Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 443 | Phil Names the Title That All Believers Have & Why Jase Is Not a Professional Speaker

Episode Date: March 14, 2022

Phil explains how all believers share an innate title given to them by God and how it’s also a call to action that is still relevant today. Jase shares what he tells anyone who asks him to speak publicly at events, and Al asks Phil to share what was on his mind after he made his rapid life change at 28 years old. Jase tells a story about cooking fish for Missy and how it relates to a healthy marriage. And Phil teaches on 1 Corinthians 15 and the letters written to the churches of that time period. Watch the Unashamed overtime show, only on BlazeTV: https://BlazeTV.com/Unashamed - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? It just keeps working. The key to marriage is when you find something that works. Keep doing it. You revisit that. So, because I want these, these crappies right now, they're spawning. So I've been all over the place last couple weeks. I mean, I can't even name the cities. I was waking up, where am I? Where am I at today?

You're a lot of treasure hunt, Joe. So I'm like, you know what? I'm going to go catch some crappy. Because my wife, every time I come back, she has a nice meal prepared. I mean, she's busy. She's busy as I am. I thought, tonight, you know what? I'm cooking.

So I had this thought yesterday, but I went down there, and I went to my little hot spot at Willie's pond and caught nothing. So I thought, yep, the fish have changed power. patterns because they're spawning right now. And we were sitting on the porch when they're, y'all saw me. Yeah, we saw you going down there and we were trying to figure out who it was. And I don't know why I didn't thank you, but we thought it was John Reed,

who is Willie's son-in-law who lives across street from me because y'all kind of have, you know, both slender bill, beer, longish air. Well, see, I tried to slip over there and avoid. Yeah, but you got watchers now. You got, you got. Yeah, y'all are sitting out on the porch. We're now beginning into what we call the porch season. Oh, y'all are there on the porch season.

porch. So here's what happened. So I spent 30 minutes looking for my little bait tackle box thingy. Yeah. And so I found it because I had, we were filming for the treasure hunt and I had my line broken. And I, you know, I was like, I got to find my, I couldn't figure out what I did with my bait. So I find it. But then I forget to put it in my pocket. I mean, I look 30 minutes. This is how, you know, my mind is just, what's wrong with me? So I go over there. I tie into one of these 10-pound bass over there in his pond with a crappy reed. Was that right off the bat?

Right off the bat. So look, so here's what's interesting. So we're watching you, and we saw you cast about the second cast, and then Jay went up, broke his line. So I could just barely see because I don't have that good eyesight, but Jay literally called it. He saw you break your line. Oh, yeah.

I just, so I tied it in. Not enough tackle. Not enough. So, I mean, that thing, I ran around that pond trying to land him just to take a picture, I guess. So then while I look up, I'll have no other bait. It's like, I did all this fishing, you know, expedition. So I made an adjustment. And so the next day, which was yesterday.

Yesterday. Yeah. I catch five nice, crappie, which is why I had the hat on, because it was cold. Yeah. It was a lot colder. The first day it was perfect. I mean, it was 75. Yeah, but them crappy, something about it.

When it's a cooler temperature, I seemed to do better. So I called them, cleaned them. I did some baked potatoes and some a version of toast, buttered bread. And I just cooked. I didn't ask her, are you hungry when's the last time you ate? I just cooked it. And then I said, it's ready. I mean, it was like, it really wasn't supper time.

It was like 4.30. She was like, I haven't eaten anything all day because she had, then basically so i was like i mean it was just quite quite i mean quite the spread it was way better though the one time i remember you did the same thing but you didn't know she had entered some kind of fasting deal that was bad yeah then you're you're good of course you know how could you know right thought that counts yeah that's right and uh man there's just something about those crappy oh i did the mustard fried last night because i had the baked potato so i offset the frying with that.

It's a fine eating fish. It's awesome in my mouth. At the best. One of the best. Well, now that I'm on the Gulf Coast a lot more, well, I guess we are technically here, but when I'm in Alabama, I'm literally on the Gulf Coast. So I've been trying a lot more fish

because they've got a lot of different fish down there. So I tried, so we went over to Chef Chris's house, you know, our pal down there, who's also a fellow treasure hunter, he and his wife. And they trigger fish season. had just started. So I'm always constantly, every time I go to Chris's house, we're trying a new fish I've never tried.

And it was good, but nothing I've eaten so far out of everything that's come out of the Gulf will top a crappie. I mean, it's just, I have to say, I mean, you know, you got to get credit where credit to do. And Chris can do amazing things with fish, so he even makes it even better than normal, but nothing is better than a crop.

It's just the king. The closest thing in my mind is still, You know, that belly meat of an Apollosus catfish, you know, and it's thin fried. It's in the neighborhood. That's where we're at. First Corinthians 1539, all flesh is not the same. That's right. Men have one kind.

Animals have another. Mirds another. And fish another. Well, inside that sector, you have the crappie. And that flesh, I put at the top. That's right. That's right. It's good.

But you know, there's a guy down there. there's a Lisa and I found a little smoke house down there in Gulf Shores. And the guy, he smokes a lot of fish as well. You know, he does typical things you'd smoke, you know, pork and all that. But he smokes because fish is so really available. So the other day, I had a smoke pompano. Jay, you remember that year you and Jay caught some pompano off the beach? No, that was good.

We cooked the whole fish. It was delicious. Well, he took that same fish. And this one was about, you know, probably about six, eight inches long. They looked scary. They look like pirata. Yeah, because they got kind of a, their mouth. Just the way they look.

But boy, you're doing it. They got that wider body. But their meat is really flaky and delicious. But he smoked that whole fish. And so I just took him in and just heated it up for a little bit in the oven. But man, you're talking about delicious. Yeah, they're good. Yeah.

But I wouldn't put them above a crop. No, they're not quite there. But it was good. But he does a smoke salmon. Leason there was like salmon. Because salmon, especially on that bottom part of the fish. Nice. You know, it's a little bit stout, a little bit loud.

But he smokes them, and I'm telling you, because, you know, salmon has a lot of fat in it. And, of course, that can work against you, depending on what the fish is. But he does it in a way that's really good. I mean, I don't know. We're trying to, you know, smoke fish. But the crop is still the king. No doubt. You know, and I guess good for marital relations as well.

I'm telling you, it was spectacular. According to Jace. Yeah, I know. It is. I keep telling you all. It's something that you can do to spice up your marriage. If you just take control of the situation, you just prepare the meal and the whole process.

And there's something about catching fish and then immediately eating them. That's way better. Well, I will say. They're fresh and then there's that. I will say, Jay, from Unashamed Nation, I don't they have told you this. There have been several emails that have made their way into my inbox

that have backed up what you say, some of our female listeners said jace is right on target it's you know i hope my husband's listening you know and stuff like some people don't have the skill set but i mean you can make it work but i mean if you can figure out i mean fishing is pretty basic and most places have water or you don't last long figure out how to catch a fish and clean it you can watch a two-minute youtube video on how to be late and even if you can't fish they have fish market so you could get I know, but I do think there is something about the process. You're providing a skill that's impressive to your spouse.

That's impressive. Watch this, because I think they think everybody's so scared of the doomsday scenario and all this. I'm telling you, my wife knows if that happens, I will be really handy for providing me. Think about the tonnage of fish that we have eaten. it through the years. A lot of fish. A lot of fish. I know they used to say that fish was brain food.

It's good. The brain, it's something about that's in fish that's good for the brain. That's probably kept us. Maybe there's something to it. Out of some of psychiatric care. That's right. It's probably why we're still here talking about the Bible. You know, we're a tick off already.

Yeah. What is they had half a bubble? Where are we at today, yeah? we are finally, drum roll please, to 1st, Corinthians 15, which I think is the crescendo of the book. Obviously, we're at the end of the letter. But to me, he sort of takes everything we've talked about and says, here's what you need to focus on. And in this particular discussion we're going to have about, you know, starts with the gospel, then he winds up zero and then the resurrection is the best discourse.

in the entire New Testament on the resurrection and the resurrection body. I mean, you don't really find any other context where it's laid out quite as clearly as he does here. And it makes me wonder if maybe he had to do some extra teaching to the Corinthians about it anyway. I don't know.

But he goes into real depth, which we want to do too. But he did lead up to, I mean, he introduced it in the first couple chapters, talking about, hey, I just want to introduce Jesus, him crucified. That's what I'm about. it's more relational. And I've mentioned many times

about how he mentions the Trinity in a relational aspect. Yes. And then he did this whole thing in 1st Corinthians 10 about God is faithful. I mean that verse 12 when it said God is faithful, he won't let you be tempted

beyond what you can bear, but when you are tempted, he'll provide a way out. I mean, it's like once you hear the gospel and what Jesus did, his death and burial resurrection, which he's getting into extensively here. If you're not even open-minded to a way out, you're not going to pay attention to it. It's weird how he's like, there has to be some humility.

I go back to that sermon on the mouth when he started off talking about these qualities that a person will be blessed if they have. And they centered around being open and vulnerable and broken and broken. and hungering and thirsting and in need. Because if you're not looking, it's just going to pass you by. You just think it's some story. Well, then he got into love

because they had the wrong view of love. They had it basically tied to sex just based on what was going on in the culture. So he defines that and pursuing things that, you know, faith and hope and love. So then when he gets to 1st, Corinthians 15 after he

he kind of rakes him over the calls about some of the problems that they're having he's like all right well let me just remind you of the gospel which takes it back to the beginning for them he's like it's a reset it's like problem answer problem answer problem answer

problem answer and the answer I mean then he finally gets it down to where look this is where your focus needs to lie because he Just look how he described. Even if you didn't know what the gospel was, and we all used to, when we studied with people, we would kind of set people up and ask them these questions

because he said, the gospel, verse two, saves you. If you hold firmly to the word I preach to you. And I always view that as, you know, in the beginning was the word. John one, the word was with God and the word was God. Because we tend to think, well, it was some sermon he preached, but Jesus is the word. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. You've taken your stand on it, verse one says.

You received it. You took your stand on it. You're saved by it. You've got to hold firmly to it. Which really goes back to that, I think back by the parable of the sower. I mean, when Jesus was talking about that, was it Matthew 13, where he was talking about the gospel

is like the seed that goes up. out and he talked about the very first one is the one that just it's there but it gets snatched away the bird comes snatch it away that's the person that never held on it never even got in got his foot in the door exactly to understand what i mean it's amazing that you could forget this but then verse three he says it's her first importance i mean to me that's what's separated when he made that statement you should perk up yeah you're reading of all the letters paul wrote he gets to this second He's like, for what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance. What is the most important thing in the Bible in human life?

And then it's like. And not only that, Jay's, but that also means there are things concerning the Bible, concerning God, concerning Christianity, spirituality that aren't as important. Because remember, if you've got it first importance, that means you've got things that. Well, think about it. People try to lump it all together. What would people say? You said, what's the most important thing in religion?

I think most people would say the Bible. But if you read this, you're saying, what are you saying? The Bible's not important? No. What's first important is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. That he was buried and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. You remember in John 5 when Jesus said, you think that by the scriptures you possess eternal life,

but you forget that these scriptures are pointing at me. Right. And you refuse to believe. That's a great point. So. Hang on, let's take a break. That's a great point because, and that's what happens. That's why I want to bring that up,

because people can go into scripture, especially if you do it without a true relationship with Jesus, and you're going to come out with all sorts of crazy. You're talking about some wild things that will come out of, and they'll say, well, it's in the Bible. And you're saying, yeah. And have you heard a sermon on Revelation lately? You know, they forget, the first verse says, just like First Corinthians is about focusing on

the gospel, the book of Revelation, singular. I mean, this past Sunday, I heard the preacher say. Revelations? Revelations. And I thought, nope. I mean, I just wanted to raise my hand. and say, it's the revelation of Jesus Christ. It's not your revelations that you had last night in preparing for this sermon.

I have a revelation about revelations. Let's all have revelations. Let's just throw them out there. So it's written in apocalyptic writing. And if you try to figure out all the symbolic language of that, you will not find one person on the earth that's going to agree with every jot and tittle that you've come up with. Correct. But you're off to the wrong start already,

because they weed out the focus, which is Jesus, there's red letters in Revelation too. Yep. What everybody should do, what they all should do, is start Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What did Jesus say? And what did he say he was going to do? I'm going to die, be buried, and raised from the dead.

You get to the end of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, He did die. He was buried. He was raised from the dead. They all tell the same story. Jesus came down in flesh. We got the Virgin Mary story where he come from. What he did. What he did. I'm going to die. He did. For the sins of the world, he did. Was buried. He was. Raised from the dead. Yeah. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. You get to Romans. First statement, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the gospel of God.

the gospel of God he serves it doing his whole heart i'm not ashamed of it you get you get past romans you get into the corinthian letter where we are now but if you went on past the corinthian letter and you come to galatians i am astonished you're so quickly deserting the one who calls you by the grace of god and are christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel we're going to take part of the law and put that in there he said don't do that you get to He said, no, and don't do it, but if you preach a different gospel, he said, let him be eternally committed. Let him be the strongest language in the Bible. So everybody listening, go from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus's death, barrel, resurrection.

Then look at the book of Acts, first page or two, that's all you need. Then get to First Corinthians, one and two. Look at the first chapter or two. It'll tell you what it's about. Get to Galatians. he's the first thing he brings up then you get to ephesians episians chapter one you are right down to bottom verse 13 1 13 you were included in christ when you heard the word of truth

he's going to say the gospel is the word of truth over and over and over it's the gospel of your salvation that's ephesians then you get to colosians no philippians first thank you for been a partnership in the gospel that's one defending and confirming the gospel that's two advancing the gospel that's three i'm in the first paragraph or two in philippians well i'm put here for the defense of the gospel the important thing is that christ is preached and because of this i rejoice then at the bottom i'm just i'm still in the first chapter of philippians whatever happens conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel or

cry. Stand firm contending as one man for the faith of the gospel, being one in spirit and purpose. And you go through Philippians and you get to Colossians. How long does it take him? About eight verses, chapter one. You heard about and the word of truth, the gospel that's come to you is producing fruit. The gospel is all over the world. Stand firm as one man over there.

You say, I'm still. Five and six. Five and six. and six. Not eight. No, but I'm just saying, if you just take everything that discusses the gospel, take each book, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1st, 2nd, Corinthians, Philippine, Galatians, you just read them all in it.

Look, you say, why would he be so redundant on something he reminded the Corinthians of? I won't remind you of the gospel I preach to you. Because it's real easy to get off. That's what saves the world. That's what removes your sin, the gospel. You know what I noticed? That's what raises it from the dead, the gospel. So if you miss that.

You know what I noticed, Phil, to go in with what you're saying, every letter starts off with the gospel. Yeah. And it ends with the grace of God. Yeah. In the last chapter? That is correct. It starts with the gospel.

It ends with the grace of God. I only bring it up, Jase, because you, on the last podcast, he said, yeah, I would, he run upon one individual after the other. I think I would tell people about Jesus if I knew where the verses were. You don't need to know where the verses are. If you can't read through your Bible and read the end of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and then the book of Acts, and then the book of Romans, and the book of 1st and 2nd, Corinthians. And you start down through that list, you say, if you miss that Jesus came down in flesh, died, was buried, raised from the dead, what do you do?

What do you mean you can't find the verses? It's packed full of it. Well, it's like, you can't miss it. Phil, it's like this, we were doing one of these episodes I can't talk about. And at the end of the so-called episode, they asked me to say a few words. well I didn't I mean our show this is about as real as you can do TV and I said well why didn't you give me at least a little heads up here because they wanted me to speak in front of a crowd of real people for the show I figured you could say a few words and I was like why don't you give me a heads up

and so this woman she's like well you're a professional speaker and I was like I looked around behind me You know, I was kidding, but like, you're talking to me? I have no training. She's like, well, you speak all over the place. I was like, yeah, that's what you've labeled professional. I'm telling you as the Holy Spirit of God, I got one speech, and it centers around Jesus. Now, I'm going to give the speech because then I quoted First Peter 315. I thought this was an indirect way to tell her why I speak.

I'm not very smart Not very educating. Exactly. I was like But she's like Yeah but I've I've listened to your speeches I was like

Well But that's Here's the deal I know Jesus And that's answered All of life's problems So therefore I'm qualified To address all issues

Because Jesus did Address all possible scenarios And issues and life And then somebody put them in red letters where they're readily available. I then have the Holy Spirit. I said, because deep down my biggest fear in life is to speak publicly. But the look on her face was like, because, you know, she's like, well, are you going to speak or not? I was like, yeah, I'm just saying.

It's not like what you're calling professional. I'm going to give credit to the Lord because it certainly is not me. I'm just introducing Jesus and his qualities, which would then make you look like a professional, because I know the professional. I was trying to give the credit to the actual professional is God above, because he takes people who are not very smart, not very talented, and made a lot of mistakes, and he empowers them.

He cleanses them, and he empowers them. That's why the gospel, so that's what I was going to say. why or what did you think the gospel was when you first heard the gospel because he's fixed we hadn't we hadn't well you said what it was but he says it in verses four through six that Christ died according to scriptures that he was buried and then he was raised then it says and then he appeared to peter which was proof of the resurrection he basically said it's who Jesus is and what he did on a cross resurrection but what did he's right resurrection but what did Did you think it was? You were what, 28? So, Dad, I had no idea. Hang on for you, answer that. Let's take a break.

I had heard the response to it a lot. All you have to do is believe. Or pray or repent. You got to believe, you got to repent, you've got to confess, you've got to be baptized. And they gave the verses over and over and over. But when we finally got to, I'm 28 years old, the guy I said, if you're going to tell me that I need to hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized, hear what?

Yeah. I just flat out said, hear what? Because I didn't know what the gospel was. So you had been to church. I'd been to church, heard them, but then they talked about, you know, repentance and faith. You think they didn't. This is it in hell and this and that. You don't think, did they preach the gospel?

You just didn't hear it? Or do you just, you think since they didn't stress it? I mean, surely they. I was asking, he said, well, what do you think the gospel? gospel is. I said, don't tell me about here and hear what. Tell me that. And then we'll move from that, believe what? Repent because of what? He baptized. What does that mean? Does he go to the, but that's where I was. And he said, you don't even know what it is. I said, evidently I don't. I said, gospel music on the radio or something. I said, you know. I didn't. He explains Jesus

in who he was, who he is, what he did, what he's now doing, what he's. will do when I heard that I said how in the world did I ever miss that I said yeah I had never heard it see I thought it was the Bible but I thought the Bible was a rule book so that don't that that's kind of there I'd write a long way well I take it back to what Paul said in Romans 7 verse 8 but sim seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment produced in me every kind of covetous desire for apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive, apart from law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.

I think people have to have that realization that whatever it is that got them there, that I'm dead without something. I mean, for me, it was 18. You know, at 12, I thought I had it because I had the mental part, I mean, had the intellectual part. I'd heard the story. I knew I'd seen your life change. So I was like, okay, I got it.

I understand it. But I didn't because I didn't understand I was dead in my own sense. Now, I realized that at 18. So I think everybody, no, I shouldn't say everybody, because people come to faith in different ways. For most people, you have to have that realization that without Christ, I'm nothing. And in your case, you don't have to have a practical lifestyle to get you there.

Sometimes it could just be a question. If you go by, you're going to write a book. They send me 100. of them all the time. If you're going to write a book and it's a religious book, you need to start quickly with

Jesus died. Based on the letters in the Bible. Have it in the intro. Well, because no, to your point, all the letters of the news. Whatever you've got to say, get that out on the front end. I agree.

Like you, Matthew Martin, Luke. I'm trying to ask, because the viewers may have missed it. I mean, we have people who miss this. Sure. Because I remember when I remember, when I was, this was shared to me, I said, well, why is that the gospel? I remember saying that. Because I was, I was confused.

I was like, I was like you feel. I was like, tell me the five things I need to do, whatever they are, and back them up with scriptures, and then I'll do it, and then I can get back to doing whatever it was I was doing. You know, I was looking at belief in religion as like an insurance policy, you know, just tell me what I need to do. Let me check all the boxes. Then if I need it, and if this thing happens to be true, I'll, well, look, I was young and dumb.

I was thinking, just where do I sign up? What I've got to fill out a form? Tell me what I've got to do. Like you're buying a car or something. So they're like, well, the gospel. And by the way, gospel means good news. That's what the word means. So they, you know, they read the first Corinthians, 15.

They said, you know, Jesus died and was buried and raised. And I was like, well, why is that the gospel? I remember asking that question. Why is that the gospel? Because I wasn't getting it. I thought, that has nothing to do with me. Because I was, Phil, I was like you. I was like, what do I need to do?

They're like, well, the gospel says shit. I'm like, well, thank you, I guess. I just thought so I believe that or what? You know, I just couldn't. Because until you hear it and obey it, well, and experience it. The spirit, there's no transfer of the spirit. Well, until you have the spirit of God,

you'll be walking around as a blind man from now on. You say, well, how do you get to? You obey the gospel. Well, then they got into the Jesus died. You now, you die, and you're buried, you're raised. Well, I believe, you know, when I was researching it, when I got to that Colossians 1, I don't know, a light bulb, many light bulbs went off.

Me too. But when it described Jesus as the image of the invisible God, that phrase stuck in my brain because I thought, I've wondered about God up until then. And I was always the type of person that was like, where's this rain coming from? You know, looking in the clouds. And we got a different plan.

I mean, I was always trying to find the clues in the creation, which I think that's my first God awareness was just through looking at the creation. Well, there's a God. But it was something about, oh, he became a human? That's where we're getting this. And he lived a sin-free, sinless life. It worked out this through history to document his arrival.

But then supernaturally comes forth from a woman so he's representing both sides of this thing, God and humans, and ultimately by his death is the way that I obtained forgiveness to a God who is just. I mean, it just made sense to me. I was like, oh,

I mean, I just literally had no idea that's what this was about. Of course, then I'll have to admit, I got more excited about the resurrection because I had never, in my wildest imagination, contemplated the fact that I could actually come back from the dead with a body doing stuff. That's why it needs to be explained to everybody when they say, so what do I need to do?

You say, you need to understand that when, because a lot of them say, just put your faith in Jesus. They need to say at that point, you put your faith in Jesus and who he is, God who became flesh, that that separates him from anybody else that's ever been he's god in a human body only time ever that happened he became a human so he could die and be buried and raised from the dead thereby removing your sin problem and your physical death problem 24-7 you have his spirit now in you when you obey that

you die to sin, you're buried, you're raised, and you receive God's Spirit, and you go forward and when someone says, how do I get out of here alive? Is there anything that Bible stuff? You say, here's what happened. Here's the story. The power is in that story. But you do it in humility and surrender. You know, that's what I, it takes a while to mature enough to realize that, oh, I had it completely backwards. And to realize the personal impact, let's take a break. I saw the perfect illustration of this last night. I didn't think about it, too, y'all were just discussing that.

I was watching, B.K.K. and I were watching an old episode of The Office. And so Michael Scott, who's the director there of this office, he was having financial troubles. And so one of the people said, well, you just need to declare bankruptcy. And you'll able to start all your finances over. And he's listening, you know. So a few minutes later, he walks out into the office. There's all these people there's there. He said, I declare.

bankruptcy. And then he walks into his office and he closes the door. So the accountant comes in, Oscar. And he says, you know, just because you say that out loud, there's like a whole process you have to go through. Like that hasn't changed anything in your life situation. He said, I didn't just say it. I declared it.

And it was a joke. But I thought that's a lot of people's approach to faith. They just say at some point, well, I said out loud, I declare. Jesus is Lord, but then that's it. Did you? But did you? Right. Did you really, the whole process of a life change and becoming something different and dying to sin and becoming new, there's a whole, that's the rest of your life.

That's why I think a very underrated paragraph in First Corinthians, 15, is that 9 through 11. Because he says, for I'm the, he had just explained. Read the rest of that before you get to that. Well, I was going to go back because I had another point on that. But just in this moment, I just wanted to share about this point of you, you start with the gospel because that's what changes your heart. I mean, that was God's idea. But then he always wove grace in there because we as humans want to take credit for everything that happens in our life,

especially the good things. You know, the bad things, we blame somebody else. So he says, for I am, this is Paul. who, I mean, look, we're reading his letter. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God. But he's writing this because he's overwhelmed

you sense the compassion that he feels for getting it wrong before he met Jesus. That's true. He's like, man, that's just what I said when the woman's like, you're a professional. I feel the same one. I'm not, I'm the dumbest people you'll ever meet, you know? So, because you can't help because you have to have humility.

You could have asked, you could have asked her, do I look like a wizard? Professional speaker. It just took me back so much. But I'm saying that quality that you must possess to allow God to take control of your life is the same one that you have to humble yourself. When someone starts bragging on you, you're like, no, you've missed this. But even if you consider yourself a professional speaker, Jays, you know, when you're asked to, to speak on behalf of the Almighty, I want to spend some time with the Holy Spirit

before I just start spout. Well, I'm going to get to that. Because verse 10, he says, but by the grace of God, I am what I am. I mean, that's why I said, this is an underestimated passage. Because he, not only did he remind him of the gospel, but he's also given credit to what this leads to your attitude of yourself.

Because he's like, by the grace of God, I am what I am. and His grace to me was not without effect. And to your point, Al, the next phrase, no, I worked harder than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. That's what I'm saying. These people who are trying to get you somehow

by your performance and work ethic to attain a measure of spirituality, you've got it all wrong. This is all about grace-motivated, spirit surrendering and humbling, and you find those people that are motivated by the grace of God and feel like God is real, and he did come here, and he is possessing your life,

they'll be the hardest working people on the planet. I mean, we're literally, I mean, the three of us are going until we drop on a daily basis based on this fact right here. That's right. So, I mean, you try to get me to line up to do something else? No. But if it's involved, of him getting Jesus out there?

I mean, I'll go to work. So then it says, verse 11, whether then it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believe. So it's like he combined the facts, but they're not just facts, because they're facts about who God is

in this encounter, and the grace then that motivates you to live the rest of your life. And he also acknowledged in there, his, throughout what we've seen throughout this whole book, that he's seen as the least of the apostles because he was the last. You know, he didn't, he didn't walk with Jesus for three years, although he did spend three years of time with him out in the desert.

I don't know what all that Bible. And once he works his way over into second Corinthians, which will be there in a few weeks, since then we know what it is to fear the Lord we are we try to persuade men and he goes on down below there and he said we're like jace you could have told or you said i know you're you're saying well what about you know jason and you don't seem to be like you could have said to her i'm an ambassador and she said what you're what he said i'm an ambassador i've been hired hired by God to do a job. So because we know what it is to fear the Lord,

we try to persuade men. We're like ambassadors. I looked up ambassador in the dictionary. It said messenger. We're just simply messengers, conduits. Exactly. Conduets to get the gospel. That way, you're not thinking of yourself.

And look, by the way, I gave the speech. I didn't feel real good about it. But one of the, I'm not saying it wasn't good, but just personally individually, you know, you get in the way of this. I gave it. And one of the people that worked on the crew actually come up and, like, you know, gave me a man hug. He says, man, that was very inspiring. And I thought, huh.

Which, which, by the way, is the woman would say, he's a professional. No, it worked again. No, it's a, let's take break. It's an ongoing reminder. to you that even when you're pressed into action and you haven't felt like you've spent time with Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is still working. I mean, I experienced this a few weeks ago preaching days. I just had a week where I just could not prep like I normally do.

And so by the time I got to Sunday morning, I was like, all right, Lord, you know I'm not ready. I'm not where I normally am. But that doesn't mean the Holy Spirit can't say what he needs to say today. And he did. I go through that process every time I speak. You know what I mean? It's always, and Missy, she used to come in there, she said, why do you do this to yourself?

Because I'll just have an empty notebook. I'll study, like, for hours. And I literally write nothing down. Yeah, I spend time all week with it, yeah. And she's all, why don't you just start writing? I'm like, I just, and sometimes, look, I never do write it. Yeah. So the time comes I'm supposed to speak, and I do exactly what you did.

well I can't study any harder and it just comes out I don't know if I told you all this so when they they call me and told me that Smith had passed away passed away I just said it passed on and he and so they said we want you to speak at his funeral

and so I was both honored but also terrified oh yeah I was whoa storm I'm sure that stopped everything didn't it

my head said off I got some weird 40 minute, look, 40 minute, Mark. Oh, well, that's fine. Then let's just keep going. So are we okay? I mean, this is real life, a thunderstorm came. What do we do it? I think that was an amen from heaven.

I think you just got a signal. Yeah. Just tell me when you're ready to go because I can get the perfect launch from there. Ready? Right. Yeah. So apparently we just got a message from Smith. Yeah, that's true.

He told me he was going to be watching me the last time I talked to us. I think that has now been proved. We just had our lights flicker in this. So I don't know if I'm... The lightning boat. So should I tell this story now or shouldn't I? Now I'm one, now I'm doubting myself. You can't talk about the resurrection without believing in the resurrection.

So this is the sign. So they asked me to speak at Bill Smith, who is our mentor. Who's the one that led that to the gospel, to the gospel, This is exactly what we're talking about. I think what just happened is the Almighty said, keep it going. Okay, okay, good. You say it's a positive. We're trying to interpret the signs.

So I sat down, Jay, to your point, it made me think about it when you said that about. So I opened up my Bible. I start reading. And I kind of have a way of preparing for funerals. I mean, I've got some passages in mind that I use that kind of apply to family and comfort. I thought about what Smith had taught me. your first job is to comfort family in that setting. So I thought about that, his family that we love so much.

So I sat there and I have an open notebook and it's blank and I'm reading and studying and praying and hours go by. And I got nothing. Nothing seemed like it fit my relationship with him. So I just closed it all down, went about my day, doing my stuff, praying about it throughout the day. Next morning comes by because I got another day or two to prepare nothing. I thought, well, this is going to be a short deal here, you know, when this day comes.

About the third day I sat down and I would wind up in Timothy. And this thought hit me. What would Timothy say at Paul's funeral? Because that was our relationship. Bill to me was Paul to Timothy. I was young. He trained me. He taught me the ways.

And so then I started reading first and second Timothy. and then it just flowed out. This is what Timothy would have said about Paul. And that's what I said about Bill. But I totally attribute that to Holy Spirit because at first I was trying to go through it all the ways I would do it. Well, here's what I wanted to say.

I read that text 9th, 11 before, because I thought somebody told me to do this at some point in my Christian life, and it was very good advice. Because I really struggled with speaking and being courageous, you know, for the Lord. Now, granted, once I got over that, I went, guns are blazing. But someone said, because I had this same idea, well, I don't know the verses, I don't know enough, I make mistakes.

What if they say, well, you think you're perfect? No, I came up, you can come up with 101 reasons why not to say anything. And somebody said, well, what would you tell God, if you were standing for God, you know, he comes back, boom, judgment day it happened. what would you tell him on why you should enter? And that was a very good question for me, because I started thinking, what would I say? You know, let's just say, as people say, that we stand before God and he's like,

well, you mean to do about it. Why should you enter? Well, in the first year or two that I thought, I thought about things that I did because I was immature and stupid. But the more I read this, I said, you know what I'm going with? I'm going to say, well, I'm going to remind you of the gospel.

I'm going to preach the gospel that Jesus died, and was buried and raised, and then I'm going to do my version of 9 through 11. I know I'm least of humans, and I do not deserve to be called the Son of God. I'm going to do the same thing, because I think that's what he was doing. But by your grace, I am what I am.

The grace was not without effect. I've worked my butt off down there on the earth. You've watched it, but it was based on your grace and your death, bail, and resurrection. Well, to me, I think that would be the right answer. Yeah. And I think that's the right answer

for what we should be doing now. Right. And I think that was his whole point to the Corinthian Church. There was no purpose. They had lost the plan. They didn't even realize that God created them for a purpose, and they were arguing about, you know,

what sex they were going to be. And here he is getting to the end saying, let me just remind you of this. I mean, I think that's what he was trying to get them to see. Well, and I think you're right. I think if the message is Jesus' message to the cross, the wisdom is the wisdom from the spirit. Remember that was chapter one and two,

and now we were right here focusing in on it, first Corinthians 15, the first nine verses, then we can take no credit for it. That's right. How could we ever take credit for it? It's funny, Jay, so I have, after the at the end so the funeral you know i'm speaking there's all these graduates that there are people that smith had trained and a bunch of them were just honest they were like you know there's

a bunch of jealous guys out here because we'd all love that opportunity i said well yeah i'm sorry family asked me to do it and j j j turner came up to me and he wrote the book on homiletics that we studied in school so this is like the speaker's speaker you're talking about professional speaker he came up to me he said brother i've done a lot of funerals and i've sat a lot of funeral and i've sat at a lot of I've never heard anything like that before. In which this is a guy I respect, you know, and he's given me this great comment. But I said the right answer. And my first thought was like, wow, JJ Turner.

And then I thought, you know, I can't take credit for it, JJ. That was straight from the spirit because I had nothing until the Holy Spirit spoke what he needed to speak. And I think that's the way you have to view everything when it comes to life in response to the gospel. It's grace. You're exactly right. Which, by the way, everybody, where you? you get into trouble with the Bible is people go straight to the middle of a book or a letter. You need to start at the beginning and the end because the writer is going to tell you what it's about.

And then the stuff in the middle usually applies to some specific group of people. You mentioned Galatians. They had an issue by it into the gospel. Other churches didn't have that. That's why it didn't say anything to the Philippines about it. That's why these people show their ignorance in churches when they say, why you don't keep sharing the same message? You know, people gripe about that?

The Galatians had it down. Yeah, they add it down to, yeah, we blow, okay, we believe Jesus came and placed. He died for us, and buried in the day. All we're going to do is just add one thing, but you still have to be circumcised. You have to be circumcised, or you're not going to make it. And Paul said, do what? And I mean, he's so gross in so many ways. You're going to be eternally condemned if you say, you got one little thing, you better add to all that.

You need to be circumcised. You're like, sure. I mean, number one, the thought of me visualizing my own circumcision, it kind of makes me nauseous. I don't want anybody coming toward me with any kind of metallic instruments. Now we've gone, made a segue and said, you can't inherit the kingdom of God unless we go around. We'll share it.

We'll do that. And now we, all right. Time for the cutting. Time to get your clothes on. Look. Like, what? Churches, modern churches do the same thing. They said, well, look, the gospel's great.

And Jesus is awesome. This is what you need to be saved. But also, you have to take our membership class to be able to be a member of the kids. Wait a minute. You need to study this creed and it tells you what we believe. That's right. You say, and they

look at somebody like you, Jace, they don't ever do it to me. Yeah. They look at you and they say, but y'all just don't seem like theologians. You You like, it doesn't sound like you've been formally trained in the word. It's like my sister.

You say, theologian, theologian, where is that verse? I was going to go speak in an event this for years ago, and they sent me a hundred question, questionnaire that I had to fill out of biblical questions. Before you're okayed. Yeah, and she's like, what do you want me today? I said, I want you to draw out the gospel diagram on the question one, and then just put, the grace of God is telling me no. And I said, send it.

So that's what we did. I mean, no, I'm not coming. If I'm going to have to fill out a 100, it was just various questions. What do you believe about this? What do you believe about that? I've gotten them before, too. What do you believe by that? I thought, well, I don't know how anybody's going to make it if we have to sink up on.

Two words for that, hard pass. All right, so we're out of time. On the overtime, we missed one little section there in the first part of 15. We'll make sure we catch that up. And the next time we'll come back and talk about the resurrection body in the next podcast. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube.

and be sure to click that little bell to get notified about new episodes. And for even more content that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to Blaze TV at blazTV.com slash Unashamed.