Day 2720 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Hebrews 10:23 NIV

You've probably heard someone utter the phrase 'put your money where your mouth is.' It means that it's time to do more than talk. It means that it’s time to back up what you’ve been saying and prove that you mean it. And judging by the condition of this world and just how amazing things are getting down here, (obviously a joke!), I think it's safe to say that we've reached that time in regard to our faith. It's time for us to do more than say the right words. It's time for us to make sure that our choices and their corresponding actions testify to our faith. It's time that we get to living the lives that we've talked about.

It’s time for us to find the fire inside that will help us stand up to the trials and persecution that are coming our way. You see, this world has been destined for disaster since Adam and Eve plucked that apple and shirked God’s command to not do so. And ever since that original sin, mankind has lavished in the opportunity to keep ignoring God’s commands and live as if we’re free to do whatever we wish without hesitating to think about the consequences. And all of that continued sin is ushering His righteous judgement ever closer.

And mankind hates it. They hate that a day of reckoning is in fact coming. They hate that one day the bill will come due. They hate to think that maybe what they’re doing isn’t right, but man, it’s just so much fun that they can’t bring themselves to stop. And they won’t tolerate anyone else who tries to warn them of what’s coming. We’ve been talking about how much we’re going to be hated, and we’d be fools to think that it’s somehow avoidable. It’s coming, and in fact, it has already begun. So, what are we going to do about it?

Are we going to cave to the pressure to shut up and go away? Are we going to compromise with the wicked who want us to stay quiet? Are we going to keep this truth we’ve found in Christ to ourselves? Are we going to live in fear of what mankind may do to us in order to silence us and our warnings of judgement day? Are we going to let go of our faith in order to appease the masses and find some immediate relief that makes the rest of our stay here more comfortable? Will we fail to do what Christ calls us to do? Will we surrender to this world and let them dictate who we are and how we live?

Or are we going to stand our ground, fight the good fight, share the Gospel, never shy from the truth, and hold tightly to the hope we have in Christ knowing that He is faithful and that our efforts will achieve for us a share in the promise He gave us?

One of the biggest things I think we all need to keep in mind is that we're not just going this for us. Our faith matters to more lives than just our own. Those around us, be it family or friends or coworkers or whatever the case, they're watching. They're looking. They're listening. They're paying attention because we've put the message out there that we're Christians. And for anyone who remains outside of our faith, as the world grows worse, they're going to grow more curious.

As evil spreads, they'll wonder a little more about this peace we talk so much about. As wickedness grows more popular, they'll find themselves getting a little more tired of all the nonsense and seeking a different path. As the darkness grows more dim, folks will grow more interested in any light that they can find. And that's where we're supposed to come in! We have a light. We have a hope. We have a joy. We have a peace. We have a purpose, a reason, a mission, a responsibility.

And that responsibility is to live such good lives among the delusional and depraved that we stand out as lighthouses on the shore for those who are lost in that tumultuous sea of immorality and trying to find their way to shore. We're to be torchbearers carrying a beacon of hope in this land of hopelessness. We're to be shepherds fighting to guard the flock and rescue as many as we can from the grasp of the wicked. We're here to be Christ's hands and feet. And friends, that takes a whole lot more than words.

Does this hope we claim to have found in Jesus mean enough that we're willing to put our lives on the line to prove it? Does our faith mean enough to us that we'll risk everything we have in this world to stand up for it? Do we believe firmly enough in Christ that we'll stare evil in the eyes and refuse to let them steal the souls of those around us? Are we willing to build our lives on the truth of God's Word so that the whole world can know exactly where we stand?

Are we willing to live our lives as bridge-builders with our only goals being to help the lost get found and Christ’s name be praised? Are we willing to stand in the gap, be hated, be judged, look silly, lose everything, lay down our very lives in order to help those who are willing to give Jesus a chance in their lives see that it is worth it? Or are we just trying to say all the right things in order to put on a show that has the world thinking we're something that we're not?

Friends, hope is something truly profound. It's something that this world simply can't take away. It's in our hearts. It's in our minds. It's something that we build our faith upon because we trust in the One in which we've found hope. Hope is something that we can all lean on to help keep our heads above the water that's rising quick. Hope is a lifeline that keeps us attached to our King as the world batters and beats us trying to pull us into the fold and drag us below the surface. Hope is something we have that many in this place are searching for.

So will we live our lives in such a way that testifies to this hope we say we have? Is it more than words? Is it just some pretty message that we feel good talking about, or is it truly a part of this journey of faith that we claim to be walking?

When we look around at what the world is becoming, it's easy to see that many are letting go. They're giving up. They're giving in. They're accepting defeat as the pressures to conform ratchet up and become more difficult to resist. The angry, the hateful, the vicious, the wicked in this place are going to do everything they can to undermine our faith and everything it stands for. And if we're not carefully building our lives upon a solid foundation of hope and faith and truth and trust in Christ, that pressure will slowly start to erode our weak foundation and we'll find ourselves unable to stand against it.

And sadly, we see that in many ways unfolding even in the church. Messages being shared that sound so worldly you'd think you were watching a news broadcast. Sermons being shared that are there only to make people feel good about themselves. Speakers encouraging people to put their hope in themselves and their ability to be successful in life. Churches putting on shows that bring the people entertainment yet leave their souls parched and unfed. Leaders who don't lead. Servants who won't serve. Self-proclaimed faithful leading lives that don't profess faith. Worriers who have chosen to let go of the hope they once professed.

It's not something that should come as a surprise because Scripture warned us that it would happen. Many will give up their faith. The love of many will grow cold. Many will crumble when tested. Many will shrink back when persecuted. Many will deny Christ. Many will turn to sharing lies. Many will conform to the ways of this world in order to maintain a following and sense of success and popularity. Many will have a form of godliness yet deny its power. Many will distort and pervert the Gospel into something they can use for their own personal gain or glory.

Many will simply give up holding tightly to the faith they once professed and will instead give way to the desires of the flesh and the pressures of world that seem to have more power than they can resist.

Our hope isn't in worldly success. It's not based on people liking us. It isn't aimed at a prize of earthly comfort. Our hope is in Christ, and that's the only place it needs to be. We can't water it down with any other worries or concerns. We can't avoid it when things get hard. We can’t turn and run when the world comes at us with things like hatred or accusations. Again, this isn't just about us. This is about those who we're here to help. And what better way to show them just how powerful our faith is and just how faithful our Savior is than to lay it all on the line and refuse to let go?

It is time to put our money where our mouth is. Or better yet, it's time to put our faith where our mouths are. It's time to live this life that we've talked so much about. It's time to shine this light that we've been given in the midst of all this darkness. It's time to rise to this occasion knowing that we were created for such a time as this. And people need to see just how strongly we believe in the One who sent us into all the world to carry His message of salvation to those who can still be saved by hearing it.

Friends, what is your faith worth, and are you willing to prove it? If it's just words or fame or a means to some other worldly end, then I hope you realize just how hollow and meaningless it is. And as things get worse, those hollow words won't do you or anyone else any good whatsoever. Unswervingly. Unafraid. Unrelenting. Unstoppable. Unworried. Unashamed. Unwilling to bend, to give, to break. That's the only kind of faith that will get us through what's coming. And it's the only kind of faith that will help others see that we truly mean what we say when we talk about our trust in Christ.

Jesus is faithful. He came to this earth to offer us all forgiveness, reconciliation, and freedom. And when He left, He left us with a promise of a home that we have waiting on the other side of eternity. And one day, possibly quite soon, He will return and lead the faithful to the fulfillment of that beautiful promise. Will you be found among the faithful? Will you have withstood the pressure of this world's wickedness? Will you have managed to help anyone else find Christ and put their hope in that gift He gave them and the promise it holds?

This is far bigger than us, but it does start with us. It starts with us building a relationship with Christ that we focus on strengthening every single day. It starts with us learning the truth of the Gospel and studying Scripture and seeking out the humility that leads to constant growth in faith. It starts with us taking hold of the hope that Christ offers us. And then, once we've done that, then we take it to the world and help others do the same. Because in the end, it won't matter who likes us or how popular our messages were to those who heard them. All that will matter is how tightly we're holding to the hope we've professed.

Because in the end, hope is all any of us will have left.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold