False Teachers, God’s Vengeance and the Dog’s Vomit // Sermon Conversations

WEBVTT
00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:02.399
Welcome to the Rethink and Return Podcast.
00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:03.759
My name is Jason Shepard.
00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:08.880
Every week we rethink things and return to God's original intention and his design.
00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:10.960
We generally do two recordings a week.
00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:18.079
One, we revisit a passage of scripture that thousands of people are studying together in a Sunday gathering or in a house church.
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:24.160
And we're just going to dig more deeply into these things, things that we didn't get to talk about enough or want to talk about more that we're wrestling with.
00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:35.920
And then we do another recording where we're just working out leadership things, being a pastor and ministry or leading stuff, and wrestling with tensions of how we live like that in our world today.
00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:41.840
So we'd love for you to like this, subscribe to it, share it with other people, enjoy the podcast.
00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:43.039
We'll see you soon.
00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.560
Hey, thanks for watching the Rethink and Return podcast.
00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:49.520
I like getting together and talking about the Bible with people.
00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:52.240
And then sometimes we'll talk about some leadership stuff too.
00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:54.399
And I love doing that with me and go.
00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:55.600
Always love being here, man.
00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:57.280
Love riding shotgun with you, bro.
00:00:57.439 --> 00:00:58.799
Man, it's been a good journey, dude.
00:00:58.880 --> 00:00:59.359
It has been.
00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:01.119
Keep doing it as long as we can.
00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:01.759
That's right.
00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:02.880
Who knows how long that is.
00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:05.680
Working our way through the word and Jesus comes back.
00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:06.560
Yeah, that's right.
00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:16.879
And uh I've I've I've loved you preaching through this series, but I think before we like before we get started, I have to point out that you have a different type of iced tea.
00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:20.159
We're gonna start editing this out.
00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:22.799
This matters to people.
00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:24.319
Well, it doesn't matter that much to me.
00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:26.560
All right, yeah.
00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:28.640
Free birds for lunch today.
00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:30.480
And it's with my son Logan.
00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:32.640
Where is the this on the T scale for you?
00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:34.799
It's not on a scale.
00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:36.079
It's just utilitarian.
00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:38.000
So yeah, it's it's liquid.
00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:39.599
What is cold brew tea?
00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:40.560
Do you have any idea what that means?
00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:46.079
Peter chapter 2, continuing today in verse 13.
00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:50.560
We are we are, thank God.
00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:52.079
Somebody's gonna want to know.
00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:59.280
Well, I want to they will be paid back with harm for the thing.
00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:01.680
So Peter, man, yes, this is this dude.
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:06.319
He keeps he's doubling down on the false teacher thing.
00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:07.920
Like it's it's just escalating.
00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:09.919
I mean, we we can't we can't miss this.
00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:10.319
Right.
00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:24.639
This dude's last words, yeah, three chapters, yeah, the whole second chapter is significant, harsh, serious about bringing false teaching into the church.
00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:25.120
Yeah.
00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:40.000
So the apostle Peter, his last letter, and he knows it's his last words, and he has three chapters, although they weren't divided into chapters then, but there were three flows of thought clearly before we somebody put them in chapters.
00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:47.039
And the dude spends one-third of that time talking about bad teaching getting into the church.
00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:47.680
That's right.
00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:59.680
You know, we'll talk about it in a minute a little bit more, but false teaching isn't, oh, we may disagree on certain theological ideas, like uh, I would say tertiary ideas.
00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:09.759
That doesn't mean unimportant ideas, but somebody may disagree on uh at what point and how is Jesus going to return.
00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:16.000
That's that for me isn't a gospel uh it's not a gospel topic.
00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:17.439
It's not a that's right.
00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:19.039
And here's what I mean by that.
00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:31.919
I don't mean that it's not a doctrine, and I don't mean it's unimportant, yeah, but it doesn't change the lordship of Jesus, the salvation of uh by Jesus through grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone.
00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:38.240
And so when we're talking about bringing doctrine into the church, that's false doctrine that Peter's talking about.
00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:44.400
We we go back to what we looked at in Galatians that Paul talked about, like protecting the purity of the gospel.
00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:45.039
That's right.
00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:56.319
And so we're not talking about here, like I I preached on it the week before, that we use the word, you know, heretic and false teacher too freely.
00:03:56.560 --> 00:04:02.719
It lets me know that the gospel, when people do that, it lets me know that the gospel isn't the central thing to them.
00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:14.080
And so for me, if it if it doesn't change, you know, the salvation of Jesus alone by grace alone through faith alone and Christ alone, right?
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:23.600
And if it doesn't change that we as his followers submit to his lordship, then you and I can have a conversation and I go, I feel comfortable that we disagree on that.
00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:27.040
I see biblically where you may be different than me.
00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:40.160
And you and I, even on some of these issues, we probably have some, you know, I don't know exactly what it would be, but if you you and I start digging down into stuff, we could probably find some edges of things that we're like, uh I respect and see why you believe that.
00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:40.959
I think differently.
00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:41.839
Yeah, that's right.
00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:49.680
And I think we have to you have to help people have discernment between, you know, what is a conviction and what is really at stake.
00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:55.120
Like, I mean, there are some things that people have convictions over that aren't necessarily a command.
00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:55.680
That's right.
00:04:55.920 --> 00:05:02.000
Like they are, you know, the some people disagree on the type of the way people are baptized.
00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:04.720
But it doesn't that doesn't undermine the gospel.
00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:09.120
And I think this is what we have to help believers to walk in that kind of discernment.
00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:15.439
Like what this sermon series has helped me do is like I you know, I haven't read Second Peter.
00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:17.360
By sermon series, you mean book of the Bible.
00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:18.720
So Book of the Bible study.
00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:28.720
This journey through the book of the Bible uh has helped me is that the the the the real power of these words is knowing the real thing.
00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:29.519
That's right.
00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:30.000
That's right.
00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:37.920
Like what makes these words, what made these things come alive for me is that it forced me to say, well, I I know the real Jesus.
00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:38.399
That's right.
00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:42.639
And if you know the real Jesus, then what he's saying, you're like, oh, I I get it.
00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:43.199
I get it.
00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:48.639
These aren't just these aren't just a bunch of words that he's trying to, he's not trying to fill a paper.
00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:51.759
Yeah, I mean he's he and he's not he's not bored.
00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:53.120
He hasn't lost his mind.
00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:54.879
It's not like a letter of senility.
00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:55.360
That's right.
00:05:55.519 --> 00:06:07.839
You know, like this guy is like he's so passionate about the church, and he knows that if you come in and you start changing the gospel, and then how he he he describes how people are doing it here.
00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:08.399
It's wild.
00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:14.160
So he he says in verse 13, the beginning of it, they will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.
00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:14.879
Who's they?
00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:15.839
Who's he talking about?
00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:20.399
Because verses one through three, he talked about false teachers.
00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:26.240
Yeah, verses four through eleven or twelve, he he talked about like angels and demons.
00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:26.959
Yeah.
00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:30.079
But now he goes back to they will be paid back with harm.
00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:32.959
He's not talking about angels and demons being paid back for harm.
00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:33.279
Right.
00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:34.879
He's going back to false teachers.
00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:35.279
Right.
00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:43.600
The whole chapter is about false teachers, he just takes a break and says, if even he didn't spare the angels when they sinned, right?
00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:46.319
He's sure not going to spare the false teachers.
00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:50.480
And now he says, They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.
00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.839
Another translation says, they'll be paid back with vengeance.
00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:56.399
So here are the questions that this verse answers.
00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:56.720
Right.
00:06:57.120 --> 00:06:59.680
Like, who will be paid back?
00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:01.040
The false teachers.
00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:03.600
Uh who will pay them back?
00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:04.639
The Lord.
00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:06.480
How will he pay them back?
00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:07.360
With harm.
00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:07.920
Yeah.
00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:09.040
Who will be paid back?
00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:09.839
False teachers.
00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:10.160
Yeah.
00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:11.360
Who will pay them back?
00:07:11.600 --> 00:07:12.079
The Lord.
00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:12.399
Yeah.
00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:13.920
And how will he pay them back?
00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:14.639
With harm.
00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:15.120
Yeah.
00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:19.519
Like with vengeance, some translations say, so here's what we need to know.
00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:21.600
God takes very, very seriously.
00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:25.120
Bringing false teaching into the church.
00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:29.360
And it's not just from a platform or a microphone.
00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:35.519
It can be a person sitting next to you in a house church that starts to do, and we'll talk about later, the people they target.
00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:36.879
It doesn't just have to be.
00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:39.600
We're not just pointing fingers at people on stages, though.
00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:40.079
Right.
00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:42.560
There's a greater accountability with that.
00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:49.360
But there's still a lot of accountability with me individually influencing other believers or non-believers.
00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:58.879
But especially here in this context, influencing believers with a false gospel, with diminishing the gospel or diluting it, changing it.
00:07:58.959 --> 00:07:59.279
Yeah.
00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:00.879
There will be payback or harm.
00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:02.000
Who does the paying back?
00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:02.879
God does.
00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:08.079
Here, you know, I was speaking with somebody this past week about a principles in the Bible.
00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:12.639
It's actually a non-believer who was talking about we were having a God conversation.
00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:12.959
Okay.
00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:14.480
I've had a lot of good conversations.
00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:16.160
We're having a God conversation.
00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:21.199
And this person's like, you know, my God is this, your God is Jesus, other people's God is Allah, whatever.
00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:25.120
And so anyway, that's where this person is in their in their God stuff.
00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:31.680
And so, but when we're having a God conversation, I said, you know, God, God works through principles in in scripture.
00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:34.879
And um, we talked about his different principles.
00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.679
One of the principles God works through is vengeance.
00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:42.480
And when it comes to the principle of vengeance, uh, here's what God says about vengeance.
00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:43.679
He said, That's mine.
00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:45.519
I'll repay.
00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:47.679
Vengeance is mine, I will repay.
00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:54.159
That's why I think it's very important for each one of us to understand the principle of vengeance.
00:08:54.320 --> 00:09:04.559
And when we step into a principle of repaying people harm for the harm they've done, we're stepping into God's work, and He's been very clear to tell us, you don't do that.
00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:13.279
I know people who step into paying harm back for the harm they've received, perceived harm or real harm.
00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:13.759
Right.
00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:15.360
And I have been tempted.
00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.159
I'm still tempted, tempted now.
00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:30.480
But if if we pay people harm back for the harm they've done, we're we're one, I think we're diminishing the the repayment they would get from the Lord because he says, I'll take care of that.
00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:32.799
But then, like, oh, you wanted to take care of that?
00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:33.279
Okay.
00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:36.480
I mean, you're limited in power, you're also limited in your vengeance.
00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:36.879
Yeah.
00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:38.480
And it doesn't work well.
00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:48.879
Whenever God does this repayment, however, he balances it with his massive grace, also with his repayment and vengeance, however, he balances it, it'll be done right.
00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:56.000
When we do it, it it and it and when God when God repays, it doesn't change his nature.
00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.519
When we repay, it affects our nature.
00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:00.080
It does.
00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:01.360
We become a different person.
00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:08.720
And so I just think whenever we see a phrase like this, we need to sort of pull the string a little bit on it and go, what what else is in there?
00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:14.000
And this is this is a principle of repayment, a principle of vengeance.
00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:16.320
And God says, I do, I do that.
00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:16.720
Yeah.
00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:18.720
I'm I'm the parent here.
00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:19.039
Yeah.
00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:21.440
I do this, I did the disciplining.
00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:24.240
Brothers and sisters, you don't discipline each other.
00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:26.000
The Lord, I will discipline you.
00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:29.039
As far as this vengeance goes, right?
00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:32.720
Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.
00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:34.799
And so we need to be very careful.
00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:37.360
And I have to remind myself of that at times.
00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:41.600
And I watch other people do it, and it it affects your nature.
00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:42.960
Who will be paid back?
00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:44.159
False teachers.
00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:45.840
Who pays them back?
00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:46.559
God will.
00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:47.919
How will he pay them back?
00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:48.960
With vengeance.
00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:49.279
Yeah.
00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:50.320
Yep.
00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:51.519
Yep.
00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:52.720
Intense stuff, man.
00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:53.679
That is intense.
00:10:53.840 --> 00:11:04.799
And I like I, you know, you said yesterday that sometimes we we have to intentionally remind ourselves to stay out of trying to play God in those.
00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:05.200
Yeah.
00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:08.399
You know, in my time on the road, I did a lot of singles measure.
00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:11.919
I met a lot of singles that all they want to do is get even with their ex.
00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:12.399
Oh wow.
00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:13.519
That was the whole thing.
00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:14.000
Yeah.
00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:16.399
You know, what and whatever way that was.
00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:21.440
And you're right, it it turned them into somebody that they weren't supposed to be.
00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:22.080
That's right.
00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:31.039
You know, so what I mean, uh how how do how does someone restrain themselves from veering into what is clearly God's territory of vengeance?
00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:38.799
Well, I mean, all of this is our ongoing sanctification with God teaching you, hey, that's mine, that's mine, that's mine, that's mine.
00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:41.679
Yeah, I mean, we just keep submitting everything to the Lord, right?
00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:42.559
That's what we're doing.
00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:43.440
We're following Him.
00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:48.320
So we're submitting our I mean, it it's not like vengeance is our only natural urge.
00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:48.639
Right.
00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:57.759
We got a lot of plenty of natural urges from overeating or over-drinking to you know sexual urges to uh greed.
00:11:57.919 --> 00:12:01.279
I mean, there's so many urges that we just have to lay down before the Lord.
00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:01.519
Yeah.
00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:04.559
And when it comes to the idea of vengeance, we just need to identify it.
00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:06.879
Oh, this is yeah, this is vengeance.
00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:07.519
Really good.
00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:11.919
Or, you know, this is gluttony, yeah, or this is greed, or this is lust.
00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:25.360
But when it comes to this is vengeance, we need to identify that and go, just like with every other urge, every other fleshly calling, we got to go, I have to take this and put it in submission to the Lord.
00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:38.960
When it comes to vengeance, and like I mean, I opened a letter today, a very encouraging letter, and um it was from someone in our body, and I I love, you know, people are so so kind, overwhelmingly.
00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:42.000
99.8% of people are very kind.
00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:47.440
And it it was talking about how this person's been encouraged here by the trial they've walked through.
00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:57.120
And um, it just mentioned like uh how they had to hold themselves back a little bit from vengeance, from the pain they've been through.
00:12:57.440 --> 00:12:58.879
Everybody's dealing with it.
00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:03.039
Yeah, all of us have been hurt by people, and we've all hurt other people.
00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:08.159
Yeah, but some of us have been hurt disproportionately, but every one of us has hurt somebody.
00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:09.679
We've hurt some people, yeah.
00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:10.080
That's right.
00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:21.120
But uh but that doesn't mean that it's been equal for for others, and there are people who would be listening to this who are like, I know I've hurt people, but others have also very significantly hurt me.
00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:30.879
And we just have to go, God is promising here, yeah, that he sees it and he takes this stuff seriously, and he's gonna take care of it.
00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:32.480
Yeah, and we've got to trust him with it.
00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:32.799
Yeah.
00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:36.000
And so it may not come in our timetable.
00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:36.879
Like we want it.
00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:37.519
It won't.
00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:46.960
Like I, you know, when he we talk about this, the the narrative that is we're all shaped by are all these like these movies where it's all about vengeance.
00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:49.120
You know, like that's that's all.
00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:50.000
Yeah, we like it.
00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:50.639
We like it.
00:13:50.720 --> 00:14:02.799
We like when the guy, you know, fights is the underdog and he he blasts his way out of the corner and you know, or he gets the bad guys, and uh but uh but it it doesn't work that way as a follower of Christ.
00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:08.480
Like you have to release and let God do it, but you also have to remember he's gonna do it in his timetable.
00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:12.960
Yeah, like it may be later than you think, it may be slower than you think.
00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:26.240
Like you we have to relax and I think the other thing that's helped me to do was to like this also knowing that God takes does the business of vengeance means that we don't have to be heresy hunters.
00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:27.039
Right?
00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:39.679
And when you put this with the false teaching thing, like it's not our role to go out and try to, you know, hunt down people and then you know, get them kicked out of a building or get them kicked off of a platform, right?
00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:41.120
I mean, doesn't that keep us out?
00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:52.080
I struggle, I struggle with that to to a degree because I do not think Peter and Paul, as they're writing about things like this, would have just sat idly by.
00:14:52.240 --> 00:15:00.639
I mean, they did it if it was in if it was in their ability within their local body, you know, they went after it and addressed it.
00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:02.720
And I do think that's important.
00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:11.360
Um, but I I do think it's also dangerous for us to step into the seat of sovereignty over that.
00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:11.840
Right.
00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:13.279
Become self-appointed.
00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:18.080
Well, to think that my job is to go find it everywhere.
00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:25.120
Because I I will say this I think everywhere there's false teaching, there are probably also true believers.
00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:30.080
And their responsibility too would be oh, we need to compare what you said to the word.
00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:32.960
Well, that that's changing the gospel.
00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:45.200
I mean, we could probably list sitting here and we won't, but we could list the names of people that we know, famous or not famous, but names of people we know who their gospel changed.
00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:46.639
Yes, that's right.
00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:48.080
Their gospel changed.
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:50.240
Not I was wearing a suit and now I'm not.
00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:52.720
Right, they're gonna have the orchestra and now we have a band.
00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:53.039
Right.
00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:53.840
I'm not talking about that.
00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:55.440
I'm talking their gospel changed.
00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:56.159
Yeah.
00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:10.559
And um, and you know, whatever local body of believers they were in either had to resist that or rebuke that, but I wasn't going driving over there, calling over there, doing that, you know what I'm saying?
00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:11.279
Right, that's right.
00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:13.840
So I I but I care about it, yeah.
00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:22.320
And I think there is this fine line, but I do think when people say, my job is to be whatever you just said, what were a heresy hunter.
00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:27.360
Yeah, I mean, I I think um, I think our job is to go build build into a local body, man.
00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:39.039
You know, go love people, go forgive people, yeah, go be faithful to people, yeah, go um serve people, go help the immature, grow in their faith, you know, go grow in the faith yourself.
00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:48.080
Um teach, use your gifts in the body, like, you know, disciple people, whatever, give like all these beautiful things we can do in our local body.
00:16:48.159 --> 00:17:04.559
Yeah, I will generally say that when when I find that people take themselves into some ministry, uh uh whatever it is out there in the whatever exosphere, like I I I find that they're they're not really prioritizing their their local body.
00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:05.039
Yeah.
00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:05.440
Wow.
00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:10.480
And you know, submission to leadership, their engagement and serving in leadership, whatever.
00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:12.640
And so, yeah, I think we can move on.
00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:21.359
But I think here we we we can't and shouldn't move past principles of vengeance, and the principle of vengeance is that's it's God's.
00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:22.160
That's right.
00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:26.160
So um here's what it goes on to say about these people.
00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:34.960
Their idea of pleasures to carouse in broad daylight, their blots and blemishes, reveling in pleasures while they feast with you.
00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:40.559
Their eyes are full of adultery, they never stop sinning, they seduce the unstable, they're experts in greed.
00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:41.440
Goodness gracious.
00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:47.440
Like these people, man, he's like, I mean, he's not using bad words here, he's just short of it.
00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:51.839
Yeah, yeah, like he's saying, he's saying the stuff about them.
00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:57.519
And the thing is, man, this is how it makes them feel when somebody changes the gospel.
00:17:57.680 --> 00:18:07.680
And again, the things that we get upset about, you know, Paul Paul was great to give us Romans 14, where he's like, look, we have disputable matters.
00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:08.240
Right.
00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:18.240
I would I'm so grateful that the greatest theologian, Paul, um, he even Peter said about Paul, Paul writes some stuff that's hard for us to understand.
00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:19.839
That's what Peter said about Paul.
00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:20.240
Right.
00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:20.880
Right.
00:18:21.119 --> 00:18:28.960
And so this great theologian Paul wrote Romans 14 and said, There are gonna be some matters that are he called them disputable.
00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:39.200
Other people call them gray at times, but they're disputable matters, meaning Paul, Paul was okay with the dispute because he even said, Some of you will say this day is sacred, some will say this.
00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:52.000
Yeah, some of you will say, I can't eat this meat because it was sold in the market uh by people who bought it from the people at the temple, and the temple was not to God.
00:18:52.240 --> 00:19:01.680
And so, you know, that's why like I remember this man in the church uh where I grew up, like he wouldn't go to a restaurant where they served alcohol in that restaurant.
00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:07.440
And I'm like, but he lived in Tyler, so that was not a problem because we were a dry county, you know.
00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:18.799
But I'm like, here he would have had to go to Taco Bell, and you can't go to a restaurant, but I'm like, I didn't share that same conviction of his, but he did, and that's what Paul has in Romans 14.
00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:20.400
We have disputable matters here.
00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:21.920
This is not about that, right?
00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:29.440
And this is not about a Christian who's not uh living exactly like you want him to, or whatever.
00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:39.440
This is about intentional, egregious, subversive, destroying the gospel in a local body.
00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:40.079
Right.
00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:49.920
And and he said, one, these people, you look at their fleshly lifestyle, and almost all of his words are about sexual sins.
00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:50.480
Yeah.
00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:55.759
Like, and and it's not talking about here, here's what he says.
00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:56.720
Here's the difference.
00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:00.000
Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight.
00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:03.039
Yeah now, these are people, here's what's happened.
00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:08.799
It's not somebody who like, I struggled with uh sexual temptation today or whatever.
00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:12.720
These people are carousing in broad daylight.
00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:16.079
Like they have taken a sin that used to be, like I said yesterday.
00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:16.400
Yeah.
00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:19.200
Here's the progression of moral decay in a society.
00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:19.440
Right.
00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:21.119
Essentially four four steps.
00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:21.599
That's right.
00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:22.160
I wrote this down.
00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:22.880
I wanted to add it.
00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:26.079
It's I start individually hiding my sin.
00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:31.119
I mean, everybody's done it, but some people continue living in it without repentance.
00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:36.640
And then what they do is they go to the next step and they gather with others who are also hiding that sin.
00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:40.960
That's the next step of social moral decay, societal moral decay.
00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:41.519
Yeah.
00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:43.599
Individuals hiding their sin.
00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:43.839
Yeah.
00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:44.960
Not surprising.
00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:45.279
Right.
00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:49.599
Getting together with other people who are also hiding the sins, not surprising.
00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:51.599
Then these people get courage.
00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:52.079
Yeah.
00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:55.599
They get affirmation from one another, as Romans 1 says we will.
00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:56.160
That's right.
00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:01.839
Like we start, it says we don't only do these things, we approve of others who are doing them as well.
00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:02.400
That's right.
00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:07.119
And then Paul was like, when it comes to teaching, it's going to be the same progression.
00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:10.559
You're going to, they're going to get people around them who approve of them.
00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:15.440
So doing it on my own in the dark, getting with other people hiding it.
00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:17.680
Now we've all affirmed each other enough.
00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:19.200
We're going to bring it into the broad daylight.
00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:19.759
That's right.
00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:27.599
And now you're having culture where what used to be hidden and heinous is now we're proud of this sin.
00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:27.839
Yeah.
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:34.799
And then the goal is now all of you must affirm my sin, even if you don't join in it with me.
00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:37.039
That's social moral decay.
00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:40.799
And we're, we're, we're, we're between steps three and four here.
00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:41.519
Yeah, that's right.
00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:48.960
I mean, the things that were heinous 40, 50, 60 years ago are now carousing in broad daylight.
00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:53.279
And so these teachers were they were living just like the world.
00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:56.480
They were living sexually just like the world.
00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:58.480
They were reveling in pleasures.
00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:58.720
Yeah.
00:21:58.960 --> 00:21:59.519
And it says.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.359
While they feast with you.
00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:01.839
Yeah.
00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:12.960
My life out here is exactly like the world, but inside the church, I'm going to try to be with you, live with you in the church, and now I'm going to bring all that in here.
00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:14.559
That's what Peter's talking about.
00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:27.519
I mean, like I wrote all this down when you were talking, because I thought that that process of societal decay, and then I think it's also when you think about the churches that have gotten caught up in that slide.
00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:28.480
And denominations.
00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:35.839
And denominations that have lowered the moral bar and thought, oh, we're going to be so accepting and approving that's going to make our church grow.
00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:36.319
Oh, yeah.
00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:38.079
And it's done the exact opposite.
00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:39.359
It's killed the body.
00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:44.559
It's killed the body, but even God forbid that church does grow, which they usually don't.
00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:45.039
Right.
00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:49.680
I mean, statistically, when a church capitulates to culture, it is beginning to die.
00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:50.079
Yeah.
00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:51.839
I mean, that that is true.
00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:52.319
Right.
00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:52.720
That is true.
00:22:53.279 --> 00:23:02.720
Now there are some present exceptions that we see and watch with horror and wonder, well, how are they continuing to grow?
00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:04.880
But I digress a little on that.
00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:09.519
But yeah, when when churches do make that slide, they generally start to die.
00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:10.000
Good.
00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:10.319
Yeah.
00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:10.640
Good.
00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:11.039
I'm glad.
00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:11.680
Right, good.
00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:11.920
Yeah.
00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:13.279
They take themselves out.
00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:31.039
And the other thing I thought about is that with most false religions, like the all this emphasis on the immorality, most false religions in some way have a way of elevating immoral immoral practices within their own system.
00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:39.920
Well, I mean, you know, like uh uh, you know, uh some religions uh uh uh you know uh allow multiple wives.
00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:40.480
Okay.
00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:47.440
You know, some religions uh as part of their practice, there's sexual, there's immorality as part of their practice.
00:23:47.839 --> 00:24:01.440
And it seems like that when you think about false teachers uh in the societal decay, that when you venture out into other religions, yeah, in some way that there's there's m immoral compromise, there's sexual compromise.
00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:06.319
Biblical morality has been adjusted in that in that belief system.
00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:07.279
Yeah, yeah.
00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:19.680
And uh, I mean, well, they were dealing with it, they had temple prostitutes where honey, I'm going to lunch into the temple, gonna pay my temple tax and have sex with a prostitute to give worship to whatever.
00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:24.559
I mean, and they yeah, I mean, these people were getting that psycho, man.
00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:31.440
And here and it says this in it in the end of verse 14, or in verse 14, they seduce the unstable.
00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:32.720
Yeah.
00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:36.160
So here's what Peter really hated.
00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:42.880
That and he says later, in a couple of verses later, that they're they're gonna go after the new believers.
00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:47.279
So they're going after unstable and new.
00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:52.319
New are also unstable, but you also have people who are unstable who are not new.
00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:52.559
Yeah.
00:24:52.799 --> 00:25:01.759
Like you have people who, you know, when I was eight, I became a follower of Jesus Christ, which is my story, but then they they never they never grew.
00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:09.680
They never grew in their knowledge of Jesus, they never continued to submit their life to the Lord, they never lived in submission to his lordship.
00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:10.400
You know what I'm saying?
00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:10.960
All these things.
00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:11.759
Yeah.
00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:16.640
And so uh they're unstable.
00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:19.519
They don't know the word, they don't have a foundation.
00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:28.240
And so there are there are a lot of Christians because we we had decades in the church where people weren't getting taught doctrine.
00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:28.720
Yeah.
00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:34.559
You know, we had decades where like that's right, you'd go, you'd go to church on a Sunday and it would be for a seeker, yeah.
00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:38.799
And there was nothing, there was nothing solid taught.
00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:39.119
Wow.
00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:48.960
And so the church for for decades went through this anemic theological uh preparation.
00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:54.480
And so people didn't know the word, they didn't need the word when they gathered as a body.
00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:56.880
Nobody was really teaching the word to them.
00:25:57.200 --> 00:26:03.759
And so, I mean, you know that you'd be on the road and you'd preach, people would be like, You're the Bible guy because you preach from the Bible.
00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:12.640
It was sad because that was, you know, most speakers always had some sort of salacious hook, some crazy story or something they grew up in out of.
00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:17.119
And mine was people are like, We like it because when you come here, you you use the Bible.
00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:17.759
Imagine.
00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:18.079
Right?
00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:20.720
You exegete scripture, and I was doing that for students.
00:26:20.799 --> 00:26:27.519
They didn't know that's what I was doing, but that's what I was just taking verses and walking through them in a relevant way.
00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:31.839
And people would recognize that and say, We like having you come to our church.
00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:34.400
Yeah, because you use the Bible when you're here.
00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:37.119
Well, thank God, you know, we we do that here.
00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:37.759
That's right.
00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:41.200
And and people learn how to teach themselves the word and we teach the word.
00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:52.480
But the people who are unstable, I I just think it's a warning to uh, you know, somebody that I'm personally right now walking through them with their relationship with the Lord, growing in their faith.
00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:58.319
I'm having to help this person understand you're you're more unstable than you realize.
00:26:58.400 --> 00:26:58.640
Yeah.
00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:09.759
And so you have real passion of faith, but your foundation for making decisions, yeah, for building a future on it's still not, it's still not developed.
00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:10.160
Yeah.
00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:14.880
And so we have to help you get a broader, firmer foundation of faith.
00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:19.440
Yeah, you have to understand the word differently and more deeply than you do right now.
00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:28.160
And so I you're in a dangerous position when you're unstable, meaning I'm a believer, but I I'm not I'm I'm not formed.
00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:28.559
Yeah.
00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:31.279
And so, I mean, the concrete hasn't really hardened.
00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:31.519
Yeah.
00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:41.119
And so these that's well, that's where Satan himself will use a false teacher to come in and change how you feel about God.
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:44.000
And so it goes on to verse 15.
00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:46.640
These people they left the straight way.
00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:52.480
And I said yesterday, God has every right to say what is right and wrong.
00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:58.400
And that that statement that I just made is a flashpoint.
00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:05.599
Like, yeah, it's a cultural flashpoint, and it's a per it's a personal flash point, too, that we have to answer for ourselves.
00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:10.720
Does God have every right to say what is right or wrong in my life?
00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:11.039
Yeah.
00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:13.680
Like, have I given him that right?
00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:16.000
Have I submitted that right to him?
00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:18.640
Or do I still do I still hold that right in my life?
00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:21.519
God, you you get to decide what's right and wrong.
00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:25.440
I mean, he's already told us in his word what's right and what's wrong.
00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:29.039
And you know, yesterday I'm like, let's set this theological premise aside.
00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:29.200
Right.
00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:34.160
And let's just go to the philosophical premise of who determines what is right and wrong.
00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:38.559
Like he he said they're here, they've left the straight way or the right way, the correct way.
00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:44.559
Like, if if somebody else decides who is right and wrong, who who is that?
00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:44.880
Yeah.
00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:46.559
I mean, there's eight and a half billion people.
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:47.039
Right.
00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:56.799
You talked about when individuals decide they're they're gonna decide what's if anybody but God does it then land on every individual decides what is right.
00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:07.839
And like, if if we if we just honestly if somebody who's like God doesn't decide what's right for me, I'm like, okay, then do we all, do you decide what's right for you and me for me?
00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:11.680
Is this right completely relevant for every individual?
00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:15.839
Do we have the autonomy to determine what is right and wrong?
00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:21.359
And if so, if we just break that down a minute, it leads to mad chaos in the world.
00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:21.839
Yeah.
00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:38.400
And then and there's no basis for order, there's no basis for law, there's no basis for judgment, because we have all determined what was right in our own eyes, which by the way, scripture says that about people in the Old Testament before their judgment, each one determined what was right in their own eyes.
00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:44.160
And so if it's not an individual who does it, then is it a culture?
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:45.519
Is it a government?
00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:47.599
There's some nasty governments out there.
00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:47.839
Yeah.
00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:52.319
I mean, is it uh is it like a moment in time?
00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:56.079
And is that moment in time true for this people group, but not this people group?
00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:58.160
I mean, it really breaks down really quickly.
00:29:58.319 --> 00:30:03.599
Either God determines what is right, yeah, or what else does.
00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:11.200
And so when Peter here says they've left the straight way, we need to realize there is a way that we're called to walk.
00:30:11.440 --> 00:30:12.960
Scripture talks about that way a lot.
00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:16.240
It calls it a path, and it calls it a way.
00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:18.880
Like this is the way that you should walk in.
00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:25.119
And so it's all throughout scripture: Old Testament, New Testament, beautiful through the Psalms, beautiful through the stories.
00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:27.759
Like this is the way, walk in it.
00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:28.559
Right.
00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:39.039
Well, I mean, I I think this is a you know a call for every person to, even Christians, to examine themselves of what they're how they're deciding what is right.
00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:39.519
That's right.
00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:43.359
You still have people that love Jesus go, hey, I'm gonna do what's right for me.
00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:43.920
That's right.
00:30:44.079 --> 00:30:47.279
You know, and it is it's a discipleship issue and a lordship issue.
00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:53.839
I'm gonna in other words, I'm gonna I'm gonna let God define right regardless of what it costs me.
00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:58.559
I'm gonna let Him say this is what's right, and I'm gonna I'm gonna align my life with that.
00:30:58.799 --> 00:31:06.640
That's right, regardless of the cost, even if it cuts into my comfort and my own whatever I'm doing, my calendar and my comfort.
00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:06.960
Yeah.
00:31:07.119 --> 00:31:09.920
And I'm I'm I'm gonna do what God defines is right.
00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:15.359
Because you said, you know, there's chaos if individuals do it, if cultures do it, if governments do it.
00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:15.839
Yeah.
00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:20.559
I mean, you can just logically think about the fallout of that.
00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:24.799
And you know, when you said we don't we don't create our own way.
00:31:25.039 --> 00:31:25.440
Yeah.
00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:26.480
Jesus is the way.
00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:27.519
Jesus is the way.
00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:29.680
I mean, he did say, follow me.
00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:30.480
That's right.
00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:31.200
That's right.
00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:36.160
And so John 12, 26, Jesus said, Whoever serves me must follow me.
00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:39.039
John 14, 6, I am the way.
00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:44.559
And I I like to say, we don't just follow the ways of Jesus, we follow Jesus as the way.
00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:45.200
That's right.
00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:50.319
We do follow the ways of Jesus, but you can actually follow some of the ways of Jesus without following Jesus.
00:31:50.640 --> 00:31:50.960
That's right.
00:31:51.039 --> 00:31:51.359
That's true.
00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:53.920
And so we we must say both.
00:31:54.079 --> 00:32:02.000
We must say, because if we say we follow Jesus as the way, but we don't follow his ways, Jesus would say, What?
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:04.720
Yeah, why would you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I say?
00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:05.359
Right.
00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:07.839
And so, like, both have to be true.
00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:11.759
We follow the ways of Jesus and we follow Jesus as the way.
00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:16.240
And so we are not making our own way, we're followers.
00:32:16.319 --> 00:32:16.559
Yeah.
00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:20.400
I don't like to follow in most things in life, it goes against my nature.
00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:25.680
When it comes to Jesus, what he's taught us, we are followers.
00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:26.000
Yeah.
00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:32.079
And so we'll go on, verse 19.
00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:36.000
These people, they promise freedom.
00:32:37.119 --> 00:32:40.000
But they themselves are slaves of depravity.
00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:42.559
So they're promising freedom.
00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:48.880
What they're doing is they're creating new definitions and new ways for freedom.
00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:56.240
I I think the way that Peter here is trying to say is um, hey, look, you're gonna be a slave to something.
00:32:56.319 --> 00:32:58.799
Here's how Paul said it in Romans 6.16.
00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:11.519
Don't you know that when you offer yourself to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, whether you're slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness.
00:33:12.240 --> 00:33:20.319
So, and then he goes on two verses later, Romans 6.18, you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:24.640
So we're either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness.
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:25.039
Right.
00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:26.960
You said you're a slave to whatever you obey.
00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:27.680
That's right.
00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:32.240
And then you did that quote that that I know we grew up with in student ministry.
00:33:32.400 --> 00:33:32.559
Yeah.
00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:34.000
But I think it's worth repeating.
00:33:34.319 --> 00:33:35.920
Yeah, I wish I knew.
00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:38.720
I wish I knew who originally said it.
00:33:38.799 --> 00:33:40.000
I I've read it somewhere.
00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:46.720
Like there was a there was like a uh an originator of this before it got real contemporary with us.
00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:47.519
It was it was great.
00:33:47.680 --> 00:33:50.799
I knew about it in the old Billy Beecham uh design.
00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:51.279
Right?
00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:52.720
But I think they got it from somewhere.
00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:53.599
They probably did.
00:33:53.839 --> 00:33:55.279
Yeah, but I mean I'm glad they brought it in.
00:33:55.519 --> 00:34:05.359
They they but uh where I read the original thing at some point, I was sure it was like a for me, it was an austere uh you know theologian whose name I hadn't heard before.
00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:05.839
Right.
00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:13.440
But it was sin will take you farther than you want to go, it'll make you stay longer than you want to pay, and it'll make you pay more than you want to pay.
00:34:13.679 --> 00:34:14.159
That's right.
00:34:14.400 --> 00:34:19.280
And farther than you want to go, longer than you want to stay, costs you more than you want to pay.
00:34:19.840 --> 00:34:30.000
And you know, I mean, I I think sometimes some things become so repetitive that they lose their power, but this this is completely true.
00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:37.199
Yeah, like if if you become a slave to sin, like Paul said here in that verse I quoted, it's gonna lead to death.
00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:39.280
Like it's gonna destroy things in your life.
00:34:39.360 --> 00:34:43.920
Yeah, or you can be a slave to obedience, that's right, and that leads to righteousness.
00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:44.400
Yeah.
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:49.039
So it's just better to go, Jesus, I'll follow your way.
00:34:49.280 --> 00:34:49.599
Yeah.
00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:52.880
I mean, if you want to go follow your own way, he'll let you.
00:34:54.159 --> 00:34:57.599
Uh but he doesn't want you to because it's not it's not best.
00:34:57.760 --> 00:34:58.079
Yeah.
00:34:58.320 --> 00:35:02.960
Well, scripture says there is a way that seems right to man, but whose end is destruction.
00:35:03.199 --> 00:35:03.360
Right.
00:35:03.599 --> 00:35:09.599
Like it seems like, oh, this is the I'm gonna go the easy way, the convenient way, and it leads you right into a dead end.
00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:11.119
That's right every time, you know.
00:35:11.280 --> 00:35:16.800
And like you said, all these promises of the path like Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, and he will make your path straight.
00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:17.440
That's right.
00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:23.920
Is you you trust in him to lean your own understanding and all in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.
00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:30.800
I mean, this is the you know, the call to walk in the way with Jesus as the way of our life.
00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:31.360
Yeah.
00:35:31.519 --> 00:35:34.320
You know, I thought that I mean I thought that was powerful.
00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:47.920
Well, it is powerful, and the the the verse is telling us here if you don't do that, you know, I mean you're gonna be enticed into that because people are gonna promise you you're more free out here.
00:35:48.079 --> 00:35:52.639
But Peter's trying to tell you, don't, it's you're not, you're not more free out there.
00:35:52.800 --> 00:36:00.079
And the idea here is they're saying, hey, look, this is how it's presented today from teachers.
00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:04.559
It is, hey man, God loves you and God wants you to be happy.
00:36:04.639 --> 00:36:08.880
Yeah, and there's no way he would have given you those desires if he didn't want you to fulfill them.
00:36:09.119 --> 00:36:09.199
Right.
00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:15.760
So don't resist the good that God has offered you and the desires that he placed in your heart.
00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:19.280
Enjoy what he's given you because God is good and that's what he does.
00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:22.400
Like this is it, he it's saying here, they promise you freedom.
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:22.800
Yeah.
00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:23.920
That's so subtle, man.
00:36:26.719 --> 00:36:28.559
And we need to be alert to that.
00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:33.440
And then it gets into some wild theological, potentially theological stuff.
00:36:33.760 --> 00:36:38.639
If they've escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the beginning of verse 20.
00:36:38.719 --> 00:36:38.880
Yeah.
00:36:39.360 --> 00:36:42.559
He does say if there, which I do like, and that gets into things later.
00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:51.039
If they have, if they've escaped the corruption, which by the way, we do see just such a beautiful expression of God's grace here.
00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:55.440
Escaped corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:36:55.599 --> 00:36:57.840
You've escaped corruption of the world.
00:36:58.320 --> 00:36:59.599
And how did you do that?
00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:00.800
By knowing Jesus.
00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:01.199
Yeah.
00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:03.039
By knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus.
00:37:03.119 --> 00:37:03.280
Yeah.
00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:10.639
And so, like, one of the great gifts that comes along with our salvation is man, you get to escape the corruption of the world.
00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:10.880
Yeah.
00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:15.039
That's why Peter's like, if you go back, right, why would you go back?
00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:15.280
Yeah.
00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:18.320
You got you were you were set free from that.
00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:18.559
Yeah.
00:37:18.719 --> 00:37:27.199
So if you've been escaped the corruption of the world, and then he says in verse 20, the end of verse 20, and again become entangled, you're worse off than at the beginning.
00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:27.599
Yeah.
00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:33.199
It would have been better for you to not have known the way righteousness than to know it, and then to turn your back on it.
00:37:35.920 --> 00:37:37.360
That's that's that's heavy.
00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:39.039
Yeah, that's right.
00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:41.360
Well, I mean, this is the warning of Hebrews.
00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:47.840
Like having tasted of the salvation, the writer says, Why would you want to go back to this old system?
00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:48.239
That's right.
00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:49.199
Like this, you know.
00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:57.360
This is I like one of the things I love about these guys, uh, Paul and Peter and all of them, is that they all saw this coming.
00:37:57.760 --> 00:37:58.159
That's right.
00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:02.239
You know, I mean, Paul was smart enough to go, I got to get on this.
00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:04.320
I got to start writing about these false teachers.
00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:09.760
Peter was in his this last dying breath was saying, listen, don't go down that road.
00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:22.880
I'm telling you, these people are gonna try to infiltrate the church and talk you into some other way, and you'll be worse off if you go having tasted of the Lord and then ended up there.
00:38:23.039 --> 00:38:36.320
Like this reminded me of there's a there's a I won't say it was, but there's a at one time a famous TV evangelist and who was who is still to this day off the rails, like is lost his way.
00:38:36.400 --> 00:38:43.519
But I read his biography, and this guy had a real encounter with the Lord, like he had a real salvation experience.
00:38:43.920 --> 00:38:51.280
But when you read his biography and you look at where he ended up, yeah, you have to go, man, this guy is is worse off.
00:38:51.519 --> 00:38:53.119
I mean, this is what he's talking about.
00:38:53.199 --> 00:39:04.800
Yeah, he went down this path of false teaching and leading and and teaching it to other people, yeah, and is in a worse place than he would if he just stayed out of it.
00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:11.599
Well, and the tension is the the real question is can somebody lose what they once received by grace, yeah.
00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:29.840
And um when we look at all of scripture together, you know, we we have this here in 2 Peter and we have the verse in Hebrews that make people go, okay, this leads me to ask the question can I lose what God graciously gave me?
00:39:29.920 --> 00:39:30.400
Yeah.
00:39:30.719 --> 00:39:38.639
But then we have all this preponderance of evidence in scripture that tells us what happened when we received salvation.
00:39:38.719 --> 00:39:39.119
Yeah.
00:39:39.360 --> 00:39:46.239
We have first how we receive salvation, Ephesians 2, 8.9, it's by grace you've been saved through faith.
00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:54.239
It's not of yourselves, it's a gift of God, not by your works, or your your own goodness can be included in that, yeah, so that no one can boast.
00:39:54.400 --> 00:39:56.480
So we received it by grace alone.
00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:05.440
I mean, we didn't earn it, we didn't do good enough, we didn't get smart enough, we didn't get wise enough, we didn't we didn't stop doing enough bad and do enough good.
00:40:05.599 --> 00:40:05.920
Right.
00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:07.280
We got it by grace.
00:40:07.440 --> 00:40:09.039
So we got our salvation by grace.
00:40:09.199 --> 00:40:15.440
When when we got our salvation, the Bible says that he put his spirit into our hearts.
00:40:15.519 --> 00:40:15.840
Yeah.
00:40:16.159 --> 00:40:18.639
He put his spirit into our hearts.
00:40:19.920 --> 00:40:21.039
I mean, that's a big deal.
00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:24.960
And then the Bible says that he sealed us with that spirit.
00:40:25.119 --> 00:40:25.360
Yeah.
00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:25.920
That's right.
00:40:26.079 --> 00:40:32.000
And then it says that that sealing with the spirit is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.
00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:36.000
And then it says that deposit is kept in heaven for us.
00:40:36.159 --> 00:40:36.480
Yeah.
00:40:36.719 --> 00:40:39.760
And then Jesus said, No one can take you from my hand.
00:40:39.920 --> 00:40:42.000
Then he said, I'm adopting you.
00:40:42.239 --> 00:40:45.199
You were a creation, now you're a child, I'm adopting you.
00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:47.760
And when you're adopted, I'm gonna change your name.
00:40:47.840 --> 00:40:48.159
Yeah.
00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:52.880
And I'm gonna write your name in my book, and I'm gonna also write it on my hand.
00:40:52.960 --> 00:40:53.280
Yeah.
00:40:53.519 --> 00:40:56.079
And so all these other things and more.
00:40:56.239 --> 00:40:56.400
Yeah.
00:40:56.639 --> 00:41:01.920
All these other things have happened when we received salvation by grace.
00:41:02.320 --> 00:41:04.480
So, what do we do with this verse?
00:41:04.639 --> 00:41:05.760
Well, I would say a couple things.
00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:12.000
Number one, we we thank God for this overwhelming salvation and all that came along with it.
00:41:12.400 --> 00:41:17.760
We just remember, when we have a question, let's go back to what the gospel is teaching us and just thank Him for it.
00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:18.719
Number one.
00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:24.159
Number two, we should take very seriously our salvation.
00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:25.119
That's right.
00:41:25.360 --> 00:41:29.760
Like, and part of that is our rescue from the corruption of the world.
00:41:30.880 --> 00:41:34.559
Like we it's a gift that we escape the corruption of the world.
00:41:34.639 --> 00:41:34.960
Yeah.
00:41:35.280 --> 00:41:39.440
So we don't do it with pride, but only with gratitude and humility, but seriousness.
00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:41.199
We escape that corruption.
00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:48.239
And and then I think we need to see what Peter was saying here.
00:41:48.400 --> 00:41:50.000
If all this is true, what was he saying?
00:41:50.079 --> 00:41:53.440
And he he he he clean he cleans it up, I think, pretty well in verse 22.
00:41:53.760 --> 00:41:54.159
Yep.
00:41:54.400 --> 00:41:56.079
Of them the proverbs are true.
00:41:56.239 --> 00:42:01.599
A dog returns to its vomit, and a sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.
00:42:01.760 --> 00:42:04.239
Like uh he used dog and pig hair.
00:42:04.400 --> 00:42:09.599
And when he used dog, it wasn't the way that we see dogs.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:10.079
Right.
00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:16.559
Like last year, they sold more dog strollers in Japan than people strollers.
00:42:16.880 --> 00:42:17.519
Wow.
00:42:18.159 --> 00:42:21.440
Yeah, I mean, not a whole lot of procreation going on there.
00:42:21.679 --> 00:42:22.960
No, that's a fun fact.
00:42:23.119 --> 00:42:29.280
That's a fun fact, and so like people are like, you know, leaving things to their dogs and their wills, man.
00:42:29.440 --> 00:42:30.079
Yeah.
00:42:30.639 --> 00:42:31.599
Psycho.
00:42:31.840 --> 00:42:36.559
And so I'm sorry if you're listening to this and you do that, I called it psycho, but I think it's psycho, man.
00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:40.400
If you refer to your dogs as your children, also psycho.
00:42:41.119 --> 00:42:41.440
Okay.
00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:46.400
Well, we're talking about dogs because Peter here is talking about a dog.
00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:47.440
Yeah, right.
00:42:47.760 --> 00:42:51.760
And he wasn't talking about a dog in the way that we talk about our cute pets.
00:42:51.920 --> 00:42:52.079
Yeah.
00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:56.800
Like he says here, a dog which not pets then.
00:42:56.960 --> 00:42:57.519
Not like this.
00:42:57.760 --> 00:42:58.480
Yeah, not yeah.
00:42:58.639 --> 00:42:59.039
That's right.
00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:02.960
They weren't regarded in the way that we are regarding them in the West today.
00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:03.599
Yeah.
00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:12.239
I mean, go to some countries with me, and there are dogs that I think were probably the picture that Peter was picking when he said this here.
00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:12.559
Yeah.
00:43:12.800 --> 00:43:17.760
Like nasty, mangy street dog, get away from me.
00:43:18.559 --> 00:43:19.360
We don't have a pet.
00:43:19.519 --> 00:43:20.800
We're not taking care of that.
00:43:20.960 --> 00:43:21.280
Right.
00:43:21.519 --> 00:43:25.360
That kind of a dog returns to its vomit.
00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:30.079
And by the way, clean dogs or mangy dogs are all doing the same thing.
00:43:30.239 --> 00:43:30.719
Right.
00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:32.480
And that's what he's saying here.
00:43:32.719 --> 00:43:34.480
A dog returns to his vomit.
00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:39.039
And then he said, a sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.
00:43:39.280 --> 00:43:39.679
Wow.
00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:44.079
So he's like, no matter what, it's still a sow.
00:43:44.239 --> 00:43:45.280
It's still a dog.
00:43:45.679 --> 00:43:46.800
I mean, it's still a pig.
00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:47.199
Yeah.
00:43:47.360 --> 00:43:50.239
I got some random printer going off over there.
00:43:50.320 --> 00:43:51.360
I don't know what's going on.
00:43:51.599 --> 00:43:52.639
It's still a pig.
00:43:52.880 --> 00:43:55.039
Like you couldn't take the pig out of the pig.
00:43:55.199 --> 00:43:55.440
Right.
00:43:55.679 --> 00:43:58.239
The nature the nature never changed.
00:43:58.800 --> 00:44:03.599
And so You looked better for a little bit, but your nature never changed.
00:44:03.679 --> 00:44:05.920
And here's what Peter's saying here, I believe.
00:44:06.880 --> 00:44:09.440
You got under this umbrella of Christianity.
00:44:09.599 --> 00:44:15.440
You you heard it, you tasted it, you got close enough to taste and smell it and touch it.
00:44:15.760 --> 00:44:18.719
And you started living in it for a little while.
00:44:18.800 --> 00:44:26.000
You started following the customs and getting the language and getting the teachings and living in the community, but your nature never changed.
00:44:26.159 --> 00:44:26.239
Right.
00:44:26.400 --> 00:44:32.239
And when it came down to it, you went back to the mud and you went back to the vomit.
00:44:32.480 --> 00:44:39.199
That's why, you know, 1 John says they went out, 1 John 2.19, they went up from us, but they did not really belong to us.
00:44:39.280 --> 00:44:45.280
For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us, but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
00:44:45.519 --> 00:44:50.639
And so I do believe Peter here is saying the nature never changed, man.
00:44:50.800 --> 00:44:53.280
And here's why he said you're worse off.
00:44:53.519 --> 00:44:57.920
Because you got into this thing, but it didn't have enough power to change your nature.
00:44:58.159 --> 00:44:58.480
Right.
00:44:58.639 --> 00:45:02.960
And so when you go back, you're going to be like, I already tried the Christianity thing, it didn't work for me.
00:45:03.039 --> 00:45:03.199
Yeah.
00:45:03.440 --> 00:45:05.039
That's because your nature didn't change.
00:45:05.679 --> 00:45:09.840
You never submitted your will to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
00:45:10.239 --> 00:45:15.360
You just mentally ascended to this idea, but your will never came under submission to his will.
00:45:15.519 --> 00:45:16.239
You know what I'm saying?
00:45:16.480 --> 00:45:22.159
Well, you uh you said yesterday, you know, you you followed in your mind, but your your will never followed.
00:45:22.400 --> 00:45:22.719
That's right.
00:45:22.880 --> 00:45:22.960
Right?
00:45:23.119 --> 00:45:23.920
Like you agreed to it.
00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:30.000
This is where a lot of people, oh, I I agree with all this stuff, but they never really accepted it or adopted it as their own.
00:45:30.079 --> 00:45:30.880
It didn't become personal.
00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:42.239
Like when you said that, it made me think of when Jesus talked about talks about judgment day, he says, Many on that day will say, Lord, Lord, did we not say all these things and do all these great things?
00:45:42.320 --> 00:45:43.760
And you'll say, I never knew you.
00:45:43.840 --> 00:45:47.519
Like you knew me with your mind, but yeah, I know you through your heart.
00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:48.480
I never knew your heart.
00:45:48.719 --> 00:45:49.039
Yeah.
00:45:49.440 --> 00:45:49.760
Yeah.
00:45:50.079 --> 00:45:51.039
Sad and scary.
00:45:51.119 --> 00:45:57.440
And yeah, and I and I don't I don't know that the intention of that sh is to scare us.
00:45:57.519 --> 00:45:58.079
Maybe though.
00:45:58.159 --> 00:46:01.280
I mean, Jesus said that it's super serious.
00:46:02.239 --> 00:46:05.760
But I do hear believe that Peter's trying to let us know.
00:46:06.320 --> 00:46:09.039
There are people who came close to this and looked like it.
00:46:09.199 --> 00:46:09.840
Yeah.
00:46:10.159 --> 00:46:13.440
Um but their nature never changed and they went away.
00:46:13.599 --> 00:46:15.840
And now they're like, Christianity's not for me.
00:46:15.920 --> 00:46:16.639
I tried it.
00:46:16.719 --> 00:46:16.880
Yeah.
00:46:17.039 --> 00:46:18.159
And it wasn't that powerful.
00:46:18.320 --> 00:46:18.719
It's not.
00:46:18.800 --> 00:46:22.719
The rules aren't powerful, the language isn't powerful, the customs aren't powerful.
00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:28.079
What's powerful is when I believe, like John one says, I believe and I receive.
00:46:28.239 --> 00:46:30.480
I fully believe in this and I receive it.
00:46:30.639 --> 00:46:36.480
You believe in it because man, I am, I know that I am broken and I need some rescue.
00:46:36.559 --> 00:46:36.800
Yeah.
00:46:36.960 --> 00:46:39.599
And I am beyond thinking that I can do it myself.
00:46:39.840 --> 00:46:40.079
Right.
00:46:40.239 --> 00:46:45.840
And so I'm not trying to look like this or act like I'm just in desperate need of a rescue.
00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:46.239
Yes.
00:46:46.480 --> 00:46:48.159
From the grace of God Himself.
00:46:48.320 --> 00:46:50.559
I believe in you and I receive you, Jesus.
00:46:50.719 --> 00:46:52.159
There's no other way to be saved.
00:46:52.400 --> 00:46:56.880
He sends a spirit into our spirit, and that's where life transformation begins.
00:46:57.039 --> 00:47:01.840
And Peter's saying, these people didn't get there, and they went back, and now they're worse off.
00:47:02.000 --> 00:47:02.320
Yeah.
00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:02.639
N.
00:47:02.960 --> 00:47:03.039
T.
00:47:03.199 --> 00:47:07.440
Wright, oh, the quote is included in our notes from Trace.
00:47:07.599 --> 00:47:24.719
Uh NT Wright said, There is a particular sorrow, a kind of ironic horror about people who have come close enough to Christian faith and life to discover the way of genuine holiness, but who then decide it's too hard and head off in the opposite direction.
00:47:24.960 --> 00:47:30.159
And for such, Peter chooses a harsh old proverb call a spade a spade.
00:47:30.559 --> 00:47:33.679
Don't disguise the nasty reality with fine words.
00:47:33.920 --> 00:47:40.960
What's going on here is like a dog being sick in the street and then coming back to eat it all up again.
00:47:41.199 --> 00:47:42.320
Disgusting?
00:47:42.639 --> 00:47:44.239
Yes, precisely.
00:47:44.480 --> 00:47:46.159
That's why Peter says it.
00:47:46.400 --> 00:47:48.800
Time for a reality check, is what N.T.
00:47:48.960 --> 00:47:49.599
Wright said.
00:47:50.239 --> 00:47:50.559
Strong.
00:47:50.880 --> 00:47:55.599
So yeah, I mean the thing is though, we are faced with the reality of all these people who grew up in church.
00:47:55.679 --> 00:47:55.920
Yeah.
00:47:56.079 --> 00:47:58.400
And then they walk away and they're living way away from the Lord.
00:47:58.480 --> 00:47:59.760
And we're like, what happened, man?
00:47:59.840 --> 00:48:00.000
Yeah.
00:48:00.159 --> 00:48:00.559
What happened?
00:48:00.639 --> 00:48:02.400
And were they, did they lose their salvation?
00:48:02.480 --> 00:48:08.159
No, they their will were never connected to the will of God.
00:48:08.320 --> 00:48:10.800
Their spirit never submitted to the spirit of God.
00:48:11.199 --> 00:48:15.760
And so, yeah, they had your answers in Sunday school, but it never got from here to here.
00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:17.760
Their nature never changed.
00:48:17.920 --> 00:48:19.039
I think that's what Peter's saying.
00:48:19.280 --> 00:48:19.679
I do too.
00:48:19.760 --> 00:48:28.960
I and I think that's why he ends this section with that by like yesterday when you said a dog is doing what it's what's in its nature.
00:48:29.119 --> 00:48:32.559
Like that's his point that the sow is doing what you like.
00:48:32.639 --> 00:48:39.039
You can put lipstick on it, you can dress it up and put a funny sweater on your dog, put a Christian t-shirt on it, but it's still a dog.
00:48:39.119 --> 00:48:39.519
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:48:39.679 --> 00:48:41.119
And it's gonna do what a dog does.
00:48:41.199 --> 00:48:41.519
Yeah, yeah.
00:48:41.760 --> 00:48:42.719
And I thought it was interesting.
00:48:42.800 --> 00:48:57.840
I thought we didn't really touch on it, but you got these two animals that are doing what's in their nature, and then you had him reference Balaam's donkey who took on the nature and you know, and spoke out of the nature of the Lord to this guy.
00:48:58.079 --> 00:48:59.039
Yeah, that's wild, isn't it?
00:48:59.360 --> 00:49:02.480
You got these two these two animal references, you know.
00:49:02.639 --> 00:49:04.000
I just thought that was so interesting.
00:49:04.239 --> 00:49:05.440
Yeah, it is interesting.
00:49:05.679 --> 00:49:09.039
Yeah, I mean, Peter mentions you're right, three different animals here.
00:49:09.119 --> 00:49:19.920
And yeah, yeah, yesterday when we talked about that with a donkey, like uh it's like the donkey had logic and reason that the human being didn't right.
00:49:20.079 --> 00:49:26.880
Like Balaam lost, he he lost it so much that even a donkey recognized it.
00:49:27.039 --> 00:49:27.519
That's right.
00:49:27.679 --> 00:49:36.239
And God spoke logic and reason and spiritual truth through an animal because a human being had lost it.
00:49:36.400 --> 00:49:37.039
Yeah.
00:49:37.760 --> 00:49:40.480
I mean, there's a really crass way to say that, but I won't say it.
00:49:40.639 --> 00:49:40.800
Yeah.
00:49:40.960 --> 00:49:46.559
You know, no, no, but that that is like, you know, God can use a donkey.
00:49:46.800 --> 00:49:51.920
God can, you know, can change the nature and use the nature of a donkey and speak through it.
00:49:52.159 --> 00:49:55.599
Yeah, well, I mean, it gives hope to all of us that he can speak through us.
00:49:55.760 --> 00:50:01.280
But I think, you know, for me, the the point of that, because it didn't seem like I don't think he did that anywhere else.
00:50:01.440 --> 00:50:01.599
Right.
00:50:01.760 --> 00:50:03.280
I don't see that anywhere else in scripture.
00:50:03.760 --> 00:50:09.519
I mean, taking we take some things in scripture that are superlative and we make them normative.
00:50:09.679 --> 00:50:09.840
Right.
00:50:10.000 --> 00:50:16.719
I don't think that I mean like when I got baptized, the spirit of God did not descend upon me like a dove.
00:50:17.440 --> 00:50:20.480
When I was born, the angels didn't gather in a field and sink.
00:50:20.639 --> 00:50:20.719
Right.
00:50:20.880 --> 00:50:21.440
You know what I'm saying?
00:50:21.599 --> 00:50:21.840
Sure.
00:50:22.000 --> 00:50:27.199
And Balaam Stonkey is not for people to go, I know what my dog is saying to me.
00:50:27.840 --> 00:50:28.400
That's right.
00:50:28.639 --> 00:50:29.360
You know what I'm saying?
00:50:29.440 --> 00:50:31.199
Like that isn't that's not meant to be normal.
00:50:31.440 --> 00:50:32.400
That's not, yeah, that's right.
00:50:32.480 --> 00:50:36.000
We're not gonna create a doctrine out of this Old Testament narrative.
00:50:36.320 --> 00:50:46.239
But I think the thing that is wild about that is that when a human being has less moral conscience than an animal, yeah.
00:50:46.480 --> 00:50:50.079
We we put ourselves underneath the animal kingdom.
00:50:50.320 --> 00:50:54.320
Like, you know, scripture says that God's made us a little lower than the angels.
00:50:54.400 --> 00:50:54.639
Yeah.
00:50:54.800 --> 00:50:55.119
Yeah.
00:50:55.440 --> 00:50:58.400
And that, and then we have dominion over the animal kingdom.
00:50:58.559 --> 00:50:58.880
Yeah.
00:50:59.119 --> 00:51:07.440
But in this Balaam's thing, it's a picture of we he put himself when he left the way, which is what Peter was saying here, Balaam left the way.
00:51:07.519 --> 00:51:07.760
Yeah.
00:51:07.920 --> 00:51:12.639
When we leave the way, we're reducing ourselves the animal kingdom.
00:51:13.039 --> 00:51:13.360
Wild.
00:51:13.599 --> 00:51:17.920
It's like animals have more of a moral nature than we do at times.
00:51:18.079 --> 00:51:32.800
And this is what happened with Balaam's donkey to just reveal, man, you your your donkey, you know, your donkey has more uh fortitude, spiritual fortitude, and conviction than you do.
00:51:33.199 --> 00:51:33.840
Yeah.
00:51:34.239 --> 00:51:34.639
Crazy.
00:51:35.679 --> 00:51:35.920
All right.
00:51:36.000 --> 00:51:38.960
Well, I'm honestly there's no way.
00:51:39.039 --> 00:51:47.119
I mean, we preached verse by verse through the Bible here, so there's no way we would skip it, but sometimes I'm glad to be done with that.
00:51:47.280 --> 00:51:47.440
Right.
00:51:47.599 --> 00:51:49.440
You know, but it was worth the journey.
00:51:49.519 --> 00:51:50.800
Like I know I said this last week.
00:51:50.960 --> 00:51:54.800
Like some of these verses you'd think, well, I would I probably wouldn't even read this.
00:51:55.039 --> 00:52:03.599
But when you dive into it and like walk through it, yeah, like you have and like we have today, yeah, that you come out with something, you go, man, it would that was this was worth the journey.
00:52:03.679 --> 00:52:04.000
Yeah, yeah.
00:52:04.159 --> 00:52:08.719
Like you might look over and go, I don't understand all what all this means, and it doesn't really apply to me.
00:52:08.800 --> 00:52:14.079
But the more you know Jesus and know the real thing, the more relevant these words become.
00:52:14.239 --> 00:52:19.599
You're like, oh, I know, I know the real Jesus, and this is helping me spot the fake thing.
00:52:19.840 --> 00:52:20.159
That's right.
00:52:20.320 --> 00:52:24.639
You know, and so I would just say when you get to a difficult text, work through it.
00:52:25.039 --> 00:52:25.440
Read through it.
00:52:25.599 --> 00:52:26.239
Don't skip over it.
00:52:26.559 --> 00:52:27.199
Yeah, well said.
00:52:27.360 --> 00:52:28.000
You know, yeah.
00:52:28.239 --> 00:52:29.840
I'm glad we I'm glad we did it.
00:52:30.079 --> 00:52:30.559
Me too.
00:52:30.639 --> 00:52:34.960
Thanks for hanging in there with me, and thank you for hanging in there with us, and thanks for caring about the word.
00:52:35.199 --> 00:52:39.840
If you're watching this, you you love the scriptures, and that's encouraging to me, encouraging to us.
00:52:40.159 --> 00:52:58.079
So take everything you hear from anybody and compare it to the word and let God do his work through the word in your life, and may we all become more and more stable, less and less unstable, more clearly identifying what the truth is.
00:52:58.239 --> 00:52:59.440
Hey, I hope you have a great week.
00:52:59.519 --> 00:53:03.679
If this is helpful for you, uh, here's a few things we ask of you, not a big deal.
00:53:03.840 --> 00:53:08.000
Like it, subscribe to it, and share it with other people.
00:53:08.159 --> 00:53:10.239
That's the only way people are finding out about this.
00:53:10.320 --> 00:53:11.920
But if it's helping you, it may help others.
00:53:12.000 --> 00:53:16.559
And if it's not helping you, figure out something more fun to do with your time.
00:53:16.719 --> 00:53:17.920
Hey, you are great.
00:53:18.079 --> 00:53:18.880
You are loved.
00:53:18.960 --> 00:53:19.840
Have a great week.
00:53:20.000 --> 00:53:21.039
See you soon.
00:53:21.280 --> 00:53:24.880
Thanks for spending time with us today on the Rethink and Return Podcast.
00:53:24.960 --> 00:53:26.079
Here's all we ask from you.
00:53:26.320 --> 00:53:29.679
Will you subscribe to this, share this, let other people know about it?
00:53:29.760 --> 00:53:31.199
That'll help us get the message out.
00:53:31.360 --> 00:53:33.920
Share this content with other people if it's helpful to you.
00:53:34.079 --> 00:53:35.039
We're grateful for you.
00:53:35.280 --> 00:53:36.480
See you soon.