WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:13.160 practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible Guys. 4 00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:14.679 It's good to be here. Chris. 5 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:19.600 Yeah, my name is Chris, This is Jeff. We are 6 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:22.879 the Bible Guys, and we're thanking you for tuning in today. Man. 7 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:26.039 So if you're a new listener with us today, you're 8 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:26.760 in for a treat. 9 00:00:26.920 --> 00:00:27.199 Yes. 10 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:30.359 For our longtime listeners, you know how committed we are 11 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:34.960 to bringing only the finest news from the best resources. 12 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:37.600 And so we scour the Internet and we keep coming 13 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:39.799 back to the same source, and that is the Babylon b. 14 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:41.799 It's the only thing you can trust in the whold Internet. 15 00:00:41.880 --> 00:00:43.600 Yeah. Well, with all the news today, is probably the 16 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:44.399 most reliable, right. 17 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:46.079 So, if you don't know, the Babylon b is a 18 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:51.759 satire website, but we think it's the most trustful, trustworthy resource. 19 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:54.000 So here's the title for today. This is just a 20 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:57.880 special interest about celebs. People like celebrity guys. Sure, so 21 00:00:58.200 --> 00:01:01.920 here you go, Jeff Bezos. Is we funded by your 22 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:03.399 wife's Amazon purchases? 23 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:04.599 Ain't that the truth? 24 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:08.840 Tucson, Arizona local man Jeremy Briggs sadly discovered this week 25 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:12.560 that his wife's Amazon purchases single handedly funded billionaire Jeff 26 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:17.599 Bezos's elaborate Italian wedding. I wasn't surprised, just disappointed, said Briggs. 27 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:18.159 Man. 28 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:22.400 That wedding sure looks nice. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez 29 00:01:22.439 --> 00:01:25.480 wed this week in lavish Italian ceremony attended by political 30 00:01:25.560 --> 00:01:30.599 and Hollywood royalty. Guests included Oprah Winfrey, Evanka Trump, Leonardo DiCaprio, 31 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:33.439 and Usher. Jeremy Briggs said he was a little offended 32 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:35.920 not to receive an invitation. I know it was our 33 00:01:35.959 --> 00:01:38.879 money that pretty much funded that entire thing, he told reporters. 34 00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:41.439 We have Amazon packages shown up every single day at 35 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:44.359 our house. Yesterday I saw Laura had ordered two hundred 36 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:47.040 dollars worth of light bulbs, just quote so we don't 37 00:01:47.079 --> 00:01:50.040 run out. That probably paid for a few of the napkins. 38 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:52.640 At publishing time, fifteen new packages had appeared on the 39 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:54.760 Briggs front porch, none of which included a thank you 40 00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:57.120 note from Bezos. Much to Jeremy Briggs dismay. 41 00:01:57.239 --> 00:01:59.159 Dismay, that is so funny. 42 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:01.120 So have you thought about that? I wonder how much 43 00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:03.079 of the wedding you your family fund. 44 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:05.599 Oh my word, are you kidding me? I'm telling you 45 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:09.560 what we we should we should be We should own 46 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:12.280 stock and Amazon, which by the way, might be a 47 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:15.280 good thing. I should I should look into that. But 48 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:18.599 but yeah, it's just terrible how we we We probably 49 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:24.960 get without exaggeration, seriously, I bet you. But by the way, 50 00:02:25.240 --> 00:02:27.039 let me just say this because I know my wife's lessening. 51 00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:28.599 I'm anticipating her reaction. 52 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:30.759 Speak. 53 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:37.080 Yeah, she doesn't order extravagant things. She orders like paper towels, right, 54 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:40.439 because it's cheaper. And she orders like you know, uh, 55 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:43.800 you know, just basic items. Uh. But but she'll she'll 56 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:46.280 do that if it's cheaper, right, and she gets the 57 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:48.159 free delivery and all that, just like most of us do. 58 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:50.960 And uh and so yeah, it's it's not as if 59 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:54.719 she extravagantly spends. She doesn't. She just does most of 60 00:02:54.759 --> 00:02:58.560 it through swipe. So so I would say, without exaggeration, 61 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:01.759 we get three packages is a day? Well, yeah, what. 62 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:06.599 Do you guys get, oh, between my family, Yeah, probably 63 00:03:06.599 --> 00:03:09.280 a package a day? Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 64 00:03:09.319 --> 00:03:13.280 although lately it seems like they're just rolling in Yeah. 65 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:15.080 So I just looked it up and it says that 66 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:17.639 the wedding costs somewhere between forty six and a half 67 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:20.560 and fifty five and a half million dollars. Oh yeah, 68 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:23.039 for the wedding. So you got at least be about 69 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:23.520 a third of that. 70 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:23.919 Yeah. 71 00:03:24.360 --> 00:03:28.400 I don't think we faced over your family's entire Amazon career. 72 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:32.400 Uh no, I don't know, so, but yeah, I mean, well, 73 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:34.759 come on, I mean, the average person only earns a 74 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:36.000 million dollars in their lifetime. 75 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:38.400 Yeah, well so I know. But you're a preacher. 76 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:42.919 That's oh yeah, yeah, yeah, so you find this hanky. 77 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:45.479 I thought I thought it was funny you talked about 78 00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:47.840 money a few weeks ago when I was out right 79 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.759 as you wrapped up yeah with with Wesley, Yeah, with Wesley, 80 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:54.080 as you wrapped with the book on Malachi, trying to 81 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:55.599 me to tell you there's a lot of Christians on 82 00:03:55.639 --> 00:03:58.360 the internet who hate tithing. Man, they hate it. They're 83 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:00.800 so mad at you about that one. It's hysterical. 84 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:01.560 Yeah. 85 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:05.240 So money is uh, God's not against your money. God's 86 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:08.280 just against the when we let money get a hold 87 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:11.120 of us, right right, And uh, it's so funny, man, 88 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:14.000 I mean so funny. To be honest, there's a part 89 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:16.160 they accused you of being rich, that you're just you're 90 00:04:16.199 --> 00:04:20.000 just in this to make it, make money. Sure, sure, yeah, right, yeah, 91 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:22.600 come look at come look at everything I own? Right, Well, 92 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:23.759 I think it's the new Porsch. 93 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:30.079 You're driving people, right, extravagant Italy vacations, Italian vacations. But 94 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:34.560 I will say this, I will say, uh, I understand 95 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:38.839 how people can be jaded or burnt in the past, right, 96 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:41.439 but that's not but that, But that's no reason to 97 00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:45.519 there's no reason to accuse somebody that you don't really know, right, 98 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:47.480 you know what I mean. So it's like it's like, yeah, 99 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:49.680 we've all seen like you know, I mean, didn't Jimmy 100 00:04:49.720 --> 00:04:51.480 Swagger just pass away yesterday? 101 00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:52.199 Sure? 102 00:04:52.360 --> 00:04:54.439 Right, And so it's like we all, you know, for 103 00:04:54.439 --> 00:04:56.439 those of us who are our age, remember the eighties, 104 00:04:56.920 --> 00:05:00.439 we remember the scandals, right, So so it's like that's 105 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:03.720 all that guy will mostly be known for across the world, 106 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:06.279 you know, poor guy, right, even though he did a 107 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:10.240 lot of good. And so I definitely think, I definitely 108 00:05:10.279 --> 00:05:12.639 think people have a right to be jaded or to 109 00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:16.560 be you know, when somebody talks about money, who's a preacher, like, 110 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:19.639 there's a guardedness that I do understand. Actually, so I'm 111 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.600 giving them grace, right, But if you don't know me personally, 112 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:26.759 and you don't know heritage, then keep your comments to yourself. 113 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:28.639 That's so funny. Well, if you want to give any 114 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:33.680 more thoughts about Chris is just recent messages, just Chris 115 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:35.079 at the Bible guys dot com. 116 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:38.560 I mean, isn't by the way, isn't that? Isn't that 117 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:41.800 just the same as like profiling somebody absolutely who's a 118 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:44.759 different race, who walks into your store as a store owner, right, 119 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:48.040 and you're like, hey, if somebody else in your race 120 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:51.680 behaves badly, I'm gonna assume you're gonna behave badly. So 121 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:56.839 that's that's called profiling. Right, So it's religious preacher profiling. 122 00:05:57.120 --> 00:05:59.879 So you could get up and question the virgin birth. 123 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:02.839 Probably get fewer people angry at you online than you 124 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:05.759 talking about time. Oh that's probably good, right, that's it. 125 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:08.439 So it's it's people's favorite thing to be mad about 126 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:10.000 his money. He isn't mad about money. 127 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.360 Well, they you know what they say. People are funny 128 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:11.600 about it. 129 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:13.399 It just you know, it just shows where your heart is. 130 00:06:13.720 --> 00:06:15.680 Let's just say that's why Jesus went after it all 131 00:06:15.720 --> 00:06:20.040 the time. So anyways, uh hey Matthew thirteen one through 132 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:21.920 twenty three talking about Jesus going after it. 133 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:28.399 Yeah, Jesus went after it with the parable of the shower. Yeah, 134 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:29.639 that is going after it. 135 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:31.560 But Jesus said, whoever has ears. 136 00:06:31.639 --> 00:06:35.639 We're talking about seeds and soil and ears. He went 137 00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:35.959 for it. 138 00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:39.120 Yeah, that's right, he said, I used to see and 139 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:39.839 ears to hear it. 140 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:42.199 Yeah he did, he did. That's so funny. 141 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:46.000 Okay. So in Matthew chapter thirteen one through twenty three, 142 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:50.279 it says this. Later that same day, Jesus left the 143 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:52.319 house and sat beside the lake, and a large crowd 144 00:06:52.360 --> 00:06:54.319 soon gathered around him. So he got into a boat. 145 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:56.759 Then he sat there and taught as the people stood 146 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:58.720 on the shore. He told many stories in the form 147 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.759 of parables, such as this one. Listen, a farmer went 148 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.120 out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across 149 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:06.319 the fields, some seeds fell on a footpath and the 150 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:09.079 birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow 151 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:12.600 soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the 152 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:15.079 soil was shallow, but the plants soon wilted under the 153 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:17.639 hot sun, and since they didn't have deep roots, they died. 154 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:20.920 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked 155 00:07:20.920 --> 00:07:24.079 out the tender plants. Still, other seeds fell on fertile soil, 156 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:26.920 and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, even 157 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:29.600 a hundred times as much as had been planted. Anyone 158 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:33.199 with ears to hear should listen and understand. His disciples 159 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:34.800 came and asked him, wy do you use parables when 160 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:37.120 you talk to the people. He replied, you are permitted 161 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:39.000 to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but 162 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:41.480 others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, 163 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:43.439 more understanding you will be given, and they'll have an 164 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.079 abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, 165 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:48.240 even what little understanding they have will be taken away 166 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:51.000 from them. That is why I use these parables, For 167 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:53.040 they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but 168 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:56.120 they don't really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy 169 00:07:56.120 --> 00:07:58.600 of Isaiah that says, when you hear what I say, 170 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:03.319 you will understand. When you see what I do, you 171 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:07.800 will not comprehend. For the ears of these people are hardened, 172 00:08:07.800 --> 00:08:10.360 and their ears cannot hear. They have closed their eyes, 173 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:12.800 so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, 174 00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:14.800 and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to 175 00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:18.560 me and let me heal them. But blessed are your eyes, 176 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:23.160 because you see your ears because they hear. I tell 177 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:25.360 you the truth. Many prophets and righteous people long to 178 00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:27.800 see what you see, but they didn't see it. And 179 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:29.360 they long to hear what you hear, but they didn't 180 00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:31.839 hear it. Now listen to the explanation of the parable 181 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:34.120 about the farmer planting seeds. The seed that fell on 182 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:36.279 the footpath represents those who hear the message about the 183 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:39.159 kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes 184 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:41.159 and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 185 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:43.960 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear 186 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:46.399 the message and immediately receive it with joy, But since 187 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:48.600 they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They 188 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:51.000 fall away as soon as they have problems or are 189 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:54.840 persecuted for believing God's word. The seed that fell among 190 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:57.360 the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all 191 00:08:57.399 --> 00:08:59.399 too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries 192 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:01.600 of this life, the lure of wealth, so no fruit 193 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:04.320 is produced, and the seed that fell on good soil 194 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:07.759 represents those who truly here and understand God's word and 195 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:10.600 produce a harvest of thirty sixty or even one hundred 196 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:14.320 times as much as had been planted. There you go, 197 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:16.279 explained it, he did. 198 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:19.480 And so if Jesus had a podcast, what would he do? 199 00:09:19.559 --> 00:09:24.320 He would probably talk about his most famous sayings and 200 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.360 famous teachings, and this certainly ranks among them. 201 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:29.799 Sure right, let me tell you about a farmer. 202 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:33.279 Yes, yeah, the Kingdom of Heaven is like yep, that's 203 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:37.000 often the way it starts, right, And in this particular case, 204 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:40.720 we are given the privilege of hearing the explanation because 205 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:43.679 a lot of times he'll give a parable and then 206 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:45.960 you know, you're you know, you're like, I can understand 207 00:09:45.960 --> 00:09:48.120 that well, or sometimes you're like, I think it means this. 208 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:51.639 I'm pretty certain it means this, And that's why Jesus 209 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:55.360 has this unbelievable saying. He has ears to hear let 210 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:58.679 him hear. So you know, sometimes you have to pray, Okay, God, 211 00:09:58.720 --> 00:09:59.919 what do you mean? And you know it's so cool. 212 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:03.759 God's word is. Sometimes God will just even even when 213 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:05.919 you're reading in your quiet time and your devotion time, 214 00:10:06.279 --> 00:10:09.039 sometimes the Holy Spirit will just whisper and say, this 215 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:11.720 is how this means. This is what this means to you, right, 216 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:15.039 and and we have to determine whether or not that's God. 217 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.000 But that's a whole nother sermon altogether. But when we 218 00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:21.159 when we hear from God and we determined God, that 219 00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:23.279 was the Holy Spirit's voice, and it was it was 220 00:10:23.399 --> 00:10:26.799 in line with what God's word says. Uh, it's It's 221 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:28.399 some of the most beautiful moments, isn't that? Yeah? 222 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:29.000 Absolutely? 223 00:10:29.080 --> 00:10:29.360 Yeah. 224 00:10:29.399 --> 00:10:32.080 And then you know, I always I used to have 225 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:35.559 young people, especially I had a young adult guy one 226 00:10:35.559 --> 00:10:37.480 time when I was running a college ministry back in 227 00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:42.120 the day, who had this distinctly mystical view of Christianity, 228 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:45.240 like he was just waiting for that miraculous moment when 229 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:47.080 an angel would stand at the foot of his bed 230 00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:48.600 and tell him what he's supposed to do with his life. 231 00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:52.519 And I said, and he's like, I just want God 232 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:55.159 to talk to me. I want him to speak to me. 233 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:57.879 And I couldn't understand what he was saying. And then 234 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:00.399 finally He says, Jeff, what I'm saying is I want 235 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:02.080 God to speak to me like he speaks to you. 236 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:06.600 And I said, oh, well, you've got to qualify for it. 237 00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:08.879 He goes, what do you mean, I saill you you 238 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:10.600 have to be as good of a Christian as I am. 239 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:12.960 He's like, that's what I want. I'm like, dude, that's 240 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:14.840 not how it works. He so, what do you mean? 241 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:18.120 And I said, God already miraculously spoke to you in 242 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:20.159 this book, right here in this book. So if you 243 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:22.399 can't figure it all out, just go to Matthew twenty two. 244 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:24.399 Jesus said, love God with all your heart, soul, mind 245 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:27.080 and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Start there. 246 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:31.360 He clearly spoke on those two things. So today everything 247 00:11:31.399 --> 00:11:33.639 you do just do for love, out of love for 248 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:36.720 other people and for good Do that. That's it. It 249 00:11:36.759 --> 00:11:38.879 doesn't have to be some mystical thing that you're waiting 250 00:11:38.919 --> 00:11:41.720 to hear, right, it's just And so Jesus is saying, 251 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:43.840 either you hear these words of mine or you don't. 252 00:11:44.039 --> 00:11:46.519 And his words are pretty plain most of the time. 253 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:49.799 Love God, love people kind of stuff, and then don't 254 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.399 hang out with the religious people who are always judging 255 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:55.679 everybody else but not living that same lifestyle themselves, right 256 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:56.960 that they're trying to earn their way to heave it 257 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:00.399 and said, it's a great thing. He unpacks thos. In 258 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:04.480 this situation, he's telling a story that's not super clear 259 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:08.399 to the listeners unless they've been listening. And that's why 260 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:10.240 he says, so, if you've been listening to me, you 261 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:12.200 totally get what I'm talking about. And here's the reason 262 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:14.440 why he's always talked in metaphors. So he you know, 263 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:17.200 yesterday we talked about how he says, Hey, the Kingdom 264 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:19.559 of Heaven is kind of like a shepherd who loses 265 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:23.000 the sheep, and people go, oh, yeah, the shepherd's always God, right, 266 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:24.919 So the main character is almost always God, and then 267 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:27.360 the sheep is God's mission and that's the one that 268 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:29.279 he loves or whatever. The Kingdom of Heaven is like 269 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:31.600 a woman who loses a coin. Oh okay, so God 270 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.519 probably is the one and where the one that's lost 271 00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:38.080 and she goes and looks right. The Kingdom Heaven is 272 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:41.039 like a man who has a son and his son 273 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:43.320 runs away from him and he loves him so much. 274 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:45.720 When his son finally comes home, then he runs out 275 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:47.799 to him and brings him back into the family. Okay, 276 00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:51.559 that father is our father, and I'm probably that son. 277 00:12:51.720 --> 00:12:54.279 So people who've been listening to Jesus can hear Jesus 278 00:12:54.360 --> 00:12:57.440 tell this story too, right, right? But if you haven't 279 00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:00.159 been paying attention, and you're just showing up because he 280 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:04.000 keeps making lunch out of us, out of happy meals, 281 00:13:04.679 --> 00:13:07.720 and just because he touches people and heals them, if 282 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:09.519 that's all you're showing up for, you're just there for 283 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:12.600 the benefits of what he might give to you. He said, 284 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:14.399 you're probably not gonna be able to hear me. And 285 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:16.799 so this is that he has because people always ask 286 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:18.240 all the time, what does he mean? He has? Years 287 00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:20.639 of here. If you've been paying attention, you're going to 288 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:22.639 understand this one too, That's what he's saying. But then 289 00:13:22.679 --> 00:13:26.240 even as disciples go, how come you always talking parables? 290 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:30.159 Right? Right? Just tell us plainly right? Why does that 291 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:31.240 have to be complicated? Come on? 292 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:31.600 Man? 293 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:32.000 Yeah? 294 00:13:32.120 --> 00:13:34.399 Okay, So he sits down and he says, let me, 295 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:37.720 let me explain to you, and he basically unpacks it 296 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:39.559 that you know, when he when he starts off with 297 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:44.919 the the the farmer who's the farmer? Then, guys, remember 298 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.919 how this works? So who's the always the key figure 299 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:51.080 in all of my stories. It's God, the father, He's 300 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:53.480 the farmer, and now he's throwing seed around. What do 301 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:54.960 you think the seed might be? Oh, it might be 302 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:57.679 the gospel, right, the good news, you know, the whole 303 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:01.120 mission we're on. I think it's so funny. It's not 304 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:03.600 that hard to understand. If these guys had listened to 305 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:05.600 any of jesus other stories, they should be able to 306 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:07.759 figure this one out too. His stories are the same 307 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:10.759 every time, they're the same, and so the seed is 308 00:14:10.759 --> 00:14:11.720 going to be the mission we're on. 309 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:13.919 The hardest part is to figure out what do the 310 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:16.399 path and the rock means? Right? Like that that might 311 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:22.559 be like, oh what does that represent? Right? But definitely soil, seed, farmer? Right? 312 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:25.480 Yeah, plants they grow up, plans it disappeared. And what 313 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:28.120 do you think a crow would represent? Crows always represent 314 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:32.759 bad news, they always represent right. It's not that it's 315 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:33.720 not rocket science. 316 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:35.840 And and and it's easy to figure out the last 317 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:38.000 one because the good soil produces a bunch of fruit. Yeah, 318 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:38.960 well so that's easy. 319 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:42.200 Well, so as soon as you realize the whole the 320 00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:44.320 celebrated part of the story is the good soil. Then 321 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:46.399 you realize all the bad ones are. Hey, there's lots 322 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:48.279 of people who never put down roots. There's lots of 323 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:51.559 people who never produce anything. The goal is production. So 324 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:55.879 the father plants to seed. If you're one who puts 325 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:59.600 down roots, the whole goal for you is to produce. 326 00:15:00.039 --> 00:15:02.440 That's it. For the for for the farmer, that's the 327 00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:05.279 whole goal. It's it's it's hysterical to me that they 328 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:08.080 struggle with it, but I get it so also tired. 329 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:11.559 I remember, I remember one time I did a study 330 00:15:12.120 --> 00:15:16.000 on what these are called in the Bible. So this 331 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:18.360 and I have the NIV version right here, and it 332 00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:20.639 says that it calls it the parable of the sower. 333 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:21.919 What does yours say? 334 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:24.000 The parable of the four soils? 335 00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:26.919 Right? So the parable of the four soils? And then uh, 336 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.480 and then there's like there's a there's all these different 337 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:34.039 types of labels based on the versions of the Bible, right, 338 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:36.720 but but it's you know, most of them, most of them, 339 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:41.399 the majority of them actually focus on the sower. Right there, 340 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:44.320 there's also like the parable of the sower and the seed, right, 341 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:48.840 but the actual heading that yours is the parable of 342 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:51.840 the soil. That's actually more accurate. Right. The reason why 343 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:56.360 it's more accurate is because it's it's actually all about 344 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:59.240 the condition of the soil. Right. So it's like it's 345 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:01.320 like we have to have hearts that are ready to receive, 346 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:03.759 you know, God's word. And so the point of the 347 00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:07.039 story is to be you know, in a position to 348 00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:10.000 receive God's word and and uh and to you know, 349 00:16:10.039 --> 00:16:12.080 to let it grow in our lives. So the point 350 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:14.639 is the soil is your is your heart like the 351 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:18.759 condition of a hardened path right where it's not tender, 352 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:23.080 right where the where the ground is like fallow right, 353 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:27.000 or is your heart like a you know, uh, thorny 354 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:29.320 And it's it's not it's not rid of all of 355 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.039 the garbage that you have to clear out in order 356 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:34.320 to grow fruit. You know. It's like there's there's all 357 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:37.399 these different kinds of conditions of the heart. But that's 358 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:39.559 really what it's about. So I think that the heading 359 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:41.519 the parable of the four soils that you have is 360 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:42.440 actually the most accurate. 361 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:45.600 Yeah, and then the whole the whole goal is to 362 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:49.440 produce a harvest, right, right, That's why he was planting 363 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:52.519 the seed the reason the gospel came to you. So 364 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:55.200 if the seed represents a gospel, and if you are 365 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:59.399 one who the roots of the gospel grew deep, and 366 00:16:59.399 --> 00:17:02.200 now you're growing up as a follower of Jesus. The 367 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:06.279 goal of God for you is that you produce fruit. 368 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:09.640 Jesus said, herein is my Father glorified that you produce 369 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:12.599 much fruit. That's what he says. He says, I'm the 370 00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:15.359 vine and you are the branches. So does the vine 371 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:19.000 produce the fruit? No, the branches produced the fruit. R Right, 372 00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:21.200 he says. Apart from me, you can do nothing. The 373 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:23.599 reason why we need Jesus in our life isn't just 374 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:26.359 to make all our wildest dreams come true. Now he 375 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:28.640 does answer prayers, he does do the things. But man, 376 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:32.200 if your primary motion motivation in your faith is to 377 00:17:32.279 --> 00:17:34.000 just have Jesus answer all your prayers and be your 378 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:36.160 good luck charm, I think you're always going to be 379 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:41.000 frustrated in your life because Jesus said, a double minded 380 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:42.759 man and is unstable in all his ways. Well, it's 381 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:44.160 the Book of James says a double minded man is 382 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:46.920 unstable in all these ways. If we're looking at man, 383 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:50.720 my goal is faith is important to me. But faith 384 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:52.920 is important to me because I believe faith is the 385 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:55.759 source of me getting everything I want. Now, all of 386 00:17:55.799 --> 00:17:57.960 a sudden, you have your eyes on the world, trying 387 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:01.119 to use your faith to give you the world right, 388 00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:04.000 rather than God saying, let me use you in the 389 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:07.160 world right. And we're in the world but not of it. 390 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:10.119 And so a lot of Christians live with this tension 391 00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:14.839 and frustration, like sometimes their faith isn't fulfilling, or they 392 00:18:14.839 --> 00:18:17.680 feel like God doesn't answer their prayers or whatever. But 393 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:20.240 when we begin to realize, okay, God's goal is for 394 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:22.759 us to bear fruit. The fruit of the righteous is 395 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:24.680 a tree of life. He that win his souls is wives. 396 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.279 One of the fruits that we're supposed to be producing 397 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:30.160 is new believers. New we're supposed to be disciple makers. 398 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:32.920 We're supposed to make new disciples. This the last command 399 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:35.440 Jesus gives. And then the fruit of the spirit, love 400 00:18:35.480 --> 00:18:39.400 and joy and peace and gentleness, kindness, you know, And 401 00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:43.200