Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 237 | Phil's Late-Night Rant, When Phil & Jase Were Almost Hit by Lightning & Why God Chose Paul

Episode Date: March 7, 2021

Phil wakes up in the middle of the night with a fired-up rant on his mind about the Gospel, baptism, and Christian denominations. He also relives the time the "Duck Dynasty" people lectured him about talent. Jase shares the story of Willie's baptism bucket brigade and points to a question every human has to ask at some point. And the guys talk about almost getting struck by lightning, things that are "yes" in Jesus, churches strangled by "no" people, and why God chose Paul. -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Well, here we are again. I'm in my, back at the southern lair, that's the name of my new place. I'm actually, we're actually, you know, down here, they name houses. So we're naming it, the southern layer. The southern layer. The southern layer, because you have the northern layer, which is where you guys are. I'm in the southern layer. Before we get cranked up today, I wanted to mention about our, I guess you call it a sister podcast, although it's all men, so maybe it's a brother podcast, which is the duck call room, which is Cy and Martin and Goblin, and I think they just kind of tell stories and have hygings, talk about hunting, I guess. But they've been running once a week. They're about to go to two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday.

and so if you watch it on YouTube or you've got an option now on the Tuesday one to go to the YouTube.com slash duck call room. It's the only place you'll be able to get the Tuesday one. So just wanted to let you guys know that, kind of be looking for that. You go to YouTube.com to subscribe and it's YouTube.com slash duck call room.

So check out that podcast if you have. Who's on that? Si? Yeah, Martin is kind of like me on this one. He's kind of the quarterback. And then you got Johnny D. And then you got Si. And then I think they rotate the fourth chair through Stone.

I don't know who else. I think Willie was on there. They said the other day. Godwin. Is he on it? I think Godwin rotates through. Yeah. Do they put subtitles on Godwin?

I don't know. I need to. I haven't watched it, but I've heard it's great. I've seen like bites that they put on YouTube. But it looks great. Stone tells me that that Sye's just, you know, he's been knocking it out of the park.

Did they use closed captioning for a podcast? Like if you were going on the road? They would need to for sure. Well, I don't have the stuff. He says it's not even in the English language. What's funny is, you know, they did the,

they did that dynasty in other languages. And Sye and other languages is, even funnier because how would you translate that into another language? The only time I ever watched an episode of Duck Dynasty post once it was released, we were, uh, Missy and I did an event in Mexico and it, we, we were at the hotel and it came on. In Mexico. Yeah, but it was in Spanish.

It was like one of these, uh, you know, these old Chinese, uh, fighter movies where the guy, his mouth moves. and then he's like, get out of my way. But this was, so. And the guy's size voice was like a high, like a squeaky. It was like five octaves, not five. I can't remember the musical scale, but like not just above. I guess is that an octave above?

Oh, if Missy listens to this, she's going to be. She'll sit me down and explain the musical scale. But it was like a really high-pitched sigh version. And I have no idea what they were saying. But we sat there and laughed till we cried. At some point, some of the people during the Duck Dynasty episodes, they sat down with me one day and they said, they felt like I needed a little speech on talent.

what talent really is in the TV world. And they said, what do you think about a guy who will come right up to the line, but before he makes a complete fool out of himself, he will shut his mouth before he becomes a complete fool or makes himself look like a complete idiot. And he holds the line and he won't step across and do that. What do you think about it?

guy like that. I said, well, I would think that's wisdom. He wised up instead of making a fool of himself, he just keeps his mouth shut. He said, that's why you don't understand talent, Mr. Robertson, because your brother, Cy, he said, he'll

step across that line. That's what talent is. I said, well, somewhere in the mix, I missed it, dude, so I don't have any. He was letting me know that I was not the star of the show, and I live with it.

That's right. You don't think y'all have problems getting a word in edgewise. Aside, Martin, like, when I'm around them, I never say a word. So I don't see how the other... They're just not room for whatever you have to say. Never. That's what people don't realize. I'm sure the duck door room is a lively...

When I worked in the duck call room, I said I probably... I mean, we went on for years because we had Martin and Godwin and Si. Who else was in there? And Jelp was in there. And I would say that I was less than 1% of the conversation. You were among more talented individuals, according to the TV buffs. I just could. For a while, I tried to jump in, but it just...

Your intellect would. just not measure up with size. Yeah. Yeah, that's scary. It's a scary world out there. So I think I'm going to watch it. I'm on, or do you listen or watch, Bo?

It's like. You can do it. Okay. And the size's got the now that, you know, post COVID, so he's having to wear his oxygen all the time.

He's got his little canyles on his nose, which he should have already been doing. Look, I know. I played cards with him the last time I saw him. And I'm like, you know, I'm in a hand with.

him which I just try to avoid and I'm like I mean I can't I'm like sigh I got the best time possible I mean he's you know he's got his breathing is his oxygen and I just I just can't do it it convinced me size coming out on the other side of the coronavirus it did convince me that there is a God in heaven if he survived oh I agree you know what I'm saying now but we all said from he would die. If side gets this, he's died. Yeah, I said unless God intervenes, I left it open that God would spare him. Well, God did spare him.

But look, I've always said about Sao, whatever you think he's going to say or do, usually the opposite occurs. You know, so I'm like, I don't know why I didn't take the contrarian view, you know. because I mean he's pretty tough but you know sigh had the you know

depression hit him with this thing and Sadie told me the same thing when she had it because she was pregnant too but she said that she like I've read this about other people

this is why this thing is so crazy not everybody experiences it I guess you didn't know Jay did you get like super depressed like Sadie was like I was just dark I mean it's just weird you're kind of lonely I think it's the combination

of the quarantine, you're sick, and it's a little different type of, I mean, you never, it has a few bells and whistles in and during it, you know, with the no taste and smell. I mean, that's just being cruel. It's like, oh, you can eat, but you can't taste it.

Well, somebody in Louisiana, I mean, food is like, in our top five of tasting food is a big deal. And so then you're quarantined, so you're lonely and I could see how people could get depressed. I mean, you just,

if you're raised in Louisiana and you can't taste food and you can't be around people, that's pretty much all we do. You know? That's by the, that's the number one. Yeah, it's a great one.

Well, it's like, so dad, you got it. Well, I was just going to say one last thing. It was like when, when the producers or whoever, the powers that be

were going to do our show, it was so, drastic when they said, I mean, we had a meal together before we had a meeting and they were like, how often do you do this? It was like, what? What? And they were like, gather around a table and eat. And we were all looking at them like, what kind of question is that? It was the most ridiculous question, but they were serious. So I guess in our fast food age and in individualism. People don't gather together and eat, but they just don't do it. A lot of people don't want to throw that in there.

But you're right, Jason. Now with that, that's probably why Louisiana especially, you know, basically, I mean, everybody, you know, tried their best to do what they were asked to do. But at the same time, you weren't going to keep, you're not keeping Louisiana families from getting together. It's just not going to have. I mean, I'm on some of these other states, they've done it. I have a little update. And did you wake up this morning with this on your mind? Because you were trying to give it to me a while ago. I woke up during the night.

Uh-oh. And I want to say this to our listeners. Just go for it. Because a lot of people say, well, well, the Bible is boring. And they all come up with these. There's a lot. Look, to all you listeners, I know that we're speaking to many, many, many different denominations. I understand. There's a lot of division in the Christian world. I understand. It's always been that way. The wars within the kingdom of God. So let me just give you an update from our study of the Book of Acts. I'll do this as quickly as possible.

Saul of Tarsus, a guy who was on the wrong side of this thing, is introduced in chapter 7 about verse 36, 37. When you mean wrong side of the thing, he was actually killing. Christian people. That's right. For people who follow Jesus. That's right. So Stephen gets up and preaches a sermon in Acts 7, and I'll show you a little bit about that in a minute. But they all rushed at him.

They dragged him out of the city, began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. That's when he's introduced. Chapter 8, verse 1, he was there, given approval to his death, kill them all. Chapter 8, verse 3, Saul began to destroy the church. That's why I said he's on the wrong side of this particular issue. That's when he's introduced. A short period of time later, it will be probably several years.

He had this to say after he was converted to Christ, which is covered in Acts chapter nine. Meanwhile, Saul was breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples, and then Jesus strikes him down on a road to Damascus. He has a change of heart instantaneously, and he starts writing most of the New Testament, which he did. Part of his writings, one of them is when he talked to Timothy, a young preacher. Here's what he said. Don't be ashamed to testify about our Lord, that's the one that he was, the spokesman for the Lord Jesus, Stephen, that he was killing. Don't be ashamed of me his, this is Saul of Tarsus, the ex-Sol of Tarsus talking now as the Apostle Paul. Don't be ashamed of me his prisoner. Join with me in suffering for the gospel.

This is 2nd Timothy chapter 1. Suffer for the gospel. He saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything he's done, but because of his own purpose and grace. It was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. He had no idea when he's first introduced in the book of Acts, a killer, but he's now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus and destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. The gospel is the centerpiece of what he's telling Timothy, a young preacher. this gospel I was appointed right after he was killing Christians.

Jesus struck him down and appoints him to be a herald and an apostle for crying out loud and a teacher. He said, that's why I'm suffering as I am. Now he's going through the same thing. He was putting on the Christian people. Yet I'm not ashamed, which is the podcast that you're now listening to, because I know the ex-apostal Paul, the current apostle, I know whom I have believed and I'm convinced he's able to guard what I've entrusted to him for this day.

Whatever you heard, what you heard from me, Timothy, keep as a pattern of sound teaching. Well, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Dad, hang on. Let's take a quick. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. They all recorded that Jesus died. God became flesh, Jesus. The virgin birth is covered. He died on a cross.

He was buried in a tomb, and he was raised from the dead. When he was raised from the dead, he said, go preach the message, go preach the gospel, me dying being buried or raised from the dead, and baptize the one, make disciples of all nations, baptize them. get to Acts, the first few statements in the book of Acts. Luke, the doctor, wrote it. He'd already covered in the book of Luke, the Gospel of Luke. He appeared to him, Acts 1-3. We covered this. Over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God. After his suffering, verse 3, he showed himself to these men. He brings up the gospel that he recorded when he wrote the

gospel of Luke. That's chapter 1. Chapter 2, verse 23, this man, Jesus, was handed over to you by God's self-purpose for knowledge. You were the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. God has raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death. It was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. That's chapter 2. Chapter 1, after his suffering, he showed himself to these men. Then he went back into heaven.

You get to the end of chapter 2, almost. What's their response? repent and be baptized every one of you and you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That's what Jesus said. Go make disciples and baptize them. What do we do? Repet and be baptized. They're baptizing them.

That's chapter two. Chapter three. You disowned, verse 14, the holy and righteous one. You ask that a murderer be released to you. Oh, Barabbas, you kill the author of life, but God is raised him from the dead. Are you seeing the pattern? Jesus died, was buried, and raised from the dead. For all you various denominations out there, give me a break.

Let's all stand on this. Chapter 4, verse 2 or 3 there, teaching the people in proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Pattern, hold to the pattern. It's what Paul told Timothy. Look down at the bottom of there about verse 10. It's by the name. of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead.

He's still on it. All of them are. You say that's chapter four. I turn a page. You get to chapter five. Peter, verse 29, we must obey God rather than men. They've got their marching orders. The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead whom you kill by hanging on a tree.

They're still on it. Same message. Peter, I mean, Paul told Timothy, hold to the pattern as sound teaching, whatever you do. You turn one page, you get the end of chapter five. Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Chapter 6 and 7 is what we discussed while ago, leading into Paul's... It was about two weeks ago.

About two weeks ago. Yes. We hear what Stephen said to him. They even kill those who predicted the coming of the righteous one. Now, you've betrayed and murdered him. He's still on the death barrel and resurrection of Jesus. You get to chapter 8. Saul was there giving approval to his death before he became an apostle.

You look at verse four, those who had been scattered from Jerusalem, preached the word wherever they went. Well, what do you know? They run up on old Simon the sorcerer When they believe Philip As he preached the gospel of the kingdom And the name of Jesus they were baptized I see a pattern

The gospel is preached and they baptize them The gospel is preached and they baptize them And they receive God's spirit So now we come along And we look at some guy driving down the road The Ethiopian eunuch Here comes one of the spokesman for God He preaches the gospel.

He started with the passage that Philip knew nothing about, the eunuch. He started with that, told him the good news about Jesus, why shouldn't I be baptized? He went out in the morning baptize him. How many times would you have to read them, those people preaching the gospel and the response baptized them in a pool of water before you said, you know what? After the first eight chapters, and we just got started.

We read the book of our books. Acts, this is going to come up over and over and over. And the last, the first thing that said in the book of Acts is Acts 1-3 after his suffering. He showed himself to these men. Then he left the earth. The last thing in the book of Acts, last statement, boldly and without hindrance, he, Paul, who was Saul, preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm just saying after that little rant. Please, all of you, and across the denomination of world, let's come together on the message that it's preached.

It's the truth, Jesus referred to, that would set us free from Satan, from sin, from guilt, from law, and from the grave for crying out loud. Let's come together and all stand as one on that message please I'm dub with my little rant well you got your sermon Al do you want to lead an invitation song

and I started to go into it just as I am or give a little hallelujah I was just trying to tie this all together for people to look and say so what I think it's good that every once a while you because what we do when you study

sections of scripture especially in a church setting a lot of times the big picture is always That's my point, Jay. Look, I bumped into Willie yesterday, and he taught Sunday up at one of the local churches, and of course, he introduced Jesus. Missy actually watched it somehow online, and he said there was a couple of young fellas

impressive looking young, like college age type guys. They wanted to be baptized, and when they had a baptistry, but it didn't have any. water in it or enough water. So he said they were getting buckets. Like when he was telling me about it, what popped into my head is like these westerns you watch back in the day where there's a fire in a house and everybody gets the buckets and their hands. He said that's what happened.

Old Matt Dillon movie there. He said in 10 minutes, the bucket started flying and they're getting the water and I was like, Willie, in the westerns, they're trying to put the fire out. Y'all are trying to create a scenario where the fire starts. And he said, I'm going to use that. So I thought that was, when you were reading all that, I thought in that setting, which made it kind of exciting that they're getting the buckets and it's exciting. But these people had heard Jesus, young guys, which there's something about college age people coming to Christ that's even more exciting. I mean, I'm excited when anybody comes, but you're thinking

for the future, these are the people. We need doing the same thing because what has change from then to now. Nothing. Nothing. As much as everything's changed in the world, it's still about having conversations with people, introducing Jesus, receiving the,

you know, the salvation and the benefits of having this relationship and getting off the planet eventually. Nothing has changed, in my opinion. Look, it's not rocket science for crying out loud, Al. I know good and well. that every denomination or group out there, we ought to come together and stand on the message of God becoming flesh, Jesus, 2,000 years ago,

dying on a cross, being buried and raised from the dead and ascended back into heaven where he's there to mediate for us. He removes our sin and he'll raise us from the dead. Give me a break. It's right here. Yeah. Well, I wanted to read a verse. Let's take a break.

I wanted to read a verse that kind of caps what you just said, that. And it's what Paul said about himself in Galatians 1. He's, you know, he's talking to the Galatian Church. He said, I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it. Rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. As you mentioned, and we're going to talk about in the... I bet you. For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted at the Church of God and try to destroy it. And then catch this phrase,

because I think this goes to the frustration you were mentioning, Dad, that sometimes we lose sight of. In verse 14, I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age, and here's the key phrase, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. You see, I mean, it caught up in the idea of that, and I think that's exactly like you said, Jason.

He couldn't see it, Al, he couldn't see it. It's right in plain sight. That's why I'm making the point out of day to everybody. Look, this is not like rocket science. Well, but you got different places, different. The reason that we have so many different denominations is what the world kind of makes fun of. It's because they're like, y'all can't even get along and unite. I mean, there's thousands of different groups.

There's so many, it just looks so. unappealing to the world. But I think within the certain groups and church buildings, people start trying to please men, and I mean mankind, instead of God, they come up with things that's just what they're, either their personality or their tradition or their interpretation has come up with, and then alienate anybody who doesn't agree with that set of standards. It reminds me that you read that out. Where was that at what you read?

Galatians 1. 11 through 14. Well, right before that, even in the 6th through 10 of Galatians 1, what's weird is I had to turn to Galatians 1, he said, I'm shocked that you're turning to a different gospel. Astonished. Yeah, and then he, like, couldn't have been any stronger. Like, anybody who preaches a different gospel, let him be eternally condemn me.

It's, like, scary. But then he made this statement in verse 10, am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Which reminds me of that story in Acts 5 about Anas and Safara. They were using a religious setting and the giving of money to try to impress men instead of God. And you say, well, how do we get all? Why don't we unite? That's how it happens.

which is unfortunate but I think it also in a way conceals people who are genuinely in love with Jesus where you can't really get to them that's why the church will never be destroyed because amongst all this

mess of religion there are millions of people who genuinely love Jesus and are out here sharing the same message which at the current time frame in the history of our country.

It's such, the situation is getting such dire circumstances and what we've done to ourselves, our nation. I'm begging the ones, I'm making a plea to all the ones of the various denominations. For crying out loud, let's all agree on God becoming flesh 2,021 years ago. We're counting time by them. Our calendar tells us, screams it out.

out at us, his death on a cross, his barrel, and resurrection now, and send him back into the heaven. I mean, surely we can agree on that and the response to it based on the book of Acts there, Jace. All right. Look, they heard it and they said, what do we do? Well, they took them down there. Jesus said, baptize them. And they did. Why don't we just do it? I agree. And I'll give you my sermon. I woke up years ago in the middle of the night with this, what we're studying. And I think it's interesting that, Saul's conversion, it's in the book of Acts three times.

I mean, this is like the, as it happened, but it's two other times, we'll get to. But you can't miss it. Yeah. So I think it's an important moment, obviously, because he wrote so many books, but I just think when the Bible repeats itself, which was your whole point, you should take special notice. But I'll give you my little sermon from Acts 9. you have Saul in verse one

he was breathing out murderous threats against the Lord he went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogue so that if he found any there who belonged to the way which I think this is the first time that phrase is used in the book of Acts

and I love it because it makes you think of that John 14 Jesus said I am the way and the followers of Jesus they just became known as the way I like that I love it by the way if anybody out there in the denomination

where I want to carry that name, go for it. Yeah. But what's... Who are y'all? Either way. What's disturbing is it's not that he was just killing Christians. He was doing investigations here to try to find out who belong.

I mean, this is his heinous. He had devoted his life to pursuing and... He was a murderous thug. Yeah. I mean, it reminds you of, you know, even what happened. very subtle do I relate something to you know Nazis and killing Jews but you know this what he's doing is basically trying to uncover anybody who follows Jesus and wipe him off the face of the he went from that to Timothy that I started out with to say and to Timothy don't be ashamed of the

gospel now stand on it don't move on it because a whole as a pattern of sound teaching at Timothy Don't get off of this to go to the left or right. Well, fast forward 2,000 years. No, we got off of it. Well, right. So look, then in verse three, he neared Damascus, and then suddenly a light from heaven flashed around in which all the light references that we went through in the book of John, Jesus on the light of the world,

that passage in 1 Timothy 6 about God who is in unapproachable light. Well, here is Jesus in this moment. moment because he fell to the ground and he hears a voice, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? And the first, I guess, point of my little sermon is who? Who are you, Lord? That's a question that every human being has to ask at some point in their life. That's it. Just think about that. Every human being has to say, who are you Lord? Now, they may not say Lord, but who is Jesus? Just think how profound that question.

Of course, he had already deducted that whoever this is is Lord because... He's just shown up in a lightning boat. Yeah, and struck him down, and he's blind. And he says, I am Jesus, whom you're a person. execute him. Now get up and go into the city and you'll be told what you must do. The men traveling with Saul stood their speechless. They heard the sound, but not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. So they led him to the hand to Damascus. For three days he was blind and he didn't eat or drink anything.

And you know, I don't think you can, I think you ought to have water. What's that rule of three, three minutes of that oxygen? three days without water, three weeks without food. He's at the brink of death here with no water. Someone says, well, how come he changes mind so quickly? So what would your answer be to that? You know, how could you be a murderer's thug and be on one side of a thing? And all of a sudden, you've had a change of heart,

beginning with the lightning strikes. A lot of people have told me about near-death experiences, and they say, you know, I think the Lord. was saying this and I think this when the Lord strikes you down and you're blind and he starts talking to you and nobody else can hear it I think that did it now it it did it for him and look people like say well does that happen today I don't God can do what he wants and we might have heard thunder one day and it was just the Lord talking to somebody saying get it right you remember when coming from the duck blind that day is a is a muggy day but no thunder no nothing and you remember

we heard like a click and then it was just boo woo I mean lightning and barely missed us and I looked at you and you looked at me and everybody else looked around it got our attention jays yeah so next time what that happens we need to say we need to go start sharing Jesus I'm telling you. Which is true. Look, here's what bothers me. I mean, I know we're... Continue on with your line.

I know. We're chasing a rabbit here, but I do want to say this. That most of the time when I'm having a conversation about somebody, when they start telling me, like, their story and it's a near-death experience, it bothers me because Saul didn't go around, you know, sharing his story, even though, you know, the story's told three times. He was sharing Jesus. I mean, this moment, just like our moment when we're humbled and asked who are you, Lord, whatever our circumstances are, it results in us sharing Jesus, not us. That's right.

We're not anything special at all. In fact, he says the opposite. He's like, I was the worst sinner in the history of the world. And he actually had a point. So the men were, they didn't, they couldn't understand it. But look, as much as this is about Saul, I think it's about Anonis. also because here he is well he's he he's trusting god he's in Damascus in verse 10 and there was anise the Lord called to him in a vision so he got two different encounters going on now I love

this so the first point that everyone has to ask it as a human being is who is Jesus but the second point is is when the Lord calls you you have one answer and it's three letters again. Yes, Lord. And I went to that passage out. Is it Sir Corinthians or 1 Corinthians 1, where it says, I think I have to stop and make this point. Second Corinthians 1-18.

Because there's a very interesting thing I think that came from this story because Saul, then Paul, wrote these words in 2 Corinthians 1. and he's trying to get the Corinthians to get back to the gospel and we're familiar with what happened at Corinth. But in verse 17 of 2nd Corinthians 1, he said, when I plan this, and you can read the context later, did I do it lightly, or do I make any plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say yes, yes, and no, no.

And watch his point here. But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not yes and no. For the son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you, me, Silas Timothy, was not yes and no, but in him it has always been yes.

And you're like, what is the big deal about this? Because look, a lot of churches and a lot of religion spend a lot of time talking about just saying no, or what you can't do. But he says in verse 20,

for no matter how, many promises God has made they are yes in Christ it made me think of that when here's anonise and the Lord speaks to him in a vision and he's like yes Lord I mean that is your answer now you can list a mile long of promises on what we're to say yes to but when a lot of people who I'm sharing Jesus with they when they start this attitude of what can I and can't do they're like can I do this you know, what should I not do? You think it's right.

Oh, it's a list of mile long. You know, can I go to a dance? Can I drink a beer? And I'm like, look, you're looking at this from a rule-oriented situation. Let me give you the things that are yes in Jesus. You won't complete and utter forgiveness before, during, and after every mistake you'll ever make. that's a yes moment do you want to live forever no matter what the circumstances yes that'll do it I mean I just I've stopped and started preaching here but

you can't help it well I'll get to the third question oh go ahead Al hang on so in a practical sense of what you're saying I agree 100% and I was just thinking about over all the years I've spent you know working for one of working for the church. And I remember when I was young, some of the people, you know, that I worked with and for, I always felt like if I went to them with a question about, you know, I want to do this, you know, I got this idea that I think we can reach somebody this way or I think we can, you know, start this program or this whatever. And I felt like the mindset was with some people is the answer was always no, unless you can give me a compelling reason to allow you to do this.

I mean, that's how I felt. No, I agree. So my problem. Yeah. Go ahead. And my approach later was, I wanted to be just the opposite. When people came to me and said, hey, I got this idea that I want to go do this. My answer was always yes, unless there was a compelling reason why you shouldn't.

And so, you know, I just think that's a mindset that's there. And unfortunately, churches are strangled many times. I know people instead of yes people. And the reason I wanted to bring this up, because the next two verses or three verses, kind of explains how this happens. Because in this situation, when he says, yes, Lord, where the Lord said, look, go to the house of Judas on straight street. You can't make this up.

Jesus is sending a guy to straight street and asked for a man from Tarsan named Tau, Saul, huh? And the House of Judas on that with that. The subtleties in the story are hilarious. Take our last break. He said, in a vision in verse 12, He has seen a man named Anonais come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.

Now look, here's, I love this. In 13, Anonis answered, Lord, now I've heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done. And he has come here with the authority from the chief priest to arrest all who call on your name. You said, you sure you want me talking to this? Now, he went from, yes, Lord, to, I'm not sure about it. this. And look, is that not what happens every day? We're like, all the Lord has a job for me and a mission. And then all of a sudden things come up in life. And we're like, I'm not sure about this whole boy. People begin to curse you and speak, say evil things about you after you get

all fired up and you're going to be a witness for Jesus. And you go out there. And all of a sudden, you're like, wait a minute here. What's all these people on Facebook? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, wait a minute here. There's people who hate my guts here. I thought I was going to, and they begin to wonder whether it's worth it all. Yeah. And so my point is then in verse 15, but the Lord said to Anonis go.

So if you want your one word sermons out of this, it was who, because we all have to ask who is Jesus. it's yes because when you start saying well no lord i don't think that's the right guy for the job you've stepped out of our role in this and then the lord i mean he just simply said go exclamation point go go go this man is my chosen instrument which i love how he phrases that to carry my name before the gentiles and their kings and before the people of israel i will show him how much you must suffer for me for my name which he said that like in a pleasant way he gets to suffer for me that that's right so i mean that was it that was basically the simplicity of how i read that do i

think that's still going on today exactly yeah i think he uses us for the same things and look in my life over and over i've seen a lot of people that when they got in a setting where we were introducing Jesus, I said, not this old boy, not this girl. By the way, Anonis, the final little wordage here, went to the house and entered it, placing his hands on Saul. He said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road back there as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he could see again. He got to see again. He got to see. He got to, up, well, what do you know? He got up. Let's see if they're following the pattern of the previous

people who were converted. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And you got individuals 2,000 years later said, why do y'all think you got to go baptize them? I'm like, give me a break. I mean, there's another conversion story. But it shouldn't even be an issue based on what we read in Acts 8 in the previous, in the previous chapter. The question comes down to that what the eunuchs said, why shouldn't I? And here you have the opportunity,

but it's Jesus first, and then you get to respond. It should be a blessing and a privilege instead of some kind of debate. But I do think it's funny, too, he said after and after taking some food, because, you know, he's fixed to die physically if he didn't get something to eat.

He hadn't eaten in three days. or any water so there's your sermon what will you give I mean it wasn't our sermon it was you know inspired by the Holy Spirit but I just picked out

those three little one words good sermon Jays what are you going to go with that's that's homiletical you know because I love the three words you get you know when you preach the sermon you got to have those three points

it's one way or the other so I'm sure I'll fold I'm sure I will fold that into my tapestry That was good. And I was going to make a couple of points about it in our last few minutes. One is that it wasn't, you talk about not being accidental because Paul, he gives his testimony. He tells this story two more times later in Acts. And both times he's on trial, you know, when he does it.

So he's trying to convince these Roman authorities of what he's doing. And this is the story he tells him. And he fills in a little bit, which we'll talk about next time, some things that. he didn't, it didn't said here, but it said later. But it's no accident to me that he was blinded either. I mean, he would struggle with, he wasn't just blinded in the moment, even though the scales fell off his eyes and he could see well enough to get around. You know from what he said in Galatians, he said, you know, it's me, look at the big letters I'm using. He was affected, his vision was affected the rest of his life because of this moment. And I think maybe even,

that's what he was talking about in St. Corinthians, 12, when he talked about this, you know, Thorne my flesh, but that's just my guess. But now there's a phrase that popped into my head is that seeing the unseen, you know, Joe Beam wrote a book on that that we all love years ago. But there's something about that that we all have to go through from a trust perspective to have this relationship with God. And in this case, this all happened while he's blind. I mean, you think that's a coincidence.

Yeah, no way. I mean, that's exactly right. So I think that was very significant, you know, that this happened the way it did to him. Like y'all were saying earlier, it was to get his attention at first, but then also it was a conviction for the rest of the way. I mean, he was going to have this. The other thing was he mentions to Anonis that he's going to be the instrument for the Gentiles. what do you think about it for a for a Pharisee Hebrew of Hebrews trained under Gamal I mean this would have been the worst news ever because nobody wanted as a Jew wanted to deal with Gentiles I mean you got as far away from them as possible and yet it's in almost this twist of faith God said I tell you what you're going to be the main guy that's going to go work with all these Gentiles which is why we're here this is why we're here that's right these these these he was going to reach the people that would eventually lead to us. Yep.

I mean, and I tell you another point that stands out to me is that God is fully aware of the workings of us representing him. Even in Stephen and Philip and all these things you're reading, like when we read about Jesus standing up at the right end of God, you know, when Stephen was fixed to be killed, and even picking Anonais here, and then saying this about Saul, he's going to be my chosen instrument,

God is fully aware. And going back to March 16, 20, it's him working in us to let him be known in the world. To carry my name before the Gentile and all this religious, all this race thing out that we see and all the division that it's, it's caused and all the heartache and the misery,

people coming together, the story of bringing them all together, Jew or Gentile, is right here in the book of Acts, but they don't, they don't read it and they don't believe it. Sad. Well, you're right, it is,

and it's exactly, it shows you that the evil one is used the same tactics spanning across all of history. I mean, you have to divide people, you have to try to get people not to look at God as an answer, but look at themselves, look at identity and all the stuff you see today. It's just reasons itself over and over and over and over again, you know. And I think that's

exactly why he chose Paul. It was just almost like a cruel joke. I mean, it's not a joke, but I mean, in the way that he said, I'm going to get this guy who would not have had the shadow of a Gentile fall across his body to go in and convert people and build churches and travel to all these places that he would never have done before. So it was really amazing to me. And then he even said the last thing, he's going to suffer for my name. And he did. And look, Paul got it from all sides.

The early on, which we'll talk about next time, the disciples wouldn't accept him. Why would they? I mean, you know, his reputation preceded him. And he was so, part of that. Yeah, he was so dead set against Jesus that he's going around killing the followers of Christ as a livelihood, you just think about what a change that he had to make from slaughtering the sons

and daughters of God to trying to bring them all together under one head. I think he did it because, look, from this point on until Jesus comes back, nobody in our world can ever say, I have messed up too bad, I'm too far gone, to ever be reconciled to God. And not only that, and to be used in a positive way. Yep. No one can ever say it. You're out on that.

So you chunk that lie over your shoulder and get back up. Here you go. God can use you. If you can use us, he can use anybody. And if he can use Saul and built one of the pillars of the early church, what do you wait now? Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating.

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