WEBVTT - Cleanse your Temple 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:04.360 Coming to you from the Morning Star Mission sponsored studio. 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:08.120 This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:00:08.400 --> 0:00:11.440 The interesting thing about this week that we're in, and 0:00:11.440 --> 0:00:14.240 I just want to tell you, this is the week 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:18.400 for a reset. I love Christmas, I love 4th of July, 0:00:18.840 --> 0:00:22.160 I love Memorial Day and Labor Day, but there's no 0:00:22.200 --> 0:00:28.480 date like a reset date other than Resurrection Sunday. 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:31.600 I so agree. I am me, I am so with you. 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:32.280 Yeah, absolutely. 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:35.559 If there's ever a day for a holy reset as 0:00:35.560 --> 0:00:38.839 you're ramping up this Holy Week towards Sunday, that's a 0:00:38.840 --> 0:00:41.640 day when you can celebrate that your sins have been 0:00:41.640 --> 0:00:45.400 nailed to the cross and that our God is alive, 0:00:45.400 --> 0:00:50.240 and he's at work in you now. So whatever is 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:53.720 left unsurrendered, you've got something that's just kicking your tail 0:00:53.720 --> 0:00:57.560 over and over again. Make this Sunday a day of consecration. 0:00:57.560 --> 0:00:59.360 Give it to God and watch him move. Well, we're 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:02.140 in Holy Week, and one of the questions is, what's 0:01:02.140 --> 0:01:05.060 the chronology of everything that went down? The cursing of 0:01:05.060 --> 0:01:08.380 the fig tree, the clearing of the temple. You see 0:01:08.540 --> 0:01:11.300 the betrayal of Judas, you see the washing of feet. 0:01:11.300 --> 0:01:15.100 All these things have some chronology and some kind of 0:01:15.140 --> 0:01:19.700 method to this whole thing. Doctor Jim Coakley, big dog Prof. 0:01:19.700 --> 0:01:22.339 Here at Moody. How about that for a bio? And 0:01:22.340 --> 0:01:25.100 one of our elders at 180 Chicago and he's with 0:01:25.100 --> 0:01:26.819 us right now. How are you, my man? 0:01:26.860 --> 0:01:29.740 I'm doing great. Yeah. No, you're right that this week 0:01:29.740 --> 0:01:32.380 there's so much that's happening. And Christmas, we spend a 0:01:32.380 --> 0:01:34.740 whole month on the incarnation, but we hardly have enough 0:01:34.740 --> 0:01:38.060 time within between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday to get 0:01:38.060 --> 0:01:41.020 all of the events that took place in this week. 0:01:41.060 --> 0:01:43.940 Okay. Which gospel account do you like to go to 0:01:44.020 --> 0:01:47.260 when we see him flipping over the money changers table? 0:01:47.300 --> 0:01:51.220 Because there was huge exploitation of people coming for Passover 0:01:51.220 --> 0:01:54.500 to make sacrifice. What's going on with that narrative, and 0:01:54.500 --> 0:01:56.260 what passage do you love to use? 0:01:56.300 --> 0:02:00.070 Yeah, I like looking at Mark chapter 11 Because he 0:02:00.270 --> 0:02:02.910 mark does something that is very special. We call it 0:02:02.910 --> 0:02:06.230 the mark and sandwich. Basically, what he often does in 0:02:06.230 --> 0:02:10.550 this whole gospel is he'll sandwich between a central event, 0:02:10.550 --> 0:02:12.910 something on either end of it. And so we have 0:02:12.910 --> 0:02:15.670 the cursing of the fig tree on one end, and 0:02:15.669 --> 0:02:17.750 then we have the cleansing of the temple, as we 0:02:17.790 --> 0:02:20.190 so call it. And then we have him going back 0:02:20.190 --> 0:02:23.070 by that fig tree. And so they're all connected. And 0:02:23.070 --> 0:02:26.429 so I like that passage because we really see clearly 0:02:26.470 --> 0:02:29.190 what the theme is of what happens with this so-called 0:02:29.190 --> 0:02:31.230 cleansing of the temple. And that even is something that 0:02:31.230 --> 0:02:35.230 we need to clarify. Because what is cleansing? Is it cleansing? 0:02:35.230 --> 0:02:38.549 Is it cursing what is really going on here? And 0:02:38.550 --> 0:02:42.150 that's why some scholars call it the temple incident, because 0:02:42.190 --> 0:02:43.830 it leaves it a little more open. 0:02:44.750 --> 0:02:47.710 To touch on this chronology thing, though, for just a second. 0:02:47.950 --> 0:02:52.190 Why is it important? And some people try to undermine 0:02:52.230 --> 0:02:55.710 little different aspects of Scripture when they see what looks 0:02:55.710 --> 0:02:59.770 to be a different chronology. To me, it's just each author. 0:02:59.810 --> 0:03:03.570 The gospel is highlighting different aspects of all the events 0:03:03.570 --> 0:03:08.010 in in the life of Jesus, most particularly Holy Week. 0:03:08.010 --> 0:03:09.010 What do you say, Jim? 0:03:09.050 --> 0:03:11.850 Yeah, I totally agree. And I think this is where 0:03:12.010 --> 0:03:14.970 we see a great example of it with today's events. 0:03:15.090 --> 0:03:18.329 When we think about Palm Sunday or Coronation Sundays, I 0:03:18.330 --> 0:03:21.010 like to call it that took place when, of course, 0:03:21.010 --> 0:03:24.810 Christ is announcing himself as the King and Hosanna is 0:03:24.850 --> 0:03:28.290 being shouted. But then it says that again we have 0:03:28.290 --> 0:03:32.209 these events, and if we look at John's gospel, we 0:03:32.210 --> 0:03:35.210 can see he has it early in the ministry in 0:03:35.210 --> 0:03:37.530 John chapter two. But all of the rest of the 0:03:37.570 --> 0:03:40.370 gospel writers put it at the end of the Gospels, 0:03:40.370 --> 0:03:41.850 in the first day of the Holy Week. 0:03:42.650 --> 0:03:47.170 So he walks into the temple. He's already coming in 0:03:47.410 --> 0:03:51.930 with fanfare, riding on a donkey. And which is what's 0:03:51.930 --> 0:03:57.330 crazy about this is that he chooses more than just 0:03:57.330 --> 0:04:01.230 to fulfill Zechariah nine nine. He chooses to take the 0:04:01.230 --> 0:04:06.150 posture of an unusual king, not one setting himself up 0:04:06.190 --> 0:04:09.630 above or on par with the kings of this world, 0:04:09.630 --> 0:04:15.310 but actually lowly, taking a posture of humility and then whiplash. 0:04:15.550 --> 0:04:18.430 He goes into the temple and he starts flipping over 0:04:18.470 --> 0:04:20.150 granite tables. What do you say? 0:04:20.190 --> 0:04:22.870 Yeah, that is the kind of more schizophrenic nature that 0:04:22.870 --> 0:04:26.109 we have him being and sense riding in that sense 0:04:26.110 --> 0:04:30.550 of humility. But two donkeys are something that Kings Road Solomon, 0:04:30.550 --> 0:04:33.070 when he was coronated, basically probably did the same path 0:04:33.070 --> 0:04:35.990 that Jesus did down to the Gihon Spring to be 0:04:35.990 --> 0:04:38.550 coronated when he was there. And David said, put him 0:04:38.550 --> 0:04:41.030 on one of my donkeys. So this was a very 0:04:41.029 --> 0:04:45.029 clear royal kind of significant event. So it wasn't that 0:04:45.029 --> 0:04:48.229 he was just riding a lowly, lowly animal. It's just 0:04:48.230 --> 0:04:51.150 that this was what Kings did when they would be coronated. 0:04:51.150 --> 0:04:55.550 Because kings on horses without saddles, they're going to be undignified. Uh, 0:04:55.550 --> 0:04:58.360 and so they're going to fall off. And so even 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:01.800 throughout the book of judges, we see leaders sons riding donkeys. 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:04.160 So this is a pretty common kind of beast of 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:05.880 burden that's used for carrying kings. 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:10.080 That's fascinating. So was that exclusive to the Jewish people 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:14.160 or was because the common nature of war and warriors, 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:16.599 even in the Roman Empire, wouldn't have been a donkey 0:05:16.640 --> 0:05:17.240 per se? 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:20.440 Oh, no. And this is why kings riding around kind 0:05:20.440 --> 0:05:23.480 of doing their normal royal duties. Uh, if you're going 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:26.080 off to war, you're definitely riding a horse. But if 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:29.520 you're riding around town doing official duties or going to 0:05:29.560 --> 0:05:33.400 be coordinated as king, you're riding on a donkey. And 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:35.320 so that's the thing. Now, we do know that Christ 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:37.520 is going to come riding a white horse someday. Yeah. 0:05:37.520 --> 0:05:38.119 So he's coming. 0:05:38.160 --> 0:05:40.560 In. He's coming in with the great judgment. 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:43.400 Okay. What's going on in the cleansing of the temple? 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:45.280 Let's just touch on that quickly, and then I'm going 0:05:45.279 --> 0:05:46.800 to carry it over because I want to get into 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:49.000 the weeds on it. Big picture. What's happening? 0:05:49.279 --> 0:05:52.880 Yeah. Like we already mentioned, we have him cursing the figs. Uh, 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:55.840 the fig tree that's not producing. Now, of course, people 0:05:55.880 --> 0:05:58.780 bent out of shape with. Well, how is it that Christ, uh, 0:05:58.940 --> 0:06:02.020 already knew that this was not the season for figs? Well, 0:06:02.020 --> 0:06:05.100 that's the point, is that he's using this as an illustration, 0:06:05.100 --> 0:06:07.420 as a parable, as it were. Uh, and when we 0:06:07.420 --> 0:06:09.420 look at all of the Old Testament again, I was 0:06:09.420 --> 0:06:13.540 fascinated by the passages like Isaiah five talking about Israel 0:06:13.540 --> 0:06:16.419 as a vineyard and not producing fruit. And so we're 0:06:16.420 --> 0:06:19.740 going back to that fruitfulness kind of imagery. And we 0:06:19.740 --> 0:06:22.580 have this great temple. Uh, it's all, as they say 0:06:22.580 --> 0:06:26.020 in Texas, all cattle and no all hat and no cattle. Yeah. 0:06:26.140 --> 0:06:28.580 And so it's the idea that it should be a 0:06:28.580 --> 0:06:31.300 place of prayer. And I think that's what Mark and 0:06:31.300 --> 0:06:35.580 other gospel writers emphasize. And instead it's become this place 0:06:35.580 --> 0:06:38.859 for marketeering kind of work. And it's not so much 0:06:38.860 --> 0:06:42.740 that commercialization is happening that that's not a problem in 0:06:42.740 --> 0:06:45.420 and of itself. It's where it's happening and what price 0:06:45.420 --> 0:06:49.380 they're charging to people for these animals. And so then 0:06:49.380 --> 0:06:53.860 he changes. He turns over the money changers tables. And then, 0:06:53.900 --> 0:06:56.200 you know, again, we see the fig tree and its 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:59.120 the being, in a sense, withered. And it's really a 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:02.800 foreshadowing of the temple, uh, kind of, uh, in a sense, uh, 0:07:02.800 --> 0:07:06.080 in a sense falling off of all of its accolades 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:09.120 and it's being shown as totally vapid. 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:13.040 Yeah. And reference for sure to 70 A.D. and and 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:16.800 then beyond. Okay. Coming up here in a moment. Jim Coakley. 0:07:16.840 --> 0:07:19.640 Doctor Jim Coakley with me in studio here. We're going 0:07:19.680 --> 0:07:23.760 to tackle application because it's one thing to go, oh, 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:26.360 these are the events. It's another thing to say, so 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:30.320 what does that matter to me? The cleansing of the table. 0:07:30.320 --> 0:07:32.720 And how do we apply it to our lives today? 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:33.280 Hang on. 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:36.280 She was trying to earn her way to God, but 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:39.800 God showed her she didn't have to. Ali is in 0:07:39.800 --> 0:07:43.120 the crew. It's Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:07:43.480 --> 0:07:47.040 My house shall be called a house of prayer. But 0:07:47.040 --> 0:07:51.800 you made it into a den of robbers selling pigeons. 0:07:51.800 --> 0:07:55.850 Probably at increased sum of money because. yeah, they got 0:07:55.890 --> 0:08:00.290 a captive audience. Got to make sacrifices. But they were 0:08:00.290 --> 0:08:03.010 ripping off more than that, weren't they? Jim, doctor Jim 0:08:03.010 --> 0:08:06.090 Coakley is with me right now. Uh, professor, here at 0:08:06.090 --> 0:08:08.770 Moody Bible Institute, one of our elders at 180 Chicago 0:08:08.770 --> 0:08:11.970 radio in Chicagoland. This den of thieves metaphor goes way 0:08:12.010 --> 0:08:14.650 deeper than just a commerce problem. Right, Jim? 0:08:14.690 --> 0:08:18.810 Yeah. Because in a sense, we look at Mark quotes, 0:08:19.130 --> 0:08:22.770 all of Isaiah's 57 verse where it says, my house 0:08:22.770 --> 0:08:26.330 shall be called a house of prayer. And Isaiah goes 0:08:26.330 --> 0:08:30.530 on to say, for all the nations within the temple complex, 0:08:30.530 --> 0:08:32.930 you have the big temple with the Holy of Holies 0:08:32.929 --> 0:08:35.329 and everything else. And then you have, you know, the 0:08:35.330 --> 0:08:37.330 court of the women, and you have the court of 0:08:37.330 --> 0:08:40.450 the Gentiles. And there is debate about where this incident 0:08:40.450 --> 0:08:43.850 took place with him changing over the money tables. For 0:08:43.850 --> 0:08:45.970 a long time I've waffled. Is it on the Herodian 0:08:45.970 --> 0:08:48.090 street that we go to when we take tours to 0:08:48.130 --> 0:08:50.410 Israel and see it there on the corner, or is 0:08:50.410 --> 0:08:52.730 it up on the Temple Mount? I'm starting to lean 0:08:52.770 --> 0:08:55.390 now towards it was up on the Temple Mount, because 0:08:55.390 --> 0:08:58.310 this is where the court of the Gentiles was located, 0:08:58.309 --> 0:09:01.990 and they're taking space over for people from all nations 0:09:01.990 --> 0:09:05.709 to come to this temple during Passover. And they're reallocating 0:09:05.710 --> 0:09:09.870 that space for commercialization, and then they're charging exorbitant rates. 0:09:09.870 --> 0:09:13.390 Some even say even for a dove, a pigeon is 0:09:13.390 --> 0:09:17.309 25 times the going rate because they have, in a sense, a, 0:09:17.510 --> 0:09:19.429 you know, a monopoly on the market that people are 0:09:19.429 --> 0:09:22.230 going to pay just to have. And that was for 0:09:22.230 --> 0:09:25.630 a poor man's offering. And so they're they're really ripping 0:09:25.630 --> 0:09:27.589 off the poor. And I think when we look at 0:09:27.590 --> 0:09:30.670 the prophets and what they're crying against, it's abuse of 0:09:30.670 --> 0:09:33.590 the poor not allowing others to come in, kind of 0:09:33.870 --> 0:09:37.910 reclaiming space for their own selfish gain. And we see 0:09:37.910 --> 0:09:40.870 that over and over again. And by Jesus quoting from 0:09:40.870 --> 0:09:45.950 Jeremiah seven, the temple sermon from Jeremiah, he's really getting 0:09:45.990 --> 0:09:49.590 into their craw and really taking them to task for 0:09:49.630 --> 0:09:52.670 their wicked abuse of these temple practices. 0:09:52.710 --> 0:09:54.929 You know, I was sharing this yesterday in a message 0:09:54.929 --> 0:09:58.810 that it seems to me that what was ultimately being 0:09:58.809 --> 0:10:02.530 ripped off here was equal access to God, which is 0:10:02.530 --> 0:10:07.250 what prayer is. There's no passage cost for entry, and 0:10:07.250 --> 0:10:11.650 they've taken a house of prayer. And by way of commerce, 0:10:11.809 --> 0:10:15.809 they've cut off some people from feeling like there was 0:10:15.850 --> 0:10:18.570 access to God. And the beautiful thing about prayer is 0:10:18.809 --> 0:10:23.370 it's the ultimate level playing field. I mean, princes and paupers, 0:10:23.370 --> 0:10:26.890 everyone can go to God in prayer. So how do 0:10:26.890 --> 0:10:31.370 we apply this? How do you take this crazy event 0:10:31.370 --> 0:10:34.530 from 2000 years ago? And how does this ring true 0:10:34.530 --> 0:10:36.730 in our lives today? How do we relate to people? 0:10:36.730 --> 0:10:37.930 How does it work, Jim? 0:10:38.050 --> 0:10:40.330 Yeah, I think a couple of easy kind of low 0:10:40.370 --> 0:10:42.730 hanging fruit kind of things. One is we need to 0:10:42.730 --> 0:10:46.210 make sure that our temple is cleansed. And so we 0:10:46.210 --> 0:10:48.849 think about the fact that how are we presenting ourselves 0:10:48.850 --> 0:10:51.209 to a holy world? Are we living one way and 0:10:51.210 --> 0:10:54.740 not saying another and doing another. And so this is 0:10:54.740 --> 0:10:57.460 then the challenge in a sense, because this temple should 0:10:57.500 --> 0:10:59.420 have been a place for all nations to come and pray. 0:10:59.420 --> 0:11:01.620 But it wasn't because they were taking it over for 0:11:01.620 --> 0:11:04.500 other things. Is there something we're allowing to take over 0:11:04.500 --> 0:11:07.380 our temples that we need to, in a sense, remove? 0:11:07.420 --> 0:11:08.020 Good word. 0:11:08.059 --> 0:11:11.580 But then also exploitation. Again, we see the heart of 0:11:11.580 --> 0:11:15.500 the gospel, the heart for the care, for the underprivileged, 0:11:15.500 --> 0:11:19.420 for those who are poor. And they they abuse that. 0:11:19.420 --> 0:11:22.660 And that's going to always fall under a clear, you know, 0:11:22.700 --> 0:11:25.500 in a sense, in a sense cursing from God because 0:11:25.500 --> 0:11:28.100 that's not the way it's supposed to be. And so 0:11:28.100 --> 0:11:30.699 I think those two things are really easy things is 0:11:30.700 --> 0:11:33.260 what are we doing to, in a sense, make it 0:11:33.260 --> 0:11:38.500 more accessible for others who are maybe got challenges to 0:11:38.540 --> 0:11:40.700 come to the Lord? And how are we cleansing our 0:11:40.700 --> 0:11:42.020 own temples, as it were? 0:11:42.380 --> 0:11:45.420 You know, it's interesting because if you look at this 0:11:45.940 --> 0:11:50.420 experience of clearing the temple, you see that there's a 0:11:50.660 --> 0:11:55.120 ease of Access that a blockade has been put up 0:11:55.120 --> 0:11:58.320 to to all nations. I love your observation. Being on 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:01.000 the Temple Mount, by the way, and the area for 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:03.840 the Gentiles now being nudged away because we got to 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:06.640 make more room to sell sacrifice of pigeons and the 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:13.560 like at an inflated number. But, Jim, it's it's so 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:18.720 easy in our own minds to set up who we 0:12:18.720 --> 0:12:23.560 think has access to God, how we look at people. 0:12:23.880 --> 0:12:26.480 And this can be a danger for people that have 0:12:26.480 --> 0:12:30.040 been in the church for a lot of years. What 0:12:30.040 --> 0:12:31.640 do you say to that? Because it can be a 0:12:31.640 --> 0:12:35.280 slow drift where we begin to have a even a 0:12:35.280 --> 0:12:40.680 mindset that, okay, this person's in. This person is out 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:45.360 or this person's reachable, this person's not reachable. The beautiful 0:12:45.360 --> 0:12:49.880 thing about access to God is whosoever will still may come, right, Jim? 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:52.380 Yeah. And I think we saw that in your heart 0:12:52.380 --> 0:12:54.820 yesterday in your message, where you talked about during a 0:12:54.860 --> 0:12:58.140 giving portion. The idea is somebody had given a large 0:12:58.140 --> 0:13:00.500 gift and you were glad you did not know who 0:13:00.500 --> 0:13:03.300 it was, because it might have a tendency to, in 0:13:03.300 --> 0:13:06.340 a sense, you know, give them more access, more favor, 0:13:06.380 --> 0:13:10.219 more let their voice speak louder than others. And then 0:13:10.220 --> 0:13:12.940 we dealt with, as you know, with another individual who 0:13:12.940 --> 0:13:15.620 had some challenges in our church. And, you know, how 0:13:15.620 --> 0:13:17.740 do we then in a sense not say, well, I 0:13:17.740 --> 0:13:20.140 need to only go to those who have money, who 0:13:20.140 --> 0:13:24.620 can help us advance our financial objectives and not really 0:13:24.620 --> 0:13:27.579 also display the heart of God loving people who are 0:13:27.580 --> 0:13:30.460 broken and need to do 180. So this is a 0:13:30.460 --> 0:13:32.380 this is a lesson for all of us to keep 0:13:32.380 --> 0:13:33.660 on relearning, isn't it? 0:13:33.700 --> 0:13:36.460 Yeah. It's powerful. All right. I'm going to I'm going 0:13:36.500 --> 0:13:40.380 to give you an opportunity wide open. As you look 0:13:40.420 --> 0:13:44.060 at Holy Week, what is your favorite aspect of Holy Week? 0:13:44.620 --> 0:13:49.220 Oh my. There's so many things because I like I 0:13:49.300 --> 0:13:52.430 like the, you know, the literary features, the theological features. 0:13:52.429 --> 0:13:55.350 Certainly the bookends of anointing is there. But I love 0:13:55.390 --> 0:13:58.870 the little incident where, of course, Peter denies Christ three 0:13:58.870 --> 0:14:02.950 times by a charcoal fire, and then same word is 0:14:02.950 --> 0:14:04.830 used the only time it's used used twice in the 0:14:04.830 --> 0:14:08.350 Gospel of John. Charcoal fire. We get to Jesus after 0:14:08.350 --> 0:14:11.630 the resurrection, where he's announcing to Peter and asking the question, 0:14:11.670 --> 0:14:13.030 do you love me? Do you love me? Do you 0:14:13.030 --> 0:14:16.470 love me? Again, that three fold denial, three fold questions. 0:14:16.470 --> 0:14:19.070 But what is it that our Lord does? Is he's 0:14:19.070 --> 0:14:23.470 preparing a fish breakfast for Peter by a charcoal fire. 0:14:23.470 --> 0:14:26.510 And so the place that Peter denied the Lord a 0:14:26.510 --> 0:14:31.070 charcoal fire, is the same place that Jesus was restoring Peter. 0:14:31.110 --> 0:14:35.150 I mean, that's powerful. That shows again that our our 0:14:35.150 --> 0:14:37.710 Lord was focused that week on what he was doing 0:14:38.110 --> 0:14:41.350 to minister to his disciples and to us as well. 0:14:42.390 --> 0:14:46.510 You know, the amazing thing about Holy Week, Jim, is 0:14:46.550 --> 0:14:52.490 it's a golden opportunity for us to consecrate our lives again. 0:14:53.010 --> 0:14:55.650 And this isn't just once a year. This is why 0:14:55.650 --> 0:14:59.570 I'm not big into I love goals, but ordering our 0:14:59.570 --> 0:15:02.330 life in such a way that we live each day 0:15:02.490 --> 0:15:06.370 with such a well-ordered life that we're aimed at the 0:15:06.370 --> 0:15:09.850 glory of God and the good of others. What a 0:15:09.890 --> 0:15:14.490 golden opportunity, though, to prepare for Resurrection Sunday and say, 0:15:14.490 --> 0:15:16.810 this is a holy reset in my life and we 0:15:16.810 --> 0:15:20.130 can look at all the different teachings. You look at 0:15:20.130 --> 0:15:23.010 the life of Judas. God, don't make me one that walk. 0:15:23.050 --> 0:15:26.090 Be one that walks away. You look at the the 0:15:26.090 --> 0:15:29.330 metaphor of feet. We know that beautiful feet bring good news. 0:15:29.330 --> 0:15:31.810 We see the feet of Judas walking away. We see 0:15:31.850 --> 0:15:37.050 Jesus washing feet. My goodness, how we walk matters, right, Jim? 0:15:37.090 --> 0:15:39.730 Oh, it sure does. And I think that's really, you know, 0:15:39.770 --> 0:15:42.450 the beauty that we could spend the rest of our 0:15:42.450 --> 0:15:46.410 days just contemplating on just the effects of this week 0:15:46.410 --> 0:15:50.230 in terms of our walk. And that's the beauty and sadness, really, 0:15:50.230 --> 0:15:53.510 of why we only spend, you know, eight days speaking on, 0:15:53.550 --> 0:15:55.950 you know, the death, burial and resurrection and Palm Sunday, 0:15:56.430 --> 0:15:59.390 where we have so many more spiritual themes that could 0:15:59.390 --> 0:16:02.230 really help us in our daily walk and walking by 0:16:02.230 --> 0:16:06.350 the spirit and taking that path along with Jesus. And 0:16:06.350 --> 0:16:08.830 I look at the Apostle Paul, he goes through the 0:16:08.830 --> 0:16:13.070 same events he's going through, you know, mock trials. He's 0:16:13.070 --> 0:16:15.630 having a meal with his, uh, with his friends on 0:16:15.630 --> 0:16:18.470 the boat before it's shipwrecked. So it's almost like this 0:16:18.470 --> 0:16:21.310 is a pattern, a paradigm for the Christian life. We're 0:16:21.310 --> 0:16:23.430 going to go through persecution. We're going to go through 0:16:23.430 --> 0:16:26.430 things just like our Lord did. But the gospel goes forth. 0:16:26.430 --> 0:16:28.110 I love the last verse of the book of acts. 0:16:28.110 --> 0:16:32.070 It goes forth unhindered. Uh, and that's the beauty of 0:16:32.070 --> 0:16:34.430 why we go through these things and remember what our 0:16:34.430 --> 0:16:35.750 Lord did in this Holy Week. 0:16:35.790 --> 0:16:40.990 Love it. Okay. Final question. What's the fresh thing God's 0:16:40.990 --> 0:16:44.630 doing in Doctor Jim Coakley's life right now? 0:16:44.670 --> 0:16:47.990 Oh, uh, again, uh, I just dealt with this just 0:16:47.990 --> 0:16:51.120 over the weekend, my wife realized I was spending a 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:53.520 little more time on an app that I shouldn't have. 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:56.120 And it wasn't bad. It was just a game. But 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:59.560 I just realized it was taking time away from from 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:01.880 her and from things I need to be focused on. No, 0:17:01.880 --> 0:17:04.920 I need to have some, you know, outlets and some recreation. 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:07.480 But it's the idea I need to have more healthy ones. 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:10.560 And so again, I'm just like everyone else. I need 0:17:10.560 --> 0:17:13.160 to constantly revisit those kind of things. 0:17:13.200 --> 0:17:16.159 That's healthy to hear. I think everyone breathes a sigh 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:19.280 of relief like, oh, good. If Doctor Jim's getting on 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:21.880 a game a little bit long, that's that's you know what, Jim? 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:24.240 I thank you for being vulnerable like that because I 0:17:24.240 --> 0:17:31.600 think sometimes we can give people a facade, unintended facade, 0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:32.600 you know what I mean, Jim? 0:17:32.640 --> 0:17:33.040 Yes. 0:17:33.400 --> 0:17:36.000 And we need to let people know we're all on 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:38.840 this path of discipleship. 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:40.719 And I shared that with a young guy at our 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:43.679 church yesterday. Just did, you know. Yeah, I shared it, 0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:46.560 you know, and so I shared it with with Caleb. 0:17:46.600 --> 0:17:49.379 And he was I could just see him, him kind 0:17:49.380 --> 0:17:52.660 of just smiling because, you know, he realizes that. Yeah. 0:17:52.700 --> 0:17:54.300 I mean, these are challenges we're going to face the 0:17:54.300 --> 0:17:55.220 rest of our life. 0:17:55.500 --> 0:17:58.939 I love it. Doctor Jim Coakley Oh, by the way, 0:17:59.300 --> 0:18:02.380 if you want a phenomenal I, I'm going to I'm 0:18:02.420 --> 0:18:05.420 going to plug this one because my wife says it 0:18:05.420 --> 0:18:07.140 is the book. I don't know if we got this 0:18:07.140 --> 0:18:10.580 link ready to go. We do super day. Okay. This book, 0:18:10.619 --> 0:18:15.620 my bride says, is the book that has had more 0:18:15.619 --> 0:18:21.540 impact of her understanding how the Bible fits together and 0:18:21.540 --> 0:18:25.540 seeing things as she reads that she had never seen before. 0:18:25.660 --> 0:18:28.180 They're great. Yeah. Isn't that terrific? But. 0:18:28.220 --> 0:18:30.540 So, thinking about Holy Week, I was thinking of these 0:18:30.540 --> 0:18:32.940 same techniques all the way through. And, you know, out 0:18:32.980 --> 0:18:36.380 of order. And, you know, again, time management, all these 0:18:36.380 --> 0:18:39.060 things that are principles in the book are really at 0:18:39.060 --> 0:18:40.300 play in this Holy Week. 0:18:40.340 --> 0:18:43.100 Yeah. Beautiful. All right. Super guy. How do the folks 0:18:43.100 --> 0:18:45.500 get a link for a resource that might fuel their 0:18:45.500 --> 0:18:47.200 Bible reading like it did my bride. 0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:50.080 Text the word fresh. That word fresh will get him 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:52.600 the link to 14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy the Bible. 0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:55.200 So the word will be fresh. That number again is 0:18:55.200 --> 0:19:00.159 805 five, five, 78, 98. And you'll be texting the 0:19:00.200 --> 0:19:01.480 word fresh. 0:19:01.720 --> 0:19:05.320 Do you feel stuck or paralyzed? Are you ready to 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:10.080 break free? Here are your questions answered. It's time for 0:19:10.080 --> 0:19:11.560 ask Pastor Carl. 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:18.639 The issues cited in a little note that I received. 0:19:18.640 --> 0:19:20.080 And we're going to give you the portal how to 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:25.040 get in your questions about discipleship, overcoming stuff, anything to 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:27.239 help you take your next step with Jesus. That's what 0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:30.120 I'm tackling here Monday mornings. Bottom of the hour. And 0:19:30.119 --> 0:19:34.240 this is you know, this is a very typical type 0:19:34.240 --> 0:19:36.960 of email that I would get. So I protect your 0:19:36.960 --> 0:19:40.520 identity here. But Pastor Carl, my heart is broken. I'm 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:44.320 having such a hard time healing. I feel like it's 0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:47.810 never going to happen. I'm trying, but all my baby 0:19:47.810 --> 0:19:51.010 steps don't feel like enough. Here's the cliff notes to 0:19:51.050 --> 0:19:54.490 my story. I'll protect identity here a little bit. I 0:19:54.530 --> 0:19:57.210 got divorced a year ago. I was married 20 years, 0:19:57.250 --> 0:20:01.330 and during that time my ex-husband was abusive. Abusive in 0:20:01.330 --> 0:20:04.130 almost every way. But for me, the worst was the 0:20:04.130 --> 0:20:09.730 verbal and psychological abuse. It changed me. Now there's little 0:20:09.730 --> 0:20:11.650 themes in here I'm going to pick up on. Okay. 0:20:12.450 --> 0:20:14.730 I wish I could say that it made me stronger, 0:20:14.730 --> 0:20:17.650 but that would be a lie. It made me fragile. 0:20:17.690 --> 0:20:21.570 It completely unraveled the very fabric of who I was. 0:20:22.770 --> 0:20:25.090 I thought that after the divorce, things would get better. 0:20:25.090 --> 0:20:27.290 But that hasn't been the case in the last year. 0:20:27.290 --> 0:20:30.290 I've dealt with the death of my marriage, the trauma 0:20:30.290 --> 0:20:35.410 and all the abuse and my ex dating, getting engaged 0:20:35.410 --> 0:20:39.130 in just a in a few weeks, getting remarried. Oh, 0:20:39.170 --> 0:20:42.890 you can feel it, can't you guys? Yeah, I've been 0:20:42.890 --> 0:20:46.270 reading my Bible, though. I struggled to get it done 0:20:46.270 --> 0:20:49.950 some days I've been doing a lot. All caps of praying. 0:20:49.990 --> 0:20:55.350 I listen to messages. I've gotten some counsel. Been in therapy, 0:20:55.630 --> 0:21:02.149 worked out, and tried unsuccessfully to even eat healthier. I've 0:21:02.150 --> 0:21:07.109 done all the stupid positive affirmations that never work. But 0:21:07.109 --> 0:21:09.750 despite all my efforts and all my baby steps, I'm 0:21:09.750 --> 0:21:13.710 still broke and traumatized and have no self-esteem. I don't 0:21:13.710 --> 0:21:16.590 feel like I've been healed at all. I feel stuck 0:21:16.590 --> 0:21:20.709 in this place of mourning and self-hatred. Pastor Carl, how 0:21:20.710 --> 0:21:25.350 do I heal? How do I start thinking positively about myself? 0:21:25.430 --> 0:21:28.189 How do I get unstuck and move into what God 0:21:28.190 --> 0:21:31.470 has planned for the next chapter of my story? Thanks 0:21:31.470 --> 0:21:34.429 for listening. And then her name. Sister, we love you. 0:21:35.070 --> 0:21:38.670 And my heart breaks for you. I want to tell 0:21:38.670 --> 0:21:41.870 you a couple of things that are pretty unconventional here. 0:21:41.869 --> 0:21:47.690 First off. First off, You having some a little bit 0:21:47.690 --> 0:21:53.330 of indignation about your ex-husband sauntering off into a new marriage? 0:21:53.330 --> 0:22:00.290 That is normal. That is okay. And you know what 0:22:00.290 --> 0:22:04.129 I want to tell you in Imprecatory prayer might be 0:22:04.130 --> 0:22:06.889 in order here. What's an imprecatory prayer? We find it 0:22:06.890 --> 0:22:11.409 all over the Psalms. We find Psalms that say, God, 0:22:12.450 --> 0:22:16.050 the pit that they've dug for me. Let them fall 0:22:16.050 --> 0:22:20.610 in it. God, the the thing that I'm up against 0:22:20.609 --> 0:22:25.090 right now. God, you see it? Would you please make 0:22:25.090 --> 0:22:30.050 the wrongs right? And there's an interesting Psalm. I don't 0:22:30.050 --> 0:22:31.689 have it open right now. Let me flip to it 0:22:31.690 --> 0:22:36.609 here really quickly. Psalm 112. This is you ready for 0:22:36.609 --> 0:22:40.770 this man? This is. This is the way to. I 0:22:40.770 --> 0:22:44.550 know this sounds crazy. This is the way to get 0:22:44.550 --> 0:22:48.229 back at spiritual knuckleheads that you've had in your life. 0:22:48.350 --> 0:22:52.190 This is the way to get back. Psalm 112. Listen 0:22:52.190 --> 0:22:54.230 to this. Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who 0:22:54.230 --> 0:22:57.910 fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments. His 0:22:57.950 --> 0:23:00.389 offspring will be mighty in the land. The generation of 0:23:00.390 --> 0:23:03.070 the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in 0:23:03.070 --> 0:23:07.350 his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in 0:23:07.350 --> 0:23:10.910 the darkness for the upright. He is gracious, merciful, and righteous. 0:23:11.590 --> 0:23:14.109 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends, 0:23:14.109 --> 0:23:17.390 who conducts his affairs with justice. This all this is 0:23:17.390 --> 0:23:21.630 saying is keep walking rightly. Order your life to do 0:23:21.630 --> 0:23:24.950 the right thing no matter what. For the righteous will 0:23:24.950 --> 0:23:28.310 never be moved. He will be remembered forever. He's not 0:23:28.310 --> 0:23:31.110 afraid of bad news. His heart, his firm trusting in 0:23:31.109 --> 0:23:33.350 the Lord. His heart is steady. He will not be 0:23:33.350 --> 0:23:38.830 afraid until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. He 0:23:38.830 --> 0:23:42.270 has distributed freely. He has given to the poor. He is. 0:23:42.510 --> 0:23:46.919 His righteousness endures forever. His horn is exalted. Look at 0:23:46.920 --> 0:23:50.280 the payoff. Verse ten. Last verse. The wicked man sees 0:23:50.280 --> 0:23:53.280 it in his anger. He gnashes his teeth and melts away. 0:23:53.280 --> 0:23:58.240 The desire of the wicked will perish. The best way 0:23:59.280 --> 0:24:04.680 to deal with the pain of adversaries, even in this 0:24:04.680 --> 0:24:10.680 case an ex-husband, is to outlive them. Now you might say, 0:24:10.720 --> 0:24:14.080 and she said, I'm worse off for all of this. 0:24:15.560 --> 0:24:20.600 I'm not okay. This trial hasn't made me mature and complete, 0:24:20.600 --> 0:24:23.640 lacking in nothing. Like we find in James one two 0:24:23.680 --> 0:24:27.360 through four. Here's what I would say. This is the 0:24:27.359 --> 0:24:31.600 lost art because I hear a thread in what you're saying, sister, 0:24:33.200 --> 0:24:36.600 and the thread is a lot of getting busy reading 0:24:36.600 --> 0:24:40.360 the Bible, going to church, doing a lot of praying, 0:24:41.000 --> 0:24:46.659 listening to The messages gotten wise counsel doing all the 0:24:46.900 --> 0:24:52.860 stupid her quote stupid positive affirmations that never work and 0:24:52.859 --> 0:24:56.980 I couldn't agree with you more. Here's what I would say. First, 0:24:57.740 --> 0:25:05.340 David got down. I mean discouraged, he was so discouraged 0:25:05.340 --> 0:25:11.020 he was panting like a deer for flowing streams of water. 0:25:13.260 --> 0:25:18.980 His tears were his food day and night. Yeah. Salty tears. 0:25:21.940 --> 0:25:27.580 And those tears were screaming one thing. Where's your God? Whoa! 0:25:30.180 --> 0:25:32.620 These things I remember as I pour out my soul. 0:25:34.859 --> 0:25:39.580 And then he speaks to himself. Why are you so downcast? 0:25:39.580 --> 0:25:43.600 Oh my soul. And why are you in turmoil within me? 0:25:44.160 --> 0:25:48.400 Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my 0:25:48.400 --> 0:25:54.000 salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me. 0:25:54.000 --> 0:26:03.000 Therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan. Deep 0:26:03.000 --> 0:26:07.840 calls to deep as the roar of your waterfalls. All 0:26:07.840 --> 0:26:14.879 your breakers and your waves have gone over me. Here's 0:26:14.880 --> 0:26:17.320 what a lost art in our world today. In fact, 0:26:17.320 --> 0:26:19.320 I had a young man come up to me and 0:26:19.320 --> 0:26:24.480 said yesterday, he said, that thing that you said about 0:26:24.480 --> 0:26:28.120 spending five minutes alone with God in the morning just 0:26:28.119 --> 0:26:31.800 to hear him, not to talk to him, just to 0:26:31.840 --> 0:26:36.760 hear him. Is one of the greatest things I've ever 0:26:36.760 --> 0:26:40.200 done in my life. Just a young man. Here's what 0:26:40.200 --> 0:26:44.010 I need you to hear. I need you to sit 0:26:44.010 --> 0:26:47.850 alone with God early in the morning. Pour out your 0:26:47.850 --> 0:26:52.730 heart to him and be silent. I want you to 0:26:52.770 --> 0:26:56.290 have armed yourself before you sit down alone with him, 0:26:56.650 --> 0:27:04.570 with passages of his goodness. The fact that he sees 0:27:04.570 --> 0:27:10.450 your pain. The fact that he knows what you're going through, 0:27:11.770 --> 0:27:17.050 his providence, his love, the faithfulness of God cited all 0:27:17.050 --> 0:27:21.090 the way through the scriptures. And then gently, in the 0:27:21.090 --> 0:27:27.330 quietness of the dark, say, my soul is downcast. Lord, 0:27:27.330 --> 0:27:30.570 help me with the grace to put my trust in you. 0:27:33.530 --> 0:27:38.409 Whether you feel far away or close by, my soul 0:27:38.690 --> 0:27:45.190 magnifies Nafis, you begin to rehearse the truth of God's power, 0:27:45.869 --> 0:27:53.750 his providence, his goodness. Is it hard? It's hard. But 0:27:53.750 --> 0:27:57.469 I am encouraged when I get into moments of deep discouragement. 0:27:58.030 --> 0:28:02.990 And I do that. David had a downcast soul and 0:28:02.990 --> 0:28:07.630 he spoke to it. Put your hope in God. It's 0:28:07.630 --> 0:28:11.670 not hope in Bible reading. It's not hope in doing 0:28:11.670 --> 0:28:15.830 lots of praying or talking with God. It's listening to him. 0:28:16.950 --> 0:28:21.910 It's a lost art. Spending time alone with God. Let 0:28:21.910 --> 0:28:25.350 the tears fall. It might be your breakfast that day, 0:28:25.350 --> 0:28:29.390 but I'm convinced God will feed your soul. That's what 0:28:29.390 --> 0:28:34.950 David said. It's one other thing I want to add. 0:28:35.750 --> 0:28:40.570 Get with a friend or two, please. Leaves, get with 0:28:40.570 --> 0:28:44.810 a friend or two. Have someone who can bear those 0:28:44.810 --> 0:28:49.610 burdens with you, weep with you, and encourage you and 0:28:49.610 --> 0:28:51.050 point you back to God. 0:28:51.570 --> 0:28:56.170 She's a choreographer extraordinaire and everything is Greek to her. 0:28:56.570 --> 0:29:00.330 Super die is in the crew. It's Carl and crew 0:29:00.330 --> 0:29:01.610 on Moody Radio. 0:29:01.930 --> 0:29:04.690 Even the Windex bottle, it's all Greek to her. 0:29:04.730 --> 0:29:05.490 Everything. 0:29:05.530 --> 0:29:09.450 Every bit of it is Greek to her. Okay, I 0:29:09.450 --> 0:29:11.450 want to break something down for you. We've got a 0:29:11.490 --> 0:29:15.010 golden opportunity in me and super dire. Yeah, we're buddies 0:29:15.010 --> 0:29:18.650 on this one, aren't we, kiddo? Resurrection Sunday? 0:29:18.690 --> 0:29:20.890 Absolutely my favorite. 0:29:21.290 --> 0:29:23.530 Isn't it the best day of the year? 0:29:24.250 --> 0:29:25.170 The best. 0:29:25.210 --> 0:29:25.850 It's better. 0:29:26.130 --> 0:29:26.490 Week. 0:29:26.850 --> 0:29:30.130 I know some of you are Christmas hounds. I get that, but. 0:29:31.370 --> 0:29:33.290 Well, the thing about Christmas, I was going to say 0:29:33.330 --> 0:29:38.610 the the Christmas holiday is setting up for what happens 0:29:38.700 --> 0:29:42.700 this Sunday. I mean, we're celebrating because Jesus is here 0:29:43.020 --> 0:29:46.540 and he's going to do the thing that he does 0:29:46.540 --> 0:29:48.540 this upcoming Sunday. Yeah. 0:29:48.940 --> 0:29:51.700 And by the way, Christmas, when did it find out 0:29:51.700 --> 0:29:55.500 when it was first celebrated? It's relatively new compared to 0:29:55.540 --> 0:29:57.900 celebrating the resurrection of Christ. 0:29:57.940 --> 0:29:58.460 Oh, yeah. 0:29:58.780 --> 0:30:01.060 Boy, the keys are in there. There's fire coming off 0:30:01.060 --> 0:30:03.140 those things right now. He's burning. 0:30:03.460 --> 0:30:03.660 On. 0:30:03.660 --> 0:30:04.660 It. You already got. 0:30:04.660 --> 0:30:05.780 It. 336 A.D.. 0:30:05.820 --> 0:30:07.979 I was going to guess 400, so I was off 0:30:07.980 --> 0:30:08.660 70 years. 0:30:08.700 --> 0:30:09.540 That's pretty good. 0:30:09.820 --> 0:30:13.940 Um, it's it's interesting because. Yeah, 300 years. Those poor 0:30:13.940 --> 0:30:16.900 kids never got to get up on Christmas Day. 0:30:17.340 --> 0:30:18.060 What a bummer. 0:30:18.260 --> 0:30:22.460 For 300 years, they never, never had Christmas. But. But 0:30:22.460 --> 0:30:23.540 they had Easter. 0:30:23.860 --> 0:30:24.219 Easter. 0:30:24.740 --> 0:30:27.459 And and that's the point. Listen, here's here's. And I 0:30:27.460 --> 0:30:30.820 love Christmas. So don't be thinking that now I love Christmas, 0:30:31.060 --> 0:30:36.980 but Easter. Resurrection Sunday. Are you kidding me? This is 0:30:36.980 --> 0:30:39.000 the day for a holy reset. Let me give you 0:30:39.000 --> 0:30:42.120 some fuel for your belly. Titus two I love this passage. 0:30:42.520 --> 0:30:45.400 Verse 11 and 12 for the grace of God has appeared, 0:30:45.400 --> 0:30:50.480 bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness 0:30:50.520 --> 0:30:57.560 and worldly passions. And to live self-controlled, upright and godly 0:30:57.560 --> 0:31:02.120 lives in this present age. I want you to make 0:31:02.120 --> 0:31:07.320 Resurrection Sunday a holy reset. I want you on Friday 0:31:07.320 --> 0:31:09.600 to nail to the cross. And we're actually going to 0:31:09.600 --> 0:31:11.760 be doing this at one in Chicago at our Good 0:31:11.760 --> 0:31:16.200 Friday service. I just gave away something that's going to 0:31:16.200 --> 0:31:22.560 be an incredible treat. We're going to be nailing to 0:31:22.560 --> 0:31:26.640 the cross symbolically, not only the sins of the past, 0:31:26.640 --> 0:31:30.400 but even the battles of the present. And we're going 0:31:30.440 --> 0:31:35.600 to be believing God for resurrection power. Why? Because the 0:31:35.600 --> 0:31:38.740 tomb is empty and his grace has graces appeared, training 0:31:38.740 --> 0:31:45.740 us to renounce ungodliness. Worldly passions and to live self-controlled, 0:31:45.740 --> 0:31:49.340 upright and godly lives in this present age, waiting for 0:31:49.340 --> 0:31:51.820 our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our 0:31:51.820 --> 0:31:57.180 great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Wow. See, Resurrection Sunday 0:31:57.180 --> 0:32:02.860 is a day when you can say, God, I renew 0:32:02.900 --> 0:32:08.420 my commitment to you. Get anything ungodly out of me. 0:32:08.780 --> 0:32:13.260 Worldly passions squared away. Give me self control. Help me 0:32:13.260 --> 0:32:19.140 live upright and godly in this present age. Watch what 0:32:19.180 --> 0:32:24.700 God can do. Make it true of you this Resurrection Sunday. 0:32:24.740 --> 0:32:28.340 Do you feel stuck or paralyzed? Are you ready to 0:32:28.380 --> 0:32:33.540 break free? Hear your questions answered. It's time for ask, 0:32:33.540 --> 0:32:34.580 Pastor Carl. 0:32:35.340 --> 0:32:38.110 All right, boom crew. I need you to know something 0:32:38.110 --> 0:32:42.430 I want to. I don't care how long I'm here 0:32:42.430 --> 0:32:45.470 on radio. Monday mornings at the bottom of the hour. 0:32:45.510 --> 0:32:48.390 I want this to become a place where we get 0:32:48.390 --> 0:32:51.870 after it like we haven't even yet. What do I mean? 0:32:53.550 --> 0:32:55.510 Our commitment here is to help you take your next 0:32:55.510 --> 0:32:59.390 step with Jesus. I've learned some stuff about discipleship over 0:32:59.390 --> 0:33:04.430 the over over the years. I'm mainly the school of 0:33:04.430 --> 0:33:08.870 hard knocks. I've got sacred scholars all over my body, 0:33:09.950 --> 0:33:14.230 physically and in my heart. Sacred scars are beautiful things, 0:33:14.230 --> 0:33:16.630 and some of you still have wounds, and God wants 0:33:16.630 --> 0:33:19.510 to take those wounds and turn them into sacred scars. 0:33:19.510 --> 0:33:22.710 Isn't that kind of a cool metaphor? Um, so here's 0:33:22.710 --> 0:33:25.670 what I want you to do. As we give you 0:33:25.670 --> 0:33:27.550 a link here, I want us to and we're going 0:33:27.550 --> 0:33:29.070 to do this. I'm going to answer a question here 0:33:29.070 --> 0:33:30.350 in a moment, but I want to give you a 0:33:30.350 --> 0:33:32.350 link right now because I want to banner ad this. 0:33:32.350 --> 0:33:36.209 I want to get after these questions of not the 0:33:36.210 --> 0:33:38.890 hypostatic union, and not how many angels can fit on 0:33:38.890 --> 0:33:40.970 the needle on the pin of a needle or anything 0:33:40.970 --> 0:33:45.010 like that. That's that's Michael Ray Dolnick stuff on Open Line. Um, 0:33:45.010 --> 0:33:48.810 but what I want to get after here is discipleship questions. 0:33:48.810 --> 0:33:52.690 What's got you stuck? How do you overcome? What's holding 0:33:52.690 --> 0:33:55.050 you back? What sin are you battling with that you 0:33:55.050 --> 0:33:58.650 need victory on? And I'm going to tackle these things 0:33:58.650 --> 0:34:02.810 head on. And and I'm going to protect your identity 0:34:02.810 --> 0:34:04.730 as I'm about to with a letter that came in 0:34:04.730 --> 0:34:06.290 to me here. And it doesn't need to be a 0:34:06.290 --> 0:34:08.090 long letter. It can be a few sentences, but if 0:34:08.130 --> 0:34:12.129 you've got questions related to discipleship, I want to get 0:34:12.130 --> 0:34:14.529 after them. Now, some of them come in and they're 0:34:14.530 --> 0:34:17.330 so similar I try to bundle them together. And so 0:34:17.370 --> 0:34:19.529 I'm there's no way I'm going to respond to these 0:34:19.570 --> 0:34:24.490 emails personally, but I will on air. Okay. And so 0:34:24.489 --> 0:34:27.650 get them in knowing generally speaking, there's a lot of 0:34:27.650 --> 0:34:30.170 people struggling with something. You are super di. How do 0:34:30.170 --> 0:34:31.210 they get questions in here? 0:34:31.250 --> 0:34:34.810 Real simple. Get those questions in by texting the word pastor. 0:34:34.910 --> 0:34:39.950 takes the word pastor to 800 555 7898. The word 0:34:39.950 --> 0:34:44.989 is pastor and the number is 805 five five 7898. 0:34:45.110 --> 0:34:46.630 The info will come right to your phone. 0:34:46.670 --> 0:34:50.070 Yeah. Okay. Carl. Pastor Carl, I listen to you daily 0:34:50.070 --> 0:34:54.350 on Moody in the morning. Thank you. First off, I 0:34:54.390 --> 0:34:56.910 listen to your story of your walk with Christ. It 0:34:56.910 --> 0:34:59.390 brings me so much joy because I feel there is 0:34:59.430 --> 0:35:01.669 hope for my son going to leave his name out. 0:35:01.710 --> 0:35:05.310 See how honoring I am here, guys. He is so 0:35:05.350 --> 0:35:11.750 lost with anxiety and rebellion. He's such a wonderful kid, 0:35:11.790 --> 0:35:19.750 young man who has so many struggles with life in school, loss, anxiety. 0:35:20.110 --> 0:35:22.310 I know he now this is where I want you 0:35:22.310 --> 0:35:25.629 to listen closely. I know he knows Christ, but he 0:35:25.630 --> 0:35:28.110 is so far from him. He has gone to Christian 0:35:28.110 --> 0:35:32.150 schools his whole life. Sitting in chapel. I have prayed 0:35:32.150 --> 0:35:35.239 over this young man, but some days I see no hope. 0:35:35.239 --> 0:35:38.360 My heart breaks for you and I feel your pain. 0:35:38.360 --> 0:35:42.680 It's hard. Would you please pray for. Gives her boy 0:35:42.680 --> 0:35:45.600 his name. And I will to come to the end 0:35:45.600 --> 0:35:50.320 of himself. To give his life fully to God. Blessings 0:35:50.320 --> 0:35:53.840 from a mother whose heart is breaking for her son. Okay, 0:35:54.760 --> 0:35:56.839 so I'm not going to mention the woman's name here, 0:35:56.840 --> 0:35:58.560 but I want to talk to you, sister and all 0:35:58.560 --> 0:36:02.000 you other sisters and brothers who feel the same thing. 0:36:02.600 --> 0:36:05.960 I hammered this last Friday and I'm going to get 0:36:05.960 --> 0:36:10.560 after it again. I want you to be clear on something. 0:36:11.280 --> 0:36:15.240 Being in church or a Christian school, or going to 0:36:15.600 --> 0:36:20.480 a youth group or all these different spiritual activities are 0:36:20.680 --> 0:36:28.640 zero indicator that your kid is in Christ, zero that 0:36:28.640 --> 0:36:32.080 that has nothing to do with it. Now we talk 0:36:32.120 --> 0:36:36.900 a lot about Matthew seven here. But preaching in the 0:36:36.900 --> 0:36:39.379 name of Jesus, baptizing in the name of Jesus, and 0:36:39.380 --> 0:36:43.380 doing mighty works in the Jesus, did not pre-qualify any 0:36:43.380 --> 0:36:46.900 one to go to heaven, because Jesus said to many 0:36:46.940 --> 0:36:50.779 who would say that I never knew you. Okay. And plus, 0:36:50.780 --> 0:36:55.180 the goal here isn't getting fire insurance so that you 0:36:55.219 --> 0:36:58.299 avoid hell. The goal here is the abundant life. So 0:36:58.300 --> 0:37:01.540 this mom's barking up the right tree. There's a presumption 0:37:01.540 --> 0:37:05.980 that we make that is often flawed, and that is 0:37:05.980 --> 0:37:11.020 that going to church and even having indications of maybe 0:37:11.020 --> 0:37:13.940 even getting baptized. We got a baptism coming up at 0:37:13.940 --> 0:37:16.859 180 Chicago, and I had a precious girl come up 0:37:16.860 --> 0:37:20.180 to me that's just begun following Jesus six months ago, 0:37:20.180 --> 0:37:24.060 raised in a in a tradition that she got baptized 0:37:24.100 --> 0:37:28.660 young and with tears in her eyes from another country. 0:37:29.420 --> 0:37:32.020 She says, pastor, I need to get baptized. I said, 0:37:32.020 --> 0:37:37.719 you do. awesome because now she is a repentant follower 0:37:37.719 --> 0:37:41.839 of Jesus Christ. So here's what I would say. I 0:37:41.840 --> 0:37:44.960 had Sean McDowell on with me when I was guest 0:37:44.960 --> 0:37:48.840 hosting for Chris Brooks last week, and he said something profound. 0:37:51.560 --> 0:37:56.480 He has asked, anecdotally, 30 adult kids that were raised 0:37:56.480 --> 0:38:02.200 in the church to great parents. Imperfect but great parents. 0:38:02.360 --> 0:38:05.360 Please don't wear this. Your kid has their own free will. 0:38:05.719 --> 0:38:10.799 Don't condemn yourself. Own anything you can own, but don't 0:38:10.800 --> 0:38:14.680 condemn yourself. And he asked 30 kids, have you? Did 0:38:14.680 --> 0:38:17.680 you ever come to the point in your life where 0:38:17.680 --> 0:38:21.560 you were broken over your sin and you repented of 0:38:21.560 --> 0:38:24.840 it because you knew you needed a Savior? Only one 0:38:24.840 --> 0:38:30.560 responded yes, out of 30. Doctor Sean McDowell is a 0:38:31.250 --> 0:38:35.730 Apologists who deals with issues of today in profound ways. 0:38:35.730 --> 0:38:43.970 He's Josh's son. Great kid. That further undergirds my firm 0:38:43.969 --> 0:38:49.130 belief that many kids that we're praying to get fully 0:38:49.410 --> 0:38:56.730 alive in Christ have never been alive in Christ. Am 0:38:56.730 --> 0:38:59.129 I saying that or all are in that group? No, 0:38:59.130 --> 0:39:02.330 I would say there is the one out there out 0:39:02.370 --> 0:39:06.330 of 30, but I think that's a good rule of thumb. 0:39:08.810 --> 0:39:11.649 Given the preponderance of evidence. And look at the ten 0:39:11.650 --> 0:39:17.530 virgins in what Matthew 25, the ten virgins waiting for 0:39:17.810 --> 0:39:21.689 the groom to come. They're all dressed up the same. 0:39:21.690 --> 0:39:23.730 They all got lamps in their hand. Only five of 0:39:23.730 --> 0:39:26.650 the ten have oil in their lamps. The other five 0:39:26.650 --> 0:39:30.490 didn't have. And I believe it's representative of the Holy 0:39:30.489 --> 0:39:34.310 Spirit filling their life. They were not alive. They had 0:39:34.310 --> 0:39:39.989 no light. They had no juice for light. So here's 0:39:39.989 --> 0:39:41.589 what I want you to do. I'm going to give 0:39:41.590 --> 0:39:44.830 a resource out that is very important. Calling all parents 0:39:44.830 --> 0:39:50.230 with kids that you want them to be fully alive 0:39:50.230 --> 0:39:53.230 in Christ. You might need to be praying that they 0:39:53.230 --> 0:39:59.670 would come alive in Christ. There is undeniable zeal to 0:39:59.670 --> 0:40:03.910 be plugged into the church. When you are plugged into Christ, 0:40:04.590 --> 0:40:07.910 and Christ is in you. So I want you to 0:40:07.950 --> 0:40:11.630 grab this resource, and I want and I'm going to 0:40:11.630 --> 0:40:14.069 keep hammering this more and more because it's something we 0:40:14.110 --> 0:40:17.950 got to get after the it's it's titled nine Ways 0:40:17.950 --> 0:40:20.189 to Know You stand with God and he stands with you. 0:40:20.190 --> 0:40:22.989 And this is why it's such a great tool for parents. 0:40:23.190 --> 0:40:26.670 You can use this. And by the way, people that say, oh, 0:40:26.670 --> 0:40:30.469 I'm not supposed to be looking at fruit baloney. Of 0:40:30.530 --> 0:40:35.850 course you are one for expressing judgment. No. To love 0:40:35.850 --> 0:40:40.330 people well. And if you look at this, you'll see characteristics, 0:40:40.330 --> 0:40:44.570 although imperfect, but are characteristic of men and women who 0:40:44.730 --> 0:40:50.290 are in Christ. Men and women. Boys and girls. So 0:40:50.330 --> 0:40:53.930 look at it. Pray through it. If this is not 0:40:53.930 --> 0:40:59.689 characteristic of your kid, start praying that they would. Be 0:40:59.690 --> 0:41:06.290 found by Jesus. More than fully committed to Jesus. Because 0:41:06.290 --> 0:41:09.129 you can only be fully committed to. And I would 0:41:09.130 --> 0:41:13.370 call that the sanctification process. You can only be fully 0:41:13.370 --> 0:41:17.770 committed to someone that you are first born into. So 0:41:17.810 --> 0:41:18.969 take it away, somebody. 0:41:19.050 --> 0:41:22.010 Yeah. The title again Carl's talking there. That blog nine 0:41:22.010 --> 0:41:25.050 Ways to know that you stand with God and God 0:41:25.050 --> 0:41:27.930 stands with you. We'll get that to you. Just text 0:41:27.930 --> 0:41:34.779 the word stand. The word is stand to 805, 55, 78, 98. 0:41:34.820 --> 0:41:41.060 Text the word stand 805, 55, 78, 98. 0:41:41.500 --> 0:41:42.980 You know, we had a text that came in while 0:41:42.980 --> 0:41:46.700 I was sharing the story, said, I'm a grandmother raising 0:41:46.739 --> 0:41:50.940 two grandsons. I'm experiencing the same as that. Mother, please 0:41:50.940 --> 0:41:54.060 pray for my grandson. I'm not going to say the name. 0:41:54.660 --> 0:41:57.900 We will. So, father, these two young men that are 0:41:57.940 --> 0:41:59.740 have been brought to our hearts this morning, we pray. 0:41:59.739 --> 0:42:03.420 And for these that are grabbing this blog right now, 0:42:03.580 --> 0:42:10.740 this represents hundreds, maybe thousands of kids the parents long 0:42:10.900 --> 0:42:14.020 to see born again. Lord, we pray right now in 0:42:14.020 --> 0:42:19.180 the name of Jesus. Holy Spirit, move across this land, 0:42:19.180 --> 0:42:22.620 across this globe and take kids that were raised in 0:42:22.620 --> 0:42:26.779 church and bring them into Christ for sure. And we 0:42:26.780 --> 0:42:29.739 pray it in Jesus name a men.