The Most Dangerous Verse in the Bible - Leaders' Talks

Hey, I'm Steve Holt, the senior pastor of the Road at Chapel Hills.

This is the Road Podcast.

Thanks for joining us.

My heart is to empower you to change the world.

I hope this message impacts you.

Here now is our guest speaker.

How many of you have heard me speak before?

Okay, so good.

We know each other.

So I'm excited to share the word of the Lord with you.

To be honest with you, this is not the word of the Lord I wanted to share.

I uh I had kind of some other things in my heart, but the Lord kept bringing me back to this message, and this is actually a message that I have spoken many times.

And it is something that I honestly come back to in my own life probably about every six months to a year.

I've been in ministry for over 20 years, and there's just something about, I don't know, just being in the fight and staying in the fight and just being renewed day by day.

But I'm going to share with you, here's the title of my message, the most dangerous verse in the Bible.

Everybody say dangerous.

Alright?

How many know that sometimes when you read the Bible it's dangerous?

Okay?

I mean, you read something and you're like, whoa, where did that come from?

Like, wow, that is that is mind-blowing.

We have several different types of scriptures when you read the Bible.

Um let me start with foundational scriptures.

Um maybe you know this one, maybe you've heard it.

For God so loved that he only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him perish everlasting life, right?

Gospel.

All right?

Gospel in a nutshell right there.

How about this one?

All have sinned and fall short.

The glory of God.

It's a foundational verse, right?

We can we can bank on it.

It it sets the tone, it sets the foundation, it's a pillar in our faith.

We've all sinned, and the wages of sin is, but the gift of God is eternal life.

So we have, even though we have a penalty to pay, we know a foundation in our doctrine, in our theology, is that we have eternal life and we don't have to pay the penalties because he's paid the price.

How about this one?

Jeremiah 29, 11.

For I know the plans I have for you, not to harm you, but to give you hope.

And a future, all right.

It's a promise, right?

It's a foundational scripture that we can stand on.

Ephesians 2.8.

For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.

It is the gift of God, right?

So these scriptures are foundational scriptures.

Now let me now let me talk about monumental scriptures, outlandish scriptures.

The ones that you read and you go, how am I ever going to fulfill that?

There's no way.

Listen to this one.

Do not love the world.

Or anything in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

I'm like, let's all just go home.

Nobody can do that.

I mean, it seems so unattainable, right?

You're like, but but see, these monumental scriptures like that actually kind of are a pinnacle and something that we can shoot for and we can't achieve on our own, we have to rely on Him, right?

How about this one?

This one's scary, I'm telling you.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life.

Such a person cannot be my disciple.

I'm like, is that really in the Bible?

I have to hate everybody around me, including myself?

Like, there's no way.

And it just kind of blows your mind.

So you've got these monumental, you got foundational scriptures, then you've got these other scriptures.

Oh, here's a good one.

This is a really good one.

If any man lacks wisdom, you should do what?

Ask of God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and he'll be given to him.

When you ask, you must believe and not what?

Doubt.

And then listen to this part.

Because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.

That person shall not expect to receive anything.

Everybody say anything.

That person shall not receive anything from the Lord if you doubt.

Are you depressed as well as yourself?

Alright.

How many of you have found yourself doubting many times in your life?

Alright.

Okay, so here's the thing.

We have these scriptures that are these monumental, I mean statements of faith, and yet we can still believe, not because we're so, you know, we feel like we can attain, but because he can attain through us, right?

We have to rely on him.

Well, now, foundational scriptures, monumental scriptures, and then let's talk about dangerous scriptures.

Then the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry?

Why is your face downcast?

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?

But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door.

It desires to have you, but you must rule over it.

Sounds like a warning to me, right?

Do what's right, or guess what's happening?

What's going to happen?

Destruction is coming.

It's going to devour and destroy you.

Therefore, here's another one.

Therefore, whatsoever you have spoken, oh, this one's really scary.

Whatever you have spoken in darkness will be heard in the light.

And that which you have spoken in the ear, in a closet, shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

Does that scare anybody else besides me?

The things that you whisper in private.

I mean, I don't want you guys to know some of the things that I've said, especially when I'm in traffic.

But this is what the scripture says.

This is in the Bible, guys.

He's saying there's nothing hidden that will not be revealed.

Nothing spoken that will not be shouted from the mountaintop.

Crazy.

But this is not the most dangerous scripture in the world.

In fact, I was thinking, what is?

What would be the most dangerous scripture in the entire Bible?

And I came across this scripture, and I just want you to know that before I read this scripture, the verse I'm going to talk about will determine for you and for me whether or not you end up as a success or as a failure.

The verse is so dangerous that I'm going to talk about that it will determine whether or not you end up a spiritual wimp or a spiritual warrior.

How many want to be a spiritual warrior?

Alright?

Well, this verse is so dangerous that it's going to determine.

It's going to determine maybe even whether you fulfill your destiny here on earth, or whether you just float through life and just kind of exist.

This verse, how many of you have kids?

Okay?

Alright, several hands up.

Will determine how your kids end up.

Whether or not they serve God or not.

This verse is so dangerous, it could even determine your destination in hell or in heaven.

Do you want to know what the verse is?

I'm not going to tell you.

First, I want to tell you a story of two buses.

On the first bus, there's a man with a microphone, and he's standing at the front of the bus, and he's talking to everybody in the bus.

And there's little Johnny with his parents, and he's making a fuss, and she's correcting him and trying to get him to sit still.

And there's a young couple, and they're, you can tell that they're in love, and they're irritating everybody, you know, whispering in each other's ear.

There's an older couple, more seasoned couple, and they're all sitting there as a pleasant scene.

And then the man at the microphone he says, I want you to look to your right.

He said, He said, Look this direction.

He said, Do you see that field that's right there?

He said, in that field, there was a famous battle that took place.

In fact, what happened in that field determined the outcome of the war and the freedom that we are enjoying today.

People look over and they just kind of he's telling a little bit more about what happened in the war and different things.

They went a little bit further down the road and he said, Now look this direction.

He said, You see that rock that kind of in the middle of that field there?

He said, That's where General So-and-so got up and he addressed his troops.

He said they had put their tents up all around and they were getting their ammo and their weapons all ready.

He called them all together and he said, Men, this is our moment.

And he gave this famous speech.

He said, We're outnumbered, but this is your moment to rise and to fight and to defend our freedom.

Bus number one.

Bus number one.

Bus number two happened years earlier.

It's moving down the road.

And there's also a man at the microphone, and he's giving instructions.

And he makes this statement, he says, Men.

And he looks down the row, and everybody's neatly sitting very staunch and regimented.

He said, I want you to look down this direction.

He said, our intelligence tells us that very likely that we will encounter the enemy in that field.

He said, I want you to look.

He said, snipers, I want you to look and find places to perch and to fortify.

He said, You see that hill?

We anticipate that they'll come right over that hill and we want to set an ambush for them.

Every head in the bus turns and looks.

They drive down the road a little bit further.

And the man says, Okay, I want you to exit.

I want you to get your tent set up, and then the general's gonna address us right over on that rock.

They all get their gear and everything ready, and then they meet him, and the general gets up and he says, Gentlemen, it's time.

It's time for us to fight and to win our freedom.

Bus number two.

Here's the question I have for you.

Number one, bus number one.

Bus number two.

Two very different perspectives, right?

So here's the question I have.

Who do you think heard and understood the instructions of the man at the microphone better?

Bus number one or bus number two?

What do you think?

Two.

Everybody said two, and everybody gave me the peace sign earlier.

Why is that?

Simple.

What I call bus number one is being on vacation mode.

It's pleasant.

It's fun.

Not a care in the world.

They're just driving down the road, listening, kind of half-heartedly, you know, engaged.

This is what I would call the American Church by and large.

Just let's just let's just ride on the bus.

Yeah, Pastor Steve, you know, that's a great vision, and you know, it's cool, and I'll show up on Sundays and stuff, but you know, I I'm you know, I'm living my life, and you know, give me instructions on the microphone and I'll listen, but you just don't ask me to do anything.

Don't require any commitment.

Then you got bus number two, who they understood that this is a battle.

Some of the men that turned and looked in the field were literally looking at their future grave.

Why did they pay attention?

They understood that because of the situation that they were in, because of the battle that was upon them, they needed every instruction so that they could fight and they could be effective.

So, what's the most dangerous scripture in the Bible?

2 Samuel 11:1 says this.

2 Samuel 11:1

In the springtime, when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army.

They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.

But David remained in Jerusalem.

Can we say that together in that last line?

But David remained in Jerusalem.

War was upon them.

It was a season, not of vacation, not of prosperity.

It was a season of battle.

David had always, in the springtime, assembled his men, led them, led the charge.

But for some reason, this springtime, he made a conscious decision.

You know, I think I'm gonna send Joab out.

And I'm gonna stay back.

You guys go fight, I'm gonna stay back in Jerusalem in my palace.

My brother, who's an amazing uh speaker, pastor, he told me one time, he said, Ryan, he said, um, as you make sermons and stuff and you know begin to preach, and because I was kind of new to preaching, he said, uh, just remember this.

He said, those who ask the best questions preach the best sermons.

I never forgot that.

So I was reading this, and all of a sudden I had a question pop up in my service.

Why of all years did David decide to say home?

This is this is the only account that we have where a battle was, and David decided, you guys go ahead.

So I just began to seek the Lord.

God, what what is it that caused David to stay back?

He was a mighty warrior, he never lost a battle, and for some reason he just said, no.

And I got five five reasons, five theories, if you will, of why David stayed home.

The reason I believe David stayed home, first off, was I believe he was tired.

How many of you would say you're tired of everything that's gone on the last year?

I'm just tired.

And have you ever been around somebody who's tired?

That just talks about how tired they are all the time?

Man, I'm so tired.

And before long, you're like, me too.

I'm just like, I'm exhausted.

You know what people do on their day off?

You know the number one statistic is what people want to do on their day off?

Sleep.

I don't think it's a sleep problem.

I think sometimes it's a spiritual thing.

I think I think we're tired in ways that we're not willing to maybe be honest with ourselves.

And then don't get me yawning.

If I was to yawn right now, I'd probably have 15 people right here would yawn with me.

It's contagious, I'm telling you.

Tiredness.

And what happens is that we start buying into this mindset of how tired and exhausted we are.

We talk about it, you know, and but it's okay to be weary.

Okay?

Because this is what Jesus said.

Come to me, all you that are what?

Weary, and I will give you rest.

So it's not that we're not going to be tired or weary.

I think it's the second half of that verse.

Come to me, all you that are weary, and I will give you rest.

But we're like, no, I need more sleep.

No, I need more time off.

No, I need more vacation.

No, I need this.

And sometimes I think that we handle spiritual battles in a physical way when really it's a spiritual matter.

Our tiredness is not just, oh, and and you know what the rest of that verse is?

It's crazy.

I mean, when I first saw this, come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I'm meek, and loading you'll find rest to your soul.

Did you guys you guys see the imagery there?

Take my yoke up.

If you're tired, if you're weary, come on, let's take my yoke upon you and let's go work.

But now you're going to be working with me.

Yoked up with me.

And I think that's the problem.

I think, I think it's not it's not that there's too much work, there's too much to do, all that.

I think that we we lose our yoke as we're working and as we're going through the life.

First reason I believe David stayed home was he was tired.

Second reason I believe that David stayed home was he said, there are other people that are capable and they don't need me.

Did you notice in the passage of scripture how that David looked at Joab and he said, Joab, you are well qualified to go and fight the battle.

Go fight.

And they won.

They won!

And David's thinking, like, see, I was right, they don't even need me.

And yet, as learned the story, there is another battle happening behind the scene in David's life that caused destruction in his own life in his home.

There's kind of a rule or a law.

It's the 2080 rule.

Have you heard of this rule?

Typically in churches, 20% of the people do 80% of the work.

Have you heard this law?

Well, don't you think that the 20% after a while are gonna be like, I've been working in the nursery for 47 years.

I hate kids.

I mean, come on, somebody else, step up.

Come on, you 80% that's doing nothing.

Come on.

And after a while, it's like, you know what?

I'm not doing this anymore.

There's other people that can say, and let me just say this the job will get done.

God will see things.

To it that his kingdom is established and his kingdom moves forward.

The job will get done with or without you.

But man, don't fall into the trap of this ain't my battle.

Don't end up on this bus just floating along when you are called, anointed, equipped, gifted to fulfill your role in the kingdom of God.

But it's so easy, isn't it, to say somebody else can do it.

They are well capable.

Go ahead.

Cheer you on.

And yet, you know what you're called to do.

You know what you're anointed to do.

You know what God, you know what that if you don't do it, you won't find the fulfillment and the satisfaction and the joy in your life.

He was tired, number one.

I believe David looked around and he said, they don't need me.

I've got plenty.

Plenty of well-qualified people.

I'm sure the worship academy is going to be great without me.

Unless you're called to worship.

Three.

I believe David at times was too busy.

David, too many.

There is too much to do.

How many of you find that there's too much to do and not enough time?

Alright, am I the only one?

I'm like, the end of the day, I'm like, have you ever got to the end of the day and you're like, what did I actually accomplish?

I feel like I was doing stuff all day.

I remember one time I sat down with and I made out my things-to-do list.

I'm a things-to-do list guy.

And I was writing, I had 19 things.

And I'm like, it ain't happening.

So I just said, Lord, help me, help me to prioritize on what you've actually called me to do instead of just doing a bunch of stuff, busy work.

There's a kingdom to run here.

Joab.

I got kingdom stuff to do.

We got mouths to be fed.

We got a budget to be, a budget to be balanced.

We got problems.

We got stuff.

I mean, I got laws that I need to make.

And this happens to churches too.

You know, we got services that need to happen.

We got children's ministry that needs to be run.

We got food ministry that needs to be distributed.

And we get so busy doing the stuff.

Just focusing on, you know, the music was too loud today.

I shouldn't say that.

The wrong guy to say that.

You know that I've actually had people come to me and say the music isn't loud enough?

And we start nitpicking.

And we get so busy focused on all these things in the church life, and bylaws and things that need to be done, meetings and all that stuff, that we just forget sometimes that this is a battle.

And I don't care if your feelings get hurt.

I mean, I know we got covenant harmony and everything, but feelings are going to get hurt.

But guess what?

Feelings and stuff and busyness is going to happen in the midst of battles.

It's chaotic.

But we still have to fight.

We still have to fight.

And we can't get too busy to forget that the enemy is out to steal, to kill, and to destroy.

And we have to fight against him.

Heard this quote: The devil fights prayer because he knows it's the only thing that fights him.

In his book, Too Busy Not to Pray, Bill Hylos quotes the great reformer, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.

Wow.

That's putting the spiritual first.

You know what I find?

I find that when I really do seek the Lord at the beginning of my day, my day goes so much smoother.

And I get, I'm so much more effective.

Because I put the spiritual first.

There's a battle that I'm in.

Gird myself up with the armor of God so that I go out equipped with the weapons of the warfare that I need to fight my day.

He was tired, number one.

Others are capable, they don't need me.

Number two.

Number three, I believe he was just too busy.

Like, I don't have time to go into battle today.

You guys go ahead.

Number four, I believe he's thought in his mind there's too much to conquer.

What can I even do?

I'm just one man.

Have you ever thought that during the pandemic?

What can I do?

I mean, this world is going to hell in a handbasket.

I mean, all around me.

And I don't see.

I don't see what I can actually contribute.

There's a disease running rampant in the body of Christ today.

It's called overwhelmed.

Everybody say overwhelmed.

I didn't say overwhelm.

Because how many know that during this pandemic, there's not a single person who didn't encounter being over having overwhelm?

Things are going to overwhelm us.

Every one of us were like, what is going on?

Well, I'm talking about overwhelmed.

I believe there's a state that we get where we're not just encountering overwhelm because life will give you that.

But I'm talking about a conquered mindset that I am completely overwhelmed to the point that I am paralyzed and I don't even know what to do.

How many have felt that before?

That it's coming at so hot and heavy and so fast, like, ugh, I'm just gonna sit down.

Do nothing.

I don't even know what to do.

You know what I like to do is I like to I like to clean the garage.

Is there any men that are with me that like to clean the garage?

Some guys, you know, I know.

I really don't like to clean, but I do like to clean the garage.

You want to know why?

It's because when I clean the garage and I get everything in its place neat and tidy, I can forget about it for three months.

Guys, isn't that a wonderful feeling?

When it's clean, everything's put away.

You know what job I don't like to do?

Mow the grass.

I hate mowing the grass.

You know why?

Like five days later, I've mowed it like five days ago, and it's already grown up.

Come on!

Can I tell you this?

Your spiritual fight is much more like mowing the grass than it is like cleaning the garage.

It's an ongoing thing.

It's an ongoing thing.

You have to fight the good fight.

And by the way, it is a good fight.

You wouldn't call it good if it wasn't good.

It's good for you.

It's good for you to fight.

Man, can you imagine just never fighting, never accomplishing, never struggling, the end of the life?

Just, you know, I had my American dream, my house, white picket fence, my 2.5 kids, I mean my retirement, retired at 70.

I'm but I don't know, accomplish something.

It's a good fight.

He's asking us to do this.

He's asking us to go into enemy territory.

But there's this tendency for us to get overwhelmed at times.

Joyce Meyer said this: don't fail to do anything just because you can't do everything.

I'm just one person.

What does it matter?

Whether I'm in the fight or not.

I'm just one guy.

We're gonna take a little bit of a turn here.

Number one, he was tired.

Number two, somebody else can do it.

Well qualified.

Number three, he was busy.

Number four, too much to conquer.

What can I do?

Number five, this one hit me really hard.

And I know we're gonna get a little more serious now.

But I believe that sometimes David got tired of dealing with the casualties.

What am I talking?

What do I mean?

Do you know that a part of any battle, just what goes along with it, is a thing called casualties.

So we get a call into the church.

So-and-so, been a part of the church for many years, says, I just got back from the doctor, and it's a fatal diagnosis.

Pastor Steve, the leadership, we're like, no, this is not gonna stand.

We're gonna fight, we're gonna believe, we're gonna stand.

Come on, people.

And we get down on our knees and we pray and we pray and we pray and we fast and we fast and believe.

And the person dies.

Do you know I've been around a lot of pastors and leaders over the years?

Do you know that there's not one pastor, not one leader that I've ever talked to who has told me it all turns out like I want it to?

My ministry and my life is filled with casualties.

Things that I've prayed and believed for, and then it went a different direction.

Have you ever prayed or believed for that lost son, daughter?

And the more you pray, the worse they get?

Or that coworker.

And you're standing, you're believing, you're fighting, you're fighting, and it's a battle! This is a battle! We're fighting! You're all fired up, and then it turns out not like you thought.

Well, then about three months later, somebody else calls in and they've got a sick sickness.

The pastor's like, come on, guys, it's time to fight.

And a lot of the people are thinking, like, well, you know, you thought last time and it didn't work.

Can I just be real with you all?

These thoughts that come through our mind, disappointment, frustration, life, this fallen world that we live in, failure, defeat.

Every one of us at some point in our life have to decide whatever the outcome, good or bad, I'm still gonna fight.

A couple weeks ago I had probably 30 people come up to me.

I don't know what it was.

It was the week that Nathan led Oh Hell King Jesus, and then um the I can't remember the songs on the second set.

And I'll just tell you, like, all day I felt depressed and down.

Can I tell you that there's many times I sat behind this keyboard and I don't feel like going to battle?

I mean, I've led worship thousands of times over years and years and years.

It was one of the more down times in my just spiritual life.

And everybody came out and like, man, that was the best worship I think we've ever had.

I'm like, really?

But see, I made a decision a long time ago that I will bless the Lord.

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

I I made a choice that I'm gonna show up and I'm going to worship, and I'm going to praise, and I'm going to go to battle.

And even when things are bad around me, I'm not giving up.

Even when things look worse, the more I pray, I'm still gonna press in and I'm still gonna fight the battle.

If you've been dealing with casualties, if you've been dealing with disappointment, just know it's not the time to quit.

It's the time to step up.

Because here's the thing when I am weak, yes.

Sometimes it's at our point of our weakest place that he picks us up and he just, I'm just gonna give you a little bit a little bit of umcture there from the Holy Spirit to help you.

So why is this scripture so dangerous?

Well, let me read the rest of the scripture.

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army.

They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.

But David remained in Jerusalem.

Not going to go today.

Let's go on to verse number two.

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around the roof of the palace.

From this roof he saw a woman bathing.

The woman was very beautiful.

And David sent someone to find out about her.

The man said she is Bathsheba, the daughter of Elion and the wife of Uriah, the Hittite.

I believe that if we're not careful, there are moments in our life when the battle!

It's time to seem like, come on, guys!

We're like, nah, not today.

It's dangerous.

It's dangerous when you know you're called to fight and you lay back.

You open yourself up.

You open yourself up to temptation, to difficulty, and there's just this moment that we have to rise up.

In fact, David in Psalm 51, in response to what he did with Bathsheba and then killing her husband, cold blood, said, Have mercy on me, God.

According to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.

Wash away, he was such a good repenter.

And if we would just repent and confess, wash away my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin.

My transgressions are always before me.

Against you.

You only have I sinned.

Not against Steve and the church and whatever.

It's against him.

It's against God.

God has called you to do some things.

God has called you to fight.

Fight for your family.

Fight for your community.

And then this is a scripture that has been a dear part of my life for many years.

I pray this probably weekly.

Create in me a clean heart, oh God.

Recraft my heart.

It's gotten hard and cold, dry, callous.

I mean, telling you, even as a pastor, I fight it, growing stagnant or growing cold.

Creating me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence, which is exactly what I deserve.

Shouldn't even be here right now.

Do not cast me from your presence.

Take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation.

Man, how long has it been since you just had joy in your salvation?

Wake up in that day.

I'm forgiven.

I'm forgiven.

You know, one definition of the word joy is calm delight.

Because I always think of joy, not like people coughing all the time and giggling.

But one definition is just you're riding in your car and you're just smiling.

Just by yourself.

Just joy.

All things have been since you had a joy in his salvation.

And grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.

So there's the salvation part from him.

That's where we get our joy from.

But then it says also restore to me a willing spirit.

Well even when I don't feel it, to sustain me.

Hey, thanks for listening to the Road Podcast.

It's been my joy to be a part of your life today.

And you know, that's part of what we do here at The Road, and this is what I do in having this Road Podcast is to empower people to change their world.

My passion and desire is that you would take God's word through the power of the Holy Spirit and make that relevant for your life.

You know, the reality is that God has placed your life here on this earth to make a difference.

And if you'd like more information about how to grow in Christ, if you need prayer, if you want more equipping in different areas of your life, go to theroad.org.

God bless you.