Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 267 | Jase Throws a Party for Missy, and Phil Shows Up on Purpose

Episode Date: April 28, 2021

Phil is all partied out, but Jase discovers there's one way to get him to show up at a celebration. Willie comes up with a clever way to lose $100 on his birthday. Phil is mighty impressed with his kids' ability to practice hospitality and put out a tasty spread. Jase is NOT a fan of focusing on people's sins and behavior before we even share who Jesus is. Al points out that many church leaders make it too difficult to come to Christ. And Phil has a theory on why many churches don't have balconies. -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Well, we had a week of parties, and I organized my first one ever. That was the gift. You got me, you got me when I said, what are they celebrating on that? And I think they said, it wasn't your birthday, it was your Mrs. It was Missy's birthday. And remember I invited you, but I said, look, just letting you know we're going to get together and eat some ribbys and some fillets. About a week ago, and I said, you're invited, but I don't care if you come or not because I know how you are about birthday party. But I was shocked when I saw you come through the door. Did he come? He came. Oh, wow.

I came not because of Missy Turner another year in their life. Yeah. It was because the bone in ribby. I said, bone and ribby. Now, the day before, they said, Willie's got one over there. I said, what are they celebrating over there? And I forgot what the women said they were celebrating, but I mean, every night. It was Willie's birthday.

It was going to celebrate. Yeah, your others. I got burned out on the celebrations. It's a good night. It failed to be burned out. You didn't attend, which that was Willie's birthday, which I, it was pretty, it was good food. They took two whole,

Whole tenderloins and jay smoked them i mean it was not bad and there was the emergence of a new guy who said he was a shelf in south louisiana well let me tell you what he cooked was good he cooked all the sides i don't even know how to describe what it all was i because i started eating so jace's name is is martinez and dad calls him menendez oh wow for some reason well well i got the Mur and the Deyes anyway. Let me tell you, Martinez can cook. He had some potatoes. Well, here's what was interesting.

He had some potatoes there, and I was looking at them. I thought, what is that? It looks like potatoes, but I've never seen potatoes look like. It was the whole potato, but they were like kind of, it looked like they had just been run over, and they were crunchy on the outside. Well, I'd just grab one and took a bite of it and said, good grief. This is the greatest thing. I've ever eaten.

So I said, who cooked this? Because I was trying to figure out how this happened. How did you make a potato that was real soft? And it was kind of had a little Cajun zest to it, crunchy on the outside, but they hadn't been fried. So I was like, who did this? So they pointed me to Martinez. I said, did you cook this?

He said, I did. I said, how did you do that? He said, carefully. I said, how long did it take? He said, three hours. I said, it took you three hours to cook these. So every other question I asked him about how it happened, I realized he's not going to tell me how he did this. I don't know why, but it just.

You know, it's the thing about it. Some cooks are like, they want to tell you everything like that. He'll go through the whole tutorial. And then there are other cooks, Bill Angeloys the same way. They don't want to tell you anything. They figure their value of being invited to the party is you not knowing how they did it. Huh. Yeah.

So, just two different ways looking at. Well, if they follow the Robinson crowd around, these older women, you know, they're in for a treat because there's a celebration with food every other or if not every, every time you turn around, there's another one, another one, another one. I just, I mean, maybe it's a great way for a family structure to operate because there's, there's a, I mean, life itself is a celebration according to y'all's mama. I'll tell you this, the most fun thing that happened at Willie's party is, so after we eat, we go out there, and Willie's all the time trying to get something going, you know,

and he has this little synthetic golf course behind his house that he's created. You know, I started off with a putting green. And I traded a duck hunt for. And Willie, typical Willie, he just goes ahead and has a course that you can play. So there's one hole right below his house and the pond is behind it. The problem with the synthetic course is that, you know, there's no maintenance or anything. But it's like you have to be a professional golfer to play good on these. I'll play them before.

The greens are like so fast and they're they're pretty firm. So it's like you have to hit a perfect shot. Well, behind the green is, you know, ponds and grass that's not manicured golf grass. So it's just really hard. To Willie, he's been getting back into golf because he took a couple of years off because he got the putting yips and the chipping yps. And I've been telling him that I've been. struggling because I didn't play for months. And then when I come back, it's like I forgot how to

chelp and pitch. And now I see what he means because you're standing over the ball. Everybody's watching and you're like, I can't, I'm not sure. Yeah, what I do? It's the worst feeling in the world. I'm like, so I either hit behind the ball or I just skull it like head high could kill someone every time. So after a while, you're like, you're just, I don't know what to do. So we were talking about that before. So he has this idea because all of a sudden,

he's been practicing and he thinks he's got it figured out, which is the biggest golf lie ever. You know, you think, you watch a video. He said, I got it figured out, then you go play. No, you didn't have it figured out. So he says, I tell you what, let's do this. Everybody, let's have a chipping contest, which it was more a pitch because it was a 50-yard shot.

He said, everybody pays $20 to me. This is Willie. If I get it closer to the hole than you. But if I don't get it closer to the hole, whoever gets the closest, I'll give $100. So I thought about that. I was like, so you understand the, it's not a bet. It's just, it's a game.

I thought, this, this sounds like a good way to lose $100 on your birthday. On your birthday, you lose 100. Because I thought, because people say, how many people are in? So about 10 or 12 people raise their hand. I didn't raise my hand. I was having a spiritual conversation with Veronica. And I thought, I got the pitching yips. So I don't want to come over for your birthday and embarrass myself.

And so I'm sitting here talking and they're organ. And I, you know, then everybody, the buzz is going on. Okay, let's, let's, we're, people are getting clubs out and started practicing. And, well, then somebody walked over there and handed me a golf ball. It said, Jace on it. I said, I guess I'm in. Because they were putting everybody's names on the ball. So they assumed I was going to be in.

So everybody starts. I mean, people are hitting them in the pond, you know, Willie, he's over there. Because he hadn't hit you, but he's feeling good. So I got up there and I thought, what am I? What am I so nervous about this picture? I mean, we're having fun. I'm just not going to think about it. I looked at the hole, took it back, hit it.

It looked like it was going in, and it trickled right on the fringe about eight feet from the hole. Everybody goes nuts. Because now, of course, he's looking to me like, what happened to the pitching yips? I said, I think I found my motivation, making you squirm. So now that's going to be my swing thought. So anyway, we get down to the end before Willie goes, and there was a girl who works for Willie at Duck Commander. She's never played.

So I'm looking at her. She's fixing a hit, and I thought, oh, this is going to be embarrassed. Because what she was doing was wrong. So I said, look, here's what you do. You know, forget everything else. Bring the club out in front of you. And then when you address the ball, just get the club back here out in front of him. That way it'll help, it'll simplify everything.

Just don't think about the back swing or anything. Just come to right here. So she stepped up, gets over the ball, hits it two feet. Everybody's jumping, high-fiving, you know, because now these greens are so hard. I mean, because she hit, it checked up, and then it just trickled all the way down to the hole. She's never played golf. Never. So it just chaos ensued.

So then Willie after that has to follow that. He just chunks it. Gives her the hundred dollars. The girl who has never played won the hundred dollars. It sounds like to me, I'm just off the top of my head. There's a bunch of rednecks or run out or something to do. Well, it was a birthday party, Phil. My point is, you said, well, what's the spiritual point?

I have a spiritual point because I got to think about that. I thought how could the only... I knew there would be a spiritual point. Look, how could the only... only person who has never played out of 15 people win the contest. Only in the game of golf. Now, you know what? She had no pass, no bad memories.

She was a little nervous. I gave her some instruction. I don't even know what I'm doing. But I was trying to help her because I didn't want her to embarrass her herself. But she listened. She thought, oh, just take the club here and take it to there. and it was a beautiful show. It was the best.

I mean, she deserved to win the $100. So I was right. Willie came up with a clever way for himself to lose $100 on his birthday. And it was spectacular because the person who had never played won. And they wonder what y'all do up there in the subdivision. That's pretty well. See what you've been missing that? All these celebrations you've been missing through the years.

Phil, People will find that fascinating. At some point, did you all get together and break bread? Did I break bread? Did you break bread and all this? Was there something to eat? Yeah, yeah. Okay, well, I'm just saying, every day they continue to meet in the Temple Courts, Acts

Chapter 3, they broke bread in their homes, Al, and they ate together with glad and sincere hearts. I must admit, the Robertson Bunch, they've got that part. of it down. Well, you ate at my house. How was our bread breaking? I mean, look, I'm a little nervous about asking you, but I mean, you're not going to hurt my feelings. I came away from there driving down the road and told your mother, I said, one thing's for sure about these offspring that we raised up as children and now adults.

That would be me. I said, they have learned how to cook and throw a feed. They have got practice hospitality down. I said no doubt about it. I was impressed with the flow of the menu at Willys, Al, over where you are, you and Lisa and Jason Missy. I'm impressed with their ability to put on an excellent food. I mean, top of the line, prime beef.

I mean, you know, salads. I mean, it was pretty impressive to. to watch it. If it had been bad food, I never would have shown up if it couldn't cook. But I said, this bunch can cook. So all three of y'all.

Good to know your offspring is now, is bawling your footstead. I missed the first two feeds because Lisa and I, we came down to the Southern Lair, but the last two feeds, so, Jace, after yours, I got two texts from Kirby.

And the first one, he said that the food was amazing. And then the next text, he said, and Phil said it was the best bone in he had ever eaten. So I figured, well, it's a pretty good feed. If I get two texts over it that said it was that fantastic. Of course, Stone has kind of become the core. Yep.

He's kind of our core griller. And, I mean, he's, that boy is, he's basically made it where I can't eat out anymore. I mean, what's the point? He ain't, you ain't able to beat that at a restaurant. I threw in some black and crappie to go with the stage. They were outstanding. Oh, they were out fresh. I just looked up and someone sat one of these, that black and crappie down there, and I said, hmm.

So I tried that. I said, boy, that's on target too. So I had no complaints, none. Kay made a banana pudding also. And I realized that when she makes that, which I watched her, because she made it at my house, I mean, it took her two hours. And I thought, no wonder this is so good. I mean, it's like, you know, you're not getting this out of a box.

That is correct. Of course, it's ruined all banana puddings out there anytime I've ever tried anybody else. Jason, you said it. You're exactly right. It's what Martinez said about the potatoes, mom. Same thing when I make the pies that everybody likes. You're talking about hours. Most people aren't going to spend that much time, you know, to cook.

And unfortunately, you miss out on something when you do that. Let's take a break. Well, that's true. We spent, I spent half a day organizing the menu. I mean, it was half a day. And the other half, we did a worship after. which was, oh, Missy, she, I mean, you know, I invited, because I was the head, the party organizer,

and I will now have a deep appreciation for people who do this because it was just a week of constant, I was trying to figure out how many people were, it was all about that. I couldn't get anybody to commit. I was like, don't give me a maybe. Are you in or are you out? Because I was like, I got to cook,

We got to match the food with the people, but people are not used to, you know, organizers being so blunt. I'm like, get in a room, make a decision, and let me know. Because I didn't want to have, you know, so many people that we couldn't feed. And I was trying to get some of the better singers there because I wanted to get on the back porch and we sang. Oh, my goodness. Missy, look, she cried and cried and cried.

During the songs, I mean, because she's been in Austin more. than I have and just getting everybody together and singing. And we had Ryan Lee there with his guitar. I mean, it was amazing. So that was the better part. Didn't you say you had some guests there from Austin? Yeah, well, a couple came from Missy's Bible study group. You know, she has a women's Bible study group.

Yeah. And they came. And they were just wild-eyed because I guess, number one, they hadn't been in that close proximity that many kind of world-class singers and we were just doing it off the cuff. I mean, and you could hear those songs throughout the neighborhood.

I mean, I got pretty good acoustics on that back deck, you know? And I could tell they were just wide-eyed, like, wow, this is amazing. I was like, oh, yeah, it's awesome. Well, there are a lot of texts in the Bible out where they gathered around.

a meal. Mm-hmm. Like the beginning of the kingdom. They all came together and they met in their homes and they had plenty of grub and they were sharing with this one and that one the other. Everybody came together as one. No matter the color, you're still my brother. Hey, and you're right, Dad.

And Lisa and I, the night y'all were meeting down there or up there and doing this feed and worship, Lisa and I had a young couple over it. to our house that the young man listens to the podcast. And I wind up connected with him because he lives down here. And he works at the golf course where Jason and I play in the summer. And so they came over. We fed them. And then we just sat around for two and a half hours.

Basically, they told us their story. And, you know, they've been married about a year. Gone through some hard times, difficult. Had lost some people. But mom died of cancer at 42. Just, you know, some tough stuff. but this young man, J.D., has had an epiphany and, you know, came to Christ. And so now he wants to be baptized.

But to your point, Dad, I mean, I'm down here, you know, in Alabama. You guys are up there, but we're all doing the same thing. It's just kingdom living. It's hospitality. It's sharing Christ. It's, you know, finding out where people are, what their needs are. And I think you said it before we came on air that you've never seen this many people just basically turning themselves into Christ, and a lot just because of this podcast, because of what we're talking about.

Yeah, the next 10 days, they'll be coming from Detroit, Michigan to obey the gospel, Denham Springs, Louisiana, Bend, Oregon, Kansas City, Kansas, New York City, Lincoln, Nebraska, Kingston, Tennessee, Austin, Texas, Cedar Lake, Indiana, and one more of the one, another one from Austin. So I'm just saying, as these weeks go forth, there are a lot of people giving their life to Jesus, and I'm pretty fired up about it just between me and you boys. Well, it reminded me what we were also talking about before we started today was, you know, how the structure, it seems like there was a lack of structure in the book of Acts, as far as what

we have now with four buildings, four different church buildings in an intersection. They're just like, bum, bum, bump, bump, and then you go to the next intersection, bump, pump, there's four more. and when you read the book of Acts, it was more of an introduction of Jesus. And, you know, I kind of had an epiphany just trying to sum up the book of Acts because I bump into people in the grocery stores and they're listening to what we're saying. And they're like, you know, how do you sum up the book of Acts? I've had these types of conversations. And I'm like, well, one of the things that stands out to me is that God really made a plan

to let everybody know that they were included. Because you think about it, he allowed miraculous gifts to be manifested in Acts 2 to show that, okay, the Jews can be saved. Then what, Acts 8, it was the Samaritans who had the same, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Then 10 was the Gentiles. They had this miraculous. They're like, oh, if they can be, oh, I mean, God wouldn't have done this. Basically, this is for everybody. And that family atmosphere, to Jason's point, kept coming up. It's like a family atmosphere. Would you say, Al? The other time was in Acts 19 when he ran up on the ones who had been baptized by John. So you had

four instances where he's like, look, everybody is wanted by God. And, you know, we get the fruits of that, which is that everyone can be indwelling by the Holy Spirit of God. I mean, he showed the sun. So that was kind of one thing. Another thing that stands out to me is that in all their sermons, you know, it's over and over and over. they're going from town to town to town, there's never a mention of specific sins,

which I've said before, there's never been a mention of love either. And I got to thinking about that. You know how when we go to a church building on Sunday? Somebody fixed to get on something, a specific sin. It just happens week in and week. That's what people tend to think. And I looked because you think, surely there are some moments where they got, often? No. The only times mentioned love was being shown. It was being shown, but not being

defined. And here's what, here's my theory on that. And, and the reason I'm saying no specific sins were being addressed, because they were out in the world. Oh. I realized that they would have been a lot of addressing. Well, but you think, I mean, have you ever thought about that on why that's, that is. Sinra being addressed because the message of Jesus dying on a cross for your sins. Well, he talked about it in that general term, yeah. But I'm saying it wasn't like a three-point sermon on what they just got through doing last night.

That's right. Never. It's not in there. I read the whole thing looking. It's not there. So here's my theory on that. My theory is the grace of God teaches us to say no. Jesus on a cross is the motivation because you're going to.

see that from Romans to Revelation. Once we set up camp and once you said, I am surrendering to Jesus, I'm a disciple of Jesus. Jesus is Lord. Well, now that's a different conversation because, well, wait a minute, you've claimed to be in Jesus and you're out here acting like the world. And then it got specific. And so I think there's a lesson in there is my point. When we're out, there's two conversations that you have.

One is with the world, and we should be out there doing those two things, sharing with everybody, because everybody's included. He made that clear in the book of Acts, no matter where you're from, what you look like, or what you've done. You're in through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, and he showed, had the miraculous signs to prove it, no matter where you're from. And then there's a introduction of Jesus without a, you know, a judgment on your lifestyle or specific sins.

Because once you understand who Jesus is, that's his business to change your heart and your perspective on what you do on a daily basis. I just think that what we do in the modern world is we have that kind of backwards. We go around stating our positions on all the specific sins and the people of the world's like, well, quit judging me.

And it's none of your business. And that's why that won't work. You share Jesus. People fall in love with Jesus. Then they change their view on how they make decisions and they operate when it comes to specific sins. I want to throw out there and see what y'all thought about. Let's take another break. Well, I would say one of the things I would say that's in Acts 15, J's, in verse 20, there is a situation where, you know, specific sin is mentioned. When James addresses the Gentiles, you know, the situation. It started because of circumcision, and he says, instead, we should write to them telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, so turn away from idolatry from sexually immorality and from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. So there were some, I mean, there is a little bit of that that's there. I mean, I agree with your general point, but, you know, my point is that sometimes you do have to. Yeah, I was going to make the point that because I knew that was going to come up because I read it.

And in Acts 8, when the guy, I'll give you a couple more. In Acts 8, when the guy Simon was trying to obtain the miraculous gifts by... Without Jesus. With money. Yeah. He was like, I see you have bitterness in your heart. You're a sinful man. And there's also another, the Acts 15.

And then in Acts 26, maybe. one of the Pharisees says something, and Paul calls him a whitewashed tomb, and he pretty well rebukes him. And my point is, what I'm saying is those questions were coming up from the religious people or people trying to obtain the miraculous. And they were basically being rebuked for that, and they were clarifying. But in their speech, every time Paul is, you know, the last six or eight chapters, every time he's hemmed up and he gives a speech, it's the same speech. And it's, I was going down the road.

I was, you know, and the guy stroked me down. And, I mean, it's not, it was just not, they were not throwing haymakers. Yeah. About lifestyle. Granted, when the religious people brought up the, trapping type questions and scenarios, they would identify it. And they mentioned sin a lot. You remember in Acts 2 when Peter said, you with the help of wicked men, put him to death

by nailing him to the cross? Well, we kind of cheat on that saying, well, that's where he addressed sin. But he wasn't, he was more trying to present Jesus and why he died on a cross, because then you're the one in your own personal life that makes the connection with your sin. and it then gives you the platform to look at your life in a different way and say, what am I doing? And once you trust Jesus, well, then you trust his how he thinks on lifestyle decisions. That's where I'm going with that.

But you're right, Al, because people are going to point that out immediately and say, well, we have three instances where they brought up these, because they were struggling from being under the old law to the new law, and they're like, look at what these people are doing. But that was not the general theme of the speeches, is my point. I would just interject by saying, everyone, because of the conscience that God has given us, either agreeing, your conscience telling you,

agreeing with the text about what's right and what's wrong, But now if you look at it, all human beings, they know what wrong is, that their conscience tells them. You see what I'm saying? Exactly. They can be seared over with a hot iron. And you say, and then their conscience will try to defend their ungodly behavior. But basically, deep down, all of us know what right is and what wrong is. We really do as human beings.

And to Jason's point, and when James' point, when you're not. James, the brother Jesus said that that I read from Acts 15, 16, or 1520. He says right before that, it is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. So that's how I prefaced talking about the sin. And, you know, that struck me when we were in that chapter that, you know, I think that's one of the things churches do today. And a lot of, you know, leaders and churches, they make it too difficult for people to come to Christ. It should be, it should be easy to embrace and accept Christ. It's not easy to live a Christian life,

but at the same time, we should make it as easy as possible for people to get to Jesus. It shouldn't be hard. Well, my point is, and I agree with that, is when you get to the letters to the churches, that's when it got specific.

And you remember in 1st Corinthians 5, when he wrote, he said, I've written you not to associate with people who are sexed them all. Well, we're getting specific. now, which is not found in Acts. Yep. Because now we have a church that set up at Corinth, and we have a lot of people in the church

who have been sex immoral in the name of Jesus. Yeah. Well, we got a problem here. So he says, I'm not meaning the people in the world who are immoral, but the ones who are calling themselves brothers and sisters. And so you start to see, this is why I thought about that in Acts, because I thought there's two different conversations here. When we're talking to the world, we need to stick with Jesus and stick with God made everyone.

Everyone, he sent Jesus for everyone. When you get in the church, you have different conversations, as he did in all the letters in specific sins. And that was the only point I was making. So I think like on a Sunday morning, which it's not really mentioned anywhere besides what, Acts 27, it says on the first day of the week they got together to break bread. But in Acts, they seem to be meeting most days of the week. Would you agree? No doubt.

It was much more frequent. We know that from the early chapters that Dad was referring to in Acts 2 and Acts 4. It was definitely not as structured like it is today. You know, it's funny because Paul had his little, you know, he was much more consistent to go in and to the synagogue and he kind of started there. And then he worked his way out, you know, through all these days. different cities. And it was really interesting. But, you know, there's a, there's a story in Acts 19 that I think we mentioned last time where, or Acts 20 actually, where Paul, you know, he gets to

Troas. And I guess it's, I mean, he just starts preaching. I guess he was just going to preach all night. And, you know, because he hadn't been there. He was coming back through. I hadn't been there in a while. So there's this poor guy, Uticus. You know, he's basically trying to stay cool sitting up in the window. They're in a three-story building. Yeah, I love this story. And he falls he falls into a deep sleep and falls out of the window and it said he was picked up dead, which means it killed him. And Paul runs down there and just kind of jumps on top of him and says, oh, no, no, he's good. He's good.

He's alive. And the guy then he kind of wakes up, you know, so he resurrected him from the dead is what he did. But it almost felt like to me that Paul felt bad, you know, because he put the guy to sleep and he killed about, you know, I've had some bad sermons before, but I don't know that I've ever. killed anybody with one. I know. That's why most churches probably don't have balconies. Yeah.

Well, they used to. A lot of them do. But look, you know what's funny about that out? No, he said that since he was leaving the next day, he wanted to, you know, really give them the full load. But you know what's interesting about that? He raises him from the dead. Then it says this.

And then he goes back up and preaches till the daylight. When's the last time? you had a meeting that lasted from dark to daylight. It's given preachers a lot of leeway. I just, but I will go back to one thing. Hang on, Dad. Let's take a break. So, but all I'm saying is the order of the kingdom started to be stressed.

In those days, the number of disciples was increasing. The Grecian Jews among them complained against those of the, Aramaic-speaking community. So you have these different communities coming together under one head, even Jesus. Because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. They wanted to make sure that no one was overlooked and that they knew full well the apostles that God does not show favoritism. So you wouldn't want that to be part of the agenda as you're bringing these people together

under one head, Jesus. Family members, families. type structure. So they gathered disciples together and said it wouldn't be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. It said, this is taking too much time for us to deal with this. Brothers, choose seven men from among you, but it is interesting, who are known to be full of the spirit. That means love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, when the gentle, self-control, pick some good solid men. Not only full of the spirit, but also wisdom will return this responsibility over to them

and we'll give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. In other words, you can't expect a group of individuals to do all the preaching at the same time, be responsible for all the ones distributing food to the poor. It's just too big of a load. So they begin to disperse and come up with formulas because people are, come in like y'all said from ever direction or these people have never heard of jesus until the apostle paul and all them or some of these guys preached to them so there was this was a new thing and right off the bat you say i could see how there would have been some friction then you get over

into the letters like jay said they start to be way more specific well about how you operate as a family i agree it's tough keeping a family together earthly family but you're talking about a spiritual family, Al, and people are coming in from the four ends worldwide. You're like, man, there's a lot of different teachings that were false wrong, false God. I mean, there was a lot of clutter in the way of Jesus and him being the king of the kingdom, his death, burial, and resurrection. I mean, to go with your point, another instance that comes up in chapter 20 is when he was, he went and had a conversation with the shepherds at the church in Ephesus. Yep.

And he says, I want to read it because I think it's a, you know, it's a passage we're all familiar with, but maybe our listeners not so much. And we use it. You know, first he says in verse 24 of chapter 20, I consider my life worth nothing to me. If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace, which is my whole point about this. He went around. That was the centerpiece.

That was the mission. And I want to make that point because nowadays, I feel like we've established all these little clicks on the side of the road. And we're trying to get specific like Romans to Revelation. But where is this going on that was going on in Acts out in everyday life moving around trying to share Jesus? I think most people think, well, that was their job. That's right. At the heart of everything, the centerpiece is the gospel of Jesus, him becoming flesh, dying, being buried and raised from the dead.

I'll just tell you, boys, I do not ever deliver a lesson with that not there as a centerpiece. No matter what I'm discussing. The centerpiece, I keep bringing them back to the same gospel. And someone told me one time, they said, but Phil, it seemed like you keep saying the same thing over and over again. We already know that. But I said, but your neighbors who are visiting, they don't know that.

So I'm going to bypass them on your behalf because you know it. They don't. But they said the same thing over and over again in the Book of Acts, from town to town. And I've told people that when you hear it. The Book of Acts vindicates me saying, I don't steer too far from the gospel, no matter what topic I'm speaking on. When Jesus is being proclaimed, you should be sitting there saying, yes. That's right.

Yes, tell them. That's right. Yes. That's right. But I think we've got it out of whack because we've, in our culture, this seems to all happen at the same time on Sunday mornings. What you're saying, Jay. At locations. The whole thing, acts.

So when you start telling. What you're saying is true, we shouldn't focus on speaking. about what we are to do. We should be speaking on who Jesus is. Amen. That's exactly what I'm saying. That's why. So,

because I've had numerous discussions with leaderships at local churches about, I'm like, you got to figure out on Sunday morning who you're trying to reach. If visitors are coming in and you're gearing that around them, well, you need to introduce Jesus.

They're like, well, how often? every Sunday morning if they're there. The bulk of where I am over there in that little church there, the bulk of a mile are not the brothers and sisters. The bulk of our group, every Sunday morning, are visitors. The visitors, most of the time, or at least as many, are outnumbered the brothers

that have already obeyed the gospel. The visitors are the way, and they come in every week, every week. Visitors, visitors, visitors. I think that, let's take a break. I think that our particular family unit, your offspring, as you say, Dad, have a gift, a talent or whatever, to be the, where the Jesus shares. I mean, I think there are a lot of other people that have that as well, but there are some with the gift, like you mentioned in Acts 6, that are table people. I mean, that they're able to serve people. And they're good at it.

I think about the lady over there, Dad, that are. organizes all this for you, Donna. I mean, that's her gift. You know, she's so good at that. And so everybody plays a role. I think that's what you have to look at when you talk about the church as a whole. But, but Jace is right. The church's mission is to show Jesus. I mean, that's, that's got to be the big picture, no matter what we do. She reminds me every week. She has a sheet of paper. And she said, Phil, we have some people here from, and she'll say, we got some from here, some from here, but this one right here wants to hear about, and she's giving me a briefing on who's in the house. She gives me a briefing.

And I'm like, okay, she said yesterday she said there's a child over that has a severe lung problem, disease, and the mother wants you to pray for that kid. And the husband's here, and he's in the Air Force, and I stationed in Barksdale. So it was a family group, you know. so I prayed for the kid that the Almighty would deliver that ailment from him. But then we moved on. The bottom line is that it's a team for Jesus. And he addresses that in Romans, 1st Corinthians.

He's talking about, you know, we're not all in eye. Some of you are in ear or nose or, you know, he talks about that first Corinthians, 12. But we're all united on getting Jesus to the world. I mean, even somebody helping with the tables can vocally say, I love Jesus. That's why I'm doing it. And I think that team aspect of people come together, which is why in every letter that Paul wrote after this, he always think these long list of people who were helping

this happening. Yep. And so I wanted to read this about the elders because I think what he warned the Ephesian elders has happened in our culture today. because he says, I declare to you in verse 26, I'm innocent of the blood of all men, for I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God, which is what he did in Jesus. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, be shepherds. So you get the idea that these were the elders of the church in Ephesus, which he bought with his own blood. He's still going back to Jesus, and the church is the body of Christ. He's the head.

bought it. He bought us. He purchased you. You're his. And he reminds I'm out of that savage wolves. Well, that's what I'm getting to. I know that after I leave, but it's not the wolves of the world. Watch who he's talking about. Savage rules will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number, men will arise and distort the truth. And here's the key phrase what I was going to say that applies, I think, to our modern culture, in order to draw away after them, which is, what is he saying here? They're going to come in and say, let's go over here and do our own thing. Let's go over here and do our own thing. Let's go over here and do our own thing. And that's why I said uniting on Jesus as the mission. Our mission is to get

Jesus to the world, not to go out and be policemen about character issues. Once a person gets in Jesus, we can have those conversations around a small group trying to get people's character aligned with Jesus, because Jesus is the one that changes your attitude and heart about that. That's why I keep saying that. I think we get it out of whack by feeling like we have to come out against everything from a morality basis to the world. Well, that's not working because only Jesus can change their heart about that. So I'm like, let's go share Jesus with the world.

When they respond, we then go to our local group, and we have conversations about that. We have Bible classes about that. We have small groups about that. But as far as what we do out in the world, oh, we're declaring Jesus at the top of our lungs. I mean, that's my take. It's a pretty good take, Jason. No, I agree. And I think Paul shows you that consistently in this, I love this speech he gives, I guess, to the elders.

at Ephesus, because you can tell how much he loves him. He starts it by saying, you know, I've served the Lord with humility and with tears, although I've been severely tested. And then he says, I'm about to go to Jerusalem. And the Holy Spirit's been telling me the whole time, it is not going to go well for you there. And yet he said, but you know what? That's what I'm called to do. And so I think that's the sort of people you'd want to follow is people who are self-sacrifice.

And I think people that make it about themselves is what you're talking about, Jay's. When you hear about a movement that's based on a man and his name is not Jesus, then you don't want to be associated with that. But what I also noticed too is, you know, he said that about being filled with tears because obviously he was upset that here's God who chose a person who murdered Christians to be the voice for him throughout all regions in different classes of people, which is why. And since he had been one, he knew what to expect from the others.

Well, it's like later when you get to chapter 21 to 28, which turns into one of the greatest movies that's never been shown in a theater. I mean, it's incredible what happens there. Even to the point of, you know, the Romans are fixed to flog him, and he's like, hey, I'm a Roman citizen. They're like, do what? I mean, they just didn't. They couldn't.

they couldn't accept the fact that God would choose this guy to be a spokesman when weren't you the ones with these people that are now mad at you? And he's like, yeah, I was the ringleader. Last year you were slaughtered them. And this year you're saying love your God, love your neighbor. But I noticed that all this passion was coming out of him. And even at the end of that, it says in 36, he knelt down with all of them and prayed, you know, after you, You talked to the elders and had this little speech about it is more blessed to give than to receive all good stuff. And it says they all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.

And what grieved them the most was a statement that they would never see his face again because he was basically, this is it. I'm gone. They're trying to talk him out of it. And he's like, no, it's the Lord's well. I'm going to do it. But then even in the next chapter, you have another moment like this. in verse 5 that says, but when our time was up, we left and continued on our way.

All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach, we knelt to pray. And the reason I'm bringing this up is like, what we did, you know, for Missy's birthday was this moment of, we're all together here and we're making the most of it. What did we do? We ate. We talked about Jesus. we prayed, we sang.

Some people cried, we laughed. But these gatherings on earth as the movement goes on, these things that uplift you and builds you up, because I've been fired up every since. There's just something about being together with people and worshiping. Not because we have to. This wasn't on the first day of the week. It was, what night was that?

Friday night. It was awesome. But you read over all these moments that he was doing the same thing as he journeyed toward declaring that Jesus Christ is real. There is a God. He became a human. He's perfect, good. You can trust him. Everything he did is great.

And not only that, he proved he loved you by dying on a cross. And that's why when I said love is never mentioned, people makes them feel uncomfortable. but later on, you know, John would say true love is not that we love God, it's that he loved us. And I think that's the point. You share Jesus because that's the definition of love. He's the definition of love. You embrace that.

You'll figure out how to love. Then we can have some Bible talks on love. Same thing with sin. You know, you're taking the opposite and you're viewing sin differently. You're given a reason to say no. to take a knock off of Nancy Reagan. If the world doesn't see love in you, they won't even be interested to find out what you know.

But if they notice something different about you, if they notice that you seem to love people and it seems to be natural, they want to know. And, you know, it's kind of been exciting for us down here in Alabama, just like with you and Austin, because we've been in West Monroe most of our lives and people come there to us and we get to share with them. But, you know, when you venture out someplace new,

I found it fascinating all the conversations that I'm having in the driveway and out on our street with all my neighbors so much so that they're like, well, you know, if y'all ever get, you know, have a group or something, you know, we'd like to come. I mean, we're about start a house church here simply because they're seekers. But if you don't, if they don't notice something different about you, they won't inquire as to why you're different. So, I mean, I think as as Christians, that's the way we have to live our lives. So I think so. And all we're doing is trying to give you. overview of the book of Acts because a lot of times when you go verse by verse you begin to miss the forest for the trees when you step back and look at what they did they were they were trying to share that god wants everybody to be saved and he did that through jesus 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 that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to Blaze TV at blazedtv.com

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