WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:02.200 Hey, everybody, we're the Bible guys, and if you're just 2 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:05.320 tuning in recently, just know that we are showing a 3 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:07.120 little bit of reruns for a few months and then 4 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:09.839 we'll be back bigger and better than ever on August 5 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:13.519 thirty first, because behind the scenes we're taking a hiatus 6 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:14.720 to do some very important things. 7 00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:18.399 Yeah, we're building building out a new studio and we've 8 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:21.399 got some new structure. Super excited about it. So August 9 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:24.359 thirty first, brand new content. But in the meantime, enjoy 10 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:25.440 some of our greatest hits. 11 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:27.839 Well, Jeff, the Law is the Law. 12 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.320 Wow, that's what we're talking about today. He's Chris, I'm Jeff, 13 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:34.920 and we're the Bible guys. 14 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:46.320 So every once in a while we do a segment 15 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:49.759 called mail Bags, and mail Bags is basically going through 16 00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:52.240 email those you know, mail bags would have been like 17 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:54.840 David Letterman would have had physical letters, right, that's right, 18 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:58.000 But we're going through emails. 19 00:00:57.640 --> 00:00:59.719 All of our twenty year old listeners and like what's 20 00:00:59.719 --> 00:01:00.719 a man? Right? 21 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:05.200 But anyway, So, by the way, incidentally, if you want 22 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:08.760 us to discuss any question that you have that you 23 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:11.560 would like us to discuss, just for fun, we would 24 00:01:11.560 --> 00:01:14.400 love it if you would email us at info at 25 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:15.760 the Bible guys dot com. 26 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:17.719 But this one comes from David S. 27 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:21.280 And he asks this question, what's the best prank you've 28 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:23.760 ever pulled on someone? 29 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:25.159 Yeah? 30 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:28.959 Were you a prankster? And are you a prankster? 31 00:01:29.319 --> 00:01:32.359 The troublemaker more than a prankster for me? Yeah, yeah. 32 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:35.920 Pranks require planning, and I'm not much of a planner. 33 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:36.760 Yeah. 34 00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:37.280 Yeah. 35 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:41.599 Do you remember the guys when I moved offices that heritage, 36 00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:45.959 they actually hooked up into the ceiling vent, into the 37 00:01:45.959 --> 00:01:49.560 air conditioning vent, they put the Hazer, which. 38 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:51.560 Is like you know the smoke machine on stage, the. 39 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:53.799 Smoke machine or the fog machine on stage, and they 40 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:56.480 actually put it into my thing and trays like. 41 00:01:58.280 --> 00:01:59.560 Goes, let's go in your office. I want to I 42 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:00.519 want to talk to you about something. 43 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:01.879 And all of a sudden, I look up and all 44 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:03.560 this fogstar's coming to my office. 45 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:05.159 But you thought it was smoked. 46 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:07.480 I thought it was a legitimate problem, and so I 47 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:09.479 took it out and I started videoing it to show Chad, 48 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:12.879 which is our executive Yeah, and they were all laughing. 49 00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:14.759 So they were all filming me and laughing. Then they 50 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:16.800 tried to hold me in the office and eventually my 51 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:17.479 whole office. 52 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:20.120 Can fill with smoke. Right, hilarious. 53 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:25.159 That's a good one. Well, so Bonnie had been talking 54 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:29.719 about getting a tattoo for a while. Oh yeah, and so, hey, 55 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:31.919 if you have a tattoo, I don't think it's wrong 56 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:35.719 or whatever. I'm just not a huge fan of tattoos. 57 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:40.080 So Bonnie wants to get a tattoo and I'm like, oh, 58 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:41.800 I don't know. I'm trying to talk her out of it. 59 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:47.680 And so she goes out with one of her friends 60 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:50.759 who attends Heritage ivon you know who you are, and 61 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:54.159 they sent me a picture of Bonnie sitting in a 62 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:58.840 thing and she's almost done with a tattoo. This guy's 63 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:00.960 like on the thing like that, and she said, hey, 64 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:02.680 will she were here or something. She sends me this 65 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:05.680 text and it was on her birthday and I'm like, 66 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:08.400 oh my gosh. Well now I'm thinking, well, I have 67 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:11.400 to be kind, I can't, you know. So I'm just 68 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:15.159 like wow, but I am like freaking out about this. 69 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:17.319 Like what in the world I thought we settled on 70 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.879 her arm? Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, like mom on 71 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:22.719 her arm or something like that. Well, it turned out 72 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:24.479 the guy. They went in and paid this guy to 73 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:28.360 draw it on her arm, color it all in and 74 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:30.479 then just be you know, sitting there with the thing. 75 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:34.319 It was so funny, funny. So when I finally realized, 76 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:37.360 because I'm just doing my best to be kind and decide, 77 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:39.960 but I'm pretty much losing it because I thought we'd decided, 78 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:41.719 let's a crank on you. Yeah, that was a prank 79 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:46.120 on me. I'm not really much of a prankster, Okay. 80 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:48.479 Jenna called me one time, my daughter to tell me 81 00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:51.159 that Bunny had been arrested because I've been trying to 82 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:54.240 get a hold of her, and Jenna's crying and really 83 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:57.439 making it real, like very real, and I was freaking 84 00:03:57.439 --> 00:03:59.520 out about that. So people pull pranks on me, But 85 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:00.759 I don't do a lot of pranks. 86 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:05.000 Wow, So I do. I used to do a lot 87 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:05.520 of pranks. 88 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:09.960 I remember in college we was it was Baptist Bable 89 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.560 College BBC's what we called it. And there was a 90 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:16.399 guy who's still a missionary, a friend of mine. I 91 00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:20.120 see him on Facebook, but his name is Lance Gocher. Okay, 92 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:24.959 so Lance, uh one time made us mad, and actually 93 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:28.079 specifically he made my friend mad, Jeff, and so Jeff 94 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:30.600 wanted to get him back, and Lance was really just 95 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:33.319 like he harped on Jeff, and by the way, with 96 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:35.600 good reason in a lot of ways, right, but man, 97 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:38.759 he just got us all sort of like wound up, 98 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:40.839 like this guy is just he has. 99 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:43.639 A common Well come on, Lance, right, come on Lance. 100 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:48.240 So here's here's what happened. We actually carried his furniture 101 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:54.759 from his dorm. We're talking like a couch, a desk, right, lamps, everything, right, 102 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:56.000 and we carried it down. 103 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:58.759 Three floors down the dorm room, three floors. 104 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:01.439 All the way across the co odd and we actually 105 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:03.839 laid it on the middle of the of the of 106 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:07.680 the field, the grassy knoll, in front of the cafeteria. 107 00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:11.199 And everybody gets out of call, you know, classes at 108 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:13.600 the same time. They all head to the cafeteria. Every 109 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:16.079 he's there sort of around noon ish, and the entire 110 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:18.639 school is pretty much in this cafeteria. So we knew 111 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:20.199 that he was going to be coming across the lawn 112 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:22.800 and we were going to be watching him. So we 113 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:27.399 carried everything down. We're talking underwear, everything, clothes, everything, And 114 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:29.680 it took us like an hour and a half with 115 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:32.399 the team of people, and we carried it all the 116 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:35.680 way down and across the campus, and then we put 117 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:39.560 a sign of that said, uh BBC Patriots yard sale. 118 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:42.639 Oh no, right, Patriots was your mascot. He was. 119 00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:46.959 He was a singing Okay, singing group was called a Patriot. 120 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:50.079 Okay, but they are the BBC Patriots, so like the 121 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:51.480 basketball team is called the Patriots. 122 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:53.560 So for whatever reason. 123 00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:55.600 So you took everything he owned, put it out in 124 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:57.720 the yard and had a yard sale of his stuff. 125 00:05:57.800 --> 00:06:00.759 I literally, in my mind can still visual like he 126 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:02.560 was wearing a blue shirt when he was coming over 127 00:06:02.600 --> 00:06:03.000 the lawn. 128 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:05.959 The wind was blowing. He had a red tie. 129 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:08.160 With poka dots on him, and it was actually blowing 130 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:09.800 in the wind, and he had a suit jacket on. 131 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:12.360 He was carrying a briefcase and he was looking down 132 00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:14.839 because it was windy. And so because he was looking down, 133 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:17.680 he come over the lawn and the entire cafeteria was 134 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:20.079 all glass, And I kid you not, there was like 135 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:24.759 eighty people pressed against that window watching his reaction, right, 136 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:27.959 and there's two sets of glass doors, so he couldn't 137 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:28.720 even really see us. 138 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:29.360 Because of the reflection. 139 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:32.360 And he comes over the thing and he's looking down 140 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:34.720 and he and he sort of sees like this huge, 141 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:35.959 like you know. 142 00:06:35.879 --> 00:06:37.560 Like garage shell on the lawn. 143 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:39.279 And he looks over and he looks back down. He 144 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:41.199 almost walks by it. Then all of a sudden, he 145 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:44.600 looks back over and he notices like something that looks familiar. 146 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:46.360 And then all of a sudden, you can just see 147 00:06:46.360 --> 00:06:50.800 the look on his face and he drops his you know, briefcase, 148 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:53.279 and he looks and immediately he just starts grabbing his 149 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:56.759 stuff and running towards the dorm, you know, as if 150 00:06:56.759 --> 00:06:59.439 he's going to carry everything up by himself. And so 151 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:02.879 we actually laughed super hard, and then believe or not, 152 00:07:02.920 --> 00:07:04.680 we all went out and helped him carry back up. 153 00:07:04.759 --> 00:07:06.920 Yeah right, So we had our you know, our laugh 154 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:07.600 at his expense. 155 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:08.319 Oh my goodness. 156 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:09.879 Then we had a team of people helped him back up. 157 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:12.920 Yeah, that's hysterical. So note to self, don't mess with 158 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:16.680 Chris and his friends. Well, hey, sorry, sorry, Lance. 159 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:18.439 And by the way, I've had I have several other 160 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:20.160 pranks that I do not want to say. 161 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:26.600 Yeah, okay, okay, I was thinking about the time that 162 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:29.839 you did that roast on me and then I sent 163 00:07:29.879 --> 00:07:32.800 you to a really bad part of Havana oh yeah, 164 00:07:32.839 --> 00:07:38.120 for sure. Yeah, so yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I 165 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:40.079 did that one, but that's a whole other story I 166 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:41.000 don't want to tell today. 167 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:43.279 Yeah yeah, yeah, some things. 168 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:46.959 Are best left buried. Yes, so that's a fun one. 169 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:48.720 Well hey, thanks David S. 170 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:50.399 Yeah, for sure, that's a good one. 171 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:53.439 Now we know a little bit more about Zarba's character. 172 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:54.600 Just don't cross him. 173 00:07:54.959 --> 00:07:57.240 Wait a minute, you're hard on me, and you don't 174 00:07:57.240 --> 00:07:59.199 want to tell the prank that you played on me. 175 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:00.199 Nope, nope, I'm good. 176 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:02.439 Come on, Jeff, No, we're good. Come on, Jeff, here 177 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:02.680 we go. 178 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:03.199 So. 179 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:07.040 Uh. In Romans chapter two, we're reading, you know, if 180 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:12.560 you're on the list drug, we're reading in verse seventeen, 181 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:14.160 and we're going to just read, I think, to the 182 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:17.199 end of the chapter here and now he's speaking to 183 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:20.199 the Jews and explaining the law because so many people 184 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:24.680 in Paul's day believed, yes, the Gentiles are bad because 185 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:27.920 they don't have any law, any spiritual law, and they're 186 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:30.600 just sinners. But we have a spiritual law, so we're good. 187 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:33.759 And so he's going to unpack that. He says, you 188 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:36.440 who call yourselves Jews are relying on God's law, and 189 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:39.399 you boast about your special relationship with him. You know 190 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:42.039 what he wants, You know what is right because you've 191 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:44.879 been taught his law. You're convinced that you're a guide 192 00:08:44.919 --> 00:08:46.879 for the blind and a light for the people who 193 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:49.320 are lost in darkness. You think you can instruct the 194 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:51.799 ignorant and teach children the ways of God, for you 195 00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:55.399 are certain that God's law gives you complete knowledge and truth. Well, then, 196 00:08:55.720 --> 00:08:58.360 if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself. You 197 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:01.080 tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You 198 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:03.919 say it's wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? 199 00:09:04.279 --> 00:09:07.840 You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from 200 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:10.879 pagan temples. You're so proud of knowing the law, but 201 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:14.120 you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder, the scriptures 202 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:17.120 say the gentiles blasphem the name of God because of you, 203 00:09:17.720 --> 00:09:20.799 the Jewish ceremonials. Circumcision has value only if you obey 204 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:23.080 God's law. But if you don't obey God's law, you're 205 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:25.960 no better off than an uncircumcised gentile. And if the 206 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:28.679 gentiles obey God's law, won't God declare them to be 207 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:31.879 his own people. In fact, uncircumcised gentiles who keep God's 208 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:34.679 law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess 209 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:37.039 God's law, but don't obey it, for you are not 210 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:40.600 a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents, 211 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:43.360 or because you've gone through the ceremonial circumcision. Now, a 212 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:45.759 true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. 213 00:09:46.039 --> 00:09:48.440 But in true circumcision is not merely obeying a letter 214 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:51.159 of the law. Rather, it is a change of heart 215 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.120 produced by God's spirit. And a person with a changed 216 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:58.279 heart seeks praise from God, not from people. Yeah, so 217 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:00.720 he's starting to blend the lines here between Jews and 218 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:04.960 Gentiles based on not just obeying the rules, but on 219 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:06.600 the heart, what's going on on the inside. 220 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:07.639 So somebody who's new. 221 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:11.600 The scripture, if they read like, let's just say these verses, 222 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:14.840 you know, and that's their daily devotion for the day, 223 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:17.720 they may think to themselves, what in the world do 224 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:18.919 these verses. 225 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:19.440 Have to do with me? 226 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:23.759 Because it sounds very much like their thing right and 227 00:10:23.879 --> 00:10:27.600 their culture, you know, is Paul's writing specifically to a 228 00:10:27.639 --> 00:10:30.559 group of people talking about two different cultures. What does 229 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:32.399 that have to do with me? What could I even 230 00:10:32.440 --> 00:10:34.679 get out of this? What would you say? What was 231 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:35.759 your first instinct? 232 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:39.879 Well, I think everything in the Bible has application for 233 00:10:40.039 --> 00:10:42.120 us today. It's why it was important enough that God 234 00:10:42.120 --> 00:10:43.840 decided that needs to be in there, So we should 235 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:45.759 dig in and find out why. Why is it there 236 00:10:45.799 --> 00:10:46.039 for me? 237 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:46.519 Right? 238 00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:49.240 Because it's here for everybody, not just for them. So 239 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:52.600 what do you The principle, the general principle. There's two 240 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:56.360 big principles I think here. One, if you are claiming 241 00:10:56.440 --> 00:10:59.039 to try to teach people to do right, you should 242 00:10:59.080 --> 00:11:03.039 also follow your own own your own teaching right. There's 243 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:04.600 a lot of people who are willing to step up 244 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:06.840 and lord it over everybody else and make all kinds 245 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:07.279 of rules for. 246 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:08.840 Everybody else as I do. 247 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:12.480 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had a significant leader in my 248 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:15.360 life at one time that had very strict rules about 249 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:18.480 a certain lifestyle element. But then I went out with 250 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:21.080 one of his sons and were in his car, and 251 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:23.440 it turns out the guy who made all those rules 252 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:26.519 broke all the rules personally. Yeah, And I was shocked 253 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:27.240 by it. 254 00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:28.240 It was a music thing. 255 00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:32.720 Up until that time. Up until that time, I just 256 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:35.120 felt like, well, everybody follows the rules, We're all struggling 257 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:37.120 through this. Okay, I don't like the rule, Okay, but 258 00:11:37.159 --> 00:11:38.720 then when I found out the guy who makes the 259 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:43.200 rules doesn't follow any of those rules, I thought total 260 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:47.440 fraud because I'd heard him talk about the reasons why 261 00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:49.679 these are so important and all this stuff, and I'm like, 262 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:53.600 he's a fraud. And so Paula is saying here, if 263 00:11:53.639 --> 00:11:56.200 you're living a fraudulent life, you're saying one thing but 264 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:58.559 doing another. You're claiming that you will obey God, but 265 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:01.200 then you're clearly disobeying him in a certain area. He said, 266 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:06.080 this is why non believers hate God. Is not that 267 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:07.879 they hate God, It's that they hate the people who 268 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:08.799 claim to follow God. 269 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:12.559 Yeah, and so really it's the topic. You could put 270 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:14.480 the topic of hypocritical Christians in there. 271 00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:17.559 Oh, that's exactly. That's the first several verses we read 272 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:21.120 was that, and then the second principle he's talking here about. 273 00:12:21.559 --> 00:12:24.399 So then he decides to get a specific element, which 274 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:27.919 for the Jewish people in the law, the foundational element 275 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.320 was that the male Jews were circumcised, and that was 276 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:35.480 a demonstration of a personal physical sacrifice to God, right, 277 00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:38.200 and that this symbolized the covenant that the people of 278 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:41.240 Israel had with God. And so he's going, Okay, let's 279 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:44.200 go to this basic element that you all brag about 280 00:12:44.200 --> 00:12:46.919 all the time. Well, here's the issue. You can follow 281 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:50.799 the rule, specifically the rule, but if your heart is 282 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:54.639 not towards God, it doesn't matter. So then the heart 283 00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:57.799 is God's initial thing, that's really his thing that he's 284 00:12:57.799 --> 00:12:59.759 going after. So that means that you can have people 285 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.320 who have not gone through that ceremony they have a 286 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.600 right heart with God, and you're gonna have people who 287 00:13:04.600 --> 00:13:07.000 did go through the ceremony who have a bad heart 288 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:09.639 for God. And so he said the ceremony is just 289 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:11.960 a symbol, but it's really about what's going on in 290 00:13:11.960 --> 00:13:13.960 your heart. So those are the two big principles. He's 291 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.600 speaking specifically with cultural elements for their circumstance. But you 292 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:21.759 can take the principles and go, Okay, you know what, Yes, 293 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.120 I should obey God's law, but I shall also do 294 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:26.879 it with a good heart, right heart towards God. 295 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:27.559 Yeah. 296 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:30.320 And by the way, it reminds me very much of 297 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:33.279 the Sermon on the Mount, you know, when Jesus was 298 00:13:34.200 --> 00:13:37.120 trying to let the Pharisees and the religious leaders know 299 00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:40.840 like they're just as sinful as everybody else, right, And 300 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:43.000 he says, like, you know, for instance, when he says, 301 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:48.399 you know, you pride yourselves because you don't commit murder, right, 302 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:50.840 because that's like a really big sin. But you guys 303 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:53.279 sin too, in fact, when you call each other fool, 304 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:55.759 it's what he says. He says, you're just as guilty 305 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:57.679 if you're on the list. You're on the list, right, 306 00:13:57.759 --> 00:13:59.879 And he says, you know, you pride yourself or not 307 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:02.840 having adultery committing adultery, but if you look at a 308 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:05.639 woman and lust after, you commit adultery in your own heart, 309 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:08.120 and so both sins are still sins, right, right, you're 310 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:10.759 on the list. And so he's talking about that. And 311 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:15.159 so it's this idea that when people are condemning others, 312 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:20.639 they don't realize that they too are condemned. And the 313 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.639 hypocritical Christians a whole different category as well, because the 314 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:26.960 hypocritical Christian is the one who condemns somebody and then 315 00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:30.480 secretly does it, you know, but they think they do 316 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:31.559 it in secret, but everybody knows. 317 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:35.039 Yeah, you know, I've heard multiple things. I think Gandhi 318 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:43.480 had a minister friend, a Christian friend, and they communicated 319 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:46.039 all the way to Gandhi's death. They loved each other 320 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:49.759 as friends, and he commented one time that he felt 321 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:52.200 like the issue wasn't with Jesus. The issue with was 322 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.440 what the people claimed to be following Jesus. Right, it 323 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:56.519 was hard to follow Jesus when I look at the 324 00:14:56.519 --> 00:14:59.360 people who follow Jesus. Yeah, and he was kind of 325 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:01.159 implying it. That's not the quote. I don't remember the 326 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:05.000 exact quote, but that's the sentiment behind what he had communicated. That, 327 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:08.960 you know, we do, I think, need to be conscious 328 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:12.120 of the fact that if we wear Jesus' name, we 329 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:15.919 represent him period, all the time, at our best moments 330 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:18.679 and our worst moments. So we need to make sure 331 00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:20.399 that we are putting our best foot forward with the 332 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:22.080 way that we're choosing to live our life, That we 333 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:25.279 do the things we say, that we behave the way 334 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:28.759 that Jesus would behave, That we don't make excuses for 335 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.360 our sins, that we keep a short account with the 336 00:15:31.399 --> 00:15:34.720 people that we are around, that we don't live a 337 00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:38.919 hypocritical life, because he says, it's no wonder the scriptures 338 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:41.120 say that the Gentiles blasphem the name of God. Because 339 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:43.679 of you. So even God's aware of the fact that 340 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:47.279 man sometimes they don't hate God, they hate the followers 341 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:48.919 of God, and they're like, I just don't even want 342 00:15:48.919 --> 00:15:51.200 to be like that. And I think that this is 343 00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:54.159 maybe the most important thing in this passage for me 344 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:57.159 today is to be contemplating the idea of does my 345 00:15:57.240 --> 00:16:00.279 life make people feel inspired to say, hey, he has 346 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:02.320 something I don't have. I want to know the God 347 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:04.879 he knows, or do they look at me and go 348 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:08.159 what he claims he has doesn't make any difference at all, 349 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:10.080 and he's a total fraud, and so I don't need 350 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:13.200 anything that he has. Right, That's really a big part 351 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:15.919 of it. Our testimony really does matter. I don't do 352 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:17.919 it to please people. I do it to please God. 353 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:21.000 But I'm aware of the impact on people with the 354 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:22.200 things that I live in my life. 355 00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:26.080 You know, I think it's important for any any of 356 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:29.200 our listeners to realize that, you know, if you know, 357 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.120 none of us are perfect, right, none of us are perfect. 358 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:33.399 But it's one thing to be an. 359 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:36.240 Imperfect Christian and to know it to walk around in 360 00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:39.120 humility and just say, hey, I'm not perfect. I know 361 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.720 I mess up. And then when you encourage others or 362 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:44.360 talk about others. You know, that's different than what's being 363 00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:47.759 talked about here. Right, what's being talked about here is hypocrisy, 364 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:51.080 saying do as I say, not as I do. Right, 365 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:55.639 Here's here's my thought. My thought was, I do I 366 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:58.799 do funerals, and I've done like over the course of 367 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:02.279 my career, like eight hundred few and so you know, 368 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.799 sometimes the funeral will call me, and they'll call me 369 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:08.880 because the family has some connection to church, so they 370 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:11.279 want a pastor to do a funeral, but they don't 371 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:14.400 have connection to church enough to have a specific pastor 372 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:16.839 to call. So the funeral will call me and say, hey, 373 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:20.079 they want some sort of faith based funeral, so I'll go. 374 00:17:20.119 --> 00:17:21.680 And I'm I kid you not when I say this, 375 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:24.680 This is just my personal observation, Like from my life. 376 00:17:25.240 --> 00:17:28.640 I would bet you upwards of eighty five to ninety 377 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:35.839 percent of people will say, yeah, I believe in God personally, 378 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:39.000 but none of us go to church. And I would 379 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:42.279 say that of that eighty five to ninety percent who 380 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:45.480 say that, I would say more than half of them. 381 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:48.720 So they stopped going to church because of hypocrites. 382 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:51.680 And so it's like, so we have to understand like 383 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:54.640 the damage that this causes. I think a lot of 384 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:57.160 times we're tempted to think that, hey, it's my choice, 385 00:17:57.240 --> 00:18:00.359 my life, you know, my decision. Don't tell me how 386 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:02.400 to live my life, you know, because everybody you know, 387 00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:05.480 don't don't get into my business. Faith should be private. 388 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:08.559 But yet the Bible tells us that faith is actually 389 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:12.039 not private. Faith is actually communal, right, and. 390 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.400 It's personal, it's between you and God, yes, but it's 391 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:14.880 not private. 392 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:16.480 No, it's not private at all, right. 393 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:19.440 And your decisions and the way that you live your 394 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:23.319 life matter because if you're going to you know, boast 395 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:26.319 about Christ and invite people to church, and you know 396 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:29.119 where your church gear on, your on your sweatshirt, and 397 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:31.079 you're going to do all those different things, and if 398 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.319 you're living a lifestyle that's entirely different, just know this. Hey, 399 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:37.359 I'm not condemning you because you're an imperfect person, but 400 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:40.279 you have to realize there is damage that is being 401 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:43.680