going to do that is through Christ. Absolutely. Everybody, if you're struggling with an addiction, whatever it is, maybe it's just distraction, time, all those things, it's gotta be through Christ, through the Redeemer, that we're going to be able to get free of that.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Yeah, God speaks. Are you listening, brothers and sisters? Do you have ears to hear? There's that constant admonition, like especially in the book of Revelation, it comes to mind, let him who has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So God is speaking. The question is, are we listening? Brothers and sisters, don't miss out. Listen.
Talking With Atheists And Agnostics
SPEAKER_01So hopefully this was really educational. I think as you think through relationships, maybe you have a friend who's an atheist. God speaks in creation. Use what we learn to point them to the creator.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Maybe you have somebody who's agnostic, you know, they they acknowledge a God, but they don't really acknowledge any real present. You know, God's just out there. Well, take them through God's word, show that God has spoken. And maybe you have somebody who's just, you know, maybe they're seeking, and you know, all of this has to get to Christ. That's ultimately where we want to go to say you are a sinner, you need a savior.
SPEAKER_00So I I loved Jonathan Noy's testimony. You know, what he shared was that he was an ardent atheist, passionate about his atheism. And so I do think that he's kind of really, even in the atheism camp, an anomaly, because what I find, and I say this humbly, I don't know everything, but I come across people who claim to be atheists quite frequently. But what I have found is that most of those who claim to be atheists, atheists aren't really atheists. And really what that is and that position is a path that I I guess essentially gets them a get out of jail free card. In essence, so that so rather than think through what they see and reconcile what they feel, they just pull the I'm an atheist card to keep to just say, Well, I don't have to think about that or answer that because I'm an atheist. And so really, I think so many people kind of fall into that camp. And so it's really not necessarily people who thought through or have arguments or, you know, or they just simply don't want to think about it. They want to keep doing what they're doing and not have to reconcile or have to repent. And so, yeah, I'm an atheist, so I can just keep doing these things. It's really the the easier route, you know.
SPEAKER_01And so I think a lazy way to do it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. And I really think it takes more faith, we've often said, to be an atheist than it does to even be a Christian, because it's really, and I will say that there are many Christians who don't really know what they believe, but that's the thing. I would say in even a larger scale, there are so many atheists who really don't even know what that really means, you know, simply aside from the claim as there is no God, like there's nothing. Because really what they're having to deny is the sunsets, the mountains that are proclaiming. They're literally, proverbially like the Pharisees who are sticking their ears in their ear and like I refuse to see that, I refuse to hear that, because if I hear that or see that, then I have to reconcile like what I'm seeing. I have to come to terms and have an answer for what I'm seeing. And that's why Romans 1 says that those that they're without excuse, because creation is preaching.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I'll just point out too, I think he said when we're talking to the next generation, a lot of the ardent atheists poor family life a lot of times, you know, like especially fathers, you know. So I think that was a good charge to the men of our church. A lot of the atheists, it's because of really broken parental relationships. Absolutely relationships a lot of times. So the important reason for us as believers, yes, to anger keeps us from hearing.
SPEAKER_00So people hurting people hurt people, and hurt people, I would say that that hurt can cause and bring about anger, and anger is absolutely an obstacle from seeing and hearing clearly.
SPEAKER_01So like you say, I find a lot of people, conversations with atheists, not that they don't believe, but a lot of times they're angry with God because of circumstances, because of things. So like that's another thing.
SPEAKER_00So they'll even acknowledge they call themselves an Who are you if you're an atheist, then who are you angry at? Like you can't be angry if you're an atheist. Like you just can't. But yet there's anger there. And so how do they again, that's something that they've got to reconcile. I don't need to reconcile it. They do, you know, but they don't want to. So there's just it's a lot of more complicated than people realize. Yeah. 100%. Yeah.
Together Sunday And Next Steps
SPEAKER_01Lifehouse Family, thanks for joining us. Again, hopefully you enjoyed the sermon yesterday. If you haven't listened, definitely go check that out on our YouTube channel. Uh watch that again. Hopefully our conversation furthers that. There's people around us all the time should be asking good questions of ourselves and of them that continue to point us to Christ and strengthen our faith. So and don't forget, this Sunday, this Sunday, together.
SPEAKER_00Together Sunday, one service, 10 a.m., Lord willing, we'll be out weather permitting, out front, in front of the cross of our church. I'm so excited about this. And again, the heart of it is to really facilitate an opportunity for all of us to be together. Right? We have two services. Essentially, it's two shifts of family, the family sitting down to eat the meal. This is where we're all gonna sit down at the table together. I just can't wait to hear people singing with one voice. My brothers and sisters, all of us together. The young, oftentimes, children don't come into the service for whatever reason, or people are serving in children's ministry. And again, we don't even see sometimes our our church family. No, this is every seat is gonna be filled at the table with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I can't wait. I'm looking for we're gonna do communion and we're gonna celebrate believers' baptism. Several people are going to declare their faith in Jesus in that manner. I can't wait. Me either. 10 o'clock. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. Yes. Be prepared.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, can't wait. Yeah. But Life House family, thanks for taking some time with us as always, and we look forward to seeing you next time. That's right.
