Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 767 | Phil Gets Disrespected in New Zealand & Jase Gets a New Toy to Make Up for His Awful Jokes

Episode Date: October 11, 2023

Jase is fired up over his new toy, though the reason for it isn’t so flattering. Phil recalls his trip to New Zealand where his Gospel preaching didn’t appear to go so well at first. The guys discuss the parable of the prodigal son, though most people miss the lessons to be learned from the older brother. Jase ponders why Jesus was comfortable in the presence of outcasts and why the Pharisees weren’t. In this episode: Luke 15; Galatians 2, verse 20; Galatians 3, verses 26–27 — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? So welcome to Unashamed, the podcast that could, the little engine that keeps churning out the word of God. And we're so excited to have you guys be a part of that. Jace, a few podcasts ago last week you were telling about being in Colorado. And you were talking about how some of your jokes didn't quite land. with folks. I don't, for whatever reason. That's an understatement.

A little bit of a disconnect. So, so I guess our, some of our crew, Maddie-led crew, I guess, got you something to symbolize when you have problems in front of audiences. Those who are listening, I have a gold. What kind of shape is this? Kind of a hexagon. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Yeah, eight. So the octagon.

I have an octagon with a black button on it. And I think it was given because there's a lot of time in this podcast that we need, we need something. Yeah. I need a sound effect. Because Sa on the duck call room, he's surrounded by noise makers. You know, like he has bells. He loves bells. He's obsessed with bells.

He rings the bell. But he is a human noise maker. Yeah. I mean, he cannot sit still. He pops, he hits stuff, he's thumping, he's jumping. And he wears a watch. He still wears a watch, which I... Why?

What could Sa possibly have to keep time with? I've already told you all my stance about older people driving. I think it would help the economy. If once you got to about 65, you had to have a chauffeur. Because most of the times when you're on, the road. It's either somebody on their cell phone that's causing all the problems or it's someone older.

It's a more mature human being who's holding it up. And I'm not going to mention any names, but when you get on interstate, the left lane is for passing only. That's what the sign say. But when you get there and you say, well, I'm going the speed limit, you know, 70, and there are 47. cars behind you or passing you on the right and you say nope i'm going the speed limit it causes a dangerous situation so thank you jays it had to be said i'm so yeah so i shouldn't be

wearing a watch it's the same thing applies you reach a certain age where you don't need to know what time it is i'm there yeah you're there that's just a reminder that it's irrelevant right that i mean i have no idea of time the passage of time Just sitting here. They say that about football and the NFL, and nobody, nobody, they're not offended. You know, because they say NFL means not for long, because the average time that you're there is not long. Not long. Same thing applies to once you reach maturity.

So anyway, I have in my hand in the spirit of Uncle Su, we have a noise maker. And I think this is the most needed sound effect. on the show because there's some things that are said that only this sound applies. That's crickets. So when I was in Colorado and I told joke after joke for five minutes, proven jokes, because you got to remember when you speak a lot, if you come up with an idea of something that's funny, that has a spiritual principle.

Right. You know, and I'll pick the Forever 21. Here's a store that said, look, we want to get people to believe that if you buy these clothes, you can be 21 forever. Now, where did they get that idea? Where's the only place on earth that you could possibly be forever, 21? Does anybody know? where's the only place on earth that you possibly, this is a riddle, there's the only place on earth that you could possibly be 21 forever.

I would say heaven, but I didn't, I mean, that may be too broad. Well, what was Jesus's first message when he began his ministry? What is the first thing he started talking about when he began his ministry? He said, the kingdom is near. It's near. It's coming. Where's it coming? It's coming to Earth.

He's bringing it. He's bringing it. It's there. So if you're a member of the kingdom of heaven on earth, you're within a group of however you want to call that. It's more of an organism, a movement. Spirit-filled people. The spirit was poured out in Acts chapter 2.

People, human beings could then receive the Holy Spirit of God. Now that doesn't mean they have then been changed to Forever 21, but if you have the Spirit of God, Romans 8-11, the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, if it's living in you, it will bring life.

Fortunately there I was interrupting my No. No, I know. He's just adding fuel. The entire law is summed up in a single command. Love your neighbor as yourself.

If you keep on biting and deviring each other and just think about how human beings participate in that, biting and deviring each other, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, you say, how do you worm your way out of all this? Live by the spirit. You say, live by the spirit, what could it mean? and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

If you live by the spirit, you won't gratify the sinful part. Yeah. That's always after. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the spirit. And the spirit, what is contrary to the sinful nature. They're in conflict with each other. But you're carrying both of them. Everybody is.

But you say... There's a battle. Roman 7. It's a battle. You said, but with the spirit... on my side, I've got the upper hand here. That's correct. They're in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want.

You say, you know, how am I going to keep from doing all this stuff? But if you are led by the spirit, you're not even under law. It does not apply. You're led by the spirit. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious. You say, well, what do you don't want to do? sexual immorality impurity debauchery idolatry witchcraft hatred discord jealousy facts and envy drunkenness or i warn you as i did before those who live like this no matter who you're claiming or what it is

will not inherit the kingdom of god but the fruit of the spirit love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control boy what quality It can be done. Yeah. All men and women. You can make the switch over and the way you behave becomes a major part of your life because you know you're in this thing forever. You've been promised. Well, forever.

You said it. There's a way to be forever. So the fuel's there for us. But what I'm saying is there is a way. So to back up and reset. If you put on close. from this store. Because my joke is, I said,

have you ever been to the store Forever 21? And a few people nodded their head. Of course, I was in Colorado and it was all men. Most men are not doing the shopping. Forever 21 as I'll be like I'm 21. Forever. Forever. So then I said.

Once you took the spiritual part out of that, I would never want to be Forever 21 without the kingdom of God because I was an idiot at 21. Exactly. And that's some of your dumbest maneuvers. I don't want to be Forever 21 by a worldly statement. 31 is the prime in the middle of idiocy. I said, I said, have you been to that store forever 21?

Yeah. It went bankrupt. Which is funny. Nobody joke. I mean, nobody laughed. So what did you get? Listen. So then I had crickets.

I made the point. Jesus lived on this earth. for 33 years. He died. And then all of a sudden, after his death, three days later, he now reappears. And the disciples were looking at him. And there's a story in John 21 where he says, hey, throw your nets over here. And they knew it was the Lord.

They caught the fish, right? To add some flavor to your thinking. What's pretty amazing is that if you had to pick a date whereby you had the most trouble, and can I find was that, after baptizing thousands, I've looked at them and I've guessed at their age, their age is about 28 to 33. Yeah. That's when Jesus said, I'm done here. at 33. Well, by the time a human being reaches the age of 33, it's settled in his mind to a

great extent who he's going to bother. God or the Satan. That's a valid. It's a valid point. So my point is the only way to forever be 21, if it's a possibility, you would have to figure out who this Jesus is? Because he came back from the dead. Now, I don't know how old he was. That's what I failed to do at 33. I don't know how old he was when he gathered with his disciples post his death. And they had some fish.

And he wasn't eating that fish to sustain his life. You know, if you don't eat, you will die. Unless you just came back from the dead. So I would assume that he's eating fish just because he wants to, not because he has to. He didn't have to eat it based on its vitamin value. No. So the point was that I thought would be funny. It wasn't.

Crickets. However, when you think about it, it is true. The only way you're forever going to be 21 on the earth as a possibility is to be a member of the greatest thing on earth, which would be the kingdom of God. which are people who have the Holy Spirit who have not been resurrected yet. It hasn't taken its final form in eternity. And I don't think you would be an age, let's say 21. But the only way that would be possible is the resurrection of Jesus. It's not in a store, and it proved out when it went bankrupt.

How does a Forever 21, how does that become bankrupt? So it makes me think of Galatians 3, 26, and 27. We talked about this last podcast when we talked about the movie, or I guess a few podcasts ago when we were talking about the movie. For all of your all sons through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ. Or you can think, you know, Galatians 220. I've been crucified with Christ.

I no longer live. He lives in me. So same spirit. Romans 8-11, same resurrection. There's your possibility. That was the point. But now I have something because all of us say things that we may not understand. And so we have a cricket button.

I think it'll be good. Like if Zach drops a big word on us, like. And we don't know what it is. That's where the original idea came from. Right. Because Zach, he, in his spare time, he evidently studies the dictionary. And he's proud. And look, I mean, hey, he knows more words than I know.

But. So, Zad, this is the new cricket machine for both jokes that don't land and or large vocabulary words. Before you respond, let's take a break. First of all, can you hear me? Yeah, loud and clear. We hear you and the whole world hears you. Yeah, I stepped out because I had an emergency at the house. There was a woman screaming.

at the top of her lungs. I thought something was bad going on. I go outside. I hear her screaming. I can't identify where she's coming from. I call the cops. The cops show up. This all happened while you guys,

when I left the last conversation. Yeah. This real time. And then I look and then Jill, her car doors open and she's nowhere to be found. So I started freaking out. So make a little. long story short, I pulled out my pistol. I'm roaming the, the neighborhood around the houses and I'm trying to track. Oh, yeah. I'm like sweating. I'm like, what? And I thought maybe it was her

and the cops show up. And I'm like, I'm tracking her phone says she's at this address. And they're like, well, that's like two miles down the road. I was like, that's the tennis court. I'm like, okay. So I go inside. I said, where's mom? She's going to play tennis with my sister. So it was all for nothing. I don't know what the, what the scream was, but I left, and you guys were talking about the crickets at the deal, I come back, and now y'all are still talking about the crickets in Colorado. After hearing that story, I have one thing to say, listen. So you're going to add a button. Is that what the conversation I missed was? It was a gift from the crew to Jace, because last week he was talking about having some jokes that didn't land in Colorado.

So they brought him today a cricket machine. But I immediately knew that we could expand that beyond jokes and just stories like you just tow that went nowhere. Yeah, that just don't hit home. Yeah, exactly. It's like I thought my wife was in trouble and she was playing tennis. Yeah. I mean, or it could have been, as my wife said, she said, babe, maybe you need to entertain the thought that you're just not funny.

I said, thank you, babe. I love you so much. Hey, pipe down behind the walls. Yeah, yeah. I was laughing at that one. See, you don't want to be laughing at that. But I'm so glad I have this now. So I just feel.

Yeah, so Zach, Jace, Jason Silas is now like, uh, Marrett, who has sound things on the duck car room. Now, Jace has a new toy. Make sure the woman that knows everything, and I can't catch her name, but someone gave me a clock, and this woman would tell me, keep time for me and everything. This man gave me, but it was all a lie. It was a lie. There was a woman who knows everything.

And she said, tell me what time, and she said, does not. You're talking about, what's her name? What's the, Alexa? Alexa. I asked her a question she couldn't answer. I said, I'm out of you. Phil, there's another point to what I'm saying. Here's the world saying you have your God.

We have an obnicious, computerized, yep, computerized, generated, all-knowing being. So you asked her if she hunted ducks and what did she tell you? I asked her if what if what if I said. She said, you know, does not apply. Yeah, yeah. She said, I don't know. I don't know. That's what dad said.

How do you not know? You either hunt or you don't. You either know or you don't. So Alexa was, and then he said, dad says that she asked, of course, dad doesn't hear so well, but he says that she asked him, where was Si? And then he immediately got paranoid because he said, how does she even know I have a brother named? Yeah. And then he checked her conversion and determined she might be an atheist.

So we'll see how it plays. We now, we needed this. I think it's going to make a better podcast moving forward. Leave it to the crew to upgrade our facilities with now. It takes a village. It takes a village. Do you know how that sound actually, I learned this from being a preacher, from preacher jokes. Someone told me that, because at our church building,

and when we have a really, really hot summer here, a lot of times the crickets will come inside our building and get in our baptistry, actually, to escape the heat. And we've had to wash them out of the way, and we dad. Yeah, I've seen it. And so the sound that that machine makes, Jay, it's the two, I guess, upper, what would you call those legs, of a cricket rubbing together.

So when you hear that noise, that's their two upper, their forward legs rubbing together. So that's the cricket noise. Just so you know, that's a random fact. So you got that. Great. So I know what the draw is to the podcast, and it is the Word of God. And we're fixing to get into my favorite chapter in the entire Bible. Yep.

I mean, just think about that. Yeah, mine too. Is it really? Yeah, absolutely. I've told this story so many times. In fact, I was going to bring a book today, and I couldn't find it this morning. There's a book that Kyle Edelman wrote. He's the lead pastor at Southeast Christian, Louisville, Kentucky.

Fantastic read. And it's about the prodigal son and about this story. And so I will try to have it on the next podcast. But this story is so impactful. And it just, you know, we're going to be setting it up a little bit because there's a lot going on here. it just is sitting around this table that's Zach and I both were sort of like the youngest brother in the story because we were what I would call Zach short-term prodigals in other words it didn't last long but it was a few years away from God and away from our

family dad you were more a long-term prodigal because for you was about 10 years of this lifestyle that's mentioned jace you were not but you have said before that you relate some in the story from your past into the older brother in the story, which in my opinion is really who this parable was aimed at, all three parables, because there's three different ones. Which is the hardest nut to crack, by the way. Exactly. Which if you do things God's way, you will have less baggage when it comes to morality. I mean, obviously, you don't want to go out there.

There's never anywhere in the Bible that promotes the more sin you do. Yeah, the better off you'll be. Yeah. And by contrast, a lot of people who, you know, I go and I speak at Celebrate Recovery a lot, which is, I know it was weird for people at first because they're like, well, why would you come here? Because you don't know. You hadn't had the same struggle.

The typical argument against that is, well, you don't know what I've been through. And so, which is basically a disarming mechanism. not to listen to anything from the word of God. Right. I mean, that's just the truth. Because the point is, if that were the case, Jesus would be the worst teacher of all time. He would be disqualified.

If you had to experience a sinful life, Jesus would be the worst teacher ever. And instead, he's the best teacher ever. So don't fall for that pitiful argument. It's harder when you do have the older brother, tendencies because I've said before, I believe the worst sin is to come out from under is pride. It is because you think you're better than everybody or you think you can earn your way to God's favor. And you can be lost and you don't know it. And so I think before we begin this,

because this goes down a lot of roads. There's a lot of things here. that we're going to discuss. But I think you've got to keep in mind the main reason that these three stories came out was because of the predicament that Jesus was in, and the Pharisees looked and made this accusation in verse 2. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, this man welcomed sinners and eats with them. Because verse 1 says,

the tax collectors and sinners were all gathered around to hear Jesus. And so here are the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. They're muttering. What a word. Mutter. Muttering. In fact, I have that Greek word somewhere. Why is he with them?

The Greek word for this muttered or grumbled, some will say, is Gunguzo. That's the Greek word. which is the thing about that word, Gunguzzo, gungo, gungozo, gungozo. When people, the word itself has kind of has that sound, and it reminded me, dad, the story you told when you went to New Zealand and you spoke and they were kind of giving you the old House of Commons.

Oh, yeah. It was like, we don't agree with what you're doing. I said, why are they doing that? And the guy that brought me to there said, they don't like what they're hearing. That's right. When I preached the gospel, in the public setting, what was unique about it to my face inside the building. Yeah.

They were, what's the word? Gunguzzo. Gunguzzo. Gunguzzo. Gunguzzo. So that went down, and I said, they're all against me. However, they got a whole of how to get me on the computer. They said, sorry about that.

I had to do it because of the people that I was with, they would have ostracized me forever if I had said, the man is preaching the truth. Or an amen. Or an amen. And there was about 10 or 15 of them that actually got in touch with me saying, we're sorry that we murmured. We believe what you're saying.

But they couldn't announce it because of their fear of being downloaded or, you know, run out somewhere. So I thought about that many times. Let's take another break. Because you've told that story before, Dad, and I thought about this setting. And, Jason, I've always thought this was sort of the concluding point of everything we've been talking about in 13, 14,

because remember all the settings we've been talking about in the last two chapters have been in a meal setting. You know, and there's typically he's used that illustration when he's been talking about this. And so this again, they put into that context. It just says they were gathered around it, but they say he even eats with him. And again, we talked about why Pharisees would have dinners.

It was to advance their political careers. Yeah. This pride you're talking about was so prevalent, right? And there's Luke 14 that we went over through, let's see, where was it, 15 through 24, which I've never heard a sermon. about that. Right. But it's basically just the invite, you know, it's like we're going to have a great

banquet, go invite people, and all alike, verse 18, they begin to make excuses. Now, you just think what God is inviting us to. That's why I started off talking about, he's inviting us to be a part of the greatest kingdom that has ever been and that will ever be. It's a forever, eternal kingdom. But there is, in verse 25, the cost of being a disciple. Exactly. Which is why people said no.

Your name is on the line like in New Zealand. In America, it just is bad. They murmur against you. Well, you're right, Phil. The reason people did not want to accept the invitation is because of verses like 1433. In the same way, any of you who does not. give up everything he has might be my disciple well that's a deal breaker to me come about crickets there is a cost so then but then what did he say he said well okay all

these people have excuses i just bought some oxen i just uh what were the other excuses i mean they were they were absurd excuses i just bought a field and i want to go look at it yeah what kind excuse is that this is you know I actually used this illustration after my Forever 21 joke didn't go it was a dud but I said if someone knocked on the door your door and said congratulations you've won I said what would you say it was crickets at first but then I started getting a few answers and someone said the first answer I'm in Colorado and I'd made fun of them because he didn't duck on So I think this was their natural response. The first answer I got,

now just think about this. I give a parable. Someone knocks on your door and says, congratulations, you've won. You could say anything in your imagination. You know what the first answer I got in Colorado was? A gift certificate to a sporting good store there that I'd never heard of. And I was like,

that's it. I said, think bigger. And so somebody said, a new car. A new car. Needed this button. I said, you know, how about a million dollars, you know? And then somebody said, yeah, a million dollars. I was like, no.

How about a hundred million? I mean, I gave you the freedom to say anything in your imagination. It's not hard to imagine a gift certificate to a sporting ghost story. But really? I said, I'm glad you were honest. That's the first thing that popped into your head. And here's Jesus offering you way better gifts. I mean, just let's start going through them.

You know, forgiveness, cleanse conscience, eternal relationships. So, but so he's coming up with us in this, this banquet setting, and these people are like, it's the same answers. Oh, I would like to follow you to heaven and be a part of the greatest kingdom, but I just bought a field. I need to go look at it. I just got some oxen. I want to go try.

Then another said, I just got married. I can't come. Well, how about bring her? Bring her to the greatest feast ever. And so then Jesus said, go out. I mean, I want my house full. So go out and bring in the pole. the cripple, the blind, and lame.

So you get to the next chapter, and here he is, eating with tax collectors. In that word, Jace, the welcomes, it says he welcomes in the NIV. Some of them say receives these centers. The word Comey means to welcome favorably to look forward to and to wait for, is what that word means.

So in other words, this is a depth of how he feels about him. It's a love. He's receiving and loves these people, just like he was receiving them in the kingdom banquet. And I think the big question, when you think about the opening for this, is one, why did Jesus feel so comfortable around people who were outcast in their culture and society? One, why? And then why do the other people not want to accept them or be a row?

I mean, the why of this is a big question when you think about it. Why would Jesus be comfortable in this setting and why are they so uncomfortable? not only would they not even be around these people, they're uncomfortable that he wants to be around these people. I mean, the why of this is a really big question. When you think about it and you bring it forward into the modern day, why would you not be comfortable around people who are not like you who don't know Jesus, who don't act the right way? And you say, well, you're uncomfortable because you know, you don't approve of their behavior. I mean, true, but the only way their behavior would change was if somehow I was able to have some sort of impact on.

I mean, it's a big question. If you think about what the common thread of these three stories, he's fixed in a response to this accusation, because these are responses in three different ways to this man welcomes sinners and eats with them. So if you think about it, if Jesus is the Son of God, which we all believe, he is beyond the shadow of a doubt and that he is god and you'll see a picture in these three stories of really how the triune god works together because he almost redefines god in a way as a father figure and and you know jesus i think in every reference but maybe one where he said my god my god why have you

forsaken me he refers to god as a father and then you have him himself Being accused of frattenizing with the less desirable, desirable people, which is that God became flesh and he came to serve and give his ransom, and give himself as a ransom for many. I mean, that's why he came. He is God's love incarnate in a human form. And then you say, well, where's the Holy Spirit? Well, in all these three stories, what I find fascinating,

is you find the similarity of something is lost. It depicts that's why he's eating because you have a lost sheep, you have a lost coin, and you have a lost son. So when you think about that in the response he gave, it starts making sense. He's eating with them because they're lost. These human beings are lost. If you were the son of God, you came to find them.

That's what you're doing. But there's also another common theme. joy. And you say, well, what is the fruit of the spirit? Love, joy, peace. So you actually kind of see that as the backdrop, which I think is exciting. That's good. Let's take another break.

You know what I thought about just this scene? You remember in the movie in Jesus'Revolution? I don't know if y'all saw it. But in the movie, it's set in the late 60s, early 70s, so the hippie movement is in full force. Dad, you remember it well. You lived in it. and you know, you're out in California. And, of course, I'm assuming that's where the hippie movement started.

I don't, you know, most things do start out there. So they wind up coming into this traditional church. And it starts with this, the actor that plays Jesus on the Chosen. He's playing this lead character. He's a hippie. And so the pastor's daughter meets the guy, gives him a ride, and then brings them to meet her dad to go to meet with them at their church. Well, this church is super traditional, you know, typical.

60s and 70s, but it didn't be the same today. And so, but all these hippies start coming into this church setting, and they're sitting on one side where they look different, they smell different, they act different, but they're all excited to be there. So this pastor's kind of hung because he's up in front of the people on this left half of the people in his congregation. They're all looking across the way at the other people just like with a scow. Like, who are these people?

Why are they here? Why do we let them in here? And they start like giving him grief. they're like, look, they're not, but we're okay, you know, this ain't what we're all about here, these hippies. And yet these other people seem to want to know what he's talking about Jesus. And so the pivotal scene there in the early part of the film is some people say, well, if they stay here, we're not staying.

And this one old man gets up and the pastor thinks he's leaving. Well, he goes over and he sits in with the hippies and puts his arms around him. He's like, I'm with these fellas. And then other people leave. But I thought it really painted a modern picture for that era of exactly what this text is talking about is when people look different than you. They sound different. They smell different. But they're seeking Jesus.

We should be in a mode for like, come on in, you know, which, of course, was the basis of this whole Jesus revolution that came out of that era. So I thought it was really interesting because it really did paint a more modern picture of exactly what was happening in this setting. At least in my mind it did. You know, it made it very realistic. What was Zach doing on that great point? Why did you think I was going to say something? Well, you just had to look like you were going to respond. I brought up a movie.

You're a movie mogul. I've never seen that movie. I guess I figured y'all didn't. That's why I was saying if you had Zach saw it because I saw it. I'm always, it always scares me when I see a movie that has something Jesus in the title from Hollywood because I'm like, oh boy. Yeah. You know.

But it was really, really good. And in fact, in that movie, Greg Lari, who's a great evangelist out in California, who helped start a lot of stuff out there. In his baptism scene, it was powerful like it was on dad's baptism scene in the blind, because, like, I cried. I mean, I was like when he renewed his life because he had a rough background, had a rough upbringing. and that all that he saw and all this setting with what I'm talking about with the hippies and the

accepting people and loving people that aren't like you really is what shaped that guy. Dad, you and I've done a couple of things with him before and he's tremendous, you know, so the movie's great. I think most people that come and you're sharing Jesus with him, and we've all had those moments. I mean, I remember having a study, you know, with a guy, he was a male prostitute. and basically his argument was, which I mean, he came to my house and sat down and was willing to listen.

I was like, well, there's no way I can be in on this. I was like, what do you mean? This whole, everything Jesus did was welcoming people just like you to his banquet. He's like, what? Because he expected, because people have an aura about religious people, which is where they get this, is because the Pharisees are muttering.

Why is he associating with people like this? I mean, which, granted, Jesus has not died yet, but that proved beyond the shadow of a doubt God's love for all human people. He died for the sin of everybody. I think there's just a disconnect with us when he tells the first story about, suppose one of you has a hundred sheep

and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it. I mean, before we even get to what he's saying, we as humans, gravitate towards being the 99. We're never the one. We're like, oh, well, yeah, that poor sheep, you know, but it's not going to happen to me. I mean, this kind of goes back to Luke 13 when you have this tragedy come up and they're accusing Jesus of why do bad things, you know, happen to good people. you know, pilot had sacrifice, you know, worshippers in a horrific way. And Jesus, he doesn't even

answer the question. He brings up another random tragedy. He's like, well, what about the 18 people they got killed when the tower fell on them? And so he's like, well, what was his point? His point was very radical. He said, you need to repent before something bad happens to you. Life is fragile. That's what that means. He did the same thing earlier, you know, speaking of cost of follow. and Jesus, remember when he said the guy on one of the excuses on why he wasn't going to follow Jesus, he's like, well, I got to go, my dad just died, and I got to go to the funeral. And Jesus says something very uncomfortable. He's like, go let the dead bury their own dead, but you go proclaim the will of God.

It just seems like he's not compassionate in that moment, but what he's doing is he's telling you the truth. Right. The truth is, just because you're a pretty good person doesn't mean something. something tragic is not going to happen to you. If you believe that, that's just a lie. The truth is, we're all the one. We're all the one. And the last time I preached this somewhere, you know, I came up with an illustration

that the people who are registered to vote, who didn't vote, if those people would have voted for you or me, we would be the president of the United the states. And my point was, you forget the power of each individual because there's so many people around. Right. I mean, just think about everybody gripes about who's president and whatever. If all the people who didn't vote, who were a register, would have voted to any, voted for any one of us, we would be the president. It just shows you. You don't think your vote matters. You don't think you matter. You don't think you're the one. You don't think it's going to happen to you. And somewhere the power in the story of what Jesus.

I think you've tapped into it. Let's take our last word. I think you've tapped into it, Jay. It's the major theme of all three of these parables is the value that God, the creator, that puts on an individual, any individual. That's why the door is narrow. It's because the door is actually a person named Jesus. And we come to him one at a number.

of time. And I think that's the big excuse the world gives against religion. There's like, you know it. And I've heard it a million times. They're like, oh, so God created all this universe and all these planets. And we can't even see it in a telescope. And you think that big of God is worried about little old me, the equivalent of a grain of sand on the seashore. But that's what they're thinking. That's what we have to have the conversation with. with people who don't have a relationship with God. Because that is their argument. They're like, no way.

They dismiss it. If he's that big, he can't be worried about me. And you're like, well, how about Luke 15? Because here, that's basically what Jesus is indirectly destroying in that argument. That's why I'm sitting at this table. Right. That's exactly right. And the value that he puts there.

Let's read the rest of that context because it doesn't he not leave the 99. in the open to go after the lost sheep until he finds it. And he's saying that as a, as a, you know, rhetorical question, right? The answer would be, of course he would. And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders. So here's the concept of joy. That's going to be throughout these stories as well. Oh, it's easily missed.

Yeah, exactly. It is a major pillar. It could just think about it. Going back to my illustration about someone knocking on the door and saying, what would bring you joy? And most of us, go with something earthly. That's our first response. Well, you know, I just got a bill for whatever.

It'd be nice if somebody knocked on the door and said, look, I'm going to pay that big, you know, I'm going to get you out of debt. That's where we think real joy lies because it shows by our daily life. That's what we're getting upset about. That's what we're having arguments with our wife about. I mean, what are the number one arguments in marriage?

Usually something to do with money. or the lack thereof. And he's talking about joy, and it's going to happen over and over. Rejoice, joy, rejoice. Not only on earth, but in heaven. There's joy in heaven. Oh, man, that's when something is lost that is found.

And when you start, when you go back to the original statement, there's joy in heaven over a sinner that repent. I mean, just think about how moving that is. I just imagine, you know, every time based on what I've read here, every time someone comes to the Lord and we're clapping and we sing and there's tears, all these things, the people that know them, but thinking about heaven celebrating in those moments one after another, I mean, it's very inspiring. So we had a service recently, an assembly where, and I think y'all are both there, where it was a men's retreat, and this was their first Sunday at the end of the retreat. A lot of people had made a lot of life commitment change. And I remember I walked over to one of our buddies, Gary Glenn, who was on their podcast a while back when we were studying Romans.

And I said, well, what you think about this, Gigi? And he said, I'm addicted to change lives. And I thought, what a great line. Because we were both joyful about the morning. You remember they had the bell up front, and a lot of times the guys would ring the bell signifying that they had made a commitment to Christ. And so everybody would clap and cheer every time that bell went off. And it was just a symbol, but it was a really powerful one because it does show you that if there's rejoicing here, what do you think is happening in heaven, according to Jesus in this context.

Well, let's read it. Is that at verse 7? Yeah. And when he finds that he joyfully puts the lamb, the sheep on his shoulder, and he goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, rejoice with me. There it is again. I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.

Now, this is quite a statement at the end of this, than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. Which is interesting that, you know, Jesus makes that statement because we know, I mean, he's saying, wait a minute, is he saying there's righteous people apart from him, which is a big theological question that comes out of this context? Exactly, and there's a lot of ways to read this. So, you know, some people think he's being sarcastic at the Pharisees. Yep. You know, who's thinking they don't need to repent. But at some point, we know if you read the rest of the Bible, and you've got to remember this is a parable on why he's eating with tax collectors and sinners

because he's after each individual. But at some point, we all, as adults, have to repent. Yep. So. And there's plenty of other passages in the Bible that let us know there's no one righteous, not even one, right? Romans 3 and a lot of other paths. So he's definitely not making a theological statement here.

So whatever he was doing to illustrate his point, I think to Jason's point earlier, the overarching thought is he's talking about the one versus the collective. Because the Pharisees were more concerned about the collective. What are people thinking? How are people viewing? this situation. It's always about the collective instead of the one.

This is the greatest news on earth. I mean, this is something you could stand up and preach on. No matter what you've done, where you're from, he loves you. He's after you, not your buddy next to you. Because we always do that. He's like, if you're in a church service and you're hearing a great sermon and you're thinking of all the people that you're glad that's in the audience, that this message is going to,

I would take a moment and pause and say, well, what about you? Because that's what we tend to do as human beings because we're depending on our self-righteous. But the good news, that is great news that's inspiring. The bad news is he tells a story that relates us to sheep, which I will present is one of the top ten dumbest animals on the planet. That's right.

And they're so dumb. And helpless. They have to have a shepherd. So, I mean, I think we need to talk about that because there's a truth in there somewhere. You know why he picked the sheep up and put it on his shoulder? You know why? Probably said it wouldn't run off again. It's so dumb that it's not like a dog.

It won't follow you back on. It doesn't say, oh, great, I've been worried about it. Finally back where I'll get food. No, it'll run off even. You literally have to pick him up. And I've done so many research, done so much research on sheep. I mean, because you know what the, one of the most common deaths of sheep are? Where he is?

I forget how I said that. Is they will, they're just, because they're constantly just following their appetite. Right. I think there's message in there somewhere. And they'll get up on the side. of a mountain that's not safe in the quest for grass and they'll get out there and they're not aware of their surroundings and just fall off the mountain and die over what some grass we next bite you realize how much grass there is on the earth and you have to go i mean and when you get in the

different kinds of sheep even when i was in colorada i mean we almost had a car wreck because people were looking at these, whatever they call them, rock horn, sheep or whatever. Ones with the horns on them, yeah. Yeah, they're up on the, just, you're looking, you're like, how physics-wise did they get up to the top of this mountain and are just barely hanging on? And I said, that just proves one thing. Sheep or dumb. We need a shepherd.

Because there's way more grass down the flatland than up in the mountain. All right, we're out of time, but we're just getting cranked up. to a great chapter at Luke 15. So read ahead, do a little study and be ready for us. We'll talk about some more in overtime. BlazTV.com slash Unashamed is where we'll do that. So we'll see you there. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast.

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