Where is the strangest place you’ve ever been stuck?
I know people who have been stuck in an elevator, on a roller coaster, in the mud… But the craziest story I heard is about a child who was stuck in an arcade game trying to get a stuffed animal.
Regardless of where, being stuck is no fun. And sometimes it is serious, even deadly.
Have you ever had a friend or relative that was hung up on some spiritual sticking point? Or maybe you are at that place in your life?
There’s a story in early Christianity about someone who was spiritually. You can read his story in Acts 826-38. An Ethiopian was on his way home from a trip to worship in Jerusalem. He was reading his Bible – the Old Testament prophet Isaiah – and got stuck. He didn’t understand. When Philip asked him, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ the man replied, ‘How can I, unless someone explains it to me?’
Have you ever felt that way? You want to move forward, you want to understand, you want to believe, but there’s something that prevents it. You’re not alone. Many of us have sticking points. So I want to talk about the four most common spiritual sticking points people have about God and faith. Maybe one is yours or a friend of yours.
Spiritual Sticking Point #1: I Can’t Believe
This is often an intellectual block. A question or objection stops them in their journey to Jesus.
- The Bible conflicts with science.
- If there’s a God, why does He allow all the bad things to happen.
- I prayed to keep my job and ended up unemployed anyway.
One of Jesus’ own disciples had this problem. Thomas could not believe in Jesus’ resurrection. He said, “Unless I see the nail prints in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25)
How do you get past this sticking point? The same way as the Ethiopian. He was actively seeking God. He went to the Temple. He was searching his Bible for answers. And God sent him someone to help.
If your sticking point is that you think you can’t believe, seek God. God isn’t playing hide-and-seek. If you search with your whole heart, you will find Him. When the Ethiopian searched for God, God sent Philip to meet Him. I believe it is no accident that you are here today.
Spiritual Sticking Point #2: I Don’t Want to Believe
Most won’t come right out and admit this one, but this stops many people. They just don’t want to talk about Jesus. You try to share reasons to believe and they just don’t want to hear it. They don’t think there is any real evidence. At first it seems like an intellectual sticking point, but often there is an emotional or moral issue going on.
They may be involved in an adulterous relationship, or illegal business practice or some other wrong. To reject the truth of God is a way to hide the fact that if they became a believer they would have to change their life. It’s like the Bible tells us… “We love our sin more than we love the truth.”
Well known atheist Aldous Huxley in talking about his rejection of a certain morality, once said, “We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom.”
Many are that way. They don’t want God to change their lives, so they manufacture reasons not to believe. But I wish they would put God to the test. If we compare what we give up to what we gain, it’s not a contest. God offers forgiveness, a clean conscience, security, guidance, hope, fulfillment, peace of mind, love, release from guilt, power to overcome destructive impulses, plus the promise of eternity.
If your spiritual sticking point is you don’t want to believe, for whatever reason, just consider the evidence. If Christianity is true, you have everything to gain. A Father who loves you and wants to bless you forever.
Spiritual Sticking Point #3: I don’t Know What to Believe
That was the Ethiopian’s sticking point. He read the Bible but didn’t really understand what he was reading. So Philip helped him understand.
People today can get really confused with all kinds of interpretations of the Bible, all the different denominations, and what seems like different positions all based on the same Bible. So they try to read the Bible and just don’t get it.
If that’s your sticking point, treat the Bible like you would treat any communication. To truly understand you must determine what the writer actually meant, not what you want him to mean.
Now there are certainly sections of the Bible that are left open for differing interpretations. But when it comes to the critical message of what you and I need to know the most, there’s a clear message.
One verse sums it up: Roans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ Sin has a payment of eternal death. But God offers a gift of eternal life through Jesus.”
You don’t have to know everything about the Bible to know something about the Bible. That one verse is clear about your sin and the salvation you can have through Jesus. Rather than get confused with issues, try to focus on the essentials.
Spiritual Sticking Point #4: I Do Believe; isn’t that enough?
Belief is not enough. John 1:12 tells us that ‘as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.’ Belief is the first step. Receive is the next step. It doesn’t become yours until you reach out and receive it.
That’s what the Ethiopian did. He believed what he read. Then he received the gift of salvation. He was baptized as a result of this salvation. If you are stuck at belief, take the next step.
Believe + Receive = Become.
Where are you on your journey? What obstacles stand in your way? Now can be the time you get unstuck and believe the truth, receive Christ, and become a child of God.
- Actively Seek God.
- Consider the Evidence.
- Focus on the Essentials.
- Believe and Receive.
(These thoughts are not original with me. I have pulled this from a recent sermon series examining the truth of Jesus, The Case for Christ.)