Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 696 | Phil Is the Mount Rushmore of Pappaws & Jase’s Grandbaby Has Stranger Danger … About Him!

Episode Date: June 8, 2023

Jase is giving Phil a run for his money for the “Grandpa of the Year” Award, but his granddaughter can barely stand to be around him! Zach describes the maturation of his own relationship with his Uncle Phil, and Al offers a pretty accurate description of him as a grandfather. The guys talk about the difficulty the disciples must have had in leaving everything behind to follow Jesus. Zach warns that discipleship can take time as people grow and submits a possible solution to spiritual exhaustion. In this Episode: Luke 5, verses 12-16; Matthew 12, verses 38-42 https://philmerch.com – Get your “Unashamed” mugs, shirts, hats & hoodies! "The Blind" hits theaters on 9/28/23. Get sneak peeks, updates & insider exclusives: https://theblindmovie.com — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? So, welcome back to the award-winning, unashamed. Let's ride that for as long as we can. The listeners won. Of course they did. And I told you, I held up the Bible and said this won because there's no other rational explanation. So it was interesting.

So we mentioned, we talked one of the podcasts, and was the whole podcast we talked about behind the scenes of the award show. We didn't mention, Jace, that two of your children were there, two of your sons, and one of them had his new girlfriend, and so you met it for the first time. I did. We all did. I said, who planned this? I mean, I felt bad because I'm like.

It was an interesting first meet for sure in the middle of this, you know, grand old opera setting. I think I stuck my hand out, met her. and said, I'm sorry that we're meeting in this circus-type atmosphere, but. But she seemed to, first of all, she was great, and she seemed to be very appreciative of everything we were doing there, so that was great. And then, and then, Reed and Brighton were there, and they had your granddaughter there, and I thought that was pretty good. I think she was the only kid, and I say kid, she's less than two.

Yeah, she's like a year and a half old. and the plan was, you know, because when we were on vacation, you know, she's a year and a half old, but every time I'm around her, she's terrified. Like the rest of the world. Yeah. She's reflective of other people. I defended the position because I said, why are y'all upset that she cries every time she sees me? I want her to experience stranger danger when she sees somebody like me.

This is positive. But they were, oh, no, no, we must break this, whatever they were calling it, this challenge. So they come up with a plan since we were in Nashville doing the award show. They're like, why don't y'all just take her back with you for the week? And this is the first time you've had her without her parents, right? Yeah. Yeah. I think...

She was the most quiet. She flew back with us. Yeah, she was amazing. And I never saw her. She never cried. Usually it's, at least they'll throw one temper tantrum. She and I played peekaboo all the way out. Well, trust me, all it would have taken is for me to reach up there and grab her.

And you would have had your temper tantrum. So, I thought people who... who have experienced this or are just curious about it, because this is kind of curious, because I've been around her a lot, but she, I mean, every once in a while, I've gotten a wave or a kiss goodbye, you know, with the little, she puts her hand on her lips,

but she was into a social distancing with me. So my son was like, she didn't know that. Her being among, on a jet aircraft, flying along there, you know, and not with her mom and dad, but with their grandparents. And she was sitting in Missy's lap. I was pretty, I was impressed at how quiet the child was. She was.

And she, and it was, look, I'm not, it had to be way past your bedtime. We were, this is 11. This is 11th. That's how I got in bed at 2 o'clock in the morning. We were way past bedtime, but she stayed up and just played or laughed the entire time. She was really great. I was impressed with her. I was too.

If all little children that age behave like her, be a wonderful world. Well, right. And not to say that we're gallivanting all over the place in private jets, but a huge fan of our podcast and support. Got us there and back because it was going to be really hard logistically for us to get there any other way. Because, I mean, we're... Yeah, I never did. That's why you got the grandchild.

Noel took off with her. She went on the jet, and she never gave her whimper. I appreciate your patience in that. I did feel bad in the... that moment because I thought she flew back with y'all she did and we were all we had to go get her car seat just legally yeah we didn't want to break the law in Nashville and and I'm not saying that I mean you the kid needs to be riding in a car car usually caring a kid that age at one to two o'clock in the morning most of the time it gets a little loud they get a little loud she was perfect

Mom around, a nurseer, food. But not that one. She was just as happy as she could be. No, it was good. So here's what happened. That was a good sign, by the way, Jay. So she gets to our house. Everything's rolling along.

Great. And so the next... She's still looking at you rarely. She's wary. Yeah. So the next morning, she wakes up and it's sunshine and rainbows. So then... but she won't come over to me.

And so, like, if Missy would leave the room and she looked around and saw me, that was what would trigger the crying, which then made me feel bad, because it's like she's fine as long as she calls Missy Lulu. So when Lulu's in the room, we have peace and heart. So as long as they're supervised visitation, she's good. But she's here for days, so it's like,

So Missy in a moment of tough love after day one of this. I mean, we all got along fine as long as Lulu's in the room. So day two, Lulu just, she just goes for it. She gets up. Now, she did say, because this girl can walk and she can actually run, which is incredible. She's like, I'm going, whatever she was going to do. She's like, you can come with me if you want, and Missy leaves the room.

Well, she just took a. about 10 steps and just though this was funny she just like all everything in her body just goes limp and she just plops down on the floor like drama like I've never seen and just like wha you know and just like how dare you leave she was making a point it was more than she was making a point. The problem for her is the only person watching is me. So I said, hey, knock yourself out because I'm not going over there and picking you up because I know what that's what that's going to happen. It's going to be. Then we'd be level DefCon 4 then. So to my surprise, you know, I think I said, go ahead and cry it out. She'll be back in a bit, you know, so I

forgot what I was doing, but I just was ignoring that. She's crying. So then I hear her like, running crying and I looked and she's running toward me and I thought oh what what it's the first time she's come toward me and so she got closer and closer and I thought what is she coming to me for comfort so I thought well so I put my arms out and she just dove in my arms I put her in my lap and she just immediately quit crying and she was doing you know trying to catch her back And then it hit me, I thought, well, I guess what this is, if I'm the only human left, I am an option. You'll do. You will do if all other available humans are gone.

If Lulu is gone. When it comes to those grandchildren raising them, you might not come out with a book, right on a book. You're not I'm so glad I have such thick skin I was kind of proud of this. You're not quite bookworthy according to that. Don't come out with a book, how to take care of the grandchildren.

Maybe even Dad could write a book together on it. That would be the best. Who does this one belong to? Would be Dad's. Yeah, that was the first. There was any shortcomings I have, it would be, well, how big a role you play. you played as a grandfather for you guys children i mean i'm i just to to your grandchildren

more of your greats as well you're more of a mount rushmore figure but none of them jumped in my lap no there's no there's no there's no no so the second go ahead I was going to say to be fair, yeah, to be fair, though, Phil, you were,

that's the kind of uncle you were until you get to a certain, there's like a ride of passage, you know, but there was a moment where we developed a close relationship, but it was not when I was about six years old. It just, it wasn't then.

You got, yeah, you got to be older. Zad, was there a time when you just looked around and nobody was left, and so you just ran to Papo Field, or ran to Uncle Field. No,

never, he was never a source of, emotional comfort. He was never. But there was a time when we, when we connected, I was, I will say I was a full grown man when that happened. And we got to be really conditioned. Dad, that was more, yeah, dad was more of the African mindset. Just wait and make sure everybody gets to adulthood and then we can get about our bonding. So that's kind of, just. Yeah, that's what is. Yeah. So it's got to get old enough. So my question, Jay's, because I am proud that it, that she came to no matter what the desperation was.

I was surprised. So has that now opened the door? Does she? I thought, but it was still part of the process. So, because then when Lulu comes back in the room, I mean, she dropped me like a sack of potato. Sure. And so then later on, I tested it. I was like, come see J. Rock.

Because that nickname stuck, by the way. Yep. And she's like, no. She answers very clearly. I was like, come see J. Rock. And she went, no. So I thought, okay. So at only there are some parameters of the relationship.

Yeah. She will go to me if she's totally abandoned. She prefers me over just outright loneliness. She didn't go to the dogs. You know, she went to you. So, but then, so then we're into day three now. So, but I think I found the connecting tissue. So I was eating a little package of peanut butter crackers.

She heard that. I mean, this girl, she loves to eat. Oh, yeah, she's the eater. And typical Robertson, I guess. And so she started getting close to me. And I was like... She heard the crinkle of the rapper. But Lulu was in the room.

So I was like, what? And I was like, oh, you want one of these? And she was like, yes. So I handed it. She loves peanut butter. So she ate that. And so now she comes up there and she starts doing her fingers.

like this and of course i had to figure out what that was like what does that mean she's a big sign she has a lot of stuff she so i went in there and got the she she she was making that that sound i want that wrap those things in the wrapper so after i doled out about half a packet of that i actually think we've overcome the yeah the initial shot the chasm we fix the problem so they'll be happy now dad that used to be yours for money remember you you'd always give us the, boys, this is what you're going for, and that long green. It's peanut butter crackers.

Peanut butter crackers. Of course, raising girls, I would think, would be more difficult. Why, I don't know. But it just seemed like that. They're definitely dramatic. It'd be more difficult than boys. Yeah, because I don't know. Like our little one that we had, you know, he's a boy.

And he, we never had that problem. But we did have him, you know, from birth pretty much. So, I mean, maybe that's the difference. You've had both, Zai. Well, how would you compare? your boys are a handful, but I don't know. Yeah, you've had a little girl. Yeah, I would, I'd probably, I'd probably say the boys are more difficult.

They, they are, they are into a lot more. They tear up stuff. They, they, uh, Zach's sons are so destructive. Oh, it's like, uh, and they were from such an early age. That's what's amazing. I mean, just like, it was amazing what they could destroy. You did a sermon one time, and I'm never forgotten it.

You illustrated with two of your sons. You talked about how one of them had taken this. You were talking about how hard it is to build something for good, but how that evil can tear it down so quickly. And you used an illustration of your sons about one of them spending hours building something. The other one comes in and destroys it in seconds. I'm shocked that all of y'all, all of Y'all, all of Zax kids and all of them. I mean, I would say just looking back at the whole picture of the kids that they started coming, you know,

they started coming. but as far as being well-behaved, I would stack them in there with the best of the best. I mean, y'all wouldn't let them go around just screaming bloody murder over nothing. I mean, some kids are just sitting there hollering. Well, we parented. Everybody understood the responsibility to raise your kids. You got to realize we caused a lot of these problems. So I was so proud of us.

I think you all did a fantastic job raising grandchildren. with my right group of grandchildren. So this little boy, I was so thrilled because I was like, I'll teach this boy how to throw because he's obsessed with balls, you know. And he likes to bounce him and all. So I was like working, I'm for hours. I'm like, I throw the ball to him.

And of course, now he's almost a year and a half old. He can actually catch. But when I first taught him how to throw, well, it was all, I didn't realize the consequences of that. Because, you know, I'm sitting on a couch and he had some toy in it, Man, this is like day three. It becomes a missile.

That thing come by my head at about 70 miles an hour and bounced off the wall and made an adention and the dry wall. And Missy's like, no, sir. And I was like, I taught him to do that. Yes, sir. We're early? Yeah, because I was like, that was awesome. Yes, ma'am. Well, it's so funny, Jayes, because so I raised daughters and neither one of them were very athletic.

they didn't do much sports a little bit when they were young. And so I never really got to experience much of that side of it. But my grandson, my oldest grandson, Corbyn, who's named after me. So he and I have a close bond. And so he loves ball. He loves playing baseball. I loves playing basketball. It's just constant.

We're in the pool the whole time. We're scattering because he's, somebody's pitching to him. And he's just hitting line drives in the pool. And everybody's diving out of the way, you know. But it's like, that's just kind of the way you. is kind of like what you described, but he's doing it at, you know, nine years old. So last night they played their last game. And he struggled this year because it's pitcher, finally kids pitching to each other.

And, of course, they're wild. And so, you know, he's afraid of the ball. You can tell you they don't want to get hit. And so he's just, it's affected his hitting this year. And so he's a great athlete. He runs the base is great. He just hadn't hit very well. And so we've been, you know, his dad's working with him closely.

And so last night, it's funny the last game of the year, he finally, he finally just drove one to the wall and it was a triple one. Of course, I'm in tears, you know, it's so funny because I was so proud for him, you know, because he comes over, you know, and we're high-fired and we're talking about it. So the next time he was up, he gets hit in the back. So I'm watching him, you know, and he's for a minute, you know, and then he goes on down to first. I was proud of him. He didn't, you know, he didn't cry. A lot of kids are cried that age. So he comes in, I said, what do you think, Corbyn? He said, well, I learned a lesson today, Pap. And I said, what was he? He said, listen to your dad.

And I was like, well, that's a good lesson. I said, what does that have to do with you getting hit? And he said, he told me it would only hurt for a few seconds. And he was right. So I feel like he turned the corner. You know, now he's not going to be so fearful. He got that big hit. He got hit in the back.

He ran on down to first. He was good. No, that's part of the process, which makes it fun, you know. Right. Well, so everything's good then. Oh, I mean, look, couldn't be better. I mean, we, I felt fine. I knew she'd come around.

I was kind of like Zach. I figured at some point she'll realize that I made a look rough and scary on the outside. But you're just a lovable fuzzball, Jay. Yeah, I'm lovable. So, and that's why I do, I do think. I was like, can you blame her for being concerned? I mean, I'm looking a little rough here. You've been escorted out of the Trump Hotel.

So, yeah, that happened. Yeah. So we're in, if you're following our Bible study, we're in Luce. chapter 5 and we kind of made a transition or we're about to make a transition but we talked about the fishing story in the last podcast of whenever really peter james and john are all called because peter was kind of the focal point but james and john came along in the process because they were his fishing partners so we told some of our fishing stories to go along with that but in the Zach, in the overtime, we were talking about some of the implications of this story because there's so much rich stuff that's in there.

I mean, it's just, it's, it's, you know, him realizing his sinfulness when he says, go away from me, Lord, because I'm a sinful man, which was powerful. Another big one was because we know that expertise wise, Simon in his mind was more of an expert on fishing than Jesus. but what he realized in the moment is Jesus is the son of God, and he created the fish. So he gets the upper hand on that because he said, because you say so, I'm going to let that. It was pretty interesting that the picking of the choosing of the disciples, and then there, their road being followers of Jesus and spokesmen for him, which is, if you think about it, I mean, that's a mouthful right there. But it is interesting that as you read these Gospels, we're in chapter five, chapter six,

chapter seven, chapter eight, and it was chapter nine, just this shy of, yeah, chapter nine, right in the middle of all this. It's coming up in a few books, a few chapters later, when he sends out the 12, of Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone, their mission. And he said, the son of man, for the first time, the son of man, he lets them know what's fixing to go down. And they have no idea and didn't believe it because they didn't even know

what he was talking about. It'll say that over and over. He said, the son of man must suffer many things. So here's these newfound appellate listening to him. And he referred to, he'll be rejected by the elders, chief priest, and teachers of the law. He said, all I've got in front of me is trouble. And he must be killed. He's telling these young guys, fishermen, I'm going to die.

He must be killed and on a third day be raised to life. Well, none of them actually, Al, none of the ones, picked. None of them knew exactly what was fake to come down. Nope. They were all in a situation. Now, and Luke, it's Luke chapter 9, Matthew chapter 15, about halfway in each book, they're finally told what Jesus finally told them what he was going to do. He's healing people. He's laying a groundwork, but he waits. He waits. to nine chapters when Luke is recording this

he had to wait nine chapters before Jesus said, by the way, we're going up to Jerusalem, I'm going to be they're going to kill me. In three days I'll be raised from the dead. And every time he mentioned that in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, they all draw

back and look at each other and say, what? Yeah. They have no idea at the far-reaching message they have no idea how critical that is think about it it's lifting the sins of the world it's forgiving the sins of the world i mean that's and it was just so jesus was just slowly right getting them to where they would go out and say okay now i'm beginning but you'll get all the

way the end of the gospels and it's still saying they still didn't understand Jesus had to die, be buried and raised from the dead. We're used to preaching it and becomes, if it ever becomes too simple, people, they don't realize, it's just big, even to this day. What Jesus did and what he said he was going to do and what he did do, and he was resurrected from the dead, that's why he says from then on, I'll have all the authority, go make disciples. I've got you lined out now.

Right. But it worked out because over 2,000 years later, we're sitting here talking about it. Well, and that's what... And it helps to read how they approached it because they just didn't have any idea what he was fixing to do. Because they were living it. And so, you know, when we were at the movie,

I mean, we were at the award show. They were asking me about the movie coming out, the blind. And someone said, well, is it... it was hard for you guys to watch it. I said, well, it was way harder to live it than to watch it. It was hard to watch. It was because it reminds you a lot of stuff. But I'm saying we lived that.

That was our life. And so, you know, we were part. So that's these guys. They're living this in the moment. We look back 2,000 years and we read the stories about it and we believe it. And so we have that 2,000 year, you know, high. And he's showing with these. They were living it.

He's showing with these disciples, get him. ready to show us as we get on over into the book of Acts how the apostle Paul wants somebody you would never think was going to represent the son of God. I mean, he's so confused. He's having them killed. But you make an important point, Dad, that discipleship takes time. That's right. It takes time.

And that's a great thing to remember when people come into Christ now. It takes time to be disciple, to understand the severity of a life change and what that means. So I think that's an excellent point. There's definitely a factor. We're going to get to this a little bit later when we get to Matthew's calling, which is coming up in this same chapter. There is something that I think Peter, James, and John would represent. And that is that Jesus didn't choose people based on what you would think people would be chosen on. I mean, they're credentials.

They're, you know, and the very people that you would expect him to come into. to the religious world to be his entourage. Might as wrong is being a label as not worth it. So I call them, so my phrase for him is the untouchables. What did you call, Jason, you called them something different. But the idea is that people, that other people would say, you know, I don't think you want to build anything on these guys. I think I call them social outcast.

Yeah, outcast, that's right. And so that's kind of what this begins. And I think, I think Luke is making this a point. by the way he put these three together, but I could be wrong. It just could be the... Oh, thank you. I think you're right.

I was going to make one comment before we do that, though, to Phil's point, about predicting the death bill and resurrection, because a lot of people, when they read this story, they're like, well, where... You know, about the fish.

Of course, it was just symbolizing that they were going to catch men and that he would be their vote. as it were. Especially going to see this when you get to Luke 6th because he seems to frown upon being rich and comfortable, well-fed, you know, having joy, which we'll get to. Because all he did really was just tell them to throw their nets in deeper water, you really couldn't see what was under the water.

I mean, you know, because people would say, well, you might have just just known where the fish were. I mean, why is this such a big deal? Of course, it's the greatest catch ever. But when Phil said that about when he started predicting the gospel, well, in one of those, and I think it's in Matthew 10, or Matthew 12, when he referred to that, his prediction of dying and being buried and being raised in Matthew 12, 38 to 42, and he also does it,

Mark 8, he compares it to the sign of Jonah, which I think is interesting because when you think about it, when people try to get involved in the miracles, I think if you have a story in the Bible about a fish swallowing a man for three days, that's one thing. Because now, even in our society in the last 50 years, they'll, you know, I see these things where they'll find a whale and it has a whole crocodile undigested, like in his gut. Yeah. Like still alive. And they're like, oh, maybe there's something to this, Jonah and the whale.

But what the miracle of the Jonah and the whale, well, then he was spit out at the place where he didn't want to go to. Yeah, that he didn't want to go to that God had him going. He was going the wrong way. he was called to go preach somewhere and he got on a boat going the other direction and guys said no i've got an express pickup for you in the belly of a fish to get you where you need to go so i said all that to say that was kind of a long way because i think it's interesting that when you say phil you know well they just didn't get it well he's using an illustration that most people are not going to get.

Like, oh, you're going to be like the guy who was swallowed by the fish and spit out at the proper location. Okay, yeah, let me mark that down on my calendar. It's one of the craziest things. But he did that twice. I mean, it's a recorded. It's a good point I never thought about either days that I don't know how the Israelites would have viewed the Jonah story anyway, because the reason Jonah didn't want to go to

these Assyrians is they were barbarians. everybody hated them. These were the guys that had the pyramid of skulls when they would go in and take a play. I mean, these were terrible people. And guys said, no, they're ready for a little preaching. So I'm going to sitting in there. You know, I don't even think Jonah would have been a fan. He wouldn't have won the K-Lev Awards.

There's nobody likes going in to preach to your enemies, right? That's it. Which is what he didn't want to do. All right. And you can't blame him, really. You know, I mean, it's just, I just think it's interesting. I mean, when you put all this stuff together, you hear these fantastical stories, and you're like, wait, what? That's why I think it was so important before we move on to the outcast when he comes back and revisits that in John 21.

I mean, I shared that with my father-in-law last time. We just got to talk. He's like, what did y'all talk about today? And he's like, I mean, that guy, he's been preaching for 50 years. He said, I never noticed that. it was the same miracle. I was like, no. It was the same miracle. It was just at two different time. Time period. We got our Bibles out. He's like, well, I'm going to preach on this. Different response. Peter had grown. I was like, exactly. So it's something I don't think a lot of people notice.

I just thought of something else in this, you bringing this up that I hadn't thought about before. So he's asking them to leave and follow him when they just had the greatest catch. they've ever had in their career. In other words... I think it was way more difficult than what we need in. Oh, so I'm saying that equates to... We're talking major money that they just brought in. That's right.

And so he's saying, okay, leave all that by now and follow me. And their minds, they're thinking, if we get this guy to go with us, we're fixing to make a million dollars. It would be the equivalent, really, of that. Like, when we went to the award show, and it was pretty much Brandon Lake won everything he could win. He went about four, yeah. Yeah, and it would be the equivalent of him, like, on the way out,

then somebody comes up there and says, okay, great job. Now, we're leaving the singing thing. Yeah. That's gone. We need you to come preach somewhere. Wait, what? I just won. This was the, yeah, we're done with that.

I got another job for it. Which is a huge point because a lot of people will use this passage to say that if you come to Christ, you're going to experience all this prosperity of wealth and health and things like that, but you may not. And I think the point of this is not, you get so honed in on the miracle. That last line that they left everything is quite the statement and quite the, I think that's the point of it.

They encountered the holy presence of God. And in the face of the Holy Presence of God, they basically, well, Peter first said, I'm a sinner, you know, get away from me. And he was in fear. And then Jesus responded, do not fear. and then he directed them to their ultimate mission, which was,

I'm going to make you fishers of men, which by the way, if you go to the last time when they threw the nets out and they fill the nets up, the only difference between the story was the nets didn't break the second time. Right. You know, so they kept everything.

Why do you think? Why do you think? Why? I have a theory on that. I was going to say it's because it's post-resurrection. It's showing the strength. Jesus is showing that in me, it's indestructible.

Yeah, that's what I was. That was my theory. So I guess I've had validation. Jesus said, I'm not going to lose any of these. And I think that's the, that's the assurance we could have of our salvation, too, is that, you know, we grew up in a church tradition that taught you're in, you're out, you're in, you're out based on what you do. And you never could really know if you were saved. That text that we just mentioned would be a text that I would go to to say, no, Christ doesn't lose his people.

You know, like, when you're in, like, his blood is sufficient. And, but I love it because the point of this text is not, that you are going to experience prosperity here on earth. You may or may not if it's in the will of God. But it doesn't even matter. That's not the ultimate. That's not the end of it. I mean, the point is we are on a mission.

The disciples were on a mission to be fishers of men. We now had that same mission because of the Great Commission. And we need to be willing to leave everything behind. And I think that's the call. You know, will you leave it all to go with Jesus? I think you're right, Zach. And I think that shows you the second time it happens. it's like a reaffirmation of everything that he told him the first time.

Because remember he sits down with Peter because they've gone back to what they know. They're fishing. He gives them another great catch, this time even more amazing. The Nets don't break. And what does he do? He sits down with Peter and says, all right, from now, here's what you're going to do, feed my sheep. In other words, now your mission is going to be what we plan for it to be and not to go back catching fish again because you're going to be catching men. And so that's why I was telling the story when you get to Acts 1, 2, and 3.

It's just like you see the implementation. of that. As far as we know, other than him probably just always fishing like we do for food or whatever, he never went back to the old life that he had before. He said the Apostle Paul, his job, I mean, he's representing the elders, the chief priest, the teachers of the law. He's going down there killing Christians and says, stamp this thing out, shut it down, break it up. He was doing that basically as a living. And then Jesus got a whole of him. And I mean, you talk about something.

And more training went into the Apostle Paul, went out and went out in wilderness three years or something to get trained to do it. But he suffered way more once he got on the side, on Jesus' side, than he did when he was going around killing people who followed Jesus. Right. I mean, you talk about a conversion story. That's one. No, and you make a good point because the whole time that this is going on that we read about the three years Jesus is going around.

Saul's on the scene. Yeah. He's in training. Oh, yeah. We don't read about him, but he's there. He's there. I mean, he's a part of the Pharisee. Gamal trained him, which is the greatest Pharisee of all time.

So he's being prepped as well. He just doesn't know it because his doesn't come to accident. And with Simon Peter here, I think it's interesting to think about his trajectory of preparation. When, you know, when Jesus, one of the last things Jesus said to him, in John 21, he says, very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you dressed yourself and you went where you wanted. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. And this was a prophesying about Peter's own, own crucifixion. And you think about this, you think, man, if this text here in Luke 5 is about temporal, earthly accumulation of wealth and prosperity, then this, the end of Peter's journey with Jesus would make no sense. I mean, and seeing Peter's trajectory and how much Peter was sanctified through his journey with Christ, so how Peter responded at the end of all this.

There's still some issues there, right? Do you love me, Peter? I like you, you know, the back and forth on that whole thing. You know, and Peter was, then Peter's denial of Jesus. And then even, even post-resurrection, Peter was struggling with racism in the book of Galatians. Whenever he became a Judaizer and Paul said I had. Thank the Apostle Paul. Thank the Apostle Paul.

He's going around performing miracles, big-time miracles. He asked for a little relief. from some kind of sickness he had or some kind of, I don't know what was wrong with. Some ailment. Yeah, some ailment. But he was told by Jesus, hey, suck it up. My power's made perfect in weakness.

He's like, all right. But, I mean, as many miracles he performed, he said, well, you'd think. It said, yeah, I'll fix that. But no, no, he didn't. Which really is about the will of God. I mean, the importance of trust in him no matter what. I'm telling you. And you see this, you see Christ in the Gospels.

He's vacillating back and forth. It's like a very fluid thing, but there's moments when he's performing miracles, casting out demons, clearly showing his divinity. And then there's moments when he's being persecuted and mocked and beaten. And it's like this tension that you're trying to hold. And what it is, it's the gospel. I mean, it's the God of the universe who condescends. And you mentioned earlier, Phil, about the death of Jesus and that he's saying, I've got to die. Like, and I think that's what made this all this so provocative.

Because there's these moments here where you're looking in the face of the Holy God. And he didn't want to. He didn't want the forces of evil to know that because over in, you know, first, second Corinthians in there, first two, three, he paid. In other words, if they had known he was going to save the world, they wouldn't have crucified him. Yeah, they thought they were ending him. Yeah, that's why he said in the next chapter, or maybe this chapter, or maybe this chapter, when he cures the man with leprosy, I think he says, don't, you know, don't tell anybody because he's preserving this,

this, he's paving the way for his own crucifixion. And to me, there's a power in that because when you see the power of God, your response is, I'm a sinful man, you know, get away from me, Lord. And what's funny about that statement is what Jesus was actually doing. was the complete opposite of that. He was recognizing that we are sinful people, but he wasn't getting away from us. He was actually coming to us. He was here on earth. He, not just coming to us, allowed us to touch him and kill him so that the Holy Spirit could live in us. And you start thinking about God's presence in this capacity. And what Peter is actually saying here, Christ is like,

you don't get it. No, I'm not getting away from you. I'm going to live in you. And that, to me, that is power. That's real power. Yep. Well, I want to read this text, this next guy he runs into, because there is a lot of really rich stuff that's in there. I think it kind of kicks off this idea of the untouchable. And before you read it, I think you see this one concept of people thinking that because

we're sinful that we can never have ministry or share Jesus. or I think people think that. And so when Peter said, go away from me, I'm a sinful man. I mean, Jesus's response was, don't be afraid, you'll catch me in. But that's very profound.

So don't hide behind, oh, I'm too, I'm too bad and to ever try to help somebody else. I'm not worthy, ever. Yeah. And so then I think, so this next story, it goes from, you know, your own sin to this. this guy is a social outcast. Yeah, exactly.

By the law. And so it's like Luke has a little collection of people that, for whatever reason, which you see someone's sin or fear or they have a disease or they're outcast or they're paralyzed or unable. I mean, in each of these stories, you see Jesus have this interaction and is engaging them. So you're like, what is he, what's he trying to get us to see a picture of? And just to preview that, you've got this guy we're about to read about, then you've got the paralytic, which couldn't get to Jesus because he was paralyzed. So he was untouchable because, but he had four friends to get him there.

It's not like these are all the excuses for why you fall through the cracks in society. And Jesus is somehow another getting you out of the cracks of society, he said, oh, no, I can use you. And the third guy, of course, becomes one of the 12, which was Matthew, who's a tax collection, which we'll get to that as well. All right, so let me read this. This is Luke 512. While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.

And I think we've mentioned this before, but most of your margins will tell you that's not necessarily what we consider leprosy. It could be any skin disorder, but we'll talk more about that. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him. Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man, I am willing, he said, be clean. And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, and this is what you were mentioning, Zach, don't tell anyone,

but go show yourself to the priests and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them. And then 15, and yet the news about him spread all the more so the crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. And Luke mentions that more than, I think, any of the other gospel writers. And I think it's to your point you made earlier, Zach.

It shows the humanity of Jesus. I mean, one thing is he just got tired of people. I mean, he just needed to withdraw into himself. But when he did that, he prayed. And think about this, this is the son of God that's, you know, having this prayer life, which shows you how important prayer is, right? Well, and I think also you're going to get to Luke 6. about him being Lord of the Sabbath.

I mean, I remember God did create the earth in six days, and then he rested. Well, he didn't rest because he was tired. Right. You know what I mean? Right. So it's like, I mean, we're so busy. I mean, I find rest, which I know we'll get this when we get to Luke 6,

but I'm just making a point. These, the reason I think we were asked to, present that worship song of the year award when we did that because I mean my wife and I really headlong into the worship world but we use that in our own personal life is like it's your prayer time it's your it's your time it's your reset it's I mean I may be doing it on the way down here and I'll turn it on a worship song and it's a there's a there's a rest and a clarity to what the mission at hand is here and I've I've I've feel like when I read that, I mean, I got that from Jesus, this is my point. He would do these great

things and everybody's rolling. And then he, he's with the father. He's having a conversation. I mean, it's what relationships do. There's a reset there. There's an encouragement from those moments. There's something to do with connecting with the spirit that lives in you. And there does have to be a withdrawal at times to do that. And people have different ways. We get asked a lot of questions about what do you guys do in your own personal devotion and how do you connect to the period, but it all is different. With me, Jason is more worship and singing in and worship. Mine is more just diving into this.

When I'm into the word, when I'm reading, when I'm connecting, when I'm praying, I pray throughout my Bible study, whether it's doing a sermon, prayer or something else, that's when I have my best connection. But I can't do that in a room full of people when they're asking me questions every five minutes. I have to be somewhere by myself to have that connection. So, I mean, people have that and find that in different ways, but you need that. I mean, I think Jesus shows us that.

He's the son of God, and he's showing us that. There's a word that happens from time of time. Oh, he was a solid Christian or she was a solid Christian, and they just burned up, burned out. It burned out. Yeah. They just didn't take time. You can get so busy doing this stuff that you forget. This is not really about you.

So, you know, I think when you're having this interaction, with the Father and even in the spirit with worship and your folks known Jesus. It's a reminder that you know, I'm not trying to go out and do all this stuff or, you know, I think it's, you're looking at the big picture in those moments. That's where the clarity's come from.

So you don't feel alone than either. We had a guy, we had a guy come to our house when I was probably about 12 years old and my dad had just, you guys remember the story about our family, obviously, because y'all were involved in it. So my dad was a pastor in Gainesville, Florida, and was fired, really, I would say, for just understanding grace for the first time. You know, we grew up in the churches of Christ, and historically, you know, back in those

days, you didn't teach grace. I mean, it was a very legalistic workspace system. And I remember my dad got fired. So we, when I was 12 until I was about 16, we met in homes. And it was hilarious because one of the local guys from the local Church of Christ came by to visit us. And he brought us a bunch of groceries and all this stuff. And he said, I just want to tell you, I'm so sorry about your house burning down. And we're like, what?

And he's, yeah, I got this card that y'all were burned out. And so they meant burned out like you said, Phil. But it was in reality. It happens. I never did. I never heard that story. No, I didn't either. Well, you're talking about Mr. No-Dept perception.

Or burned down. Oh, you mean your house burned down? The guy's like, your house didn't burn down? But I was like, no, I don't know what you're talking to. He said, well, I got this car. Who put the fire? Y'all are burned out. Who put the fire out?

He said, well, sit down here, and I'm going to explain to you. Yeah, but you know, when you think about rest, though, I think one of our pastors at our church preached Sunday, right, we're in the book of Ephesians. And he said that he had made a great point that the cure for exhaustion isn't necessarily rest. It's wholeheartedness. And I think that it's not just that we retreat and go sit around and do nothing. It's I think the cure for exhaustion, spiritual exhaustion, is to connect wholeheartedly with the mission of God, which is why it's important here in Luke 5.

You notice what Jesus does here with Peter before he even gets into the leper. I mean, all these things are pointing to, like, bring people into wholeheartedness into God's presence, into connection with Him. And when we're connected with God, when we're, that's what you were made for, by the way. You were made to worship him and connect with him. So when you're living out your purpose and your design, you're wholeheartedly into something, that's when you experience rest. That's when you experience what Phil coined the phrase, the rarest of commodities is peace of mind. I love it when you say that because I think that's what people are looking for. And it is rare.

It's very, very rare because we're trying to get it through other things. And when you get spiritually exhausted and you get burned out, it's not because you're too in tune with God. It's that you're trying to earn something. You're trying to muster up your own spirituality. The Apostle Paul said you don't want to be running and beat like a man beating the air. Yeah, yeah. Too fast, too much. Yeah.

So sometimes it's just sit back and rest in what God has done and God is in you. And so in your quiet time, it should be intentional, you know, connecting with him, seeing him in nature, seeing him on a long walk. I mean, these are things that we don't even do anymore. We don't even get us. You do, Phil. You get outside every day. I mean, which I think is one of the reasons why you're such a spiritual person because you're in God's creation every day, all day. You know, these are things we do.

Very possible. Well, that had nothing to do with the man with leprosy. Well, it did at the end when you say it withdrew. And I think it's important because when we get to the Lord of the Sabbath, so I'm glad we talked about it. But I guess, do you want to get into the... This was a bombshell. Well, to be fair, Jason, no one ever accused us of staying on topic.

So it's okay. We can, we chase our rabbits. It's part of the... So I invented. I don't even know. what staying on topic means. And you prove that at the award show. You just do your own thing.

So we're out of time. But this was a bombshell is all I was saying. Yeah. That this, he didn't have to touch this leopard. We need to talk about it. Yeah, we'll flesh this out some more, no pun intended, in the overtime. And then we'll probably talk about some more, because this kind of kicks off this untouchable group of people.

Yeah. And we're going to talk about social distancing and vaccines. and vaccines. By the way, appearing of it at the grape house up there, what is it, where the country and western singers. The Grand Ole Opry. Grand Ole Opry, I thought on both ends of the stage, I said it would probably be a walk-up.

You know what I'm saying? Because in the front, there were no ways to get on the stage. Well, we just missed it. We got to get over that. I got to run out and out. I got to running into people with wires coming out of them. and who had your back? Who had your back?

Because I knew that was the wrong way, but you know what? I went with you because you're my dad. And I was like, well, I thought we were back in the wilderness with wandering. All right. There was probably more than one. If you want to follow us over at blazedivet.com

slash unashamed for more of this riveting, lost discussion. 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 blazed TV at blazestiv.com slash unashamed.