Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 326 | What Phil Said at the Funeral for ZZ Top's Dusty Hill & Struggling to Live a Christian Life

Episode Date: August 11, 2021

Phil shares the speech he gave at Dusty Hill's funeral, and the guys talk about how they met ZZ Top. Jase says Phil is more of a butcher than a doctor when it comes to medical care. Phil gives a homeless man $20 and a biblical lesson. And the guys address listeners struggling to live a Christian life and discuss how to be motivated by grace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? So I'm back in the southern layer of southern reporting here. Time to just make sure, you know, oh, hold on. I'm going to make do something's wrong down here from the southern layer. So, Dad, you were gone, the last two podcasts that we recorded. and because you have such, you know, large shoes to fill, we decided to, Jason and I decided to have a double women's perspective podcast. We have Mom and A&M on a podcast, which was interesting, the Baldwin sisters that I call them. I would say that's scary.

It was pretty interesting. It was interesting. That's all right. We kind of went back, you know, some memory lane kind of talking. talked about, and Ann's never obviously been on the podcast, so talked about a lot, a lot about moms, family. I felt a lot older during that episode. I felt like I was sitting on a porch, just talking about time gone by, you know.

So maybe for our older listeners, it was. Yeah, it was a reminiscing. Well, it's my job. It's my job to look after your mother. So that's one. Well, her sister is older than she is. So that's two. But we're at the stage now where you begin to take in your kin folks to live with you the rest of your days on the earth where we're looking after our kin.

So that's what that falls on the hitting of. Well, by the way, that's very biblical. You know, that's kind of how it's always been. The ancient idea of multi-generational taking care of each other. Of course, they still do it over in the Eastern culture, but in the West, now it's pretty much just, you know, somebody kind of loses their sense of belonging and they just wind up someplace, you know. It's just kind of a sad thing, really, for most of our culture.

I think those are the coolest things about being in Jesus is when you're called, you know, because God is pursuing us. and circumstances come out where you here are introduced to Jesus, and you break that cycle a lot of times in generations, and then pass it on and pass it on. Those are powerful moments in my mind. See, I'm in my mid-70s, Ms. Kay's about two years behind me, but we're pretty well at the stage, not so much me,

but the herd and aunt. We're at the, you know, running over furniture. You know, tripping on furniture and coming off the back porch made the miss stamp. I mean, you know, we're at the, we're at the watch them carefully stage. You know what I'm saying? I think the number one's problem, the health, number one, I read this somewhere, health issue for people over 70 is falls. That's it.

They fall. Because in your mind, you're like, hey, I'm still getting it. you try to jump over whatever it helps if you are going into going toward 80 it helps if you just to put it bluntly i'm not a doctor i'm not i recommend this and that another hey i'm just saying it helps if you're thin if your weight is thin the older you get there's not as much to carry there's not another the equilibrium point So somebody said, well, man, you, you, you're losing weight. Well, you know, you're getting skinny.

I'm like, I'm, I'm at my playing weight, which is 169. 6369. I say, that's pretty light. I consider it I'm not as apt to stumble or fall if I, if everything is pretty tight, tight pull together here. I'm not saying I won't want my tail or my head, but tomorrow. My first thought on that rant was. was that nobody's ever going to confuse you just based on your outward appearance of being a doctor. I've never seen a doctor look like you.

But they asked me for a lot of doctoral advice, and I have, you know, I tell us. Who's asking you for doctoral? I'm like, well, if it's me, I'd lance that. And they're, well, no, we don't want to lance it. I said, well, it just looks like the me as swell up there, you know. I've seen your medical practices throughout the years. It's rudimentary. That means you look it up.

Your medical practices lean toward a butcher than a surgeon. You got a point. I've said it many times that dad was born 100 years too late. He would have been the frontier doctor, you know? That would have been his deal. I just keep things. Keep things simple. Try to stay off the pharmaceuticals.

I just think you're better off in the long run. Yeah, probably so. Well, I was in. I agree. I went to Georgia for three days. days. It was one of those things where you're like, I'm doing what? What was I thinking when I agreed? Did it three days? But I did it. There was because there were three events. I went to a school the first night, Christian school, and it was an outside event, which it's just as hot in Georgia as it is here. But there were, I don't know how many people. It was well over a thousand gathered out there in a little meadow. But it was hot. It was not as hot because they did. did it right before dart. And that was the toughest one because, you know, when you're outside and there's chaos

and there's kids running around, which first thing I see when I go up there's a guy standing there, they had it kind of roped off in case there was any craze fans, you know, in Georgia. But I see a guy that looked familiar, and he kind of waved because he had come up there and it was a guy. I remember being a part of bringing to the Lord probably 20 years ago. but it made me realize you know you have these bible studies late at night somewhere you bump into people and you look up one day 20 years down the road and here's this guy who's now has his kids

enrolled at a Christian school three states away and the guy who shared Jesus with him is fixed to get up and speak and it was a it was a nice it was just a nice encounter to get a report 20 years later i felt good about that so so you shoot so he was from he was from here and now he's living in a jordan yeah he lives so i don't know we was talking about generations and different because he has not his wife and i saw his kids out because i saw where he was sitting you know when i got up there and i actually invited him because i said well i'm they got me preaching somewhere sunday and he was like really i was like oh yeah and uh so but he i also saw him there so which was cool.

So I did the school thing, which I didn't feel like was, because I'm, you know, me, I'm just going with strong coffee and the Holy Spirit, no notes. I'm just introducing Jesus. But my first two or three attempts to break the ice, Al,

as they taught us in school, were just crickets. Because I pulled up into this place and I looked around. I mean, the stadium looked like, basically our public high school stadium who's won numerous state championships. I mean, it was quite the spread. Everything was neat.

They had the practice facilities. The buildings were awesome. And so I said, boy, I pulled in here. And I realized that either y'all have a really good football team or somebody around here has got a lot of money, which I thought was funny, but it was just nothing. Yeah. So I thought, that and fell flat. Failed flat.

So then on the way over there, I said, what is this city famous for? The name of the city was, I think it was Locus Grove. Locus Grove. I said, what is this city famous for? And the two guys giving us the ride, they both kind of stopped and were thinking. Well, one of them said, we got a train. station. I was like,

yeah, that's always unique. So I thought, well, that was funny because I thought, so I said that. I said, I asked what Locust Grove is famous for. I said, there was a long, awkward pause. I said, and the guy and the passion. Once upon a time, you could travel through here and stay. He said, we have a train station, which I thought was funny. If that's the best thing you could come up with, nothing, crickets.

So at that point, I was feeling. a little bit awkward so I thought you know what let's just get to Jesus and it pretty much just went as powerful as I could a 45 minute introduction to Jesus well someone down in the South Texas the wife of Dusty Hill he was the bass guitar picker with ZZ top yeah tell us how that went well because you did the Somebody called and said, I think it was his wife, said he requested that when he passed over to the other side, that he requested that they get in touch with me and say a few words. And I told them, you go back to Genesis 4, Jabal, he was the father of those who live in tense.

I thought it was jubal. No, Jabal. That's his brother. Jubal was his brother. But one of them, Jabal, he was known for making living intense and raising livestock. They had a pension like ranchers. You say that's a... But this sounds like gypsies to me. No, according to the Bible, there are certain skill sets that you see and people tend to be very good at what they're doing.

Genesis 4 says the DNA is put in them by God. His brother's name was Jubal, and he was the father of all who play the stringed instrument and the flute. So Dusty being a connoisseur of picking guitar, I listened to him for years, I decided I said, I think a good text and I started Jase. Did you bring up Jabal or what was his name again? I brought up, I brought up them and I just mentioned it. Did everybody chuckle or no? It was quiet.

But I did ring up. I said, brothers, I said the reason I'm here is just to inform you all. I said, Peter said that Dusty has just departed from his team. a temporary tent, our bodies. He's departed from that, biblically speaking, and his soul is with the Lord. Well, soul and spirits in heaven, but his body is asleep.

So I just quoted them, brothers, we don't want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep. So you're in First Thessalonians. 4-11. Yeah. Or to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. We're at a funeral here, but we're told,

the Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians, listen. In other words, we don't want you to get confused about what happens when you die. Because Jesus has already said, whoever lives and believes in me will never die. So do you believe this, he said? So we believe the reason why we shouldn't grieve like the rest of me and be ignorant about physical death is because we believe that Jesus died and rose again. Now, there's the gospel as the sinner. when it comes to talking about physical death.

You say, you better make sure that you believe that Jesus died and rose again, or you will have something to be worried about. So, and so we believe, how could this be, that God will bring with Jesus, this is the judgment day, those who have fallen asleep in him. So they didn't die. You have the ones who went to hell and the ones who have gone to heaven. and if you believe that Jesus died and rose again, you're on the heaven side of it. So here comes God bringing with Jesus all those who have fallen asleep.

Well, we know it's not their bodies. The bodies are in the cemetery down here on earth or been exploded when a mortar hit them if they were in the military. You say, hmm, but there's still hope and no worries, according to the Lord's own word. We tell you that we are still alive if you haven't physically died yet when he showed. shows up and are left to the coming of the Lord will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. Something happens. The resurrection is first. Resurrection of the dead when Jesus returns, bringing all those souls. God himself will come down from heaven, loud command, voice of the archangel with the trumpet call of God. I was telling these people about this, and I was somewhat,

I was not doing this in a low-key manner. Oh, really? No. I raised my voice. Hey, Dan. Hang on a set. Let's take a break. The dead and Christ will rise first.

I pointed to the casket where the body, the tent of Dusty was, and I pointed to it. When Jesus shows up, he's bringing Dusty back with all the rest of them, and they're going to be reunited with a resurrected body, and they will live forever. We who are still alive, you say, what about the ones who haven't died yet physically? And our left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words. I just gave them that text. And so I spoke.

Willie was there right before me. Oh, he spoke? I thought Willie did a good job. Okay. So, and they asked him to do so. I saw Gibbons, you know, we've met him before, but through Duck Dynasty, our theme song was, you know,

sharp-dressed man. Did they play that song? They really didn't. They were all, they stuck to the... Oh, so they weren't playing the ZZ-TOP. They stayed with the church choir. When I pass on, it'll be up to YouTube. I wouldn't mind it if you throw a little Z-Z-Top in there.

I'd rather have that than the church choir. I mean, I just, it's a connection there. So I'm making a... note. Make a note when I'm gone. Put ZZ Top in there. I think Gibbons is a godly man too. We've all had our struggles through this life. So these people that wrote about, some of our people contacted us and thinking that I don't

know whether I can do this. I'm struggling with sin. Everyone has to understand, when you come to Jesus and your past sins are removed, they are really removed. They're not counted against you. It's over. You are justified. before God, even with all the sins that you had.

Some of these younger books in America now, they're thinking that it's going to be instantaneous relief and you don't have to walk a godly life. We're the light of the world, the salt of the earth, because we're in the light of the world, Jesus. And we just need to understand that you're never going to get past your struggle with sin. the great news is your sins are forgiven and there is the mediating work of Jesus that will keep you cleansed and you need to learn things like self-control and how to live your life and how to show people

what the light of the world looks like. We are being like Jesus in a sin-filled world and our struggles are there but they've been paid for us so we don't need to be always sin-sing in the blues that kind of the three or four that wrote us you know what what's i'm not worth it my wife deserves more than me and i'm struggling with the internet pornogamous they just have to learn you just have to start taking things that are sinful and get past them but it's a struggle and it'll last you the rest of your life what's crazy to me is that we did this show and somebody had the idea since we look like we look and are married to the women who we are because you remember when these this production company comes down here just that proves there's a god well right they're

looking i mean this is part of my speech here i'm like people look at me and they look over my wife and they're like what's going on here and so that was part of the part of the flavor for that show so somebody has the idea to get ZZ Top involved and that song, Sharp, Dressed Man, because originally, you know, they had this idea that we were going to be driving around in Rolls Royces and doing all this with the wives. And, of course, when they came down here,

we just acted like who we were. You remember, but you remember that commercial that we did? We were actually going to ride around in a Rolls Royce that they had gotten from somewhere. but the problem was it wouldn't crank and so remember in this neck of the woods rolls roarses they don't run to where they sit up a lot yeah they put them up on bricks yeah so i'm saying though you had this song and then when people hear that song they think of our show and then here years later you're down there at at one of the zizi top members at his funeral sharing what you

shared, I just, I think that's, that's just crazy to me. I mean, and I think it's godly. It's a divine appointment because you're right. There's no way, more than likely, we would have ever met those guys had we not had that connection with the show. But because of the few times we spent with them, obviously there was an influence so much that somebody said, you know, I want those guys to come speak, you know, when I pass on. So dad, I had a couple of questions about one is, was there, were there a lot of people at the funeral? Was it? Was it? This was far the people in the music business over a 50-year period.

They back 50 years ago, I've been listening to them for 50 years. They're my age. So in their 70s, I think Dusty was about 72. And his wife was telling about how he died and, you know, it just out of the blue. They didn't expect it. but all I said the Gibbons when I saw him I remember him when they came down here and the two tour buses and they requested that we have squirrel for they wanted squirrel for dinner yeah well I got some we got some rock and rollers we're going to have some squirrel here but so that's the last time I saw them a few few things they did with Duck Dynasty you know but but the bottom line was other words it was just a it was family and friends is what you're doing family and friends and it was just the crowd that surrounds the rock and roll part and it was yeah they don't like their crew of course you look like you fit right

in that crowd well yeah well yeah i told gibbons i said gibbons let's face it because gibbons is he and the drummer of the last one standing i just said let's face it dude we're getting old but I gave them the living I gave them a in my mind good news that there is life beyond the grave I just want them to know that if they called me in

they knew what they were fixing to hear so he had bound I think he listened how did they react how did they react during did like people just were they quiet or because you sound like you were pretty much into and I was just curious it was as quiet as a funeral

is. I've been in some funerals that wasn't quiet, though. This one was quiet. Yeah. But I'm glad that we were invited down. It was an opportunity to point people to Jesus and just be generous toward them. We love them. I love them.

I'm kind of like Jace. Yeah, I'm kind of like Jace. It's surreal because we all grew up, you know, that was our music growing up. I mean, we love Zizi Tape. And so who would have ever thought you had an opportunity to be there in a moment for their family, you know, like that? Think about it, Al. That's pretty amazing. We, we, some of the legalistic types have said, well, you can't listen to rock and roll music and this and that and the other, but you add it all up together. I said, let me see now. A jubal was the father of all those who played string and instruments and the flute. Well, Al,

the Almighty says in Genesis 4 that he made people who were real good at stringed instruments and flutes, which would include pretty well anything musical instrument there is. So I'm just saying God made people who are very skilled in that particular part of their life. So I'm looking at it like I don't look at it as a downer. You know, I know what lewdnesses is and cursing and carrying on and all that. They take it overboard a lot of it. But the bottom line is, you say, the old ZZ Toppers, they played rock and roll music. Well, the bottom line is they came down.

We'd be a friend of them. We were real. I think Jesus had a bad reputation because he was after everyone. And I mean, you remember Matthew 11. And I think you did a good job. Yeah. you know i to finish what i was doing on my three days up my second night the church there that had brought me in they did a community like invitation and so and it was packed

which i was wondering during this coronavirus how many people going to show up but it it was it was packed so it was on a saturday night which what was strange is i was at the hotel of course i wear just whatever i don't dress up me and my wardrobe is limited and so when i was getting in the elevator there was a couple that got in and they were like as fancy dressed as i've ever seen two people and i just uncontrollably said wow all look nice and of course then i realize when you say that you're putting them in an awkward position because they're looking at me they can't say well, you too. Because I, you know, I mean, they didn't know who I was.

So they kind of got awkward. They looked at each other. It would have been rude if they'd have said, and you don't look so great. Well, right. Well, you look like a homeless person. But then I realized that. I thought, oh, I probably shouldn't say anything awkward. But the woman who was trying to break the tension said, well, someone might be going to a wedding tonight.

and so then I was like, who's she talking about? And I was like, oh, y'all going to a wedding, you know, so we had a little laugh, which broke the tension. I said, well, someone may be going to speak tonight at a church, but then the woman's immediate response, she went, oh, that's nice. You know, it is Saturday. And I thought, what's she talking about? I thought, she thinks I'm making this up. because it was Saturday who goes to church on Saturday

I got camouflage on I thought they don't even believe that I could be associated with the church and then she caught me on it that is Saturday so I left

so I went to finish my story and it was a pack I told hang on Jay's let's take a break so I told them that story and they did laugh and so I shared Jesus and then I came

back the next morning, because you brought up this jubal, I want to turn this in, and Sunday morning, we just met, well, they didn't tell the church members I was preaching. Well, it was older members. You know, the Saturday night wasn't. That was just a community. So it was whoever. But Sunday morning, I got up there looking like I do. I thought, some of these people

are thinking, are you kidding me? This is the preacher? Which is my point. Right in the middle of the section, when Jesus said, blessed or though the poor and spirit, the ones that, who mourn, the meek, the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the ones who shows mercy, the pure and heart, the peacemakers, the ones who are persecuted and blessed all you when people say false things about you and all that.

Well, if you get down there, you're the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and it goes on to say, listen, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't kid yourself. You've heard it said, don't murder. He said, I'm telling anybody who's angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And it goes on all the way down to look, somebody comes to you, want to borrow something. Give to the one who asks you and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Well, that's part of that being like Jesus' attitude all the way. through, get married and stay married.

In other words, don't be swearing by this and by that. Well, you just step back and look at the big picture of all that. He said, you've heard it said, you know, don't murder. He said, I'm telling if you're angry with your brother, you're already subject to judgment. Well, if you read all these verses and put them together, that explains why I don't care who it is. They invite me to go somewhere along with you, Jace. point them to Jesus and we point them to these qualities that they need to acquire and learn as they

go forth in their faith. So, you know, somebody said, well, what about after you mentioned give to someone he wants to borrow? Well, when I walked outside in the parking lot, I had the law, of course, I had my bodyguards there or whatever. Some guy walked up there and he said, when him home this guy, he said, hey, he said, you said, you said, you know, if somebody wants to borrow something from me, he gave it to him, right? I said, yeah. He said, I need $20. And I said, you were listening to that lesson closely, weren't you?

He said, yeah. I said, listen, if you drink this up, the judgment of God is going to be on your head. I said, I'm going to give you the $20. I'm going to do what Jesus said. So I gave him $20. I said, but if you drink that up, I said, it's on you, not me. I said, so don't drink this up. I said, you use this as you use a good deed.

He said, I'm going to give you one better than that. He said, I'm going to pay you back. I said, well, that'll be kind if you did. I said, but here's the 20. And I did what Jesus said, right? And he said, yes, sir, you sure did. So he walked away into the streets he went. So we'll see.

So it's interesting, Dad, you brought that up about, because you mentioned earlier that I loved him back then. We had a lot of. And I gave him the $20. You know what I'm saying? Well, then it's up to him what he does with it. So, because that's the benefit and the giver. So you brought it up earlier that there were people that had written some questions in about struggling post-Christian life.

We've had three or four that were together and all different perspectives. But I want to go there because you mentioned about what Jesus said. And one of the guys in. particular, I think it was Jeremy, that has struggles with this idea that he just can't live it. Like he's just kind of, you get to a point where you think, well, I can't do this. And Jesus said what you quoted him saying. But you got to understand a couple of things about that. Jesus was speaking to an audience that was trying to be righteous by their own holiness. And so they said, you know, as long as we keep this rule, then we can live this way. And so he was convicted of that and said, look, you think

you're just going to go by this small set of rules, but your hearts are bad because you're not really putting your faith in God. So we come along on this side of the cross and, you know, when you look at what he said to them, all that's true and still applies to us. The difference in us and them is when we have faith in Jesus, we're not depending on our own works and keeping law. Therefore, even if we do have the bad thought, even if we do get angry with our brother, we can appeal to the cross of Jesus. So I think it's important for people to understand that, once we understand the cross and where we put everything towards, you go back and read those passages.

You don't want to approach it just like the legalist was. You're putting yourself back in their position. A lot of people are. He's thinking I'm going to do right so that I'll look better before God. What he doesn't understand is the reason we reach out to our neighbors, no matter who they are, good, bad, and the ugly, and all the ones in between. We're doing what we're doing because we're not doing it to be saved. We're doing it because we are.

saves. We are saved and we reach out to our brothers to point them to the one who can save them. So we don't get tangled up. We understand it's a journey. It's a walk. And Jesus is there 24-7, thankfully, to be there when we stumble. But I think what they're missing, if you read, if you just take Galatians 221 and think about it, if you claim that by your righteous acts, that somehow you're going to justify yourself, and you read this verse, what you're doing is in direct contrast to why Jesus died, because it says, I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing. so when you think about it when you're setting yourself up as a rulekeeper and justifying yourself

you're saying in that moment christ died for nothing i don't know how he could be any stronger in that don't go down this road you're looking at the cross and saying yeah that was meaningless that was for nothing these guys that are doing the serious struggle hang on dad let's let's take another break so one thing the pandemic has done is for a long time it tailed a lot of people eating out because I don't know if y'all know this or not because none of us eat out much but most people eat at restaurants they don't they don't eat at home they don't they don't know how to cook or or prefer not to we always have so you know we didn't really change that the pandemic didn't change your habits to the dad in terms of eating you still just kind of did what you

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They're young, I'll. They haven't grown in the faith enough to know what has been done for them. They don't really grasp the brevity of what they have. Once they reach that point, that's why we're trying to tell them, Jeremy, you, Matt, the ones that rode and said, man, I can't do this. Yeah, you can. You'll stumble and you'll be on a zigzag course the rest of your life. but the further you go and the more you reach out and serve others instead of worrying about yourself, you just get up in the morning and you love God and you love your neighbor and just let that be known.

I think the problem is it's like, you know, the third speech I gave on this trip, they had a title for me, which I only have one sermon, which is an introduction to Jesus, and it takes various forms depending on the Holy Spirit and where I'm at, I guess. But they said the title was All In. I'm All In. So I started looking. I was like, what was the Bible say about All In? And what I was surprised at was that where I started in my mind was that in 1st John 4,

in verse 10 to go with what Fills Point is here, it says this is love not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his son as an atonian sacrifice for our sins which is the same goes in with what I just read in Galatians 2 you know Galatians 2 20 says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live Christ lives in me so I made the point and I went to Luke 15 to do it. The reason Jesus was eating with the tax collectors and sinners is because it's more important to view this as God pursuing us

than we pursuing him. Because ultimately, Christ's death on a cross and his resurrection is what saves us. I mean, that's why we don't set aside that. It's not about, oh, how much I love God. He just said. It's about how much he loves you. That's going to be the proper mindset. that. Well, if you don't have that as the foundation, I think this is why you get off into that

kind of stuff. That's why, and to Matt's point, he said, I read scripture daily, and the more I learn about Jesus and his grace, I find myself being reminded of what a bad person I used to be. Well, there's the Apostle Paul's statement, I said, I was the worst of the worst. But when he looks at the mercy of God. It's because of mercy that we were saved and we stand before God. It's back to that Roman 7. You remember what a wretched man I am? You know, Paul said in Romans. He said, but thanks be to God that I gained victory through Jesus Christ. So, I mean, of course. They're still in the first part, Al, where they're struggling with their own weaknesses and they don't understand. It's been paid for. It's removed. It's removed.

move. You need to realize that. Yeah. What I was going to say is so I started studying about this all in. And what I came up with was in Colossians 3 in verse 11. And there are similar passages like this. One of them is Galatians 3, 26 and 27. Another one is in 1st Corinthians 12,

where I always bring that up to show that in Christ, in Christ, as far salvation is concerned, is the only place you can find true equality in the world. Because it says there's neither male nor female. There's neither bond or free. There's neither Jew or Greek. I mean, there's no, you know, in our interpretation, there's no high class, middle class, low class. You're in Jesus's class. I mean, there's no white collar, blue collar.

I mean, he says that over and over. but at the end of that verse in colostians has the same reference at the end of verse 11 he says you know there's no greek or jew circumcised or uncircumcised he gets down to the end and says but christ is all and is in all it's like he's the which goes back to my point it's more about christ you can say all in he went all in for us because he came down lived became a human lived a perfect life and then died for us. I mean, to show how the extent of his love and grace and how much he wanted to pursue us. Well, whatever you do with your life, you're never going to match what he did for you. That's correct. I mean, there's just no comparison. Kim from Texas, Jase,

whose son is struggling after obeying the gospel, she said, I would love to hear you guys explore this aspect on the podcast. Sometimes we self-finding our salvation as a way to make all of our problems go away. We live in the world. We have to live in it. It's not easy.

But her last statement, and she's the one that Jeremy, you and Matt, and whoever else among you need to listen to, we have to soldier on and remember why we chose to be born again because she's making the gospel what what Jesus did for surrendering only to God not the

other forces that viper us which is a good point she's saying you need to look at what what god has done for you through Jesus and relax and say i mean it's up to them to say i wonder if i ought to get this filth quit watching this filth on this little black box i have here and this marl stuff i'm watching and all the danger of sinful people getting naked stripping this and that. Now they're looking at. I wonder if I ought to just curtail that. So they keep watching it saying, well, maybe they're addicted to it, Al. So how do you get them off of it?

Yep. Well, because you can't look at it from a commandment perspective, you have to look at it from a Jesus perspective. Let's take our last break. So I was going to read this verse. You made me think of this. said something a minute ago in 2 Corinthians 521, Paul said, God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. So your sin becomes on Christ.

It's not on you anymore. But listen to the response in Chapter 6. As God's fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain, for he says, in the time of my favor, I heard you in the day of salvation. I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favor. Now is the day of salvation. So I love the idea that if you stay trapped in sin because you want to own it, instead of giving it to the one who said he would become sin for you, then you take that grace in vain and you

won't live like the day of salvation. So it's a release factor. It's a realization that, yeah, I can't do it. There's no way I can be perfect. But that's why Jesus came. That's why he died. That's why he became sin for me. And that motivates you in a completely different way than why am I so bad?

Why do I keep messing up? Instead of put it on him, it changes your perspective and allows the Holy Spirit to bear fruit through you because that's why you have the Holy Spirit. And it's not a hundred yard dash. It's a marathon, a long race, a long journey. Well, that's where I was going, you know, in the lesson. I spoke Sunday morning, I didn't really get into this, but I went into the principles because I had studied it for hours. I mean, because I figured I'm in a hotel room by myself for hours, the best thing I can do is study my Bible. And so when I read that, Colossians, I went backwards because the first part of chapter three, you know, he says,

set your mind on things above where Christ is seated in Christ, who is your life. And I kept going backwards and backwards in Colossians. and when you read i love colossians 115 and following because it describes why jesus is superior not only to all religious leaders but to all other you know humans because it says he is the image of the invisible god the first born over all creation for by him all things were created things in heaven and earth visible invisible thrones powers they were were all created by him for him. He is before all things. I kept focusing on this all things. And in him, all things hold together. He's the head of the body of the church. And then 21,

it says you were once alienated from God and enemies in your mind because of your behavior. But now, to your point out, Christ by Christ's physical body through death, presented you wholly in his sight without blemish and free from accusation. That's what they're wrestling with. right there. They don't realize they viewed by God as perfect. Well, then it says the mystery of godliness in verse 26 is that Christ is in you, 26 and 27. That's why to go back to the Galatians 326, I no longer live. I mean, Galatians 2.20. I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So the point I'm getting to is chapter 2, verse 9.

So then it says this, for in Christ, all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form and you have been given fullness in Christ you got it so it's like when you turn it around and make it not about you and it's about Christ and who he is and what he did and the extent that he went and the amount that he pursued us and then you're given that access with through his spirit and dwelling you you make it about him instead of you on a daily basis and you'll look up and you're now doing things that are grace motivated and have the right foundation for making better decisions. Yep.

I think that's really good, Jay's. And I think that's exactly what we do. We either go inward where we focus on ourselves and our shortfalls and our sins or we compare to other people. And we say, well, I'm not as good as that person or I'm not as bad as that guy over there. And, you know, why does they get blessings and why do I not get blessings? We had a letter from a guy named John. It was a very honest struggle of how he's trying to come to faith.

But I noticed throughout his whole letter, Dad, if you read it, he was constantly comparing himself to what he didn't have and what others had. And so I think that's another way the evil one traps us because then it's not about what Christ is doing in me, no matter what, whether I look good, whether I'm successful. Yeah, you're not worthy of being saved. That's what the evil one is whispering in their ear. I always go back to that John the Baptist statement. I mean, Jesus said there was no human greater ever born than John the Baptist.

You know, that Matthew 11, he said that. And John the Baptist, to me, in a bumper sticker moment, said, he's got to him greater and I got to become less. And the bigger your life gets for Christ, the lesser you become. That's right. I mean, I share this in my speeches. My number one fear in life for years was to say anything in public. I just, I mean, it was like fingernails on a chalkboard. And so here I am.

I just gave three speeches in front of thousands of people. Now they can't shut you up. Can't shut me up. But you know what I say right before I go up on stage? You know, I say this every time because I get nervous. I'm looking around. And I wanted to say this. that Sunday morning that we had together was as close to a heavenly experiences I've had in a long time.

They had a choir back there, but they weren't dressed like choir people. They were dressed for ordinary people. And they had the old worship team up. They sang a couple of songs. And we're in there, you know, probably there's probably a thousand people in there. It was just voices being lifted up, praise to God. And I mean, the hair was standing up on the back of the minute. It just sounded so awesome.

I mean, I know we make a joyful noise to the Lord some of us and we sing, but when people who can sing and they are good with the stringed instrument, if I use that, they're just the sounds that were coming out of there. I thought, yep, this is what we're doing. This is heaven. So then it hits me right before I get up and I'm like, I got to go speaking for all these people.

And I always say the same thing. It's not about me. So I get up there with my Bible. and I'm like, I'm going to introduce Jesus. I mean, these are the only thing positive I have is what I found in Jesus. Yep. That's it. So it takes all the pressure.

So a lot of your weaknesses are overcome through God's power. I think that's why he said the power's in jars of clay. We're all like clay. Jeremy, are you and Matt listening? Do you need to pay attention there, guys? You're going to be right. I've told this story before. I tell this story before, but as we close out, I'll tell it again.

And so Mack O and our good friend is a carpenter. And he built a, built me a pulpit when I first started preaching at WFR. And it looks like a cross when you're looking at it from the audience. It is a cross. But it's also got a thing, you know, you can put your Bible in your notes on. And on the back of that cross where no one can see but me, he carved into that wood. It's not about you. and it was one of the best messages any friend that Christ could have ever done because, you know, you think about it, when you get up to present the Word of God, if I look at it every time for, well, I can't really speak boldly about this because I fall short in wherever I'm at.

If I compared it back to me instead of what the Word of God said, I could never preach a sermon. I could never teach a lesson. I could never proclaim the Word of God. I'm just a weak vessel like everybody else, a jar of clay. So when you realize it's not about you, but it's about proclaiming what Christ does in us that totally changes everything. And I think for guys like us who proclaim all the time, we're just openly admitting. We're sinners. We fall short of the grace of God. But if we got trapped in our weaknesses, we could never proclaim anything.

That's true. We would never be able to tell people. I think the evil one uses that to try to shut us up. Look, right before I got up, they baptized five teenagers from the night, I guess either from the school. or the night before, which that fired me up. Yep. And so I just, off the top of my head, I thought about Jesus when he was baptized and God declared that identity because you had brought up about how we compare ourselves to other

people. You know, when Jesus was baptized, and we know he wasn't doing it because he had sins or anything, but he was giving up his life for us and started in his ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit. But God declared those three things. This is my son, whom I love, and I'm well pleased, which is where we get our identity. So I looked at the young people and said, that's what God is declaring to you. But guess what happened next?

He went from the water to the wilderness, which is then the evil one came. And basically those three temptations were you got to prove yourself. Why don't you exalt yourself. And off the top of my head, I thought of this. Oh, and then he's like, indulge. indulge yourself. I was like, well, that's what the world offers. It's like, you've got to prove yourself out here.

You're better than others. Exalt yourself. You're the greatest thing ever because you're better than so-and-so or look better. And just indulge yourself and whatever. But in all those issues, Jesus said no. And he surrendered himself, gave his life, and that became, you know, our anchor. So I wanted to share that because I think that's this battle, that we're talking about

is really what we all go through. Yep. Constate. I like it. All right, we're out of 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

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