Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 423 | Jase Warns Against a New God & Knowledge as a Weapon

Episode Date: February 7, 2022

Jase describes the worship of information and how it's being raised up as a cultural god. Phil remembers the Ivy League schools' origins as places of preaching. Al and Jase break down the purpose of idols and why people adopt them. Al explains the difference between hoping and loving. And Jase warns against the weaponization of knowledge among believers and non-believers. Watch the Unashamed overtime show, only on BlazeTV: https://BlazeTV.com/Unashamed Get Uncanceled by Phil Robertson, available now: https://www.amazon.com/Uncanceled-Finding-Meaning-Accusations-Condemnation/dp/1400230179 - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? So duck season is officially over. But we did, I did notice that we had the, Jay has the veterans hunt. And by the time this airs, they will have done it. But I think that's a really cool thing that, I don't know, is it a state thing? Does every state, I don't know if every state does that? Oh, yeah.

Every state does. They finally got that one. the way for some reason maybe it was a god thing but uh when the army showed up the army guys of army marine corps navy they all came and they all went to the duck blind and it's a week after regular duck season ends and the ducks came forth from the heavens and just about last year when you last year last year last year last year and they just descended upon the armed forces of the United States, and I will say, Stone was telling me about it. He said, you line up about seven or eight men across the shooting porch.

And when the ducks came in, whoa, whoa, whoa, po, po, po, po, po, po, these guys were used. They were used to whacking them and stacking them. He said, but I've never seen carnage like that. Well, the ducks thought it was over. The ducks thought it was over. We've already said they can tell time. So they said, yeah, it's over. Then, whoops.

And the U.S. Army and Marine Corps said, not yet. And I mean, here they go. So it's a great thing for them. to relax you know and they're not being shot at and they're they're they're shooting a lot of shells so it's a pretty good deal for their unfortunately i really like no they got that right i mean because look these guys that rifts their life for our freedom and give them a weekend to go hunting after the ducks have been undisturbed who is the marine that came had uh uh both of his legs blown off. He hunted with us.

Yeah, Joey Jones. Joey came up in these elevated duck blinds. I mean, it was amazing to watch how he moved around. He's a pretty incredible person. I gave him some encouraging words. That's just two that won't get cold, my man.

Two legs, it won't get cold. Well, and you know what's interesting about Joey is that he, you know, he lost his legs. He's a bomb technician. But he has the best attitude of anybody I know. In other words, he is positive about life, you know, and you see him a lot on Fox News, but he's just a super dude.

And Matt Lider brings his crew up every year. They're the nine lines guys. And they built their whole business, a veteran business, kind of like Black Rifle Coffee. So, I mean, you know, look, we love being able to support, like Jason, people that have served our country. And so I'm excited that the governor recognized that. these guys to have that special hunt. So that's a neat thing.

And then they also have a youth hunt, right? Jay is where they do. There's one, I think that's before season where you get a, just to the youth gets an opportunity. And that's kind of keeping generations of hunting going, which is a good idea. Yeah. It's great. So we are left off in 1 Corinthians 8 the last time that we were on the podcast.

And, you know, Paul is kind of entering in this, this. this next three chapters are about idolatry, but the different ways in which it affected the church. And so we started off with this particular one, which was about the people that were eating the meat. And some people who didn't really know and understand, you know, what they had in Christ,

you know, they were having issues with, can we eat this is against our conscience, has taken us back into idolatry. And so he's making this point as he starts off this whole section talking about it, that, you know, you have to know what you know, not to sound like Donald Rumfeld, the Rums fell, but you have to know the ultimate truth about Christ to not then be fearful. And that's kind of was the, you know, the gist of what we talked about last time.

There were a couple of things, Jason, which I thought was really interesting, because we left off in verse 7, because he says, not everyone knows this, which is the whole point, talking about, you know, that we serve Christ, so idols really don't mean anything anyway. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food, they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God. We are no worse if we do not eat and no better if we do. And it kind of reminds me of that verse where Paul said, you know, the kingdom of God is not

about eating and drinking. I think that was back in Romans 14. So it's that concept that it really shouldn't matter as much as it matters. But I thought we might begin today by going back and taking a look at Acts 17. Because to me, you know, Paul really starts out this whole idea of addressing this concept with the Greeks. You remember when he was on Mars Hill and we studied Acts and we talked about that great sermon that he preached, you know, on Mars Hill, to the Stoics and the Epicureans and all these famous, you know, philosophers of the day.

Yeah. Let's see. Where is that? Act 17. Yeah. And, but it's interesting. The reason I want to go back there, Jace, is he starts out by saying, men of Athens, verse 22, I can see that you're very religious, you know, which was kind of.

have I thought interesting. It's almost like his tongue and cheek, you know, like you got a lot of gods around here, you know, so you're religious people. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription to an unknown God. Now what you worship is something unknown, I'm going to proclaim to you. What a way to sermon. Oh, that's a good one. So I thought it was interesting that even back then in Athens, before he ever gets to Corrin, he has this idea that they had an affinity to the unknown. And he says, I want to make it known to you.

Right. And so I think you could say that was safe with anybody like that doesn't really know. But then there's something about in all of us that says, you know, but I want to know. And that's kind of what propels him to then start sharing the gospel with it. But I just found that fascinating because when he gets to Corinth, this whole thing is about you don't know, you don't know, you don't understand. I'm trying to give you something better. But his whole philosophy has been the ultimate mystery of the one who created us. People yearn and want that.

And so how do we make that known to them? And so, I mean, I guess that's just a jumping off place for any time we're talking about who God is, is you'll get into all these things that you don't know. But if you know that, then you know enough to get you started. Not a lot of people then and now, you say, but it's the same mindset that when he spoke to all these brains, when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, his final words were he has set a day, God asked when he will judge the word. with justice by the man he is appointed. He's speaking of Jesus. He's given proof of this to all men by raising up the dead.

Al, how much has changed? When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, instead of saying, yippie, there's a way off planet Earth alive, some of them sneered. They were like, ah, what's this babbler talking? I mean, but. But others said, we want to hear you again on this subject. At that, Paul left the council.

And a few men, you say, sometimes, you know, when you plant the seed, you never know where it's going. But the sneering, it was there then, Al, and it's still here. You know, somebody looking at me, how long about Jesus or you, there's a little sneering from time to time. You agree? get that Bible out of my breeches well some became followers of Paul and believed and he named off a couple of them also a woman named amaris a few guys so he didn't harvest a great number but he did plant the seed and won a few over and the preaching of Jesus is still is still there to this day all the way over to us the islands all the way over to us in the new world. And Jesus still is being preached. And some are sneering to this day

because they don't think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God. And some are embracing him. It's quite the story, Al. Well, what I was going to say is, you know, most time when people read something like 1st Corinthians 8, they just think, well, this doesn't apply. because, you know, when I went over to Greece and looked and just read about their history,

I mean, this is, you just think of all the knowledge and the movies we've gotten from Greek history and the Greek gods and all these different gods that they just made up. Oh, yeah. You know, the god of thunder and light and whatever, you know, you just, I don't know, the top 10 Greek gods. Because they just made- Zeus was there, I think. Yeah, they just made them up. But I read an article not too long ago about modern day idolatry and just they had a list.

And I'll give them to you and just to see. Because now in our culture, basically what fascinated me about this was it was more like what we read in James 3 where it talked about the two wisdoms from heaven. whether you get your identity from God or whether you just do it for yourself. And really, that's what it seems like is changed now. I mean, number 10 was fame, which they talked about now the biggest thing people are looking for as far as a job. It's just to become famous on the Internet. Yeah. I mean, that is your job.

You just promote yourself, and that's all you think about. and hopefully you get, if you do something quirky enough and it goes viral, you'll make a lot of money, you know, which it becomes an idol, which is something that you, when you try to define idolatry, it's something that you elevate to a Godlike position in your life. So they had fame, they had, and I'm going from 10 to 1, information, which it, goes in with what we're talking about. I mean, information has pretty much become a God. I mean, how many times do you hear? Let's just see what the data says. Because information now is instant.

Yeah. Well, you have all the information of the world in one place, the World Wide Web. Yeah. Then phones. But you know what's funny, though, Jay's, but back before you leave information, what's funny about that is say it like data, like it's, all, yeah, everybody can understand this. But then everybody starts giving their interpretation of what the data means.

Exactly. And then we got, you know, this guy's misinformation and this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. And not to, you know, it is an idol, but it's a shaky idol, you know. And not to say all these things can't be used for the good. That's right. Yeah. And it, because the, you know, the next one's phone slash technology because they think,

well, that can fix anything. If you become famous and you get data, unlimited amount of data, and you have technology, you know, then the next one was. Why would I need God? Well, exactly. But Jay, so you're saying that was number eight was phone and technology? Yeah, it wasn't number one. You'll see how it goes. I mean, that's shocking to me because I'd say that's the biggest idol in our culture is the stupid phone.

Well, when you get to number one, it's right. I'd knock on wood. I said, well, I don't own one yet. But I think this was pretty clever because all these things you're going to see funnels toward the exaltation of yourself. So, I mean, I'm going ahead and giving you number one, which is your personal identity. Yeah. I mean, that is the God.

Oh, wow. So number seven. Well, right. And I really believe that. I mean, I think this is the way people. function in the largest herd. Number seven is comfort. And you said, well, how can comfort be an idol?

People don't want to be uncomfortable. Yeah. I mean, that becomes the God. We don't want to go through difficulty and challenges. But like we said, last podcast, a lot of that contributed to gave God the right platform. for us to be launched by him and his power to do his work. Number six is this never changes. Sex, they had, which no matter what happens in life,

I'm sure that's always going to be in the top ten of idols. You have to have the boobs, Josh. The boobs have to be there. Number five, we, look at me. Look at my boobs. Hang on, let's take a break. You got the Super Bowl coming down. There's going to be to be a lot of boobs.

Well, listen to this. I knew you were going to do this, because number five is entertainment and number four is physical appearance. Oh, so there you go. It's going. Number three, I feel like we need a drum roll, status, or I think this comes from the same thing

on what you do. Like when you introduce yourself, you know, what do you do? And very few times people say, you know, I'll live for Jesus. I mean, they usually say, I'm a plumber, I'm a pilot, I'm a, because that, that is what you become, which is leading us to number one. Plus, Jason, another one on the status in our current culture would be how many followers you have on Instagram. Well, exactly. How many likes you got on a certain tweet or post?

I mean, that's a status now. You mentioned the young people. They call them influencers there. They make a living. I mean, they make some of millions of dollars off of just taking pictures of themselves on the Internet. Number two, money, material things. And number one, like I said, is identity. And my only point to go through all that was to say, whether you make up a God in the Greek culture,

or you make up of a bunch of gods. I mean, I got this idea to look that up when he said in verse 5 for even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords. And the point he was making is that no matter if you invent one, if you think of one, those things I just read are all going to come out of that. That's the temptation of that because we individually, going back to that James 3, where you have envying selfish ambition, there you find disorder, James 13, 16, you find disorder in every evil practice.

You're just, we're looking at this. That's why I keep bringing up this fact. He continually called Jesus as their Lord, and he's making a point. There's one Lord, and we don't want to relinquish our own. selfish desires and wants. And that really in all these situations becomes the big question. He mentions he has the right as an apostle who serves as a soldier at his own expense, 9-7. Who plants a vineyard does not eat of the grapes?

Who tends a flock does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the law say the same thing? Don't moza of the ox while treading out the grain, you know? He mentions something else too, by the way. He said, though I'm free and belong to no man in verse, what is that, 16, I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible. To the Jews, I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.

To those under the law became like one under the law. Though I myself am not under the law, so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law, I became like one not having the law, though I'm not free from God's law, but I'm under Christ's law. So as to win those not having the law. He goes around to the weak I became weak to win the week. I've become all things to all men. What a lifestyle. So that by all possible means, I might save some.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings. What a read on how a fellow would conduct himself in the middle of a very, very sinful place. Yeah, and I think not much has changed. We'll definitely dive into that on the next podcast because I see Chapter 9 is, I call it the big illustration. When Paul makes any of his letters, when he makes a point about anything, he usually comes back with a really powerful illustration, and I've noticed in Corinthians, it's usually including himself. which is what he's going to do when he gets there. But back to that, to the concept of what that leads to, I think the idea is when you understand who God is,

then all the things like you mentioned, Jason, on that list, and it could be from any culture. That was a pretty good encapsulating of our culture about what serves as idols in our current culture. But it's interesting because some of those cross over time. I mean, many of those things you mentioned are included, in what was happening 2,000 years ago. Yeah, I was going to make this illustration.

So, because a lot of people say, well, it's different now than it was then. Well, when you read Paul's letter to the Ephesians, based on what I just read and doing the top 10, in Ephesians 5, he has the same through us. He's saying, be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children, which goes back to that plan that he was trying to share with the Corinthians, God had a plan. He made sons and daughters. And he wants to live with a forever family forever. That is the plan. You're created male and female. For what reason? To become, because you were made sons and daughters of God. He sent Jesus to bring his sons and daughters back. So he starts with the same thing and live a life of love.

same point that he's given them. It's knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Grace is the foundation that we launch our behavior, you know, because he forgave us. We lived this life of love because he loved us. So then he gets into this, but he says, but among you, there must not be. Here he says even a hint of sex immorality. I remember the first time I ever read that, I thought, ooh, that's going to be difficult.

I mean, not even a hint. Yeah. And which I think it's interesting in the context of First Corinthians 8 because here he's saying, even something you have the freedom to do, which is eat this meat, I don't even want you to do that because you love your brother in some circumstances, you know, which seems like, I mean, good grief is hard as it is as it is to do what's right. Now you're telling me, I can do this, but you probably even shouldn't. So you start feeling like pressure here, but watch what he says. A hen of sexual morality or of any kind of impurity or of greed.

So now we're getting back into these top ten things again. because money was like three, sex was like six, any kind of impurity, which is anything you're sacrificing your morals for to be comfortable or, etc. Nor should there be obscenity or foolish talk or course joking, which all these things are done so people will find us, you know, famous or have some viral thing that's going that promotes ourselves or we want to be funny or which are out of place, but rather, the thanksgiving. And I read all this to get to this verse five. For this, you can be sure, no immoral, impure, or greedy person, and then it has this little attachment. Such a man is an

idolater. Has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, I mean, the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words. Well, you remember the deal about information and data? They have the information. He's just saying it's empty. There's nothing to it. Because of such things, God's wrath comes on them. So don't be partners with them. For you are once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light. And then he gives the better things we should be pursuing. The fruit of the light consists of goodness, righteousness, and truth. And I love this, verse 10. And find out what pleases. the Lord. That's the information you need to be pursuing. So I just, I thought it was interesting that here you would never think Ephesians 5 is about idolatry. And all of a sudden in 1st Corinthians 8, you read that and you're like, well, we don't have idols anymore. It's basically whatever

concept you come up with to replace God that becomes a launching pad for you to pursue those qualities that are wrapped around self-absorption. You've just described the United States of America and other empires. Well, he did. I just read it. But, yeah, I agree. By reading that. I just, don't you think that's weird how he said when he said such a man is an idolatry?

It's where you take godly principles and you don't necessarily throw it out. You just change it a little bit. when you think about the hint of sex immorality or any kind of greed it's like where people will try to come up with a scheme where they can do something selfishly right under god's nose they got a name for them change agents yeah change it's like where you're manipulating you know one he's being in first Corinthians he's being real clear and blunt about the relationships and In Ephesians 5, it's where like, I mean, you're saying, well, I'm not, I didn't have sex with her. But you were trying to come up with a situation to justify having the hint of it, doing things

that are going to lead down a road that's not good. And you've somehow another justified it by changing the nature of gut. You're not trying to find out what pleasing the Lord. You're trying to find a way to please yourself and then justify it. From grade school to high school to the college, the institutions of higher learning, all those things. You can mention anything, Josh. You can teach about anything. But one thing.

You do not mention the God of heaven, Jesus, His Son, and the Spirit. You do not mention that. It's not allowed. In any schools, we've been at that for about 60 years. And what are the results? you tell me you're looking at the same culture I am. Hang on, let's take a break. No, I think you're exactly right, Dad.

And you know what's interesting is that's happened in a fairly short amount of time in our culture because... Amazingly short. All the Ivy League schools, the big ones, Harvard, Yale, all of them, they were schools of preaching. Just like what Jay's and I went to. I mean, they started out. Bible verses on the gates going in, all the Bible verses. You go there now. there's no Bible verses anymore.

I mean, they were teaching. They were teaching math and science and things that, you know, from that era that they would teach today. But, I mean, the primary thing was to train people to preach and preach the word. So look at how that changed to dad's point that not only have they changed their focus of what you learn there, but then you can't even talk about God. There's no safe space for God on most. to these college campuses, which is incredible.

And, of course, that's even gone down further. But Jason, I thought it was interesting. But my point was out, but my point was don't, I mean, you come up with idols just so you can excuse the way you live. Yep. I mean, that that was my only point is that the things that come from that are justified because of what the information you believe. I mean, you come up with an idol and it's like, well, because you just look at what they were doing.

I mean, whether it was sacrificing animals to some made-up idol or back in their day, they actually would have, you know, what they call those Torah poles or whatever, and their idol, they would say, you know, this belief system says that we are to have sex as a sacrifice to this idol under this pole. Yep. I mean, it's just like, what? Why'd they come up for that? Well, it's just a way to justify having sex.

That's still here, Jace. You see what I'm getting at? Yeah. And so even though that is deplorable, in this case, that's why these issues came up because they're like, well, is it wrong to eat a hamburger that because of some cow was sacrificed? to something to justify the way they live. This is how far they were going down this rabbit hole.

And Paul's trying to pull them back and say, look, this ain't about you and what you get to do every day. And like when he said to the, you need to find out what pleases the Lord. You get up and say, what does the Lord want me to do today? Instead of trying to come up with some scheme on how I can do something that's contrary to, what we know God wishes for us, you know.

But if you think about it. It's just pretty incredible. If you think about it though, Jay, it's really a lot of it too. You're right. I think I think a lot of things are constructed to therefore then modify how we live. But sometimes it's because people need something to believe in. You know, now we've all lived long enough to where we're watching about every 10 to 20 years, a wave will come across our culture that draws to, and it's like a religious wave.

But it draws people in. It could be climate change. There are people that worship this concept of that, you know, Mother Earth is in trouble. And we got to do something to save it. And it's like it's a belief system. I mean, and then they have their profits.

They have their people they listen to. They give their money to it. They're dedicated to the cause. And you could do the same thing with social justice. You know, we just saw that. That's the newest one. And everything in their lives,

become about serving that concept. And so I think it's the homing beacon that's in every one of us to seek out and search something bigger than ourselves to believe in. But when it's not the God of heaven and earth, then that's when you get into these crazy things that we're seeing everywhere. But you think about First John. I mean, here's my point. First John, I don't know if there's a better book.

that describes the relationship and the personal aspect that we have in Christ. He's our mediator. We confess our sins to him and he forgives us. And, you know, we read last time, Phil read the 1st John 4 about acknowledging Jesus as Christ and those who don't. You know, it's Antichrist. You have that 1st John 2 and 3 that talks about we're the children of God. God. And 3-2 says, we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.

But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, but we shall see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope purifies himself, just as he is pure. So it's like we get our motivation from this relationship, and we believe he's mediating for us at the right hand of God. like a lawyer and he's coming back. He's going to transform us. Then he gets into 4-14. I'll share with you why I'm doing this in just a second. And he's like, he has given us his spirit. We live in him. He lives in us. Even in verse after he says, God is love. And he said, this is love for God. Not that you love him. That was in chapter three. But he loved us.

So it's all this is awesome. And the last verse of the entire book, he throws in 1 John 521, Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. You want to, it's like there's one little verse at the end is like, don't screw up this relationship that you have and the hope that you have and the launching pad for purity in your life. and he just said it's all about what you experience in Christ and the hope that you have and that,

and then it's like, stay away from miles. Because that's what will disrupt that relationship and your confidence in Christ. Good point. You change him, you know? I just found that always fascinating that he didn't go through a long thing about an idolatry.

In fact, he says in verse 20, the verse before, we know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true and we are in him who is true. Even in his son, Jesus Christ, he is the true God in eternal life. So you'd think that would be the way to end it. Then he says, dear children, keep yourselves in all. Don't change God. You're the one that he changes.

When you try to change him, bad things happen in societies and in your life. I agree. Cultures collapse. I agree 100%. Let's take a break. And Jay's, I think that that takes you back to in Acts 17. Remember when he started telling that sermon on the Mars Hill, he said, The God who made, in the verse 24, the God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of Heaven and Earth and does not live in temples made by built by hands. In fact, he's not served by human hands as if he needed anything because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

And so when you think about it, if he's created us and therefore he says in verse 29, we are his offspring, we should not think the divine being is like gold or silver stone, an image made by man's design or skill. So really it's so impractical to be an idolatier anyway. if you have any understanding of who God is and how big he is, how could you take him and condense him down to something you look at, something you bow down to, or even as we talked about earlier, something that makes you,

you know, yourself an idol. I mean, it really is, it doesn't make any practical sense. And yet it seems to be so prevalent that he keeps warning about it over and over and over again. Well, right. That's why I brought up the Ephesians 5,

because people say, well, I may do a lot of things, but I don't bow down to idols. Well, when you're trying to, when you're trying to justify sexual immorality, that's why he said there shouldn't even be a hint, that's when you start flirting with idolatry. Because you're trying to figure out a way of how to do something wrong that you know is wrong, but you don't want to just come on out and do it because then your conscience will convict you. So you're like, let me just come up. Now, I think I can do this, but it's just the wrong way to be looking at this. You know, when I have a share Jesus from somebody and somebody says, well, just tell me what I can do and I can't do.

I'm like, nope, you've missed it. You've surrendered to the Lord. You need to find out on a daily basis how the Lord can you. use you, you know, to fulfill his plan and his purpose through his power and not try to figure out like you're taking some course and just I'm going to do the least amount possible so that he'll save me in the end, but I can still be as comfortable as possible and live like I want to. Yep. Yep. It's a man. Yeah, that's the contrast. It's kind of that idea, Jase, that if you, there's one thing about knowing that, or maybe hoping that there's some bigger

entity out there that, you know, maybe there is a being that created everything, and then loving him and dedicating your life to him. And that's what we're talking about is the difference. I mean, if I, if I not only believe that God is who he is, but I love him, and I'm like, whatever you have for me to do to serve you, that's what I'm going to do. And realize that that's not set up in a place somewhere. That's, you know, that's anywhere. That's 24-7. I mean, that changes you. I mean, that changes the way you look at life, the way you function, the way you look at relationships. It keeps you from focusing on yourself, which you're always going to fall short when you do that.

So I think you're right. I mean, I think that's why it's such a, you know, so easy for people to fall into this trap. Well, that's why I like you bringing up Act 17 and 18, because that kind of gives you the background for the whole letter to the Corinthians. and you see that he was preaching, because we were on the same page with that, exactly what the problem was. I mean, they were just trying to come up with images, and similar to what's addressed in Romans 1 when it's like you're worshipping and serving,

created things rather than the creator. I mean, what a bumper sticker. definition of idolatry. You're creating things instead of ultimately finding the creator. And I think, again, I think people that really don't submit, they have that need to be able to do that, which is why you mentioned Romans. I mean, it's the same, he was going through the same thing with them. Romans 14. He had a similar chapter to what we're dealing with here in First Corinthians 8. and how do you deal with your brothers and sisters who haven't come along as far as you in terms of maturity to understand that just, you know, they could, they shouldn't have the mind.

They shouldn't even be worried about this. They should be looking at it like, oh, this is crazy. I mean, there aren't, there's no such thing as idle. So someone sacrifices meat winds up at the meat market and I eat it. That makes no difference. But they did have that problem. You know, they did still struggle with that. So it becomes that deal about how do we deal with them?

Well, that's the, yeah, that's the thing. When you, when you change God, and that's called idolatry, it's because you don't want to change based on who the creator is. God doesn't change. Yep. That verse, Hebrews 138, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Well, that verse just sent me on about a 10-year journey to figure out, what the world does that mean? But I realize that once you acknowledge that in the eternal nature of who God is and that all his qualities are pure and are unchangeable. You know, that Hebrew 6, where it's impossible for his nature.

to change, which also includes that he cannot lie. Just think about it. When that Hebrew 6 says it's impossible for God to lie, if you were going to take knowledge and information, you need to be getting it from a being that it's impossible for him to lie. That's the problem I have with trusting science because science came from scientists or any kind of information.

I'm like all people make mistakes. So if I go all in on whatever information, I can look at it. I can view it. But if you go all in on that and humans came up with it, there is a chance that they're wrong or that they're lying. So that's why I love that when you brought up the Act 17 because he says in 29, which is the same theme he's promoting the church in Corinth. We're a God's offspring. We shouldn't think that he is like an image by man's design and skill because that would be a created thing. Then he says in the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people to do what?

For them to change, to repent. That's what repentance means, to make a decision to change. So we're the ones that do the changing and the conforming and surrendering based on who he is. You know what the kicker is and all of this? Speaking of 1 John, this is love that we loved, not that we love God, but that he loved us, sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also are to love one another. The kicker in all this, Al, is profound.

No one has ever seen. God. But if we love each other, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. He ends up up by saying anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, and I mean it's hatred gone amok all in the United States of America, anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. So he's given us this command. Whoever loves God must also love his brother. I mentioned somewhere earlier, we have a love deficit among the people of the United States, each other.

We quit loving one another years ago, and now it's full-blown, and we're reaping what we have sown. If there's no love there, I remember being raised in the 40s and 50s. I was born in 46, and I watched all this unfold and have seen it in my lifetime, how things have changed on one simple little thing. Love God and love your neighbor. But I've never seen God. Only in what we see in his revelation. Let's take our last break.

You see the impact he's had and it's all good, but you say, boy, it's a tough sell. loving God and loving each other. Jay, you remember that dad just read that verse? Do you remember who used to quote that all the time to us when we were fighting? Yeah, our grandma, but she would do it because of the physical brothers. We would be fighting.

Every time we had to fight, she would say, how are you going to love God? How are you going to love your brothers? You can't love your brother. That's right. She quoted that verse constantly trying to get to shape our behavior. But you know, it's funny, I can still hear that. It's a profound verse.

It is a profound verse. Yeah, really. He's invisible. In our last few minutes, I'll read the last section of the 1st, 5th, 8 because it goes to what you just said, Dad. In verse 9, out of all this, Paul says, be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees that you have this knowledge,

eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother for whom Christ died is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brother in this way and wound their weak conscious, you sin against Christ. That's pretty bold. Therefore, he says, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I'll never eat meat again so that I will not cause him to fall. So I. And Al, that was my whole point about love never destroys.

but knowledge can. You can use knowledge to destroy somebody. Oh, very much so. Whether it's true or not. That's right. But, I mean, I think that's the fundamental principle he's here. Even though you have freedom and we can exercise that and you say, well, who cares about him? I'm doing right.

No, that's not what he's saying. We're to love everybody. Even if we have to sacrifice something that we could actually do, that was legal and right. Yep. I think it also shows you that the powerful part about being a part of the community of Christ in the body of Christ is that we should always be looking on what helps other people, what builds other people up, what, you know, brings people peace, not chaos.

You know, we mentioned earlier about all these different idolatry ideas and ideologies that go on. And you notice most of them, the thing they have in common is they bring chaos. they bring destruction they bring violence they bring i mean all those things are results of what happens when you don't have the right focus and i think here in this context you're saying that what it should be is bringing people that which is good and makes them feel better about themselves not worse yeah well i think too when you're acknowledging that god knows us like he said in eight three then that should spurn us to study hard.

So we know exactly, you know, we can make informed decisions on some of these things that are tough situations. And I also think that we should use other brothers and sisters who are more mature in the faith to get what they think in certain situations. But you're never going to do all that unless you have a humble spirit. It reminds me of that, you know, that story, a preacher's story, whatever, about a kid. He was scared. He was having nightmares, you know, and he was hollering as his parents came up there. And they said, well, let's pray about it. And he was like, well, I would kind of prefer somebody with some skin to help me out here, you know.

Because he was like, I mean, a little kid, he's like, what's that praying to something I can't see? I really think there's a monster in my closet here. I mean, and I say that to say, I think God realized that we were going to be like that. And so that's why he became somebody with skin, Jesus, that we could actually read on what God is like. And the greatest thing about Jesus is he could make those statements. Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? I mean, you just think he got everything right in every situation. Will you just absorbing yourself with his life just through reading the Gospels?

It really does get your focus and attention off yourself and see how you should react in certain situations when it comes to loving people. I love what the Apostle Paul said to Timothy 1.15. Here's a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. but for that very reason, I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience, which you brought up as an example for those who would believe on him, and receive eternal life. Now, to the king eternal, check us out.

Immortal, invisible, the only God. Be honor and glory forever and ever, amen. Pretty amazing. No one's ever seen him. I've never seen him. You, Jay's? Only in the red letters that I read. Yep. It's when it said John 117 said, no one has ever seen God, but God the one and only son has made him know. I like that. God. Jesus is God was skin. Here we are. You know, and what he does is, to your point, Jay's, is he takes away fear. You know, everything you saw in the Old Testament, it was everything was fearful. Even those that believed in Yahweh, they were still full of fear.

They were afraid to even be near. That original little, yeah, Moses gave a little speech. He said, they said, don't let him speak again because we're all dead. He said, oh, he's just doing that to keep you out of sinning. No, that's right. But fear didn't work. Fear doesn't work. All right.

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