Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 210 | Jase's Paper Towel Problem, Phil's Church Sign Idea, and Censors Can't Stop the Gospel

Episode Date: January 18, 2021

Phil unveils his theory on why we still can't get enough toilet paper and paper towels. Jase finally finds his favorite brand of paper towels, but there's a twist he didn't see coming. The guys dive into Acts 2 and how the disciples were given the ability to be heard in all languages. Jase offers his response to "What would Jesus do?" Phil makes a pitch for what to put on church signs. And Zach and Jase discuss the dangers of making a name for yourself. God often uses the last person you'd expect, in a way you'd never choose. But if people speaking different languages can't stop the spread of the Gospel, censorship can't stop it either. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome, everyone. We have Zach, what is this called? He's like virtual in our neighborhood. Zoom. Zoomed in from North Carolina. Are you still in North Carolina? Yep. I hadn't left. Al's gone. I'm filling it for an hour. And you still haven't got around to doing the honeydew of working on the wall, but that's okay. So glad you're here. we're studying in a book of acts and a lot of people you know you got you got this this arrangement of things that happen that we believe as true history and people will get up and they speak on it and they get all different takes

and i just wanted to give y'all what happened yesterday sometimes when you say something there's a we got to have a communication problem but i'm the type of person if you say something i'm really listening to what you say especially if you're at a place of establishment where you're taking my money we have a sales going on so i'm at the grocery store because my wife she's she's in austin so i'm doing all the shopping and the cooking and cleaning and so when i came up to the to the counter because i'd had had a moment with myself and one of these aisles over a problem that I had seen, but the person behind the register said, did you find everything okay?

And I stopped. And I should have thought, she's probably said that to every person that's been up here, and they say, oh yeah, it was great. I said, well, I noticed something. I said, I've been looking for this certain brand of paper towel ever since the coronavirus. came out and every time i come up here there's no paper towels at all or toilet tissue and we're a year into this now i didn't say it this passionately but this was the gist of what i said i said and then today when i hit the aisle always look in the little spot where the brand that i love you may tell you

what it is i have no affiliation with them whatsoever but it's the greatest paper towel that i've ever come across i've never thought about it it's called viva diva Viva. Viva. Yeah. So there's up my, you know, plug. Good luck. Finding one a roll.

Well, around the bin and I look, and there it is. They got a rack of them. So I just started filling my buggy up. That's why I know what else can find it now. Well, and then when I had it, you know, I had about three on there because they're big. I was buying the six rolls. There was a note that said, in courtesy of other customers, were only allowing one per family unit.

So I took it back. So I'm telling this person when she said, did you find everything? And I said, look, I told her the story. And I said, you know, we're a year into this. Can we not buy more? But when I said that, I could tell she was offended. But I thought, you asked me, did I find anything?

So I was genuinely saying we need to buy some more paper towels. So they need to buy them so we can, the customer can come out. Yeah. I'm less concerned about the paper towels, more concerned about the toilet paper. That's the one. You buy in toilet paper or paper towels? I'm in search of these paper towels, but toilet paper has been the same problem at the same store. But I'm like, I get

it at first. There was a pandemic. We all rushed out. There was a rush. We're a year into this now. So are we using more paper towels and toilet tissue than we were? They're using the coronavirus, the

powers that be as a vehicle so that they can tell you what to do and what not to do. I'd like some paper towns. Free country should be plenty of it around. A lot of trees. They're making it. It's rolling out of the

factories. You would think that would be one of the easiest things to reproduce. It's in a role. I'm sure they have a machine. They use various of these things like you're talking about for you to submit to them the governing authorities. You think that's what I do? I really believe it. What are you things? You get used to say, well, I just wish I could have more of this. It's America. It's a free country. We ought to be able to get. No, you're out on that.

You can't have but one. You got ten, you got, it's stacked up to the ceiling, but you can't have but one. That's the way it was. That's right. And you're hurting other people if you get two.

So then they ask. Instead of buying more, instead of buying more and solving the problem, they use it as leverage that you obey. We said you need one and you say, well, how about two? And they said, no, one's all you can get.

We've got them here, but it's stacked up to the ceiling. But you can't have but one of them. They use it. So you will get used to saying, you know, that's what they said. Well, here's what it got me. That's what they said. And then asked, did you find everything you need?

I thought, well, I found it, but I couldn't get but one of them. They're preparing your mind on how it's going to be with a socialist regime. They control your life, including how much paper towel or wiping material comes. They decide. Well, we've escalated. I mean, I was just. I was not worried. He's got, he's got, you got the homegrown toilet paper.

You did a, you did an episode on that within the woods, right? Well, that's true. Overcup leaves. Oak tree leaves. Why don't we always get back to this? Little, little celebrations on them. It's the best. So I hated for, it's free and there's a lot of it.

I hated for y'all to have to indulge me. But I just thought, I can tell this woman is offended because she's like, I mean, you're not, you didn't want to be courteous to other people. She basically asked you a question. did you find everything's fine and you said no i said no that's where it went south so then i thought well why i ask if you don't want to know is is that you've got uh people like phil phil you've been buying in bulk for years because you live in an hour from town so y'all go and buy them bulk so how have y'all been surviving if you can't buy them on a little caveat i haven't

been you said i i buy in bulk i don't buy anything like that anything I don't go to stores and walk in and say, somebody's buying it for you. Jason is still buying toilet paper. I don't buy toilet paper ever. I've never bought it. I've never, I don't know where it comes from. Somebody's buying it.

Somebody buying it, but I'm not. I don't care whether they buy it or not. I'll get the job done, but leaves free of charge. So what does it have to do with the book of acts, Jason? Well, I was just saying that we were having a date. dialogue and it just it just went off the rails and and after all of that happened nobody felt good about their position i just tried to answer a question and i just thought you know communication sometimes is is difficult it's hard to have an agenda or to have a purpose or have something

written down on a piece of paper which they just had one little thing written that we're supposed to abide to, but we were having trouble experiencing a loving conversation, and we were talking about paper tails. That's right. It just, it was a way that they say, we run this,

you're alive, not you. Now, did I do wrong? We have plenty of them? No, not really. She asked.

We have plenty of it. It was stacked up back there. I wanted two, but I saw the notes said you can't have it. Well, I wanted three. Well, you wanted three.

So you wanted three. No, you can't have more. You submit it, and that's the way it worked. They're doing it in all facets of our life, so everybody gets used to what socialism will be like. They dictate the policy. That may be a reach. But you may be right.

I do find it fascinating that we're having a supply chain issue for paper towels and toilet tissue a year, a year after this started. Because they're on a row. role. On a row. Is that a pun? You submit. That's the role they're on.

And you walked out with your head hanging low because you got slicked on the, on the, how much paper towels you got. I was more upset that she made a comment like, well, don't you want to be courteous to other people? And I was like, no, I'm trying to get somebody. Sometimes you got to state the obvious. I said, I think somebody in management should look into the supply chain issue. yeah because you did it like you were being uncourteous i didn't think i was she asked a question i gave

her an answer we need some more paper towels viva so i see your point on the book of acts then i i was wondering how is he going to transition there but yeah because acts two which is where we're at is about communication because you've got this unfolding of the kingdom of god this happened here you know the keys are being handed over it's it's kind of the by the way it's it's the worst idea, I would have never done it this way had I orchestrated the coming of the kingdom of God as a human, but God had a better idea. But you look at it, like it is kind of weird that you've got all these people together and nobody speaks the same language and that was who God was going to speak to in that moment, but none of them spoke the same language. So they had a major

communication barrier. Is that kind of where you were going with it, Jason? Well, I think there was a shadow there of the Tower of Babel, because when he said be fruitful and fill the earth, They said, no, we're going to stay right here and build a temple to the heavens. And so that's how we have, I believe, how we have the different languages. I believe God confused the language, which is, I think, an evidence of God. I mean, you always talk about what brand of, what do you say, people say, sea water, you know, be in the origin of life. what brand of that, how did they maneuver the languages?

Yeah. They're given too much credence to salt water. Yeah. I believe God made salt water. But what I was going to say is my overall view of acts may be different. And than what a lot of people say, this wasn't inspired the actual title. I'm not sure where that came from. somebody at some point when they read this letter they put acts now i think i was taught in the in the school

that they said this is the acts of the apostle apostles and i disagree to a certain measure here's why when you read the first verse it says in my former book theophilus i wrote about all that jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven. But I believe, through the Holy Spirit when he read that, the reference of what he began to do, and now he's going to continue that. If that's how you start the book, because I believe getting the big picture of who God is,

that Jesus is alive and well, sitting at the right hand of God, and God through Jesus and His Spirit that's fixed to be poured out in Acts 2 continues to do his work. So I actually believe that these are the acts of Jesus through people. That's what I believe. Which will make it more simplified. The gospel is announced in the first three verses.

After his suffering, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, recorded. Luke wrote it down. He was there. After his suffering, Jesus died on the cross and he had to be raised from the dead or he wouldn't be talking about anything. He spoke about the kingdom of God, which is at hand. He leaves, which he's at the right hand of the father, to mediate for his people. Peter gets up, reinforces that. This man was handed over you by God's set purpose for knowledge. You were the helpful wicked men put him to death. We're back to the suffering that Luke mentioned in the first three verses, nailing him to the cross after he's suffering. God raising from the dead after he suffered.

Freeing from the agony of death, it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Therefore, I'm going to tell y'all astuoy. It'll be impossible for death to keep its hold on you. Now, I turn one page. I turn one page. Hang on, Phil. Take a break. So you read that.

Right. I turn one page. you disown the Holy One. This is chapter 3. You disown the holy and righteous one and ask that a murderer be released to you. Remember thieves on both sides murderers? You kill the author of life.

He's back on the suffering. But God raising from the dead, that's what happened after he suffered. And we're all witnesses this. Look, that's three. Look, I turn a page. The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead whom you had killed.

You say they get on the gospel of the kingdom. Because by the time you get to... Phil, that's my whole point. My point is, here's what I think happened. It all centers around the gospel of Jesus. Look at acts. So I think that is God working in people through this same Jesus. I think the confusion happened.

When Jesus died and was buried and raised in that process, he said it is finished. and so a lot of people say oh well that that's finished well his work to save the human race that's right but really in him saying it is finished it had just begun just begun because now god in jesus moves to the right hand of god where what does he do up there he represents us well what do we do here we represent him we represent him We represent him. And that's what happened. That's why when you read the whole book,

it's like when Zach just said that in Acts 2, it's like if you came up with an idea on how to establish the kingdom, this wouldn't be what you would choose. But the whole book seems like that because it doesn't develop the characters and what they're doing like Peter and Philip. And you're just getting snippets. and the reason I think that's true because it's really about Jesus

and how that's being being shown to the world in each instance. After his suffering, Matthew recorded, he said all authority, you just see what I just did. They're all looking at him. Y'all saw what I just did. That means I have all the authority.

It's been given to me. I just conquered death. I removed the sins of the world. In a three-day period, my death, barrel, therefore, go make disciples of all nations, is what Jesus said, and you baptize it. In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I've commanded you, and I'll be with you to the end of the age. So if you look at that, you say, there's your marching orders. They're preparing it when the 120 got together.

It starts to unfold, the first ones they talked to, I just read it. The first thing Peter said out of his mouth, men of Israel, listen to this. Jesus or Nazra. Because I believe that's God speaking through him. What would you going to say, Zah? Yeah, I was going to say you mentioned the Tower of Babel earlier, which I never really thought about that, but that was man making it about man attempting to climb to God.

Exactly. And God confused. So God confuses man when man tries to take credit and do it on his own and the Tower of Babel and then confuses the language. And here you have God bringing unity. when the establishment of the kingdom by God unifying man by by uncomfusing the language by letting each person hear each other and their own native tongue so because they were yeah I love what Phil I knew Phil yeah I knew Phil is going to go there about the centrality of the gospel which is

another way of saying what you're saying which is the centrality of Jesus and all of these miracles and all this thing that's going on here in Acts 2 with this communication barrier that God's overcoming through the tongues of fire all. of that, all of that was pointing to a sermon that he was about to give the people, which was the fact that Jesus was who he said he was, he was buried and he was raised on the third day. And that's what, that was the message that people heard that they were cut to the heart on and asked Jesus, what do we do?

Well, right. Well, that's why I was, yeah, that's why I told you that silly story about the grocery store because there, you can interpret things in different ways. there's all different ways or you know religious groups i think there's what how many now 20 you said the number the other day there's tens of thousands and everybody has a different take on everything and so that's why i believe with with this entire bible you there's there's one actor here it's jesus and if you look at it in that light he is the image of the invisible god That's why you can't flip a page without reading what they shared.

You're saying it's the acts of Jesus through the apostles. That's exactly right. Now, and here's why I think that's... All they're doing is hammering on who he is and what he did and what he's now doing and what he will do. Here's why I think that's important down to real life. Because I believe the biggest issue with people giving their lives to Jesus or living daily for Jesus.

is this getting past this idea that this happened 2,000 years ago, which is a long, long, long time ago, and that Jesus left and he's a million miles away. And here I am down on this earth. And I'm just not sure what to do because it's hard. And I'm like, and so we come up with things to try to help people. We say, well, what would Jesus do? I don't even like that question

because it's like he's not even hearing my heart in that moment. I'm having to go back and figure out a long time ago what would he do? And I'm like, no, he's acting. He never stopped acting in the lives of people. That's why he is at the right hand of God. So all of a sudden it hits people that,

well, wait a minute, you're telling me all these guys went out and they they wherever there were a group of people they they stood up and started speaking they have people in their homes they you read acts to what we're going to get to they were sharing with each other they were meeting together they were breaking bread they were going down the street well they were having all these moments well how come i couldn't do that today in my world how come i couldn't have this jesus action You do the, we live it out, Jace, all the time. We are an exact replica and we represent the head of the body,

which we are members of, and he is our king because we are his kingdom. It came right here. We're empowered by God's spirit. We are very unique in this world. Right. So to finish my thought, I like it when people say, what would Jesus do? as long as they acknowledge, well, what's he doing right now in your life?

It's a better question. When somebody says, well, every time somebody asks me that question, I give him that question. Well, what's he doing right now in your life? It's usually an awkward moment because I'm like, well, you asked, what would he do?

Well, what is he doing? He's acting. He's alive. Well, that's why we're here. That's why they were, they were there in their time. And further asked by what power is he doing it. I think Acts 2 is telling us he's doing it by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And what I think where we get nervous in this, at least I can speak for myself, I get nervous with that because I have no control over outcomes and results at that point. And you think about where we're at here, and Peter's about to preach the gospel to a group of people who do not understand the language that he speaks. How is that possible? It's impossible for them to hear what he's saying

and for this communication to go effectively unless there is a supernatural intervention that is beyond his control. And thankfully there was. The Holy Spirit was there to take what Peter said and make it known to people. And I think even as we live out our lives, Phil, you said it, we're living this out.

But the way we're living it out is by the power of the spirit. We're not manufacturing anything. saying we're just being obedient to what God's called us to and we're inviting to deal with the results. That's what's happening here and asked. He gave those apostles the power to start in Jerusalem and then you go to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. He gave them the power, which was a great stroke of genius on his part, to bring all of those languages. The apostles could speak them all, Zach. They had no trouble. They didn't have to stop and study their language of where they were going so they could communicate

with them verbally. He just gave them the ability to speak in all of the world's people. Let's just read it. Let's read it. I mean, in Acts T. It's wild. It says when the day of say that again. Let's take a quick break. Let's take a break for you today. Go ahead. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Now, there's a big debate whether that's the 120 or more, but we know at least 120 of them were there because they were all praying together in Acts chapter 1. But then it says,

suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven. Now, you got to remember in chapter 1, he had just said, when Phil read that about, You'll be my witnesses all through Judea, he had just said, I'm going to give you power,

In verse 5, he said of chapter 1, John's baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But notice that terminology, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. It's like going to be unleashed. You're going to be immersed by it, which is a little different than, you know, when you tell someone, get up, be bad. baptized, you're going in the water, but this hears coming to you. And so then you hear this sound, a violent wind, and then verse three, it says, They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire. I have a hard time picturing that in my head, but some kind of tongue of fire

separated and came to rest on each of them. all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. I would say they are experiencing this baptism that Jesus said, you're going to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues. Now, in my version, it has a little letter beside tongues. Does it, does it in yours? Your mind says languages.

Languages. As the Spirit enabled them. Now, here's what's cool about this. now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven Why does he start talking about people are here from every nation?

A lot of languages. Yeah. When they heard this sound so you got a violent wind, you've got tongues of fire, and you've got people speaking in languages that they haven't studied.

Is that a correct assessment? Worldwide languages. When people heard that sound, which would be quite the racket, you know, blow torch, fire. By the way, if you ever see that, take note of that. Something big going down here. Real big. Well, they heard there's a crowd came together in bewilderment because that's a way you would be. Here's my point.

Modern day, if you see it look like beautiful. butane blowers coming out of somebody's head and fires their tongues are like fire. If you ever see that, take note of that and say, I'd be with them. I think there's a certain amount of bewilderment that would happen. Yeah. Because now here's what's cool. Because each one, all these people that heard this sound, heard them speaking in his own language. What a feat.

So it wasn't. Which is more. Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't possible with speaking in different language. they would speak in one language but then everybody interprets it and hears it in their own language

oh I like that oh I'm telling you now this is a happening I brought up the Genesis 11 the Tower of Bible because if you go back and read it you'll find a verse that's very profound God gave humans a little bit of wisdom a nugget of wisdom before he even revealed Jesus before all this came along

he said even though I told them, now I'm paraphrasing this, but I'll get to the quote. To be fruitful, fill the earth, move. He said, if as one person, here's the quote, they speak the same language, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. That's in Genesis 11. So that's why he confused their language. But he gave you a clue into why humans can be so successful.

if you get any group of humans together and they unify on any calls whether they're with God or without they become a powerful force and God documents that in Genesis 11 it's a powerful thing for people to unify and come together yep the reason that the reason why he shut it down in Genesis 11 was because the intention of what they were trying to accomplish which was it was humanism the same thing we talked about last one on the It was a direct disobedient word and humanism, I think. We're going to do that. We're going to build a tower, and we are going to reach God. And God's like, no, you're not. You're never going to get to be it. Well, the verse says, Zach, it says, we're going to build a temple and make a name for ourselves.

And look, I want to say this. I believe churches, not necessarily worldly groups of humanistic teachings, I believe churches do the same thing that what happened. in at the Tower of Bible. I believe church buildings are constructed and erected and people who are in leadership say we're going to make a name for ourselves.

What do you think? Yeah, I think that we all struggle with that even as humans, but what's interesting about what happened to them in Genesis 11, that was their fear was the idea they didn't want to be scattered and they wanted to make a name for themselves. Yeah. And Guy comes down

and shuts it down and guess what happened to them. They didn't make a name from themselves. Right. And they were scattered. I'm just saying that, you know, church is like any other thing, turn into brands and people say, oh, we need to do what this group is doing. And we need to do, because they're really moving and shaking. That's God. That's the brand. Now, whatever they're calling themselves is irrelevant. That's why when someone one time asked me about the name on the sign, because when people ask well what group are you with?

I realize there's a lot of denominations or a lot of different groups and I realize why they're asking that question because they want to put me in a box and say oh you believe this and you believe that and so I usually say well I'm with God Jesus and the Holy Spirit you can take it plural or singular both work but I'm not going to be tied down to a group and then they said what does the sign say and I say well I would love for our sign to change every week with anything that points people to Jesus. Because really it's

about him and not us. It's my point. It's the exact opposite of Genesis 11. What do you think, Zach? No, I agree. I think that I think that as we even look at where we're at culturally right now, I kept asking myself, like, what's God up to you and all this? And, you know, I think

that even like the whole, the last podcast we did on tech censorship and all that. And, like I said, I mean, I mean, are my business is tied up in it? Like, I'm concerned about it. But when I read what's going on here in Acts 2, I think about Genesis 11, I mean, I'm thinking if God wants his message to be communicated, then guess what's going to happen? It's going to be communicated.

And we're not going to be able to take credit for how it went down because it's always been a work of the Holy Spirit. So I see this vein in throughout history, which I do think churches have bought into this, that we think that somehow we are going to accomplish the work of the spirit. in our own power. And it's not going to work. Why don't we try this? Why don't we say, okay, let's all get together and agree to do this.

The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2, down at the bottom about verse 17, he came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near, Jew and Gentile. But through him, we both, Jew and Gentile, have access to the Father by one spirit. Now, consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, so here's what we need to do on our signs. Week one, Jace, month one, we put on our sign fellow citizens with God's people. Put that on the sign because that's who we are. Next month, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophet, Christ Jesus himself, the chief cornerstone, citizens. So we said, citizens, we are.

of God. In him the whole building. Well in month two you'll put who are you? I'm like I'm a member of the building of God one individual we're joined together and we rise to

become a holy temple who are you? I'm like I'm a member I'm part of the temple of God. They're like what? I said the temple of God the building of God and we have fellow citizens just like myself and in him you two are being built together to become a dwelling

in which god lives by his spirit just put on there where god dwells and changes change the sign about once a month that way when they say oh you are this or that the other you say oh way way beyond that so when people ask me how come there's so many different denominations and i say well there's a lot of different ways to call yourself a son of God, a disciple of Jesus, and an indweller. We're called the church. The church meets here sometimes. I like that. Most of the time, Monday through Saturday, the church still meets.

But there may be sometimes. You need to say occasionally. Yeah, meets here occasionally. Then change that time before the next week. Let's take a break. All right, well, look, let me finish reading this. So then, verse 7 of chapter 2, utterly amazed they ask, well, are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?

I mean, they knew where they were from. Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? And he starts listing all the different groups of people with different languages. Yep. And by the way, it's more than 12. Yeah. So actually the miracle was that, that people, the sound was coming out, and they were hearing the interpretation.

And you had a single issue with a single message because after they say, which I thought it was funny, in verse 13, it says somehow I made fun of them saying they've had too much wine. so whatever that sound was and and and I guess the spirit at which they were experiencing this powerful holy spirit presence they were coming across like they were drunk if you heard German French Latino Mexico the Mexican Spanish Spanish you were getting there and look and all of those were coming together check us Lavakian and but everybody understood what was being said. That was a big deal. Well, then in that moment, Peter stands up

and addressed the crowd. So I have a couple of questions. What do y'all think? Number one, when people read this and they hear about this tongues of fire and a blow and wind, that seems scary to people. And I've been to churches where it seemed a little frightening.

just the level of enthusiasm, I guess. So what is your take on that, Zach? What would you say about that here? Why would God choose, in your opinion, to have such an unleashing moment? Well, I think it's the same, the answer to the question they asked, like, how is this possible?

How is it possible? I think the reason why I chose this route is the same reason why he chose to deliver the Egyptians through somebody who had a speech impediment, Moses. He chose, it's the same reason why God chose a little boy, shepherd boy, to defeat a giant. The same reason why he chose Joseph, a slave, to be the ruler of Egypt. And you look back at how God chooses, man,

it's always like God chooses the lowly things of the world to despise the things that are. He chose a carpenter to bring salvation to the world. He came through a little baby. And I think the reason why is the answer to that verse 7, because it is all about God. God is the one who is accomplishing salvation. God is the one who is doing this.

And I think that he did not want man to go in there and try to take credit for. So he comes in the most bizarre way where he gets up to where that point you mentioned, where Peter stands before the people, he's building a case here. So the spirit's power comes to testify to what Peter is about to say. Yeah. Look, I remember just in my own life, because I've shared this many times. but when what Zach just said is what you realize is this is God acting that's why it should be the acts of God and then in real small letters he used people because here I was you know I was

really shy as a kid for whatever reason you know maybe just because of you know Phil being away from the Lord and living in that environment who knows it may just better my personality but I just didn't say a whole lot and even when I came to Jesus I mean at 14 I'm like Jesus is Lord I basically played defense for two years two years of defense in high school which was

commendable I was staying out of trouble for the most part but God wasn't acting I didn't get this concept here at that point of my life I thought this was oh tell me what I need to do. Okay, I believe.

I took care of that and now survive. God's still a million miles away, and I just stumbled upon this, and it was like I was trying to find the clues of Temple of Doom, Raiders of the Lost Ark here. Oh, I figured it out. What I missed is that God is living and active, the power of the Holy Spirit.

He can use me. By the way, from that moment, 2,000 years ago, right at it, Zach, I have this book. It's an English Bible because I speak English. That's my tongue, the English tongue. How many various languages, this is still the number one seller in the world, and it's been that way for a long time. how many languages have the word of God including the book of Acts how many languages has that been translated into since they all took off with the ability to speak in any language well now we have it in written form

what percentage of the languages would you say the Bible's been translated in just off the top of your head I don't I really don't know well I don't know the exact number but I will tell you this that there's a thing called 2030? Well, yeah, I could Google it. By 2030, I know Illuminations is working on Bible translations. They're going to have it translated in every language by 2030. So we're, we're nearing the point where it's going to be translated into almost every language in the world. That's pretty interesting. Maybe when that day comes, that might be the end of it. How many languages in the world? I'm not a very fast time.

I hope so. Give me a guess for the, how many languages are there? Give me a guess. It's coming up. Give me a guess. I think there's 6,000 languages.

You just love. 6,000 language. You just loved. I promise I didn't. 6,000 languages. No, no, that wasn't right, but it was close. Yeah. 6,500.

As of December 20th, 2. All right, well, go ahead. And this even. makes the event that happened in the book of Acts well you're cutting out that's why I didn't let you finish your language is being cut out right now yeah computers cutting you out dude

so go ahead finish no I was kidding I was gonna say I said 6,000 no it was 6,500 if this is right but this is this what you call the black box what I'm saying is it makes it even more powerful to know that this has been literally verse by verse translated into most of those 6,000 languages. And these people that were speaking that day pretty well... Had that capability.

They pretty well had it intimated that this is going well by... You want to not code... In your language. That's a picture. What's... You know, you want a playlist moment. if you have the power to instantaneously make human, a human, enable him, not make him, enabling him,

to speak all known languages? That's my point. In other words, what are the odds that one book would be translated into, right at it, 6,000 or so languages, and it be done in a relatively speaking short time. So you're telling me there's a chance? I'm just saying. How many books have ever done that, Zach?

One in, you're telling me there's a chance. Because it seemed to pull it off. Here's what I want to say for when we're running out of time. If you believe what we're presenting to you in that God is acting not only then through these men in history, but now through us today. No doubt about it. He's acting.

He's given us the ability through Jesus and the power of his spirit to represent him on planet Earth. That's what we're doing. One thing you can do to help remind you of that as we go through the book of Acts is remember, it wasn't like he was a million miles away. You remember the episode with Paul right after Stephen?

Well, he's actually speaking. There's read letters in, what is that, eight, nine, ten, somewhere in there. And he's like, why, you know, when he said, who are you, Lord? And there's several little references in the book, acts that people don't notice. You remember the story of Lydia that we'll get to at some point? And it said the Lord had opened her heart.

To respond to the message. To respond. Well, wait a minute. I thought the Lord was at the right hand of God. And that's what I keep going back to. If you get in your head that this book, is the act of Jesus, I mean, you know, you can say act of God through man, however you want to phrase that. When you try to distance it and say, yeah, this is the acts of the apostles, I think you've missed it right off the bat.

You missed it, a country mile. And so you do it in the same thing in your life when you go out there and you say, well, I need to do something for God. No, you missed it already. God wants to do something through you. you know that that's that's the difference so acknowledging that and realizing that oh he didn't save me he didn't say it's finished so i could just sit on my bum and give some money that's not what this is about and try to stay out of trouble because guess what you're not going to be able to do it so that's what's awesome about god is that even though we do get into trouble and we do make

mistakes and we do sin after he's at the right of hand of God taking care of that for us so we can go out here and be used by him in these acts of love and boldness yeah and and i think it's key to remember that while the son of god jesus is mediating for us the spirit is living in us and applying that salvation to us that that sanctification to us So we think about like the only difference, Zach, between right now 2,000 years later from when the book of Acts was written and the kingdom came. John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples took out across there and they said over and over and over, repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. Fast forward 2,000 years, three members of that kingdom are simply saying, repent.

for the kingdom of heaven is here. Not near, it's here. And you're listening to three members of it. Redneck types, got a few whiskers, you say, members of the kingdom of God. Who's the king? Jesus. He removed my sin, yeah.

He's going to raise me from the dead, yeah. That's the book of Acts. That's the whole Bible. So, there you go. So I started off telling you, this silly story, but I withheld the ending on purpose because if you just left it there, it would be silly, but when I thought, I think I've upset this person. She works here.

They told her to ask people that they found, you know, if people found everything in the grocery store. But I could tell she wasn't used to someone saying, you know, as a matter of fact, no. So they need to go to phase two. however I realized that and I thought I don't want to make God look bad here you know like I'm griping about we don't have any paper towels around here I mean she asked so I just thought hey get some more paper towels and you went deep than I ever would yeah I did I shouldn't have done it

and so I said you know what because I could tell it was getting awkward I said I'll be glad when they'll come a day where we won't have to worry about paper towels and I said everybody is upset about the pandemic and it's okay to be concerned. I said, but you know, all the trouble that it's faced. I said, but I'm, I'm looking toward heaven. Well, evidently, she was a believer because she affirmed that. So, you know, you're right. There's way bigger things. I said, way bigger things and paper towels. Well, that ended well. It ended well. Why did it take you so long to say it was a good ending? I just thought I would create some drama. Because I wanted to show the point of acts, and I wanted to say that I believe God was

acting in that moment. He took my weakness for, they asked me a simple question. I gave him a simple answer. Chaos ensued. Feelings were getting hurt. And then I remembered the big picture and used that even in my

flawful moment to say, you know what? I love having Jesus conversations in places that are not religious. Grocery stores, auto jobs.

These are, I just think that's where the God magic happens. The spirit is poured out in those moments and people think, oh, is there really a God? Are there really people who believe in this stuff? And you have these conversations about life and I believe that's when God is acting. One way of looking at it, you said, does God provide all things? I said he does, including white. materials. Thank you for that.

Just find you a big oak. You'll be all right. See y'all next time. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube and be sure to click that little bell to get notified about new episodes.

And for even more content that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to Blaze TV at blazedv.com Slashamed.