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 --> 00:00:05.280 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 --> 00:00:25.519 some of our greatest hits. 11 00:00:26.039 --> 00:00:30.160 Well, today, Paul's gonna hear some music really bad boys, 12 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:32.079 bad boys that you're gonna do. 13 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:35.079 Yeah, but he's getting arrested. The prophecy came and told 14 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:38.359 him he's gonna get arrested. Yes, that's what happened, slamming. 15 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:39.640 He gets arrested. 16 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:40.359 Slamming in the slammer. 17 00:00:40.439 --> 00:00:42.560 So he's Chris and I'm Jeff and we're the Bible guys. 18 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:56.079 All right, Jeff, Well, today we're going to do the 19 00:00:56.119 --> 00:00:56.920 Whisper Challenge. 20 00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:58.240 Oh yeah, this is a fun one. 21 00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:00.439 Yeah, And Wesley West and I did this last week 22 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:02.520 when you were out of town, and uh, we actually 23 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:03.359 did pretty decent. 24 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:05.840 Yeah, yeah, you guys nailed it. I'm terrible at this one. 25 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:08.000 Well I am actually most of the time. 26 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:10.840 Yeah yeah, So you guys did a good job on it. Yeah, 27 00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:13.359 well you pulled one out. Man, that was a tough one. 28 00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:15.480 If people miss it, you go back and watch it. Yes, yeah, 29 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:16.879 you did a good job. All right, I'm gonna put 30 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:17.120 these on. 31 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:17.959 Yes, you're putting. 32 00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:18.920 It's gonna be loud music. 33 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:19.959 It's definitely gonna be loud. 34 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:21.840 Okay, sorry, it's not Taylor Swift, is it? 35 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:24.159 No, it is any grammar. 36 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:30.280 Here we go, ready, yep, okay, okay, here we. 37 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:35.239 Go ready, all right? Forescore in seven years ago? 38 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:37.719 Oh I got that one. Four score and seven years ago? 39 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:38.599 Yeah you got it? 40 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:41.640 Yeah wow yeah yeah Abraham Lincoln. 41 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:43.879 Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. So too famous of a quote? 42 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:47.040 Four score? Is there? There is no other? You know, 43 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:49.319 because I'm just watching your mouth. Yeah yeah, so for 44 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:50.719 who else said four score? 45 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:53.239 Right, that's true, that's true. All right. 46 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:56.280 If I'd messed it up and thought four square, maybe 47 00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:58.599 you're maybe you're super in the playground game. 48 00:01:58.680 --> 00:02:00.000 Four Square is my favorite game. 49 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:05.120 Okay, yeah yeah, yeah. Hey, we're moving along pretty quick 50 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:05.959 on this, so maybe. 51 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:07.840 Yeah, maybe we can do another phrase. Here we go. 52 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:16.439 Okay, okay, I got a press play. Excellence is not 53 00:02:16.599 --> 00:02:18.439 an act but a habit. 54 00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:21.319 Wow, I have no idea. 55 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:25.240 Say it again, excellence is not an act but a habit. 56 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:27.280 Be happy. 57 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:33.280 I think you said excellence is not an act but 58 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:33.840 a habit. 59 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:36.719 Oh, it's not a habit, it's it's happy. You said happy. 60 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:37.439 I said habit. 61 00:02:37.479 --> 00:02:37.919 I'm kidding. 62 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:40.080 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yea, yeahh is Aristotle by. 63 00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:43.919 The way, Yeah, yeah, that is very sistic. Okay, let 64 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:44.400 let's try. 65 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:46.520 Let's do another way. Let's do another one. Those are fun? 66 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:53.080 Yeah, these are we go? Ready, yep, all right, I'm 67 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:56.439 gonna give him Bible verse. Guys, here we go. For 68 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:59.960 where your treasure is there, will your heart be also? 69 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:06.240 So? Oh, I have no idea I do it again? 70 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:11.960 Or where your treasure is there? Will your heart? 71 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:17.800 For where your treasure is there, will your heart be also? Yes? Yes, yes, okay, Hey, 72 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:18.879 I'm feeling good about this. 73 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:21.680 Hey, well I really mouthed that. 74 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:25.280 You You pretty much gave that to me as a layup. 75 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:27.439 Yeah, all right, one more okay. 76 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:29.840 Let me have I have one more here for you, I. 77 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:32.479 Said to the crowd beforehand. I said, I'm gonna give 78 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:33.960 him a Bible verse, ladies and gentlemen. 79 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:37.000 Oh there you go. Well, then of course I should 80 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:38.439 get that one right, the Bible guy. 81 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:42.759 Okay, you're ready, and when you're ready, I play. 82 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:43.919 I'm ready. 83 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:44.400 Okay. 84 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:49.960 You can never beat a person who refuses to give up. 85 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:52.400 That is a long phrase. 86 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:56.759 You can never beat a person who refuses to give up. 87 00:03:58.039 --> 00:04:01.159 Dude, it's not even close. I literally can't even just 88 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:01.840 a single word. 89 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:04.560 You can never beat a person who refuses to give up. 90 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.280 Oh gotcha, baby ruth, baby ruth. 91 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:09.759 Yea yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, I'm sorry. That was too hard. 92 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:11.800 No, no, you just said that very fast. 93 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:15.199 You can never Well that's what I did for you. 94 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:20.959 Let me be knownt it be known across the lands? 95 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:23.079 Okay? Good, Yeah, that was a hard one then. 96 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:26.399 Yeah, okay, you're like this, You're like, all right, here's 97 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:27.079 my word ready. 98 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:29.720 I was trying to do it. I was trying to 99 00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:31.800 do it like a like a ventriloquist, not move my 100 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:32.319 lips at all. 101 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:33.800 Yeah. 102 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:37.879 Okay, Well, they prophesied that this was going to happen, 103 00:04:38.279 --> 00:04:40.120 and you know what, sure enough. 104 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.800 It does, but that I would not win the whispers journe. 105 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:44.879 No no, no, no, that always going to get a rest. 106 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:49.399 Everything's about you, got it right, got it? So, uh, 107 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:54.120 here we go. We're going to read much of the 108 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:55.959 rest of this chapter. It's only ten verses here from 109 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:59.360 twenty six to thirty six in Acts chapter twenty one. So, 110 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:02.000 so do you remember he just finished up and he 111 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:05.000 told them, Hey, these four guys, they're getting ready to 112 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:07.839 go through their purification ritual, So go ahead, shave your heads, 113 00:05:07.879 --> 00:05:10.480 get purified, get ready, and will meet you at the temple. Right, 114 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:14.759 and then he reminds them, but to the gentiles. To 115 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:19.319 the gentiles, just avoid meat offered to idols, avoid meat 116 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:22.319 that was strangled, stayway from sexual immorality, keep yourself pure 117 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:24.199 and clean in front of God. But you're not required 118 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:26.639 to follow the Jewish laws and rules. So Paul is 119 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:31.399 both supporting the Jewish Christians who still follow many of 120 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:34.040 the Jewish laws their rules, and he's at the same 121 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:37.160 time reaffirming that the gentile Christians truly are believers and 122 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:39.319 can honor God with their life too. So now they're 123 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:41.839 going to the temple. That's what happened in the previous passage, 124 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:43.439 and so it say so Paul went to the temple 125 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:45.560 the next day with the other men. They had already 126 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:48.759 started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date 127 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:51.519 when their vows would end, and sacrifices to be offered 128 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:54.040 for each of them. The seven days were almost ended 129 00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:56.079 when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul 130 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:58.319 in the temple and roused a mob against him, and 131 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:00.800 they grabbed him, yelling, men of Israel, help us. This 132 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.199 is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and 133 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:06.199 tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against 134 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:09.560 the temple and even defiles this holy place by bringing 135 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:12.439 in gentiles. For earlier that day they had seen him 136 00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:14.680 in the city with Trophi, miss the gentile from Ephesus. 137 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:17.240 Then they assumed Paul had taken him into the temple. 138 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:20.120 The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a 139 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:23.319 great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of 140 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:25.560 the temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him. 141 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:28.160 As they were trying to kill him. Word reached the 142 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:30.199 commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in 143 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:33.800 an uproar. He immediately called out his soldiers and officers 144 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:36.040 and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw 145 00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:38.600 the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul. 146 00:06:39.399 --> 00:06:42.519 Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with 147 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:45.240 two chains, and he asked the crowd who he was 148 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:47.839 and what he had done. Some shouted one thing and 149 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:49.720 some another instance. He couldn't find out the truth and 150 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.120 all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that Paul be 151 00:06:52.199 --> 00:06:55.079 taken to the fortress. As Paul reached the stairs, the 152 00:06:55.160 --> 00:06:57.560 mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him 153 00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:00.319 to their shoulders to protect him, and the crowd followed behind, 154 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:05.680 shouting kill him, kill him, good gravy. Yeah, that's a 155 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:09.519 rough one. Talk about danger kind of stepped in it there, Danger, danger, 156 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:10.279 Will Robinson. 157 00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:14.680 You know, it's so funny because you know, Paul has already, 158 00:07:14.839 --> 00:07:17.879 as we said yesterday, he sort of told the people, hey, 159 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:20.680 I'm ready, I'm ready to be killed, I'm ready for persecution. 160 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:23.879 He heads there, he gets arrested, and the bottom line 161 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:26.800 is is it's it's a rough one, and and it's 162 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:31.079 all because they're saying that he is. He's telling everybody 163 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:34.399 to disobey the Jewish laws, and he's allowing gentiles and 164 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:36.519 defiling their place of worship. 165 00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:39.000 Yeah, and you think most of our listeners have a 166 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:44.600 hard time comprehending how offended the Jewish people were by 167 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:47.720 Paul's message. And it got so bad that the uproar 168 00:07:47.879 --> 00:07:50.720 was so bad the Roman soldiers had to put him 169 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.360 on their shoulders to get him out of the crowd, 170 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:52.959 out of the mob. 171 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:53.600 Right. 172 00:07:53.800 --> 00:07:55.480 That's I don't know that we have anything in our 173 00:07:55.560 --> 00:07:57.720 life that is you know, in our culture that is 174 00:07:58.000 --> 00:07:59.439 that aggressive. 175 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:04.360 Well, you know, it's sort of like you know, like today, 176 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:07.480 it's hard for us to understand how our faith could 177 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:11.800 be intertwined with everything. So like I remember one time 178 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:15.399 we did a series on this and it was on uh, 179 00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:18.439 you know, Passover and Shabbat, and we did all these 180 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:21.120 Jewish you know, celebration and we sort of analyzed it. 181 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:24.720 And the only thing that we and again it's it's 182 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:26.839 not it's very very different. But like, have you ever 183 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:30.879 talked with a Muslim and and and understood that, like 184 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:35.799 their faith intertwines in every single thing that they do. Yes, So, 185 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:38.799 I mean it's where they shop, it's where they eat, 186 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:42.519 it's it's how they socialize, that everything revolves around the faith. 187 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:45.000 It's like the faith is the foundation to every aspect 188 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:46.679 of their lives and the only reason why I even 189 00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:49.080 bring up Muslim although radically different than a Christian right, 190 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:53.840 that that culture is something that we're not really familiar with. 191 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:56.600 When it comes to the Jewish culture, I think the 192 00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:58.679 Jewish culture is the same way as I'm trying to say. 193 00:08:58.600 --> 00:09:03.360 Sure, right was very similar back then. I think the 194 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:08.039 thing that's different for us is as Christians, Bible based Christians, 195 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:13.679 grace based Christians, we understand there's not a set group 196 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:17.000 of laws and rules you have to keep in order 197 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:21.320 to appease God and in order to go to Heaven. Right, 198 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:27.519 So grace doesn't require a specific obedience to certain laws. Instead, 199 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:30.039 grace is built around the idea that I turn from 200 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:32.320 my sin and turned to God. Right, so I repent 201 00:09:32.360 --> 00:09:34.039 of my sin, I turned to God, and I put 202 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:37.159 my faith and trust in Him. But for this group, 203 00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:41.159 this version of Judaism, which is different from a lot 204 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:44.200 of the modern Judaism today, it's more similar to the 205 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:49.240 orthodox Judaism and then much of Islam. It's more about 206 00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:52.240 appeasing God. It's more about the rules that have to 207 00:09:52.279 --> 00:09:55.360 be kept, and so because of that, then the rules 208 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:58.120 have permeated every part of their life to the point 209 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:03.919 that they avoid being defiled by other people who don't 210 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:06.840 keep those same rules because they're afraid if I hang 211 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:09.159 around people who don't keep these same rules, then I'm 212 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:10.840 going to be defiled and God's going to be mad 213 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:14.360 at me. Right, So it's about it just premiates it. 214 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:16.799 I think it's important for us as Christians. I think 215 00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:20.879 our faith should completely one percent permeate and inform every 216 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:21.960 bit of our lifestyle. 217 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:22.679 Right. 218 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:25.399 The difference was for them it was a rule based thing, 219 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:29.759 whereas God's grace should permeate every part of our lifestyle today. 220 00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:32.240 Right Between those two things, yeah. 221 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:36.399 And uh and so so they're radically offended. And keep 222 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:40.039 in mind as well that like this church that Paul is, 223 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:42.919 you know, visiting in Jerusalem. 224 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:45.480 It's a temple. It's Herod's temple. 225 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:48.279 It's Herod's temple. Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's very different 226 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:51.200 than him being in a church. Perhaps that he started 227 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:54.679 himself on his missionary journeys where he would preach the Gospel. 228 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:57.559 There'd be people converted to Christ and then they believe 229 00:10:57.559 --> 00:10:59.200 in the message and all of a sudden, this you know, 230 00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:02.200 church brings up where Paul is sort of the founder. Right, 231 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:06.600 So Paul finds himself in Jerusalem and a temple, Herid's Temple, and. 232 00:11:06.679 --> 00:11:10.120 Which is the holiest place in Judaism, Right, there's nothing. 233 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:12.000 This is where the holy of holies is, This is 234 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:14.320 where the sacrifices are done. This is where the high 235 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:17.360 priest does his work for the nation. And so this 236 00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:21.360 is the holiest place. And in the notes, in my mind, well. 237 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:24.000 You could argue and say it is the symbol that 238 00:11:24.120 --> 00:11:27.399 represents the Old Testament ways of appeasing God more than 239 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:28.440 any other place. 240 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:31.279 Ever, right, Right, it was it was all about that spot, right, 241 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:35.799 and in spectacular in design and in scale, and it 242 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:39.200 was incredibly prominent in Jerusalem, all these things, and so 243 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:44.360 it really represented not only their culture but and also 244 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:47.840 their religion, but their ability to connect with God. Right. 245 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:51.759 And when you have a rules based religion, you become 246 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:54.240 very convinced that you are one hundred percent completely right 247 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:56.919 and everybody else is one hundred percent completely wrong. And 248 00:11:57.080 --> 00:11:59.759 then those others are enemies, right, they become enemies. And 249 00:12:00.279 --> 00:12:02.480 that was it is that, hey, you're not only attacking 250 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:05.200 our faith, but you're attacking our culture. And now we 251 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:07.799 are furious with you. And then we have to remember too, 252 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:11.440 he was the poster boy for their religion when he 253 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:16.919 was a terrorist basically killing other people and that, you know, Christians, 254 00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:19.440 and then now he becomes the poster boy for Christianity. 255 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:25.720 So there's also I think resentment culturally that he's a trader, right, 256 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:28.960 so he betrayed us and he's you know, going against 257 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:31.799 us and all this stuff. But here's an interesting thing 258 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:37.399 what we discovered. I love how archaeology support scripture. So 259 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:42.080 there were notices in Greek and Hebrew that warned non 260 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:45.919 Jews to not enter the inner court of Herod's temple 261 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:49.639 on pain of death. One whole copy and part of 262 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:52.639 another in Greek had been found. This was standing outside 263 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:54.559 the temple at the time of Christ and the Apostles. 264 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.240 When Paul entered the temple to help some Jewish Christians 265 00:12:57.240 --> 00:13:00.960 for phili Vau, the Jews were mistakenly thought Paul had 266 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:04.559 taken Trophemus, a gentile from Ephesus, into the temple. This 267 00:13:04.679 --> 00:13:07.480 aroused great anger against Paul, a mob formed who wanted 268 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:10.679 to kill him. Paul was referring to this wall when 269 00:13:10.679 --> 00:13:12.559 he said that God broke down the wall that divided 270 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:15.399 Jews and Gentiles, and he did this through the crucifixion 271 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:18.399 of Jesus. Paul mentions this in the Book of Ephesians, right, 272 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.120 that God broke down the wall between Jews and Gentiles. Right, 273 00:13:21.240 --> 00:13:24.320 this is the wall. The sign literally said, if any 274 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.159 Gentile goes beyond this point, you're going to suffer the 275 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:31.720 consequence of death, penalty consequence. And so the Jews thought, 276 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:34.240 just because Paul was hanging out with Trophemus the day 277 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:37.320 before that, he probably just brought him in, right, So 278 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:40.279 he's guilty by association and all that. But what an 279 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:42.519 astounding thing to think. Can you imagine if we had 280 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:45.039 a sign outside our church that said, if you're not 281 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:49.320 just like us, we're gonna kill you, right right, yeah. 282 00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:51.120 Do not enter if you're not like us. You know, 283 00:13:51.159 --> 00:13:54.240 it's so interesting because I think a lot of churches 284 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.000 have invisible signs, you know, they have signs that are unspoken. 285 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:00.759 And you know, if you wander into a church of 286 00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:04.519 a different faith or a different you know, race, or 287 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:07.240 a different custom or or you know, they just they 288 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:11.360 practice differently, and especially if you stand out, and you know, 289 00:14:11.559 --> 00:14:14.519 sometimes it's not the most welcoming environment. I think you know, 290 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:16.320 I think I think the church is guilty of that. 291 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:19.320 And and really this is a great example of of 292 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:22.600 you know, how it shouldn't be right. Can I tell 293 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:26.200 you a quick story. So, so I love black gospel music, 294 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:29.279 love it, love it, love it, love it, and absolutely 295 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:32.639 just I have always talked about it with my good friends. 296 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:34.840 And I was on staff here in Michigan at a 297 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:38.919 very large church and my worship leader had taken a 298 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:41.679 break with her husband and had not you know, come 299 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:44.279 on a Sunday and had been off and and they 300 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:47.399 decided to wander into this church. It was a black 301 00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:50.600 gospel choir that they absolutely loved. And so they came 302 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:53.279 back and said, Chris, you're gonna have to go and 303 00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:55.120 visit this church when you have a day off, because 304 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:57.720 we know that you would love their choir. Right. You 305 00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:01.000 ever see Whitney Houston and that I called the Preacher's Wife. 306 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:03.480 It's that kind of a vibe, right, It's that kind 307 00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:05.960 of vibe which is just wonderful. They all get robes 308 00:15:06.039 --> 00:15:08.639 and they're singing, and they're just unbelievable their voices, you know. 309 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:10.679 So I thought, man, I'm gonna go do this, you know. 310 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:13.240 So and I said, well, what do I wear? And 311 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:15.600 they said, well, you know, it's definitely not a jeans 312 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:17.360 and a button down, which is what you normally wear 313 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:20.000 on a Sunday morning. You know, it's definitely not that. Now, 314 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:23.159 what they should have said was, if you don't wear 315 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:26.279 a suit, you'll be the only human being in the 316 00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:29.480 room without a suit. Right, So I'm thinking I'm gonna 317 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:34.039 upgrade to slacks. So I put doctors on. Actually not 318 00:15:34.120 --> 00:15:37.120 even slacks, doctors, and I tucked my shirt in. Ooh, 319 00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:39.840 look at me being fancy, wear dress shoes and put 320 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:42.159 out a belt. You know, I'm thinking this is good enough. 321 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:44.080 You know, this is way above what I do, what 322 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:46.360 I normally do. And as soon as I walked in, 323 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:50.159 I could just feel like people were judging me because 324 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:52.440 I was didn't look like everybody else, because everybody's dressed 325 00:15:52.440 --> 00:15:55.120 to the nines, right, And it's just and I felt 326 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:55.399 like I was. 327 00:15:55.399 --> 00:15:57.720 Treated that way and then and it wouldn't have to 328 00:15:57.759 --> 00:15:59.440 be that they were judging you. They could have just 329 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:03.200 been surprised you that it was so they'd never seen 330 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:04.759 that before, yeah, right, right right. 331 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:08.320 And there was another guy who was, you know, Caucasian, 332 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:10.879 and uh, but but boy did he look good. He 333 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:13.240 had this suit on. Man, he looked. You can tell 334 00:16:13.320 --> 00:16:15.639 he's been there before, you know. And so anyway, I 335 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:18.000 sat down in the middle of this church and there 336 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:21.679 was a point in time where the pastor said, hey, 337 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:25.360 if you're a visitor, they seated, and if everybody else 338 00:16:25.399 --> 00:16:28.720 stand up and everybody go, welcome visitors. So I'm thinking, oh, 339 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:30.000 here it is here, it is finally. 340 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:30.240 Right. 341 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:32.639 Well, I'd already been the first one there and I 342 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:34.320 had sat down in the middle, and I felt like 343 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:38.159 everybody like, uh you ever do you ever see that 344 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:41.080 commercial where they do the down liquid soap where they 345 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:44.080 drop it and everything moves out right, That's that's what 346 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:46.440 that was me in the middle of this in the pews, right, 347 00:16:46.679 --> 00:16:49.159 everybody every had a radius before they were sitting around me. 348 00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:52.919 Something I didn't washed this morning. I shaphood. Anyway, so 349 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:56.279 now go welcome the visitor. I'm thinking, finally somebody could 350 00:16:56.279 --> 00:16:58.600 come up and say hi to me, right And literally 351 00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:02.279 they stood up and welcomed every single person around me, 352 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:05.640 and everybody avoided me. And I was sitting alone in 353 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:09.160 the center, like five pews back in the center section, 354 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:11.920 and not a single person came up and said onto me, 355 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:14.920 by the way, you get worse than that too. I'm 356 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:16.720 just not going to dog in the stretch too much. 357 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:19.680 But anyway, all that to say, I walked away from 358 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:22.279 that experience and I actually thought to myself, thank God 359 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:24.839 that we go to a church and that I'm the 360 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:28.440 pastor of a church that doesn't do those things, because listen. 361 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.200 Hard to make everybody feel comfortable, feel welcome now to. 362 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:33.920 Give them a little grace. Maybe I offended them, and 363 00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:36.599 maybe I did something maybe you know, maybe I by. 364 00:17:36.519 --> 00:17:39.440 Not not understanding the cultural norms. Yea, I might have 365 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:40.359 felt disrespectful. 366 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:43.279 So granted, I mean, I'm not trying to dog them 367 00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:45.519 too hard. But what I am saying is is that 368 00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:50.480 I think that sometimes there's an invisible wall that says, hey, man, 369 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:52.559 you better be like us or else we're not going 370 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:52.960 to like you. 371 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:55.559 And yeah, you know, I have I have a lot 372 00:17:55.599 --> 00:18:01.000 of friends that are you know, a mom in mosques. 373 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:04.880 I have friends that are rabbis in synagogues. And so 374 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:08.559 this is not an anti Jewish passage, and we're not 375 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:11.519 taking an anti Jewish perspective or we're not taking an 376 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:17.200 anti Muslim or Islamic position here. What we're saying is 377 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:20.440 that when the rules become more important than the people, 378 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:25.000 and when rules are the defining element of your religion, 379 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:29.200 you run the risk then of alienating and even maybe 380 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:32.160 begin to feel like you need to push away or 381 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:35.400 even begin to hate people who don't follow those exact 382 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:35.960 same rules. 383 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:36.160 Right. 384 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:38.119 And that's what's happening here. 385 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:42.160 Right, And it's really important to understand that this was 386 00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:45.559 new information. Jesus had come along on the scene and said, Hey, 387 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:48.240 the Gospel and my sacrifice is not only for Jews, 388 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:51.240 the Jewish people, but it's for gentiles. And that was new. 389 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:54.440 And even though that we've heard that before, we can't 390 00:18:54.440 --> 00:18:57.079 even imagine the idea of jesus sacrifice only being to 391 00:18:57.160 --> 00:19:00.480 one group that believe it or not was brand new information. 392 00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:05.640 And poor Paul, in all fairness, he was not disrespectful 393 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:09.200 in this moment, right. It didn't bring in trophemous, right, 394 00:19:09.559 --> 00:19:12.200 and he was honoring these four guys who were going 395 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:16.359 through this Jewish purification ritual that lasted seven days. And 396 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:18.160 he had been a pharisee, so he knows how to 397 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:20.359 lead through this whole process, and he's helping them lead, 398 00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:24.160 he's honoring their belief system. And even while he's trying 399 00:19:24.200 --> 00:19:28.279 to honor them, wrong place, wrong time, And the enemies 400 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:30.960 of Paul decided to take advantage of this spread a 401 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:34.640