Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 822 | Phil’s New Look Channels His Civil War Ancestor & Jase Almost Falls to Great Temptation

Episode Date: January 22, 2024

Phil’s late-season hunting look puts Al in mind of their Civil War-era ancestor, and Jase is extremely glad that he will not be tempted beyond what he can bear. Zach gives an update on the flying squirrel situation. The guys cover the nature of temptation and where it comes from in the core of humanity. They reckon that the kingdom of God is the picture of both diversity and unity simultaneously.  In this episode: Luke 22, verses 21-38; Genesis 39, verse 10; Matthew 28, verse 20 — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashamed. We've been commenting on Dad's look today. But Chase has him all spiffed up now. Dad, I said you look like a Civil War photo. Your great grandfather was Judge Jeptha Robertson, who the story was we were told that he was shot on a levy over some cows and some kind of issue. but he was a local judge. But there's a couple of pictures of him, and you and he look a lot alike. I might have to get one of those to Maddie,

so she can show a little comparison. But the older you get, the more you look like old Judge Jepta. Old judge. Law enforcement, you know, took him out. Yep. Over the levee of cows.

He thought, you know, he stood a drowning the cows. He got him up on the liby. They said it knocked the levy out if they, you know, tear up the levee out. And for what? A bunch of cows. More cows.

More cows. I think there's a movie, Open Range. You can find that quote. It is. One of my favorites. So, Jay's tell us about y'all. You hunted? Y'all had a good hunt today.

Y'all came in all spiffy. Oh, there's a backstory there. So I gave up three days of duck season. One of the greatest cold fronts in a decade. more than that longer than that longer than that according to Phil I don't know Phil at your age the memory

the memory gets a little there was within the last 10 years we had sleep snow so the day before I left to Los Angeles I hunted from daylight to dark in sleep yeah it was just

I had two guests they made it till 12 noon and it was our buddy Jersey Joe and one of my son reads friends they came no one else would go i mean it was 18 degrees 20 mile an hour wind and blowing freezing rain and sleet and so the downside was we killed a few ducks. I took them to the bank and picked up old burly. And we finished the hunt out. But when I got back to the decoys after dropping them off, 50 teal got up out of

the decoys in that 10-minute period. Because we had about seven or eight ducks at that point between us and the 50 teal got up. And I just thought. As you knew they were coming because of the, of the weather. Oh, we were seeing them.

They were all heading south at that point. That was the migration. I mean, I had a bunch of 300 pentails work me while I was by myself in a little period there. And I kept thinking, I can only shoot one. The limit is one. What is going to happen?

Because eventually we're going to, you know, there's a phrase here in Luke 22 where it says, get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. Let me tell you something. When there's 300 pintails circling you, and you can only kill one. You can only kill one.

And you're fixed to go to Los Angeles for three days. And it's been the worst duck season ever. I just stood up and started praying. And the Lord answered my prayer and they didn't come in. Because I thought about that verse. I was just talking about it in the podcast. that the Lord will not give you more than you can bear. If you're tempted, there'll always be a way out.

I'm thankful that they did not come in. But me and O'Burl got in there, and we actually didn't see another duck until 4 o'clock. And then we killed a few. And he killed a duck that we had never shot before in 30 years of living here. it was a greater scalp. There was 12 of them that came by, and I thought they were regular scalp, which we shoot from time to time.

But we were seeing so many more edible ducks. I said, don't shoot them. But one of them lit in the decoys, and the more I got to looking at this duck, it was the size of a mallard. I said, I think that's a rare duck. I said, shoot you a rare duck, barely. So he shot him, and sure enough,

it was a greater scalp. I don't, you know, they must have lost. Yeah, this thing was huge. And he's going to, he's going to mount it. So that was cool. But then I went to Los Angeles. And, of course, we get to the airport driving on ice. And unfortunately, our flight was canceled from Monroe to Dallas because the people who work at the airport did not decide to drive on the ice to get there.

So the plane. So we're not coming because there's no one there except people who are going to ride on the plane. That's really what happened. It's sad, but that's what happened. So I wind up chartering a plane from Monroe to Dallas. I called the Cajuns from Homa, who run a private airport. So this trip got really expensive in a hurry. Yeah, that's insane.

I can hear a cash register going off in the background. And you say, well, why do you do that? Well, the chosen season four, they were doing the premiere. Now, it'll come out February 1st, and they asked the crowd, because I did make it to L.A. Once I got to Dallas, no problem. So they said, don't tell all the episodes. And, you know, because we watched two episodes.

And it was one of the most. raucous crowds I've ever been a part of. So I really didn't hear most of what happened in the two episodes because every time something would happen, the crowd would cheer. But it was exciting because we were in Los Angeles. Just think about what comes out of Hollywood from a spiritual perspective. And here we are in the bowels. We're in Hollywood, Al.

Yeah. and people who believe in Jesus have gathered to watch a show about Jesus. So I'm going to tell you. That's why I said I was going to be there. And so I did. And I walked the teal carpet. So what the chosen decided to do instead of the red carpet, they have the teal carpet. The teal.

So I thought, you know what? what I thought. I thought that's so nice of them because it's duck season and we're in LA. And you just had 50 teal lighting your decoys. So they named their carpet after the teal. So I told Dallas that and he had a far away looking his eye. He was bewildered. He said, no, it looks the color of teal looks like, you know, water, the sky.

He started going through all this. He's like, it's kind of our thing with the chosen. We're used to doing things differently. I said, oh, I thought you named it after the green winged teal. So that's why every time I was asked by all the reporters and all, you know, they just had a look like, what's he talking about? Teal. I said, the greatest fast food on earth, teal.

So that went off. They forgot what Peter saw. He saw heaven open something like a large sheet being let down to Earth by its four corners. The sheet contained, he's seeing a vision. all kinds of four-footed animals as well as reptiles of the earth and look out and birds of the air. It's biblical. A voice told him, get up, Peter, kill and eat. Yes.

How much more simply God wants us to hunt to eat wild birds of the air, ducks. teal, woodies, mallards, pintails. He made them for us to enjoy. Are you getting any enjoyment out of chasing ducks and fulfilling this text? Yeah. So what I learned is, you know, I hunt every day of the duck season. That's kind of my time off. This is what we do.

But I was willing to sacrifice for the greater good because the excitement that was created from being a part of something where Jesus is going global through that show, I was really proud to do it. And wouldn't you know it? I get back last night, late last night. We go hunting this morning, and it was one of the finest duck hunts of all times.

We killed our five-person limit. Our sister Phyllis was there, Al. Yeah. And we needed two more wood ducks, and so we were going to save them for her, because she had technically only shot one. And wouldn't you know it? Here come about four or five flying over,

and she raised up and killed two in one shot. Oh, boy. It was incredible. So she went, she was at that moment in the penhouse of duck hunting. And then five minutes. So then she unloaded her gun because you can't do any better tonight. Might as well just stop. Yeah, she should have because then, of course,

we still had other ducks on the limb. that we were trying to shoot and we eventually finished them out. But then five minutes later, two gadwals came over on my side. But we all hesitated because we thought they were wood ducks because they just came straight down. And somebody said, oh, those are gadwals. And so we shot the first one. The second one was missed. And then I shot the second one.

And then she shot over the blind. Oh, boy. Two seconds after he folded, so then she got chewed out the rest of the hunt, which so she, it was funny. She had the highlight, and she went out on the low light. By the way, to the audience, that is what we call in the hunting world, a DED. It was dad said, don't ever do. You never shoot over the, never shoot over anybody's head. It's not worth it.

Because, you know, you ring your ears is dangerous. Yeah, well, Jay, he didn't have his ears on. And so he took the brunt of it. Yeah. But, uh, so he wasn't happy. Which is not good because he's got, you know, he's a former, he's a veteran. You know, he's got some, he's got some anger, PTSD issues anyway. So I'm sure that wouldn't good.

So it was a little damper on the hunt, but still, it was, it was awesome. And the, and the trip, uh, was fantastic. I mean, it was just, there's just some things that you're involved in from a spiritual perspective that you think, okay. now this is what I'm talking about. I mean, it was, and so I'm saying February 1st when it comes out, go find it. It's good.

I think they're going to show it at the theaters again like they did last time, yeah, which is great, which they broke records that we then broke, but they'll probably break again. So, Zach, I got to ask you, the last time we were on with you, you had a squirrel story, which was dad made really funny, but throwing you under the bus. So what did you, did any more squirrel sightings? Have you dealt with that situation?

Did you bring other family in, your newly married daughter? Give us an update on Squirrelgate. Well, I'm trying to think I had to answer this because the last podcast, I felt like my manhood was challenged to put it into question with mainly by Jace that, which the only vindication would be is if I caught the animal. And but then here's the problem. Here's the conundrum that I'm in is that I did look it up online. Apparently it's an endangered species.

Oh boy. Here we go. So you can't eat it. We were talking about eating. You can't eat it. Your yuppie tendency's paid off. How's that? Because you didn't injure the squirrel.

I didn't say that. I didn't say anything. I mean, I'm in a position now. I cannot tell you. Let's say that the squirrel was caught. Let's talk in hypothetical language, say. Yeah. If he would have been caught at the house, I would never be able to tell you guys, which is that. So we're in an issue. I have an issue that I can't. There's no pathway to redemption. Yeah. You know what I mean? There's no pathway for redemption here. Unlike the gospel, what you're going to talk about, I've been it. But I have no way of, I mean, you guys threw out the accusations and I cannot defend myself.

Well, the fact you woke up your teenage son to handle it for you, you pretty much did that to yourself. Hang on, hang on, Jess. Let's take it for you. Yeah, I wasn't really addressing the squirrel. I was addressing the leadership from a family perspective where you woke up your son. you didn't tell your wife to put the phone down. And then when your younger son belayed the order, you didn't stop and address that. Those were the three things that were standing out to me.

Well, Jill, I told you guys that no one would ever see the video, but Jill had preemptively put the video on her Instagram story or page or whatever. Oh, it's out there. So then all the unashamed people that follow Jill were like, We can't wait to hear about this on the podcast, which we'd already talked about it. And she was like, I'm sure they'll bring it up, which we'd already talked about it that day. So some of you guys have already seen the chaos. But we're good now. We have no rodents in the home that I know of.

So I guess he just, maybe he laughed. So we can't talk about what happened, but the squirrel is gone. He is gone. You can confirm the squirrel is no longer. I can confirm the squirrel is no longer in the house. Well, we're all going to sleep better now. knowing that. Great job.

Thank you all for your prayers. I know you guys are worried about us and want to thank you guys for support. Well, it's not like dad doesn't understand infestation because he's had a few things to deal with at his place too. So and at the lair. So it's not like we don't deal with this from time to time. But it is a little more unusual where you are.

But down there where dad is, everything there wants to hurt you. And stuff is in the walls. It's, you know. Oh, yeah. It's hard to keep things out. So that's what we deal with. Well, James, we're glad you made it back.

Well, thank you. It was awesome. I sat in between Phil Wickham. He sings that one of my favorite worship songs, that battle belongs to the Lord. He's got some good with stuff. And so that was cool. And then behind me was a music producer, which is funny. We started talking.

And I said, well, you know, we actually did an album, a Christmas album back in our duck days. And he said, yeah, I worked on that album. He's like, I was part of that process. I just couldn't believe it, you know. And then you said, oh, we could have never done it without you. Yeah. But it was very inspirational.

I'm on a spiritual high from being a part of that. And they had the whole cast there. I spent a good conversation. on the till carpet with Jonathan, the guy who plays Jesus. We just looked up and it was just me and him there. I don't really know how that happened. But it was just really kind of surreal. One of the members of the cast, he plays Peter,

he's actually, you know, in Israel where he's from, you know, they just, when a war breaks out, they just call you in. So he was the only one missing because he's actually in the war over there for Israel. So, but it was just something about it seemed surreal and needed in our culture, and especially that we were, we were in L.A. watching it. And it was a packed house. And it was, it was very, the energy in there was awesome.

So I'd do it again. I mean, I miss the thing I love to do most as a hobby, duck hunting. But I'm, I'm glad we went. And Missy, she was off the charts, you know, excited. I am. Well, you know, we've said this before, but it was, Unashamed Nation that first told us about the Chosen. It was some of you guys, because I hadn't ever even heard of it until some of you guys were saying,

you got to watch this thing. So they had already had a few episodes out, and you guys let us know. And now, of course, we're good friends with those guys, so we appreciate it. Well, they don't want me to talk about the show, but I will. There were two lines in the shows that I wrote down that one of them was, God makes you what you're not. And I love that line. because it was kind of in the idea of, you know, of Peter getting a new name

when he confessed that Jesus was the son of God and he said, I'm going to build my church on that and he got the nickname the Rock. Well, they had an interesting way of approaching that because where we're at today is this argument that develops on who's going to be sitting at the right and the left. they wanted these positions. But it was something I never thought about. You know, by Jesus singling Peter out, it kind of made the rest of the disciples think,

well, why is he any better than us? I mean, and so you imagine, because a lot of what they do is fill in the blanks when you imagine that there was probably some problems with the disciples as far as a status on who's the best and who's the greatest disciples. and who's going to sit at the right or the left. And so that line came out of that

because they were looking at his character. I mean, they're like, man, he's flying off the handle at every moment. Why are you single him out? And that line was said by Jesus, God makes you what you're not. And so the other one was when you make a decision to follow Jesus, the rest tends to work itself out.

Hmm. And so anyway, I hope I've captured your imagination, but it is very well done. I thought it was the best two episodes that I've seen of all the shows. So they're getting better and better. Well, and this is what, season four? Yeah, season four. And I think there's going to be, I think he said six total, maybe six or seven, I think. He's kind of got it set how he wants to tell the other.

Yeah. So things are going to get more interesting. Well, it's been great anyway, but we're definitely going to get down to it where we're dealing with everything we're talking about in the book of Luke, too. Before we get into the text, I do want to mention that you can pre-order Dad's book. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. And there's a website, it could be wrong, but I doubt it.com where you can go. There's a chapter of the book there. So if you pre-order a book, you get to read some of it that's that we posted there for you.

So it helps us to be able to get the books out in a better way, in a bigger way, the more books you guys pre-order. So be sure and check that out. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. And that's a new book. So we're in Luke 22 is where we've kind of been hanging out for a bit. And the scene is the, we're calling it the last Passover supper. I think, Jay, we spent most of the last podcast talking about that it wasn't really the last supper

because, you know, Jesus participated in some pretty famous. meals post-resurrection, which is pretty exciting when you think about the implications for us and the idea of a glorified body. But it was the last need for a Passover supper because he himself is now the Passover lamb. So we talked about that. We talked about the institution of the supper and how that's gone forward even to today. We see that from 1st, Corinthians 11, and we're still participating in what he did that night by remembering it. So that got us to the point where then he says in verse 22 that someone is going to betray him in 21 and 22.

And of course, we know he's talking about actually a couple of them are going to betray him. He's talking about Judas in that text, but he later talks about Peter as well. And so in verse 23 of 22, he says, they began to question among themselves, which of them it might be who would do this. And when you look over at the, it was the Matthew context of this, they were all saying, surely not I, Lord, and including Judas, who knew what he had already done. And so I thought it was interesting that, you know, they were all saying that surely it's not me. But when you say it that way, it's almost like, but it could be. because you're not saying there's no way, you know, Peter's only one that says there's no way I would ever do this. And of course he does. So as they're, you know, having this discussion about it's not me, it's kind of ironic. And Jason already alluded to this. In verse 24, in this same context of saying, surely not I, I won't betray you, a dispute arises among them as to which of them was considered to be the greatest. Now, I don't know how you make that leap. That, You know, we're debating on who's going to betray me.

So now we're talking about who's the greatest among us in our role there. But to me, it's just kind of a consistent theme that's been around for three years of this ministry is this idea of misunderstanding the purpose of the kingdom and their role in that kingdom. And, you know, they're looking at it more as some political structure. and when you're having a political structure, you want to be the person that's at the top. You know, you want to be in charge. And so that's what's going on. It is still going on, even the night of his death, which I find pretty fascinating. I think it comes down, you know, when you read the Matthew 20, 20 through 28 version,

where the mom comes up and is like, I have a request, you know, that one of my sons can sit on the left and one on the right it's the same story but from a little different perspective right and you know jesus always goes to the same thing which is whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant you know that's in matthew 20 and 26 and i heard a really good lesson on this because temptation comes up in verse that that i alluded to in luke 22 And just to read this, and I'll read 24 through 32, I guess. Yeah. But it says, also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.

Jesus said, the kings of the Gentiles lorded over them, and those who exercise authority over them call themselves benefactors. But you are not to be like that. instead the greatest among you should be like the youngest and the one who rules like the one who serves, which is the same thing he said, Matthew 20. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials, and I confer you a kingdom.

just as my father conferred one on me so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he says, Simon, Simon, Satan is asked to sift you as weak, but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. But he replied, Lord, I'm ready to go with you to prison and to death. Jesus says, I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me. Then Jesus said, when I sent you without purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything? Nothing, they answered. He said, but now, if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag, and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak, and buy one.

It is written, he was numbered with the transgressors, and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment. The disciples said, see, Lord, here are two swords. That is enough, he replied. So then when he goes out to the Mount of Olives and his disciples followed him in verse 39, verse 40 says, on reaching the place, he said to them, pray that you will not fall into temptation. He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed. Father, if you're willing, take this cup for me, yet not my will, but yours be done.

An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly. And his sweating, what's like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. Why are you sleeping? He asked, get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. So, yeah, that's pretty much then how the story lays out before he gets arrested. And I think it's interesting, days, because what he tells them again is what he's been telling consistently over the course of these three years is that this kingdom is about, mainly about two things. It's about serving and it's about sacrifice. Because in Matthew 2820, he said, just as in the same context, just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

And so, I mean, that becomes the basis of the kingdom of God. It's about, it's about being a servant, which Jesus was. And it's about being willing to sacrifice, even your life, if that's what's called for. but certainly your day-to-day life. So, you know, I think it's interesting that even at the end, as this is all coming to fulfillment, he still has the same basic message about the kingdom. Well, that's at verse 29. It's so key in this text here.

And I assigned to you that this is something that's happening in the moment. This isn't, this isn't like far off. He says, and I assigned to you as my father assigned to me a king. that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on the throne, judging the 12 tribes of Israel, which we've said a lot about this coming eschatological end to the whole thing in 80-70, you know, the whole thing's coming down. But I love it that this picture here is not just this, you know, exercise and some kind of, you know, eschatological doctrine that's being built here.

he's giving us morsels of what this new kingdom looks like. And it's completely contrary to what they had in mind to some of your points earlier. But because they're in the mindset of, well, first, they're in the mindset of, I'm not the one who's going to betray you, Jesus. So they're in there arguing about that is not me. It's not me. Immediately switch to who's the greatest. And then Jesus gives a definition or not maybe not a definition.

He gives a way of understanding of what his kingdom is like. And I've heard some people call it an upside down kingdom. So it's everything you thought it would be, but upside down. And so the upside down kingdom looks like this. He says it's not, if you want to be great, you've got to be less, rather than the greatest among you become as the youngest. And the leader, this is verse 26, as the one who serves for who is, the greater, one who reclines at the table or the one who serves. It is not the one who reclines

at the table, but I'm among you as the one who serves. So what he's doing here is he's really giving this completely paradoxical, mind-blowing explanation. He is saying that in my economy, in my kingdom, it is not a self-centered, self-exhaulting, uh, power grab, protect your own self-interest. No, in my kingdom, it's actually the complete opposite of that. And actually, that's where the fulfillment lies. And I would argue that the reason why that's the case is because this is who God is in his nature. God is inside of his nature, father, son, spirit. They're not jockeying for control, position, or power, manipulation. They're not doing that. In fact, to the degree that they are pouring themselves, out for one another, that they're actually one being. It's diversity and unity because of the love

between them that connects it. And that's the picture of the kingdom that he's been building the whole time. And I think it's one of the things that's so hard for us to see in our humanistic framework, because in our minds, we're all about self-preservation and self-exaltation. I mean, that's what we struggle with is how can I exalt myself and how can I sustain myself and how can I protect myself and my interest? And he's like, that's not the kingdom. That's another kingdom. That's not this kingdom that I came to bring.

And he even makes that distinction, Zach, by bringing up the kings of the Gentiles that lorded over. And I like that he brought out this idea of benefactor too. So it's more than just military might is sort of what we're seeing now in our own government. You control people by telling them what you're going to give them. you know, and what it is is you addict them to your own power by we're going to, we're your benefactor. We're your God. We're your Lord.

You know, come to us for what you need. It's like if you watch the Hunger Games, which I just watch the kids, I think it was the fourth one that came out. And I think they call the people who send them the, like the food and the water while they're being hunted down for their amusement. I think they call them their benefactors.

But it's like this idea that, Like, you're, you're completely dependent, but you're not, I mean, but they're not really your benefactors. They're, they don't have your best interest at heart at all. No. I mean, they're using you. And that's the picture here, which, by the way, and the Gentiles, they would have read this. That would not have been like a, that would have been like, like, it's not like the Gentiles, which they would have been like, yeah, we're not like them. Yeah, but that's what you're being like.

That's because you're not getting it. You're not getting what I'm saying here. It was like when we went to the, to Rome. And you can still see it there. You walk around, you look, and there's a giant coliseum where people fought to the death or were killed and, you know, for different reasons and executed there for the amusement of the benefactor. It's like, well, aren't we doing great? I mean, you know, we're taking your mind off all your troubles by watching other people being torn apart by, you know, giant animals. And somehow in that framework, that seems to make sense.

But he's like, this kingdom is not that at all. And we don't need just a spiritual version of that. We need something totally upside down, as you mentioned earlier. Totally different. I think the irony of this, you know, I really wrap my head around. Because what came up from Jesus talking to his disciples, and maybe it's just because I watched two episodes of The Chosen, you know, because we keep saying, well, Peter was tempted just because, you know, of his personality,

you know, I'll never, I'll never turn my back on you, what he did. And Judas is not saying much, and he's being sneaky, and he betrays Jesus, and then their responses were different. And Jesus keeps appealing to this, you know, that phrase, pray that you won't fall into temptation. So I went on a study about temptation, and I ran across two sermons that I high. highly recommend that's free. You can look it up on the internet by Tim Keller.

One of them was temptation, and it was based on Genesis 39, because it kind of has the same feel here when Joseph was dealing with Potipher's wife. Because here's Joseph. He's just a businessman, and he was in a situation where Potipher's wife was using her power, a la benefactor, to try to. sleep with Joseph. And there's a verse in Genesis 39

because Joseph didn't want to do that. And in verse 10 of Genesis 39, it says, and though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused

to go to bed with her, and here's the phrase I wanted to look at, or even be with her. Yeah. And because he didn't want to put himself in a situation where sex would occur. So, and Keller did a good job on the, he had three points, which was the temptation of power. Because he's in a powerful position. She's in a powerful position.

Well, then it was the temptation of sex. And that, as me and we all understand that temptation. Yeah. Well, then there was a temptation when he does the right thing. and still is wrongly accused and goes to prison, even though he did the right thing. And Keller was making the point that temptation is coming to all of us. And it may be because something great happened to you or something bad happened to you. And so he wound up on his second sermon that I listened to, and it was called sin and temptation from the book of James.

And it really, because James was one of the disciples here listening to this, and it really mirrors what we just got through reading. So, and what I found fascinating is in James 1, 2, where it says, consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Well, that's what they're facing. They're facing trials of being with the king of kings, thinking who's going to be the greatest? You know, when times are good, the temptation is, oh, look at us, which one of us is better than the other. And when things go south, then you have a completely different temptation. Are you going to deny Jesus as the Son of God because this didn't work out the way you thought? Are you going to support him if it may cost you?

and so what's interesting about the James 1 passage because then when it gets down to verse 12 and it says Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial. Then in 13 it says when tempted, no one should say God is tempting me. So Keller had a good point. The same Greek word is used there for trial as temptation. It just, the translators put temptation. the third time, because it's a complicated word, you go through trials, and his point was, in every trial, good or bad, there's a temptation that arises from within.

And that revolves around your desire. And he made a really fantastic statement, and I'm fixed to read this. But he said, too many times in the church, we think temptation is always about not doing bad things. And he said, what really James describes is the epicenter of temptation comes from you wanting to do something very badly. Whatever your desire is, that gives the platform for temptation. Because if you're wanting to do something really bad that is not making Jesus the center of your life, it could be a good thing. It could be a bad thing.

And when you start putting this in the context of affair, people having affairs and all, what's the whole problem? They want to be with someone else. And so rationalization starts to happen. Sin eventually follows. And that's what James's point is when he says in verse 12, bless the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised. So here's one, the crown of life, to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say God is tempted me, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.

But each one is tempted when by his own evil desire, and that evil desire, which is usually used in the sexual context, that's that epicenter of what you really want to do. you have something in mind that you want to do good or bad that's not about putting Jesus first or God first and what happens he's dragged away and entice after desire has conceived so it's from within that it actually gives birth and comes out it gives birth to sin because it all starts with that desire in your mind so when you look at the difference in Judas and Peter they both had trials. One, Peter is not being realistic. He's making statements that are like, I'll never leave you, but he does. And he's being overconfident. He's thinking of himself too high and mighty.

And then Judas, same issue, his desire was this is not the way I want this kingdom to look like. That was his desire. He had something in his mind where they were going to make a bunch of money, have power, take over the world in the physical way. And when it didn't have, happen, he just lost it and went out there and killed himself. So, which goes to James's point, sin when it is full grown gives birth to death. And that's the two, that's your two alternatives. On the one side is life. That's right. And the other side is death. And I love that passage in James, I actually think that it's, you asked me, one of the greatest travesties of modern discipleship in the church is that we have failed to address humans for what we really are

at our core. In his book, James G.A. Smith wrote a book called Desiring the Kingdom, which I love the title, and he wrote another version of that called You Are What You Love. But he makes the point that primarily what it means to be human. It's not that you're a thinking machine. You're not a brain on a stick. You know, he talks about Renee Descartes who said, I think, therefore I am.

And that kind of spawned this whole idea that primarily what it means to be human is we're just thinking machines. And then the Reformation movement came and he says that the modern thought was that we were primarily believing beings and that what mattered is that you believe the right thing. And that does matter. I'm not saying that nothing is matter. But he said we failed to recognize it at the core of our humanity. Like, what does it mean to be a human? At its very core and most basic fundamental level, what does it mean? And he says, we were worshippers. Or another way of saying that is we are beings that have desire. And so if we address all of our discipleship as, hey, let me give you the right information, as if it's going to be a cognitive exercise that we're going to absorb the right information and then we're going to be transformed, he says, you're not going to really find transformation that way because the reason why we do what we do is because, well, what we're going to be transformed. He says, you're not going to really find transformation that way because, well, what we're going to be transformed. He says, we want to do. It's what we desire. And so I love that. I think I may have mentioned this in a previous podcast that that passage in James, it says your own evil desires. And so the goal, really, in the

kingdom, and what I think, and I think this is what the whole point of the Gospels are, or at least the main point, is that God wants to shape and reshape your desires so that you desire the king and the kingdom. And that's the only real way you can get true freedom, because if, if freedom and Christ is simply just me being freed from the penalty of my sin. Well, man, I'm still going to live a miserable life because if I have these desires to do other things that are not in the kingdom, but I can't ever do them. That sounds more like bondage than freedom. And I think that's the point of Paul in like Roman 6, for example. I mean, it is about a shaping and reshaping and desire of 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 being transformed from one degree of glory to another. Dallas Willer put it

this way. He says that when you come to Christ, you can do whatever you want, God's way. And he says this. What does that mean? It means that they will for the first time be able to do whatever they want. This is true freedom, by the way. Of course, they'll be able to steal, lie, and murder all they want, which will be none at all. But they will also be able to be fruitful and transparent and helpful and sacrificially loving with joy. And they will want to be that. Their lives will be caught up in God's life. They will want the good and be able to do it, the only true human freedom. That's the kingdom. The kingdom is that God transforms your desires, and it's all through redirecting that towards him, and the end of that is what you said, Jase, it's life.

And it's not life out there. It's not life out in the future. It's not life out in, you know, after the second coming. It's not life after whatever your end of the worldview is. It's life right now, right here. Jesus said it's now. He said, eternal life is this, John 17, 3, to know the one true God. and Jesus Christ, his son whom he sent.

It is knowledge of him, knowing him intimately. Now today, 2024, whatever the date is, it's here. The kingdom is here. I think that's the point that he's kind of getting to. You know, drive it. James, religion that God our Father accepts, and it's not a big thing. As pure and faultless is this.

To look after orphans and the widows in their distress, one and two, to keep one. from being polluted by the world. In other words, if you're hunting greatness, you should major in the smaller things, the more simplistic things. It's not rocket science, you know, to think it through and do something big

and God to really, really love you. He said, don't look at it that way. Do small things. But you're doing small things for the Lord. That desire, you know, because for years, I just thought, you know, if you didn't do wrong, that means you're doing right. But it's the reason, the desire that even to go back to Joseph, he looked at the big picture. He didn't just say, oh, I need to control myself and not have sex with this woman. He actually goes on a little speech there saying, this is not right.

He said, how could I do such a thing and sin against God? I mean, it was really fascinating because this is a young man who had been rejected by his family and is now in a place with no security or anything else. You'd think if anybody were going to be making excuses, it'd be him instead. He says, how can I do this thing against God? Even outside of the circumstances of her, the boss, all the other stuff. It's a fascinating picture of what we're supposed to do. Well, that's why the Bible says you ain't God. judges are motives. I mean, motives matter. What you desire to do most is the epicenter of your heart.

I mean, it's getting into your heart. And the reason you do things, it's not because I think self-control is misunderstood as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. You're deciding to control yourself because of the bigger picture of God's love for you instead of just saying, oh, I just, I just, I have to stop doing this one thing. That's the difference in a self-help group and being a member of the kingdom. Well, it's understanding. I think the self-control and the doing the little things, it's not, we're not, the wrong approach is to say, I'm going to do the little things and I'm going to have self-control so that I can gain favor and prove my loyalty to God.

That's not what it is. What it is is, is I'm going to do the little things, and I want to have self-control because I understand that what I let into my life, what I consume becomes who I am. And my desires are going to be shaped by the little things that I, your desires are shaped more by the mundane and life than it is by the big experience at a passion conference or whatever. Although that's important, I love that.

You said you're on a spiritual high. Man, those are awesome experiences that you have when you get to see kind of these big moments in the kingdom, but you can't build your life on that. And what shapes you is going to be the reason why you enjoyed that probably was because of the mundane things in your daily life, the little things that we're doing day after day that shape the kind of person that we are. And ultimately what that kind of person is,

it's defined by what we desire and who we desire. And I think that's why we have to, this picture of the kingdom is it's something divine and it's something beautiful that I want to lean more into because I find it very life-giving. Yeah, and that's exactly why he tells them what he tells them. We're out of time, but we want to talk about this quite a bit more in our overtime segment as well as our next podcast. So if you want to follow us over and get more of our insights on our overtime segment, you can subscribe to that by going to blazedtv.com slash unashamed. So 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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