WEBVTT 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:07.059 What's up, everybody? How's it going, pursuers? 00:00:08.300 --> 00:00:11.560 Oh, wait, hold on. You remember we had a conversation 00:00:11.560 --> 00:00:13.660 with someone this week, last week, recently, 00:00:14.140 --> 00:00:17.000 and they said that they weren't sure if that 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:19.980 is the name of the group. They did. They did 00:00:19.980 --> 00:00:21.719 say that. Do you remember the name that they 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:24.500 suggested? It was something culturally insensitive. 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:28.000 I can't remember. No, it was not. They think 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:31.500 they like dudes and dudettes. Dudes and dudettes. 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:33.840 What's up, dudes and dudettes? I mean, I say 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:35.920 dude all the time. It's a part of my cultural 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:39.359 lingo. Yeah, that's true. Dudettes is not something 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:42.500 I say very often. No, I have not said dudettes 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:46.140 ever. Truthfully, I feel like dude for me has 00:00:46.140 --> 00:00:49.259 evolved to be like a gender neutral term. Yeah, 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:51.299 I agree. I agree. But every now and then you 00:00:51.299 --> 00:00:53.359 run into somebody who is a lady who you refer 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:55.100 to as, oh, dude, what's up? And they're like, 00:00:55.259 --> 00:00:58.439 I am not a dude. So when I was in college, I 00:00:58.439 --> 00:01:00.420 had a habit of longboarding around the campus, 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:02.939 right? Oh, I did that in college too. Yeah? Yeah. 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:06.140 All that to say, I was bumping up against curfew 00:01:06.140 --> 00:01:08.120 because Christian College, you had to be back 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:09.680 at the dorm by a certain time or else you were 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:12.799 a bad person. And I'm hauling timber trying to 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:15.560 get back in time. And I've got an umbrella because 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:17.680 it rains a lot in Cedarville. But it was Maddie's 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:21.540 umbrella. It was like an outrageously girly umbrella. 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:24.260 As it should be. As it should be, right? I think 00:01:24.260 --> 00:01:26.819 it was like pink, you know? And so some chick 00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:29.659 from the sidewalk shouts out, Nice umbrella, 00:01:29.819 --> 00:01:33.920 dude! And I was like, Hey, thanks, dude! And 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:35.980 I kept on trucking, and I just hear from behind 00:01:35.980 --> 00:01:39.659 me, I'm not a dude! Wow, like really offended 00:01:39.659 --> 00:01:42.159 over calling her a dude. Of course, like, I think 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.439 I meant that a little dude -ish, too. Yeah, you 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:47.700 probably had a little oomph on the word dude, 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:52.069 you know? Thanks, dude! Yeah, I don't know. I 00:01:52.069 --> 00:01:54.450 mean, I do like Pursuers. I think it's interesting. 00:01:54.930 --> 00:01:57.129 I don't think we're fully settled on what we're 00:01:57.129 --> 00:01:59.530 going to call our audience yet, but I'm just 00:01:59.530 --> 00:02:02.269 glad they're here with us. I am also just glad 00:02:02.269 --> 00:02:04.170 they're here with us. Also, I hear there's some 00:02:04.170 --> 00:02:06.409 new people to the podcast. I've been hearing 00:02:06.409 --> 00:02:08.509 some people on Sundays talk about how they've 00:02:08.509 --> 00:02:11.389 recently started to join us. No way! And I think 00:02:11.389 --> 00:02:15.349 that's amazing. I think that's amazing. But for 00:02:15.349 --> 00:02:17.590 everybody, just for some clarification, because 00:02:17.590 --> 00:02:20.150 even though this is Sean speaking right now, 00:02:20.210 --> 00:02:23.009 I might not sound like the normal Sean. I am 00:02:23.009 --> 00:02:26.349 recovering from Mission Serve that we had last 00:02:26.349 --> 00:02:29.469 week and also some sickness that involved with 00:02:29.469 --> 00:02:32.810 Mission Serve. And so if my voice is a little 00:02:32.810 --> 00:02:36.169 crazy, let me apologize in advance for the sound 00:02:36.169 --> 00:02:40.550 of my voice and then also whatever noises might 00:02:40.550 --> 00:02:44.590 come out. missed the editing floor. Yeah, I what 00:02:44.590 --> 00:02:46.590 I'm excited about what you've done here is it 00:02:46.590 --> 00:02:48.789 gives me opportunity to insert other sounds that 00:02:48.789 --> 00:02:53.750 you also don't make as man. Sean just like made 00:02:53.750 --> 00:02:55.849 that noise. Yeah, podcast, you know, you're just 00:02:55.849 --> 00:02:58.349 going to start putting random noises and they're 00:02:58.349 --> 00:03:01.810 going to be like, oh, Sean is disgusting. It's 00:03:01.810 --> 00:03:04.430 like the most massive belt you've ever heard 00:03:04.430 --> 00:03:07.349 in your life and like and we're not going to 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:10.879 even mention it because it's not there for real, 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:12.879 but yet it's going to sound like we're just rude 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.360 people just going right by it. No, it'll sound 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:17.199 like you're just... Oh, you'll make sure of that. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.699 That's true. That's true. Pursuing Jesus fam, 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:21.960 what's actually happening is I've actually fed 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:25.900 every clip of audio I have of Sean into an AI 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:28.180 agent, and Sean's not actually in the room with 00:03:28.180 --> 00:03:32.039 us. I'm talking to a robot Sean who, based off 00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:33.979 of his personality and my programming... And 00:03:33.979 --> 00:03:35.680 this is the best the voice could get. This is 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:38.870 the best the voice could get. get exactly i will 00:03:38.870 --> 00:03:40.889 say at least from my side of the room with headphones 00:03:40.889 --> 00:03:43.389 on you sound relatively normal so you know what's 00:03:43.389 --> 00:03:46.830 funny with you saying that okay because like 00:03:46.830 --> 00:03:50.669 i've have you used chat gpt's voice yeah i have 00:03:50.669 --> 00:03:55.039 on occasion like you can have almost human conversations 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:58.099 with the chat. Like, you know, cause if you have 00:03:58.099 --> 00:04:00.520 conversations with Siri or like things like that, 00:04:00.620 --> 00:04:03.219 it's very, it's very robotic, you know, and you 00:04:03.219 --> 00:04:06.199 can't have a conversation, but you can have a 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:08.520 conversation. Once again, you realize it's not 00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:11.000 totally human. It's still, it's getting there, 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:13.340 but man, it gets closer all the time. So anyways, 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:15.659 but he's saying that like there's a, there is 00:04:15.659 --> 00:04:18.800 absolutely an AI program out there that you could 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:22.730 feed in information. Have a conversation with 00:04:22.730 --> 00:04:25.490 it and make it mimic a person based on the algorithms 00:04:25.490 --> 00:04:28.589 and the information you upload to it. And that's 00:04:28.589 --> 00:04:30.389 kind of a scary thing. Isn't that so impressive 00:04:30.389 --> 00:04:32.470 that the software actually knows about that and 00:04:32.470 --> 00:04:33.709 is actually doing it? Because that's what we're 00:04:33.709 --> 00:04:35.850 doing right now is I'm talking to you, a robot. 00:04:36.209 --> 00:04:38.569 For it to have that discussion. See, here's the 00:04:38.569 --> 00:04:40.269 problem, because you're a conspiracy theorist. 00:04:40.370 --> 00:04:42.910 Yep, I am. You sure? I know we've got some in 00:04:42.910 --> 00:04:44.430 the church as well. They're out there. They're 00:04:44.430 --> 00:04:47.470 everywhere. Yep, they are. We grow in number 00:04:47.470 --> 00:04:50.110 every day. They really have no idea right now. 00:04:50.740 --> 00:04:53.139 If I'm real, that's we're going to leave it at 00:04:53.139 --> 00:04:55.699 that. We're going to leave it at that. As the 00:04:55.699 --> 00:05:01.500 AI would say. Yes. And so you want to share what's 00:05:01.500 --> 00:05:03.100 going on with that? Where were you with the students? 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:06.420 Yeah. So for those who don't know the summer 00:05:06.420 --> 00:05:09.699 schedule. that we have here at Memorial this 00:05:09.699 --> 00:05:11.420 year. And actually, this is like the third year 00:05:11.420 --> 00:05:14.980 in a row. It's been wild. But so we have two 00:05:14.980 --> 00:05:17.819 major organizations that we partner with with 00:05:17.819 --> 00:05:19.660 our student ministry. And one is Mission Serve. 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:22.800 We just did that last week. It was an incredible 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:32.689 week. Pause. And so Mission Serve. Ended up being, 00:05:32.790 --> 00:05:35.990 like I said, it was just amazing. And next week 00:05:35.990 --> 00:05:39.490 on Sunday, so Sunday morning, I am taking a smaller 00:05:39.490 --> 00:05:42.470 group of students and we're going to SLU 101. 00:05:42.910 --> 00:05:45.709 All right. And so 101 is the first leg of the 00:05:45.709 --> 00:05:49.709 Student Leadership University, hence SLU, a journey 00:05:49.709 --> 00:05:52.610 that we take with our students. And so Sunday 00:05:52.610 --> 00:05:57.689 we will leave. We will be back Thursday. I'll 00:05:57.689 --> 00:06:01.100 be back for a week. And then the next week, I 00:06:01.100 --> 00:06:04.939 will leave on a Monday morning and take students 00:06:04.939 --> 00:06:11.100 to SLU 201 in Washington, D .C. And so then those 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:12.939 are the major trips. But then we still got our 00:06:12.939 --> 00:06:15.180 pre -teen campus center kids coming up. And so 00:06:15.180 --> 00:06:18.680 I still have three major trips coming up this 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:21.199 summer, week -long trips. And these really are 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:24.259 like trips, conferences. This is not a vacation 00:06:24.259 --> 00:06:28.139 by any means. No, and anybody who calls these 00:06:28.139 --> 00:06:30.399 vacations, I'm not going to call it names because, 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:32.920 yeah, one of the very first phone calls I got 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:35.379 when I got back from Mission Serve, and once 00:06:35.379 --> 00:06:38.279 again, and Mission Serve, the hardest one. We 00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:40.939 are on the mission. We are doing construction 00:06:40.939 --> 00:06:44.120 -based ministry. We're out in the sun. 24 hours 00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:46.439 a day. I mean, it is just, and then it's a lot 00:06:46.439 --> 00:06:49.079 of kids, so there's drama going on. Drama? It's 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:51.949 teenagers, so of course. And so, yeah, one of 00:06:51.949 --> 00:06:53.449 the very first phone calls I got was like, hey, 00:06:53.470 --> 00:06:55.850 Sean, how was your vacation? And I'm like, I'm 00:06:55.850 --> 00:06:58.870 going to slap you, sir. You did give identifying 00:06:58.870 --> 00:07:02.370 information. Now, Sunday, when I head down to 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:04.850 Orlando and I go to a student ministry conference, 00:07:05.230 --> 00:07:08.189 I will get to spend some time in SeaWorld. I 00:07:08.189 --> 00:07:10.189 will get to spend some time. You get to see Shamu? 00:07:11.329 --> 00:07:13.810 No, I don't think Shamu's there anymore. What? 00:07:13.990 --> 00:07:18.980 Yeah. What did they do with Shamu? There's orcas. 00:07:19.060 --> 00:07:20.680 What did they do with him? Also, there's been 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:23.040 many, many, many Shamus. It's just different 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:25.180 whales, different orcas with the same name. I 00:07:25.180 --> 00:07:28.759 know. Anyways, and then we'll also go to Universal 00:07:28.759 --> 00:07:31.839 Studios. And so there are some fun aspects to 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:35.620 this trip. So it's a vacation? No. It all depends 00:07:35.620 --> 00:07:38.079 on the students who are going. I don't know how 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:40.639 many students are listening to this podcast or 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:44.939 parents of students, but there is... This one 00:07:44.939 --> 00:07:46.579 will not be a vacation. Let's just leave it at 00:07:46.579 --> 00:07:49.779 that. Kids, think about the power that you wield 00:07:49.779 --> 00:07:52.160 over your friendly neighborhood. Y 'all can figure 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:53.980 out who's going on this trip and figure out which 00:07:53.980 --> 00:07:57.079 kid is the reason or kids are the reason that 00:07:57.079 --> 00:07:58.800 this one will not be a vacation. Well, this is 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:01.160 a good information to have. We'll be praying 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:04.459 for you as you go. This will air in just a couple 00:08:04.459 --> 00:08:07.180 days on Friday. And so as you listen, party people. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:09.540 Be praying for Sean and the students as we go 00:08:09.540 --> 00:08:12.279 to SLU. I will appreciate it very much. Well, 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:14.899 dude, as we jump into the text here, I was kind 00:08:14.899 --> 00:08:19.660 of thinking a little text icebreaker thing. Okay. 00:08:19.860 --> 00:08:24.779 What is the best gift or the worst gift you've 00:08:24.779 --> 00:08:27.100 ever gotten, like for Christmas or for a birthday? 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:29.339 One gift comes to mind with worst and best. Okay. 00:08:29.339 --> 00:08:32.500 So I don't remember how old I was. But the name 00:08:32.500 --> 00:08:34.980 of the band is going to let it realize how long 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:38.440 ago this was. I never remember telling my parents 00:08:38.440 --> 00:08:41.299 I liked this band. I never remember mentioning. 00:08:41.419 --> 00:08:45.860 In fact, I remember vividly, and I don't remember 00:08:45.860 --> 00:08:48.980 many things vividly from that long ago. Okay. 00:08:49.559 --> 00:08:52.840 But I remember vividly looking at this neon yellow 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:56.759 fanny pack. of New Kids on the Block. Oh, man. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:00.659 Yeah, and like I said, at this point in my life, 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:02.519 I don't think I had ever heard one of their songs. 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:04.779 Wow. But I think it was just like they were the 00:09:04.779 --> 00:09:07.559 band of that time. Right. And my parents probably 00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:09.539 just saw something and were like, oh, yeah, my 00:09:09.539 --> 00:09:11.399 son must know about this or something. I had 00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:13.669 no idea. And they might've just like bought it 00:09:13.669 --> 00:09:15.389 thinking it wasn't merch maybe. And just like 00:09:15.389 --> 00:09:18.389 cool phrase where graphic tees back then with 00:09:18.389 --> 00:09:20.330 words on, but, uh, but yeah, so I just, so I 00:09:20.330 --> 00:09:21.710 said, so that's like the immediate when it comes 00:09:21.710 --> 00:09:24.269 to my mind where I'm just like, why did my parents 00:09:24.269 --> 00:09:27.210 get me that? You know? Yeah. What's so funny 00:09:27.210 --> 00:09:29.629 is they probably got me amazed. I probably got 00:09:29.629 --> 00:09:32.669 like Ninja turtle stuff, Lego stuff. I don't 00:09:32.669 --> 00:09:34.629 remember any of that that year. The only thing 00:09:34.629 --> 00:09:37.529 that my brain remembers is the new kids on the 00:09:37.529 --> 00:09:41.409 block. Fanny bag. But in that human nature, though, 00:09:41.470 --> 00:09:46.549 they say that we are four times more likely to 00:09:46.549 --> 00:09:48.529 remember something negative than something positive. 00:09:49.090 --> 00:09:52.169 How disappointing in us. But it's true. It's 00:09:52.169 --> 00:09:55.809 completely true. Following the same vein as your 00:09:55.809 --> 00:09:58.070 story, this is not about a bad gift I received, 00:09:58.129 --> 00:10:01.129 but about me receiving it poorly. When I was 00:10:01.129 --> 00:10:03.789 young, I was like super duper into rescue heroes. 00:10:04.350 --> 00:10:06.950 Right? There's like figurines and they have like 00:10:06.950 --> 00:10:09.330 trucks, planes. It's like anybody who does like 00:10:09.330 --> 00:10:11.269 a job where you're helping people and they have 00:10:11.269 --> 00:10:13.690 action figures and stuff. All that to say, from 00:10:13.690 --> 00:10:15.610 the animated movie, there's a scene where they're 00:10:15.610 --> 00:10:18.289 on a volcano and the firefighter rescues people 00:10:18.289 --> 00:10:20.029 from the volcano because that's what firefighters 00:10:20.029 --> 00:10:22.629 do. You know, putting volcanologists out of a 00:10:22.629 --> 00:10:26.830 job across the globe. 100%. And it's this big, 00:10:26.830 --> 00:10:30.629 like massive volcano with the toys and the trucks 00:10:30.629 --> 00:10:34.269 and all that. I saw it on Toys R Us and begged 00:10:34.269 --> 00:10:36.429 my parents for it for Christmas. They got it 00:10:36.429 --> 00:10:41.269 for me. And what did I do with it, Sean? I opened 00:10:41.269 --> 00:10:46.769 it up and I played with the box. Yes, I played 00:10:46.769 --> 00:10:48.690 with a box because it had to have been huge because 00:10:48.690 --> 00:10:51.230 the box was massive. I could go in that thing 00:10:51.230 --> 00:10:54.450 and like like like the half opened rescue hero 00:10:54.450 --> 00:10:56.450 action figures are sitting on the floor of our 00:10:56.450 --> 00:10:59.309 living room and I'm like in this box playing 00:10:59.309 --> 00:11:00.909 with the packing peanuts and stuff like that, 00:11:00.970 --> 00:11:05.230 but like like I think that's just how kids. sometimes. 00:11:05.470 --> 00:11:08.149 I've heard of other people having that response. 00:11:08.269 --> 00:11:12.269 You are describing Judah. To this day, anytime 00:11:12.269 --> 00:11:15.389 we get a huge Amazon box or anything that comes 00:11:15.389 --> 00:11:19.210 to the house, he is going to play with that box. 00:11:19.389 --> 00:11:22.230 Now he's at the age where he will cut it and 00:11:22.230 --> 00:11:25.129 turn it into toys. I love that. He has always 00:11:25.129 --> 00:11:33.309 been a box kid. He's a box troll. Noted. I love 00:11:33.309 --> 00:11:36.299 that. I love that. Well, so the reason I ask 00:11:36.299 --> 00:11:39.840 you about gifts is because the text that really 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:42.460 spoke out to me from this week's reading was 00:11:42.460 --> 00:11:45.779 the text from June 26th. So this is in another 00:11:45.779 --> 00:11:48.100 three -peat where you see it in three gospels. 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:50.320 You get it in the Matthew account, the Mark account, 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:53.860 and the Luke account. And this is where Jesus 00:11:53.860 --> 00:11:56.600 very famously says, let the little children come 00:11:56.600 --> 00:11:59.460 to me. Tried to read this with fresh eyes because 00:11:59.460 --> 00:12:01.860 it's a very famous account. It can be easy just 00:12:01.860 --> 00:12:06.769 to autopilot. and read, reread, move on. But 00:12:06.769 --> 00:12:09.049 a couple of things, really the main thing that 00:12:09.049 --> 00:12:11.950 stood out to me was the notion of receiving something 00:12:11.950 --> 00:12:15.330 like a child, or as it were, playing with the 00:12:15.330 --> 00:12:18.759 box. So where we're going today is Mark 10. 13 00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:20.299 through 16. I'm going to probably get a draw 00:12:20.299 --> 00:12:23.320 from several of the accounts here. Rare that 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:27.720 we get a account in all three gospels, even more 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:31.399 so in all four when you get John. But this was 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:33.899 a really powerful passage for me. But so Mark 00:12:33.899 --> 00:12:37.639 10, 13 through 16. And they were bringing children 00:12:37.639 --> 00:12:40.620 to him that he might touch them. And the disciples 00:12:40.620 --> 00:12:44.240 rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:46.820 and said to them, let the children come to me. 00:12:47.149 --> 00:12:51.070 Do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom 00:12:51.070 --> 00:12:54.090 of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not 00:12:54.090 --> 00:12:57.250 receive the kingdom of God like a child shall 00:12:57.250 --> 00:12:59.990 not enter it. And then he took them in his arms 00:12:59.990 --> 00:13:02.429 and he blessed them, laying his hands on them. 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:07.299 I mean, there's so much here. Like, for me, seeing 00:13:07.299 --> 00:13:09.559 the tenderness of Jesus towards children and 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:11.519 all that stuff, and knowing that that reflects 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:14.879 our Father's heart for us too, I could camp there 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:16.860 for a while. And even the opposite side of that, 00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:20.100 the seriousness of his response to the disciples 00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:22.879 trying to keep the children from him. Right. 00:13:22.899 --> 00:13:26.220 Just to show that, man, it's incredible. It is. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:30.470 First things first, the Luke account says, bringing 00:13:30.470 --> 00:13:32.610 even infants to him that he might touch them 00:13:32.610 --> 00:13:35.690 like like the the i love that the narrative voice 00:13:35.690 --> 00:13:39.029 here reflects surprise like dude they were even 00:13:39.029 --> 00:13:41.269 bringing kids to him because you have to remember 00:13:41.269 --> 00:13:44.450 in jewish culture at the time that jesus was 00:13:44.450 --> 00:13:47.850 walking the earth we didn't they didn't see kids 00:13:47.850 --> 00:13:50.210 the way that they saw them today or the way that 00:13:50.210 --> 00:13:53.789 we see them today kids were like second class 00:13:53.789 --> 00:13:56.149 citizens. There's even a passage elsewhere in 00:13:56.149 --> 00:14:00.230 the Pauline epistles where Paul talks about a 00:14:00.230 --> 00:14:02.870 kid is essentially treated like a slave until 00:14:02.870 --> 00:14:04.549 he comes of age, and then he can inherit all 00:14:04.549 --> 00:14:08.350 his stuff. And so the fact that parents are beginning 00:14:08.350 --> 00:14:11.450 to bring their kids to Jesus really shows how 00:14:11.450 --> 00:14:13.950 much folks are trusting him as their Messiah. 00:14:14.330 --> 00:14:18.190 But the disciples dismiss this out of hand. Like, 00:14:18.269 --> 00:14:22.620 excuse me, the Messiah? God's anointed one has 00:14:22.620 --> 00:14:25.740 better things to do. Right. And you can really 00:14:25.740 --> 00:14:28.360 see that that is probably the attitude or something 00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:31.080 around those lines that is going through their 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:33.320 mind right here. Well, so the disciples rebuke 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:36.480 them. And so like, dude, that word rebuke is 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:40.059 the same word that Jesus uses to talk to the 00:14:40.059 --> 00:14:43.659 demons. Jesus rebuked the demons that like, and 00:14:43.659 --> 00:14:44.879 when they're telling him to come out of them. 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:47.120 So this is not like a, hey guys, like now's not 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:49.759 a good time. This is like. Jesus got serious. 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:52.740 So the disciples were serious is what I'm saying. 00:14:52.899 --> 00:14:55.820 Yeah. And so, but Jesus gets indignant, which... 00:14:55.820 --> 00:14:56.899 Oh yeah, but I see what you're saying there. 00:14:56.940 --> 00:14:58.460 Sorry, I missed that for a second. No, you're 00:14:58.460 --> 00:14:59.799 good. But yeah, the disciples there, I mean, 00:14:59.820 --> 00:15:01.820 like even the language that they're, the language 00:15:01.820 --> 00:15:04.679 and attitude that they were using towards the 00:15:04.679 --> 00:15:06.580 parents or the people bringing the children, 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:12.240 it really shows how much they were missing really 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:15.179 the heart of what Jesus wanted. Yes. Absolutely. 00:15:15.419 --> 00:15:17.600 And so Jesus gets indignant and he says, let 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:20.299 the children come to me. Do not hinder them for 00:15:20.299 --> 00:15:24.820 to such belongs the kingdom of God. So I'm not 00:15:24.820 --> 00:15:27.240 a dad. I said that last week when I preached 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:29.299 on Father's Day and felt a little weird engaging 00:15:29.299 --> 00:15:32.720 with that subject material anyways. But you're 00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:34.720 a dad, Sean. You have had the opportunity to 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:37.299 at least partially parent three little humans. 00:15:37.419 --> 00:15:39.539 None of them are fully baked yet. No, no. I've 00:15:39.539 --> 00:15:42.220 got one that is – I've got an almost 16 -year 00:15:42.220 --> 00:15:44.620 -old. That's terrifying. So I have made it into 00:15:44.620 --> 00:15:48.500 this teenage aspect of parenting. Yes. Yeah. 00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:53.269 But you're a dad, and so like – When you read 00:15:53.269 --> 00:15:55.649 this text, let the little children come to me, 00:15:55.710 --> 00:15:58.070 for to such belongs the kingdom of God. And then 00:15:58.070 --> 00:16:00.850 15, when Jesus ups the ante and says, truly I 00:16:00.850 --> 00:16:03.070 say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom 00:16:03.070 --> 00:16:06.090 of God like a child shall not enter it. How do 00:16:06.090 --> 00:16:10.490 you see childlikeness and faith in Jesus intertwine? 00:16:10.870 --> 00:16:13.769 Whenever I think of childlike fake, whenever 00:16:13.769 --> 00:16:19.480 I think of childlike faith, The thing that comes 00:16:19.480 --> 00:16:24.299 to me is I remember my children as toddlers and 00:16:24.299 --> 00:16:28.340 younger, right? It's a really fun age with kids. 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:32.860 There's these frustrating times because maybe 00:16:32.860 --> 00:16:36.159 they're barely talking or they're speaking this 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:38.860 version of English that only the mother can understand, 00:16:38.980 --> 00:16:42.700 not even the father, right? And so it's a really 00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:47.539 fun age, but at the same time, they are reliant 00:16:47.539 --> 00:16:51.259 on their parents for everything, right? You know, 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:53.340 there's a time where like, you know, they... 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:56.340 They can't change their own diapers. They can't 00:16:56.340 --> 00:16:58.179 feed themselves. They can't close themselves. 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:01.340 They can't put themselves to bed. Literally nothing. 00:17:02.259 --> 00:17:07.380 My children relied on myself and my wife to do 00:17:07.380 --> 00:17:10.539 everything for them. Utterly dependent. Utterly 00:17:10.539 --> 00:17:14.140 dependent. And so when I think of childlike faith, 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:19.599 it's this idea of realizing like... I am completely 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:25.440 dependent on something else over myself. I can't 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:28.440 do this. And so when I see Jesus here and he 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.019 says, truly, I tell you, whoever does not receive 00:17:31.019 --> 00:17:35.019 the kingdom of God like a little child. So it's 00:17:35.019 --> 00:17:36.960 once again going to this thing that we've been 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:39.740 talking about for weeks now, and that is there's 00:17:39.740 --> 00:17:43.200 nothing we can do to earn it. You know, he says 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:46.750 you will not enter. And we won't enter if we 00:17:46.750 --> 00:17:50.430 think we can do something to deserve this. It's 00:17:50.430 --> 00:17:54.609 like, no, we are utterly dependent on our Father 00:17:54.609 --> 00:17:57.609 in heaven. And that's what I think childlike 00:17:57.609 --> 00:18:01.990 faith is very similar to. I'm completely with 00:18:01.990 --> 00:18:07.769 you. And I think that even in listening to the 00:18:07.769 --> 00:18:09.730 way that we've talked about this, with the utter 00:18:09.730 --> 00:18:12.210 dependence on God, or even as we're going through 00:18:12.210 --> 00:18:15.980 Galatians on Sunday mornings, the legalism of 00:18:15.980 --> 00:18:20.359 the hypocrites, the Judaizers as we'll come to 00:18:20.359 --> 00:18:23.279 see them in a couple of weeks. It's easy to go, 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:25.599 okay, cool. No, I believe in Jesus. And then 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:29.180 like kind of truck on. But I think that that 00:18:29.180 --> 00:18:32.799 mindset of I have to earn my own salvation is 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:35.819 a tendency that all believers have to fight all 00:18:35.819 --> 00:18:42.329 the time. Absolutely. It's subtle, man. I love 00:18:42.329 --> 00:18:45.109 how the example of kids, and I think God designed 00:18:45.109 --> 00:18:49.289 our natural life cycles in this way to use a 00:18:49.289 --> 00:18:52.309 mundane, earthy thing to explain a spiritual 00:18:52.309 --> 00:18:56.349 truth. But it seems a lot to me like that complete 00:18:56.349 --> 00:18:58.170 and utter dependence is something that we have 00:18:58.170 --> 00:19:00.930 to cultivate within ourselves. Because as you 00:19:00.930 --> 00:19:04.430 grow up, right, you stop being a kid, you don't 00:19:04.430 --> 00:19:06.930 need that kind of help anymore. Like, dude, I 00:19:06.930 --> 00:19:14.599 got this. My sister has children, and I've gotten 00:19:14.599 --> 00:19:18.599 to watch several of them grow up. I was walking 00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:22.079 through a parking lot with my oldest nephew, 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:26.720 and it's the rules. If we're walking through 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:28.200 a parking lot, he was at the age that I still 00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:30.660 had to hold his hand. We make it in okay. We 00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:33.099 do whatever shopping we need to do. We come back 00:19:33.099 --> 00:19:35.619 out, and I'm holding the bag of groceries in 00:19:35.619 --> 00:19:37.579 one hand, and this kid's hand in the other, and 00:19:37.579 --> 00:19:39.539 he yanks his hand out of my hand, and he goes, 00:19:39.619 --> 00:19:46.880 I hold my own hand. Dude, bro, that's me. That's 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:51.119 me. When I sit down to read God's word, I have 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:53.299 to choose to open my heart to the Holy Spirit. 00:19:53.700 --> 00:19:57.420 And if I don't... I'm looking at God and saying, 00:19:57.500 --> 00:20:00.880 I hold my own hand. I'm smart enough and wise 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:03.519 enough and discerning enough to get what you 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:06.500 have for me today, which is ludicrous. But if 00:20:06.500 --> 00:20:08.180 I don't stop to think about what is my heart 00:20:08.180 --> 00:20:10.640 doing in those moments, I won't realize that 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:13.779 I have taken the course that I've set and shifted 00:20:13.779 --> 00:20:18.140 it five degrees off, which seems small. at the 00:20:18.140 --> 00:20:20.980 beginning, but can be disastrous the longer you 00:20:20.980 --> 00:20:23.279 go. But I think that's why Jesus is using this 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:26.079 opportunity to teach this lesson, because it 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:33.339 is something that we tend to get away from, because 00:20:33.339 --> 00:20:37.799 I think in all cultures, as we grow older, we 00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:40.980 become more independent, and we're raised as, 00:20:41.079 --> 00:20:45.099 like, what can I do? I can do this on my own, 00:20:45.140 --> 00:20:48.019 especially in our American culture of I've pulled 00:20:48.019 --> 00:20:51.019 myself up from the bootstraps type of mentality 00:20:51.019 --> 00:20:56.279 that we have. We have to be reminded of when 00:20:56.279 --> 00:21:00.220 it comes to the kingdom of God. No, it is. We 00:21:00.220 --> 00:21:03.079 are children relying on our Father. Beautiful 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:05.859 truth. And then I love to see Jesus' tenderness 00:21:05.859 --> 00:21:09.160 at the end. At the end of the Mark account, he 00:21:09.160 --> 00:21:11.920 took them in his arms, and he blessed them, laying 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:17.119 his hands on them. And the wildness about this 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:19.559 is Jesus didn't do all this just for the kids. 00:21:19.619 --> 00:21:21.619 Jesus did this for the disciples standing there 00:21:21.619 --> 00:21:23.759 and the parents standing there. There are many 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:25.819 things that were very important in my life that 00:21:25.819 --> 00:21:27.599 happened when I was very little that I have very 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:31.460 little recollection of. And so these kids being 00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:34.599 taken into Jesus' arms, literally the God of 00:21:34.599 --> 00:21:36.960 the universe, the arms that fashioned them, that 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:39.299 knit them together in their mother's wombs, and 00:21:39.299 --> 00:21:42.069 he blessed them. That was for their benefit, 00:21:42.130 --> 00:21:43.650 but it was also for the benefit of the people 00:21:43.650 --> 00:21:45.849 that were standing there. And so Jesus even teaching, 00:21:46.049 --> 00:21:49.529 like walking out what he's talking about. I can't 00:21:49.529 --> 00:21:52.289 get away from it. Like approaching God like a 00:21:52.289 --> 00:21:56.210 child. And it even says young children in the 00:21:56.210 --> 00:21:58.410 Luke account too. Like, dude, like I'm an infant. 00:21:59.410 --> 00:22:02.329 And spiritually, I feel like that fits so well 00:22:02.329 --> 00:22:05.509 too. Like I've got no rights spiritually. Like 00:22:05.509 --> 00:22:09.200 I'm completely dependent on... others for help, 00:22:09.220 --> 00:22:11.640 both dependent on the Lord. And as I grow in 00:22:11.640 --> 00:22:13.539 my faith, I have to be dependent on the people 00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:16.819 who have gone before me and the men and the women 00:22:16.819 --> 00:22:20.980 who have followed Jesus longer and or deeper 00:22:20.980 --> 00:22:24.819 than I have to learn from them too. And also 00:22:24.819 --> 00:22:27.880 like a child, I'm probably super annoying. You 00:22:27.880 --> 00:22:29.640 know, like the way that I approach God is over 00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:32.359 and over and over and over again. And I wrestle 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:34.819 with the same stuff day to day. And he's got 00:22:34.819 --> 00:22:37.420 to tell me, a million times don't touch the stove. 00:22:37.559 --> 00:22:40.299 But that's not how he responds to that kind of 00:22:40.299 --> 00:22:45.420 childlike spiritual behavior. He picks us up 00:22:45.420 --> 00:22:48.579 in his arms and he blesses us. You know, one 00:22:48.579 --> 00:22:51.039 of the things that I've learned, and I think 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:54.799 this is something that comes from years of following 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:58.740 Jesus, as I've become more spiritually mature, 00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:03.019 the closer I get to Jesus, the more I realize 00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:08.230 I need him. And I think it's this... I get more 00:23:08.230 --> 00:23:12.289 childlike. I realize more and more and more I 00:23:12.289 --> 00:23:17.210 am dependent on Jesus for everything. Because 00:23:17.210 --> 00:23:21.569 I think when you're young in your faith, when 00:23:21.569 --> 00:23:23.069 you're spiritually young, it doesn't matter what 00:23:23.069 --> 00:23:25.049 age you are, but when you're spiritually young... 00:23:26.260 --> 00:23:29.720 you have more of the tendencies of what can I 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:33.160 do for Jesus and having this attitude of trying 00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:37.099 to prove yourself or show off or whatever it 00:23:37.099 --> 00:23:40.480 is, the terminology you want to use. But the 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:43.220 closer, the more time I spend, the more genuine 00:23:43.220 --> 00:23:46.119 time I spend in God's word, the more genuine 00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:49.559 time I spend in worship, and the closer I get 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:53.799 myself in a relationship with Jesus. the more 00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:57.079 I want to be around him, the more I want to continue 00:23:57.079 --> 00:24:00.319 to be in that spot, and also the more I realize, 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:04.420 like, I can do nothing. You know, it's no longer 00:24:04.420 --> 00:24:06.279 is it like, oh, man, I just preached a great 00:24:06.279 --> 00:24:08.839 sermon. It's like, no, I know what it's like 00:24:08.839 --> 00:24:11.279 when I've gotten on stage, and it's been too 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:14.210 much of Sean. And I know that it is absolutely 00:24:14.210 --> 00:24:17.710 Jesus speaking through me. And it's things like 00:24:17.710 --> 00:24:20.910 that, or even things that go well in ministry 00:24:20.910 --> 00:24:22.890 and things. It's like, okay, I've been on this 00:24:22.890 --> 00:24:26.849 journey long enough now. I am in complete dependence 00:24:26.849 --> 00:24:30.049 on Jesus for everything. You know what I hear 00:24:30.049 --> 00:24:34.289 you saying, though? What? It's not that you're 00:24:34.289 --> 00:24:36.970 becoming more childlike, Sean. It's that you're 00:24:36.970 --> 00:24:39.309 recognizing how childlike you've always been. 00:24:40.289 --> 00:24:45.160 Explain. Dude. It's the early spiritual mindset, 00:24:45.259 --> 00:24:48.940 doing things for Jesus, oversubstituting with 00:24:48.940 --> 00:24:52.220 our own resources rather than relying on the 00:24:52.220 --> 00:24:55.420 Lord, constantly striving forward and striving 00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:58.259 forward and striving forward. Those are all the 00:24:58.259 --> 00:25:01.900 behaviors of kids. And then I think maturity 00:25:01.900 --> 00:25:04.319 is recognizing that we have those things and 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:07.400 not even eliminating them, but putting them in 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:10.259 the right place. Which, dude, I'm still on the 00:25:10.259 --> 00:25:12.359 journey of. That's not something I'm ever going 00:25:12.359 --> 00:25:15.200 to arrive from, for sure. Well, yeah. I mean, 00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:17.259 even the Apostle Paul, when he talks about as 00:25:17.259 --> 00:25:20.460 we grow in maturity, we start with milk, but 00:25:20.460 --> 00:25:23.420 we end up, as we get deeper, we get to the meat 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:26.519 and to the bread of life. And so, I mean, there's 00:25:26.519 --> 00:25:30.380 aspects of our faith that are childlike, but 00:25:30.380 --> 00:25:34.599 there's also a time when I become a man and the 00:25:34.599 --> 00:25:36.440 man has to stand up and we have to put away childish 00:25:36.440 --> 00:25:39.890 things, as the Apostle Paul says. Yeah. Real 00:25:39.890 --> 00:25:41.569 question is, is like, you know, you get to the 00:25:41.569 --> 00:25:43.049 meat and the bread, but what if like you've got 00:25:43.049 --> 00:25:45.529 that tick disease or you're gluten intolerant? 00:25:48.690 --> 00:25:56.950 Yep. Oh, man. Well, let's completely unforced 00:25:56.950 --> 00:26:01.170 and super duper smoothly pivot to your text for 00:26:01.170 --> 00:26:02.890 today, Sean. Yeah, sure. What am I talking about? 00:26:04.299 --> 00:26:06.420 That was a great transition there, man. May I 00:26:06.420 --> 00:26:08.380 tell you what? The more we do this, the more 00:26:08.380 --> 00:26:11.339 professional we don't become. I resent that remark. 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:14.400 We do have good conversations. We do have good 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:17.640 conversations, man. I will say that. So, yeah, 00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:19.240 this has been an interesting week. And there's 00:26:19.240 --> 00:26:20.940 been some, you know, I'll be honest, we kind 00:26:20.940 --> 00:26:22.339 of talked about this. There's been some very 00:26:22.339 --> 00:26:24.960 difficult passages in this week's reading. Yeah. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:28.680 You know? But there's one, the one that stood 00:26:28.680 --> 00:26:30.740 out to me, the one that I cannot get away from, 00:26:30.779 --> 00:26:33.700 the one that I have to talk about, is not one 00:26:33.700 --> 00:26:35.740 of the more, like I said, it's not one of the 00:26:35.740 --> 00:26:38.920 more difficult passages of the week as far as 00:26:38.920 --> 00:26:43.750 interpretation. But the lessons and realizing 00:26:43.750 --> 00:26:47.809 where we are in this parable, I think are important 00:26:47.809 --> 00:26:49.430 and it's something to reflect on. And that is 00:26:49.430 --> 00:26:51.109 the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. 00:26:51.869 --> 00:26:54.869 It's one of those parables that I believe is 00:26:54.869 --> 00:26:57.920 Sunday School famous for sure. You know, if you've 00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:59.220 grown up in church, you've heard this. You definitely 00:26:59.220 --> 00:27:00.880 saw this on a felt board somewhere. It's been 00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:03.119 a sermon illustration. Have you ever actually 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:05.140 seen a felt board, Benjamin? Yes, I have. You 00:27:05.140 --> 00:27:08.019 have. In Sunday school, being used. Not ironically. 00:27:08.440 --> 00:27:11.319 Not ironically. Okay, see, the last time I saw 00:27:11.319 --> 00:27:13.759 it was Sardis Presbyterian Church, long, many, 00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:17.000 many, many years ago. You were reformed? When 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:19.619 I first started going to church, my first church 00:27:19.619 --> 00:27:21.519 experience, because I didn't grow up in church, 00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:24.900 but we were Christmas Easter family when I was 00:27:24.900 --> 00:27:28.279 young, and we went to Sardis Presbyterian Church 00:27:28.279 --> 00:27:30.180 in Charlotte. Okay. That's where we went, yeah. 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:32.279 I forgot you were like a Charlotte kid for a 00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:35.460 hot minute. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Born in Charlotte, 00:27:35.640 --> 00:27:40.700 raised in Matthews until I was going into the 00:27:40.700 --> 00:27:45.299 seventh grade. Wow. And then that summer before 00:27:45.299 --> 00:27:47.079 my seventh grade year, we moved to Wilmington, 00:27:47.099 --> 00:27:48.519 and that's where I spent the rest of my life. 00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:51.779 So, yeah. So, yeah. So that was my church experiences. 00:27:51.779 --> 00:27:54.240 But I can remember the few times I went to Sunday 00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:57.339 school back then. I did get sprinkled, by the 00:27:57.339 --> 00:27:59.640 way. So did I. Yeah, yeah. I got sprinkled at 00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:01.900 the Presbyterian Church when I was a baby. Don't 00:28:01.900 --> 00:28:04.519 remember it. I was an infant, but I've seen pictures. 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:09.259 Nice. But, yeah. But I remember the felt boards. 00:28:09.849 --> 00:28:12.369 But this is definitely one of those stories that 00:28:12.369 --> 00:28:14.130 even someone like me who barely went to church 00:28:14.130 --> 00:28:16.269 growing up, even I probably might have heard 00:28:16.269 --> 00:28:18.490 this one a time or two. But let me just read 00:28:18.490 --> 00:28:21.589 the parable. It comes from Luke 18. It starts 00:28:21.589 --> 00:28:26.289 in verse 9, and it's just an interesting parable. 00:28:26.369 --> 00:28:28.970 So let me read it. He also told this parable 00:28:28.970 --> 00:28:32.390 to some who trusted in themselves that they were 00:28:32.390 --> 00:28:36.170 righteous and looked down on everyone else. Two 00:28:36.170 --> 00:28:39.049 men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:42.039 and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee was 00:28:42.039 --> 00:28:44.460 standing and praying like this about himself. 00:28:44.779 --> 00:28:48.779 God, I thank you that I am not like other people, 00:28:48.819 --> 00:28:52.339 greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like 00:28:52.339 --> 00:28:56.339 this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give 00:28:56.339 --> 00:29:00.140 a tenth of everything I get. But the tax collector, 00:29:00.339 --> 00:29:04.019 standing far off, would not even raise his eyes 00:29:04.019 --> 00:29:07.680 to heaven. but kept striking his chest and saying, 00:29:07.779 --> 00:29:12.039 God have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you, this 00:29:12.039 --> 00:29:14.940 one went down to his house justified rather than 00:29:14.940 --> 00:29:17.539 the other, because everyone who exalts himself 00:29:17.539 --> 00:29:20.339 will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself 00:29:20.339 --> 00:29:23.519 will be exalted. When you look at the comparison 00:29:23.519 --> 00:29:28.450 between these two guys, And even how Jesus, I 00:29:28.450 --> 00:29:31.490 think how Jesus sets up this parable, because 00:29:31.490 --> 00:29:33.130 this, once again, this is a parable. This is 00:29:33.130 --> 00:29:35.529 a story, a spiritual story he's making up for 00:29:35.529 --> 00:29:38.670 a reason. And he says he also told this parable 00:29:38.670 --> 00:29:42.789 to some who trusted in themselves that they were 00:29:42.789 --> 00:29:47.029 righteous and looked down on everyone else. So 00:29:47.029 --> 00:29:51.240 the crowd he is speaking to. looks like the first 00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:53.599 person, looks like the Pharisee. Okay, yep. At 00:29:53.599 --> 00:29:57.740 least internally. Yes. Yeah, yeah. It doesn't 00:29:57.740 --> 00:29:59.579 say that they are Pharisees, but he's showing 00:29:59.579 --> 00:30:01.799 that this is their attitude that they have, and 00:30:01.799 --> 00:30:04.500 he's probably using this because if these... 00:30:04.500 --> 00:30:06.720 So just imagine, I don't think that they were 00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:09.160 Pharisees. I think that would have been in the 00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:12.039 description because Jesus isn't afraid to call 00:30:12.039 --> 00:30:14.900 out the Pharisees. And so it says that he... 00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:18.900 To some who trusted in themselves that they were 00:30:18.900 --> 00:30:22.059 righteous. So imagine if these were the common 00:30:22.059 --> 00:30:24.000 Jewish people, but this is the attitude they 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:26.279 had. And because they respected the Pharisees, 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:28.140 they would have learned that from them. Yes. 00:30:28.140 --> 00:30:32.210 And so, but then they're being... they're being 00:30:32.210 --> 00:30:36.970 compared to by these Pharisees and this attitude. 00:30:37.109 --> 00:30:40.690 And so I imagine by them looking and seeing this 00:30:40.690 --> 00:30:44.529 attitude that Jesus is portraying of what they 00:30:44.529 --> 00:30:47.460 really are acting like. You know, it's one of 00:30:47.460 --> 00:30:48.859 the things I think, you know, you hear like in 00:30:48.859 --> 00:30:50.940 the SBC, people say, oh, Sean, you really stepped 00:30:50.940 --> 00:30:54.180 on my toes today. You know, like it's like one, 00:30:54.200 --> 00:30:56.200 I think they're getting one of those moments 00:30:56.200 --> 00:30:57.859 where they're getting hit right in the heart 00:30:57.859 --> 00:31:01.619 and they're realizing exactly what Jesus is trying 00:31:01.619 --> 00:31:05.480 to do. But the difference between these two positions, 00:31:05.779 --> 00:31:08.420 I mean, even physically how Jesus described him, 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:13.339 one is standing at the altar and the other... 00:31:13.769 --> 00:31:16.549 is bowing and can't even bring himself to come 00:31:16.549 --> 00:31:18.789 to the front. Yeah. I mean, even the physical 00:31:18.789 --> 00:31:22.549 representation of the two people, not even looking 00:31:22.549 --> 00:31:24.650 at the things that they do, but just how the 00:31:24.650 --> 00:31:28.029 posture, the body posture is, you can see the 00:31:28.029 --> 00:31:31.730 attitude that Jesus is trying to reflect. What 00:31:31.730 --> 00:31:35.650 Jesus wants for us is for us to recognize who 00:31:35.650 --> 00:31:39.930 we are. Yeah, 100%. I mean, we cannot come to 00:31:39.930 --> 00:31:43.759 Jesus before we recognize our sin. Nope. You 00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:47.039 cannot be saved unless you realize that there's 00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:49.880 something you need saving from, which is why 00:31:49.880 --> 00:31:52.279 sin is such an important part of the gospel. 00:31:53.240 --> 00:31:57.279 It's unfortunate if people don't talk about sin. 00:31:57.559 --> 00:32:00.519 Sin is one of those things that it is. We don't 00:32:00.519 --> 00:32:02.240 like to talk about the bad things that we do 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:04.140 in life. We don't like to call out those things 00:32:04.140 --> 00:32:10.799 sometimes. But it is what has separated us. from 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:14.619 God. Sin has caused the death of our Savior because 00:32:14.619 --> 00:32:16.779 it is only through his death that we can have 00:32:16.779 --> 00:32:20.380 redemption, that we can have salvation. And so 00:32:20.380 --> 00:32:26.079 this tax collector, standing far off, would not 00:32:26.079 --> 00:32:29.740 even raise his eyes to heaven. So he is back 00:32:29.740 --> 00:32:32.440 in the back. So he can't even come to the altar. 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:35.680 He can't bring himself. He can't even come there 00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:37.980 because he probably views that as this holy space. 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:41.299 He's like, I can't even enter into the presence. 00:32:41.779 --> 00:32:44.440 And I'm just going to stand and just strike my 00:32:44.440 --> 00:32:48.220 chest saying, God have mercy on me, a sinner. 00:32:49.880 --> 00:32:54.140 And this is, once again, I think this is where 00:32:54.140 --> 00:32:57.799 we talk about that spiritual maturity. Like a 00:32:57.799 --> 00:33:01.259 title does not give you spiritual maturity. Come 00:33:01.259 --> 00:33:04.000 on, somebody. The title of just because this 00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:07.400 person had the title of Pharisee doesn't mean 00:33:07.400 --> 00:33:09.599 that they have it all together. Doesn't mean 00:33:09.599 --> 00:33:11.599 this is the person that you need to follow in 00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:15.460 your life. The tax collector realized who he 00:33:15.460 --> 00:33:19.740 was and is getting to a point where he recognizes 00:33:19.740 --> 00:33:23.059 the sin that is in his life. And that's what 00:33:23.059 --> 00:33:26.000 Jesus wants from all of us. He wants all of us 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:30.529 to look inside, not look at other people. And 00:33:30.529 --> 00:33:32.869 even though you see that, the Pharisee is comparing 00:33:32.869 --> 00:33:35.809 himself to others, trying to make himself feel 00:33:35.809 --> 00:33:37.589 better about himself. Like, no, that's not what 00:33:37.589 --> 00:33:40.170 Jesus wants. You know what's crazy, though? Dude, 00:33:40.329 --> 00:33:44.549 the Pharisee is guilty of those sins. Yes. He 00:33:44.549 --> 00:33:47.710 lists the extortioners, not like other men, he 00:33:47.710 --> 00:33:50.490 lists extortioners, unjust, adulterers, tax collector. 00:33:50.809 --> 00:33:55.430 Dude, the Pharisees did extort the people of 00:33:55.430 --> 00:33:58.779 God. Yes. Of their wealth for their own purposes. 00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:03.000 Yeah. Unjust. Jesus condemns the Pharisees for 00:34:03.000 --> 00:34:06.559 neglecting justice and mercy and those things, 00:34:06.619 --> 00:34:08.719 even though they're tithing 10 % of the spices 00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:12.539 in their cabinet. Adultery. Jesus, one, he does 00:34:12.539 --> 00:34:14.539 condemn the Pharisees for adultery, and he doesn't 00:34:14.539 --> 00:34:17.000 ever say specifically what he's talking about. 00:34:17.420 --> 00:34:18.699 Commentators assume that there was something 00:34:18.699 --> 00:34:21.659 specific there. But spiritual adultery, putting 00:34:21.659 --> 00:34:24.539 themselves on the throne, he does all those things. 00:34:24.579 --> 00:34:27.150 He's just looking at the external. and looking 00:34:27.150 --> 00:34:29.250 to justify himself. And it's like, dude, you're 00:34:29.250 --> 00:34:31.949 doing the stuff. You're doing all the things 00:34:31.949 --> 00:34:34.429 that you said that you are better because you 00:34:34.429 --> 00:34:37.130 don't do it. And then I love how Jesus finishes 00:34:37.130 --> 00:34:39.989 this off as he kind of puts a bow on this little 00:34:39.989 --> 00:34:43.050 parable. He says, everyone who exalts himself 00:34:43.050 --> 00:34:47.269 will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself 00:34:47.269 --> 00:34:51.010 will be exalted. And that's what we need to look 00:34:51.010 --> 00:34:55.409 at to realize that, listen, you know, the posture, 00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:58.699 that we should have as Christians is humility. 00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:02.880 Yeah. That's what we go before the throne, and 00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:05.599 that's how we walk in this world, with humility. 00:35:06.099 --> 00:35:09.380 You know what that verse 14 is? If he who exalts 00:35:09.380 --> 00:35:11.159 himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself 00:35:11.159 --> 00:35:14.739 will be exalted. That's a promise. Yeah. Like, 00:35:14.739 --> 00:35:18.280 we can take that one to the bank. But I think 00:35:18.280 --> 00:35:20.980 that those are the only ways that either of those 00:35:20.980 --> 00:35:23.019 camps ever come to see things the right way. 00:35:24.039 --> 00:35:27.019 If you humble yourself too much, which is a unique 00:35:27.019 --> 00:35:30.099 kind of pride, by the way, if you're down on 00:35:30.099 --> 00:35:32.820 yourself too much, the only way that you can 00:35:32.820 --> 00:35:34.659 see that differently is if God raises you up. 00:35:34.980 --> 00:35:39.480 If you see yourself as the stuff, as high and 00:35:39.480 --> 00:35:42.280 mighty and the best, the only way that God can 00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:44.019 bring you to a place where you see yourself rightly 00:35:44.019 --> 00:35:48.539 is to humble you. And that's terrifying. But 00:35:48.539 --> 00:35:51.019 we have to trust the hands of our master shepherd 00:35:51.019 --> 00:35:54.059 that what happens and how we are treated and 00:35:54.059 --> 00:35:56.840 what we experience is ultimately for our good. 00:35:57.019 --> 00:36:00.260 But you're completely right. That is the heart 00:36:00.260 --> 00:36:02.639 that God's looking for in his people. I think 00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:04.900 it's 1 Peter or Hebrews or one of those books. 00:36:05.079 --> 00:36:07.340 Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty 00:36:07.340 --> 00:36:09.440 hand of God that at the proper time he might 00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:15.070 exalt you. Amen. Amen. Well, dude, this has been 00:36:15.070 --> 00:36:17.210 fun. I feel like this one went particularly fast. 00:36:17.510 --> 00:36:19.130 I don't know. Maybe it was the talk of Christmas 00:36:19.130 --> 00:36:21.170 and Christmas presents. I feel like we've been 00:36:21.170 --> 00:36:23.630 doing this for a while now. But yeah, Sean's 00:36:23.630 --> 00:36:27.969 like, please let it end. But we have had some 00:36:27.969 --> 00:36:31.269 good discussions today, man. So we have, well, 00:36:31.289 --> 00:36:35.630 dudes and dudettes, pursuers, as it were. This 00:36:35.630 --> 00:36:38.530 has been fun. I have been Ben Smith. Yeah, I've 00:36:38.530 --> 00:36:40.090 been Sean Griffin. And I just want to remind 00:36:40.090 --> 00:36:42.030 you guys real quick. Dude, you ruined our ending. 00:36:42.619 --> 00:36:44.900 But I need to let them know. Okay, fine. Say 00:36:44.900 --> 00:36:47.940 it again. So here's the deal. Because the blue 00:36:47.940 --> 00:36:51.460 book, the quarter two book is almost done. So 00:36:51.460 --> 00:36:53.280 for those of you following along with us, you 00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:55.800 need to make sure next time you are in the sanctuary, 00:36:55.980 --> 00:37:00.219 pick up the new purple quarter three pursuing 00:37:00.219 --> 00:37:04.929 Jesus. Purple book. Purple book. Y 'all, this 00:37:04.929 --> 00:37:08.610 is what I deal with on a daily basis. When you 00:37:08.610 --> 00:37:12.530 work with a worship pastor, you deal with this 00:37:12.530 --> 00:37:13.750 kind of stuff all the time. Okay, well, when 00:37:13.750 --> 00:37:15.730 you work with a youth pastor, you work with him 00:37:15.730 --> 00:37:18.150 walking into your office with a toilet paper 00:37:18.150 --> 00:37:21.150 roll taped to a leaf blower, and he coats your 00:37:21.150 --> 00:37:23.809 office with TP. It had to be tested before it 00:37:23.809 --> 00:37:26.349 was done before BBS Kids. This has been Ben Smith. 00:37:26.449 --> 00:37:28.530 That's Sean Griffin. We'll see you next week. 00:37:28.809 --> 00:37:33.539 Have some tacos. Pursuing Jesus is a ministry 00:37:33.539 --> 00:37:36.199 of Memorial Baptist Church in Norwood, North 00:37:36.199 --> 00:37:36.599 Carolina.