Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 991 | Jase Wins Craziest Wager He’s Ever Made & How Do We Know the Bible Is Valid?

Episode Date: November 13, 2024

Jase recounts one of the craziest wagers he ever won, and he swears he didn’t even think about cheating. Al is excited about a recent discovery of ancient stone tablets in Israel, and Zach points out that the Bible has been historically proven accurate many times over, more so than any other book from antiquity. The guys focus on the struggle that inevitably comes in life with following Jesus, but even that shouldn’t keep us from sharing Jesus with passion. In this episode: Colossians 1; Colossians 2; Luke 13, verse 24; John 18, verse 36; Philippians 1, verse 27; Hebrews 12, verse 1; 1 Timothy 6, verses 11-12; Philemon 1, verse 6 -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashame. We're still in our different locations coming to you, but we're very excited about it. We're still waiting on dad to get that back lined out, but hopefully we'll get him back on here soon. Keep him in your prayers for sure. I sent y'all, Jason Zach, an interesting, article that I ran across about an archaeological find in the Judean desert. And it was really, it was interesting because this date dated back, they think around the 5th century, there were some monks that were there, these Byzantine monks. And it was written in corne Greek, and it was the first two verses, kind of a translation of the first

two verses from Psalm 86. But this thing was written in stone, which was really interesting because most of the stuff they find, you know, up in that desert or on papyrus or, you know, different kind of writing things. And they don't find it very often in stone. But I thought it was really interesting that the verses say, hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy, guard my life, for I am faithful to you, save your servant who trust in you, you are my God. And it was written in the same Cornet Greek that the New Testament comes from as well. And so it just, it was really encouraging and inspiring to me because, you know, you think about it like that we wouldn't still be finding stuff, but there's so much there. And the guy that was describing it says like a,

he felt like Indiana Jones, you know, because there's all these caves and, you know, there's places that just still haven't been looked at in depth. And so they're going back in, you know, like this year they're planning another three-week trip. And so I just, I found it interesting that every time something is found, it just deepens our understanding of this whole thing. The Bible, our belief system, all of it. You know, there was not finding something that says, oh, no, that's true. They continue to give evidences that all this is real. And, you know, we're talking about going back, what, 1,500 years to find this. So it just, it was really fascinating. fascinating to me. And you can look that up because it just happened this last week. And so I ran

across that on X. But it's just encouraging, Zach. I mean, you know, you think about that, we talk about apologetics, but it's really just discovering things that continue to point to who God is. Oh, no question. If you apply the same standard, the same academic standard to the Bible that we do other books of antiquity, there's not really any other book that comes close in terms of the validity of the historicity of it. It's, it's, it's, there's so many copies and it's so much to testifies to the validity of, of just its accuracy. So I think that's true with the problem is people want to interpret it and they don't

want to apply the same standard. They want to use some other standard that doesn't exist in the world to somehow validate it. And, but, you know, for me, the greatest evidence, though, is honestly just. seeing lives change, seeing my own life change, seeing the transformation that I see in people. And then just the aspect of why do I even appreciate beauty in the world? And why are things that are good, why are things that are good, good? Why are things that are bad, bad?

Like, there's that, there's like, he's just everywhere and he's inescapable. So for me, it's, it's, but this kind of stuff does encourage me every time I read it. So, yeah, thanks for saying that. I don't know. Yeah. And it's, it's that, it's the two. revelations we talk about is the you know from from romans one you see the idea of what we see every day which is kind of what you were just describing you see god in so much stuff and so there's

that general revelation and then you get this specific revelation like this where it's actually words you know written down by spirit-filled people over the course of thousands of years of human history into a story that still is being told about this jesus. Jesus of Nazareth and him being God in flesh. And so it really is, it really is incredible. And I mean, we've dedicated our lives to not only researching and studying and figuring out ways it shapes us, but also, you know, sharing what it can do for people, you know, because we all have the same human condition.

Yeah, it made me read Psalm 86, which is a beautiful, I mean, just as being a human being. I mean, you see why somebody wrote this on a wall somewhere. Yeah. Just to read a couple verses of it, it says, Here, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy, guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God, save your servant who trust in you. And I like verse 8 where it says, among the gods, there is none like you,

oh Lord, no deeds can compare with yours, which is something. a few podcasts ago we got into because the people at Colise had all these different gods and Rome was welcome to all gods. And just to kind of give you a few facts, you know how people do. Like when I was 29 rather than 49, this is what was going on. So in the fifth century, there was a volcano that erupted in 430 that devastated the might. Mayan cities in present-day El Salvador. So anybody's seen that movie.

Apocalyptic. Yeah. Apocalyptic. So you had that going on. The Anglo-Saxons settled in Britain. So if you've seen those movies with the swords and all the gods and all that. So they settled in Britain. Attila the Hun died. The Western Roman Empire ended.

So, I mean, you just think on how powerful they were, and you're starting to see the cracks. You know, any country that doesn't have God's approval or Jesus at the center, I mean, we know what happens. They come and they go. Yeah. That's why we're part of a greater kingdom. Or like Abraham said, I was longing for a better country. Well, and it's a good point about about. Rome because, you know, God chose that period to come. And what am I on accident, because

when the time is set, you know, so they were, you know, God in his wisdom of being outside of time and space knew when he wanted to come to this earth. And he chose at the height of Roman power to do that. And so, you know, that was no accident. Well, that was kind of my point. Here, here we are, what, 1500 years later, the one thing that held up was Psalm 86. That's the best time. There's still millions of Bibles. And I'm now talking to maybe a million people, and they'll go take a look at 86 and say, yeah, that was on a wall somewhere back there.

Written in stone. Where did they find it? In the Judean desert, you know, so outside Jerusalem, about maybe 16 miles from Jerusalem. Yeah, I noticed they also, which made the metal detector in me, the treasure hunter, they also found a gold ring beside it with a little, I forgot what they said the stone was. Oh, yeah, there was like a seventh century. It was a ring with an inscription. Yeah, I think that's how they found the wall.

That ring went off on a detector, and they all jumped up and down and thought, well, we fixed to make some money. and then they found Psalm 86 and they thought, no, we better turn that over to a museum, do the right thing. When they talk about the, you know, that looting is always a fear in these areas like that because you know you've got all these antiquities out there. And so you're trying to, but it's in the middle of nowhere. So anybody could find it.

In fact, Jay's one of our listeners sent me an email. I don't think I forwarded it to you, but somewhere in England, somebody was out in a field with a metal detector and they came across this cash of coins in amazing condition and wound up selling it for I think right at six million dollars is what they got for their fine. Somebody, one of our listeners said, said, show this to Jay's, he may want to go to Mary Old England to do some metal detector. Oh, I'm going one day.

I'm going to do it. I like their, you know, their laws on metal detector. I mean, they don't mind you fine and stuff. You got to turn it in to the government, which I'm perfectly fine with that. And then they'll give you a cash value of it that they deem appropriate. But because I just like fine. I mean, most of the stuff I find I give away. But it would be nice to hit it head a big treasure, though, wouldn't it?

Well, in our technological age, it's all about the pitcher anyway. Yeah. So you find something, I take a picture and then give it to the landowner. Okay. What am I going to do with it? Put it in a box and a drawer. So if you come try to rob my house and get all my treasures, you're going to be disappointed. Most of them are no longer with us.

You know, I just, because it's like, what are you going to do with it? I mean, I don't want to sell it. And most of the stuff I find is not of great value because it's too old. I mean, most of the stuff you find has to be in. pristine condition. But I got, I got news for you. Luding is still going on via treasure hunters going where they shouldn't go. Yeah. Or, I mean, I've had to run people off at my place. I'm like, hey, go somewhere else. The earth is huge. Find you a desert someplace. Well, I mean, you know. It was like I was standing that time I was up

in Oklahoma and there's, we were staying on a lake and the lake had dropped. like, I mean, probably six or eight feet. And so it was just mud banks everywhere. There was a couple out there and they were metal detected all around that area because it had been a, you know, place where people would stay. But they were looking for things they could sell, you know. Well, right. I mean, not if you do, there's a code of ethics that you should follow.

And they actually, you know, have it. You look it up. But, you know, if you have permission or whatever, it's perfectly fine. But I'm just not doing it for. monetary value. I like the thrill of finding it. In the spirit of, I mean, what convinced me to go do it was reading the Gospels and Jesus. I was business to say, you were, you were motivated by the spiritual application that talks about treasure hunting quite a bit in Jesus' time, right? I mean, that's what gets you to. Well, I'm a hunter, you know, I'm a, I'm a, and people don't get there.

I get invited all over the world to go duck hunting. They're like, oh, it's easy. I mean, we're going to kill the ducks and I'm like I'm past that point I like the hunt so I mean that's why I'm hunting in a place where there are very few ducks it's the greatest challenge in duck hunting yeah going to a place where there's ducks everywhere and shooting them that that okay but if you shoot ducks where there are no ducks now we're talking that interests me that's a different story and that's kind of what's the stone does the same thing with the deer hunting now because he manages our property there. And he is thrilled to look at cameras to watch deer grow over the course of their life

and turn into this big beast or some kind of horn formation. I mean, he's not really the idea of shooting a deer is not the ultimate thing for him. It's the whole process of growing them, you know, culling out all the ones that have bad genetics. I mean, I just listened to him to talk about it. And I think he's in another place with deer hunting. It's not just going out and shooting a deer. Oh, look, my greatest accomplishment in a worldly story is when we used to hunt West Texas, we would go scout these ponds because there's no water out there.

And there were a lot of peanut fields out there. And so they would dry feed on the peanut fields, and then they would hit these what they call tanks. Well, what was great about it is if you went and scouted a tank, however many ducks you saw on the tank, that's what was coming the next day. Most people out there that hunt, they just go jump them up and shoot them.

But what they don't realize is if you'll go set up the next morning, they're all coming to the duck. I mean, and you said, well, how do you know this? So one time when it was slow there, we were over there, we couldn't find a pond that had any ducks on it. So we were like, what are we going to do? So we found two ponds close together.

Well, one of them had six, and the other one had like 14. And I said, well, I'll tell you this. I'll go hunt that one with six because the limit's only six. And I'll kill all of them. And old Benny, the guy we used to hunt with out there, he's like, well, what if they all come at the same time? I was like, well, I'm going to have three shells laying beside my gun.

And if I can get them down in there close enough, maybe I can get them on the water and shoot two. So a challenge developed. And I said, I'll, you know, he said, well, I'll bet you $20 that you won't kill all six of those ducks. And I was like, I'll tell you this. If I don't kill all six, I'll give you $20. But if I do, you add a zero, $200. And he said, deal. Let me tell you.

That was the most prepared for any duck hunt because I got $20 on the line here. And back in those days, $20 was a pretty good value, what it did? So I get out there an hour before legal, and I billed me a blind. And I get to where I look at every conceivable possibility on where these six ducks are going to come. And I was just praying that they all didn't come at the same time. And wouldn't you know it, the first challenge I had was 30 minutes before legal. 30 minutes, two of the two ducks come in and light. I have to sit there in stone silence for 30 minutes.

Because if I spook them, if you spook them, I'm four. And I literally did only breathing during that 30 minutes. And so I actually didn't want to take the chance of looking at my phone because it's dark, you know, and seeing what time it was. So I just figured I would wait because I could hear Phil and where they were. I said, as soon as they shoot, and I hope these two ducks don't get up because it was hard to see, I'll know that it's legal. And so that's what I did. I waited for them to shoot and I lined them up. Because you got to remember, usually I flush the birds, but there's only six.

and I got to get them all. And that's the limit, which is perfectly legal. And they taste the same whether they're swimming or flying. So I sat there and waited until they crossed. Of course, I'm in sniper mode and just boom, both of them in one shot. So I got two. Well, about 15 minutes later, because now I'm thinking it's daylight, I'm here and feeling them shoot.

I only got two, but I'm thinking there's four more coming. So then 15 minutes after daylight, two come in there, boom, I shoot one on the water, the other one gets up, boom, I missed the second shot. We only got three shots. Boom, got him. So it was drama. So now I have four. So about an hour later, because I'm wondering, where are these other two ducks, one single came in, easy, boom, I got him. So now we're one left, and I've only shot one.

I've shot one shell less than what I got. The other one comes in, and the only thing I could think is he was used to those other five being there. I don't have any decoys out. I knew they were coming. And that Joker circled and circled and circled and circled. He just would not come in.

And then about the time, he was probably 50 yards, and filling them shot, Well, he flared. And I thought, well, this is it. 60 yards going away. And I boom, I shot, boom, I shot, boom, I shot. Boom, I shot.

And I thought, I could have sworn I hit that duck. And he gets out there, you know how they do. About 100 yards in his wings locked out. And he started sailing. Look, as far as I could see. And I was just marking him. And so I took off at a dead run. on that line and I looked and I searched out now on somebody else's property because I had to jump a fence on the way and I'm looking for this duck and wouldn't you know it after about 10 minutes of once I got to the mark spot there he was so did you get the two Honda two Honda and they could not believe what it was a 30 minute argument on

on how many ducks actually came in there. And I had to swear on the Bible in my faith in Jesus that only six came in there and that I killed six. My favorite Benny line, because he used to be on some of our Duckman videos, he's a guy that dad knew from way, way back. And when he was talking about the Wilson weenies on the video, Jason, when he said,

because there's Wilson weenies, they used to eat over there in Shreveport. They kind of had a snappy weenie, you know. And he said, boys, you can't even get Wilson weanies anymore. It's the government. They ruin everything. Yeah. He was an anti-government guy, but a good guy.

He is a good guy. So I don't know what that has to do with Psalm 86, but I was just saying the challenge of all that is what I'm into. You've got to be able to follow the madness, the ADD madness. Only Jay's could go Psalm 86 to. killing six ducks and getting too hondo for it i just thought i was just saying that was a challenge that i was proud of yeah i mean and you had lots of obstacles and difficulty i mean i actually thought after it was over i'm never doing that again there's too many variables too much pressure

i guess ties into walking the christian faith you know yeah uh but i guess you know i was i've been on this studying this contending thing where he says in Colossians 1. And then we can go through your outline now after this. Yep. Which, again, I have another frustration with my, I have a frustration with my translation because it translates it struggle. But I've told you before, if you look up these words on the Greek lexicon, and then you look up where they're used throughout the New Testament,

it kind of gives you an idea of what the meaning of the word is. Yeah. Instead of somebody telling you what it means. But he says in, where are those verses at? 29 is the struggle. Well, there's two of them. He says it in 2-1, too. So 29, he says, to this end, I labor,

and I would submit a better translation is contending with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. I want you to know how much I am contending for you or struggling, and for those at Laotacea and for all who have not met me personally. So what is your definition of contending? I mean, when I say that word, what do you think? Well, I mean, I think he was conveying the idea that this is not, it's not easy. Right.

It's difficult. There's resistance. Resistance. So what I find fascinating, you say, what does this have to do with anything? You know, I mean, you think, the first thing I thought was like, if you're a contender, are you a contender or a pretender? I mean, you're trying, you're going to fight for something. I mean, it usually results in a competition, which is basically why I told that duck story.

I mean, we, I was, I was contending here despite difficulty and obstacles. I mean, this is pretty hard to make a prediction. What's your translation say at the end of the mind? Mine says struggling. Struggling. Struggling. But the word is contending in other places. But I just wanted to read you where it's used that word or the form of that word in other places.

And I found this fascinating, which is why I'm making such a big deal at. The first place in the New Testament is actually found in a little place called Luke 13. I think it's 24. You know what? You have a 1984 edition NIV. correct? Yeah. Correct. Now the the new NIV

actually uses the word contending. But my translation says struggle too. So does the NASB. I find this fascinating. I hope y'all get excited about this as I am. So the first place it's mentioned is Luke 13, 24.

He said to them make every effort to enter through the narrow door. Every effort to enter. Somewhere in there is the word contend. Same word as this, which made me think most of the time we would never equate that with a fight. But when you go back to the parable solar, which we talked about last time, what was the first seed? What happened? Snatched away. It was snatched away from the evil one. There was, so even when you try to come

to Jesus, there's going to be enemies to stop that from happening. I mean, from God's perspective, yeah, the doors open wide, the love of Christ is available to every human being. But there's resistance, you know, on the wide road that leads to destruction, no resistance. Yeah. They're like, come one, come all, all great, you know. But that narrow door is the first place where you see this struggle. Well, it's hard to repent.

It's hard to count the cost. It's hard when the enemy doesn't want this to happen. So I found that fascinating. The next place it's used is John 18, which this is a sermon for you, Al. I'm always looking for a good sermon. John 18, 36. Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world, if it were,

my servants would fight. There's your word. Same word, same Greek word. That's why I say these translators, they try to put it in the context, would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews, but now my kingdom is from another place. Well, what I found fascinating about that is he used that struggle there, that contending with how we would normally use it.

My disciple would fight, how, with swords, the same way other revolts and kingdoms, fight with physical power. Yep. And so that's why when you read him using the same word in Colossians 1.29, he said, to this end, I labor contending or fighting or struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me, which that wouldn't have worked to his disciples fighting. Jesus was making the point, well, if it was about this world,

You know, we'd bring in the tanks, and the, of course, they didn't have tanks. That'd be, you know, two donkeys that had a bunch of spears on it. But I think that transition is very powerful. The next one I wanted to read is Philippians 1, where it says, which is similar to his point hearing, Philippians 1-27, whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.

Yeah, I remember that one. Without being frightened. Well, he says it again. Without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. That's why this resistance is what keeps coming up. If you declare Jesus publicly, there will be resistance in your personal life and in your public life and just in life in general. without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you, this is a sign to them that they will be destroyed,

but that you will be saved and that by God, which kind of goes into where we started with this Psalm 86. It's like you think resistance is bad, but it's actually two things that happen. You're making them uncomfortable for Jesus, which is a good thing, because maybe it'll make them stop and think about where they're going to life. But it's also a bad thing for them,

By resisting, it's actually a sign that they're not, they're, they're, they're going to be destroyed. They're not going to make this. For it has been granted on you, this is 29, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, which he brings up in Colossians 1. He's like, I'm suffering and I'm wanting to become like Christ. Since you are going through the same, well, here it is, the same word, struggle or contending, you saw I had and now here that I still have. So I thought that was interesting.

All right, I got two more. Hebrews 12-1 of all places. You said, because when I first saw that, I thought that can't be right. I never remember that word. But it's the same word or verse one. Throw off everything. Actually, it's the race.

Oh, really? I thought that was absolutely fascinating. Look, Hebrews 12-1, since we're surrounded, by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangled, and let us run with perseverance. That word right there, the race, the contention,

marked out for us. Don't you find that fascinating? That's pretty fascinating. And the last one I wanted to read is 1st Timothy 4 in verse 10. And the reason I think this is powerful is it gives new meaning to the passage in 2nd Corinthians 104 that says the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world, but we take obedient every thought and make it obedient to Christ,

which I think that is his point to the Colossians. It's not the same kind of weapons. But first, Timothy 4. 9 and 10 probably. 6. I think it is said in 9 and 9. but the one I wanted to read is 6, 11

and 12. But you, man of God, flee from all this, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness, which those are all fruits, by the way. Fight the good fight of the faith. There's the same word, contending. Take hold of the eternal

life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God who gives life to everything and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontchus Pilate made the good confession, which is full circle back to John 18. And one of the others I didn't read is that one that says, you know, train yourselves to be godly. Same word. You know, it's training, you know, contention. This is not easy. This is difficult. There will be resistance. There will be

resistance but all of that my whole point in reading all this is all those difficulties and resistance those things are the building blocks to mature become immature which i've said before you don't become mature going to dizziland and having fun it's when the difficulty comes and the resistance and trying to share jesus you get involved in people's lives or who are steeped in sin and people are getting mad and angry and all those problems that we navigate as jesus people in in each other's lives, those are the building blocks of maturity in Christ. Which in the passage you mentioned in Hebrews, 12, you think about the ultimate struggle or the ultimate contention, the ultimate pain point to ever exist in reality would have to be

what Jesus endured on the cross. And not simply from a physical standpoint, but from the standpoint that we have God incarnate, right? So if God incarnate, you can imagine God pre-incarnate is exalted so high above everything that has been created that the distance and the chasm between where God is and where we are is an infinite chasm. It cannot even be calculated because he is infinitely big, good, holy, whatever, other than that God condescends, takes on human flesh in the form of the one we call Jesus. and endures not just suffering in the terms of ridicule and being beat and mocked and scorn. He actually suffers death himself. So that's got to be the ultimate picture of like somebody who contended for something. And then on the other side of that, something was birth that was bigger than anything we could imagine.

But that is kind of the point of Hebrews 12. When you'd mentioned that endure the race, the writer goes on to say, in verse 3, consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against him. So we consider Christ in this as kind of a motivation for us so that we consider so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted in your struggle against sin. And I wonder if that's the same word too in verse 4, probably not, since it didn't show up in your list. But in your struggle against sin and your contention against sin, you have not yet resisted

the point of shedding your blood. Have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My sons do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, do not be weary when reproved by him for the Lord disciplines those he loves and chastises every son whom he receives. And this goes on, by the way, and it kind of coalesces at the end of Hebrews 12 into the promise of a kingdom that we are going to be a part of that can't be shaken or destroy, which is obviously prophecy from Daniel.

But I just think about that, what you just said about this contention, it's not contention to prove yourself. It's not suffering to prove yourself. It actually is suffering unto the needs of others as we consider what Christ did. Christ suffered something for us. He contended for us. And then what blossomed out of that, here we are 2,000 years later, having a Bible study about being transformed by the power of Jesus of something that he accomplished 2,000 years ago. the cross, which is tremendous suffering and his contention for us. So we consider that. We consider that as we move forward in our own transformation process.

And think about the pressure, though, Jays, because of what Sack just described, the pressure on Jesus, because you described in your story of contending for those six ducks, you felt the pressure of that because you had to be perfect. You had go six for six. Anything short, you don't get it. And that was one. story and one duck hunt, but Jesus had the fate of all of humanity and every sin of everybody, not just living at the time that it ever lived or ever would live on him in that moment. So, Zach, you talk about pressure. I mean, that's so large and so big.

It's hard for us to wrap our brains around how big that was. Look, when I found that last duck, I left off this part. I just started shouting. Tell you what, you know, it's just one of them walking around. Don't mess with old Jace. I mean, it was a confidence builder. But, no, Zach, it's so interesting you brought up that about Hebrews 12. 4, it was not the same word.

And what I concluded was it was only in this idea of declaring Jesus, This battle of us, because I think that's what he was trying to move to the people at Colossi was like they were basically devaluing Jesus to the point where they weren't sharing him. Because through that process, you grow. And it's not something you can- The process of sharing him? Yeah. I mean, in my own life, that was the catalyst.

when it took me two years of even though I was a Christian as far as I understood what Jesus did and I surrendered to him. But I was not functioning like Jesus. I was just trying to not mess up. That was it. But the correlation with the Romans 12, I mean, I'm sorry, Hebrews 12 passage in this passage that I think is so stark is that it's, it's, you're in this place of contention right, you're in this place of struggle, you're in this place of dealing with this, and both

passages call us back to considering Christ. And now, Colossians 2 does it, in my opinion, in a much more blunt and profound way and repetitive and almost to the point where it's redundant. And Colossians 2 is like, let's obliterate everything else and let's consider Christ. let's go back to the anchor of this entire thing. You know, that's his point. I mean, it is, we are going to drive this home, you know, Apollo's saying and in Colossians. I want to drive this home because what was happening in this particular culture,

apparently is that they were leaving the centrality of Jesus. And they were focusing on the form of whatever the benefit of him brings, but they weren't focused on the one who brought it. And so that's the argument he's. which is, that's why you keep seeing kind of the same language being repeated over and over and over again when he says things like in verse 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knitted together in love to reach all the riches of fullness of assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ. I mean, he's already said that. He just said that in the previous chapter. He's saying it again, that the mystery is Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

and he says, I say this in order that, for a purpose, right? What's the purpose? Well, this is the purpose why Paul says I'm saying this, so that one may not delude you with plausible arguments. Going back to something that he said in 1st, Corinthians chapter 1 and 2, I didn't come to you with wise and persuasive arguments. I came to you with a demonstration of the Spirit's power.

I preach Christ and Him crucified, for though I'm absent body, yet I'm with thee in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order in the firmness of your faith, in Christ. There's that phrase again, in Christ. It's being super repetitive because I think that that's the point of the whole thing. And I think it's partly because he didn't know them personally.

And he's mentioned that a couple of times. And so, you know how it is like, so we go and speak, you know, to audiences. And we don't know the people. You're there to raise money for somebody, but we're always there to share Jesus. But there's different reasons why you go. And so I have like a standard thing I do to get, that message and that word out. These are people I don't know. But when I'm back home, when I'm preaching at our church, I know these people well. I've been with them for 40 years. And so,

you know, it's different contextually when you know people and how you approach the sharing. And I think that's one of the reasons why he is so repetitive in Colise, although it's similar to Ephesians, but he knew the Ephesians well. I mean, he spent a year and a half with him. But he He doesn't know these people. And so he keeps going back to the basics again and again. But I think it's a more serious thing. I mean, that Phileman verse 6, depending on your translation, it was a profound verse to me when I was young in the faith.

Because I used to think, well, I could never share because I'm a shy guy, or I don't know the verses, or I'm not qualified, or whatever excuse I would make. But the bottom line was, as I look back on it, the reason I wasn't sharing Jesus the first two years of my Christian life is I knew resistance would come. The people I was hanging around at high school, I knew this wasn't going to go well. And when I got around to sharing with them, guess what?

It did not go well. But I read this Philemon 6, I remember as a teenager, and it says, I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ, which seems to be backwards than how we view it. You think most people who are sharing Christ have a full understanding. And he said, I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith in Christ so that you will have a full understanding of everything,

which takes us back to Colossians too. When he gets into this, he is our wisdom. in whom this is two, three, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And I mean, I just think about that as a treasure hunter, or even me shooting those six ducks, or anything that happens good in your life, what's the first thing you want to do

or have a need to do that you can't help but do when something good happens in your life? You want to tell somebody. You got to tell somebody. Yeah. So it seems kind of weird that if Jesus is the greatest, in Colossians 115 is all true through 21.

Well, what are you never going to bring him up? Well, I mean, I would add this to that. When you start thinking about this idea of treasures, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are hidden in him, I believe that those treasures are actually manifestations of who he is and his character and his overflow outward love. So how he appeals, how he died for us, and how he displayed that on the cross and how he for God so love the world,

John 316, that he gave his life, his only son. And so you start thinking about like, well, if that's what the treasure is, is actually, it's actually the love of God, then that's what he gives us. That's that fruit of the spirit about love, joy, peace, patience. So the actual treasure is, not something that's outside of his character and his relational nature. It actually is him. And then our participation in that. So it doesn't make any sense then to say, well, if the treasurer

would be this, it's one of the treasures. One of the treasures would be that I actually have an intense love for my neighbor. And that's actually a treasure. That's why when you read, like Paul says in Romans, I think it's Romans 9. Does he say something like, you know, if I could be, I love my, yeah, right here, Romans 9.3, for I wish, he says, I have, verse two, that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. So Paul is like, he has an anguish in his heart for his, for his people. He says, for I wish that I myself were accursed and cut off for Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites. So you think, you kind of see Paul's posture of heart here is he has a deep, deep, deep.

deep love for his people. And you see the same kind of language in Colossus too. So part of the treasure is that we get the capacity in Christ to love people in that kind of way. And if I truly love you in that kind of way, then there's no possibility that I'm not going to tell you about how to get in on this incredible love that we find in Christ. So I think it is not just that it's a great thing for me. Part of the great thing that I receive is a love for you. And so I have to tell you. In verse four of chapter two, when he said, I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. I mean, my point is they were entertaining answers to life with things other than Jesus or with God's other than Jesus.

And what I'm saying is his very act of sharing this with people he doesn't know, is kind of his fruit to them on this is contagious. Not only am I saying, don't follow these other gods, whatever you want to put in the blank, Jesus plus this, because then you've nullified who Jesus is, or just I'm going to go with making a bunch of money. Yeah. You know, it's like the resistance,

the whole point of this is him contending is, people are pushing back on Jesus. And so they're even doubting who Jesus is or he wouldn't be saying that. People are coming up with arguments that are in conflict with Jesus being Lord of your life. So my point I was trying to get at is it's like when I find a fantastic treasure,

which Jesus is the ultimate treasure, and whether he found me, I found him, I mean, he found me technically, but that, I mean, what am I going to keep that to myself? No, because I know all human beings have the same struggles. So it's like, I don't have to be qualified. I know this person's a human. This is fixing to come out. I mean, you can see what Paul's doing.

Once you buy into who Jesus is, well, we're fixed to go declare that. And by declaring it, then you become a part. of the resistance to the world. And that's what people shy away from. I mean, I think that's what he's getting at. Well, and even look at Paul's growth as a person himself. Because I was thinking about he says, I rejoice in what was suffered for you.

And would you just take that statement knowing what Paul went through? But think about how different his description was to the Corinthian church. At the end of 2 Corinthians, 11, he lists all the things that happened to. Remember, there's like two paragraphs. of shipwrecks and beatings and this and that.

And then he gets to the next chapter in chapter 12. And he's like, you know, I just, I pleaded to the Lord. I need some relief. And the statement from Jesus to Paul was, my grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in your weakness. And so just think about what Paul himself learned in the process of this contending for the faith as he's sharing it in his own personal life. I mean, and he's just being honest to,

Corinthians. I mean, he, he was, he said, look, it was rough. I mean, I, I pleaded three times, Lord take this away. And Jesus said, no, you, you, you serve me. But I do want to just reiterate something. This is not a call on our part to like, okay, we're going to take on a vow of poverty, and we're going to beat ourselves on the back with whips. And we're going to induce suffering for the sake of suffering. That is not biblical. It's not what God calls us to. It's not suffering or contending or whatever word or struggling for the sake of struggling or to prove some kind of loyalty. It's the contending or it's suffering and the sacrifice is made unto meeting the needs of others. That's the economy that you see inside the Godhead.

That's what you see. And you even see that, by the way, before the incarnation of Christ and before the cross. You see inside the Godhead, you see Father's Son, Holy Spirit, living in eternal. harmony with each other because they don't use each other, abuse each other, they don't work each other, they don't pit each other against each other. It is, each person in that Godhead is just, it's like sacrifice to the other. It's pour out love to the other. And that's why First John 4-8 says that God is love. So that is modeled then in the gospel. So the gospel then models, it actually shows us and reveals to us the very nature of God.

And then through the spirit indwelling us, now we become conformed into that image of the sun. So then now we start to do that with each other, which is why when Jesus sums up the law, how does he do it? He says, love God and then love each other. And that's kind of the flow of the kingdom, is that that's what we begin to become. And we reflect that.

And now even in our relationships with one another, we, I mean, in glory on the other side of, you know, of glory, we're going to have this unencumbered by sin. And that's what, that's the hope that we hang on to. But that is the message of the kingdom. That's the hope. That's the promise. That's actually a perfect tease. We're out of time, but a perfect tease for where we're going in the text because we pick up in Colossus 2, 6, he's going to give you this, I call it live free and die, kind of a play off the live free or die that from our country's history. but it's live free and die.

And when we die the sin and him, that's what he brings out on us. We'll talk about the freedom. So we'll get into that next time on Unashamed. 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

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