Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 891 | Behind Godwin’s Shirtless ‘Duck Dynasty’ Scenes & Phil’s Dad Had a Funny Prayer Habit

Episode Date: May 22, 2024

Jase and Al recall Godwin’s uncertainty about his shirtless “Duck Dynasty” scenes and praise Godwin for his depth of character and love for Jesus. Phil’s father apparently had a silly habit during prayer time that has become part of Al’s vernacular, and the guys discuss the importance of not making people who disagree with you your enemy. Zach points out that every age has its own dilemmas, and Al poses the question of “Will your cause be enough to satisfy and save you in the end?” In this episode: Acts 18; Acts 19; 1 John 4, verses 13-16; Romans 12, verses 1-2, 14 -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashame. I'm still in the southern lair. I just got a text from Moe Jan Gowan. The man that, what did you say? Sounds like he's starting up a weed eater, followed by a blower. Yep. He's a human that needs subtitles. But having said that, I love. love John Gow when he's one of my best friends in the world. He's one of the best people on the planet. He's a true disciple of Jesus. He loves his wife.

He's a hard worker. He loves Jesus. He's also. So he sent me a text that he and Paula got in down here last night. Paula's birthday was yesterday and their anniversaries also this week. So we got away for a little beach getaway down here. So we're going to dinner tonight with John and Paula, who are two of our best friends. So I'm excited.

That happened while we were doing the last. But it shows you the power of the kingdom when Jesus said the kingdom, when they were saying, will it come visibly? How will we know? Here it is. There it is. He said, the kingdom is within you, within people. I mean, here we're talking about Paul, a tentmaker who used to persecute them.

We're duck call makers. Galvin worked at, he rode bulls and worked at the mill. And now he goes around and speaks in front of people and shares. Jesus. And they're shocked when he, because he and I have done some events together. And I love watching the audience because they only base what they know of Gobwin from the show. And as you mentioned, Jace, he kind of, they highlighted that on the show. They would have him do the little funny, you know, Gobwinisms that he does.

But when he gets up and articulates his own coming to Christ and, you know, and talks about it, Jesus, they're shocked. But shocked in a good way. I mean, they're just like, wait, Godwin can speak. You're like, oh, yeah, he's good. But Godwin can laugh at himself, which is I keep bringing this up in our world of sensitivity. Everybody's getting their feelings hurt. I mean, you just think about what this guy did. On one of the shows of our little duck show, I thought the most famous thing is that we were having an argument about whether something looks dark from a long way off.

And I made that argument. and Si was arguing with me. I was like, when you look at something, no matter what color it is, that there's a certain distance where everything just looks like a dark blob. We were arguing whether Thai and I had seen a Black Panther. Because I saw a bobcat come out into the middle of the road. So I was in the passenger seat. The bobcat sat down, which was strange, then got up.

and because he got up because we were headed toward him in a vehicle. And I looked at his tail because I've been trained living in Louisiana for this many years that everybody who's seen a Black Panther, they claim they've seen one, except I've never seen any visual evidence of that. And so I looked at the tail and it was a bobcat because it didn't have, it had a little stump tail like a bobcat. And so we did our little show, and we recreated that event.

And so to prove the point that all things, objects way off looked like a dark blob, we had Guy Wynn take his shirt off and go away for five, 600 yards off. And at that time, he was a very large man, which he's lost over 100 pounds now. He's gotten thinner. But, and I thought, what a guy. Who else would do that on national TV? Well, and, you know, there was an earlier episode where he gets sprayed by a skunk, I think, and he takes his shirt off and runs around.

And God wouldn't call me because, you know, John and I are our best friends. So this was early, and I wasn't even on the show yet. And he called me, he said, he said, now I'm kind of worried about this thing. We're supposed to, tomorrow, I'm supposed to take my shirt off. And I said, well, I said, yeah, okay. So what are you worried about? He said, well, I mean, I just, I think if I started, into this, you know, that's going to kind of be a recurring thing. And I said, well, you can say

no, John. I mean, we've said all along this show. If there's something makes you uncomfortable, don't do it. I said, but I will say this. If you do it, you own it. You just make it fun and do it. I said, but I'm going to pray about it. So we pray together on the phone. As you pray about it, tomorrow when you go in, if you don't want to do it, just tell them you don't want to wear it or take it off. And so he decided to do it. And he owned it. And like you said, as he just decided he would lean into being the kind of the fun guy, which is great. But John is that there's a lot of depth there to him. And he's amazing.

He and Paula both are. And they mean a lot to us. So that's the thing about Forever family, which makes it a blessing. I do want to say that with the last three podcasts, we had a good buddy Larry Bowles on. And I wanted his perspective from Athens and Corinth because of where we were in this text and the accident. And I forgot to mention when he was owned, he's so humble. And like Jace was mission, when we first saw him, he doesn't ask for money for his mission work. But I didn't want to mention, if you want to check out what he's doing, it's acrocenter.org.

And Maddie will put up a thing so you can see what that looks like. But it's acrocenter.org is the work he does in Athens. And, you know, they've been so successful of what they've done. And they've actually turned most of the workover now to the early converts who were coming out of a lot of these Middle Eastern countries. And they actually run things day to day and are still doing amazing work. So Larry just kind of goes back to teach now. He just teaches leaders. So he wouldn't want to get into it about, you know, supporting him.

But I did want to mention it because I don't know a lot of you guys out there, guys and gals and Unashamed Nation like to support what we support. So check it out. it's well worth being supportive of what Larry's doing, and we always love having them own unashamed. Oh, yeah, and I took that trip. It's a good ministry. It's something that I would never choose to do. It is a complete act of sacrifice.

Big city, and Larry doesn't like crowded urban six million field cities like I do. I mean, you know, it's just a big urban city, and he's there helping all the refugees that come in, which is not unlike. like what was happening and what we're reading, looking for opportunities at towns that were like border towns. Yeah, you're just, you're getting the Lord's message out. Well, and that's the thing. Athens has always been kind of a gateway east to west, and it still is.

And it's interesting because Corinth, which Larry was telling us in the last podcast, which is where we're at in our text in Acts 18, is about 50 miles from there. And it's even a gateway into that, both worlds. And y'all describe, Jase, you described the waterway that's there and all that. But we're in Corinth in our text. And we left off with this vision that Paul gets because he's really kind of in a dark place, I mean, a difficult place. The Jews have rejected him, and they're constantly causing trouble.

And he had just left the synagogue. And when he did it, I mean, he basically said, your blood's on your own heads. I'm clear of my responsibility from now and I'm going to the Gentiles. I mean, he was out the door. And we know in every city up until Corrith, his practice was to go there first. But he's basically saying, you're too stubborn.

You're too hard-headed and you're too rough on me. And we read in 1st Corinthians 2, kind of his mindset. And I think you're right, Jay. I think it was you that mentioned that he needed to be. encouraged in where he was at. And he got a vision that said, do not be afraid. Keep on speaking. Don't be silent. I'm with you. No one is going to attack and harm you because I have many people in this city. Whether that meant many in the city that would eventually be believers or were or would protect him or if he meant like, you just still got a lot of work to do and I'm going to

watch out for you. Either way, it was an encouragement. But I thought back to Jesus in the garden, And, you know, when he was at that night, at that crossroads of why he came, I mean, God sent angels to minister to him and build him up because that's even the son of God. So if Jesus needed that in his, you know, his human endeavor of being here, why would Paul not need it? Or even more so, why would any of us not need it at some point in our life when we're up against something difficult? You know, we need that word from somebody. Yeah, I think those five words, Al, when. when Jesus said in the vision, for I am with you, it made me think of that, Matthew 28, you know,

when it's like going to the whole world and baptizing people in the name of the, preach the gospel, you know, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I've commanded you. And surely I will be with you till the ends of the age, which Paul wasn't a part of that group. but it's the same encouragement, and it's fast forward today when you seem outnumbered, when you seem to feel like where's the world going, the culture's upside down, what's going, and when you proclaim Jesus, you are still persecuted to this day and smeared, and there's something comforting in those five words knowing that he's with us, and he's giving us his spirit, you know?

even at the beginning of the gospel is Emmanuel God with us. I think it's the key theme of the, I think it's the underlying point of the whole entire story of the Bible is God with man, God with us. We've talked about it repeatedly in every single episode, which I hope we never get away from it,

that we bring everything back to God living inside of people. God is with people. God's presence is being felt, known, lived, I mean, that's the thing. I think that's what we were talking about in the, in-between podcasts that we have, which is our own personal stash of content that none of you get to hear, but in between our podcast, we record two. We always have the most incredible conversations,

but we were talking about it again. Like, it's, I think what we're looking for is this embodied reality, a realized spirituality that we actually realize it and experience it now. And it's not just what Jesus did in the past, although that's certainly important, the finished work of Christ. It is, to Jason's point, what he said in between the podcast, is what he's doing now. He sits at the right hand of God and he mediates.

The kingdom is here. We're part of it. God's with us. And that, that to me is, I mean, that, and we have to continue to interpret the Bible through that lens. No doubt about it. Yeah. First, I mean, first John Ford, you just think about here, Paul is fearful.

Because nobody really talks about this passage. I mean, something good has. just happened. Sure, you say, well, how could something good happen? He was just abused. He was just run off. He goes next door to his courage, and the synagogue ruler comes to Christ in all his household,

and he's still fearful. And even in his Corinthian letter, he writes that. I came to you in fear and trembling. And we don't talk about, you know, how that transitions to today. We have the same fears on a daily basis about whatever. Yeah, we baptized five. We're leaving.

We're wet up to our shoulders going down in the water. And as we were walking away, got outside the building, and we're leaving. Some fellow was top speed just come running right at us. You know, the guys that are higher, for protection. I mean, everybody's hand went on their pistol. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah. You have, there's some fear that has developed. That's right. Because somebody in our culture is running, which he was just turning himself in. But I wanted to read this. I told him, I said,

I said, Jersey's going to take care of. He's right here. Yeah. And I left. But I did call Jersey that night. Yeah. And ask him, did he baptize him? He said, oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah. You don't get many people that are running wide open to be baptized. most of them are running the other way. Yeah, that's a good problem. So 1 John 4.13 says, we know that we live in Him and He and us because He's given us His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his son

to be Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in Him. And He and God. I mean, that's twice in two verses. He says that. Yeah. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

Yep. God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God in Him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we'll have confidence, which is the opposite of fear. On the day of judgment, but not only on the day of judgment, but in this life because God lives in us. And so then it says, because in this world, we are like him, and then he gets into this verse that became controversial somehow, but it's not that controversial when you look at it through what we just read in Acts 18, where it says there's no fear and love, but perfect love drives out fear. Well, who is perfect love? God, if he's living in you, there's your resource to replace fear with a fruit of the spirit, which is always mentioned first

is love. And he mentions that even in 1st Corinthians 13, which I think is interesting, that in chapter two he's saying, I came to you in fear and trembling. But in first 13, he's like, in chapter 13, he's like, I get it, you have all these gifts, and Larry did a good job of talking about the context. They had all these utterances and knowledge, and they had the spiritual gifts,

and they had a thriving culture, but they were looking at all those things instead of a reliance on God's love and the message of Jesus, because then in the most embarrassing letter, that's been read for a couple thousand years, they had to be reminded that the Old Testament scriptures is about the gospel.

He said, let me remind you of the gospel. I think that's the most embarrassing thing that could ever happen to a church. Not only to be reminded of the gospel, but then have it read for 2,000 years that you had to be reminded of the gospel. And even all of their issues that Larry mentioned And because of some of the immorality that was going on there, it still caused problems.

You know, the gender issues and, you know, there was all this stuff going on as a result of this stuff with the temple, the Aphrodite temple. And it really helped me to have a fresh look at first and second Corinthians jays of realizing what was going on in the city of Corinth. I mean, it really kind of gives you that mindset. But look, not just so we can say, oh, yeah, that's great. That was all in the past. I mean, we're still struggling with the stuff every day today. Everything that's mentioned, in fact, in our text, I would argue, not harshly, but I would argue that I call this next segment when he starts in verse 11 of X 18 as the first attempt at lawfare, which is a new term that I've heard a lot this current presidential cycle because of what's going on with Trump. but the idea that you can go in, you got a political situation and currently in America,

and you're trying to do something about the political situation by going into the courts and having your opponent disposed of. Well, that's exactly what happens here in Acts 18. There's this dust up going on with Paul and these Jewish folks that he's now just said, I'm leaving you. And what they do is they try a little bit of lawfare on Paul. And of course, it's going to, it back. fires on him.

Verse 11 says, Paul stayed on for a year and a half, teach him in the word of God, which was pretty amazing. We know Paul's not the most comfortable situation wise here, but he's going to stay a year and a half and help establish this church in Corinth. And we know the conditions are not difficult. So at some point in this year and a half, we get to verse 12, which says while Gallio was pro-consul of Achaia, so they give you, again, a historical context. So this would have been a Roman official here.

He was the pro-consul. So therefore, he had the law, the power of the Roman law on his side. And he judged that. The Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. So remember, they're having a problem with Paul and what he's teaching about Jesus. Now, what does that have to do in a Roman court? Nothing. Just like Jesus before Pilate didn't make any sense either.

But this is where the we are. this man they charged is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law. And it's really interesting. So when they make this argument, they're talking about their law. They're talking about the law of Moses. But they're standing before a Roman and trying to make that apply to Roman law. Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, so Paul didn't even have a chance to defend himself in Garland.

Callow looks at the situation. He says to the Jews, if you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law, settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things. So he had them ejected from the court. So this is one of those deals where they call it, where you, you know, it's just, it's over. I mean, before it ever gets started, It's over. This case is dismissed. What's amazing to me is in Acts 22, by the words, the Apostle Paul is talking about the atmosphere. He said, when I returned to Jerusalem

and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance, and I saw the Lord speaking. Quick, he said. Now, just think about this happening to you. Quick, he said to me, leave Jerusalem immediately. Get out of there because

they will not accept your testimony about me. And he said, well, Lord, I replied, these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. He said, I've been going out, killing them. And now you want me to do what?

He said, quick, get out of there. When the blood of his martyr, Stephen was shed, I stood there, given my approval. It's his Apostle Paul talking. and guarding the clothes who those were killing him. Then the Lord said to me, go, I'll send you far away to the Gentiles.

I mean, he was getting direct appearances as the Apostle Paul was doing the, you talk about it in a predicament. You're talking about a tough road to hole. I mean, people were getting killed instead of saved because at that point, the Apostle Paul was anti-Jesus. I mean, he had to, you're talking about, having to turn. He said, get out of there. Quick, get out of there. Quick, get out of there. Quick, move. It's amazing what he was going through. And you're right. And what's ironic about it,

is you quoted there from Max 22, Paul was the instrument of the early Jewish, you know, hierarchy to be the one to go and take all these Christians and persecute them. And then he becomes, And the people had heard him before, they would get one thing out of it. But if they started looking at the results, they're like, well, maybe he's, maybe he's had a change of heart. That's the one that's running around here, Kedalus. But that's a tough place to be for a preacher of the gospel. It is. And what's ironic is he was the perfect emissary because he was not only a Pharisee, a Pharisee, a Pharisee, a Hebrew, Hebrews, but he was a Roman citizen.

And so this lawfare I'm talking about, this is going to be a part. of his ministry all the way to Rome. Oh, yeah. And so you moved ahead, Dad, but it's the exact same thing. He's going to face this over and over and over again. He's trying to deal. You want a job serving Jesus. Try that one.

Well, that's Jewish law and Roman law at the same time. Well, that's why I had something happened yesterday that made me think about the very thing we're talking about. I was getting off on well road. So you're going on interstate 65 miles an hour. and you get off, and they put a roundabout right where people get off of interstate. And I've had about two or three near wrecks there already. It is, as much as I love the roundabouts, it is kind of a awkward place to put one.

It's awkward place. And I have had one wreck there where a guy came under my truck. And when the guy got out, I had a feeling he didn't have insurance, if you know what I'm saying. and he just had a bewit he looked like he'd been smoking something and he was just addled because it wasn't a big collision but anyway he just i looked at my truck there was nothing wrong with it now his car was in shambles and he's like you want to just go on and i was like sure but anyway that wasn't the incident that. That's one way to get out.

I've already had that incident happen. You just tell you to do that or you just decided on you off. I don't know. The guy was a beastly looking guy. You just want to go on shirt. And so, but so yesterday I'm getting off at the same place. I'm watching. And a police officer pulls out in front of me.

I mean he did not see me. I get off the interstate, I'm minding my own business, I'm going a reasonable speed, not going over the speed limit, and he pulled out in front of me, I would say five feet. Just come out, going. Of course, I hit the brakes, I get sideways. Luckily, there wasn't anybody in the next lane over. Well, he saw me as I'm coming past him sideways because he's pulled right out in front of me. and he had that look like, oh, no, I just pulled out in front of somebody.

And so he waved and smiled. It just went on. But it hit me. I thought, well, what if he had hit me? I thought that was going to put me in a quandary because I didn't do anything I normally would do when that happens. I didn't blow my horn. I put my hand on it, but I thought, well, he's a police officer. You don't know about it.

I don't want to make him mad. I don't want to say, read my life. lips, you idiot, you just pulled out in front of me. I couldn't do that. I did the right thing. Nothing. I did nothing, but it made me realize. You don't want to roll down the window and say, live, live. Exactly. And so I thought, but what happens if he hits me? I'm now going to have to plead my case to a guy who enforces the law. All he's got to do is say, some idiot plowed into the back of me, and there's no way I can do this. It made me think about what Paul had to go through here

because he's dealing with people who have put their hope and trust. Wrong if you do, wrong if you're right. They put their hope and trust in the law. They're enforcing the law. And now here you come saying, oh no, you got it wrong. There's this guy, Jesus, who was a carpenter

from Nazareth. He fulfilled that for us. What are they going to say? Hey, we're in control of the law. And it becomes a he said, you said, and what was the, result. They tried to kill him. And so I'm pretty sure that if we had collided, I was probably going to get the raw end of this. Probably. Because he can say whatever he wants to. Now maybe he would

have done the right thing. But it did make me realize how that would have been a very difficult situation, even though he was clearly in the wrong. That's why he waved. That was him saying. Yeah, we're just going to let this be gone. Because it was his fault, you know. But I thought if we'd hit each other, I'm going to have to do battle with someone who is in a more powerful position when it comes to administering the law. And it is interesting that you made the two things that have happened there, you put them up against each other because with the guy that probably had been doing something illegal and says, you want to just let this go and you're like, yeah, the law enforcement officer who also made a mistake, it wasn't like, with him, you're like,

who, that could have been bad. That would have been bad. for me and I didn't do anything wrong in either case. I don't know where y'all are talking about, but that's a, that's a, don't try to, don't, use that. Let me tell you something. When you go through there, you have both hands on the wheel and brace for impact. It is an awkward place because it's four or five different directions. Well, it's interesting, Jay's because it brings that you're exactly right. And it's so true in this situation with Paul. But it's interesting because the last verse that I didn't read after he dismisses it, the last verse here in 17 is really interesting. This thing backfires on them in a spectacular way.

Because remember, Crispus had been the synagogue ruler where he converted. So I'm assuming that Sosthenes, who's the new one, he's there, and I guess probably helping him bring these charges against Paul. Then verse 17, after he ejects him from the court, they're all so mad about it. it, this group that brought the charge against Paul, they all turned on Sosthenes, which tells me it was probably his idea, and the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. Well, he had-

But Gaelino showed no concern whatsoever. But Sosthenes had been converted somewhere in the process. Because of 1st Corinthians won. Yeah, I think that's incredible. I do too. And so I just thought it was interesting because when you try these tactics in the case of this, because this was a religious dispute between Paul and the Jews, but they tried to put it into the courts of the Romans. But I think the reason why, Jay, this is what you brought up.

People don't like it when somebody's treated unfairly. And that doesn't matter whether they like them or not. It just doesn't seem right for them to be treated that way. So I think that's what you're seeing in this case as well. Well, you see the same thing with the people storming the university that just happened in support of a terrorist group. And all of a sudden, people are like, well, you got, you know, freedom of speech is awesome. And then all of a sudden, you're like, well, wait a minute now, unless you're, you're supporting terrorism in our country and saying, you know, down with America, you know, you're in America. Down with America, but pay off the student loan first, please.

Well, exactly. And let me barricade myself. That's where you get into these sticky moments. But what I was going to say, I was reminded by our cousin, who we call affectionately Lulu, which is her nickname, which my wife is now called Lulu,

so it's weird. I have two Lulu's in my life. And I was standing there with them. And she brought an interesting statement up that just made me think about where we're at in this text. She said, you know how Al, because she listens to the podcast,

She'll say, I don't know if you know this or not. That phrase, and I was like, I've never noticed that he says that. And she's like, yeah, you know where he got that? She's like, because Paul Phil's dad, he used to say that all the time. And she said, the only time it bothered me, though, and when she said this, I remember him doing this, he would pray. Yeah, he would go to pray and he'd say, now, Lord, I don't know if you know this or not, but there's a situation going on, and I thought, I remember that. And she made the point that we're all kind of victims of our theology that were raised in,

because she said there was a point in my life when I thought, why would my grandpa say he don't know if God knows us or not? God knows everything. It's in the Bible. You know, and I said, you know, you're right. You're right. But I kind of felt that way when Paul is being surrounded by all this opposition and fear comes, which seems hard to grasp because you're like, yeah, but he's he's doing miracles. And he had a conversation personally with Jesus.

Why would he be fearful? Yeah. And but it's still, you know, we're human beings. And when you face opposition, I think you forget. that simple fact that God knows everything. And Jesus physically and audibly reminded him in this vision, look, I'm with you. Don't worry about it. And guess what happens? It gets worse. But I think he had to be reminded that, and we all do, that life is difficult. You know, whether you're suffering for Jesus or just suffering. It's difficult in the situation that,

that we're in because of the separation that happened with God, life is difficult. And that enemies will try any tactic against you, but you've got to know ultimately, as Paul realized here, God is with us. And I would say the same for those who be out here that worry about stuff, even in the current climate. God is still with us.

What you do see in the book of Acts, all these riots against Jesus being declared, I think we have the same responsibility that Paul and the other spirit field apostles had of speaking to power the declaration that Jesus is the Christ. I mean, we can't shrink back. And so I just can't believe whether we have a responsibility not to riot and do, you know, these kind of things they're doing, but to speak to these different kinds of powers that come up boldly that there is a God and he's alive.

And it is the way to bring people together. And he's present. I mean, I think that we, every age has its issues. And so we, I don't know why we forget that, but I mean, you know, you think, oh, the world's horrible. Would you want to go back to World War II? I mean, would you want to go back to the Vietnam era? Would you want to go back to, you know, one author said before antibiotics were invented? I mean, like, every age has its dilemmas.

That's why I love that quote that Schaefer wrote in the little people that I mentioned in the last podcast about the real problem of the church is trying to do the work of the, the Lord's work and the power of the flesh rather than the power of the spirit. You know, we look at these situations and we look at, and I think if you get into the doom and gloom view of things and that the earth is going to hell in a handbasket and let's just grin and bear it to the end and then God's going to come back and everything is going to be great. And if that's, if that's all it is,

I think what that tends to lead us to do then is to view people as intimate, who are on the opposite, particularly political spectrum from us. But even like you look at what's going on on these campuses, I mean, I disagree with these people fundamentally, but I love them. And I bet a bunch of them don't even know what they're talking about. And I bet a bunch of these folks, what they're really looking for, they may not know it yet, is they're looking for a relationship with a living God. I don't ever want to forget that because that would rob me of my hope.

It would rob me of the motivation to, fulfill the Great Commission as Jesus commanded us to fulfill. It would rob me of joy and peace and all of these things. And I'm seeing in my own personal life, people that are all over the spectrum coming to know the living God. You guys are seeing it too, the people that are coming to your church, that are coming into your lives. And so I feel very confident that when we focus on who Christ is and offering him to

the world and his presence, then we have something that transcends. all of the protesting, the political disagreement, all the, all the things. It just transcends all that. We're clearly told in that Romans 12 when the kingdom comes and it was being put together and it was going up and down and whatever. Don't conform. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

then you'll be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. That's pretty good because he had a list of various ones. I've been hitting this two or three times. If the man's gift is prophesying, serving, let him serve, teaching, let him teach. If he's encouraging, let him encourage, if he's contributing to the needs of others.

There's all kinds of things that the kingdom is working. and you can see it. But the pattern of the world, that says, stay away from it. Yeah. And I love what you're saying that the idea you can be an enemy, but really you're an opportunity. And this Sustanese, I mean, shows you that in this text because he was an enemy. You know, he was an enemy of Paul.

Yeah. And what was going on. And yet at the same time, He became a believer. Yep. I mean, it happens because we read about him in First Corinthians, one, and of all things, when Paul writes a letter back to the- You have to keep marching with the stay with the mission, because if you don't, it'll eat you up, man.

That's true, Phil. And you think about what helps me with that? What helps me more than anything with what we're talking about right here is that Romans 5 passage is you just first remember when you start trying to identify the enemy. You know, the enemy is me. I am an enemy or was an enemy of the cross of Calvary. I was an enemy of God. And so when you read that Romans 5 passage,

that while we were enemies, Christ died for us. I mean, while we were enemies of God, Christ laid down his life for us. So if that's how Christ treats me as an enemy, then when I look at all the other so-called enemies of my political allegiance or my economic philosophy or whatever the things, thing is, we may have real disagreement, and that's okay. And I may think you're dead wrong, and I may think what you're doing is very harmful to society. But at the end of the day, I do have to

remember that you're not an enemy of mine. You're an enemy of Jesus just like I'm an enemy of Jesus until Christ redeems us. You're beginning to make it when you get to Romans 1211, 1214. Bless those who persecutes you. Say what? Just think about that. Bless those. those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. So you don't want to view the unsaved and all the pattern of the world and the line stealing, immorality, it just goes on and on. Right in the middle of it, you have to have enough love for them. Jesus loved the world.

He died for them. So it's just a, it's a tougher thing than meets I if you read it. And, you know, it shows you, too, is that the point you made, I thought you were so spot on these folks on the college campuses. I think they're looking for meaning and purpose. And so they're looking for something greater, right? But just think about it. This whole thing about a push for Palestine and, you know, the whole thing about Hamas and all. But even if, let's just say it was that Palestine could have its own state, whatever.

So if that were to happen, you know, you were doing all these protests and then that part of the world, for whatever reason, Palestine had its own space. And so you can declare victory because you were on the side that was declaring this. At the end of the day, has that impacted your life in any meaningful way? Is that going to help you to face the things you're going to face every day? Your own mortality? I mean, does a free Palestine do that? I mean, when you think about the causes that people invest their entire lives into, everything, is the purpose of the cause and what happens in it enough to be able to stay in your

own life or those around you are people you love and care about. I mean, this is so much bigger. I think Sustanese, we don't know this, but probably because he was with the guys and it was probably his idea to go after Paul. And then when it didn't work, they just turned on him and beat him. He probably came to a realization that, you know, maybe I need to look at my life goals and see if there's more. And of course, he winds up finding that in Christ at some point as a result. Well, that's what happens, though, when you, when you pledge allegiance to these foreign kingdoms that are not, you know, of God, I say primarily allegiance, rather, or maybe kingdoms are the wrong word. When you, how many times that you see one group of people supporting another group of people and the other group of people actually hate them? That's right.

And you're like, if you were to go into that area, like, you would be exterminated day one. Like, you would not, you would have all the freedom, all the, whatever, your, your worldview. is in complete contradiction. Yeah. And so it's like, but it's like the enemy of my enemy becomes my friend. But, but I think in God's kingdom, that's not it. I mean, it is, God's kingdom is holistic. It's life-giving.

It's overflowing. It doesn't eat itself. A kingdom divided can't stand, Jesus says. And so, you know, it is not a kingdom that eats itself. And that is one of the, probably the most powerful characteristics of the kingdom of God is it, it is not eating itself. And we want people to know Jesus. So whether you're in Israel or you're in Gaza, I want people to know Jesus on either side of the border. Or Louisiana.

Or Louisiana or anywhere else that I go. So let me read this last little section because we won't have time to break it all down. But we'll pick up here when we come to the back to the next podcast because this is another shift in our text. Because this is about to begin Paul's third missionary journey. We've looked at two journeys. And the third one is going to come up after this. and he's going to start in Ephesus when we're going to get to there, and then it's going to wind up taking it back to Jerusalem.

But let me read here at the text, and then we can get into a little bit the rest of this podcast the next time. In verse 18, Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. So we know this during this year and a half period it's talking about. Then he left the brothers in sail for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Akila. before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Censuria because of a vow he had taken. We talked a little bit about that before, which is interesting. Paul, when he goes to these places, he tends to try to fit him wherever he's going.

They arrived at Ephesus where Paul left Priscilla Nicaela. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. So here he goes again, even though remember back in Corinth, he said, I'm done with you people. When he gets to Ephesus, he's going to give him another show. here, which shows you his love for Israel and the way he was raised. When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. But as he left, he promised, I will come back if it's God's will. And he is going to.

Then he set sail from Ephesus. When he landed at Sessaria, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antio. So that's the reason why this is a shift to another missionary journey, because he's going to go back to home base, which is the church in Anni. which is up in the Syrian area. And so that's going to now cascade him into this third thing. After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled through, travel from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Frigia, strengthening all the disciples.

So every time he comes back through, he goes through the regions where he's been to just encourage him. Because, you know, now we're reading here over the course of years that are starting to go by. So he's going to go back through, encourage the churches. Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. You remember he had dropped off Priscilla and Akila there. He was a learned man with thorough knowledge of the scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately.

So this guy was a Jew originally, now as a believer, and is very talented in being able to talk about Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John, which is interesting, because we're now several years beyond Jesus being here, but he still only knows about John's baptism, which he was probably baptized, you know, for repentance back during that era. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Akila heard him, which means they're still going to the synagogue, by the way, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. So they told him about the baptism of Jesus, and they told him, you know, kind of this

transition. This man did not know it. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaea, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to disciples there to welcome him on arriving. He was a great help to those who by grace had believed, for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. So he's carrying on this tradition. of dealing first with the Jewish connections there and then later on the Gentiles.

But it's a really interesting text. And again, proving from the scriptures. I mean, that needs to be the name of a book, from the scriptures. I mean, you just see it over according to the scriptures. I mean, you see this appeal back to the scriptures, Old Testament, over and over and over again, to present the deity of Christ who was, who had just died. been buried and raised from the dead. I mean, we can't overestimate the importance of the Old Testament here. No, that's a great point. And as Jay said earlier, it's interesting that this

couple, which is, I would say the only really, I would call them a power couple, but Christ's power, that you read about in the whole book of Acts. I mean, you had, you had Anonis and Sapphire, who were a couple who were not doing things the right way back in Acts 5, but you don't see this. And now this is unusual. And I don't know if that's because, you know, Larry talked about the women influence more in as we're moving into the Gentile. Yeah, all these prominent women, prominent women. You get Lydia, prominent women. So you kind of see this elevation that they're doing it as a couple, which is interesting because I would probably argue that all four of us would say none of us would be very effective in ministry if we weren't doing it with our spouses in terms of what we can do with, you know, with other people. people in our homes and all this sort of thing. Well, I think what's interesting is if you left this last section with Apollus, I mean, because here's a guy, you're thinking, well, he's got it all figured out,

and he didn't understand that there is another baptism that's being conducted. And, you know, what does it mean when it says they brought him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately? Well, his only thing that was... was perplexing was that he only knew the baptism of John. He didn't get the memo that you could be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and evidently received God's Spirit. Because in the next section, when Paul goes to Ephesus and Apollus was in Corinth,

they run across some people who haven't even heard of the Holy Spirit. And he said, so what baptism did you receive? and they're like, well, John's baptism. So it kind of, we don't have time to get into it, but we will. But I'm introducing the idea that I think Luke did this on purpose to, because you've got to explain first, the gospel came first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. So you have Acts 2, you understand that he was speaking to all Jews, Acts 10, all Gentiles. But now we have a group of people who were kind of caught in the middle of the transition from John the Baptist to. to Jesus. We don't have that problem today, but I think it's interesting the way they handled it.

And I've always applied this type of verse to like kids that are baptized and they didn't really know what they were doing. And then they come later and they're like, why that felt like I didn't understand? Not saying that's the same issue. But I just realized that if a kid is baptized and he don't know who Jesus is, well, I don't see a problem with baptizing them again now that they're an adult and they understand what sin is, they understand who Jesus is. So I don't know what y'all think about that. But I think this is a peculiar circumstance, but if it's not important, it wouldn't be in the Bible. They felt like they needed to share this. No, it's really good, Jay. and we'll get into that on the next podcast because I have a similar experience to what you're talking about.

So we'll hit all this on the next Unashamed podcast. Always good having you guys along for our Bavishton. Thanks for listening to The Unashamed Podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube and be sure to click that little bell to get notified about new episodes. And for even more content that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to Blaze TV. at blaisTV.com slash unashamed.