Decisive Truth: Overcoming Indecision in Faith
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, Grace Bible Church. Today, we delved into the story of King Herod, John the Baptist, and Herodias from Mark 6:14-29. We began with the familiar nursery rhyme of Humpty Dumpty to illustrate the precariousness of indecision. The central question we explored was whether we can sit on the ledge of indecision regarding the truth and not suffer a tragedy. Elijah's challenge to Israel in 1 Kings 18:21, "How long will you waver between two opinions?" set the stage for our discussion.
In Mark 6, we see three main characters: John the Baptist, who lived out the truth; Herod, who wavered in indecision; and Herodias, who was hostile to the truth. John the Baptist's unwavering commitment to God's truth ultimately cost him his life. Herod, on the other hand, was fascinated by John but never allowed the truth to transform his life, leading to his tragic decision to execute John. Herodias, driven by her hostility towards the truth, manipulated Herod into killing John.
We examined how indecision regarding the truth can lead to personal and communal tragedy. Herod's fear of losing his platform and his inability to purge sin from his life resulted in the death of an innocent man. This story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of indecision and the importance of making a decisive commitment to God's truth.
We also reflected on our own lives, recognizing that we can be like Herod, Herodias, and even John in moments of weakness. However, the greater tragedy of Jesus' crucifixion leads to our triumph. Jesus' decisive act of suffering and dying for our sins offers us the opportunity for redemption and transformation. If we find ourselves broken and indecisive, we can turn to Jesus, the King who can put us back together.
### Key Takeaways
1. Indecision Leads to Tragedy: Herod's inability to make a decisive commitment to the truth led to the tragic execution of John the Baptist. Indecision regarding God's truth can result in personal and communal tragedy, as it prevents us from living out the transformative power of the Gospel. [01:00:41]
2. Fear vs. Love: Herod feared John the Baptist and found his teachings compelling, but he did not love God enough to let the truth transform his life. Fear of God may lead to guilt and shame, but only love for God can bring about true transformation and a desire to live according to His will. [01:02:13]
3. Purging Sin: Being puzzled by the truth without purging sin from our lives leaves us in a state of indecision. Herod found John interesting but did not allow his teachings to change his sinful behavior. True commitment to God's truth requires us to actively remove sin from our lives. [01:06:38]
4. Platform vs. Principles: Herod chose to protect his platform over adhering to his principles, leading to John's execution. We must prioritize God's truth over our personal or professional platforms, even if it means facing opposition or losing status. [01:10:54]
5. Cost of Christianity: Following Jesus is costly and requires sacrifice. If our faith costs us nothing, we may be riding the fence of indecision. True discipleship involves giving up our comfort, resources, and sometimes our reputation for the sake of the Gospel. [01:14:44]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[43:12] - Introduction to the Series
[43:39] - Humpty Dumpty and Indecision
[44:42] - Elijah's Challenge
[45:42] - Main Characters in Mark 6
[47:03] - Herod's Fear and Guilt
[48:18] - Herod's Relationship with John
[50:03] - Herodias' Grudge
[51:40] - Herod's Foolish Promise
[53:22] - The Dance and the Request
[55:21] - The Execution of John
[56:25] - Identifying the Characters
[57:52] - The Cost of Following Christ
[59:07] - Herod's Indecision
[01:00:41] - Indecision Leads to Tragedy
[01:02:13] - Fear vs. Love
[01:06:38] - Purging Sin
[01:10:54] - Platform vs. Principles
[01:14:44] - Cost of Christianity
[01:20:15] - Christ's Decision Leads to Our Triumph
[01:23:39] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Mark 6:14-29 - The story of King Herod, John the Baptist, and Herodias.
2. 1 Kings 18:21 - Elijah's challenge to Israel: "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
#### Observation Questions
1. What were the different opinions people had about Jesus in Mark 6:14-16? How did Herod react to these opinions? [47:03]
2. Why did Herodias hold a grudge against John the Baptist, and what did she want to do about it? [50:03]
3. How did Herod's indecision and fear of losing his platform lead to the execution of John the Baptist? [55:53]
4. What was Elijah's challenge to the people of Israel in 1 Kings 18:21, and how does it relate to the story of Herod and John the Baptist? [44:42]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Herod's fascination with John the Baptist but failure to act on his teachings illustrate the danger of indecision regarding the truth? [50:35]
2. In what ways did Herod prioritize his platform over his principles, and what were the consequences of this choice? [01:10:54]
3. How does the story of John the Baptist's execution serve as a cautionary tale about the cost of following Jesus and the importance of decisive commitment to God's truth? [57:52]
4. How does Elijah's challenge in 1 Kings 18:21 apply to modern-day believers who may be wavering between following God and other influences?
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you were indecisive about a moral or spiritual truth. What were the consequences of your indecision, and how can you learn from that experience? [01:00:41]
2. Herod feared John the Baptist but did not love God enough to let the truth transform his life. How can you cultivate a deeper love for God that leads to true transformation rather than just fear and guilt? [01:02:13]
3. Are there any sins in your life that you find interesting or compelling but have not yet purged? What steps can you take this week to actively remove these sins from your life? [01:06:38]
4. Have you ever faced a situation where you had to choose between protecting your platform (e.g., job, reputation) and adhering to your principles? How did you handle it, and what would you do differently now? [01:10:54]
5. Following Jesus is costly and requires sacrifice. What is one specific area in your life where you can make a sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel this week? [01:14:44]
6. How can you ensure that your faith is not just a matter of fear but a genuine relationship with God built on love? What practical steps can you take to deepen this relationship? [01:05:49]
7. Think of a person in your life who is curious about faith but indecisive. How can you engage them in a spiritual conversation this week to help them make a decisive commitment to God's truth? [01:21:57]
Devotional
Day 1: The Danger of Indecision
Indecision can have severe consequences, as illustrated by Herod's tragic choice to execute John the Baptist. Herod was fascinated by John and his teachings but never allowed the truth to transform his life. His inability to make a decisive commitment to God's truth led to personal and communal tragedy. This story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of wavering between two opinions and the importance of making a firm commitment to God's truth. Indecision prevents us from experiencing the transformative power of the Gospel and can lead to devastating outcomes. [01:00:41]
1 Kings 18:21 (ESV): "And Elijah came near to all the people and said, 'How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.' And the people did not answer him a word."
Reflection: Think of a decision you have been putting off regarding your faith. What steps can you take today to make a firm commitment to God's truth in that area?
Day 2: Fear vs. Love
Herod feared John the Baptist and found his teachings compelling, but he did not love God enough to let the truth transform his life. Fear of God may lead to guilt and shame, but only love for God can bring about true transformation and a desire to live according to His will. Herod's fear kept him from embracing the truth fully, leading to his tragic decision to execute John. This highlights the importance of moving beyond fear and developing a genuine love for God that drives us to live out His truth. [01:02:13]
1 John 4:18 (ESV): "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."
Reflection: Reflect on your relationship with God. Are there areas where fear is holding you back from fully embracing His truth? How can you cultivate a deeper love for God that overcomes fear?
Day 3: Purging Sin
Being puzzled by the truth without purging sin from our lives leaves us in a state of indecision. Herod found John interesting but did not allow his teachings to change his sinful behavior. True commitment to God's truth requires us to actively remove sin from our lives. This means identifying and addressing the areas of our lives that are not aligned with God's will. Purging sin is a continuous process that involves repentance, accountability, and a reliance on God's grace to transform us. [01:06:38]
James 1:22-24 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."
Reflection: Identify a specific sin in your life that you have been struggling with. What practical steps can you take today to begin purging this sin and aligning your life with God's truth?
Day 4: Platform vs. Principles
Herod chose to protect his platform over adhering to his principles, leading to John's execution. This serves as a reminder that we must prioritize God's truth over our personal or professional platforms, even if it means facing opposition or losing status. Our commitment to God's principles should outweigh our desire for power, influence, or acceptance. This requires courage and a willingness to stand firm in our faith, even when it is costly. [01:10:54]
Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV): "Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?'"
Reflection: Consider a situation where you have prioritized your platform over your principles. How can you realign your priorities to ensure that God's truth takes precedence in your life?
Day 5: The Cost of Christianity
Following Jesus is costly and requires sacrifice. If our faith costs us nothing, we may be riding the fence of indecision. True discipleship involves giving up our comfort, resources, and sometimes our reputation for the sake of the Gospel. This means being willing to endure hardship, persecution, and loss for the sake of following Christ. The cost of Christianity is high, but the reward is eternal. We are called to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus, trusting that He will provide the strength and grace we need. [01:14:44]
Luke 14:27-28 (ESV): "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?"
Reflection: Reflect on the sacrifices you have made for your faith. Are there areas where you have been hesitant to fully commit to following Jesus? What steps can you take today to embrace the cost of discipleship and follow Him more faithfully?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Can we sit on the wall and not fall? More specifically, can we take a seat on the ledge of what we might call indecision when it comes to the truth and not suffer a tragedy? Is that possible?" [44:06] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Our indecision regarding the truth, the truth will ultimately lead to tragedy. Listen, if we ride the fence when it comes to God's truth, and we sit there and we don't make a decision, we will blow up our life, and we will blow up the life of those around us. We will suffer great tragedy." [01:00:41] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Christianity is not a religion. If you're like, if you label yourself Christian, you're like, I'm not a Christian. My religion is Christianity. No, no, no, no, no. Yeah, the world will classify Christianity as religion, but Christianity is a relationship. It's about having a relationship with the God of the universe, and it's built on love." [01:05:04] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Our indecision regarding the truth leads to tragedy, but Christ's decision, his decisiveness to suffer tragedy leads to our triumph. That right there is the gospel, folks. We might be indecisive, and we might fall off the wall and be broken, but the King of kings and the Lord of lords is saying, listen, you were indecisive and suffered tragedy. I made a decision before you were born, before the stars were formed. I made a decision that I was gonna come, and I would decisively die and suffer a tragedy. Why? So that you could have triumph." [01:20:15] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "If you're in this room today, and you've never asked Jesus to save you, I don't know what you're, I'm not dogging on you. You're just, you're like, I know I need to do it, but I've been trying to fix myself. I fell off the wall a long time ago. I'm trying to fix myself, I'm broken, I'm busted. I need some rescue, and you're trying with all of your resources and all of your religion and all of your good works and all of your guilt and shame, and you're trying to work through that, and Jesus is all the while saying, listen, you may have suffered a tragedy, but I chose to die in a tragedy so you could be set free." [01:21:23] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "John the Baptist's life was wrapped up in the mission of following God. I mean, that's what he was about. I mean, he wasn't perfect. We'll highlight that later in the message. He wasn't a perfect individual, but he was a godly individual, and he loved the Lord, and he dedicated his life to serve the Lord and to obey the truth. When the truth, when John the Baptist would encounter the truth, he would not just hear it. He would not just like it, hearing what he heard. He would do it. He would practice the truth. He had integrity, right?" [56:57] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We know we're riding the fence of indecision when we fear God. But we don't love him. When we fear God, but don't love him. Again, verse 20, it says that he was puzzled by the truth. He feared John because he knew he was a righteous and holy man. As a pastor, I can relate to this. I actually kind of chuckle at this. There's been many occasions where I'll be standing in a room, maybe it's students, maybe it's, you know, just some friends that maybe aren't of the faith, but they don't know what I do." [01:02:13] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We are puzzled by the truth, but we do not purge sin. I've already mentioned this. John, as he was preaching, Herod found John interesting and compelling, but he didn't find him interesting. He didn't find him interesting enough and compelling enough to get sin out of his life, which is why he ended up having this dance party. You see, I don't imagine like Herod's sitting in the crowd, John's preaching. He's amening John as he's saying truths about God's word. Oh, amen. Oh, yeah, preach, pastor, preach." [01:06:38] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We protect principles, but not at the expense of our platform. So here's the thing. Here's the thing. There was nothing contractually binding for Herod to kill John, right? Like some people say, oh, well, you know, he made that statement in front of all those religious leaders, all those political leaders, those religious leaders, you know, the who's who in the community, and we think, oh, well, since he made the promise, he has to follow through, like he has to follow his oath. There was nothing contractually binding." [01:10:05] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Our Christianity costs us nothing. I mean, I don't really have to elaborate on that. Look, if you're faithfully following Jesus, following him is gonna cost you something. Your energy, your resources, sometimes your reputation, your popularity. I mean, it's gonna cost you. Jesus told us, if you follow me, you will be hanged. You will be hated, not because you're hated, because the world hates Jesus. But God's word actually even tells us, blessed are you if you ever experience hostility or persecution because of your faith." [01:13:51] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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