WEBVTT 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:36.080 The questions we wrestle with as Christians about who God is, how do we live out our faith, what is the Bible, what is the truth of the Bible, what are we supposed to believe? How are we supposed to live? There are really big, deep questions that we ask each other, that we ask God, that we wrestle with ourselves. And that's why the Cultivate podcast exists, to help us go deeper in our understanding of who God is, his word, and the way that he's called us to live. Hey, everyone. 00:00:36.080 --> 00:00:51.345 Welcome to the Cultivate Podcast with The Grove Church. I'm Charlie Loften. I'm the lead pastor there, and we are joined by the creative director, the podcast producer, the ever awesome, always one and only, no one like her 00:00:51.505 --> 00:00:52.305 Wow. 00:00:52.545 --> 00:00:56.225 DJ Bagel Boone. You got some Instagram for in you. Right? 00:00:58.130 --> 00:01:11.695 I think whenever we did that as a staff team, that's the first time I've gotten any, like, hint of it. But I don't really have the emotional spectrum that fours have. I think that because definitely have the creativity. I were to 00:01:11.695 --> 00:01:18.975 say there's absolutely no one like you, is that like, does that feel like the best compliment you can get? Because that's a very four thing. 00:01:19.215 --> 00:01:21.295 I just wouldn't believe you, but... 00:01:21.535 --> 00:01:24.980 Okay. Well, then you're probably not a four. A four would be like, finally. 00:01:24.980 --> 00:01:28.100 I'm a pretty tried and true seven. 00:01:28.260 --> 00:01:37.620 Okay. I'm like a... I don't want to... There's a part of me that's like, no, I want you to think that I'm normal. 00:01:38.345 --> 00:01:38.905 You? 00:01:38.905 --> 00:01:41.225 I want people to think I'm normal. Oh, sure. 00:01:41.625 --> 00:01:42.825 You don't have to be anything spectacular. 00:01:42.825 --> 00:01:45.945 I'm not trying to get you to think that I'm something extraordinary. 00:01:46.105 --> 00:01:48.585 I don't want people to think I'm fun and funny. 00:01:49.225 --> 00:02:00.350 My mom would say that growing up, it was my biggest ambition to... For people to not know that I'm smart, or to at least not be known as being smart. 00:02:00.350 --> 00:02:08.945 That's fair. My biggest, like, highest compliment would be if someone else told me, like, oh, I've heard of you. They say you're so funny. Like, I 00:02:09.585 --> 00:02:12.625 accept that. I'm with that. I some of that. 00:02:13.985 --> 00:02:15.025 So, one. 00:02:15.025 --> 00:02:17.665 Alright. Well, what? Guess what? Guess what? Guess what? 00:02:17.745 --> 00:02:18.465 One, last one? 00:02:18.465 --> 00:02:41.465 This is it. Not best one, definitely last one. It is. It's one of the ones, I mean, last week kind of was like, And this one is a little bit like, I'm reading Paul, I'm reading Paul, oh, I get this, I get this. And then James comes in and says, You say it's by faith alone, but me, you better do something. 00:02:41.465 --> 00:02:42.585 And you're like, Woah! 00:02:42.585 --> 00:02:45.625 That's a nice little smorgasbord of all of them. 00:02:45.625 --> 00:02:49.865 Well, it's like, James just feels like it doesn't fit in. 00:02:49.865 --> 00:02:50.505 Like, 00:02:50.985 --> 00:02:56.240 just last week. Hey, you can't get in here with your own clothes. 00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:56.800 Yeah. 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:13.495 Well, let's see what you still think about that. In Matthew chapter 25, starting in verse 31, When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. Okay. So are we are we good with the timeline here? Where we're at? 00:03:13.495 --> 00:03:24.215 Like, this is the... When I say apocalyptic, this is as apocalyptic as it is. This is definitely the end times. This the this is like the last the... This is final judgment time is where we're at. 00:03:24.990 --> 00:03:34.750 He's sitting on his throne, the angels are with him, all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 00:03:34.830 --> 00:03:44.305 Okay, that was going be my question. If this was like the dying part or entrance into the Heaven Stadium. 00:03:44.305 --> 00:04:11.515 Yeah. This is this is, you know, there there's some question really about, like, if you die right now, before all this happens, you're to sorted. You're going to have your own sort of kind of sorting ceremony. This feels like a big sorting ceremony that happens to the end to a large mass of people that all get in at once. And so, at the end of time... 00:04:11.755 --> 00:04:12.635 So you don't think we'll have 00:04:12.635 --> 00:04:28.180 to redo it? This seems to be tied, at least, it's a parable, so we've to be careful. It seems to be tied to, very And so the only way that this theoretically applies to everyone Is 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:29.300 that we're at that point. 00:04:29.780 --> 00:04:32.980 Or if, like, you've been in some sort of weird holding tank 00:04:33.380 --> 00:04:33.780 Sure. 00:04:33.780 --> 00:04:44.225 And now you're going to get judged. Or, hey, spoiler alert, you're good, so you're going to the good place, but we're to bring everybody out again one more One more time. 00:04:45.105 --> 00:05:03.590 Act like you haven't done it yet. Think you don't know. Some of them don't know. Have you ever heard of the Bema Seat, or Bema Seat, Yeah. Something like heard a sermon over it one time, and it gave me the picture of a stadium, and the Jumbotron is how you can see the people at the bottom when they're on the judgment. 00:05:04.875 --> 00:05:06.795 Yeah. Is this is kinda... And it gives those vibes to 00:05:06.795 --> 00:05:09.675 Mary This is that vibe. This is where we're at. This is where we're at. 00:05:09.755 --> 00:05:11.675 Not that that's theologically accurate, but... 00:05:11.675 --> 00:05:21.820 This is this should connect you to the the Bema Seat that is talked about in Revelation. You you should... Yeah. Yeah. This this is where we're at. 00:05:21.820 --> 00:05:27.820 Then the king will say to those on his right, and we're not confused that who the who the king is. 00:05:28.380 --> 00:05:29.900 Wait. Where are you? Oh, you're at the 34. 00:05:29.900 --> 00:05:36.025 Verse 34. Okay. As we've already said, it's the Son of Man. The Son of Man is now explicitly the King. Jesus is now explicitly the King. 00:05:36.425 --> 00:05:52.620 Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me in. I needed clothes, and you clothed me. 00:05:52.700 --> 00:06:10.335 I was sick, and you looked after me. I was in prison, and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you? 00:06:10.335 --> 00:06:32.750 The king will reply, truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Then he will say to those on his left, depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger, and you did not invite me in. 00:06:33.125 --> 00:06:57.000 I needed clothes, and you did not clothe me. I was sick and in prison, and you did not look after me. They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help you? He will reply, truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. 00:06:59.095 --> 00:07:02.135 So they don't say the word sheep and goat anywhere in there. 00:07:02.375 --> 00:07:03.175 It did. 00:07:03.175 --> 00:07:08.215 Weird. Okay. Yeah. Shepherd separates the sheep. So is the sheep the good people? 00:07:08.775 --> 00:07:11.575 The sheep are on the right, and the goats are on the left. 00:07:11.575 --> 00:07:11.815 Okay. 00:07:12.590 --> 00:07:15.230 So maybe that is part of where devil goat comes from? 00:07:15.710 --> 00:07:17.310 See, that They has confused 00:07:17.870 --> 00:07:20.590 got real red eyes. Goats are kind of scary. 00:07:20.590 --> 00:07:25.630 Horrifying. But, there's also the scapegoat, which is a good thing, right? 00:07:26.145 --> 00:07:29.665 A scapegoat is the one who has all the sin put on it. 00:07:30.065 --> 00:07:31.345 But you like that guy. 00:07:31.745 --> 00:07:39.185 Because he's taking He's all of your got all the sin on him. He's doing good for you, but he is not in and of himself good. 00:07:39.265 --> 00:07:42.980 Sure. Okay, that's fair. But this goat is bad. 00:07:43.380 --> 00:08:02.105 In this context, the goats are bad. The sheep are good, the goats are bad. Okay. There's a couple of things to point out here before we kind of get to the heart of it. One is, he describes hell as being prepared for the devil and his angels, which is really, really important in modern day hell mythology. 00:08:02.505 --> 00:08:05.945 Because we think of, and some of us got our doctrine of hell 00:08:05.945 --> 00:08:09.920 Specific mythology, from not theology. That's different. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:36.605 Yeah. So we think of hell, and a lot of us got this from cartoons, that the devil is kind of the caretaker down there, and the devil is getting people, and he's excited about it. He loves being in hell, and he loves when people come there, and he's kind of the caretaker. That is just not what hell is. Hell is a place that the Father created a long, long time ago as a place of final judgment for Satan. 00:08:36.605 --> 00:08:41.450 Satan is not there and is not happy about the fact that he's gonna end up there. 00:08:41.450 --> 00:08:42.010 Mhmm. 00:08:42.010 --> 00:08:53.610 It was... It is a bad place prepared for him. So he's there also going to end up going to because they have chosen the same path that Satan did, which is to reject God and follow their own path. 00:08:54.035 --> 00:08:55.875 And he's seemingly not there yet. 00:08:55.875 --> 00:09:07.795 He is not there yet. That is important. As we're thinking about what what what we think we know about hell and the most common myths about hell, that's not it. It's not it. Okay. 00:09:07.795 --> 00:09:25.715 So, the King has come. He's separating everybody into two categories, sheep and goats. And the difference between a sheep and a goat is what you did when you, quote, saw Jesus hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, or in prison? 00:09:25.715 --> 00:09:30.515 Naked. Naked. Sounds like my side of the family. Naked. Naked. 00:09:30.515 --> 00:09:40.970 It's handful one of of words I just can't desouthernize in my head. Naked? Could, sure I could. It's like, and whether or not you saw Jesus naked, and then it's like 00:09:41.130 --> 00:09:43.130 Whether you saw Jesus naked? 00:09:43.290 --> 00:09:49.210 Naked. Naked. Naked. It just doesn't feel right. 00:09:49.595 --> 00:10:01.035 Naked. It sounds like when my mom says, I I can't even say it the way she says it, but it's so shortened and a draw on it. 00:10:02.955 --> 00:10:09.180 Even want to say naked the right way. I just don't want That's to fair. It's not the words. Naked. 00:10:09.180 --> 00:10:13.020 So, we gonna discuss who these people are or who we think these people are? 00:10:13.100 --> 00:10:35.680 It seems to be everybody. At a particular point in history, it seems to be everybody. I'm going to start you with a very nuanced view. And that people are going to be like, Okay, he's not lost it, but it's like, It's not that I've lost it, but I'm going to lose you. Like, you're going to be like, Brody lost me. 00:10:36.240 --> 00:11:09.710 In a premillennial eschatology, which we have talked about, you know, it really confuses me. Okay. In that, there's going to be seven years of tribulation, and then after the seven years of tribulation, Jesus comes back and establishes a one thousand year reign on the earth. Okay? And at the end of that thousand year reign, after that, like during this time, Satan and his minions are temporarily bound. 00:11:09.710 --> 00:11:09.950 Mhmm. 00:11:10.525 --> 00:11:28.250 They are released at the end of the thousand. There is a huge fight, battle, which is called Armageddon. Mhmm. Jesus is gonna conquer the angel... Satan and all his demons are heading down to hell, and there will be a final judgment at the end of that. 00:11:29.690 --> 00:11:57.860 In that very nuanced eschatology, who is being judged here are the living people that live during this thousand year reign. If we die before that, we kinda, you know, it's very standard. I put my faith and trust in Jesus, and I go to heaven. I don't follow Jesus. I go to hell. 00:11:57.860 --> 00:12:08.875 During this thousand years where Jesus is literally a king on the earth, everyone, technically, is following Jesus. He's the 00:12:08.875 --> 00:12:10.155 king. But 00:12:12.155 --> 00:12:46.990 really, not everyone does. You're kind of He's the king, and so, sort of, but not really. And so, this is a way of describing and delineating the two groups of a very specific type of person. The people that will be with Jesus at that time, all supposedly followers, but not really sheep and goats. You were the authentic followers of me, and I know that because of how your heart changed, and how that heart manifests certain responses. 00:12:46.990 --> 00:13:17.670 I know that you guys are not genuine followers of mine, because you were really only giving lip service, and I know that because your heart did not change, and you did not react the way that you were supposed to. So, this is a way of determining who are my genuine followers versus people who are fake followers. That is the difference between a sheep and a goat. It is not the difference between someone who follows Jesus and someone who explicitly does not follow Jesus. Right. 00:13:17.990 --> 00:13:20.630 Yeah. It could be also the person. Yeah. 00:13:21.030 --> 00:13:47.430 Okay. And so, right now we die, and we're being judged on whether or not we are or are not a follower of Jesus, but there will come a time when sheeps and goats are judged based on whether or not they were actually followers of Jesus or only pretending to follow Jesus. Because in this story, it's like... And Jesus is like, you gotta go because you didn't feed me. And you're like, bro, you were like in Jerusalem on the throne. 00:13:47.510 --> 00:13:54.765 Like, when did we even... I never even saw you. Like, I was... I, like, I lived in Taiwan, and you were... Like, I never... 00:13:54.765 --> 00:14:05.005 Like, what are you what are you even on about? Mhmm. They're not like, you know, like, somebody right now, Jesus sitting on the throne, it's like, you never even fed me. Like, bro, I don't even know who you are. Right. 00:14:05.085 --> 00:14:21.630 He's not... The fact that he's not identifying himself Mhmm. Kind of points to some sort of different class of people that he's evaluating beyond just the world as a whole. 00:14:21.950 --> 00:14:22.590 Mhmm. 00:14:22.590 --> 00:14:23.710 Does that make sense? 00:14:23.710 --> 00:14:24.430 Kind of. 00:14:25.985 --> 00:14:29.665 Have a question do that you have a question you wanna ask to kinda clarify or wanna 00:14:29.665 --> 00:14:37.120 just keep talking? Saying Are least of these is the mass population or the people being judged is? 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:51.145 The people being judged are the mass population that live during this particular window. Yeah. And within the thousand year kingdom of Jesus, there are going to be people who still lack food, 00:14:51.705 --> 00:14:55.785 you know, harming. I see where you're at. Okay. That cleared it up. 00:14:55.865 --> 00:15:21.215 There going to be people like that, and Jesus, as the King, is going to want you to take care of the people who need help. And the way He's going to be able to determine whether or not you're pretending to be a follower or are really a follower is based on, do you have the heart change that allows you to be a compassionate person? Or are you a self focused person? 00:15:21.215 --> 00:15:33.550 Yeah. So two things. One, I've decided my main critique of end times theology is that there's too many camps. There's too many camps and nuances, so get out of here. 00:15:33.550 --> 00:15:39.150 But what did you think a couple of weeks ago at Sunday when we talked about... I mean, we showed a lot of camps like communion. 00:15:39.150 --> 00:15:39.710 I know. 00:15:39.870 --> 00:15:43.230 Communion's got more camps than than eschatology, I think. 00:15:43.470 --> 00:15:46.455 But easier to explain. But 00:15:46.695 --> 00:15:49.655 Is Jesus here? I got a piece of bread. Is Jesus here or not? 00:15:49.655 --> 00:15:55.895 Yeah. That's a lot more straightforward than, like, 10 different caveats in one story. 00:15:57.415 --> 00:16:00.215 So... But even even if even if that's not true 00:16:00.455 --> 00:16:00.695 Mhmm. 00:16:01.340 --> 00:16:36.340 It does seem to be a division amongst people who claim to follow Jesus. Yeah. It is not a division amongst people who follow Jesus and people who explicitly don't follow And so, it does not seem to be, which is why, again, this kind of falls into kind of more like a parable than a straightforward teaching. Because what he's saying is, here's how you're going to know whether or not you are really an authentic follower of mine or not. You're going to manifest these things. 00:16:36.660 --> 00:16:52.095 Again, which connects this thing to the teaching of James. Like, you are saved by grace through faith. Sure. But the the way that it will manifest itself is a is a compassionate heart. You will have compassion. 00:16:52.255 --> 00:17:04.620 What's probably great Start off to my next question that this is going to sound workspace, but how do you make sure you're the one that does take care of the least of 00:17:04.620 --> 00:17:23.035 you? This is it feel on its surface. It is very workspace. It feels workspace That the whole world is going to be determined by how compassionate they are to Which the is difficult because if it is, in fact fact, works based, 00:17:23.035 --> 00:17:23.355 then 00:17:25.370 --> 00:17:37.130 this is actually more confusing than helpful. Because have I ever fed someone who was hungry? Yes. Have I ever given someone water who was thirsty? Yes. 00:17:37.655 --> 00:17:47.655 Have I ever given clothes to somebody who needed them? Yes. Have I ever visited someone who was sick? Yes. Not everybody has done this, but I have. 00:17:47.735 --> 00:17:56.270 Have you ever visited someone in prison? Yes, I have. I have done all of those things at least once. I'm in. 00:17:56.270 --> 00:17:57.070 Does that quote? Yeah. 00:17:57.070 --> 00:18:09.135 Am I in? Have I chosen at time to not do those things? Yes. I don't have a perfect track record on doing those things. And so, is it one and done? 00:18:09.135 --> 00:18:23.840 You have to do one of each? Are there a lot of people out there that are really good people, but have never had occasion or thought to go visit somebody in prison, and they're going be like, Oh man, you came so close. Four out of five is not bad, but you've got to have better than a... That's 80%. That's a B. 00:18:23.840 --> 00:18:54.560 Well, see, it does also feel, I guess, confusing how narrow it is because some people could say, well, Jesus commanded to take care of the orphans, widows, and the poor. But you're like, well, there's just so much more than that. But that is things that he did specifically say, or that's specific like called out, but that doesn't mean that's the only things. And it's like, this kind of makes it feel like someone could narrow in and be like, well, these are the only actions. Right. 00:18:54.560 --> 00:19:20.810 It's like, that's kind of just one manuscript manifestation manifestation. Yeah. That was a tongue twister that it could be played out in. But like, I guess I've always wondered are the least of these My background that I come from tells me evangelism is to the lost. But is it also okay to just minister to those in need? 00:19:21.130 --> 00:19:23.370 Are those both the least of these? 00:19:23.530 --> 00:19:46.180 Yeah, which is really why this really fails as a works based a a a based story. Like, wow, Jesus... We thought it was by trusting Jesus, but really, everyone, whether they're Christian or not, is going to be judged based on this. It really fails because it does not encapsulate all of Jesus' teaching. 00:19:46.180 --> 00:19:46.660 Right. 00:19:46.660 --> 00:19:57.805 And it also does not lay the standard out. And so, at best, he is still talking about a heart. This is not you have done these things. 00:19:58.685 --> 00:20:00.125 But you're a person who does these things. 00:20:00.125 --> 00:20:09.910 This is who you are. Yeah. This is who you are. And how do I become such a person still is an unanswered question. Man, I hate people. 00:20:09.990 --> 00:20:40.330 They're the worst. They're terrible. I've probably actually killed quite a few of them. But if I can just, on a few occasions, do these five specific asks, then I've tricked Jesus into forcing me into letting me into heaven. Sure, I stole from people and killed a few people, but I also, you know, use use my wealth to set up these charities, and these charities did this thing. 00:20:40.890 --> 00:20:53.905 Beep, bop, boop. Sorry, had to take me in. And where and where does a where does a person who does not have the resources to do this? There's a third category of people. We've got sheep, we've got goats, and we've got the least of these who didn't have the ability to do it. 00:20:53.905 --> 00:20:58.305 Right. Well, they don't make it in. It's like, where were you, man? I was I was hungry. You didn't get many food. 00:20:58.305 --> 00:20:59.665 Like, bro, I didn't have any food. 00:20:59.665 --> 00:21:25.435 Well, I think it's also the difference in, like, it's not like we all got a playbook of tasks we have to finish before we die. It's more so, like, have you seen that study of they did? I can't believe they did this, but they did a house of teenage boys and a house of teenage girls and left them there for like a couple of weeks. And by the end of that, the guy's house was just like an absolute disaster and they had become like champions at some video game. Mhmm. 00:21:25.435 --> 00:21:50.665 And the girls had created like a system Mhmm. Of how to manage the house and who was in charge of what day for what different items. Not like somebody gave them a playbook, but they came back and observe what you did with your time right at the end of it. Yeah, and it just reveals what you naturally would do, right? And this isn't like, oh, we gave you a playbook of these are the you need to check these off before you It was like, well, you had this much time to live, let's just see what you did with it. 00:21:50.665 --> 00:22:02.560 Yeah. And what kind of heart do you have? And how does... The question you should answer, like... So it doesn't make sense as a straight workspace deal because it doesn't really give answers. 00:22:03.040 --> 00:22:44.375 I think even the people who want this to be workspace would say, really, no, it is a heart space thing that manifests itself in works. I don't think that you can say that he is now given some sort of works based loophole or whatever that tells you how to get into heaven. It's not that. Someone who's more of a plural can say, well, you can be a non Christian and still meet that standard of you're a good person who does this. But again, it's not people who do these things, it is a heart that is inclined to do these things. 00:22:44.935 --> 00:23:23.290 And so then that makes you ask the question, where does the heart come from? And again, I think even if we are not all pre millennialists, there is something to this idea that He really seems to only be talking about people who say that they follow Him. It does not seem to be a judgment between people who follow Jesus and people who don't follow Jesus. It is how do you weed out the pretenders from the regulars. Even if you're not premillennial, this does not seem to be the historical account of everyone in the world as being judged. 00:23:23.290 --> 00:23:29.690 It seems to be a narrow group that he is talking about here. People who say they follow me. 00:23:29.690 --> 00:23:31.290 It is honestly 10 times scarier. 00:23:31.745 --> 00:23:43.585 Oh, yeah. I mean, so, that there's a sense in which, okay, we know what happens to people who don't follow Jesus. They they don't follow the King, they don't believe in the King, they don't follow... Like, it's a... They're not in the kingdom over here. 00:23:44.080 --> 00:23:54.080 Now, people who say they are a part of the kingdom, there is a way in which we judge them. Sheep over here, goats over here, and I'll know the difference based on your heart. 00:23:58.105 --> 00:23:59.145 What's that for? 00:23:59.145 --> 00:24:14.960 So turning your phone on do not disturb Doesn't. Does not keep you from your weekday alarm that happens every Monday through Friday that reminds you, hey, wherever you are in Northwest Arkansas, think about what time it is and where you are, because you need to go pick up your daughter soon. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:16.880 Have you ever forgotten that? 00:24:19.760 --> 00:24:35.475 Ever. Ever. I'm sure ever. Especially when I didn't have this lump, I did forget to pick Lauren up from preschool once, twenty one years ago. Motorola didn't happen? 00:24:35.475 --> 00:24:38.435 That has happened. My little Palm Pilot. 00:24:38.435 --> 00:24:41.270 I loved my parents' Palm Pilot. Was 00:24:41.270 --> 00:24:46.550 A my Palm Pilot and a phone, and had a stylus, technology was never going to get any better. 00:24:46.550 --> 00:24:52.950 Because it had the stylus where I could draw whenever Oh, I was in a car rider mine wasn't colored. Was just the, 00:24:52.950 --> 00:24:55.910 like, You green can decide on your own. 00:24:55.910 --> 00:24:56.565 That's staying. 00:24:56.565 --> 00:24:57.925 If you want to keep this thing. 00:24:57.925 --> 00:25:00.965 That's staying because PalmPilot generation It's just is the only... 00:25:01.285 --> 00:25:04.085 Also that alarm was in there, and that was a little embarrassing for me. 00:25:04.085 --> 00:25:04.805 That's alright. 00:25:06.885 --> 00:25:16.230 Yeah. And so, this is, I think, is a parable for people who identify themselves as Christians. 00:25:16.230 --> 00:25:20.150 But to that, who would have probably been listening at the time, right? 00:25:20.150 --> 00:25:25.525 Yeah, we're down to Jesus is imminently about to be arrested. 00:25:25.765 --> 00:25:27.525 So a lot of the Jewish audience. 00:25:27.525 --> 00:25:32.325 So this this is this is a primarily talking to the insiders here. 00:25:32.325 --> 00:25:48.140 Okay. That's why I said it's scarier than... Because seemingly someone who doesn't believe it is not scared by our beliefs of end times. But someone who is on the side where they would say they believe it, that's terrifying to think that you're getting it wrong. 00:25:48.220 --> 00:26:06.925 No. I mean, I want to assuage that guilt that you feel or the fear that you have. I don't think it is meant to cause you fear. Right? I don't think it is, okay, well, according to this, I have to also be good enough. 00:26:07.080 --> 00:26:07.560 Mhmm. 00:26:07.560 --> 00:26:52.675 That's where fear comes in. But it's like, I know for certain that I'm not trying to get here on my own goodness, and I know that God has softened my heart, and I know that I'm the kind of person that behaves in such a way that there's no way I would have on my own done that, been that kind of person. Because I know in my heart I'm actually fairly selfish. I would never do that. I just remember this time, this was a summer, it would have to have been at least eight years ago, because we were here in this building, but we still had offices over there, and it was a really hot summer. 00:26:55.795 --> 00:27:05.810 There was a little bus stop right outside our office. I just decided I was going to buy a couple of those Styrofoam coolers. 00:27:05.810 --> 00:27:06.450 Oh, yeah? 00:27:06.450 --> 00:27:34.450 And put some things of water and some ice in them and just set them out there. I don't know, take one, take a bunch, just take the whole cooler. It would happen a different way, but there was just a couple of weeks there, I just felt compelled to do that. It was just kind of like, I don't know, I don't even know how to describe it. And I'm not sitting there telling you, and now you can know Charlie's a good person, because for one three to four week period, several summers ago, gave away a lot of water. 00:27:34.450 --> 00:28:07.770 Went to some effort to give away bottles of water. I mean, there's lots of things that I could say that are like that, but it's just like, there's no That's not me. And I've got a bunch of weird stories about helping people who are experiencing homelessness that needed a ride or needed something like that, where God just is clearly orchestrating these kinds of situations. It's in my head, God clearly put them in front of me in this moment, and I know I need to do something about it. I'm not thinking, I'm going to do something about that because I'm a good person. 00:28:08.005 --> 00:28:36.010 I'm going to do something about that because I have this great, deep compassion. And I was like, I see that, and the God voice in me says, That's for you to do. And I respond to it, not because I think I'm some great person, or I have some huge compassion for the needy, but because God has changed me and told me, I broke it. This one's yours. I can't meet every need I ever see forever. 00:28:36.010 --> 00:28:51.155 But there are a few that I think that are very obvious that God puts in front of me and says, This one is yours. And one of the ways I can know that I'm a sheep rather than a goat is when He puts those in front of me. Yeah, okay. 00:28:51.475 --> 00:28:56.210 Mhmm. Okay. Yeah. Your heart is softened to the point that it would 00:28:56.370 --> 00:28:59.730 Because he's done something in me. 00:28:59.730 --> 00:29:00.290 Mhmm. 00:29:00.290 --> 00:29:15.725 So I think it is not meant to... I don't think it is meant to make you be afraid. Mhmm. I think it is making you stop and evaluate. What has God done to me? 00:29:16.605 --> 00:29:45.285 He has made me a more compassionate person. He has made me someone who behaves in ways that are different than just your standard selfishness. I still got a little bit of that in me. I still like sitting in an intersection and somebody's sitting there and asking, I don't wanna draw eye contact. I'm still not great, but I do recognize that God has remade my heart. 00:29:45.365 --> 00:29:55.840 And I know from the rest of Jesus' teaching and from the rest of the New Testament that that is something that only God can do. Mhmm. It is not something that is manufactured. 00:29:55.920 --> 00:30:02.720 Yeah. Well, I guess it takes us back to the parable right before talking about He also clothes you. 00:30:03.295 --> 00:30:03.695 Mhmm. 00:30:03.695 --> 00:30:11.535 Clothes you, not closes. Right. Not just you're you're invited and that you gotta make your own way. 00:30:12.175 --> 00:30:19.250 So are you really leaving in the... That my phone alarm went off? Really Okay. Leaving that Well, then we can say for certain here right now 00:30:19.410 --> 00:30:20.130 You gotta go. 00:30:20.210 --> 00:30:22.290 That I gotta go. We're gonna have to call it. 00:30:22.290 --> 00:30:22.770 That's fair. 00:30:22.770 --> 00:30:26.610 We're gonna have to call it. So, again, we did it. 00:30:27.090 --> 00:30:28.930 I know. We did it. But 00:30:29.170 --> 00:30:31.250 We're gonna wrap it up. We're gonna 00:30:31.250 --> 00:30:33.905 do a wrap. Do call it? Wrapisode? Wrapisode, yeah. 00:30:33.905 --> 00:30:44.545 We're gonna wrap it up, and then it's your time. And I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I want to frame it. Because I know you probably want more, not less weeks. 00:30:44.545 --> 00:30:44.945 I do. 00:30:45.760 --> 00:31:07.965 So, I'm still trying to think. There's a lot of different ways to frame it, but there are so many different kinds of things that I want to cover. Like, I absolutely want to spend some time talking about that panel of sorts that Luther and I Swainly definitely want to talk about that. I've got to talk about my boy Constantine. But anyways, that's what's coming. 00:31:08.125 --> 00:31:08.525 That, we're 00:31:08.525 --> 00:31:15.750 going wrap be it up. First time ever that I send you things that I want to make sure we cover in a series, rather than me just receiving. 00:31:15.750 --> 00:31:20.070 Said anything that I want to make sure we... Was it a Irenaeus? I gotta make sure we cover Irenaeus. 00:31:20.070 --> 00:31:20.790 I love that guy. 00:31:20.790 --> 00:31:37.285 The only person in my life, I think, has ever texted me the name Irenaeus. That's who Boone is, guys. And thank you, as always, for being an excellent cohost, and thank you for joining us. And we'll see you next time. Thank you for listening to the Cultivate Podcast. 00:31:37.285 --> 00:31:54.640 Our hope is that you are taking steps to go deeper in your faith, that you are asking big questions, and you're looking for answers. We hope that we can be a resource for you through our podcast and any other way that we can help you. You can find all our episodes anywhere that you can find podcasts, including YouTube. And again, thank you so much for joining us.