God's In Control.....(No Matter What)

[00:00:02] Speaker A: Sometimes I just wish I knew the source. If it's my fault, then that's. I accept that and let me. I can, you know, let me see what I need to learn. If this is just bad luck because other people are involved in it, then that's a different thing. If this is enemy throwing stuff at me to try to get in the way of my relationship with God, then, okay, I know that. Or if it's God trying to intentionally teach me some things, then that would be fine for me to understand. Some of my friction just comes from not necessarily always knowing what's what. The cause is the problem today. [00:00:34] Speaker B: You know, we know God's in control no matter what. [00:00:37] Speaker A: Right. [00:00:38] Speaker B: And he's not shocked by anything that shows up in our life. I mean, even if it's our own dumb choices. Yeah, he's not shocked by it. And I think it's one of trusting him. I don't. Well, I'm going to do it virtually, but I got to figure out where the link is. She didn't send. I didn't see a link. She says she sent me the link, but I ain't saying it. [00:00:59] Speaker A: Proctoring like eog. [00:01:01] Speaker B: Yes, yes, yes. If I go and help and I go for Renee, then it gives her, whoever, however, how many proctors they bring. It gives them a certain amount of hours that they get to leave early. So Renee will get half a day early by the time I get done prodroing. So it's just a gift to her or, you know, hey, I can do it. So she appreciates it. [00:01:27] Speaker C: Well, we. [00:01:28] Speaker A: I guess we better roll then, because we got, what, 50 minutes? [00:01:30] Speaker B: We better roll. Let's roll. I'm ready. [00:01:32] Speaker A: So hot. [00:01:34] Speaker C: We're hot, huh? [00:01:35] Speaker B: Right, man? [00:01:36] Speaker A: More than coming in hot and busy. [00:01:39] Speaker B: Ready to roll, man. I've been thinking about this all day, so I'm excited. [00:01:42] Speaker A: All right, well, I don't have any notes from this past Sunday because I was listening. I had Reese's, had a little playthated at Amersboro, so I went back and watched it or listened to it later, but I was in the car and wasn't taking notes. So doesn't have any notes from this past Sunday, but It sounds like John 15. You're breaking into a few different. [00:02:02] Speaker B: It'll be a couple weeks. Thing of it is, is when we get those weeks in, that's going to be the hard part with Father's Day. Graduation Sunday, Memorial Day. I'll do it. Memorial Day, Mother's Day. There's so many a week here. Graduation. [00:02:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:16] Speaker B: There's so many things that this time of year, it's very difficult to do a series. [00:02:20] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:02:21] Speaker B: Especially when you have something special every Sunday. [00:02:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:24] Speaker B: Week, year, graduation, then we have regular graduation, Memorial Day. Then two weeks later, you got Father's Day. I mean, it's. And then. Then you got Communion one time, and then you got a Fourth of July celebration. So it's summer. Summer is. That's not your best time for building up verse by verse. [00:02:43] Speaker A: So in this study, are you going chapter by chapter through John way or. [00:02:48] Speaker B: No, no. This has been like snapshots of Jesus. And so anytime he's done something or we've seen him do something, and especially you got the seven I am statements that he makes. Okay. Those are the given. This is the last I am statement. But anytime he's done something, like a healer or, you know, the encourager, as we saw John 14, now we're looking at the. We're actually looking at the divine, the true vine. So now that we're looking at that. And this will probably be getting close to the end. I don't know that we'll do anything else after that, because then it's, you know, he goes to the cross. Everything else. I may come and hit on the reinstatement of Peter just because it's good. But I kind of did that at Easter. [00:03:31] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:03:32] Speaker A: So don't really. That was pretty much. It was called and Peter and Peter title. That was. [00:03:38] Speaker B: And so it did have a little bit of the reinstatement. Not much, but just that, hey, there's hope even if we fail. [00:03:45] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:03:46] Speaker A: Well, this week was. Like I said, I wish I had had notes on it. [00:03:51] Speaker B: We had a good time with it. At least I did. We're talking about what it looks like you were going. [00:03:56] Speaker A: I didn't realize I wasn't there. Live in person. But at one point you said, it's 11:45 and I'm just getting warmed up. [00:04:01] Speaker B: Yeah, it was. We had not even gotten. We hadn't even done point one. [00:04:06] Speaker A: Harley. [00:04:06] Speaker B: And what it was was we were talking about what fruit looks like. Jesus said, well, John 15, verse eight says that you would bear fruit and thereby glorify my Father. Well, when you realize why God has you here, he saved you for a purpose. One is to bear fruit, to glorify him. [00:04:24] Speaker C: That's. [00:04:25] Speaker B: That's, That's. That's just that that's our purpose here on earth is to glorify Him. And when you. My main statement, or one of the main statements I wanted people to understand is once you get that down path, somehow, some way, all the other little stuff falls in place. Yeah. And what do I mean by that is once you know your main purpose here on earth, some of the things we get so upset and torn out of shape on, does it really matter? Yeah, I mean, you know, case in point. I mean, hey, as a pastor at a church, you have to deal with sometimes some of the silliest little things, like, you know, the tablecloth saying straight, come on now. Of all the things. Yeah. When I know that my life is to be spent bearing fruit, do we really. Does that really a problem? [00:05:11] Speaker A: Well, and I've experienced both sides of that where, you know, I've been with a group of people where maybe you're out to dinner or something and the waiter waitress is messing things up and things are going. Everybody else has just all been out of shape over it, and I'm just kind of. That really that big a deal? Yeah, let's. [00:05:29] Speaker C: Let's just. [00:05:30] Speaker B: Maybe he's having just a bad day. [00:05:31] Speaker A: Right. And then I've had other days where I'm the one that's mad over something that's really stupid. And it just is a. It's a. A drain on your energy, for one. [00:05:41] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:05:42] Speaker A: But it's also really easy to slip into it on the. And it seems to compound you're having a bad day, everything bothers you. [00:05:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:05:48] Speaker A: Right. And then on if you're having good day, maybe you can let some things slide a little bit more. [00:05:52] Speaker B: So is there a secret? I'm just curious. Is there a secret to not letting that those things get to you? I mean, not granted a lot of times, sometimes it is. No matter what you do, it's going to get to you. But is there a secret to try to avoid that? [00:06:06] Speaker C: I would say you have to live with it. I mean, it's part of the job. The. The piddly stuff. [00:06:14] Speaker B: You got to live with that. [00:06:15] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:06:15] Speaker B: I mean, but not letting it get under your skin. [00:06:18] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [00:06:18] Speaker B: And not letting it bother you. [00:06:20] Speaker C: Is there a secret taught Jesus? [00:06:23] Speaker B: Well, I mean, that's what John 15 says, abide in me. And I think that abiding in him to abide means to find home, to dwell, to find a resting place. And I like to think about it like this. When you think about the word home and you think about what it was when you were a child. For some people, it was, man, you love that. Home reminds me of cookies in the oven, or home reminds me of my mom's cornbread. Or that, hey there was always Plenty to love, plenty of love and plenty of food. It feels like home. Well, I think that's a little bit of what he's getting at there. When he says abide in me, it is that Jesus is our home. That in those quiet moments, those times when life is just busy, busy, busy, that. No, I'm going to catch that one break of insanity and the first place I'm going is to the Lord. Because if you're home in social media, then, man, you ain't never going to find peace. Yeah. If your home is, you go whenever you have a break or you have a time to breathe or you want to, and you go to anything other than Jesus, I can tell you, you ain't going to have that peace. [00:07:31] Speaker A: Yeah, that's the. When I'm. And sometimes it's as simple as just almost jokingly say, especially by myself in the car, something, Lord, I'm about to lose it. Yeah, I need a hand with this. [00:07:48] Speaker B: But. [00:07:49] Speaker A: And just being honest with him in those times can kind of. I know they're your children too, but they're really making me mad. [00:07:55] Speaker B: Right. Yeah. Right now he is getting on my everlasting nerve. [00:07:58] Speaker A: But, but, yeah, so I think that's. Talk to Jesus is the, the simple solution to it, but it's sometimes just being honest with him about the, the way you're feeling and, and I think having a laugh about it to some extent. [00:08:11] Speaker B: You know, it's, it's, it's being honest with him. It's going to him. I think it's also is always try to remember your own sinfulness and your own short. Because, look, whether it's that waiter today that can't seem to get it right, there's going to be a time when, man, you mess things up too. And I just wish somebody had showed me a little bit of grace, the same grace that I show them. Or maybe that's what you do. Get back. I think that's one of the reasons we should always remember, okay, I know what it means to mess up, or I know what it means to fall on my face. And I want to make sure that, hey, the next time I do it, I hope somebody will treat me. Well, maybe, maybe that's the way to think about it, is if I do this, I love somebody, treat me like I'm about to treat somebody. [00:08:56] Speaker C: Yeah, that's a good saying, but few people follow that. No. [00:09:00] Speaker B: Well, I mean, you know what that saying is? [00:09:03] Speaker C: That saying you're better than them or that you, you. [00:09:09] Speaker B: I'm saying practice the golden Rule. [00:09:11] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. [00:09:12] Speaker A: Right. [00:09:12] Speaker B: And that's. That is the golden rule, which is do unto others as you would have them do. [00:09:17] Speaker C: We just don't realize how bad our sin is. [00:09:19] Speaker B: No. Or we don't think we're going to have those days when we botch it up and. And we will. [00:09:25] Speaker C: We don't realize that we have to forgive people just like Christ forgave us. But when we become saved. This has been my experience personally. You get a little bit legalistic. [00:09:38] Speaker B: Nothing ain't gonna happen. [00:09:39] Speaker C: I'm not. I'm not as bad as that person. Yeah. [00:09:41] Speaker A: You know. [00:09:42] Speaker B: Well, you become legalistic and judgmental. [00:09:44] Speaker C: But my sin, God says all. I hate all sin, not just the worst ones. All of them. [00:09:50] Speaker A: Yep. [00:09:51] Speaker C: Because we think, well, mine's not too bad. I don't do that. You know, I think sometimes we have to realize that without Christ, we're all. We all will be condemned. No matter if you done one or a million. [00:10:11] Speaker B: One does it. [00:10:12] Speaker C: One that knock you around, not put you right down under. Wouldn't it. [00:10:16] Speaker B: One disqualifies. [00:10:17] Speaker C: And I'm not talking about Australia. [00:10:19] Speaker B: It will do. It would disqualify you. [00:10:22] Speaker C: And I have to remember that. I really do. I don't struggle with it as much as I used to. But I had to realize. And maybe that's why God has taken me through a lot of things. I have to realize, or I do realize, I should say that it don't mean a thing because mine is just as bad as anybody else's. And I've had to. But I had to learn that. And that wasn't easy to learn. But I'm not saying I've. I've arrived, but I've left. Yeah, I blessed him. [00:10:57] Speaker A: He's left. At least he's in route. [00:10:59] Speaker B: You're further down the road than you were a month ago, two months ago and a year ago. [00:11:03] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:11:04] Speaker B: That's what you always want to look for is that spiritual progression. And I think that was one of the things too that Jesus talks about in John 15. If you look at it, you got verse 15, chapter 15, verse 2, then you got 4, and then you get down to 8. So it's bear fruit or bear no fruit. Bear fruit, bear more fruit and then bear much fruit. I think it's a progression. We are all progressing in this thing. [00:11:31] Speaker C: I mean, that's good advice for the world is to think of, you know, that you're just. You make just as many wrongs as anybody else. No, they don't see their. [00:11:41] Speaker B: No, that's. That's a good teaching for everybody. [00:11:43] Speaker C: We're so prideful that we don't feel that we're bad. It's everybody else. Yeah, my sin is all right, and no, it's not really, but. But that's how the world sees it. [00:11:56] Speaker A: Speaking of pride, I was thinking yesterday or this morning, and. And I realized not. And I don't make this sound like I thought I had a handle on it, because I know we always struggle with it, but my pride's creeping back up in a. In an annoying kind of way here lately. And I. I said, lord, help me with my pride. And then about as soon as I said it, I said, wait a minute. I'm not sure I've seen how you work with it. And I be gentle. Please be gentle. Okay? Because it's. I know it's. Lessons in humility are painful and take forever, it seems like, but maybe that's [00:12:34] Speaker B: when you just say, forgive me, Lord, for that. [00:12:36] Speaker A: Yeah, forgive me. And we won't help me not do it again. Don't help me. I'm good. I'm good with. You know, I just said, I know what I did wrong. You know, I'll do better, but no more lessons. But. But it's hard not to because it has so many different versions. It's not just thinking you're the greatest thing in the world. It's just focusing on. [00:12:57] Speaker B: It's thinking, I can do stuff. God told me that. Or for me, you can do nothing. But we somehow think we're going to do it. [00:13:05] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, the way you said. I think it was this past week when you were to really wrap your head around the fact that your sole purpose of existing is to glorify God, it's easy to know that part of what we should do here is to glorify God. Or even to think the top thing we should do is to glorify God, but it's really the only thing. And when you start to think, okay, that's first, but this is a close second, or this is. These other things are all versions of pride in some way or another. When you get deep enough down in. [00:13:38] Speaker B: But that's also humbling that, wait a minute, the sole purpose of me being here is to glorify him. [00:13:43] Speaker C: Right. [00:13:44] Speaker B: And when you cannot think about that, and when you. [00:13:47] Speaker A: It's talked about a few shows ago about the blessing in that when your only purpose is to glorify him, it does take the pressure off of these other things that you're worrying so much about. But when this thing or that thing is almost as important or becomes more important than him. [00:14:02] Speaker B: And look, I'm not saying we're not in the world, just not of the world. And I'm not saying we don't have jobs with pressure and I'm not saying we don't have jobs with bosses that are on our backside. I know that's real and I know it is. But again, when you realize that even where I work and even where God has me working, that's an opportunity to bear fruit. That's what he wants to do in your life, is to bear that fruit. [00:14:27] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:14:27] Speaker A: Well, a couple. It was last week, Tuesday. So we have the Tuesday evening Zoom Bible study. [00:14:34] Speaker C: Yes. [00:14:34] Speaker A: And I was trying my best to keep a nice attitude and all this kind of stuff on it, but I was so exhausted when you added it all up. I think I spent four hours in the car that day driving back and forth from Garner to Fuqua, back to Fuqu. [00:14:48] Speaker B: Back to back and forth. I know. That was a fun. And down 401 every time. [00:14:52] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. I mean, I finally added it up. I was like, how many, how much time have I spent in the car? It was four hours total. [00:14:57] Speaker B: You need to figure out a back way. [00:14:59] Speaker A: Well, there. That is the quickest way I know. I was never in the car for more than 15 minutes at a time. [00:15:04] Speaker B: Right. [00:15:05] Speaker A: It was just drop Christian off back to here. It was just back and forth the whole day. And it's like I didn't get home till 9:15 or something. I mean, it was just one of those days. And you're. Sometimes it's not other people doing anything wrong. Sometimes it's not anything. It's just life sometimes. Life is just hard sometimes. And on those days that things get a little hard, you just. It's hard not to get a little frustrated. Yeah. Focusing on the things that are going bad for you today instead of. [00:15:37] Speaker B: Or let something hit the. Hit the fan and then it becomes God. [00:15:40] Speaker C: What? [00:15:41] Speaker B: You know, I'm trying here. Yeah, look, that's. That's where I find myself all the time is Lord, I'm doing the best I can. And now you know this and I have to catch myself and say, that's not your role. [00:15:53] Speaker A: So how do you handle those situations? [00:15:55] Speaker B: Well, I mean, there are times when there's going to be so much going on that. And it's just. And for me, it's not like the same way. For me it's. I have to guard against being tired and oftentimes with my schedule, it is a pretty go, go, go or I'm staying up late studying or I'm staying up late making sure that I got this done or that done. And for me it is just, well, a couple things. One I have found, and again, this is not spiritual when I say this. I have found taking care of myself helps out a lot. Getting a little bit of exercise, eating semi smart as best you can, getting as much rest as you can, even be able to catch up with it. I found that helps a lot. Then number two is it goes back to spending that time whether it's first thing in the morning or last thing at night. I enjoy last thing at night. The only problem is sometimes when I do it last thing at night, I'm struggling and it is. I don't dare close my eyes to pray. It's going to be inner sandman. And I'm like, ah, yeah. You know, and so I think it's one of take care of yourself. Spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally. You have to guard against some of those things, knowing that the enemy would love for you to fall short and so he's going to attack in those areas. [00:17:22] Speaker A: Yeah, we talked about that, I think last week, didn't we? How much does the enemy attack versus how much of it is our own doing? Well, I know it was on my notes. I can't remember. [00:17:32] Speaker C: Reaction. [00:17:32] Speaker B: No, I think there's a good piece of that. Case in point. Well, dummy, if you stay up every night and only get two hours of sleep, no wonder you're tired. That's not necessarily the enemy. Although the enemy can use that. That. Okay, Boy's not sleeping. He'll fall for this one or he'll. Man, he'll really step into a trap. [00:17:49] Speaker C: We're attacked in three ways. Ourselves, other people, and by the devil himself. Yep. [00:17:58] Speaker B: And ourselves includes a lot of probably right. [00:18:01] Speaker C: That's probably 90%. It's ourselves. [00:18:03] Speaker B: 90% of what happens to me is myself. [00:18:05] Speaker C: Right? [00:18:06] Speaker B: Isn't that what you said? [00:18:07] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:18:07] Speaker A: 90% of it sins. [00:18:08] Speaker C: Yeah, we had talked about. Yeah, yeah. [00:18:12] Speaker B: But let me ask you this. [00:18:13] Speaker A: Of. [00:18:14] Speaker B: Of that 90% now, now the question becomes how much of it is bad choices or how much of it is, you know, just being human? [00:18:23] Speaker C: It was not 90% anymore because I've heard I've made the correct choices. Right. But before then. Yeah, bad. Bad choices and wrong thoughts and wrong behavior. Yeah. I mean, I can just go on and on and you. [00:18:40] Speaker B: No, I'm just, I'm just trying to figure it out because, you know, sometimes stupid choices cost us a whole lot in life. You know, easy One a teenager makes a dumb mistake on a dumb choice on a. On a date when she's 17, 18 years old and it ends up and again nothing wrong as far as you know that child is. But it can be a life hard [00:19:08] Speaker C: life from there on out the timing. [00:19:10] Speaker B: Yeah and and that becomes you know sometimes it's how much. How much of our own bad choices. [00:19:18] Speaker C: Well some of you can spend the lifetime it will affect you for a lifetime. Yeah. Someone will affect you just one time. [00:19:25] Speaker B: Sure. And I guess that's what I'm getting at is sometimes life happens because it just all hits at once. Sometimes. A lot of times life happens because we just make dumb choices and put [00:19:36] Speaker C: ourselves I would say a majority of it is we do make dumb choices. Okay. I'm just speaking for myself and that's it. I mean I am highly intelligent but yeah I give you that I still make horror choices at least mid to high. Super high. [00:19:56] Speaker A: Super high super highs on this I. [00:20:00] Speaker B: I'd put you at. Let's see what was it? Is it when you go to the gas is 89, 9397 A3 octave [00:20:09] Speaker C: jet fuel. I was thinking yeah myself oh man it is. I, I you know really in my opinion and I'm not this is not a scripture or anything but in my opinion I probably have caused more problems because of me and not because of being situations where God being tempted. I think a lot of us because we are already sinners. You don't have to be tempted much to do anything you know the world [00:20:50] Speaker B: especially if you want to do it. [00:20:52] Speaker C: Yeah. And the world is a fallen world and they live by their morality which really is as we're seeing more and more each day is there's no morality. [00:21:03] Speaker A: Well and so there's another cause I guess you got other people cause problems for you. You'll certainly cause problems for yourself. The enemy can cause problems for you. God will also do things to throw wrinkles in your plan sometimes. And I'll just say it this way. I mean my things have been hard and frustrating for a real long time and I've been aggravated and you've seen and it's been. Sometimes I just wish I knew the source. If it's my fault then that's. I accept that and let me. I can you know let me see what I learned. If this is just bad luck because other people are involved in it then that's a different thing. If this is enemy throwing stuff at me to try to get in the way of my relationship with God then okay, I know that or if it's God trying to intentionally teach me some things, then that would be fine for me to understand. Some of my friction just comes from not necessarily always knowing what's what. The cause is the problem today, you know, some of it's obvious. [00:22:04] Speaker C: Right, right. [00:22:05] Speaker A: Some things are really easy to see. Oh, yeah, that was a boneheaded that I did that. That was stupid. [00:22:09] Speaker B: But not everything. [00:22:09] Speaker A: But not everything is. [00:22:11] Speaker B: But, but let me ask you this. Then, then can both. Can. Can two things be true at once? I mean, I mean, I think. And what I would also say in that situation is that, okay, then we know God's in control no matter what. [00:22:25] Speaker A: Right. [00:22:25] Speaker B: And he's not shocked by anything that shows up in our life. I mean, even if it's our own dumb choices, he's not shocked by it. And I think it's one of trusting him. That, yes, he can even work all things together, even the hard stuff. That, dude, this is a mess. This is a big, big mess. How is this even going to work anything out? Well, Joseph might have thought that too. When he was in prison forever and nobody remembered him. When he told the guy, he told the baker, hey, remember me? And it was years and then years. [00:23:02] Speaker C: It's not. I know a lot of times we read the Bible, it's the next chapter. [00:23:06] Speaker B: Right. [00:23:06] Speaker C: But no, it was a lot of years. 15 at least. [00:23:10] Speaker B: Or, well, I mean, 17 we sold into slavery, give or take. So it was at least, I would say it was more than two, I'll put it that way. That he rotted in that jail waiting for and. [00:23:22] Speaker C: And didn't know if he would ever get out. [00:23:24] Speaker B: No, but yet didn't curse God, then had a chance to exact revenge on his brothers. He could have taken them out very easily. He could have arrested them, he could have persecuted them, but instead he gave them a chance and they showed that, hey, they were not the same and he forgive them. [00:23:43] Speaker C: Yeah, but I don't think that happened the day he was sold in slavery. [00:23:48] Speaker B: Probably not. [00:23:49] Speaker C: I think it probably took him 15 years to forgive him. [00:23:52] Speaker B: It was more than that. [00:23:53] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:23:54] Speaker B: Yeah. 17 and 30. So give or take. Yeah. [00:23:58] Speaker C: I mean, it took him a long time. I think God was working in his heart too. Sure, he knew he had a calling. I'm saying this based on the dreams that he was having. He just didn't know what it was. And I'm sure that he held on to that calling, but he had some ill feelings. [00:24:17] Speaker B: And I'd be willing to bet that calling. I was tested. [00:24:19] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:24:20] Speaker B: When he's sitting in an Egyptian jail as a Hebrew boy. [00:24:24] Speaker C: Well, it was, yes. But we see the baker in the. Was it wine in cup. Bear. Cupbearer. We see his gift being acted out, then something's happened. [00:24:41] Speaker B: Yeah, but still, I'm not sure. He had to be at the bottom of that whale. [00:24:46] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [00:24:46] Speaker B: In the bottom of that dungeon. Egyptian prison. When he first got there, I'm sure the last thing on his mind is, oh, I remember that dream where my. My brothers bowed down to me. I think that would kind of. Kind of make you want to throw it away and say, there's no way that's going to happen. [00:25:04] Speaker C: Well, not only that, he got thrown in jail by Potiphar's wife. [00:25:09] Speaker B: Well, that's it. Yeah. [00:25:11] Speaker C: What else can go wrong? [00:25:12] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, he's falsely accused of rape [00:25:14] Speaker C: and his father thinks he's dead. I don't know if he knew that. That's what they told him. [00:25:18] Speaker B: No, I'm pretty sure he thought that's what happened. I don't think. [00:25:21] Speaker C: No, I'm saying I don't know if Joseph knew that they told him. [00:25:25] Speaker B: No, he didn't. Not at that time, he didn't. [00:25:28] Speaker C: No. And the thing is, with the Bible and we have. That's our life, but we can read this story and we know from the beginning to the end, and that should encourage us. [00:25:39] Speaker A: Yep. [00:25:40] Speaker C: You know, because these guys are. When they're writing or why not? Moses wrote Genesis or supposed to invoke Genesis off, but Joseph is. Is living that in real time. [00:25:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:25:54] Speaker B: And, well, I think it just shows faith that he was willing to trust through each situation and even to the point of when he's basically about 100 years old and he says that he knows there's going to be a day, it's going to be 400 or more years from when he was born, when he dies, that Israel's going to go back to the homeland. He says, take my bones with you. I want them buried back home. That's faith. Because he knows. [00:26:20] Speaker C: Did he ever go back to Canaan? [00:26:22] Speaker B: No. [00:26:23] Speaker C: Okay. [00:26:24] Speaker B: He was second in command for a long time. [00:26:26] Speaker C: I couldn't remember. [00:26:27] Speaker B: But I mean, he told them, take my bones back with you. And to me, that's faith. Yeah. [00:26:36] Speaker A: And it's sometimes just in the grand scale of the Bible and stuff. It's. It's easy to maybe look, because to your point, just sometimes one chapter to the next is going to skip 50 years or something, you know. [00:26:49] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:26:50] Speaker A: And it's easy to, you know, pick on the Israelites for their impatience. But tag on. 40 years wandering around, I go, I'm somewhere between four and 10 years into my hardship based on when you want to start it. And I don't have the patience to do it. I certainly couldn't do 40. [00:27:08] Speaker C: No. [00:27:08] Speaker A: And we're 15 and putting up with all the stuff that all these other people have done. So when you want to kind of get down on things a little bit, you can look at their faith. But at the same time, I look at it and say, well, more power to you because I ain't got it in me, you know, that long. But I don't have it. And. But it does show you how much, just how much they had to. That's the type of faith that God celebrates. [00:27:31] Speaker B: Well, that's Joseph, Joshua and Caleb. Caleb had to walk with 40 years of that. [00:27:36] Speaker C: And I bet you they're waiting for that last one. Don't you know, just sitting around. [00:27:40] Speaker B: And every funeral they attended, it had to be. You're the reason I'm not in that. [00:27:44] Speaker C: I would have hate to have been that last guy because I've been prayed for my life. [00:27:47] Speaker B: Yeah, they're looking around. Yeah, we know. [00:27:50] Speaker C: You're the last one. [00:27:51] Speaker B: He's coming around the corner. We're going to take you. [00:27:53] Speaker C: Yeah, we're going to the business. [00:27:54] Speaker B: We're gonna. [00:27:55] Speaker C: Yeah, we're gonna move this up some. [00:27:56] Speaker B: But you know, for Joshua and Caleb, it had to be every time. All those folks that they saw was no. Your disbelief that's keeping me out. I could be there now, but no. [00:28:07] Speaker C: And it's our disbelief that keeps us from believing in. [00:28:12] Speaker B: From going deeper with the Lord now. [00:28:14] Speaker C: Yeah. Is it. Are we any different than the Israelites? But we say we are. [00:28:19] Speaker B: I think we're a little bit, but not much. You know, I think the root cause is about the same. [00:28:25] Speaker C: Absolutely. [00:28:26] Speaker A: You know, I think we just may [00:28:28] Speaker B: be a little bit different. In fact, we ain't walk around in the wilderness. [00:28:31] Speaker C: I mean, Peter, he kept falling and falling, yet he's with the. The Lord in person. Even after he rose from the dead, he was still. He was still kind of Peter. Paul called him out. Paul, Peter, out for. I guess. How should I say? Discrimination. I guess in this day and time. [00:28:52] Speaker B: Yeah, Paul did. [00:28:53] Speaker C: I mean, I was trying to put in how to. He wouldn't eat with Gentiles. Yeah. [00:29:00] Speaker B: Because he was afraid of what the Jews would say. [00:29:02] Speaker C: Yeah. And he was. And Paul says, yeah, I sin every day. What I want to do, I can't do what I don't want to do. That's what I do. And you know, so they're just like us. Sometimes we put the characters that they were sanctified, pure and everything, but they sinned just they, they, I'm sure they sin just like we do. And the hard thing is, the real hard thing for people today is if you're a Christian and if you come to Christ early. I should say this, and I think we should talk about this some. I'm not talking about here, but I'm talking when you're talking with children. But there are going to be times and you know it's wrong because you've been taught it's wrong. There are going to be times that you're going to fall and you're going to fall probably pretty bad in some area. But a lot of times Christians as they get adult, become adults, they realize, man, I knew better. So it's hard for me. I just knew better. Yeah. And they don't apply grace to themselves. They can't forgive themselves because you know, I was taught not to do this but yet I'm doing it. And sometimes it's hard for them to even feel like they're forgiven. Actually I know a lot of people like that feel like they're not. God can't forgive them because they've gone too far and they knew better. [00:30:40] Speaker B: No, there's quite a few Christians that did that. [00:30:42] Speaker C: Well, you would know. Well, and I'm not saying you would want. [00:30:45] Speaker B: No, but I know what you mean. But I mean they just can't come to grips with what Romans 8:1 promises. [00:30:52] Speaker C: It's hard for a person to. I think it's harder for a person that's been in church their life to, to accept grace. [00:31:01] Speaker B: Yes, well, grace is not your normal. We don't operate under grace. I know and so it's, it's almost anti human nature but I'm sure I'm glad it's God's nature. And we, we are earners. We are go out and earn it. And how can someone just forgive me just out of shed blood that he loved me enough to his shed blood man and, and I'm forgiven. All of it's forgiven. No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Yeah, that's hard. [00:31:32] Speaker C: But what do we always do? We go back to revert. Well, God shared us grace. But we don't show other people grace. No, I mean, well, some people I've been, I think everybody's been guilty of that. I know I have. I can't say everybody been a while. It's been a while. [00:31:49] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:31:49] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, this. This was my early teens, I think. [00:31:52] Speaker A: I mean, something like that. [00:31:54] Speaker B: Going back to the 80s. [00:31:55] Speaker C: My goodness. [00:31:55] Speaker B: No, but we all do. I agree. [00:31:58] Speaker C: And that's a. So right. There's a sin right there. You know, we. We sin. And I. I don't know if sin is the definition of sin when I say that. Is it intentional? Because it is intentional. Deceit is intentional. Or. I know Christians that I think they're sinning all the time, but they don't feel like they. They don't. They don't have no conscience about it. Not that my conscience is pure or anything. There's just certain things that I see Christians do that I don't do. But that might be a little legalistic, but it. But what I'm talking about would probably be, you know, just talk about others, [00:32:37] Speaker B: sometimes people or hey, you know, betting the nickel on a golf swing. I mean, I used to do that and the Lord convicted me of it and said gambling, yeah, but, you know, we just fight by his own nickel. [00:32:50] Speaker C: I know it's, you know, and I [00:32:52] Speaker B: don't know there's anything wrong with me saying, me and you saying, hey, man, I bet. Bet you the wolf pack is going to win tonight. We don't have any money on it. We just have a. [00:32:59] Speaker C: Even if we don't bother me. But I know I'd win. [00:33:04] Speaker B: But I mean, I think. I think it's a stewardship. And that's where, again, some of these things, Jesus always went back to the heart behind it, not necessarily the action. It's the heart behind it. [00:33:15] Speaker C: Well, see, that's the key now a lot of times, because we're all made different and something that will trip me up. You have no problem with. [00:33:23] Speaker B: True. [00:33:23] Speaker C: And it might not be. I'm talking about gray areas. I'm not talking about, you know, what's, you know, black and white that's written in the Bible. Just, you know, certain things that will cause me to stumble or cause others, because I'm weaker in that and others. But I was mainly talking about myself because I'm weaker in that area and I might get addicted into that. It might become a God to me as opposed to someone that's the same, you know, a Christian that's been a Christian as long as I have, they had no problem with it. But there are areas where they struggle that I don't struggle. Marriage is a good one. There's areas that I have talent that Renee doesn't. There is. That Renee has. Is very gifted That I don't. And so I mean that's, that's the best example I can kind of give. I, I'll let you take it from there. [00:34:22] Speaker B: No, I think we're good on that. Well, and unless you have another question. [00:34:27] Speaker A: No, some. Sometimes Gabe was asking me something this morning and, and it's. I get it from all three of the kids in different ways. Christian's been. Every time he says his prayers at night, for whatever reason you're lately, he, he always says thank you for down. Thank you for sending Jesus down on the cross to save us from our sins or to take away our sins, whichever. I'm not really sure what that, what the difference is, but he says it every single night. And finally the other night I tried to, when I did my version of the prayer, tried to answer it for him in my prayer, thank you for sending Jesus too. And then I tried to give my explanation of what it was, hoping that would. But the next night he asked it again. You know, but I'm always getting these little, you know, Gabe asked me one this morning of some video that he saw, said, you know, seven signs to see if you're really saved or not. And he's like, you know, I'm confused by. He's. Because I'm not really sure if I am based on these things. And he went through them and it wasn't that it was a bad checklist, so to speak. But I told him, I said first of all, so it's not a checklist. [00:35:28] Speaker B: Right. [00:35:29] Speaker A: You know, that's. And the other thing is three or four of the seven are things that you're probably too young to even know if it was happening or not right now. Right. Like it's. There might be things that I can see in your life, that I can see is the Holy Spirit working in your life, but you don't know it's the Holy Spirit working in your life. Right. And. But in trying to answer that, and I get to say all this to make this point from a six year old to myself, and I'm sure older, sometimes it's just too simple to wrap your head around. And that can be frustrating in a way. But if you don't, it's frustrating when you're talking to somebody who's not getting it because it's. I can't simplify it any more than that. It's just grace. That's it. But at the same time it's, it's trying to figure out how to explain something so simple can become complicated. And I think that's what we do a lot of times with things is. And I know that's a calling card around here, is it's not complicated. But sometimes it's so simple that it's hard to accept it for. [00:36:35] Speaker B: It's hard to believe. [00:36:36] Speaker C: Hard to believe. [00:36:36] Speaker B: Maybe. Maybe that's what it is. Yeah. Because I know we want to overcomplicate faith so many times. And I don't think. I don't think Jesus meant for it to be too complicated. I mean, yes, there's times we're not going to understand everything he says. And yes, there are times when we have to dig deep and we're still trying to figure out what's he getting at. But when it comes to salvation and it comes to growth in Christ, I don't know that he meant for it to be too, too, too hard again. [00:37:07] Speaker C: Maybe. [00:37:07] Speaker B: Maybe that's a simplistic way of putting it. [00:37:12] Speaker C: He paid it all. [00:37:13] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:37:14] Speaker B: I mean, it's hard for us to wrap our minds around it. I get it. Cause that's just too, too good to be true. Too far beyond anything that anybody's ever done. I get that. At the same time, that's the all and the why would he. But to how and how it takes place. Let's not make that too complicated. But I know it can be. [00:37:37] Speaker A: I know. I've heard people. [00:37:38] Speaker C: Too easy. [00:37:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:37:39] Speaker A: I've heard people reject it because it's too good to be trusted. They'll literally, to the point of almost saying, that doesn't sound fair. That doesn't sound fair. And if that's what God thinks is fair, then that's not a God that I want to worship. And it's like. But you're missing the whole point, you know, but it's. [00:37:56] Speaker B: Well, I think it's one of. There's no such thing as a free ride. How can that be? Yeah, I've got to earn it. That's not fair. I get it. And the other thing is. Well, you know, usually it's the opposite of it's not fair to us because it's not fair to the guy that had hurt or whatever. But that's. What about you? That kind of thing. [00:38:19] Speaker C: We do want to elevate ourselves with others, but I think that keeps a lot of people away from Christ because they don't get it. They don't realize you do not have to earn it. [00:38:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:38:38] Speaker C: I think that's a big stumbling block. [00:38:41] Speaker B: Well, I don't know that it's not that they don't get it. I just don't think they can allow themselves to get it right. Yeah, well, I mean, I just want to kind of put a little bit [00:38:50] Speaker C: more there, then I'll take that depth. [00:38:51] Speaker B: They might understand. They might understand it. It's just that. [00:38:55] Speaker C: No, that's, that's, it's, it's too good to be true. [00:38:59] Speaker B: Well, I mean, look, we used to give out free water bottles and things like that at Walmart. We used to do gift wrapping at the Walmart for free just to show that love of Christ is free. And you would not believe the number of people that this. I mean it was almost like we're trying to scam everybody. You'd go up, just hand water bottles [00:39:21] Speaker C: because that's what they're used to. [00:39:22] Speaker B: I mean, because nothing in this world is free. And if you do give it to me free, there's got to be a catch. Yeah, I got a letter yesterday in the mailbox from the Cruising Club. And I don't even know what the Cruising Club is, but on the back, Mr. Pierce, you have won a seven day, seven night cruise. Anywhere you want to go, all you need to do is show up at this thing. This is not a blah, blah, blah, it's not a time lease. It's not this. And I was like, that's trash too. That's no way that can happen. That's a scam. And we just. That is our natural hardwired tendency that it's too good to be true. [00:40:00] Speaker C: It will cost you just 100 deposit to save your space. [00:40:04] Speaker B: As long as I give us my checking account information. [00:40:08] Speaker C: There's some money somewhere, you know it is. Yeah. [00:40:13] Speaker B: Oh, now ain't nobody just giving away a cruise. But see, there you are. Nobody's giving away that stuff for free. Well, this is salvation. This is eternal life. So yeah, no wonder we're thinking there ain't no way this could be free. [00:40:25] Speaker C: Have you seen. [00:40:26] Speaker A: My dad sent me this last week. Probably one of the best videos I've seen. It's the guy, Scottish guy explaining Alistair Big. Yeah, the man on the cross. Thief on the cross. I just saw that. This way. [00:40:42] Speaker B: That is absolutely great. [00:40:43] Speaker A: That's one of the best, best things I've seen. [00:40:46] Speaker C: Saved by Grace. Grace alone. [00:40:48] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, because it's when he gets into like going to get the supervisor angel and you know, it's like. Are you clear on the doctrine of justification by faith? I've never heard of it. [00:40:58] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:40:59] Speaker A: What about baptism? What? Huh. Doesn't know anything about any of this stuff. And when he gets to the payoff at the end of it is because the man in the middle cross said, I could be here. That's it. It's just that simple. We just can't. We can't understand that. And then the other thing that comes from it is the. And I think this is kind of what Gabe was maybe getting that with. His question is there's then the work side of it, and that's where you get into the faith versus work. [00:41:24] Speaker B: Some side of it. [00:41:25] Speaker A: And it's hard to. It's hard, but it's not to explain. Well, if you really love him, then you'll show it. If you don't show it, then you don't really love him. You don't have to show it in order to love him. That's right. But if you don't love. If you don't show it, then probably don't love him. You know, it's just hard to get out. It becomes a who's on first type of argument on those things. [00:41:46] Speaker B: And that's where for me it always is heads and tails. It's the same coin. It's just one way is looking at it one way and the other is looking at it another. It is not saying, oh, I'm saved by works and not. No, it is saying that if you are saved the righteous, the just shall live by faith, meaning we're going to have faith and. But that faith leads to righteous acts. [00:42:10] Speaker C: Martin Luther didn't like James. I don't have no problem with that. I don't think Martin Luther understood James when he was doing his saved by faith and faith alone. [00:42:20] Speaker B: I doubt it. I mean, I think that was the whole doctrine he was working out too. [00:42:23] Speaker C: Yeah, but James is about works and I don't see no difference. I see it both coming together. For some reason he thought that James shouldn't be in the Bible. [00:42:35] Speaker B: Well, you do have 2000. Or Martin Luther be more like 1700. You got several hundred years and thousand years. That difference. That theology for him, that was. He was building this theology because the church had told him. Well, I mean, he was going against the church. I get that you kind of need to cut him a little bit of slack. [00:42:55] Speaker C: I do. [00:42:55] Speaker B: I mean, he was a good, good man, a good reformer. [00:42:58] Speaker C: I would say so. [00:43:00] Speaker B: Well, and Jesus said top 10, probably. [00:43:02] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:43:03] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:43:04] Speaker C: That's close. [00:43:06] Speaker A: Jesus said, if you love me. Jesus said, if you love me, you will keep my commands. He didn't say, you keep my commands to prove that you love me or keep your commands. So keep my commands so that I love you or he said, if you love me, you will keep my commands. It's not conditional, it's just that there happens. They happen to go hand in hand. I mean, they, It's. [00:43:30] Speaker B: But, but the. But the, the. The fuel, the starting line, the rocket fuel for keeping his commands is love. It starts first, it's not second, then first. No, love is first. It starts with a heart that is enthralled by him, wants to bring him honor and glory. Then we begin to obey. [00:43:53] Speaker A: Do you think some people try to get it back or don't? [00:43:55] Speaker B: Sure they do. [00:43:56] Speaker A: They try to keep the commands, hoping that that will lead to. [00:43:58] Speaker B: Dude, that's what legalism is. That's what being a Pharisee is. [00:44:01] Speaker C: Is. [00:44:02] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, I'm going to obey everything I can and then he's going to love me and I'm going to earn it. But therefore, then they say, look how. Look how righteous I am, or look how good I am, or look how I've got my life together. [00:44:17] Speaker A: Not quite the way I'm asking it, I don't think. What I think I'm trying to ask is do you think some people in the search of feeling closer to him or I don't feel like I'm quite close enough with God, I need to try to get closer. And the way they attempt to get closer is to do the things that he did, hoping that. That somehow draw them closer. Because I think that can be something that might be well intended and you just kind of get the order just a little back. [00:44:43] Speaker B: I think. I think that that goes back to, I'm trying to earn a little more. I'm going to earn a little bit more of his love. Yeah, that. Okay, I'm going to do a little bit more. And that's going to bridge the gap, so to speak. [00:44:56] Speaker C: I think that what you said are good things and we should do them. And if we want to get closer to the Lord, we want to not do things. Not to earn them. I mean, not to. To earn it, because that's where it seems to be, where the crossroad is. But I want to because I find I'm closer with God. For number one, sin corrupts your mind. Even something that's probably not sin, it'll corrupt your mind. But the closer. If I want a closer walk with the Lord, I need to do the things that he commanded, not for salvation purposes, but to keep my mind, keep the, you know, the. What's it called, the relationship. [00:45:47] Speaker A: I would say is I think that if you're, for me, personally this isn't a universal prescription, but for me personally, communication with God, prayer, reading his words, that's the. Those are the two things that I have to do to feel a closeness. [00:46:05] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:46:05] Speaker A: Now, stemming from that, there are a lot of things that I didn't want to do for others that I want to do for Him. But I think if you tried to get it backwards and say, okay, I'm going to try to get my closeness with God from by doing more things. [00:46:21] Speaker C: Right. [00:46:21] Speaker A: I think that can be something where you can intending will slip into legalism a little bit or slip into something that's not good because now you're so busy doing all these works that you kind of forget to talk to God and have that communication. [00:46:34] Speaker B: Yeah, I agree. I think one of the things we need to be careful about is drawing close to God is not necessarily get busy. [00:46:41] Speaker A: Right, right. [00:46:42] Speaker B: And do stuff. You want to draw near to God. You really want to move closer to Him. Right. Now, here's how you do it. You stop and you worship. You stop and you praise him. You stop and you focus on Him. Because the Father is seeking for worshipers, but he's seeking for those who are worshiping in spirit and in truth. Stop and focus upon the Lord. Stop and worship the Lord in spirit and truth. And when you draw near to God, he draws near to you. It doesn't say, okay, draw near to God by getting busy and making sure you run around like a chicken with your head cut off, doing so many things that you can't keep straight with it. No. He says, draw near to me and I'll draw near to you. Well, how do we draw near to God? I believe it's always going to be through worship. It's going to be through those times of intense seeking, putting aside things and saying, no, I don't want to be involved in those things right now. What I want to give my heart to is pursuing and knowing the Lord. And I'm telling you, if you can take 10, 15 minutes of your day and just focus on worshiping the Lord, focus on who he is, maybe reading a psalm or two, taking a look at what its attributes are, I'm telling you, that makes a big, big difference. [00:47:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:48:00] Speaker B: So I would put the emphasis on not necessarily doing, but maybe becoming. Maybe that's the best way to put it. Becoming. What I mean by that is becoming more like Christ. [00:48:13] Speaker C: Yeah. I think what you were trying to say is I'm going to. Not you. I mean the question. [00:48:21] Speaker A: Oh, me. [00:48:21] Speaker C: Okay, the question. I hope it is the question that it seems to. We're trying to get close to God without having a relationship. We're going to do all these works, and then I qualify. [00:48:34] Speaker A: Well, yeah, I think because one of the words that we use a lot is relationship. And that. And that's really what he. [00:48:40] Speaker B: And that's really what abide is. [00:48:41] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:48:42] Speaker A: And I think that's the thing that might be. I think that's the step that people miss and don't know how to. To. To do sometimes. How do I have a relationship with God? You know, and it's. [00:48:56] Speaker B: Well, what does it mean? [00:48:58] Speaker A: Yeah, it's something that is. Maybe it's slightly different for. I think it's probably different for everybody in some ways of how. How you do it. But you can't find the relationship through action, through works. Right. And he wants that more than the worst. He does want the works, but that comes from the relationship. I don't think you get a relationship from the work. [00:49:20] Speaker B: And let's be honest. I mean, having a. It's a spiritual. So spiritual does not work. Like physical. Spiritual is on a whole different level. And so thinking that it's something that I can see or touch or it's like a relay. I have a relationship with Kenny. Kenny's a good friend. And Kenny, we spend time together, but trooping on, it's not exactly the same. Yes, I am a friend of God. Yes, he wants to talk with me, and yes, he wants. He knows my hurts and all that. But it is totally different then because, one, I can't see him. Number two is it's just a whole different level than being physical. So it's spiritual. [00:50:00] Speaker C: But get back. I wanted to just say this one [00:50:02] Speaker A: thing because I'm ready. [00:50:06] Speaker B: I'm ready. I'm ready. [00:50:08] Speaker A: Okay. [00:50:08] Speaker C: But, you know, when we talk about wanting to get close to God, you know, Jesus said, what's the greatest commandment is to love you, Lord God, with all your heart, mind, soul and body. The second one is love your neighbor as yourself. I mean, they're. They're intertwined. They're not separated, because that's. Loving your neighbor is a physical form of loving God with all your heart. [00:50:33] Speaker A: Right. [00:50:34] Speaker C: I mean, that's the root and that's the fruit. Yeah. [00:50:37] Speaker B: One comes first. Right. One's a chicken, one's an egg. [00:50:39] Speaker C: Yeah. And so, you know, everybody. Jesus said this. Everybody. Well, I would say, you know, I can't win the Nobel Peace Prize because I'm not smart enough. I can't be a preacher because I don't have that talent to Speak in front of people for seven hours at a time. You know, I'm not a gifted. I can't win the Olympic medal because I'm not gifted in that what physically and most of us are. But everybody can if they want to love the Lord thy God with all their heart. That's a gift that God, that Jesus gives everybody. He didn't give that command. Said, you know, you have to love the Lord thy God with all you have. He said he has opened it up where we all have that gift. We might not have other gifts, but that's one gift that every human has the ability to do is love the Lord thy God with all their heart, mind, soul and body. Whether they choose to. Whether they choose to be chosen or not. That's something different. [00:51:53] Speaker B: So I got a question and kind of coming off of that. So are we graded on the curve of what gifts we've been given, Talents we've been given, what we did with them versus I think we are. I think we're graded individually differently based on what we did and how we did it. [00:52:13] Speaker C: I think so, but it's probably not like what we think grading is. [00:52:18] Speaker B: Well, I agree. Yeah, I agree with that. [00:52:19] Speaker C: Because I really don't know what that is. Standard. [00:52:23] Speaker B: And I guess what I'm saying is, you know, we always. Some people, the case you made was sometimes we compare ourselves to others and we get a little jealous that you have that gift and I didn't have that gift and I can't win a gold medal. I wish I could. I can't do these things, but you can. [00:52:43] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:52:44] Speaker B: Hey, I'm trying. I got a year. But it's one of those things of. So what, are we graded individually or are we graded? [00:52:52] Speaker C: Well, here's what I think. What I do for a living, what God has called me to do, is just important to what anybody else is called God. It's important to him to fulfill your purpose. Yes. Just what Billy Graham did versus what I did to Jesus. It has the same weight. [00:53:17] Speaker B: Right. But there will be different crowns. Right? [00:53:21] Speaker C: Well, I know there's a preacher crown, whatever that means. I'm not even sure what that means. [00:53:25] Speaker B: I don't know if it's a preacher crown. I hadn't found out what. [00:53:29] Speaker C: There are some that maybe for ministers or something. That's not something I've researched on because [00:53:35] Speaker B: it didn't apply that there's anything. But there are different levels of rewards. Right. I'm just trying to weigh this out because I don't know that I've worked it out and I don't even know. They say don't ask a question unless you know the answer. [00:53:49] Speaker C: I don't know. [00:53:50] Speaker B: I'm not sure if I know all [00:53:51] Speaker C: the answer in this one I don't know about. All I know is how to get to heaven. That's pretty straight and pretty clear. [00:53:58] Speaker B: And you know why you're saved. [00:54:00] Speaker C: I know why I'm saved. I know how to get saved. Now what happens after we get to heaven is still kind of blurry and I don't know, it's. It's like the Old Testament and when it. When I get there. Oh yeah, this is what it means. It's like the prophets. Old Testament prophets. They look forward to that salvation. [00:54:23] Speaker B: Oh yeah. [00:54:24] Speaker C: But they couldn't figure it out. It was almost impossible to figure out. But once Christ died. Oh that's what he's talking about. And I think that's how we are when we. I can't figure out what's going to happen in heaven. I mean I've got some ideas but to figure out exactly what's happening in heaven. I had no idea. I didn't know we were be worshiping well and whether you're fishing, I don't know. I'm not. That's a little bit. Or, or playing golf, I just don't know. I think we'll be. In my personal opinion, I think we'll be worshiping the Lord and that's enough. Yeah. There's. There's one guy that and I. I read this the other day. [00:55:08] Speaker B: I think there'll be some work. [00:55:10] Speaker C: I mean true there is but I just don't know what kind somebody. [00:55:14] Speaker B: Look, there's going to be some good eating up there is what I've heard. [00:55:17] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:55:17] Speaker B: And so somebody's got to do some cooking and cleaning. I'm not sure who's doing that And [00:55:22] Speaker C: I do know that pastors will not have any. [00:55:24] Speaker B: I don't have work. That's right. I don't have a job. Profession worship leaders have. [00:55:30] Speaker C: Have it better there that's maybe where you ought to go during torn. [00:55:35] Speaker B: I'll just keep going. Yeah I like the track I'm on Here's. [00:55:39] Speaker A: Here's a mind twist before you Ben. [00:55:41] Speaker C: So is it. [00:55:42] Speaker A: Is it legalism if you're being. If there's one thing to be legalistic thing that's going to earn your ticket to heaven. Okay, but what if you're chasing crowns but you're. Because I think the answer I'm thinking here is that if you're chasing crowns for the purpose of chasing crowns, then that's not. You're not a good crown for that. You got to have the right heart. [00:56:01] Speaker B: That to me is the epitome or the height of selfish ambition. [00:56:06] Speaker A: But do you think a safe person could become legalistic, not turn their ticket, but they can start to become legalistic trying to chase those crowns? [00:56:14] Speaker B: I don't know. I'd go legalistic as much as it is, maybe competitive. I want to earn as many crowns as I can. And even then you're going to give them right back to Jesus. So, you know, the part of me is kind of like, well, okay, yeah, I understand the motive behind. I want to. I want to give back to him as much as I can. But it's never about me receiving the crown. At least it shouldn't be because again, that makes me more important or that I'm something in this story. [00:56:42] Speaker A: I think that's an easy one to slip into, though. You think you're doing it for the right reason because you're doing it or the kingdom, but you really kind of deep down doing it because you want to beat that your neighbor when the crown time comes around. [00:56:52] Speaker C: Well, God calls. God's our calling for each one of us is very important to him. Yeah, you know, it's. He's called to be a pastor. That's very important to him. You're called to be a golfer. [00:57:05] Speaker A: Yes, if I'd like for him to tell me what exactly it is I'm calling for. [00:57:11] Speaker C: Man, the thing is, you won't find it in the word of God, but we get so caught up in what do I he wants. What does he want me personally to do? Yeah, I mean, the will of God's all. The will of God for your life is nearby on every page. [00:57:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:57:28] Speaker C: And he got to, you know, don't kill. Yeah, that's a good one to keep. [00:57:33] Speaker A: Well, man, I think going back to the point we were making earlier, coming full circle a little bit. I mean, a murder is trying to figure out what our calling in life is, is one thing, but at the end of the day, our calling in life is to worship God. And that's where he wants our focus. Our focus is on that. [00:57:47] Speaker B: Glorify him. Right. [00:57:48] Speaker C: I think that's 90% of a Christian [00:57:50] Speaker B: is [00:57:53] Speaker C: to glorify him. If I'm going to put a snack on it, 10% might be our personal calling, but that's what we do every day. I mean, but even that is, let [00:58:07] Speaker B: me just say to the end. Right. [00:58:08] Speaker C: Let me just say this and this might be better said. We focus on our calling more so than. That's more important to us than what God has called all believers to do. I would say that the holy life, you know, that's a calling. Well, we focus on one. [00:58:32] Speaker B: Let me see if I can put it another way. Let me see if I can put it one other way and see if I'm tracking with you. We're more concerned about the end goal than we are the day in, day out. Obedience to get to that end goal. In other words. Okay, my God, you have called me to be a pastor then. Rather than being obedient in the things that I have today. All I'm concerned with is that goal or heaven is our end goal. When you become so consumed with heaven that you forget the day in and day out, hey, need to be walking with the Lord, obeying today. [00:59:08] Speaker C: And I don't know of anybody, [00:59:12] Speaker A: any [00:59:13] Speaker C: Christian that it was got saved because of one person. [00:59:18] Speaker A: No man. [00:59:19] Speaker C: Well, I mean, Ethiopia. I didn't say it didn't happen. I said I don't know about it. [00:59:26] Speaker A: It. [00:59:26] Speaker B: Yeah, I was going to point to somebody in scripture, though. [00:59:31] Speaker C: Who was that? [00:59:32] Speaker B: Well, 3,000 got saved one day because of Peter preaching. Yeah, but I don't know that they heard anything. [00:59:38] Speaker C: Well, they had heard. They. [00:59:40] Speaker B: What did they heard? [00:59:41] Speaker C: They had heard they've been Jews for all their life. They were in Jerusalem. [00:59:45] Speaker B: There was some reason, but they didn't know. They didn't know a thing about Jesus. [00:59:49] Speaker C: Yeah, they should have. They should have knew what the Old Testament said. [00:59:53] Speaker B: All 3,000. [00:59:54] Speaker C: I would say they shouldn't be committed if they're there that time. [00:59:57] Speaker B: Don't think so. They had committed to Judaism, but they had not heard a thing about Jesus Christ who has been raised from the dead. [01:00:04] Speaker C: We have to remember that Jesus fulfilled them all, not made us a different religion. [01:00:12] Speaker B: No, I didn't make that argument. I'm just saying. You said nobody's come to Christ. How about the Ethiopian and Philip? [01:00:19] Speaker C: Philip. Well, he had probably had a great, great grandfather somewhere. [01:00:22] Speaker B: Another. He had the scroll of Isaiah. [01:00:24] Speaker C: Right. [01:00:25] Speaker B: Who was somewhere or another. He had the scroll of Isaiah that was reading. But still Philip was the one right there to lead him. I mean, I'm just saying that I don't know that sometimes I do believe it can be one. [01:00:36] Speaker C: I didn't say it couldn't be. No, I just said I didn't know. [01:00:38] Speaker A: Just never has been. [01:00:41] Speaker B: It just has never happened in history. I'm not saying it could. I'm just saying it's Never done. [01:00:46] Speaker A: Because I think, I think we better wrap this before he digs himself. [01:00:49] Speaker B: I love it. No, I think, you know, you're exactly right, though. It does Take on average 7.6 times. [01:00:58] Speaker C: Takes a whole community. I think sometimes it does. Yeah. [01:01:03] Speaker B: But I do believe it could happen [01:01:04] Speaker C: just one person, because I. I do. There we go. Becky, he wants to get back. He wants to put that back and set that back. [01:01:11] Speaker B: I just want to add it in. Well, I mean, at the end of the day, that was just a little quick jazz. [01:01:18] Speaker A: At the end of the day, it's God's work. He can do it any way he wants to. [01:01:21] Speaker B: I don't think he says that's right. [01:01:23] Speaker A: A minimum quota. That has to be necessarily. [01:01:25] Speaker B: Well, and this, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. So if a person gets it, no matter if it's 1, 2, 5 or 50, that finally breaks through, it's the gospel does the saving. So that's what. That's the beauty of it. [01:01:38] Speaker C: And then return void. [01:01:40] Speaker B: That's right. [01:01:41] Speaker C: And you would think. And I have heard this now, this is crazy, but it's true. I mean, this is something that I've never thought about. I have actually known people that have gone to faith healers or prosperity gospel and they've gotten saved. Oh, yeah. It happens all the time. And I didn't realize that even though the doctrine is about as anti gospel as can be, that's where they start. And it starts making me think. I think a lot of Mormon people that get out of Mormonism were probably became Christians either as a Mormon or shortly after. And because you don't really just get up and. [01:02:32] Speaker B: Well, I mean, that's your roots. That's almost the epitome of legalism. [01:02:35] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, I do. [01:02:37] Speaker B: I mean, and you'd be amazed. Islam and Mormonism have a very, very close link to one another. Well, when you, when you look at how they formed, how they operate, they are very, very akin to each other, [01:02:54] Speaker C: even though their functionality. [01:02:56] Speaker B: Yeah, functionality. And hey, the fact that golden tablets came down, I mean, that was either Muhammad or Moroni. [01:03:03] Speaker C: So Joseph Smith. Yeah, yeah. And they hadn't found them since or something. [01:03:07] Speaker B: That's right. [01:03:08] Speaker C: And he was a child molester. All right. I think I'm talking about that I edit. I think he was in prison more than likely. [01:03:20] Speaker B: Okay, but he's right. He was. But I don't know that I would have said it. I was just trying to point that they, you know, the similarities. [01:03:29] Speaker C: Well, I mean, it's all sarcastic. [01:03:31] Speaker B: Well, it is, it is. And nowhere near. And you're right. And again, that's a form of legalism. Trying to somehow appease God, somehow make God want me, love me, accept me, when only one thing is going to do it cross. [01:03:47] Speaker C: I just think it's Satanic. [01:03:50] Speaker B: Satanic? Satanic, Yeah. [01:03:57] Speaker C: I don't see how. I just. Oh, I think. [01:04:00] Speaker B: No doubt, without a doubt. [01:04:02] Speaker C: Cults start with pride. In some sense, they want to be the focal point. [01:04:09] Speaker A: Well, pretty much every other religion in the. In the world is figuring out some way to attach works to earn your way to heaven. [01:04:17] Speaker B: Exactly. [01:04:18] Speaker A: And that's. That's pretty much the. [01:04:21] Speaker C: Well, we have to also remember, you can. You can be legalistic, but you can still go to heaven. Yeah, yeah, but. [01:04:29] Speaker B: But you ain't gonna be saved by it. [01:04:31] Speaker C: Well, that's the key. Yes. [01:04:33] Speaker B: You say you're saved by grace through faith, and that right there is what separates Christianity from almost everything else. It is by grace through faith. It is a free gift of what Christ did, period. [01:04:45] Speaker C: You could be the worst Christian ever world, but be saved by grace, get into heaven quicker than somebody that is relying on legalism. Actually, they wouldn't get in heaven. So the criteria is not legalism or birth. The criteria is repenting, believing, receiving grace through faith. Yeah. [01:05:09] Speaker A: All right. Glad we got all that unpacked. [01:05:12] Speaker B: Now I get to go sit in the training. [01:05:14] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [01:05:15] Speaker A: See y'. [01:05:15] Speaker C: All. [01:05:18] Speaker A: Speaking of prado, a flicker there. [01:05:21] Speaker B: Little. [01:05:21] Speaker C: Little. You must have a lot of it. [01:05:23] Speaker A: Yeah, I was going to say. [01:05:26] Speaker C: Yeah, it was reminding you about. [01:05:28] Speaker A: It was. No, that's. That's what I was going to say.