Podcast Summary

Podcast: Lakepointe Church with Josh Howerton
Episode: The Lie That Keeps “Good People” Out of Heaven | There Is More | Pastor Josh Howerton
Date: November 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Pastor Josh Howerton continues the church’s verse-by-verse journey through the Book of Acts—this time focusing on Acts 24, where the Apostle Paul stands before Felix, a Roman governor. The main theme is the dangerous lie that keeps so-called “good people” out of Heaven: the belief that there’s “no hurry” to respond to God. Pastor Josh argues that procrastination concerning faith is just as perilous, if not more so, than disbelief in Heaven or Hell. He unpacks Paul’s bold conversation with Felix and Drusilla, zeroing in on what it means to be truly righteous, the need for self-control, and the certainty of judgment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Setting: Acts 24 and Felix’s Background

• Background Recap:

  • Paul survives a Jewish assassination plot (the Sicarii) and is sent under guard to Caesarea to stand trial before Felix (06:50).
  • Felix is unique—once a slave, now a Roman governor. His wife Drusilla is a descendant of a notorious, violent family (the Herodians), including the Herod who tried to kill Jesus as a child (09:30).

• Why Acts?

  • Pastor Josh notes: “We preach verse by verse through Acts because the outpouring of the Spirit, salvation of thousands, and church planting in Acts match what we’re seeing at Lakepointe. We want to cling to God’s word when we experience a move of God.” (04:50)

2. The Devil’s Most Effective Lie: ‘There’s No Hurry’

• Drawing from C.S. Lewis and a fictional meeting of demons:

  • "I will not tell the people there is no heaven or hell. I will convince them there is no hurry and that they can decide tomorrow, every day for the rest of their lives.” (07:00)

• Application:

  • Felix’s tragedy: Despite years listening to Paul, he waits for a “convenient time” to respond to God and dies lost.
  • “Not because he didn’t believe in heaven or hell, but because he did believe there was no hurry.” (08:30)

3. Paul’s Message: Three Essential Topics

Text: Acts 24:24–27 (Read aloud at 15:35)
Paul reasons with Felix and Drusilla about:

• Righteousness
• Self Control
• The Coming Judgment

“Paul talked about righteousness, self control, and the judgment to come. Felix was afraid—he literally began to tremble—and said, ‘That’s enough for now. You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’” (15:45)

A. Understanding Righteousness (17:50)

• Christianity Is Uniquely Different:

  • Every religion says, “Be righteous by achieving (law, rules, good deeds)...” but Christianity says, “Righteousness can only be received as a gift by faith in Jesus.”
  • “Whereas religions divide the world into good guys and bad guys, Christianity divides the world into bad guys and Jesus. He’s the only good guy.” (19:40)
  • “Good people don’t go to heaven. Forgiven people go to heaven.” (19:55)

• Interactive 10 Commandments Test:

  • Pastor Josh leads the congregation through examples (adultery, murder, theft, lying), showing that by God’s standards, no one qualifies as “righteous” by achievement (24:30).
  • “There is no one righteous, no, not one.” (Romans; 23:00)
  • “You are no different than Felix. You are 0 for 4. There is no one righteous, not one person.” (28:55)

• Only Two Ways:

  1. Try (in vain) to perfectly obey all the laws.
  2. Receive Christ’s righteousness by faith: “He gets your sin, you get the righteousness of God.” (31:55)

B. The Call to Self-Control (33:10)

• Why Self-Control?

  • “Virtually every sin we commit is downstream of a lack of self-control—gluttony, addiction, adultery, pornography, gossip, wrath, greed.” (33:25)
  • Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5). It’s not just an old-fashioned virtue, it’s supernatural.
  • Regarding Felix & Drusilla’s past: Their affair and broken marriages started from a lack of self-control. “The heart wants what it wants” was the Roman view, not the biblical one (35:43).

• Cultural Application:

  • “The specific area of self-control they lacked is the same area our culture lacks—sex and sexuality… The Bible is clear: you should not have sex with anybody you’re not married to.” (38:40)

“Whenever God says ‘don’t’, He means ‘don’t hurt yourself’… He loves you.” (40:45)

C. The Truth About Judgment (43:20)

• Procrastination Is Fatal:

  • Felix tells Paul, “Come back when it’s convenient”—but there’s no promise of tomorrow.
  • “Only a fool goes through life unprepared for what’s inevitable… The convenient time is now.” (44:15)

• Key Points about Judgment:

  1. Jesus is Judge (“Only God can judge me”—that should terrify you; John 5:22).
  2. Everyone Is Judged (Hebrews 9:27: “Just as it is appointed for man once to die, after that comes judgment.”)
  3. Two Judgments
     • The Great White Throne (for unbelievers; eternal condemnation).
     • The Bema Seat (for believers; rewarding faithfulness).
  4. Judgment is Certain
     • “It could happen before this service ends, where Jesus cracks the skies and we’re done.” (51:30)

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, because the Spirit of God will not strive with man forever.” (57:30)

4. Illustration: The Peril of Delay (54:45)

• Pastor Josh tells a story of “Ian,” a high school friend who kept delaying spiritual conversations—always “let’s talk again”—and died suddenly, unprepared.
• “Unless something happened I don’t know about, Ian is in hell right now—not because he didn’t believe in heaven or hell, but because for two years he believed there was no hurry.” (56:10)

5. Testimony: The Power of Rooted and a New Life (46:30–49:20)

• James’s Story:
  • From addiction and hopelessness to new life through a simple prayer, reading the Bible, and then joining Lakepointe’s Rooted discipleship experience.
  • “I had never truly prayed to God before. I said, ‘God, I don’t know if you’re real, but if you are, can you prove it to me?’… I started calling out to Jesus: ‘Jesus, you are Lord and I need you in my life’… and I felt peace for the first time. I was brand new in that moment.” (47:00)
  • Found spiritual family and freedom through Rooted. “Reading scripture every day led me to Christ… I have no doubt God is real and that his name is Jesus.” (48:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Righteousness:

  “Good people don’t go to heaven. Forgiven people go to heaven.” (19:55)

• On Procrastination:

  “Felix was afraid… and said, ‘When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’” (15:50)
  “The convenient time to get right with God is now. Only a fool goes through life unprepared for what’s inevitable.” (44:15)

• On Self-Control and Culture:

  “You’re not an animal. Animals live by raw instinct and desire. You should learn to control your body because you’re not an animal.” (41:30)
  “You don’t have to have sex. You’re not doing it right now. Just keep doing that—you’re doing great!” (43:05, humorously addressing cultural assumptions about sex)

• On Judgment:

  “There will be two judgments—a judgment of condemnation and a judgment of commendation. If you place faith in Jesus, you will never stand before the judgment of condemnation.” (50:54)

• On Urgency:

  “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart… the Spirit of God will not strive with man forever.” (57:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Announcements: 00:00–04:50
• Why Preach Acts & Current Church Miracles: 04:50–06:50
• C.S. Lewis & ‘No Hurry’ Lie: 07:00–08:30
• Paul, Felix, Drusilla—Setting the Scene: 09:30–15:35
• Reading Acts 24:24–27 (The Passage): 15:35
• Paul’s 3-Point Message - Righteousness: 17:50–33:00
• Self-Control & Cultural Application: 33:10–44:15
• The Coming Judgment: 44:20–54:30
• Illustration: Ian’s Story: 54:45–57:30
• Rooted Testimony – James’s Story: 46:30–49:20
• Call to Action & Prayer: 59:05–end

Takeaway & Invitation

The central warning of the episode is clear: the most deceptive lie isn’t denying heaven or hell, but believing you can put off responding to God. Pastor Josh invites listeners to consider God’s offer of forgiveness NOW—not someday. “Today is the day.”

The episode also highlights Lakepointe’s Rooted discipleship program as a next step for those ready to respond, encouraging listeners to sign up and experience transformation as part of the church’s spiritual family.

Memorable Closing Prayer:

“Way back in 2025, one man or one woman made a decision to take a step and say, today is the day. I’m gonna hurry today to follow Jesus.” (59:12)