Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 453 | Phil Gives Dolly Parton a Shout-Out & Jase Shares a Dating Strategy

Episode Date: April 1, 2022

Phil commends Dolly Parton's example of staying the course and credits her spirituality for her success. Jase calls dating a ministry and shares a strategy when dating for marriage. Al reveals his favorite music of all time, and Jase recalls a particular fad that swept him up during his teens. And Al and Jase discuss the many quarrels among believers. 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? So when I was out of town last week filming for our show, I bumped into a series of fortunate events, I guess, a country music singer. And he was inviting us to come look at his place because he heard we were in town, this small town, out in the middle of nowhere. So I was like, hmm. Okay, let's go look at it. And so we go over there, and it was shocking about five or ten minutes into this conversation.

I'm like, this guy hadn't said one cuss word. He doesn't seem real arrogant, which was, you know, most famous people that we've run up on, you're like, oh, oh boy. You know, it just goes to their head. But as the day went on, I was like, well, man, this was. the treasure of this venture meeting this guy's name was Aaron Watson. Have you ever heard of you now? Country music singer, aren't you a country music buff? I am not, Jase. I had a little small rebellious phase

when I was in high school with the old outlaw country, but I haven't kept up with modern country music, so I'm not aware of this person. Well, he had a fantastic property, and we enjoyed it. And, of course, I was more impressed, because I found out he's a believer. And he didn't really go about the way to become a star like everybody else. He just, he writes his music and sings it. I mean, he was selling his CDs out of the back of his truck, you know,

when he went through college. And he just, that's just what he does. But it was an incredible story just about how to become successful without really going the typical way. he said if you're good at something which i was thinking and i mean he was obviously giving credit to the lord i mean i just feel like everybody has something they're good at and if you decide to make it a platform for your faith and the lord and be unapologetic about it i just believe the lord blesses you but i will say this i mean this guy was a storyteller that rivals uncle sigh i mean he great like story after story but I mean the difference was most of these seem true

where sigh you're like I don't know I don't know about you uncle sigh tell the story about he's running so fast that his tennis shoes exploded into flames because the friction that it caused I mean you know that come on now but I thought I'd share that because it's always nice because I know how difficult it is you know fame and fortune or can be spiritual killers. But it's nice to meet somebody famous who's using it for something better and hasn't exchanged their character.

I need to see if I can get him. I wonder if he'll come on the podcast. I'm going to see if I can make that act. He gave his number, so I'll say, I just thought he had a neat story, you know? And so I was going, I was like, I want to share that. You can do things the right way and be successful.

You don't have to exchange, you know, I was talking about Judas, the last podcast. You don't have to exchange, you know, exchange your character and your integrity and morals to try to be successful in life in shady ways, you know. Yeah, who's the little blonde-headed chick from Tennessee? The country singer, this 50-year, Dolly Pardon? y'all saw her on about an hour of show yesterday and she kept her faith intact her husband no few people have ever seen him but he's there no divorces no no friction no no bad years to come across but she just stayed the course and she was celebrating her 50th 50 years with the grand old Opry. Yeah, which is rare. It was pretty interesting that she kept her faith and she ended it

all up, you know, which is pretty good in lieu of the podcast, I think we did last time. Well, you got to have something. Yeah, you got to have something character driven, Phil, because you're basically, you don't let's face it most when it comes to being famous. It's usually a flash in a pan. That's right. And so why, I mean, why turn your back on your character? and your morals and in our case, you know, Jesus, for something you're going to lose anyway. And eventually you will lose it in death or just, hey, the way time is. I looked at her house where she was raised in Tennessee, Jays, and it was just an old run-down shack, you know, just don't know about what you'd see in Matt Dillon, one of their episode, just out there in the middle of nowhere.

But I told Ms. Kay's, because Ms. Kay said, that's, that's, that's a, that's, that's a lot of, you know, the kind of house you were raised in. I said, yep. So she came from a family of about 10 or 12 kids with this dream. She's going to be a singer one day. And for a while, her uncle, I think it was, would drive her down to the grand old opera and she'd look at all of them, you know. But she ended up, I mean, 50 years, she ends it all up by saying, I'll always love you, you know, that's a I will always love you. She sang that song. She sang that song. you know but but the girl I give her credit the woman she could sing she still can so she's rolling around here 50 at grand old opera so that make her about 70 probably she's

probably in her 70s now but she's uh she stood up well is all I can say but she stayed the course the spiritual course and she was blessed mightily well and that thing about though dad She had, you mentioned she had roots. Yep. She had family. She had accountability. She still has been super successful business-wise in that same area where she's always been because a lot of people that work for it have been a part of her life and her, you know,

group for all these years she's done it. So you mentioned about how you maintain that. And Jason was talking about, you know, because most time you are, we've been disappointed it a lot of times and people we've met because, you know, you enjoy their work, you enjoy their music or their own movies. But then you meet them and it's just like, I mean, it's just, there's not a lot there. But she's the kind of person you're right, the longevity, the ones who have done it. Not only did she have a great talent, but she stayed grounded in something real. And so that's the thing. You know, you don't want to start, you know, believing in a make-believe world

that you're something that you're not. That's what happens a lot of times of people in Hollywood. You know, they play all these amazing characters, so they get to thinking they're a big deal, but not really. You're just from someplace like everybody else. But when you try to live in a make-believe world, then you'll start having make-believe everything. By the way, that was her message, what you just said. That was her message.

She just, reality stayed with her, you know. Her faith remained intact. There was never any period of time when she was down in the dumps and on drugs and all to tell that story. No, not for her. She stayed the course. And boy, did she ever make a lot of money doing it? Well, it was kind of ironic.

I mean, because she's been open about, you know, plastic surgery. And she's like, hey, I'm all for tucking and pulling out. Oh, she does. Which the fact that she acknowledges that, but I'm like a woman who's known for maybe her physical attributes, you know, the spiritual qualities is what really made her successful. That is true. And some of the things I read one time about her,

they had given, I mean, millions of books to, like, kids and I forgot what kind of project. Well, I think it was called Imagination Project or whatever, but you just see good things that happen, and you're like, okay, here's somebody who's doing something worthwhile with the fame that they have. So I thought I'd share that whenever I see something like that. Dad, do you remember the,

Do you remember where she got her start? I remember watching her when I was a kid. I mean, I'm like eight years old. Do you remember where she started? What show she started on? Herda Porter Wagner. Remember Porter Wagner? Yeah.

That was it. That's exactly right. It was the Porter Wagner show. Of course, I used to watch that when I was with my great grandmother, Nanny, who's mom's grandmother. So we would watch Lawrence Welk, Porter. Wagner Wagner, all those shows from the early 70s, but they would showcase these people. But I still remember she came out saying that first time, an old Porter in the band,

you know, they all got the matching suits, usually some kind of red or crazy color. And they're playing behind her. And they're like, we got this young, you know, young woman from Tennessee. Welcome to Miss Daly Parton, you know, and she comes out. She's got the hair and the, you know, as Jay said, quite the look. but I still remember that I still remember that as a kid 50 years ago

I was seven years old I guess Yep Well dolly you've done well girl Yeah I think I was into the Shah Nah nah nah Remember them Yeah

You remember that show I used to go around I put my They had the bass guy Yeah I put my muscle up I'd be like Do do do do do do do I mean I

I went through like two years of that. Yeah. That was the only time I got caught up in just a fad. Yeah. The white t-shirt, you know, that later on you claim you invented. It could have been worse, Jase. Yeah.

I did say, Dad, whenever I was, I forgot to mention this in the last overtime when I was throwing out the word greatest in culture that I believe that my. era of the 70s, and you probably back me up on this, was probably the greatest decade for rock music that's ever been before or after. I feel pretty confident saying that was the greatest era for rock music. It started in the late 60s, but the 70s, until we got to 80s music, was to me the ultimate. Yeah, I don't think there's going to be a repeat of that whole volume of entertainers. I don't think there's going to be a repeat of those guys. They got old and the music left with them.

So today we're getting back into Second Corinthians. We've moved over, if you hadn't been listening for a few podcasts, over to Second Corinthians, which is still got some challenging stuff in it, but it's much less pointed and sharp, would be the words I would use that Paul was in First Corinthians because he was dealing with some of their specific issues. So this second letter comes in.

And I would say it's more, it's more focused on the ministry that they're trying to accomplish in the city of Corinth. And so we looked at it, and it's got a very short, compared to the first Corinthians, there's a very short open. But there it is, again, Grace, which we talked about that last time, Jayce, always begins and ends with grace, you know, any book, which is something we should think about. If we just put that one principle, yeah, into life. I mean, you begin and in and in our churches. You know, speaking of another guy who's handled fame well, Tim Tebow, when I met him, felt the same thing. But I saw a message somebody screenshot and sent me,

but it said a church should be a hospital for the broken, not a museum for good people. He had, I think it was on Twitter. He had tweeted that out. But it had thousands of likes and comments and shares. And I thought, okay. But that's the concept of you, you're extending God's grace in the church.

As many problems, especially spelled out in First Corinthians, he began with grace and he ended with grace. And he really chastised them. I mean, he really got on them about several issues. but you got to remember the church is a group of broken, flawed people only by the grace of God can you be redeemed, but you can

through Jesus and you can function and God can use you individually as a part of a whole to represent him and, you know, his wonders, his powers, his forgiveness, his grace in your life. Oh, you're right, Jay. Let's take a break.

And to prove that point, so when we started in St. Corinthians, the last time we were in this text, we were in chapter 1, verses 3 through 11. And in that, he talked about, he starts with this idea of comfort because of all the difficulties that he's gone through personally, Paul. But then he talks about how that all, the only reason all that stuff happened was so that he could then extend God's comfort to other people. And so I always think it was almost a soothing beginning to this letter to the people at Corinth, you know, because he was pretty hard on him, you know, through the process of trying to teach

them and get them out of some other ways. But he comes back with the idea that, you know, God is there to comfort us. And he wants us to understand that even when we go through hard times, we do that because it makes us stronger and better, and it helps us to help other people. So that's kind of where we left off heading into verse 12 into this next section. Yeah, one of the points he brings up, and you get looking at it logically, you say, why would he do that to these people? His spokesman, why would he let them get to the point of you're going to be slaughtered for what you're doing? he said

we were under great pressure down therein by verse 8 far beyond what our ability to endure now God's putting this on them so that we despaired even of life

I mean these people in the Roman Empire have gone nuts they picked to kill us indeed our hearts we felt in our hearts we felt the sentence of death we're going to

get killed doing this representing Jesus. But this happened, God let it happen, that we might not rely on ourselves because you can't resurrect yourself. You got to be hooked to God. When resurrection is concerned, this happened to us. They said, we're for get killed. so that we might not rely on ourselves because actually what are you going to do the authorities have got a hold of you but on god who raises the dead and he has delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver us on him we've set our hope that we that he will continue to deliver us as you help us by your prayers, then many will give thanks on our behalf

for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. So it's like I've been telling everybody I see with white whiskers. Now, a lot of our audience, I want you guys to go get a mirror and look at them and look at yourself and look at the color of your whiskers. And my admonition to them

is that when you see the gray whiskers, the resurrection looms larger. For some reason when you said that, I think, all right, here's a guy who's staring in the mirror and his wife came in. She's like, what are you doing? Well, Mr. Phil told me to look in the mirror and think about the resurrection. It's looming larger, and the gray whiskers don't lie. They say it's coming. we're better off than the Apostle Paul and Timber than the one that was with him

preaching the gospel to the Corinthians. They were looking at it like, boy, we thought there's no way we're going to live out of there. They're going to kill every one of us. But, you know, he said, he did that so we would rely not on ourselves because we can't read, we don't have the power to raise ourselves, but we follow the one who can. And he said, that's how we live. what my point is that's pretty good to the corinthians or the people now in modern day

america i mean life is short i mean this 75 years i've lived i mean it's like snapping your finger i mean just i'm like good night i just got here but here we are and with each passing day y'all don't forget this because when you get ready to i go into the casket just remember if there's no resurrection of the dead we all are done, done. You see what I'm saying? Only shot we got. This is it.

Jesus, him crucified and raised from there. He raises the deity, he said. That's what cares. So when you get right down to it, as each passing day, diseases come, and this comes, and aches and pains and only, and you say, man, that resurrection, it's beginning to loom bigger and bigger and bigger. I'd rather be there than to be there without any hope. Well, I love in the first chapter,

how it seems like he's trying to get them to be, you know, fulfill the great commission in some way and let, you know, that God is doing the delivering, which I love that. It's like, when did that stop? God's still delivering people today who have put their faith and trust in him. He's also acknowledging that if you live a public, faith in the world, you're going to suffer.

Yeah. But he's also going to comfort you. And he said it. He said, this happened that we might not rely on ourselves. Exactly. Because what are you going to do about it? I mean, you're like, well. And he also shows that prayer is effective then and now because you're asking God to deliver you.

And he will. So then when he gets to verse 12, you know, I, I, What stood out to me is this phrase about the difference in the way we function with the world. But he says in the second part there of chapter 1, verse 12, we have done so not according to worldly wisdom, but according to God's grace. And all he was doing is commenting on how we conduct ourselves in the world. And he's eventually going to get out here where one of my favorite paragraph. in 2 Corinthians is he starts saying when he came to him in verse 17 he says I didn't make my plans in a worldly manner because he's already said there's a difference in worldly wisdom based in

your decision and your daily decisions and your plan basing it on worldly wisdom versus God's grace and so then he says or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say yes, yes, and no, no. And you're like, what exactly is he talking about? And evidently there was some underlying backstory to this. But then he clarifies saying, but as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not yes and no. For the son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me, Silas and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in him it has always been yes. For no matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in Christ.

And so through him, the amen is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God he makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us. He set a seal of ownership on us and put his spirit in our hearts as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come by the way jace he started that out but saying we do not write after you talk about

the grace of god we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand this is not rocket science it's his point this is this is this is this is his way it is everything's yes you say yes

I will live on well look at what he's doing though he says okay he says God is the God of comfort there in the first few verses. Then he's like, God is a deliverer. He will deliver us. He says, God is God of grace. Then he's like, God is faithful.

He says that verse 18. Then he says God is a promise keeper when he said, no matter how many promises he made, there yes. And this is all in the context of the world. causing you suffering and pain reminds me of that song that says it may look like that I'm surrounded but I'm surrounded by him

what is that song I said this is how I fight my battles what you got out sorry let's take a break so in the spiritual warfare I mean he's saying look this is not going to be based on your performance I mean it's a good point Phil to bring that

out, but we don't have to rely on ourselves, but on God who ultimately raises the dead. And I just thought here, you know, when God made that, when Peter acknowledged the promise, you remember when the spirit was poured out in Acts chapter 2 and Peter preaches the gospel and the people are cut to the heart? And they said, what do we do? And they repented and they were baptized and they received the Holy Spirit, which was which goes into this verse 21. He anointed us,

so to seal of ownership on us and put his spirit in our hearts as a deposit. Well, in that Acts 2, whatever it is, 40 or 41, it says, this promise is for you and for all who are far off. Your children. So a lot of these even churches today, they're looking for this spirit to be dropped out of heaven.

This was a promise. the spirit was poured out, and there's no difference now than then. It's available. You share Jesus and you surrender, and you can have God's spirit in your heart. And that's a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. Well, what is that? Well, worldly wisdom would say a coffin, or perhaps if you're lucky, some energetic experience where you absorb with the atmosphere and continue this non-visible existence with no way to express itself. But God is saying here through Paul, no, this spirit is guaranteeing what is to come, which is eternal life.

I mean, whatever promises you can come up with. Because when it said, all promises made by God are yes in Christ. So I don't know if you want to list some of those off the top of your head, but eternity is definitely one. I've freed you the truth, Jesus. Deliverance. I've delivered you from Satan. You say, how do you feel about that?

You say, you ought to jump up and down. I've delivered you from sin. I've delivered you from the guilt of it all. I've delivered you from law, having to be perfect. I kept it, then died to get you out of muddered, cancel the written code. and finally, I've guaranteed you that you can be raised from the dead. You have it all. So I think those would all be yes.

Those would all be yes in Christ. Because that 20 says for no matter how many promises God is made, which really the promises, would you say it's fair to say the promises are the qualities of God? So if he's eternal, he's going to make us eternal. He's just. so he promises justice. He's love, so he promises love. He's trying to get him to see,

I've come to give you peace, peace, peace of mind. I've come to give you that. And here's what I've done to prove that. And it's right there in front of you, so you should never feel alone. You are never alone. I'm always there. So it makes me feel better.

That's another good promise. He promises community, not only with him, but with each other. And even to the point of death, we live in our culture and a country that is a constitutional republic, but we're operating under another kingdom, Jesus being the king, and it's, it gives us what governments can't give us. They can't remove our sin and governments can't raise us from the dead. So here we are. And to your point, Jase, all of the promises of God with him being immortal and eternal will once realize be ours throughout eternity.

I mean, that's the beauty of it is once you cross over and you remove sin out of the equation from ever, from any, anything or anybody, you've created the ultimate existence, which is what we're all striving for. You know, Jay's, you mentioned the bigger point of this section in your right and everything that you said. The smaller point in the context of it, this whole section, to me, it's kind of a weird personal thing he's having this discussion with the Corinthians because they're upset that he didn't stop by and see him. I mean, that's the backdrop of this whole section of scripture right here. He, because he explains that a little bit later. He said, I know I was going to try to come and see you before and then also on the way

back through, but it didn't happen. And then he's kind of defending himself by saying, look, I'm a man of integrity. I don't, when I tell you, I'm going to do something. I'm going to do it. But things happened that I couldn't make it. So it's really interesting because his defense of just a simple travel matter really opened up this discussion for this whole bigger narrative, you know. Well, he launches into your.

right because it's like it's not about yes and no oh should i have stopped and visited you you're using you're applying worldly wisdom to that but you think about how many people sit around and have these huge arguments over small details travel or whatever that we get way too enthusiastic about and so he turns that around into saying everything should be about yes in christ i i love this because i think in my mind it's a picture of putting yourself under law or under grace, because under law, you want to know the rules. What am I supposed to do? And usually as human beings, we want to do the least amount possible to enter and tell me what I shouldn't do.

And then he like turns that argument on its head and says, it's always yes in Christ. He turned it as an illustration to say, you should be worried about more weight. He matters, which is Jesus, how many promises you have in him and about yes, yes, yes, yes. And he mentions it guarantees Jesus what's to come. You have the guarantee. Well, that's pretty soothing. Well, it's like I was just thinking, you remember when Nancy Reagan had the, and look, I'm not saying this was a bad idea necessarily, but remember the campaign on the just, say no to drugs.

And everybody's like, oh, I just say no. They were bumper stickers there. But in the real world, when you think about it, what's the next question? So if somebody says no to drugs, what's the next question in a practical street corner situation? Well, why not? Well, if you don't have Jesus in the equation, he's the reason you would say no. So, and I think in that point is the greater point here.

If you're saying yes to Jesus, well, of course you're going to say no to drug. Your drug of choice is Jesus. I mean, he offers highs from a spiritual perspective. That's way better than anything you can manipulate in a physical way. And so I think it's like turning that illustration over the Nancy Reagan. That's kind of what he did about not visiting. He brings it up another level saying, look what you have in Christ. Let's take another break.

you're right jason and the other thing about that is it just because you say no to one thing what are you going to say yes to next in other words if we make it just a drug deal or some other thing you can insert there you're saying no to one thing but there's another thing you got to then say no to as well because it's not just one thing that destroys so you know without jesus without the yes without the ultimate yes of who rules my life that takes care of the nose if you trust in the yes. Well, right. Then you don't have to rely on yourself, which is where he started this letter.

Because look, I wasted, I mean, that sounds horrible, but it's true. I mean, I was immature and stupid. I wasted the first two years of my Christian life because I thought that being a follower of Jesus was not doing wrong. I was relying on myself. I had completely missed what I was, because deep down, I didn't want to be public. for Jesus. Because when you do that, what happens? Persecution, suffering, people, wrong, wrong, wrong, falsely accusing you, which is now we've just, we have this happen now on a

daily basis. And that's probably the number one question I get asked when I go around and do events and all. They're like, well, how do you handle all this? But it just comes with it. If you make a public declaration that Jesus is real and he's Lord, and I've put my faith and trust in him, and I'm going to live forever. I mean, you're just going to be persecuted. People are going to back up the trucks and just unload on you. That's what he's addressing here, which is everyone is a little fearful of that because everybody likes to be liked and likes people to say nice things about you.

But unfortunately, if you choose a life in Christ and you rely on his power, something that is guaranteed to come with that is persecution, suffering, and in this case, in the Bible narrative, possibly death. And you know, Jason, it's not the, when we think, when you use the word comfort or comfortable in our culture, in our society, in our world, outside of Christianity, it's a whole different concept that people are thinking about. And they want that. People are like, oh yeah, I don't want to have to work. I don't want to do this. I don't do that. But the whole context of what Paul's talking about here is the comfort comes from something that happens because you are

something more than what the most people are striving to be. So it's a whole different, it's a whole different, it's a whole different use of that word, really. He's not saying, I want you comfortable. He's like, I want you active. And when you're active, you're going to need comfort. it because it will not be pleasant. I mean, and his whole description is about unpleasantries. You know, there's an underlying theme in this book and also carried over from First Corinthians that there were people in Corinth that were giving Paul a really hard time. I mean, he had some detractors and accusers and because he keeps having to defend himself

and, you know, he's doing it here in this context. So he had some people that were seriously after him. And we don't know all the details because we're not getting the questions. we're just getting the answers, but somebody was giving Paul a hard time in the city of Corinth and in the church. Yeah, and he eventually, after that section, where he focused on Jesus and having the Holy Spirit, then he goes into these personal stressful moments and pain that they're causing him all in that situation.

But, I mean, I got to commend him. He was trying to get the greater truth out. which is that no matter how many promises God is made and after he said as surely as God is faithful, our message is yes in Christ. That's what we're about in every situation. That's what they should be doing. That's what we should be doing.

The Great Commission in Matthew 28, I mean, it wasn't a suggestion. It was the reason and God's purpose for our life here and for him and dwellness. We are housing the spirit of God. Well, that's just not going to be able to be a silent thing. I mean, there are moments of peace and meditation, but it's all there so you can declare to the world that there is a way and a being to say yes to that's all positive. It's not about trying to figure out every situation on is it a yes or no question.

You funnel Jesus as the way to filter all life's decisions through that. I mean, that's what we do. I mean, somebody was close when they said, what would Jesus do? But I think it should be what is he doing in me right now? That's the way he functions. No, I agree. And especially once you look at his word, that's why I think that this section, and Jason, to culminate what you mentioned about him personally,

in chapter 2, verse 4, he said, for I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you, but to let you know the depth of my love for you. So when he's describing his heart and his mindset when he's writing these letters, I mean, it's a heavy, heavy thing on the Apostle Paul for this group of people. I mean, he loves them deeply, but there's so many flaws and difficulties in people that or after him there, he's really having a hard time with, you know, staying true to who he has to be. And he's struggling with that. I mean, and I love it because to me, the best thing out of this whole context in this passage

is that when we struggle with people and mistakes and somebody does something to us, whatever, church battles, all the things that happen, we're no different than the Apostle Paul. I mean, it's common to man to have detractors and accusers. Exactly. Let's take another break. Exactly. And even, you know, when he gets to the next paragraph and he's like about, there's going to be somebody in church, and I say in church as in part of our family,

that they're going to do you wrong. And at some point, in marriage, in our church, at your workplace, for you to go on, you're going to have to forgive or be forgiven. And he gets into that when he was said, you know, in verse, nine of chapter two the reason i wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient and everything if you forgive anyone i also forgive them and what i have forgiven if there was anything to forgive i mean he was forgiven even if he wasn't sure that he should be forgiving if there was anything to forgive i have forgiven in the sight of christ for your sake in order and i

think this is the key key moment here in order that satan might not out with us, for we are not unaware of his schemes. So when... He's in there working in the hearts of men. Exactly. That's who's causing all the pain and suffering and discomfort. That's why when you tie it in with Ephesion 6, it's like, our struggle's not against flesh and blood.

They're trying to make it out of flesh and blood. Well, I can't believe you didn't come see us. I mean, what's your problem? And he's having to write these letters and chastise them, and he's anxious, and he's shedding in tears and he's forgiven, even where he's not sure he should be forgiven, because he realized the greater picture. The evil one does not like people who go out there and declare the truth about Jesus. Plus, without, if you don't look at this carefully, how you'll say, if your allegiance to God, if you're allegiance to God, it's just kind of a

routine you go through. Sunday morning you go in, you sit there, your neighbors on your right and your left. You can't see the ones behind you. You don't interact that much. And a lot of things can be going on. But if that's all you have, what about all these texts here on your day-to-day response to all the events that can come your way on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, far away from a church building. It's how they live their life all the time. You know what I'm saying? That's why he said Satan came out with us.

So it's way more than showing up at a church building, kind of yawning and getting through it and then getting out the door. Woo! You know, like it's a relief when you walk out the door. So all these things here are day-to-day events that will never end. they'll always be there because in order that Satan might not outwit us. That's Monday to Monday and well after Sunday morning with your meetings. You see what I'm saying?

Way, way, way bigger than that. And I like, I like the way that he framed that. How do we get outwitted? It's because we're unaware of his schemes. In other words, you have to have a recognition. that every time there's a scenario where there's chaos, where there's anger and people get, and especially among believers, when there's, you know, I mean, people just be having vitriolic, you know, tearing one another down.

When you see all that happen. Oh, what that means is somebody was very unaware that Satan crafted a scheme within this group of people that made it seem like all this ungodly, unChristlike behavior is warranted. and should be done. I mean, you talk about missing the whole point. It happens all the time, which is so unfortunate. Yeah, and I think one of the answers to this problem is to, you realize every question, I mean, I said this when I taught junior high,

I taught junior high for about 10 years at our church just because the challenge of it all, people are like, what's wrong with these people? You know, the junior high age is difficult. They're trying to figure out their identity. It's awkward. So I tried to teach them one principle, and I taught this verse over and over and over again. Because I would ask them a question. No matter what question I asked, I asked tens of thousands of questions.

And there was probably a handful of people that finally got it. Jesus was always the answer. No matter what the question was, even if you thought of something, something negative, well, then he was the answer to overcoming that negative. And I try to get that principle because at that age, they're trying to, they're like, give me the list. I want the list. Give me the basics on how I can do what I want to do on earth, but also make it to heaven

in case this happens to be true. So it's like if you never evolve and get it to an actual being who will work in you and through you and with you and that you will be with. You've got to get it off a creed and on to the being. And then you find your way in that. Because I just really love how that's worded when he got into that. It's just not about yes and no. It's about yes in Christ.

That is a very profound life-altering fact of being a follower of Christ. that understanding what that means right there yeah i talk to i see these little friction things come up and somebody will come to me and said you know and they'll they'll mention somebody they're not getting along with them over something that they said i'm like hey just love each other forgive each other and let's let's move on it's yeah great so i usually say what's they got to do with jesus that's right and they're like do what no you don't understand what was done to me I give that advice to grown men and women all the time. I said, what do you?

Yeah. I said, you're just ruining the point of all this, which is peace. So when I gave my lesson on peace, I said, look, you know, in your house when you're married to your woman, how are you getting along? I mean, is there peace in your house or is there friction? I said, you can't go down that path. I'll give you another example of a verse like this that applies to this. You know, 1 Peter 4.1, because Peter bringing up. up the idea of being suffering for Christ.

If you go out there and you make that public, wherever you're at, you're going to suffer. Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. So he starts off saying, just like Christ suffered, you ought to be like Christ. he's the answer he's the answer to whatever question that comes up and so as a result you will not live the rest of your earthly life for evil human desires but rather for the will of god yep it's the same principle so then it says for you've spent enough time doing that and it has all the

sins listed there and they think it's strange that you don't plunge into them and the heap abuse on you. So when you make that declaration, the suffering is coming. But he actually says here, the underlying principle is, you're so busy being like Christ that the sin is less common. So it's like the best way not to do the things that you know you're not supposed to do, which would be the no, you know, yes and no, is to be like Jesus. It's like if you were, I'll give you a practical example.

So when I did my little dating ministry, because I thought, well, I got to try to find somebody who will help me get to heaven. I want to find a woman who loves Jesus. So I would start the date off with a prayer and a declaration that I wasn't going to touch them in an inappropriate way. I was looking for somebody to help me get to heaven. and, well, that immediately stopped any hanky-panky. I mean, I didn't realize that, but the byproduct of that is like, oh, we're not going down that road because it was a declaration. I didn't realize that. It just came with the territory.

You see what I mean? Yeah, we love to hear Jesus forgave us of all our sins. The trouble we have is forgiving each other for all. our sins. We find that difficult knowing he died for us to forgive us. Exactly. No, you're exactly right. And we're out of time. But in our overtime, I want to explore that because while y'all were talking, I wrote down there's four things that he mentions and how we do that to one another in this context. So I want to hit that in the overtime. So we'll see you next time. Unashamed. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes.

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