WEBVTT 00:00:04.459 --> 00:00:08.039 Welcome to the Pursuing Jesus podcast. On today's 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:10.699 podcast, we're going to be talking about the 00:00:10.699 --> 00:00:14.179 commission of the 12 disciples. But we also want 00:00:14.179 --> 00:00:16.780 to remind you to make sure you pick up the blue 00:00:16.780 --> 00:00:20.600 Pursuing Jesus books as it starts out this week. 00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:22.940 So we hope that you pick those up. If not, make 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:24.960 sure you stop by the office or pick them up off 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:28.019 of the tables. But welcome to this episode and 00:00:28.019 --> 00:00:34.990 we hope that you enjoy it. It was so crazy. So 00:00:34.990 --> 00:00:38.829 on Saturday, I was doing my quiet time. I always 00:00:38.829 --> 00:00:41.130 sit at my kitchen table. But I was doing my quiet 00:00:41.130 --> 00:00:44.689 time. And I had my coffee mug in my hand. And 00:00:44.689 --> 00:00:46.929 I've never done this before. But I almost had 00:00:46.929 --> 00:00:49.969 this weird just muscle thing where my hand just 00:00:49.969 --> 00:00:53.670 went. It just jerked. And I mean, you can see 00:00:53.670 --> 00:00:56.250 on Saturday, it just went. It was like, bleh. 00:00:56.289 --> 00:00:59.990 Oh, man. That sucks. Yeah, it was terrible. It 00:00:59.990 --> 00:01:04.219 was terrible. Oh, I don't need that one. I don't 00:01:04.219 --> 00:01:07.340 need you, blue boy. Until next week. It's so 00:01:07.340 --> 00:01:09.219 rude. I do like the color on that one, though. 00:01:09.340 --> 00:01:12.459 I thought the color and the whole, dude, this 00:01:12.459 --> 00:01:17.340 is chat GPT. What? So what I did is I gave the 00:01:17.340 --> 00:01:21.500 color palette to chat GPT. And I was like, and 00:01:21.500 --> 00:01:24.180 then same thing with the inside picture with 00:01:24.180 --> 00:01:28.420 that one. I was like, hey, make me a, you know, 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:30.379 I want wood. I was like, I want wood in there. 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:33.719 I want a Bible in there. Create for me a graphic 00:01:33.719 --> 00:01:36.920 to put in my devotion and I want this to be a 00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:40.140 color that's in the graphic and That's where 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:41.819 we got the coffee mug from everything I thought 00:01:41.819 --> 00:01:43.319 I was like do that with what it came and it's 00:01:43.319 --> 00:01:45.980 like even like the Bible the Bible has that color 00:01:45.980 --> 00:01:48.799 on it and the bookmark and I was like that's 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:51.420 Crazy cool. Have y 'all ever heard the tale of 00:01:51.420 --> 00:01:54.739 the monster in the woods? No, no, but I have 00:01:54.739 --> 00:02:01.879 a feeling I'm about to So the monster in the 00:02:01.879 --> 00:02:04.680 woods there's this monster that lives in the 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:08.879 woods near the town and People used to be very 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:13.599 very afraid of it, right and But one day a very 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:16.580 very desperate man came to that monster with 00:02:16.580 --> 00:02:19.979 a question that monster Happily helped him solve 00:02:19.979 --> 00:02:22.479 his problem. And so he's like guys you got you 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:24.360 have to ask the monster It knows exactly what 00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:28.439 to do and so one by one the townspeople begin 00:02:28.439 --> 00:02:31.740 to make their way to this monster and They present 00:02:31.740 --> 00:02:33.080 with their problems, you know, should we plant 00:02:33.080 --> 00:02:35.460 today or do tomorrow? What should I put in my 00:02:35.460 --> 00:02:38.080 garden? Do I need to marry this person? Like 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:41.159 in this monster every time so like small and 00:02:41.159 --> 00:02:44.580 big small and big problem. Yeah, and every time 00:02:44.580 --> 00:02:50.780 this monster answers wisely wisely wisely and 00:02:50.780 --> 00:02:53.479 Then finally one day after a lot of resistance 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:57.580 you You go see the monster you present it with 00:02:57.580 --> 00:03:01.000 your problems and it solves it kindly calmly 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:05.039 it sends you on your way But the next person 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:08.560 to go see the monster looking at it realizes 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:13.719 it's wearing your face and That is what AI has 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:19.810 become in our society Okay. So I need you to 00:03:19.810 --> 00:03:23.150 break this down. I was going to say the monster 00:03:23.150 --> 00:03:26.509 is Google. So I was like, I was following along 00:03:26.509 --> 00:03:28.569 with, you know, we just had a conversation about 00:03:28.569 --> 00:03:31.530 AI and then I was, so I was already tracking 00:03:31.530 --> 00:03:34.789 there, but you lost me with the, it has my face. 00:03:35.250 --> 00:03:38.830 You are feeding it yourself, which is how it 00:03:38.830 --> 00:03:40.969 gets good things to give other people. Oh, that's 00:03:40.969 --> 00:03:42.729 chat. GPT a hundred percent. A hundred percent. 00:03:42.729 --> 00:03:50.229 Yeah. Terminator. It's coming for us. I've done 00:03:50.229 --> 00:03:54.349 specific things to my chat GPT to tell it to 00:03:54.349 --> 00:03:56.909 always respond to me in certain ways. One of 00:03:56.909 --> 00:03:58.770 the things that really annoyed me with chat GPT 00:03:58.770 --> 00:04:01.090 is no matter what you do, it'll always agree 00:04:01.090 --> 00:04:02.870 with you. Like, oh, that's such an awesome answer. 00:04:03.030 --> 00:04:07.340 And I'm like, stop being a yes man. But I found 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:09.500 out a way to code, but really, it's not coding. 00:04:09.639 --> 00:04:11.280 It's just telling it what to do. I was like, 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:15.319 for now on, don't just agree with everything 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:20.240 I say. Be a critical thinker, and it's become 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:25.279 a lot better. I believe that, because it doesn't 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:27.579 just go with your bias. I'll tell you what's 00:04:27.579 --> 00:04:31.560 crazy, though. That always affirmative. Uh, that 00:04:31.560 --> 00:04:34.079 chat GPT does, uh, there's a therapy term for 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:36.740 that and it's called unconditional positive regard. 00:04:37.160 --> 00:04:39.420 Chat is so good at it. It is very good at it. 00:04:39.420 --> 00:04:42.300 People are so like Maddie, my wife, therapist 00:04:42.300 --> 00:04:45.579 business, uh, world. She is like, like they're 00:04:45.579 --> 00:04:48.220 like therapists across America are saying, like 00:04:48.220 --> 00:04:49.920 people aren't coming to therapy anymore. They're 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:53.600 just like talking to chat GPT about their feelings. 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:56.480 I'm like, this is how we're going to get Skynet 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:58.680 to take over. It's not going to start with government. 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:01.189 It's going to start with people being sad. Hmm. 00:05:01.509 --> 00:05:04.269 Yeah, it's taken over everything. I mean you 00:05:04.269 --> 00:05:09.329 you look at what is it Walmart and The CEO of 00:05:09.329 --> 00:05:12.889 Walmart and the CEO of McDonald's resigned because 00:05:12.889 --> 00:05:16.370 they didn't feel that they were up to the AI 00:05:16.370 --> 00:05:19.829 generation Level the dude that's been picked 00:05:19.829 --> 00:05:21.870 on for how he eats burgers So a couple weeks 00:05:21.870 --> 00:05:24.410 ago the like it showed him eating the big art 00:05:24.410 --> 00:05:26.230 and everybody's making fun of him because it 00:05:26.230 --> 00:05:29.209 like it He took the tiniest little bite and then 00:05:29.209 --> 00:05:31.230 he never swallowed. Like it just, it immediately 00:05:31.230 --> 00:05:33.769 cut. So everybody was saying like, oh, and he 00:05:33.769 --> 00:05:36.569 called it the next big product. And so because 00:05:36.569 --> 00:05:38.449 he used the word product instead of like a burger 00:05:38.449 --> 00:05:40.550 or whatever, like, and then all these other CEOs, 00:05:40.689 --> 00:05:42.329 like Burger King CEO got on there and was like 00:05:42.329 --> 00:05:45.430 just chomping on his, but even the Costco, the 00:05:45.430 --> 00:05:48.949 Costco CEO with the Costco CEO. And he was like, 00:05:48.990 --> 00:05:51.189 and then he got on there talking about how he'll, 00:05:51.209 --> 00:05:54.750 he'll just eat some glizzies. It was his terminology 00:05:54.750 --> 00:05:57.550 gobbling mad glizzy. Yeah. It was something like 00:05:57.550 --> 00:05:59.750 that. So like all of these other CEOs have now 00:05:59.750 --> 00:06:01.970 been getting on there and just ripping into the 00:06:01.970 --> 00:06:04.569 McDonald's dude because of how, and then like 00:06:04.569 --> 00:06:06.449 he's tried to do other videos, be like, guys, 00:06:06.589 --> 00:06:08.769 stop picking on me kind of stuff and eating and 00:06:08.769 --> 00:06:10.769 eating something else. And they, like every time 00:06:10.769 --> 00:06:12.490 he does something where people are like, nah, 00:06:12.550 --> 00:06:15.449 you don't eat McDonald's. Wow. So anyways, that 00:06:15.449 --> 00:06:17.149 guy resigned is what you're saying. That's what 00:06:17.149 --> 00:06:20.069 I was told him and the founder of Walmart just 00:06:20.069 --> 00:06:22.389 all in the same week. And it was over the AI 00:06:22.389 --> 00:06:26.449 stuff. So it was just, it's I suspecting I mean 00:06:26.449 --> 00:06:29.290 I see a I mean there's a lot of positive to AI, 00:06:29.329 --> 00:06:33.810 but I also see the huge dangers and Really what 00:06:33.810 --> 00:06:36.170 I'm seeing like the worst part is within the 00:06:36.170 --> 00:06:39.490 school system And like really dude cuz kids I 00:06:39.490 --> 00:06:41.829 mean they'll just use AI for everything now. 00:06:42.250 --> 00:06:44.310 They're not learning anything Yep, they're just 00:06:44.310 --> 00:06:46.230 learning other is that ask better check questions 00:06:46.230 --> 00:06:48.310 to chat. They're just they're just getting their 00:06:48.310 --> 00:06:51.920 answers And it's just, it's just done for them 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:53.540 and they're not learning. So that's, that's where 00:06:53.540 --> 00:06:56.899 the danger is really. Yes. Do you see a world 00:06:56.899 --> 00:07:02.579 in which like AI begins to replace or, um, or, 00:07:02.579 --> 00:07:05.319 or make like, like take parts of our jobs, like 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:08.860 as pastors? Are you, yeah, there's already guys 00:07:08.860 --> 00:07:11.279 that are using AI to write their sermons. Yeah. 00:07:11.600 --> 00:07:14.639 That's a huge ethical debate right now. Huge. 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:19.639 And you kind of figure out where the line is 00:07:19.639 --> 00:07:24.579 drawn, right? Because that's a problem. And then 00:07:24.579 --> 00:07:28.339 where I see it too, we actually put up a post 00:07:28.339 --> 00:07:31.240 on our Facebook the other day. about like joking 00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:33.680 how your Bible's crying because you're going 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:37.259 to chat GPT asking where to find peace. But it's 00:07:37.259 --> 00:07:40.060 like, but people are, instead of opening scripture, 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:42.839 because there's something also too, like it is 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:45.540 a great tool to be able to find answers quick. 00:07:46.149 --> 00:07:49.949 But if it's replacing, like, studying God's Word, 00:07:50.290 --> 00:07:52.529 because there's something to digging deep and 00:07:52.529 --> 00:07:54.470 then it causes, it affects you, and then it's 00:07:54.470 --> 00:07:57.829 that whole memorizing scripture thing, you know, 00:07:57.829 --> 00:08:00.370 that we need and it's helpful for us as believers 00:08:00.370 --> 00:08:02.810 to be digging into God's Word. And so, if we 00:08:02.810 --> 00:08:06.089 replace it for quick answers, all that does is 00:08:06.089 --> 00:08:09.050 it's a quick fix. It doesn't go into our soul. 00:08:09.250 --> 00:08:11.149 It just fixes, it just helps us in the moment. 00:08:11.430 --> 00:08:13.269 Which will set you in the same place you were 00:08:13.269 --> 00:08:16.579 again. Relatively soon. Yeah. And so yeah, if 00:08:16.579 --> 00:08:19.779 it starts turning into the pastorial counselor 00:08:19.779 --> 00:08:22.899 Part of our job, you know, then that's that's 00:08:22.899 --> 00:08:25.259 that's a dangerous thing. But yeah, I can definitely 00:08:25.259 --> 00:08:31.639 see I mean the the road that could be traveled 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:34.379 if you keep on going and going to it for everything. 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:36.419 Yeah. Well, it's like you said with, with Maddie's 00:08:36.419 --> 00:08:38.720 job. I mean, I see that. I mean, there are people, 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:41.159 they're always asking AI their questions. You 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:42.980 know, what can I do about sadness? What can I 00:08:42.980 --> 00:08:44.899 do about what? And they'll tell them their problems 00:08:44.899 --> 00:08:47.679 and it just talks back to them like a counselor 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:50.120 and they're like, Hey, it's free therapy. And 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:54.159 have you actually used the voice chat GPT? Yes. 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:55.860 Although I can't get the timing right. Well, 00:08:55.860 --> 00:08:57.620 cause usually if it's like, if I have to figure 00:08:57.620 --> 00:09:00.759 out something in the car. So it's like their 00:09:00.759 --> 00:09:04.120 version of Siri. But it talks to you like a human. 00:09:05.139 --> 00:09:08.460 Like it's crazy. It articulates and has tone. 00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:11.320 Let's talk about that. It's not just giving you 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:14.659 answers. It's giving you artificial feelings 00:09:14.659 --> 00:09:18.840 and emotions with the answers. Wow. It's, it's 00:09:18.840 --> 00:09:21.299 now like I haven't, I've used that for just fun 00:09:21.299 --> 00:09:23.120 stuff, just talking back and forth with it. But 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:25.700 I can see how someone could use that absolutely 00:09:25.700 --> 00:09:29.039 as a therapist. Like that's crazy. I think I, 00:09:29.139 --> 00:09:32.779 I'm hoping that this will be a temporary foray 00:09:32.779 --> 00:09:35.759 into something that is a good tool, but a bad 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:38.840 societal deity. Yeah. Well, and there are, and 00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:41.019 they're already starting to develop laws and 00:09:41.019 --> 00:09:46.259 safeguards. And so you just wonder like how How 00:09:46.259 --> 00:09:49.320 many of these are we going to have? Are the safeguards 00:09:49.320 --> 00:09:50.980 going to become so much where then it becomes 00:09:50.980 --> 00:09:55.240 not a useful tool? Like I said, I think right 00:09:55.240 --> 00:09:58.919 now it is a tool. It can be a very good tool. 00:09:59.299 --> 00:10:01.940 Just like any tool, any tool can be misused. 00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:06.440 It's one of those things that we'll just continue 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:10.039 to see how it develops. What's going to be scary 00:10:10.039 --> 00:10:13.139 as we continue to develop technology? If we get 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:15.600 like hollow, like really good hologram technology, 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:19.980 like Cortana from, uh, from, uh, halo. Yes. And 00:10:19.980 --> 00:10:21.919 then it's just right there. Like you're interacting 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:26.279 with AI, but it kind of looks human and it's, 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:28.120 it's going to be some weird stuff. You'll use 00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:31.600 a game reference. I can go back to Arnold Schwarzenegger's 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:35.240 the sixth day and there was, it was using holograms 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:37.779 and AI's and this like, this is, you know, probably 00:10:37.779 --> 00:10:40.799 a 15 year old movie. It uses, it was using AI 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:43.649 and holograms and I was just like, Oh my, is 00:10:43.649 --> 00:10:46.549 this where the world is coming to? And it might 00:10:46.549 --> 00:10:50.789 be. Well, gents, I do think this has been an 00:10:50.789 --> 00:10:52.809 interesting conversation. Good luck editing. 00:10:52.830 --> 00:10:55.070 Good luck editing all of that down to. I know 00:10:55.070 --> 00:10:57.169 what I'm going to need to do. A few seconds. 00:10:58.809 --> 00:11:01.049 Gents, this has been an interesting conversation 00:11:01.049 --> 00:11:03.889 about AI. And I think it behooves us to have 00:11:03.889 --> 00:11:06.830 these talks, because eventually there will be 00:11:06.830 --> 00:11:08.929 moral implications to stuff like this. And John, 00:11:09.049 --> 00:11:14.149 you mentioned cloning earlier. These things are 00:11:14.149 --> 00:11:16.129 here and these things are coming. Yeah, and I 00:11:16.129 --> 00:11:18.889 think it's good as, I mean, even just as the 00:11:18.889 --> 00:11:21.190 leaders in the church to be able to talk about 00:11:21.190 --> 00:11:24.009 this and, you know, so that our people know, 00:11:24.009 --> 00:11:26.389 like, just our thoughts and we can look at things 00:11:26.389 --> 00:11:29.250 from biblical perspectives and also a cautious 00:11:29.250 --> 00:11:32.370 perspective at times, you know. You know, we've 00:11:32.370 --> 00:11:35.970 got, and I think between... All of us we have 00:11:35.970 --> 00:11:39.049 good perspectives, you know without labeling 00:11:39.049 --> 00:11:41.970 I think we definitely have at least one a very 00:11:41.970 --> 00:11:46.009 big conspiracy theorist, you know that that at 00:11:46.009 --> 00:11:48.950 the table and then we've got you know wisdom 00:11:48.950 --> 00:11:52.690 at the table and Then we've just got something 00:11:52.690 --> 00:11:53.929 that you just never know what someone's gonna 00:11:53.929 --> 00:11:55.789 say, you know So are you guys gonna talk about 00:11:55.789 --> 00:11:57.409 when are you gonna list attributes of you two? 00:12:01.749 --> 00:12:03.990 But it's fun to talk about these things, but 00:12:03.990 --> 00:12:06.049 obviously we want to get into Scripture. Yes, 00:12:06.350 --> 00:12:09.950 we do. So, I think we said I was going to go 00:12:09.950 --> 00:12:12.769 first here. That is correct. So, the Scripture 00:12:12.769 --> 00:12:16.990 I zeroed in on was March 29th. I liked this couple 00:12:16.990 --> 00:12:19.529 of days of like Jesus's discourse to his disciples 00:12:19.529 --> 00:12:23.820 before he sends them out. But so, the passage 00:12:23.820 --> 00:12:26.860 I'm going to zero in on is Matthew 10, starting 00:12:26.860 --> 00:12:29.340 in verse five, although I'll pick a little bit 00:12:29.340 --> 00:12:32.279 from Mark and Luke's account as well. But here's 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:35.700 how it goes. These 12, Jesus' 12 disciples, these 00:12:35.700 --> 00:12:39.480 12 Jesus sent out, instructing them, go nowhere 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:42.679 among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 00:12:43.059 --> 00:12:45.799 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house 00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:48.779 of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, the 00:12:48.779 --> 00:12:51.090 kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, 00:12:51.389 --> 00:12:53.210 raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast 00:12:53.210 --> 00:12:56.269 out demons. You receive without paying, now give 00:12:56.269 --> 00:12:59.850 without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper 00:12:59.850 --> 00:13:02.769 for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two 00:13:02.769 --> 00:13:06.289 tunics or sandals or a staff for the laborer 00:13:06.289 --> 00:13:09.409 deserves his food. And whatever town and village 00:13:09.409 --> 00:13:12.590 you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay 00:13:12.590 --> 00:13:14.850 there until you depart. As you enter the house, 00:13:15.070 --> 00:13:17.100 greet it. and if the house is worthy let your 00:13:17.100 --> 00:13:19.019 peace come upon it and if it is not worthy let 00:13:19.019 --> 00:13:21.659 your peace return to you and if anyone will not 00:13:21.659 --> 00:13:23.879 receive you or listen to your words shake off 00:13:23.879 --> 00:13:26.480 the dust from your feet when you leave that house 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:29.600 or town truly I say to you it will be more bearable 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:31.860 on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom 00:13:31.860 --> 00:13:35.500 and Gomorrah than for that town feel like there's 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:37.879 a lot to kind of zero in here but I'm gonna start 00:13:37.879 --> 00:13:40.779 with a question I want to pose to you guys so 00:13:40.779 --> 00:13:45.460 I'm ready um The idea shake the dust off your 00:13:45.460 --> 00:13:48.559 feet if they don't if they if they don't receive 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:50.740 what you have to say What do you guys make of 00:13:50.740 --> 00:13:53.899 that? Because like like so hearing Jesus the 00:13:53.899 --> 00:13:55.940 infallible son of God say things like that is 00:13:55.940 --> 00:13:59.039 like oh Dude, that's harsh. Like like where do 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:01.919 where do y 'all's minds go when you hear that? 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:05.580 Well, it goes to don't take don't bring back 00:14:05.580 --> 00:14:09.490 with you that of foreign lands. In other words, 00:14:09.649 --> 00:14:12.169 it's, you know, shaking the dust off is that 00:14:12.169 --> 00:14:15.509 even the very place where they dwell, the judgment 00:14:15.509 --> 00:14:17.750 has fallen upon them because they've chosen that 00:14:17.750 --> 00:14:20.889 judgment for themselves. So don't bring the dust 00:14:20.889 --> 00:14:24.190 or the very fibers. It kind of goes back to Kings, 00:14:25.090 --> 00:14:28.370 where Naaman wanted to take dirt with him back 00:14:28.370 --> 00:14:31.190 to the Syrian land after he was healed of his 00:14:31.190 --> 00:14:35.100 leprosy. And he said, let me take a I think it 00:14:35.100 --> 00:14:38.159 was a cart full of dirt and take it back with 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:40.159 me so I can worship your God because they had 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:42.740 this idea that gods were attached to particular 00:14:42.740 --> 00:14:45.320 lands. And so, shaking the dust off was, don't 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:47.399 bring the dust from that foreign land or from 00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:51.059 that idolatrous land back home with you. Well, 00:14:51.059 --> 00:14:53.299 so it's crazy that we say idolatrous land though, 00:14:53.379 --> 00:14:55.399 because Jesus specifically sends them to the 00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:57.500 people of Israel. Of course, I'm also thinking 00:14:57.500 --> 00:14:59.519 from what you're saying, I've got a jar of dirt. 00:14:59.700 --> 00:15:02.679 I've got a jar of dirt. The Pirates of the Caribbean 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:04.179 reference. I need to work on the accent. Both 00:15:04.179 --> 00:15:05.679 sides of that is pretty good. I wasn't trying 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:08.059 to do an accent. You've got to work on it too. 00:15:08.200 --> 00:15:12.870 You've got to work on it. What comes to my mind, 00:15:13.070 --> 00:15:16.090 too, is kind of that same thing of Pilate washing 00:15:16.090 --> 00:15:20.350 his hands. It's just that whole idea of you're 00:15:20.350 --> 00:15:23.129 leaving it behind. You're getting out of this. 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:26.600 but specifically for people who don't accept 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:30.539 the message that they were saying. To me, this 00:15:30.539 --> 00:15:32.940 feels like Jesus kind of saying, like, rejecting 00:15:32.940 --> 00:15:36.100 God's message is rejecting Him in some ways. 00:15:36.679 --> 00:15:41.320 Because the judgment that God compares to Sodom 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:42.940 and Gomorrah, things did not go well for those 00:15:42.940 --> 00:15:46.080 cities, is assigned to the people who reject 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:48.950 the message of the gospel. And that the kingdom 00:15:48.950 --> 00:15:51.629 of heaven is at hand. That is heavy with like 00:15:51.629 --> 00:15:53.389 messianic language from the book of Daniel and 00:15:53.389 --> 00:15:55.730 other places. Like that would have been clearer 00:15:55.730 --> 00:15:58.549 to a Jewish audience of what they were saying, 00:15:58.610 --> 00:16:00.570 the magnitude of what they were saying. Yeah. 00:16:00.889 --> 00:16:03.710 Yeah. So that was, that was just like, I, every 00:16:03.710 --> 00:16:06.309 time I read his passage, just like, Ooh, like 00:16:06.309 --> 00:16:08.389 that's kind of savage. Yes. Well, yeah. I mean, 00:16:08.509 --> 00:16:10.429 and like you said, just the whole ending there 00:16:10.429 --> 00:16:15.289 that Jesus is sharing with these guys. But then 00:16:15.289 --> 00:16:17.190 also like you like you were kind of leaning there 00:16:17.190 --> 00:16:20.470 towards for a second just the seriousness of 00:16:20.470 --> 00:16:24.470 rejecting God's Word right like may and it you 00:16:24.470 --> 00:16:31.549 really get an understanding of The consequences 00:16:31.549 --> 00:16:33.970 that people don't really understand about right, 00:16:34.490 --> 00:16:36.889 you know so many times when you know And I think 00:16:36.889 --> 00:16:38.610 that's the man one of the hard things about being 00:16:38.610 --> 00:16:42.639 a pastor is we realize Like, we can't save anybody. 00:16:42.860 --> 00:16:46.220 We are messengers of the gospel. We are here 00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:50.240 to share, and the Holy Spirit is the one that 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:55.059 draws. And sometimes that sucks. Like, just to 00:16:55.059 --> 00:16:57.220 be brutally honest, because there are people 00:16:57.220 --> 00:17:00.480 that we can care about very much, and all we 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:02.179 want to do is see them give their life to the 00:17:02.179 --> 00:17:05.680 Lord. And there's many times that I've had students 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:08.640 that have come into my life that God has just 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:13.410 given me a passion for them. And if I could force 00:17:13.410 --> 00:17:17.230 them to be saved, in the most loving pastorial 00:17:17.230 --> 00:17:20.829 way possible, I would do that. But then it's 00:17:20.829 --> 00:17:24.230 not genuine and it's not real. But there's just 00:17:24.230 --> 00:17:27.009 those people that you're like, man, come on. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:33.400 Just like me, you know, I rejected the gospel 00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:37.539 so many times So many times in my life as a teenager. 00:17:37.539 --> 00:17:41.619 I had so many people poured into me Trying to 00:17:41.619 --> 00:17:43.980 get me. In fact, one of the funniest things I 00:17:43.980 --> 00:17:47.619 remember my first youth pastor He knew I was 00:17:47.619 --> 00:17:49.380 lost, obviously. This is back, you know, because 00:17:49.380 --> 00:17:50.960 I didn't go to church growing up, and so I was 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:53.420 going to youth group as a teenager for the very 00:17:53.420 --> 00:17:55.319 first time, and so I didn't know what it meant 00:17:55.319 --> 00:17:57.839 to be lost. And the dude preached the gospel 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:00.519 all the time. I just wasn't ready to hear it, 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:04.099 so I didn't hear it, you know? And then I remember 00:18:04.099 --> 00:18:06.099 the first time I was impacted by the gospel, 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:09.519 he brought in someone from the church to share 00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:11.980 their testimony. And I remember at the end of 00:18:11.980 --> 00:18:13.920 him sharing his testimony, I was like, I need 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:18.380 Jesus. Oh my gosh. And I remember he came to 00:18:18.380 --> 00:18:20.220 me joking, like in a loving, joking way that 00:18:20.220 --> 00:18:23.180 a youth pastor can, and was like, I've been preaching 00:18:23.180 --> 00:18:27.779 to you for two years, Sean. What in the world? 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:31.400 What happened? Like, why now? I was like, I don't 00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:36.940 know, buddy. But that's one of the things. But 00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:39.539 that's why we have to be faithful and we continue. 00:18:39.789 --> 00:18:42.049 no matter how many times. I mean, I've heard 00:18:42.049 --> 00:18:45.690 stories of wives praying for their husbands for 00:18:45.690 --> 00:18:48.710 decades, you know? And so, it's one of those 00:18:48.710 --> 00:18:52.950 things that it's, we're faithful, but at the 00:18:52.950 --> 00:18:57.009 same time, if they reject, they've rejected the 00:18:57.009 --> 00:18:59.210 Holy Spirit. Yeah, I stood there Sunday during 00:18:59.210 --> 00:19:01.650 the invitation and I'm looking back and I see 00:19:01.650 --> 00:19:03.410 this one guy and I'm just like, I've been praying 00:19:03.410 --> 00:19:05.930 for this guy since I've been here, you know? 00:19:06.069 --> 00:19:10.799 And what's funny is, at the 830, And the 11 different 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:12.839 guys that I've been praying for and I'm just 00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:15.140 like I see them sitting there. They're there 00:19:15.140 --> 00:19:17.819 One is there practically every Sunday the other 00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:19.799 one on occasion, but I'm just sitting there and 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:22.250 I'm thinking God just Stir the heart I start 00:19:22.250 --> 00:19:24.990 praying at the altar stir their heart speak to 00:19:24.990 --> 00:19:26.910 dude and sometimes when we're up there like we 00:19:26.910 --> 00:19:30.049 can see the emotions on their face Like there's 00:19:30.049 --> 00:19:31.549 been times like just like you're saying that 00:19:31.549 --> 00:19:33.690 I'm looking out because we're standing up there 00:19:33.690 --> 00:19:36.630 up front right and you can see dudes that you 00:19:36.630 --> 00:19:39.930 know were lost and you could see the tears whelping 00:19:39.930 --> 00:19:43.410 in their eyes and you're like Lord, please. Yes 00:19:43.410 --> 00:19:47.630 move. Yeah move They don't he is It's just, they're 00:19:47.630 --> 00:19:51.430 not. Yeah, exactly. Because it has to be a choice, 00:19:51.650 --> 00:19:56.769 like you said. And I feel like the concept we're 00:19:56.769 --> 00:19:59.930 talking about here of resisting or rejecting 00:19:59.930 --> 00:20:02.349 the message, it's got a lot to say, I think, 00:20:02.730 --> 00:20:05.630 about people who have not responded to the gospel. 00:20:06.049 --> 00:20:08.130 I think we have to be careful of this in our 00:20:08.130 --> 00:20:11.789 own hearts too. Like not rejecting the gospel 00:20:11.789 --> 00:20:14.549 wholesale like I'm not a Christian anymore But 00:20:14.549 --> 00:20:16.690 there's plenty of things that we read in scripture 00:20:16.690 --> 00:20:21.069 that that by our actions We reject on a regular 00:20:21.069 --> 00:20:22.990 basis and of course like we're not under the 00:20:22.990 --> 00:20:25.589 law We're under grace and so like like Jesus 00:20:25.589 --> 00:20:28.150 paid for those sins and he took those willingly 00:20:28.150 --> 00:20:31.170 knowing that we would do that and so not out 00:20:31.170 --> 00:20:33.890 of a you know, like a big big guilt trip thing 00:20:33.890 --> 00:20:37.359 but as like a like are there areas of my life, 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:39.819 and this is kind of like where I landed, where 00:20:39.819 --> 00:20:44.539 I'm resisting the good news, because I think 00:20:44.539 --> 00:20:47.359 my news is better, or because I think that it'd 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:50.099 be better if I did this this way, or even just 00:20:50.099 --> 00:20:54.859 from sinful desire, you know? And so, for our 00:20:54.859 --> 00:20:58.019 listeners and for you and for me, that's an important 00:20:58.019 --> 00:21:00.839 question to ask. Am I resisting? Well, in the 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:05.900 trap that I pray against so often, is God, help 00:21:05.900 --> 00:21:09.599 your word be a mirror in my life. Meaning, when 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:12.920 I read your word, please show me first the things 00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:15.920 that I need to fix. The whole idea of the plank 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:19.519 and the speck, right? Because unfortunately, 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:21.819 I think it can be so easy for us to read God's 00:21:21.819 --> 00:21:23.880 word and be like, yeah, that person needs this, 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:26.039 this person needs this. Like, Lord, why don't 00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:29.250 you convict them of this? when when I look at 00:21:29.250 --> 00:21:31.750 God and I so often I do pray that because I was 00:21:31.750 --> 00:21:34.349 like Lord when I'm reading your word please let 00:21:34.349 --> 00:21:37.210 it hit my heart first if there is an area that 00:21:37.210 --> 00:21:42.450 I am wrong in show me yeah for sure yeah and 00:21:42.450 --> 00:21:45.769 uh it's worth saying it's one thing to look in 00:21:45.769 --> 00:21:47.829 a mirror and realize that you need to comb your 00:21:47.829 --> 00:21:50.190 hair and shave and it's another to pick up the 00:21:50.190 --> 00:21:52.970 razor And to comb your hair. Listen, I know I 00:21:52.970 --> 00:21:54.869 need to shave. I know that my beard is getting 00:21:54.869 --> 00:21:56.789 a little crazy. Are you looking at me? I mean, 00:21:56.829 --> 00:22:03.029 come on. John's stroking John. Are you going 00:22:03.029 --> 00:22:04.509 to go? Are you going to go? Are you going to 00:22:04.509 --> 00:22:06.509 get your hair shaved and go fully bald for Easter? 00:22:06.589 --> 00:22:12.430 You're going to clean it up. Oh, Sean, I love 00:22:12.430 --> 00:22:19.880 you. Oh, man. Yes, it will be completely shaped. 00:22:20.200 --> 00:22:26.119 There you go, man. Wow. Kind of continuing along 00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:28.539 in this discourse, Sean, I think you wanted to 00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:30.240 touch on a passage kind of adjacent to this. 00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:32.200 Yeah. So I think I'm going to touch on it. I 00:22:32.200 --> 00:22:33.920 think John's going to talk about it too. We're 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:35.460 just kind of going to be writing here in this 00:22:35.460 --> 00:22:37.640 passage because right after that, I'm going to 00:22:37.640 --> 00:22:41.119 pick up in verse 16. So it's the next day's devotion, 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:43.299 but we're continuing on with the same passage. 00:22:43.879 --> 00:22:46.079 And here's what I loved about this one, right? 00:22:46.180 --> 00:22:49.000 I was reading this passage and this was one of 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:50.819 those times, once again, that I was reading the 00:22:50.819 --> 00:22:54.119 devotion. I read it through Matthew 10, 16 through 00:22:54.119 --> 00:22:57.420 26, and I read it and I was like, cool, yeah, 00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.980 I know this passage. All right. Then I was like, 00:23:00.059 --> 00:23:02.000 man, I need to read that again, right? And it 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:04.079 was on that second reading, which is why I tell 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:06.019 people all the time, read it over and over. You 00:23:06.019 --> 00:23:08.500 never know. And on the second reading, really, 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.279 it was first one word that just really struck 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:14.140 me, and then it was the phrase or really two 00:23:14.140 --> 00:23:16.220 words that struck me. And it was in verse 16 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:19.460 at the very beginning. So, Jesus is continuing 00:23:19.460 --> 00:23:22.660 on with this whole idea of sending out His disciples. 00:23:23.099 --> 00:23:24.920 And in verse 16, it picks up with Him saying 00:23:24.920 --> 00:23:27.660 this. Right after what we just looked at, look, 00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:30.000 I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. 00:23:30.099 --> 00:23:33.240 Therefore, be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:35.359 as doves. So I'm just going to stop there. Because 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:38.960 it's that analogy that Jesus is using. And the 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:42.019 first one that struck me, where he says for us 00:23:42.019 --> 00:23:44.900 to be as shrewd as serpents, and my brain just 00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:47.599 got stuck on Jesus just told me to be a snake. 00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:51.059 that doesn't sound good, you know? And I'm like, 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:53.200 and that's where my brain automatically went. 00:23:53.259 --> 00:23:55.359 It was like, I've seen snakes before in the Bible. 00:23:56.500 --> 00:23:58.980 Usually snakes are not a good thing in the Bible. 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:01.700 What is like, and like, you really like, I started 00:24:01.700 --> 00:24:03.980 going down this little rabbit trail in my brain 00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:07.099 of like, okay, why is, why is Jesus telling us 00:24:07.099 --> 00:24:10.559 to be serpents? Like, that is weird. And so, 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:13.299 but because I had that thought, it caused me 00:24:13.299 --> 00:24:16.720 to dig deep. And I started to bring out my commentaries 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:19.160 and look up. like the original language and he 00:24:19.160 --> 00:24:21.240 definitely says serpent and he definitely says 00:24:21.240 --> 00:24:23.839 doves. Like it's, there's no other weird Greek 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:26.059 language going on there. Like he says these things, 00:24:26.099 --> 00:24:29.220 but it's really cultural and the reason why he 00:24:29.220 --> 00:24:30.920 says this. So here's what I looked up. Here's 00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:34.680 what I found out. So a serpent in their culture, 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:38.660 serpents were considered to be extremely wise 00:24:38.660 --> 00:24:42.829 creatures. And so it's in fact it's the same 00:24:42.829 --> 00:24:45.950 idea of Matthew 724 talking about a wise man 00:24:45.950 --> 00:24:48.109 builds his house on the rock. Really? So that 00:24:48.109 --> 00:24:51.460 is the idea of what he's... using when he talks 00:24:51.460 --> 00:24:54.740 about a serpent, which is why he says to be as 00:24:54.740 --> 00:24:57.599 shrewd as a serpent, because serpents were seen 00:24:57.599 --> 00:25:01.119 to be cautious, and they were seen to be perceptives. 00:25:01.339 --> 00:25:03.819 And so, really, what Jesus is saying, he's saying, 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:08.339 don't be naive, don't walk in blindly into danger, 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:10.660 is what he's saying. He says, you need to be 00:25:10.660 --> 00:25:13.740 wise, you need to be cautious. And so, I was 00:25:13.740 --> 00:25:15.559 like, okay, well, that makes a little bit more 00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:18.420 sense now. And really, then I started, well, 00:25:18.420 --> 00:25:20.259 let me, I might as well. look up and see what 00:25:20.259 --> 00:25:22.660 an innocent as a dove means since I'm already 00:25:22.660 --> 00:25:25.539 here. And this one was where it really, really 00:25:25.539 --> 00:25:29.059 started to get some understanding because, you 00:25:29.059 --> 00:25:30.539 know, as a dove, I always say it's like, it's 00:25:30.539 --> 00:25:32.339 a symbol of peace. It's the symbol of Israel. 00:25:32.619 --> 00:25:34.440 And I was like, okay, cool. Well, so maybe it's 00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:36.000 just like, hey, we need to be peaceful, but it's 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:38.519 a little bit more deeper than that because it 00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:40.740 does symbolize peace and it symbolizes peace 00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:44.180 and purity. but also with the idea of integrity. 00:25:44.980 --> 00:25:48.279 And this is where I really started to get really 00:25:48.279 --> 00:25:51.559 interested of how Jesus is telling these disciples 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:55.839 to go out. And basically, it also gives the idea 00:25:55.839 --> 00:26:00.380 of don't justify shady methods for the gospel. 00:26:01.569 --> 00:26:03.789 Right? This isn't a ministry commission context. 00:26:03.950 --> 00:26:08.029 Yes. Yes. And so it's like, think clearly, live 00:26:08.029 --> 00:26:10.710 cleanly. It's this idea of, in fact, I found 00:26:10.710 --> 00:26:12.130 this quote that I wrote this down because I thought 00:26:12.130 --> 00:26:13.849 this was really cool. Here's what it with both 00:26:13.849 --> 00:26:16.509 of the ideas together. Here's what the commentator 00:26:16.509 --> 00:26:19.130 said. I don't remember who it was. Be smart enough 00:26:19.130 --> 00:26:22.390 to navigate the world, but be pure enough that 00:26:22.390 --> 00:26:25.690 the world doesn't change you. I was like, Oh, 00:26:25.890 --> 00:26:27.710 that's good. That's good. That's good. But one 00:26:27.710 --> 00:26:28.930 of the things that I really liked about there 00:26:28.930 --> 00:26:33.339 was that idea of integrity. of, okay, as we go 00:26:33.339 --> 00:26:36.619 out and we're sharing the gospel, like, it matters 00:26:36.619 --> 00:26:39.759 how we do that, you know? And we've talked about 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:42.500 it on the podcast before where, like, I'm, like, 00:26:43.180 --> 00:26:45.849 I... I'm always so cautious not to be the guy 00:26:45.849 --> 00:26:49.970 that's trying to manipulate kids into Jesus. 00:26:50.450 --> 00:26:53.670 You know, I'm not a big fan of youth ministry 00:26:53.670 --> 00:26:57.029 being hellfire and brimstone because, well, even 00:26:57.029 --> 00:26:58.910 just church in general, because it's so easy 00:26:58.910 --> 00:27:02.809 to scare a teenager, scare, especially a preteen 00:27:02.809 --> 00:27:05.789 to scare them into heaven. And like, I'm not 00:27:05.789 --> 00:27:08.490 a fan of that whatsoever. And so, like, I want 00:27:08.490 --> 00:27:11.650 to make sure that what I'm doing, that I'm being 00:27:11.650 --> 00:27:16.200 wise, as I'm going out as a pastor, that I'm, 00:27:16.200 --> 00:27:19.559 and even when I'm going out, that I'm using my 00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:22.180 intelligence of like, hey, if this feels dangerous, 00:27:23.500 --> 00:27:27.799 like, be aware of that, right? But then also, 00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:30.359 how am I going to share the gospel? Like, I don't 00:27:30.359 --> 00:27:34.559 need to do something shady and do something that's 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:39.680 going to affect my character and affect my witness. 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:42.359 I need to be careful. I need to make sure I'm 00:27:42.359 --> 00:27:44.480 still a person of integrity in everything I do. 00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:48.240 And so that really, that was big for me. But 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:49.799 that quote, I'm going to say it one more time 00:27:49.799 --> 00:27:53.160 in case someone already forgot it. Be smart enough 00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:55.759 to navigate the world, but pure enough that the 00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:58.400 world doesn't change you. I thought that was 00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:00.380 really good. You know what's interesting in that 00:28:00.380 --> 00:28:03.579 context is the words that are right before it, 00:28:03.640 --> 00:28:05.720 the what Jesus says, behold, I'm sending you 00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:08.200 out of sheep in the midst of wolves. You know, 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:11.789 most shepherds, Their job is to protect or corral 00:28:11.789 --> 00:28:14.269 the sheep to keep them from the wolves. And Jesus 00:28:14.269 --> 00:28:17.710 is saying, I'm sending you out in the midst of 00:28:17.710 --> 00:28:20.029 the wolves. And, you know, it's not like a sheep 00:28:20.029 --> 00:28:22.630 would just walk up and the wolf open its mouth 00:28:22.630 --> 00:28:24.970 and it insert its head in there and be like, 00:28:25.349 --> 00:28:27.549 ah, yeah, God's going to protect me. God's going 00:28:27.549 --> 00:28:30.750 to take care of me. And, you know, so many people 00:28:30.750 --> 00:28:34.089 treat God like that. But what he is saying is 00:28:34.089 --> 00:28:37.319 he's telling them. you're going into dangerous 00:28:37.319 --> 00:28:39.980 fields. You're going out into places where they're 00:28:39.980 --> 00:28:43.839 going to hate you because they hated me. And 00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:46.700 he's talking about Israel, not the Gentiles, 00:28:46.779 --> 00:28:49.519 not the Samaritans, but Israel. And he's just 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:51.220 telling me, he's like, listen, you're not going 00:28:51.220 --> 00:28:53.740 to be safe, follow me. And I find it so funny 00:28:53.740 --> 00:28:57.680 sometimes when people are afraid to go out and 00:28:57.680 --> 00:29:00.440 share the gospel because they're afraid that 00:29:00.440 --> 00:29:03.819 people are going to reject them. They probably 00:29:03.819 --> 00:29:06.650 will. Jesus never promised that every person 00:29:06.650 --> 00:29:08.069 we go out to share the gospel with is going to 00:29:08.069 --> 00:29:11.019 be saved. Right. You know, he does say... you 00:29:11.019 --> 00:29:13.000 sow sparingly, you'll reap sparingly, you sow 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:15.000 bountifully, you'll reap bountifully, you know? 00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:16.720 And it's the idea that guess what, there are 00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:18.339 going to be some seed that you throw out, it's 00:29:18.339 --> 00:29:20.180 going to fall on the hardened ground, reject 00:29:20.180 --> 00:29:22.880 it outright, some is going to fall on the thorny 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:24.880 ground, it's going to spring up real quick, some 00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:26.240 will fall on the rocky ground, and some will 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:28.099 fall on the good soil. We've talked about that. 00:29:28.279 --> 00:29:31.140 Yep. So we have. So, you know, I just think it's 00:29:31.140 --> 00:29:32.980 interesting, you know, he's talking about this 00:29:32.980 --> 00:29:35.420 wisdom and this innocence, this integrity and 00:29:35.420 --> 00:29:38.619 this basically knowing how to navigate the things 00:29:38.619 --> 00:29:42.019 of the world. It's Jesus did not save us and 00:29:42.019 --> 00:29:44.819 then take us out. And when he prayed in John 00:29:44.819 --> 00:29:47.420 17, he didn't say, Father, take them out of this 00:29:47.420 --> 00:29:49.839 world. He understood they were going to be living 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:53.460 in the world and he says, sanctify them. So, 00:29:53.579 --> 00:29:56.140 it's using them to make a difference in the world. 00:29:56.339 --> 00:29:59.740 I love this transition that he's making there. 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:02.819 Absolutely. And I think like, let's remember 00:30:02.819 --> 00:30:05.779 who he's talking to. Like if you're looking at 00:30:05.779 --> 00:30:07.160 the Matthew account, I was trying to flip back 00:30:07.160 --> 00:30:09.220 and see how many chapters it's been since Jesus 00:30:09.220 --> 00:30:11.779 has called them. The answer is not that many. 00:30:12.019 --> 00:30:15.920 I think it's like four. But like these are the 00:30:15.920 --> 00:30:20.119 disciples, like in modern day English, the students, 00:30:20.359 --> 00:30:23.920 the learners of the way of Jesus. And so like 00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:26.500 Jesus is sending out his students. And I think 00:30:26.500 --> 00:30:29.799 like, and I tried to carefully hear in saying 00:30:29.799 --> 00:30:35.180 this, essential to learning to walk deeper in 00:30:35.180 --> 00:30:40.619 your relationship with God is the tests and the 00:30:40.619 --> 00:30:46.200 failures because like I highly doubt these guys 00:30:46.200 --> 00:30:48.759 did this perfectly like the mark account gives 00:30:48.759 --> 00:30:50.859 us like a little bit of context and yes they 00:30:50.859 --> 00:30:53.220 went out and they cast out demons a lot of them 00:30:53.220 --> 00:30:57.700 as it sounds like but Jesus sent them when he 00:30:57.700 --> 00:30:59.539 knew that they were ready not when they knew 00:30:59.539 --> 00:31:04.799 that they were ready If I am any of the 12 in 00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:07.000 this story I'm shaking in my custom -made baby 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:09.900 seal leather boots like like like I'm thinking 00:31:09.900 --> 00:31:13.920 Jesus like hide baby seal I joined to follow 00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:20.180 you, and now you're sending us out, and you're 00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:21.640 saying they're going to be demons, and they're 00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:23.460 going to be the wolves, and the wolves are going 00:31:23.460 --> 00:31:26.599 to try to... And later on in the passage, they're 00:31:26.599 --> 00:31:28.059 going to try to flog you, and they're going to 00:31:28.059 --> 00:31:31.380 turn you over to the synagogue. And by the way, 00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:33.680 you guys are not above me, because I'm your teacher 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:35.039 and you're my servants, and so they're going 00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:37.380 to accuse me of being like Satan. They're going 00:31:37.380 --> 00:31:39.460 to accuse you of being like Satan. And if I'm 00:31:39.460 --> 00:31:45.259 a disciple, I'm like, This is not the class I 00:31:45.259 --> 00:31:49.000 thought I signed up for. Mm -hmm. But Jesus sent 00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:51.279 them when he knew they were ready. Well, what's 00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:52.539 interesting, too, is you keep reading through 00:31:52.539 --> 00:31:55.720 the Gospels, they come back. Right. And, like, 00:31:55.799 --> 00:31:57.259 they're still following him. And it's kind of 00:31:57.259 --> 00:32:00.230 like, it's, you gave them their freedom. and 00:32:00.230 --> 00:32:02.730 then you bring them back under your reigns. And 00:32:02.730 --> 00:32:03.990 then he's going to send them out again, he's 00:32:03.990 --> 00:32:07.049 going to bring them back. And it just, it's kind 00:32:07.049 --> 00:32:09.269 of, the way I look at that sometimes is like 00:32:09.269 --> 00:32:11.710 a teenager who's got their car keys and they've 00:32:11.710 --> 00:32:13.569 got their freedom and they've finally been allowed 00:32:13.569 --> 00:32:16.150 to go off on their own. And all of a sudden, 00:32:16.309 --> 00:32:17.910 mom and dad take the car keys and go, nope, you're 00:32:17.910 --> 00:32:20.430 going to ride with us for a while now. And, you 00:32:20.430 --> 00:32:22.509 know, the disappointment. And so I wonder how 00:32:22.509 --> 00:32:25.250 the disciples handled that coming back in, you 00:32:25.250 --> 00:32:27.910 know, still having to learn and grow. and then 00:32:27.910 --> 00:32:29.849 being sent back out and then coming back in and 00:32:29.849 --> 00:32:32.769 then having to be sent out because he's gone 00:32:32.769 --> 00:32:35.769 now. So, preparing them for something bigger? 00:32:36.009 --> 00:32:40.789 Yes. I'm just kind of reading through this passage 00:32:40.789 --> 00:32:42.569 as y 'all are talking and what I find really 00:32:42.569 --> 00:32:48.210 interesting is for the very last verse of that, 00:32:48.210 --> 00:32:50.390 of the reading of this one for March 30th is 00:32:50.390 --> 00:32:52.849 verse 26. But then you kind of go into that whole 00:32:52.849 --> 00:32:55.730 little section right there that that begins and 00:32:55.799 --> 00:32:57.720 As I'm reading he's just after all he's like 00:32:57.720 --> 00:32:59.859 he's saying all of this stuff of like hey, this 00:32:59.859 --> 00:33:01.200 is good This could happen this could happen this 00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:03.359 could happen, but it's like hey, don't be afraid 00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:06.869 though Have no or if you are worth so much to 00:33:06.869 --> 00:33:10.069 God. Yeah, like God's got you Don't be afraid 00:33:10.069 --> 00:33:12.109 and I was actually listening to a podcast this 00:33:12.109 --> 00:33:15.009 morning and in the podcast this morning it talked 00:33:15.009 --> 00:33:19.210 about how The commandment that is said more than 00:33:19.210 --> 00:33:23.609 any other is do not fear in fact 365 times this 00:33:23.609 --> 00:33:27.009 is for every weight way more than any other Commandment 00:33:27.009 --> 00:33:30.789 in scripture. God says do not be afraid. Hmm 00:33:30.789 --> 00:33:32.450 So I literally love those. I hate he's like he's 00:33:32.450 --> 00:33:34.799 being real with them He's being honest, but at 00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:36.059 the same time he's like, but you don't got to 00:33:36.059 --> 00:33:38.619 worry about it Yep, like God's you're going out 00:33:38.619 --> 00:33:42.039 there and God cares about you So don't fear like 00:33:42.039 --> 00:33:44.140 even what is it verse 28? Don't fear those who 00:33:44.140 --> 00:33:45.980 can kill the body but are not able to kill the 00:33:45.980 --> 00:33:49.160 soul Yeah, I mean cuz I mean you hear that like 00:33:49.160 --> 00:33:52.000 let's just be real like cuz we still we're in 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:54.609 this body I don't want this body to die right 00:33:54.609 --> 00:33:59.430 now. So there can still be that fear there that 00:33:59.430 --> 00:34:03.769 we can feel as humans, but it's the reminder 00:34:03.769 --> 00:34:06.329 of like, but there is something greater out there. 00:34:06.730 --> 00:34:10.510 It's so easy for us to get focused on this life 00:34:10.510 --> 00:34:15.469 that James calls a vapor. It is so quick compared 00:34:15.469 --> 00:34:18.889 to the eternal life that we're going to have 00:34:18.889 --> 00:34:23.539 with Jesus. Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, gents, 00:34:23.539 --> 00:34:27.420 this has been fun. We've been at this for a little 00:34:27.420 --> 00:34:31.039 while now. We have. We have. So hey, let me tell 00:34:31.039 --> 00:34:33.260 a quick story. Dude, tell us a story. So a couple 00:34:33.260 --> 00:34:36.699 podcasts ago, I advertised our pins. Yes. Right? 00:34:36.699 --> 00:34:38.440 You even held it up to the mic and did the little 00:34:38.440 --> 00:34:40.699 thing. And it sounded great, by the way. Thank 00:34:40.699 --> 00:34:42.260 you. You could hear it in the mic. Some creative 00:34:42.260 --> 00:34:44.980 compression. It was wonderful. Everybody talked 00:34:44.980 --> 00:34:48.190 about. And I say that because I gave away. So 00:34:48.190 --> 00:34:50.090 last week we weren't here. So like the funny 00:34:50.090 --> 00:34:52.730 thing is I talked about the pin and then I wasn't 00:34:52.730 --> 00:34:55.829 here that Sunday to give away the pins. So, uh, 00:34:55.869 --> 00:34:59.139 but I was here this Sunday. dude, I had like 00:34:59.139 --> 00:35:02.019 nine people come up to me and were like, hey, 00:35:02.039 --> 00:35:05.599 where's my pin? And it was great. So if you were 00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:07.480 afraid to come up to me for whatever reason, 00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:10.840 fear not, fear not, I will give you a pin. We 00:35:10.840 --> 00:35:12.860 still have, these are really fun. And then also 00:35:12.860 --> 00:35:14.300 it's been a couple of podcasts when we mentioned 00:35:14.300 --> 00:35:16.699 it, but we did talk about earlier on probably 00:35:16.699 --> 00:35:18.420 about a month ago that we've got church merch. 00:35:18.860 --> 00:35:21.320 Church merch. It's on our app. And so it's not 00:35:21.320 --> 00:35:23.019 something we're really advertising, you know, 00:35:23.219 --> 00:35:25.659 in the church right now, but just for our podcast 00:35:25.659 --> 00:35:27.460 listeners, we've had some people place some orders. 00:35:27.369 --> 00:35:29.610 and order some stuff, but go on there. If you 00:35:29.610 --> 00:35:31.909 want to have our church logo and our church name, 00:35:32.409 --> 00:35:34.650 just be able to just show off your local church 00:35:34.650 --> 00:35:37.110 in the community. Go get some stuff, man. There's 00:35:37.110 --> 00:35:38.570 some good looking stuff on there. You know, I 00:35:38.570 --> 00:35:40.909 got to rep the squad even when I'm out of town. 00:35:41.710 --> 00:35:48.309 Word. Well, thank you very much for that announcement, 00:35:48.650 --> 00:35:53.659 Sean. Guys, we are out of time. And we've been 00:35:53.659 --> 00:35:55.519 at this for almost an hour. Can you believe it 00:35:55.519 --> 00:35:59.860 good to have fun editing that one? I? Will I 00:35:59.860 --> 00:36:02.400 have been Ben Smith. This is pursuing Jesus. 00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:07.579 I've been Sean Griffin And I am John Ferguson 00:36:07.579 --> 00:36:12.380 we got to figure out who we are Sean We'll see 00:36:12.380 --> 00:36:22.889 you guys next bye bye Pursuing Jesus is a ministry 00:36:22.889 --> 00:36:25.610 of Memorial Baptist Church in Norwood, North 00:36:25.610 --> 00:36:27.889 Carolina. To learn more about our church, please 00:36:27.889 --> 00:36:31.110 visit memorial4norwood .com.