Day 2578 of 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Matthew 13:9 NIV

Thinking more about yesterday's verse and this world's rejection of the Gospel, and really, it's not surprising at all. Somewhere along the line, we humans got it in our mind that we know it all. We know what's right. We know what's wrong. We know what's important. We know what's worthless. We know what we want. We know what keeps us from getting our way. We know what we want to hear. And we know what we simply won't listen to.

That right there is quite possibly the biggest hurdle, or stumbling block, or challenge, or whatever you want to call it when it comes to sharing the Gospel around here. People have ears, but they don't always use them. They listen to something right up to the point that it becomes something that they don't want to hear. They will pay attention until they lose interest. They'll stay interested until they hear something that goes against the comfort and complacency that they crave.

And that's why this mission is so hard, so unpopular, and the results are so slim. That's why so many find the Gospel contemptuous, disdainful, and unappealing. It doesn't let us stay where we are. It doesn't let us do whatever we want to do. It doesn't let us keep skating by without a care in the world. It forces us to acknowledge our faults. It requires that we admit our guilt. It demands that we repent and change our ways. It makes us perfectly aware of the realness of sin and the horrendous dangers that it poses to those caught in its trap.

That's the part that nobody wants to hear. There's two parts to the Gospel, but so many people can't get past the first half. They get stuck in the beginning. They hear this truth that confronts their sins and forces them to acknowledge the shortcomings in their lives. But as soon as they hear that part, they tune the rest out. I guess maybe they figure that anything that starts off that blunt and that uncomfortable is only going to get worse.

But if they could just keep listening. If they would only keep their ears open and hear the full message. Yes, we're all sinners. We're all flawed. We've all made so many mistakes that we should constantly be walking around with our heads hung down in shame. We are broken. We are lost. We are hopeless. We are dead in sin. BUT!

But, we are loved. We are forgiven. We are set free. We are made new. We are given the chance to move past what we've done and who we've been and be something new. But sadly, so many never get to hear that second part because they get focused on the first half that confronts their sins. They stop listening when someone mentions sins, or mistakes, or responsibility, or change. They only want to hear what makes them feel good. And well, the Gospel just ain't worried about our feelings.

Please understand that there are two aspects of the message that we share. The first part hits hard. It opens our eyes. It shakes us out of comfort zone. It smacks us with the truth that we may have spent years trying to avoid. Don't get stuck there. Don't stop listening before you hear the other part. Don't tune it out when it's uncomfortable. There's a reason for it. We have to be moved out of our hiding places so that we can find our way to the hope we've been given.

Friends, the truth of the Gospel may hurt, but it also heals. It may require changes, but it brings rewards. It might start off offensive to our innate human desires to run wild, but it ends with a new-found freedom that running wild can't compete with. So don't just hear something, listen. Don't seek out what you want to hear, listen to what you need to hear. Don't stop when something becomes uncomfortable or inconvenient, push through to see the reason for the discomfort.

We are sinners, but we are saved. We are broken, but He has made us whole. We have no hope, but we're offered incredible promises. Sometimes there is tremendous beauty hidden in something painful and difficult. And the Gospel is a perfect example of that.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold