What It Means to Believe in Jesus - Part 1 - Pastor Rick's Daily Hope

Pastor Rick's Daily Hope: Episode Summary
Title: What It Means to Believe in Jesus - Part 1
Host: Pastor Rick Warren
Release Date: April 14, 2025

Introduction

In the premiere episode of "What It Means to Believe in Jesus - Part 1", Pastor Rick Warren delves deep into the essence of genuine belief in Jesus Christ. Positioned within the significant context of Easter, a time when millions celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, Rick emphasizes the transformative power of faith and its implications for everyday life.

The Significance of Easter in Belief

Rick Warren [00:00]: "Because of Easter... you get a purpose for living and you can have a home in heaven."

Easter serves as a pivotal moment in Christian faith, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Pastor Rick underscores that this event not only redefines historical timelines (splitting them into AD and BC) but also offers believers a profound sense of purpose and the promise of eternal life.

Understanding True Belief in Jesus

Co-host [01:38]: "Why did he do it?"

The discussion pivots to understanding the motivation behind Jesus' sacrifice. Pastor Rick references John 3:16, the most famous verse in the Bible, highlighting the essence of belief:

Rick Warren [02:20]: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

He emphasizes that true belief transcends mere acknowledgment. It's about a transformative relationship that aligns one's actions with their professed faith.

Categorizing Believers: Saints, Stumblers, and Seekers

Rick Warren [10:15]: "Everyone of us today are in one of those three categories."

Pastor Rick categorizes individuals into three distinct groups:

Saints: Those who believe in Jesus and consistently act according to His teachings. They strive to embody qualities like unselfishness, kindness, and love, even though they are not perfect.
Stumblers: Individuals who claim belief in Jesus but do not reflect His teachings in their actions. They often lead self-centered lives, disconnecting their behavior from their professed faith.
Seekers: People who are exploring faith, showing sincere interest but have yet to make a definitive commitment to following Jesus.

The Five Angles of Faith: F.A.I.T.H. Acrostic

To elucidate the multifaceted nature of faith, Pastor Rick introduces an acrostic based on the word FAITH, outlining five key components of true belief.

F - Follow His Example

Rick Warren [12:30]: "Everybody has an example that they follow... Jesus Christ is the only perfect example."

Following Jesus isn't merely about adhering to principles or religious codes; it's about emulating His life. Pastor Rick shares personal anecdotes illustrating the importance of choosing Jesus as a model over societal or cultural influences. By doing so, believers cultivate a genuine relationship with God, characterized by clarity and stability.

Notable Quote:

Rick Warren [14:55]: "You get direction and focus in your life. You get clarity."

A - Accept His Grace

Rick Warren [15:40]: "Grace is when God says, 'I give you forgiveness for what you've done.'"

Grace is central to understanding true belief. Pastor Rick defines grace as unmerited favor—God's unconditional love and forgiveness extended to believers regardless of their shortcomings. He shares relatable stories, such as the anecdote about a speeding ticket, to illustrate the ubiquity and necessity of grace in human interactions.

Notable Quote:

Rick Warren [19:10]: "Everything you have... is a flat out gift from God."

He emphasizes that grace cannot be earned or deserved; it must be humbly accepted. This humility involves acknowledging one's imperfections and seeking God's forgiveness, aligning with the biblical call to embrace God's kingdom with childlike simplicity.

Benefits of Following Jesus: Clarity and Stability

Rick Warren [16:20]: "When I start following Jesus, I'm not confused anymore."

Pastor Rick outlines two primary benefits of a life anchored in faith:

Clarity: Believers gain a deeper understanding of their life's purpose, relationships, and challenges. This clarity dispels confusion and provides a clear sense of direction.
Stability: Just as a solid foundation safeguards a house against natural disasters, a faith-based life offers resilience against life's inevitable storms. Through faith, individuals find unwavering stability amidst financial, relational, or personal crises.

Notable Quote:

Rick Warren [18:05]: "All who listen to my instruction and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock."

Understanding Grace and Forgiveness

Rick Warren [20:22]: "Grace is when God says to you... He doesn't say, 'Okay, loser.'"

Grace embodies God's readiness to forgive and offer second chances despite human failings. Pastor Rick shares personal childhood experiences to illustrate how grace functions both divinely and interpersonally. He stresses that human society often lacks this depth of grace, contrasting it with God's unconditional forgiveness.

Personal Stories and Illustrations

Throughout the episode, Pastor Rick enriches his teachings with personal anecdotes and relatable stories. For instance, he recounts his own misconception of Jesus' character during his youth, believing Him to be weak and unremarkable. This narrative evolution highlights the transformative power of truly understanding and following Christ.

Notable Story:

Rick Warren [17:45]: Recounting friends who realized they were "building their ladders against the wrong wall," leading to personal and relational instability.

Conclusion and Prayer

As the episode draws to a close, Pastor Rick reinforces the message of grace and the necessity of humility in accepting God's offerings. He leads a prayer, interceding for listeners like Cheryl, whose life is being positively impacted by the teachings shared.

Notable Quote:

Rick Warren [23:24]: “I pray for every listener of Daily Hope... trusting Jesus that you'll help them through no matter what they face.”

Key Takeaways

Easter's Importance: Beyond its historical significance, Easter symbolizes the hope and eternal life offered through Jesus' resurrection.
True Belief: Genuine faith in Jesus is demonstrated through actions aligning with His teachings, not just verbal affirmation.
Categories of Believers: Understanding whether one is a saint, stumbler, or seeker can guide personal spiritual growth.
Five Angles of Faith: Embracing components like following Jesus' example and accepting His grace are foundational to a robust faith.
Benefits of Faith: Clarity and stability are profound outcomes of a life dedicated to following Christ.
Grace and Forgiveness: Central to Christian belief, grace offers unconditional love and second chances, urging believers to adopt humility.

Final Reflections

Pastor Rick Warren's insightful exploration in "What It Means to Believe in Jesus - Part 1" lays a strong foundation for understanding authentic faith. By intertwining scripture, personal stories, and practical illustrations, he invites listeners to reflect deeply on their own beliefs and encourages a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

John 3:16 Emphasis:
Rick Warren [02:20]: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
On Clarity and Stability:
Rick Warren [14:55]: "You get direction and focus in your life. You get clarity."
House on Solid Rock Analogy:
Rick Warren [18:05]: "All who listen to my instruction and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock."
Grace Defined:
Rick Warren [20:22]: "Grace is when God says to you... He doesn't say, 'Okay, loser.'"
Prayer for Listeners:
Rick Warren [23:24]: “I pray for every listener of Daily Hope... trusting Jesus that you'll help them through no matter what they face.”

This summary encapsulates the essence of Pastor Rick Warren's first installment on understanding belief in Jesus, providing listeners and readers with a comprehensive overview of the key themes and insights presented.

Transcript

Rick Warren (0:00)

Hi, this is Rick Warren, Bible teacher for the Daily Hope Broadcast. Did you know that because of Easter.

Co-host (0:05)

Your past can be forgiven?

Rick Warren (0:06)

You get a purpose for living and you can have a home in heaven. That's good news. Where else can you get that kind of news?

Co-host (0:13)

Nowhere else.

Rick Warren (0:14)

And did you know that at Easter, studies have shown people are more open to an invitation to go to church than at any other time of the year. Don't go to church by yourself, but bring somebody who doesn't know Jesus Christ. A family member, a friend, a co worker, a neighbor, a relative. And if you bring them to that church service and they come to know Christ, you're gonna be making a friend for eternity. It'll be the most important investment you.

Co-host (0:39)

Can ever make in their lives.

Rick Warren (0:41)

And by the way, if they come to Christ, would you let me know about it? I'd love to hear that story that you brought somebody to Easter and they found Jesus. You can write to me rickastorrick.com that's rickastorrick.com I. I would love to hear from you. God bless you and happy Easter.

Announcer (1:02)

Hello and welcome to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Hope. Well, this weekend, across every continent and in thousands of languages, millions of people will join together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of our faith. But you know, it doesn't stop there. Not only was Jesus resurrected, he. He is still alive. So what do you say we dive right in as Pastor Rick begins part one of a very special Easter message titled what it Means to Believe in Jesus.

Co-host (1:38)

Easter is a celebration of what Jesus Christ came to do. Jesus Christ split history into AD and BC because of this event. Easter. It is the most significant event in history. In fact, every time you write your own birthday, your birthday is in relationship to Jesus Christ. Because God invaded earth. He came to earth in the form of a human being, died on the cross for our sins so we could go to heaven, rose again three days later to prove that he was who he said he was. And today, billions of people around the world are celebrating Easter. Now, the issue I wanna talk about this morning is why did he do it? There on your outline, on your message notes, the first verse is the most famous verse in the bible. It's called John 3:16, from chapter three of John, verse 16. In fact, let's read it all aloud together. Would you read it with me? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Now circle the phrase believes in him. He says whoever believes in him, that's Jesus Christ, will not perish, but have everlasting life. That means go to heaven. Now the latest Gallup poll tells us that. I don't know, 86, 87, 88% of Americans say I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe he was who he said he was. But not everybody who claims to be a believer in Jesus Christ is a true believer. In fact, Jesus said this notice on your outline. He said, not everybody who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in. Now what's he saying there? He's saying that you can't tell a true believer by their words. Just cause they talk the talk doesn't mean they walk the walk. He's saying you can meet people who, you know, talk like heaven and live like hell. You've all met people like that. I was one of those before I really committed my life to Christ. Maybe you did so too. But he's saying you gotta look not at what people say, not at what people think, not at what people feel, but you gotta look at what they do to see what they really believe. Your behavior determines your beliefs. In fact, he says if you're really a true believer, it's gonna change your life, it's gonna change the way you act. Look at the next ve. If people say they have faith, but they do nothing, then their faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save them? And the answer is no, it can't. Now, you know I've got three kinds of friends in my life. And I love them all. But I categorize them in three different ways. Some are saints and some are stumblers and some are seekers. The saints in my life are those people who believe in Jesus and act like it. Now, they're not perfect. When I say saint, I don't mean perfect. None of us are perfect. We're all far from perfect. But they're consistent. They believe in Jesus and they're trying to live the way he said. They're trying to be unselfish, they're loving, they're kind, they help others. They're not living for themselves. I call them saints. Then I've got people in my life, friends in my life. And I love them just as much. And I call them stumblers. And they're people who think, they think they know Jesus believe in Jesus, but. But they don't really act like him. And they don't act like it at all. In fact, they're really living a self centered life. They're living for themselves and doing a lot of things that are different than what Jesus would tell us to do. Then I got a third group of friends in my life that I love and I call them seekers. And they're the people who just haven't made a decision. They're intellectually honest and they're going, okay, I'm checking it out, I'm interested. Tell me more about what it means to be a believer. My guess is that every one of us today are in one of those three categories. We either know Christ and act like it, or we think we know Christ and don't act like it, or we're just checking it out. As your friend this Easter, I wanna help you settle this issue. Cause it has some profound implications. Whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. I want you in heaven. I want you in heaven. So I wanna settle this issue of what it means to really believe in Jesus. Faith is kind of like a diamond. It's multifaceted. It has a lot of different angles to it. And today we're gonna look at five different angles of what it means to really believe, what it means to have faith. Now these aren't in any particular order. I just put them in a little acrostic. F, A I, T, H to spell faith as kind of a memory device. And if you're taking notes on your outline, the F stands for F. I follow his example. That's the first thing that it means to believe in Jesus. I follow his example. Everybody has an example that they follow. You say, well, I don't know who my example is. Then you got a problem. Because I've noticed this. If you don't decide what's your model in life, other people will decide it for you. The media, culture, peers, pressure parents. Other people will try to tell you how you should live your life. And God says, wait a minute, I don't want anybody else telling you how to live your life. I'm God. I'm the one who should be telling you how to live your life. Don't be pressured into some mold of what other people think you ought to be. God says, I made you to be you. And he says, the only perfect example, by the way anyway is Jesus Christ. You know, I had a number of friends who, once they hit 40, went through a real period of shock because they discovered around that age that the model they'd chosen for their life was an inconsistent and ineffective model. And at 40 years of age they were Ending up divorced, discouraged, depressed, friendless, lonely, and out of whack with life. Why? Because they were looking for the wrong model. Following the wrong model. I actually had a friend. I mentioned his name, you'd know who he was, who said, you know, Rick, I was climbing the ladder of success. And when I got to the top and he did, he said, I discovered it was the ladder was hanging against the wrong wall. Leaning against the wrong wall, he said I was heading. And I invested all that time in the wrong thing. Now, I have to admit to you that when I was a young man, I really wasn't interested in following Jesus Christ. And the reason why is I bought into the stereotype of what Jesus is. You know, if you've looked at any pictures of Jesus, they always look so wimpy. You know what I mean? I mean, it's like this guy. He's like this pale, weak, wimpy guy with a little rouge on his cheeks and, you know, and his hair in curls. And he walks around, you know, with a robe on, skipping the hills of Jerusalem, talking about peace and love. And I'm going, boring. And as a young man, the last thing I wanted to do was follow Jesus Christ because I thought he was some kind of wimp. Well, listen, if that's really the way Jesus was, how in the world did he get burly fishermen to drop their nets and follow him? How did he bring a revolution against the Roman Empire if he was some wimpy guy? He wasn't. He was the most countercultural, radical, revolutionary you've ever imagined. And it takes courage to follow him. Now, Jesus says this there on your outline. He says, you will be blessed whenever you what, Follow my example, you will be blessed. You know, everywhere Jesus Christ went, he told people to follow him. In fact, 21 times in the Bible, he says, follow me. You follow me. You follow me. You follow me. You follow me 21 times. He was always saying, follow me. Now, I like that because he's not saying, follow a principle. He's not saying, follow a program. He's saying, follow me. Follow a person, me. He's not saying, follow a religion. He doesn't say, follow a code of ethics. He says, follow me. Now, if you don't get anything else I say to you this morning, I want you to get this. God wants a relationship with you. And following me implies a relationship. It says, you're gonna know me personally. God isn't interested in religion. He's interested in a relationship. And that's what he sent Jesus to establish between you. And him. Now, when you begin a relationship with Jesus, what happens? Well, you get all kinds of benefits in your life. I don't have time to go into all of them, but let me just mention two very good benefits that happen if you start following Jesus. One of them is stability. And the other one is clarity. Clarity and stability. You might write those down. Clarity and stability. There are two benefits of following Christ. First, I get clarity. What that means is things get clearer in my life. I see things a whole lot better. I see my relationships better, my problems better, my future better. Everything gets clearer. All of a sudden, I'm not so confused anymore. I'm not so distracted anymore. I've got more direction in my life. I've got more focus in my life. And the first benefit is when I start following Jesus, I'm not confused anymore. All of a sudden, I've got direction and focus and clarity. Jesus said this, I am the light of the world. And if you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness because you'll have the light that leads to life. You ever feel like you're just stumbling around in life? You ever feel like you're going nowhere? You feel like you're lacking direction? Have you ever said to yourself, I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing with my life? That's a symptom of one thing. You're not following Jesus. Because when you follow God's plan and God's purpose for your life, he makes it very clear. The confusion goes away. And you get direction and focus in your life. You get clarity. Things seem clearer. The second thing that happens when I follow Jesus Christ is I get stability. In other words, I get a solid foundation on which to build my life. Now, here in California, we know the value of a solid foundation. Cause we have a thing called earthquakes. And we know you gotta have a solid foundation or you're gonna crack up when the earthquakes come. Jesus told a story about this once. He said two guys went out and built their houses. And one built this house on a foundation of sand. And one built his house on a foundation of a solid rock. And when the winds came and the floods came and the rains and the storms and the Katrinas of life came through. The guy who built this house on the sand, it collapsed, it fell apart, it crumbled. He said. But the guy who built this house on the solid rock, it stood stable. And the storm came against it. But it held strong. It had a center. You gotta have a center for your life. Because, friend, you're Gonna have storms in your life. You've already had some. You're gonna have financial storms in your life. You're gonna have some relational storms in your life. If you get married, you're gonna have some marriage storms. You're gonna have some health storms. You're gonna get sick. People who you love are gonna die. You're gonna have some emotional storms in your life that just throw. And what's gonna be your stability when that happens? If you don't have a solid foundation? When the rogue winds come, the Katrinas of life come, you're gonna crack up, you're gonna crash, you're gonna crumble, you're gonna fall apart. And I see people like it all the time who just fall apart when the stress is on and they worry and they fret and they get anxious because they don't have a solid foundation. Jesus said this, all who listen to my instruction and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. Now, the A in faith stands for accept his grace. That's the second thing of what it means to be a real believer. Not a phony believer, but a real believer in Jesus. I follow his example. I accept his grace. Now, what does that mean? Well, the Bible says this there on your outline. Romans, chapter 5. Those who accept God's full grace and the great gift of being made right with him. In other words, God wipes away all the things you've ever done wrong. He forgives you will surely have true life and rule through Jesus Christ. Now, what is grace? Well, grace means when God does something for you or anybody does something for you that you don't deserve. When they do it simply out of their love, not out of your deserving it. That's called grace. Grace is when God gives you what you need, not what you deserve. God doesn't give us what we deserve. If I got what I deserved, I wouldn't be standing here. I'd be dead right now. So would you. God doesn't give you what you deserve. He gives you what you need even before you know you need it. Now, one of the things that I need most is I need forgiveness. Cause I blow it all the time. So do you. And God says, I will forgive you before you even know you need it. I will forgive you before you even ask, before you even know what you've done wrong. You might write the word forgiveness down because that's a synonym for grace. It means God says, I give you forgiveness for what you've done. Now, we don't understand this because we don't do this very often with each other. We don't show each other grace. Here's something I read in the LA Times. David Hagler is an umpire for a a men's baseball team, a community men's baseball league. And he said, I was driving too fast one day when a policeman pulled me over and gave me a speeding ticket. I tried hard to talk him out of it by telling him how worried I was about my insurance and what a careful driver I normally was. He said I begged him for some grace, but it was no deal. And the officer said if I didn't like the ticket, I could go to court. Well, the very first game of the next community men's league baseball season, I'm umpiring behind home plate. And coincidentally, the first batter up was that same policeman. Now, I immediately recognized him, but more important, he recognized me. And he nervously asked, how did that thing with your ticket go? I told him, you better swing at everything. See, we don't show each other grace. No, no, we're not. You know, you didn't let me off the hook. I'm not letting you off the hook. The fact is, God shows you grace every single second of your life. Because everything you have from God is a flat out gift. Everything you have, your freedom, your life, your mind, your friends, your health, your body, the air you breathe, everything you've got is a flat out gift from God. If God hadn't wanted to create you, you wouldn't even be alive. The only reason you're alive is God made you to love you. And if God didn't want you to be alive, you wouldn't be taking your next breath. The air you breathe is a gift from God. Everything you have, you, you didn't earn a single bit of it. It's all by grace. You say, well, what about the money that I earned? Where do you think you got the ability to earn it? Everything you have is a flat out gift from God. It wasn't from yourself. God gave you those abilities. God shows us grace all the time. When it comes to blowing it, making mistakes, God says, I will forgive you of everything you've ever done wrong, even though you don't deserve it if you just trust in Christ. Look at the next verse. Now God says he will accept and acquit us. In other words, declare us not guilty for all the things we've done wrong if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we can all be saved in the same way, all of us by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like now, I like that last part. First, it says, no matter who we are, regardless of your ethnic background, regardless of your economic background, regardless of your religious background, it doesn't matter. You can still come to Christ. Shoot. It doesn't matter if you're Catholic or Methodist or Presbyterian or Protestant or Buddhist or Baptist or Mormon or Muslim or Jewish or Hindu or no religion at all. This isn't about religion. So it doesn't matter who you are or where you've come from. He says, I want to help you out. I want to forgive you. I'm going to show you my grace. That's what God sent Jesus to do. He wants that relationship. And he said, it doesn't matter what you've done. Well, that's good news, because none of us are perfect. We've all blown it. We've all made mistakes. God says we're just going to wipe that out. We're going to erase the guilt. We're going to wipe the slate clean. And what we're going to do is we're going to give you a second chance. I am so glad that God gives us a second chance. He's not a three strikes, you're out kind of guy. He gives us a second chance. That's grace. You know, when I was in junior high, I took a shop class in woodworking. And one of the assignments was we were supposed to make a table. And actually at this time, we were living. My family was living out in the country, and I was actually building this table in a barn. And I just screwed it up royally. I mean, I messed it up. I was planing it all wrong and it was uneven. I varnished and stained it, and it did look terrible. And it was uneven and it was wobbly. It was just a total disaster as a table. And as a junior high boy, I got so discouraged, I just kind of crumpled into a pile there on the ground and just started crying. I was so disappointed and what a mess I had made of things. About five minutes later, my dad came into the barn and he looked at the table and he said, is that the best you can do, loser? No, he didn't say that. Gotcha. No, he didn't say that. He didn't. What he said was. What he said was, is, it's okay, Ricky. He said, we'll do it over. You can start over. And this time I'll help you. Friends, that's grace. Grace is when God says to you, hey, you know what? You've messed up a few Things. You blew a few relationships. You've made some really poor decisions. You've really messed up some choices in life. You. He didn't do it, all right? But you know what? He doesn't say? Okay, loser.