Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 728 | Phil Issues a Biblical Warning to Politicians & Jase Gets Shown Up by His Dog

Episode Date: August 3, 2023

The guys are learning a lot from their animal confrontations as Phil battles the beaver dams and Jase’s rebellious dog makes a run for it. Phil thinks Jase needs to face the facts about that dog, but Jase turns it into a biblical reference, of course! The guys discuss the politics laid out in the beginning of Luke 9, which leads Phil to believe that all politicians should be on the lookout for the same pitfalls King Herod fell into. In this episode: Luke 9, verses 1-9; Mark 6, verses14-19 — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashamed. Dad, what's going on down there on the river these days? I'm down here in Alabama, so I'm missing out of all the... Fighting the beavers, beaver fights. Every day we get up and we go over, we've had a little bump in the river. It's rains up north of us in Arkansas. That affects the water level down here.

and this has been a summer of it just seems to hang on a little bit the river's the river at pool stage locks and dams has got it dammed up you know the u.s army corps of engineers the 21-2 is what they call it that's the level and it fluctuates from 21-2 to about 50 rising you'd imagine people who live in or along the washtal river I mean, you have to be ready to deal with a water that goes from 20 feet to 50 feet, a 30-foot rise. But 30-foot rise, no matter how far you are from the river, if you can see the river and it rises 30 feet, you're going to need some hit boots or waiters. It floods where you park your vehicles. I mean, it's a current right there in your yard. Sounds like you need a boat. Need a boat.

Yeah, we got a boat. We go to the left there. most of the time we just walk around the top of the hill but dealing with floodwaters for the last we moved in here in the 70s so that's where all the duck calls was built and commercial fishing took place now it's just kind of walk out on the porch you see the river coming but it's real simple you just move back from it it keeps coming to quit rising and then you say well we beat another one. We're used to, we're raised in

floodwaters. I like the simplistic idea though, because everybody's like, their hairs on fire. What are we going to do about the planet? What are we going to do with this? That's philosophy is just, just step back. Just, just, you know, whatever's just survive. The beavers are there and they

want to hold the water in there. I have not been able to convince them that they need to get out of my way and not try to damn up what I'm trying to drain back into the river. It's a power struggle, Phil. Huh?

It's a power struggle. It's a power struggle and a beaver. If you study him, you could just take a beaver, study him for years, and you will come up with one, one stream of thought. There is a God. That's fair to say. Just watch the beavers. We believe you're going up against what the Almighty wired into them. The evolutionist would say, you're going.

working against millions of years of evolution when you're fighting the beavers that is correct you're up against you're up against the almighty what a vomit but it's the same principle i mean my dog he you read that verse in peter where it says you know it'd be better for you not to even know the way of ricinist then you know then to know it and turn your back on it and then there's an illustration there it says like a dog returns to his vomit yep you're worse off at the end than you were at any point. And so you're like, well, yeah, that makes sense. I mean, if you're, you see dogs do that.

So my dog, when I first got this dog, oh, biggin, the guy that had him, because he had him as a field trial dog, and, but he just said there was a, he has a screw loose. And I was like, well, what would you, how would you describe the screw being loose? how would you describe that in attitude? And I remember him saying this. He said, well, he has a rebellious spirit. And what I've noticed is about once every three or four weeks, he's just determined to leave the premises.

So I think I shared that before. Yeah, you talked about before. Because look, they got loose in your neighborhood. Yeah, the day before, we had the little one with us. And we had the most fun ever because I tried to teach this. dog, the, the little boy was throwing golf balls in a swimming pool, which I was like, well, you know, I've got to get all these out. But this, you know, when you throw something, this dog thinks, well, here, you know, they're doing this for me. And so it was funny to watch the dog, he didn't understand that this golf ball is under the water because he saw it go in the water.

He sees it. But he can't get it. And so we're laughing because he's trying to submarine and he won't leave the pool because he's like, I see it, but I can't get it. And so then, you know, you get throw another one in there. And here we go. It's same deal. So we laugh, you know, big times. Everybody's bonding.

Well, the next day I let him out. And my neighbor kind of hollered at me like, hey, Jay's. And when I looked up at my neighbor and looked back down, the dog was gone. He was at my feet, and this dog weighs almost 100 pounds. Jason, at some point, I know of your story is, I don't know how long it is. Yeah. But at some point, you have to start realizing, do you have a dumb dog? Well, maybe so.

So I look up, I can't find the dog. And so nine hours later, after about the 10th or 10th or 10th, 12th trip in my truck through the neighborhood way away from my property. I turn a corner and he's in the middle of somebody's yard and there's no vehicles there. And he had taken everything they had had under that carport and destroyed it. But now it was mostly junk and paper and trash. As far as you know. But it was worse after. he left. Yeah, so I did the best I could.

I'm apologizing. How much did that cost you? I mean, how much? No, I just cleaned it up. But, and act like I wasn't there. But here was the funny part. When I got out of that vehicle, well, he looked up at me. It's been nine hours.

And he's like a little kid. He didn't realize, you know, it's hot. I need to take a drink. You know. Does he do anything good? Yeah, he's a good retriever. some days. But when he has the rebellious spirit, that's why I brought up.

It's like a dog. He just, so when I saw him, I thought he's going to be relieved that I have rescued him. I'm going like spiritual mode now. This is, you know, cue the music, chariots of fire. He runs toward me, you know, because the last time, you know, I extended more discipline, but I thought, no, I'm just going to give him grace. He'll be happy. He sees me.

and just takes off running down the middle of the road, just wide open. And I had my whistle, which he responds to the whistle. I'll blow that whistle. And then I thought, I guess this dog don't love me anymore, you know. This relationship is over. So I get in the vehicle and I drive down there and I'm like hollering at him. Like, whoa, stop, sit, blowing the whistle. And he finally stopped.

You know, then he's looking all depressed, you know, like I'm, you know, I messed up, loaded him up in the truck and took him. And that was yesterday. So today I let him out and he was his happy and obedient and he never left my side. You know, so I just don't know what to do. It's a pattern that happens every few weeks. He just says, I'm out of here. Well, good luck with that. If he's go get your ducks or bring them to you.

Well, that's what I think. I have two that are being trained. right now. Labrador retrievers and both of them have, they, they, the trainer said they're doing well. So I'll be getting those in. J.S. you, you don't mind not realize it, but the, the September's coming up rapidly. Yeah, I know. I mean, the teal. July, August, September. So in about the teal in our area, starts showing up about mid-August.

That's right. Despite the heat. They just show up. They go into the Yucatan in Mexico. Yeah. So that's exciting. Well, and they don't, I mean, your dogs, that are the blues offspring, right, that are being trained? Offspring, full blue.

So maybe they're a little kinder, gentler blue. Yeah, well, barely seems, you know, we had Burley on a podcast, a couple podcasts ago. And he was, I could tell, he had a confident view of. The offspring of blue, so we'll see. We'll see. So we're in Luke chapter nine. Nine, yeah. We finished up chapter eight on the last podcast with the, we had the two miracles.

Actually, we spent a couple of podcasts talking about that. It was pretty amazing because you had the child who was dying. and so in route to the child, Jesus also encountered a woman who had 12 years of bleeding. So we talked about that in the last podcast, which gets us to chapter 9. By the way, since you're there, it is worthy of note. I'm not quite sure of the why, but I just want to remind everybody, if you study Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, he go that each writer Matthew Mark Luke and John they have a complete historical record Jesus who he is through him everything was made John said they all have their idea of that

but but Jesus himself you go halfway through Matthew Mark Luke and John and each one of them about halfway through is when he begins to say I'm going to die be buried and raised from the dead. He's going to announce the gospel verbally in the middle. It's coming up, see, we're in Luke 9, where we're about midway in the book of Luke. It's about 24 chapters or so, but about halfway through, he begins, the drumbeat begins, I'm going to die, I'm going to suffer many things. He always mentions who's going to do the killing. The man of, the son of man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law. He's putting the blame where it is on the most religious people on the face of the earth.

I just think it's worthy of note. Because somebody misses, well, you know, the gospel, and they start telling yourself. And I said, no, but you're not saying what Jesus said. We're centriced. We're zeroing in on his death, burial and reserville, and reservoir. direction. Then adios, didn't stay but a month and gone. Yeah. I mean, it's really amazing. And that's actually where we'll get there in this chapter, Dad, is he's going to have that conversation. And then you're going to see a shift when that happens because then he's on the road

to Jerusalem and it all starts kind of running downhill. And he ties it into the kingdom throughout Matthew, Luke, and John. They all tie it to the kingdom. I tell you the truth just below when he announces, I'm going to die. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. Well, that sounds like... That's in 27. That's in Luke 927. Yeah, that sounds like Mark over there in Mark 9-1. You know, he just said the same thing.

They begin to spread the news that the kingdom and Jesus dying, being buried and raising the... Both it works together throughout the Gospels. If you just look at it, you'll tie it all together. But I think we're at a point where to try to make sense on why he set this up the way he did, this is the perfect place to be reminded of that. That's why I just gave it a little speech. Yeah, but I'm saying the stuff before he did. I mean, I got to thinking last night when I was reading this.

You know, he sends out these 12 and he gives them power, this is Luke 9-1, and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases. See, it's all been on him until about right along in now. Well, right. But it made me realize, too, that these miracles that he was doing was pointing, like we said last podcast, that he's the son of God. God has come down. And that should make it beyond doubt. Yeah.

But when you think about the types of miracles he did and why he's doing this, because he's giving you the redemptive story. even in the miracles because you think about it he didn't do any miracles for himself it wasn't like he was making his life easier or and he wasn't doing miracles you just think about all the great marketers in our world today if somebody was drawing up a marketing scheme on how god was going to prove to the world that he was the son of god i mean look with you would have him you know going airborne and throwing forward fireballs at, you know, you, you, you wouldn't have like him feeding the 5,000, which we're going to get to with some bread. I mean, you would have like him going some kind of, what was the

things in Star Trek, the holodex or whatever, where you could enter a different world. You could have him all of a sudden just give a picture and have all this fine restaurant out in the, in the middle of nowhere with waiters, you know, carrying around stuff. And you're just, this is just, this is amazing. So I know. Basically, Jason, you would have a marvel of a movie. Let's take our first break. Exactly.

And so you thought, well, why didn't he do that? Why didn't he do selfish miracles or why didn't he do things that were so crazy or like a magician style where he's saying, look, there's nothing, I have nothing on my body. And then all of a sudden, you know, you pull out a tank, you know, from thousands of years later. And, I mean, he could have done that. If you can manipulate the atoms and the molecules, you can manipulate the atoms of the molecule.

There's no limit to what you could do. I mean, you could be every... We've already said it wasn't bound by time. So however long time goes on, anything within time was at his disposal to use at any time during time. Yeah, he could have done every magic trick in the history of magic tricks for, real. And you, they've written books about it.

So you think, well, why? When you start looking at what he does, well, it's all, it's all a shadow of what he's going to do for redemption of mankind. Because you think about it. A lot of people think, well, he's doing things that are supernatural. But I would contend that the miracles that he is doing is showing you how it it should have been. When you think when God first created the earth,

there was no disease, there was no sickness, there was no pain. It was, so all he does by the miracles he's doing is showing you how it was, look, and how it's going to be. And everything he does, one thing after the other, to put it just simply, is good. It's good. There's no, look, no, he's driving out evil spirits. He's healing diseases. He's helping the lame.

He's, you know, feeding people. He's taking a storm and calming it. Everything he's doing is showing you a natural world is paradise. The word is restoration. He's showing you a restored process. Cleaning out evil spirits. He's against evil. That's right.

And the spirit, he cleans them out, cleans them out, gets good of them, gets good of them. So in this case, he's actually showing. Plus, conquered death. Jace. Yeah. Conquer death here. Raise the girl. Raise the girl from the dead.

Nobody's dying. There's no pain. There's no tear. But he's showing you how that once was and how it can be. So when you see that he's preparing people for the kingdom, that's how he's bringing faith, hope, and love. That's right. And he's also here in this instant, he's showing that flawed people, even though they don't even get. who he is and how he's going to do it completely and they have doubts he's going to use them

to show his power and give them the ability to do this which so you fast forward to that what do we do now post spirit being poured out well we have the holy spirit we go around and we're being broken so that other people may experience his power and we would I think that when he sent out the 12 that he was training, you would kind of expect more from them. And especially none of them would probably run out on you. If you now, you have the ability to perform miracles and all. I would be thinking, I am with the right.

But it doesn't work. It doesn't work. The miracles simply will not. It does not work. it will not work. They didn't understand what he was, this upside down power program, I guess, that he was bringing.

That's the exact opposite of the kingdoms of the world, that if you want to be great, you got to be humble. And if you want to, you know, they just didn't, they just couldn't see it. But he's drawing them a picture about how this new kingdom is going to be. And I think if you look at,

at it like that, that there was a redemptive purpose behind what he was doing, that he was preparing their hearts, that one day they would put all the pieces together and see what the real kingdom of God is. So, you agree, Al? Yeah, I think that's a great, I think that's a great illustration. And I hadn't thought about it before both what was and what will be. I like that idea of his miracles being restorative or restoration in nature. You mentioned that he gave them two things. He gave them divine power and divine authority. And my assumption is this was temporary for the mission because we don't seem to see this later until they get the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, you know, in the day of Pentecost.

And so this seems to be almost just like a test run for the disciples, like a little, okay, I'm going to send you boys out. You know, I'm going to give you the two things you need, divine power, divine authority. One of the guys I was reading, Jay's had a illustration of a, which I thought was pretty good. He said, this is like a police officer who, you know, the red light is out. So he's having to direct traffic, which normally that wouldn't be his job. But when he's standing there underneath the red light, you got all these. cars around him, he's got a gun, he's got the power to stop anybody that he needs to. And he's got the authority, he's got a badge that says even if he held up his hand and

says, stop, a 2,000 pound vehicle has to stop or you face the government. And I thought that was pretty good illustration that Jesus has given them divine power and authority to accomplish what he needs to, only again to point them to the kingdom. Yeah, but therein, you can see a little opening on why they didn't do better than they could have. 946, Chapter 9. An argument started among the disciples, uh-oh, as to which of them would be the greatest. You know, they're sitting there arguing about, okay, look, it's just 12 of us, and they're jocke in for position to see which one would be the greatest.

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child, and he had him stand before him, and he teaches him a lesson there. But you would think grown men wouldn't be arguing about who's going to be the bulldog here and who's not going to be, who's going to be the greatest here. And if you're sitting there arguing about that, it does slow your progress down. Well, and it brings up an interesting point, Dad. Jesus sends them out on this little sortie, this little test run. Obviously, and they're not fully even aware of what the kingdom is yet. We know that because when he was leaving, they were still asking about restoring the kingdom. So it does give me a little bit of hope that Jesus uses us when we're not all the way ready.

And yet he lets, he puts us out there anyway because otherwise you're right. If he had to wait until they got it all figured out, they'd never go anywhere. Yeah. Well, I think it also shows you the point I made for a couple of podcasts because he had called the 12, well, Judas was one of them, and it just shows you that God uses people who are not believers to actually have gifts. There's some of them right here. You remember the story in the Old Testament, Balaam or whatever. It was the same principle that some people have gone around and been able to show the gifts,

and their heart been a million miles away from the Lord. That's why we're leading to, this is revealing the character of God. And when the Holy Spirit comes out and is made available, and this is 1 Corinthians 13, which was just a bombshell chapter to the Corinthian Church, because he's like, you're so obsessed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you miss the gift and the fruits of the Spirit.

And, you know, he has that, you can do all these miracles and fathom all mysteries and do all this. Now there are. You have not. Which one did the greatest miracles? Y'all know why? You was a sleeper. I'll tell you what I did.

Well, exactly. You remember the time when we were out there and he. Well, Luke 10, look, the next chapter, when we get to the next chapter, he sends out 72, and he gives them the same power. Guess what? Same things happen. They come back, and it says they're jumping up and down with joy. Because the demons submit to them, and he, and Jesus slapped them on the wrist and said,

don't be excited about that. Be excited that your names are written in the book of life. Yeah. Which shows you that you, and I think about it in life, you know, really everyone, the gifts that we have, I mean, you can make, stretch this principle. It says every good and perfect gift comes from above. And we're made in the image of God. And we all have gifts even in that, that God has given us just in life to function.

Because if we didn't, if you didn't have these gifts from God, well, this planet wouldn't even survive, you know, a year. I mean, there are people who are not, that don't have a relationship with God, that are using their gifts from God from the beginning to make the world a better place and you see it. That doesn't mean their names are written in the book of life, but it just makes the earth able to function. I mean, now even if you go to an inner city, you're not going to last long, you know, without somebody trying to knock you in the head.

head. So, you know, I think that's God's plan and it's a sign that leads us to God. I mean, there's a hunger. I think we're going to see this when we get to him feeding the 5,000, that we all have towards God because you look around and you're like, this can't be the end of this. I mean, there's got to be something more. And even deep down, I think there is a draw to that. But I think Jesus is given us a picture here in this context that he can use you and you can do, you know, great things. But at some point, there has to be a humbling of the heart and soul to who Jesus is, which is why his death, brown resurrection is coming.

And that's really the heartbreaker for people. No, I think you're right, Jason. I think that's why this is, to me, this episode here is almost like just a little temporary sorty. It's like he wants them to feel what it's going to feel like to have this power in this moment, but also to try to keep them focused on what they're supposed to be doing because they do it. I mean, they preach the kingdom. Let me read the rest of this text. You read the first two verses. So he sends them out to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick. And he tells him, take nothing for the journey, no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. So I mean,

Literally, he wants them going strip down. I mean, we're traveling light. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, he means in the town. Shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town as a testimony against them. So they set out, went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere. So they basically did exactly what he called them to do. And I think the reason that he does this is just a little moment in time to prep them for what's coming.

Because I don't even think they held on to these powers past this event. I mean, the Bible doesn't say that, but I'm assuming they don't because they don't have it later until they're going to experience. Right, because he was giving them an idea that you're going to have to rely on my power. Yeah, which is the whole point of not taking anything, right? I mean, because they had had some of those things traveling with him. So he's obviously saying, I don't want you taking anything that you rely on yourself. You've got to completely rely on God during this process. I think it's confusing because then when people say they went around preaching the gospel,

usually when we say the gospel, we're talking about what Phil introduced earlier in the podcast, the deathbound resurrection of Jesus. But he hadn't died yet. He's not been resurrected. That's why you can't have the gospel without Jesus being the son of God and becoming a human. This is a great illustration of that. They're pointing people to a new king. The kingdom is near.

Here are the principles of it. And it's all those things that you read the sermon on the Mount Luke 6, that it's better to be poor in spirit and all the humble. And even though it's going to be difficult and teach. years and there is there is a new order and the king is here. So that's what they're preaching. And they're telling them to repent. When you look at the other gospels in this, their message was repentant. Change the way you think, change the way you operate. And so you realize how difficult that's going to be for them to get out from under a law-based system. Because these people were all

thinking, you know, if I obey and I really believe in God, he's going to accept me. But Jesus is coming with a new concept, which is going to be God accepts you, therefore I obey, which is what he's laying the groundwork for in what's going to happen on the cross. I do think it's interesting, Jay, because you and I have been on, you know, mission trips through the years. there is something powerful about experiencing a short-term mission where you're outside of your comfort zone, you're outside of your culture, you're outside of the things you know, and you're going there for one purpose, and that's to talk about Jesus. And it does something to you. It takes away a lot of times your inhibitions and the things that hold you back, and it puts you in positions where you'll jump in where you wouldn't normally do that. I mean, we're all finicky eaters, right?

We're funny about that. But when I go on a mission trip, I'm not thinking about any of the things I like about culture, what I like to watch on TV, what I like to eat, nothing. I mean, I'm there for these people. I'm using some scenario of situation, which I would never do at home. But it's something about the mindset. So I do think there's something about that that's like there's a power in that. And Jesus is like he wants them to experience that without him being there.

to sort of provide that little comfort place of them knowing he's going to be the guy. I mean, have you experienced that, Jason? Yeah, I mean, look, when I was a teenager, I was went off to some group, you know, mission trip, and we were in the United States. Well, we went to New York City, and somebody had the idea out about day three or four that we should just go do some street preaching. Of course, I was pretty shy back then, and I was like, well, I don't want to do that. Nobody's going to listen.

and I had all these doubts, which I really think is the theme of this whole paragraph. I think that Jesus was trying to plant the seed, that I know this is going to be difficult. I know you're going to have doubts about this. This doesn't make sense, but you need to trust me. And I think you see the story of him sending them out, and then you're going to see when Herod, he's mentioned, that he had the same doubts and had an opportunity really to change his family in the course of where he was headed, and he chose poorly. But I remember when I went out there and I thought, I'm going to do that in that moment,

I felt, did the people welcome you that you were? Some did, but to Al's point, in that moment, I really had a lot of doubts, you know, personally and individually that I'm like, this is not going to work. And, you know, I was nervous. And I just opened them a Bible started talking. Well, I was shocked that people would stop and they would listen. And some of them wouldn't move on. Some of them stayed.

And then you're right. Then some people came up there. New York. And we're like blankety, blankety, blankety, blankety, blankety, you're out. Blankety, blankety, blankety, blankety, you know. So for a young man, it just was, you know, I think it was more for me. realizing that this is not going to be easy, this seems crazy. There's a thin line between what I'm doing right now and the guy who's been drinking all night

that has the sign over there that says the end is near. You know, I mean, it really is. It seems crazy. But what I was amazed at and what has carried me through, when you start sharing Jesus and the principles that he is presenting, it does stop people in their tracks and it may make them mad but it makes some people sad and it makes some people glad but it makes people do something because it's questions that he answers that that the world just they don't have an answer for really if you're being

rational and open minding so yes i've noticed it in other countries too but that one sticks out more because it it wasn't something i was really comfortable with but i did it and I think I could understand how they felt because I thought this is a terrible idea and it seemed to bear no fruit. I went to New York City and I felt like I was in another world. Yeah.

Another part of the world. Well, it's a melting pot. Let's take another break. So that's my point is I think there was, a lot of this was purposed in what they were going to accomplish and so I think that was part of this purpose and plan. I do want to mention one thing

when he told him to, when you go to a house, stay there until you leave. And this is another thing just in my experience, that you always need a base of operations. Because, you know, we've been in a situation before. You don't need to move around too much in some of these cultures. I mean, it's a little bit dangerous. And, you know, there was in this particular culture they were in,

and it's still this way to today, by the way, that in Eastern culture, when you go into a person's house, I mean, it's more than just, hey, you're our guest. you are protected there. Like they would defend you against whoever, anybody tried to hurt you. There's these rules of hospitality that mark Eastern culture. They're a lot different than us. Like somebody shows up and says, hey, bring that guy out.

You're like, no. You see a little bit of that what happened with Lot and Sodom and Gamemara. Yeah. But it's interesting. I read, I read Marcus LaTrell's book years ago, Lone Survivor. And that's really what saved Marcus's life because he was injured. and he wound up in the house wherever he was at in some village in Afghanistan. And because he was there, they protected him.

Like the Taliban was after him. Everybody knew they were looking for him. I mean, they wanted to string him up because he was the only guy that survived out of his team. But they protected him until he got well enough to where he could get to help and get out of Afghanistan. So this concept was around. I think that's why Jesus told him this. It was interesting because right in the middle of all these things he's telling him, don't do this, don't do this.

He said, by the way, when you find a house, stay there the whole time that you're there. So I was just saying just from a practical illustration, Jesus has given them really good advice on what you do, including the wipe and the, you know, knock the dust off your feet, which would mark this whole town for judgment if they weren't willing to listen. So I just thought it was some interesting, like, practical things that he's telling them as well as like big picture stuff. Well, and you see the plan for field starting in Acts 2 where. they went out. You know, there's the whole book of Acts. Once Jesus died and was buried and resurrected and the Holy Spirit was poured out,

they became his witnesses. But I think he was introducing this concept here that I'm going to use flawed people through my power to declare who I am to the world. That is the marketing campaign. for who God is and his desire for people to be part of his forever family. So it's hard to get that perspective from here because, like we've said, this is early, this is the introduction. I mean, John the Badger has prepared the way, but Jesus is preparing the way.

And now his chosen 12 are preparing the way. And then the next chapter, you have 72 preparing the way. And now he, then he'll start introducing and predicting what he's going to do to. to accomplish the kingdom arriving. Yep. And so that's why I'm glad you read that verse in Luke 9, 27, because I realize there's a lot of disagreement on exactly what that meant when the kingdom would arrive.

But it sure seems to support what we say when he says in verse 27, some of y'all are not going to taste death before you see the kingdom of God. So it then leads to verse 7, which I think the reason Luke did this, and Mark does the same thing, is this is difficult for these men to trust Jesus's mode of this is what the kingdom is going to be like. Because you've got to think, they're thinking it's going to be a kingdom.

And just like every other kingdom, that means we're going to take over the world. And a lot of people are going to die. We're going to end our enemy's threats. because that was the kingdom definition. This is, you conquer other people. Now here Jesus is saying, I'm going to bring life. It just doesn't seem.

Didn't even enter their mind, Jace, that the temple of God would be utterly destroyed. He had to remind them. Exactly. Not one stone will be left on top of another. They were thinking, well, I thought we was going to be the king, the ruler of the world here. Exactly.

That's why they're arguing by who's going to be the greatest. So watch. In verse 7, it says, Now, Herod the Tetrarch heard about all that was going on, and he was perplexed. Because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come to life.

But Herod said, I beheaded John, Who then is this I hear such things about and he tried to see him. So if you turn over and read Mark's account, you'll see. Hang on before we do that, Jason. Let's take our last break. So if you go over to Mark's account, Mark six, you see where they're sent out in the second part of verse six. He called in the 12. He sent them out in verse 7.

And then same thing in verse 8. You know, here's your instructions. verse 12 I mentioned earlier that they went out and they told the people that they should repent and they drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with all so then when you get to herod here in verse 14 you get all the details because herod he was perplexed because you know the threat of the new kingdom because here's john the bad was going out saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is near ultimately was deemed a threat through manipulation from Herod's wife, which we're going to get into.

And that threat was snuffed out to their kingdom because they cut his head off, which is the normal operating procedures in kingdoms that rise up and fall. But King Herod is perplexed because now it's like, well, I cut the head off the snake, and now you got this Jesus. So from his perspective, another, Just another one has risen up. Now, who is this? And the fact that he thought it might be John the Baptist

shows you that it's really bothered his conscience on what he did. And you see that in the story, and I'll read Mark's account in verse 14. Herod, King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name, have become well known. Some are saying John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him. Others said he's Elijah. and still others claimed he is a prophet like one of the prophets of long ago. But when Herod heard this, he said, John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead.

For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested. He had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodius, his brother, Phillips' wife, whom he had married, so his niece, for John had been saying to Herod, it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. so Herodius nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to because Herod feared John and protected him. Knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, when Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled. Yet he liked to listen to him.

Finally, in the opportune time when it came, on his birthday, Herod gave a banquet for the high officials and military commanders. and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Verodius came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you.

And he promised her with an oath, whatever you ask, I will give you up to half my kingdom. She went out and said to her mother, what shall I ask for? The head of John the Baptist, she answered. And once the girl hurried in to the king with the request, I want you to give me, right now, the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

And here's really the moment, because you can tell already that the king likes John the Baptist. He's letting him out of prison. He's listening to him. He knows he's a holy man. That verse 21 is real key, you know. But because of his oaths, the dinner guests, and he's not even taken into account,

his wife has manipulated their daughter, It's like a, for lack of a better word, you know, a game of Thrones kingdom, horrible type venture where he got played. His reputation is on the line. And so he didn't want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison and brought back his head on a platter. he presented it to the girl and she gave it to her mother on hearing of this john's disciples came and took his body and laid it in her team now what a horrific story but i think it shows you about doubts you know you have one instance where

the disciples are obviously doubting this method of let's take nothing and go out there and tell people they need to repent i don't think we're really given that a fair thought That's crazy. You think this is how we're going to become the most powerful people, you know, by doing these miracles with total reliance. There's no weapon. We're the weapons. So then you have Herod, who had an opportunity because he was, why was he perplexed by John the Baptist's message, I think is the question. What was making him doubt what he thought was the way to true power?

There was something about what John the Baptist was saying that was causing him doubts to life and the meaning of life. And so you really see that. And I heard a lesson by Tim Keller, which I think is amazing. I've never seen someone do a sermon about this story until I listened to it. but it really stopped me in my tracks because you think, you know, when it says he was a, he feared John, well, what was he, he wasn't scared. I mean, he's chained up. So what was it about him that was causing him to be fearful? Possibly he was speaking of another king and another kingdom. And it looked nothing like anything he understood as, as power. That's what I think

I think it's a great picture to show you, Jay, is when people are in the political realm, they can't imagine there being any greater power than the power that they have. And, of course, anything that's a threat to that power becomes a threat to them. But it's usually over stuff like this. It's, it's a palace intrigue stuff. I mean, there was no reason for John to die. This whole thing was a grudge by this woman. that led to this whole scenario. This should have never happened, and yet it did.

And I think it just shows you the surface level of where people are. But I think you're right. I think Herod, for the first time in his life, began to be touched below the surface. And he's like, maybe there is, you know. I mean, his doubts were doubts that his way was the only way. Well, you're still looking at, you're still looking at a country. that's wrestling with the king, the possible king that will lead us all, Jesus, the kingdom of God, is here.

It's not near, it's here. And out of that, all these politicians running around up in Washington, D.C., they should fear that. Yeah. But they don't, because they can't see past their own power. But it shows you that deep down, they do have doubts. And that's the point Keller made, and that's the point I want to make. Because in the religious world, we think doubts is a negative thing. But actually, when you start realizing what Jesus was doing here, doubts are not necessarily negative.

For the people who follow Jesus, that gives you an opportunity. Yeah. You know, when it said the opportune time came, that was where you got to make a decision. Are you going to do what's right, what you believe in your heart? because he was asking the right questions about John the Baptist. He's like, why is he doing this? Why did he confront me about my sinful, what he called sinful arrest? Why would he do that?

What is there to gain for him? And so in the back of his mind, he's thinking, maybe he isn't from God. Why would any human being on the earth risk his life on what's going on in my bedroom? The powers that be knew that Jesus had the opportunity if he wanted it to make himself, the kingdom of the world, it seems like to me, if you were in an outside kingdom, whatever, what man-made construct instead of a God-made construct, you would run into some serious problems. It would make you fearful. And that's why this story is so profound, because at the end of this, he had a moment,

and it showed you what you fear the most. He feared John the Baptist in a respectful way. but the whole reason he went along with this scheme that we all know is going to rip his family apart because the wife has manipulated the daughter to commit murder well how's that going to work out 20 years down the road they're got to live with this decision the rest of their life nightmares guilt shame stuff like that is still going on jace and so when you really looked at his heart he had a window of opportunity that we all have when we have doubt to make a study, research, have an open mind, you know, submit to the creator of the universe

because he is right. And there is a draw for that. And he didn't do it. His greatest fear was what those guys thought about him. And he said, I've already given him a word. And... Sounds like a true politician. Out of lack of the fear of embarrassment, he goes along with it. And look, you know what it did to him, it hardened his heart. And then you see him resurface later on in the book of Mark. When Jesus, here's Jesus now, fast forward three years, and Jesus is standing before him. And you know, it's, I know we're out of time.

But when you read it, and we'll read it in the overtime, he mocks him. And he really kills him. He said, why do he do it? That's a hard heart. That's a guilty conscience. Yep. And he's, here he is again, wanting to cut the head. of the snake off again to keep his power.

Yeah, sliding into oblivion. We're out of time, as Jay said. So we'll pick this discussion up in our overtime. Really interesting stuff about Herod. If you want to follow us, blazedt.com slash unashamed is where we'll be. We'll see you in overtime. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes.

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