← Nephilim Death Squad
Nephilim Death Squad
Sermon on the Mount Episode 4 | Straight Bible
02:00:07
In Episode 4 of Straight Bible’s Sermon on the Mount series, Matt Hepner continues the verse-by-verse study through one of the most profound teachings Jesus ever delivered. The Sermon on the Mount challenges believers to examine not only outward...
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
The wrongs we must right, the fights we must win, the future we must secure together for our nation. This is what's in front of us. This determines what's next for all of us. We are Marines. We were made for this.
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Co-host/Assistant
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
They blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake. Do people know that? Like, we're in the Beatitudes and we're going through all this and then bam. Blessed are they which are persecuted. And so this is like day one stuff. This isn't like, you know, you go to the 501C3, they got a slide in the lobby, they got an ATM up front, they got trampolines in the back, and everybody's having a good time. And maybe six months or six years into it, they say, oh, yeah, get ready for persecution. This is like day one stuff. It's in the Beatitudes. It's. We're literally wrapping up the Beatitudes and you got to know if you're going to sign up for this, you got to be ready for persecution. This is like, so rare for people to understand this, but it's, it's so plain in the scripture. And we're going to unpack about a little less than 10,000 passages to make this point. But. But this is where we're at. So let's just maybe read a little bit through. We're starting in verse 10. We're going to do 10 through 12 today. But I'm just going to start back in verse one. Can I get a little bit louder in the ears too? And seeing the multitudes, he that's Jesus went up into a mountain, and when he was set, his disciples came unto him. We elaborated on that on episode one to like, he sees the multitudes, but he doesn't deal with the multitudes. He calls his disciples to him and he deals with them. He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We talked about that being submissive to the king. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. You're kind of not at home in the earth. You kind of look around and you know something's not right, Right? You're kind of mourn over that. You look in yourself, you mourn over that. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. We looked at the example of Moses. We went through meekness, the most meek in all the land. Blessed are. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. They're not twiddling their thumbs. They're not sitting around waiting for stuff. They're hungry and thirsty, man. Like, if you work on the farm and you get super thirsty, you know, there's no, like, feeling like that, like thirst. You're like that going after God, though, right? Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. You've been given mercy, so it's just very logical that that's all you know. So you pass on mercy. That's the way you live. You don't hold grudges. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God the sincere. Right? The ones who come at God, they don't have an agenda. We talked to the girl, Vicki Joy, yesterday. She's wonderful. And she was. We were talking about that with her, too. That, like, you can't have this agenda coming into the Bible. You just got to be sincere. You got to be pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. And then this is where it gets wild, man. So you're a peacemaker. We elaborated on that. Going about making peace. You're pure at heart. You're meek, you're more. And it's almost as if Jesus says, okay, now that you've done all that, now that you've done all that, just get ready for persecution. I don't know if people are ready for that, but it's almost like he's saying, blessed are they who lay down their lives, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, is really what he's saying here. And it makes sense, you know, at first glance, it doesn't make sense, but the more you think about it, the more it does make sense, man. It's like a life worth dying for. Like, that's blessed you. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's what he's saying. Like, you. You have this life that's worth being persecuted for, that's worth dying for. Yeah, you're blessed. And remember, we opened up that word a little Bit that Greek word, it can mean happy, blessed, well off. Like these people are well off. The ones that have this life that's worth dying for, Right? Like, there's kind of nothing worse, especially in America, is like, you just kind of have this meaningless life. You don't really stand for anything. You just kind of go with the flow and go with the wind. That's not really blessed, man. But having something that's worth dying for, that's a big deal. So I'm going to read 10, 11, and 12 because that's what we're going to focus on this week. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you. I just want everybody to notice that this is where it makes a little shift. This is kind of wild. All of this is. Blessed are they. Blessed are they. Blessed are they. This is where it goes. Blessed are you. Now he makes it personal. He says, all right, I just want to make sure you guys understand. Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. I don't know if a lot of people know this passage exists. Maybe they kind of do, but it doesn't really. It hasn't registered for them. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. We're going to unpack that. There's some rewards. You know, like In America in December 25, you come out in the morning, there's these little packages and stuff. Yeah, there's some rewards. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they, the prophets which were before you. So this shift that goes from they to you, right, this is like the beginning of the apostles starting to hear it like this, that he's not just. It's not just whimsical anymore. It's not just like out there in the ether. Blessed are they. Blessed are they. They. Blessed are you. Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. And this is one of many times that he, like, says this up front as if to say, make sure you understand what you're signing up for before you get into this. So, like, I don't know, I read that and I think, like, maybe I should set my life up in such a way where I'm ready for this. Like, maybe I shouldn't set my life up in such a way that it revolves around, like, Comfort, luxury, entertainment. You know, if I want food, I just go through the drive through. If I want entertainment, I just go to the theater. If I want, like, I don't know, whatever. I just feel like, yeah, maybe I should be setting up my life or maybe I'm farming or doing, like, a little bit of harder things. Like, you know the dude David Goggins says, stay hard. Yeah. Like, maybe. Maybe there's something to that. Maybe we should be doing stuff that, like, is not comfortable. That's, like, a thing that we don't want to do. Like, maybe we should be intentional. Super comfortable. Luxurious hot showers in America. Like, totally fresh, clean running water. Maybe you should take a cold shower once in a while. Just a reminder. Just. Just like, yo, hey. Just everything doesn't have to be so comfortable and so luxurious all the time. Like, maybe I should just remind myself, if we know this is what's coming. I'll show you a. Well, let's look at Luke 14:25 through 33 real quick, because that's. That just kind of elaborates on this concept of, like, make sure you know what you're signing up for. So that was Jesus, main thing, right? Like, the modern American system is like, yeah, no, bring everybody in. It's going to be play time. It's going to be great. Jesus is like, no, no, no. Make sure you understand what you're signing up for before you sign up for this. So in Luke 14:25, it goes like this. It goes. And there were great. There went great multitudes with them. And he turned and said unto them. So here we go. We got multitudes again, right? This is when he says he asked for the offering, Right. He's got a big crowd. Oh, he does. He says, I've got this big crowd. Now's our opportunity to strike while the iron's hot. Let's take up a big offering, right? So if g. So if the goal of the church is, like, church growth. Jesus is the biggest failure in church history. Just understand that. Like. Like, he's the biggest failure. He sees this big crowd. He says, hey, hey, hey. Oh, everybody's here now. Okay, let's get this straight. If any man comes to me and hates not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters. Yeah. In his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Just make sure why you're here. Like, why is the crowd here? You just saw the silver shakeout, right? It ran to 120, then it dropped all the way to 70. It kind of shook out all the fake money Right, Yeah. Jesus does that too. He shakes out the fakers. He says, whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. To me, that 26 is really an identity passage, right? Especially in that day, you identify with your family like your job was whatever your dad did. So, you know, you identify in, like, your job, you identify in your family. He's saying, if that identity is more important to you than your identity in me, you can't be my disciple. That's. That's really how I read that. And I think that applies today, man. It's like, people are like, yeah, I'm like this dude. You know, I have this job. I have this much money. I have this cool of a truck, this cool of a house. I enjoy these hobbies, and I'm a Christian. He's like, no, no, no, it doesn't work like that, man. Your identity is wrapped up in me. That's what he's saying. All the other stuff is just details. It's just details for which of you intending to build a tower, sits not down first and counts the cost. Now, this is one of these parables that could be applied either way. I know a lot of people don't like that, right? Because we like to argue about. We so, like American school educated, where the system is based on, like, here's the topics. Here's what to think about the topics. And when we test you, we're just testing you to make sure you've memorized what we told you, you say it back to us. So we know that we brainwashed you. Or maybe not brainwashed, but we. But you know what we taught you, and you can say it back to us.
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Co-host/Assistant
Regurgitation.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
That's our school system. It's like, here's the topics. Here's what to think about the topics. So the kids that were like, yo, I'm not into any of these topics, like, can we. How do you build a food forest? Like, no, no, no, we're doing math. You're like, well, what about if I want to raise, like, goats and chickens and ducks? No, no, no, we're doing science right now. You know, it's like, these are the topics, these are the answers. And you repeat it back to us. That way you get an A. The same stuff happens in the church, right? So the church, you get like these smart guys in the pulpit who are just, like, educated, right? And so they're like two and then a symbol, and then a three is five. You're like, okay, cool. Yeah, two plus three is Five. Got it. But there could be another symbol in there, right? It could be two times three is six or two minus three is negative one. They're like, no, no, no. Two plus three is five. You're like, okay, but there's other angles to this. Do you see what I'm saying? And that's my take on the scripture is like, yeah, God in his infinite wisdom can lay out parables and can lay out things that he teaches us that have layers to it, man. And so this is just one of the ones that I think could apply to Jesus, right? This could absolutely apply to Jesus. It says, which of you intending to build a tower sits down first, sits not down first, and counts the cost whether he has sufficient to finish it. That could totally apply to Jesus. He's building a church. So he's building a church. And like, he's totally looking at who he's using to build this church. He's counting the cost, right? But this absolutely could apply to us too. Like, if you're going to be a part of this, sit down and count the cost first. Which he's always so serious to do. He's always so serious to say, make sure you want to sign up for this. Less happily after he has laid the foundation and isn't able to finish it all that behold him, begin to mock him. Imagine if you start out as a Christian and you just fall off. People begin to mock. He's saying, yeah, that's foolish. They start saying, this man began to build and wasn't able to finish. Or what king goes to make war? So this could happen. Jesus is a king who's at. Who's at war, right? The church is at war. But it could totally also apply to us. What king going to make war against another king, sits not down first and consults whether he be able with 10,000 to meet him, comes against him with 20,000 or else, while the other is a great way off, he sends an ambassador and desires conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has cannot be my disciple, right? So he's just saying, count the cost, man. Right? Right from the jump, right? In the Sermon on the Mount, right in the very beginning in the Beatitudes, as he begins to explain the culture and the characteristics of the character of the citizens in our kingdom, he says, get ready for persecution. If you don't want it, don't sign up for this. I don't care how much money you have. Like, would. Don't stay away from the money bucket. We don't need your money. Like, if you're not ready for this, don't come in early.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay, let's look at Acts. We're going to be in Axe a little bit because these dudes. These dudes knew a little something about persecution. And then I kind of want to break down that word because I've gone back and forth on it a lot, actually, on how I look at it, but Acts 5:12. Okay, I'm gonna read quick because it's a big passage. If you're ready. I'm ready.
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Co-host/Assistant
Go for it.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. And they were all with one accord. In Solomon's porch. They didn't have a bunch of denominations in that day. It was one accord. And of the rest, durst no man join himself to them, but the people magnified them. So, like, nobody came and joined themselves to the apostles. Those dudes were just like. I guess they were like Navy SEALs. They were like SEAL Team 6. Nobody came and joined them to him, but they magnified them. They knew they were. They knew something's up with these guys. And believers were the more added to the Lord. Multitudes, both of men and women. So these dudes are doing rad stuff. Multitudes are being added to the church. No fog machine, no ATM in the lobby. None of any of that stuff. They're just preaching and they're just living this. These guys specifically with signs and wonders. People were saying, something's there, something's there. I went in on that. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on the beds and couches that at the least, the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. Like his shadow was healing people. There came also a multitude out of the cities roundabout unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and then which were vexed with unclean spirits. And they were healed. Everyone. This is what the apostles are doing. This is the book Acts. This is the blueprint we have for the church. So, like, if we have today, we're like, oh, yeah, to be a churchgoer means you don't say cuss words and you eat chick fil a and you say, be blessed. That's cool. But we have a blueprint. Like we have the Book of Acts. Like, this is what the church looked like after Jesus ascended. There came also a multitude out of the cities. I already read that. Then the high priest rose up and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation, right? People are being delivered, people are being healed. So the religious system is filled with indignation. And laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. I guess that's just what religion does. Like stuff like people are being healed and demons are being cast out. They throw them in prison. I guess. I guess that's just what happens. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them forth and said, go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this religion. No, no, he didn't say go say all these words of this religion. He said, tell the people all the words of this life. Because that's what Christianity is. It's a life. It's your life. It's not a religion. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest came and they that were with him and called the council together and all the senate of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. Imagine, they're all like big shots and stuff. Like, yeah, go get those little punks and bring them in here. But when the officers came and found them not in the prison, they returned and told saying, the prison truly found. We shut with all safety and the keepers standing without before the doors. But when we opened, we found no man inside. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them where unto this would grow. This was always their concern. Is this going to grow? Remember, the persecuted church grows. Then came one and told them, saying, behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. Then went the captain with the officers and brought them without violence because they feared the people. Not because it was the right thing to do and they were religious, but because they feared the people. That's the only reason they weren't violent with them, lest they should have been stoned. They thought, dude, the people might stone us.
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Co-host/Assistant
Or were they going to stone the men? They, the officers were, were scared of being stoned.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, that's what it looks like. When the. When the captain with the officers. Then went the captain with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. Like the people were going to stone those officers. Grabbing the apostles.
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Co-host/Assistant
That's crazy.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
But again, we're just back to this thing of, like, no fear of God. They're just fearing people. But this is the religious system that claims to represent God, but they have no fear of God. Like, people ask why I'm Sketchasaurus about the modern system, bro, because I'm a Bible reader. Because, like, you look at the Bible in the religious systems or sketch, and when they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest asked them, saying, did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in this name? Like, I don't know. I think I've been like, bro, how'd you guys get out? Like, it's like you guys are on the inside, and all the officers and all the guards were still on the outside. How'd you guys get out? They didn't even ask him that. They just said, didn't we straightly command you that you should not teach in this name? And behold, you filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, who you slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things. And so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. That's who gets the Holy Ghost. When they heard that they were cut to the heart and took counsel to slay them. Cut to the heart could go either way, man. They could have been cut to the heart, been like, dang, we missed it. Or they're cut to the heart and they're like, we gotta kill these guys. Can you imagine that? That's a religious system. It's not like the mob. It's not the mafia. It's a religious system.
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Co-host/Assistant
Sorry, the. The screen keeps dropping with the scripture.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I don't.
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Co-host/Assistant
I'll keep pulling it up, though.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
You want to mess with it or put. Do something different?
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Co-host/Assistant
Nothing I could do really.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Well, I can just Keep reading, man.
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Co-host/Assistant
Keep reading.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay. When they heard that they're cut to the heart, then stood there up one in the council of Pharisee named Gamaliel. This is the dude that Pa really learned under, which is kind of rad. But a doctor of the law had in reputation among all the people and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space. He said, hold on, let's talk about this. Hold on. Instead of them, you men of Israel, take heed to yourselves. That's good counsel, man. Take heed to yourselves. What you intend to do is touching these men. For before these days rose up studious, boasting himself to be somebody to whom a number of men, about 400 joined themselves who was slain. And all as many as obeyed him were scattered and brought to nothing. Just trying to make a point. He says, hey, if this new thing with this guy Jesus, it's, it's. This has happened before, man. We had these guys, man, the revolutionaries. They die and the thing fizzles out. So like, let's just leave these guys alone. Then he gives another example. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing and drew away much people after him. He also died. And all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. It fizzled out. He died. The whole thing fizzled out. And now I say to you, refrain from these men and let them alone. For if this council or this work is of men, it's going to come to nothing. You don't have to, you don't have to put it out. It's going to come to nothing anyway. But if it's of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest happily you be found even to fight against God. Whoa, there should be a fear against that today too, man. Just make sure that like, whatever religious system is claiming to represent God isn't actually fighting against him. This stuff doesn't change, man. These patterns never change. Like the players and the geography changes, but the patterns don't change into him. They agreed. And when they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. So I don't know what kind of religion just is beating people, but whatever. And they departed from the presence of the council. This is what I wanted to get at. I know it was long winded rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. Like that's the thing, man. These guys are blessed. They're rejoicing, they're happy, they're well off that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus. Name like that, like that's blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness. Sake. And daily in the temple and in every house. Hold on. Let's, let's, let's, let's read what it doesn't say. And once a week in the church and in every house. No, doesn't say that. It doesn't say that. And on Sunday morning at 10am in the. A frame building with the cross on it. Nope, no, it doesn't say. It says daily. This was a daily thing. Imagine that if the church was like gathering daily and daily in the temple and in every house they cease not to teach and preach. Jesus Christ. Amen. Okay, so we're back to. We're Back to Matthew 5. Maybe it was just that passage that couldn't come up because I think I gave you that late. I don't.
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Co-host/Assistant
No, no, I have it pulled up. The. It's just dropping it. I don't know why?
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Because I think I was thinking of that this morning. I don't think I had that in the notes. Okay, so this, so this Greek word persecuted is dioko, right? I go back and forth on this a lot because I'm like. And you, you could probably relate to this. I'm like, dude, there's not any persecution in America. Right? Like, even Ravenhill used to say, the church in America doesn't have to be persecuted, it's just ignored. Which is a very relevant statement too. And so I'm like, yeah, like, you know, you hear of missionaries, you hear the stories in Iran or anywhere in the Middle East, China. We used to hang out with a Irish lady, Joanne. Joanne and Jason. They were missionaries in Africa and in China and they would tell you the wildest stories. Like in China, she would stay in a hotel or whatever and didn't know where she was going the next day. But she would like meet with somebody who would take her to a bus stop and then the bus would take her where she was going. So she had no clue where she was going the next day. And she'd go and she'd end up at somebody's like, homestead. Because that's what people do. They grow their own food and stuff in a lot of places. They don't just go to the grocery store. She'd go to early.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
My Amex Blue cash everyday card is my go to accessory. When I shop, I can earn 3% cash back on US online retail purchases. Try on the Blue Cash Everyday card. Learn more@americanexpress.com Explore BCE terms and cash Back Cap apply. Get out. Like, go to the back of the farm. There'd be some barn. She said this would be like a common thing. You'd go in the barn and there'd be, like, stuff hanging, like crops that were drying out that was like, from the ceiling going all the way to the floor. And then you'd kind of have to, like. Like, you'd have to like, make your way through that, take it to the back of the barn. And she said there'd just be like 60 or 80 Chinese people just hungry to hear the gospel. Just hungry to hear the gospel, bro. And she'd be back there preaching the gospel. And the reason it was a big deal was because, like, if they busted you, they could take your papers, you could be beaten and put in prison, too. But it was guaranteed that those farmers were going to get beaten and they were going to take their land and, like, crazy stuff was going to happen. And so you hear those stories and you go, dude, that's not happening in America. Like, that's not like that. Like, we're not going through that. And that's real. But I think, like, on the. On a way lower level, just based on, like, the culture that we live in. This Greek word, dioko, it's translated to fall, follow after, right? So imagine just like in your life in America, which is nothing close to what we just described in China or what we read in the Book of Acts Facts. But there's people that are just kind of after you. Does that make sense? They're just. They're following you. They're following after you. And those are. Those are different translations of that same word. But the definition is to drive away, to pursue in a hostile manner, to harass, trouble or mistreat. So I'm like, okay, in that sense, yeah, dude, there's definitely that in America. There's definitely people, like, at your job that are just after you for no reason. You know what I'm saying? There's definitely that. Like, there's just definitely people that are following hard after you, and they're just trying to, like, get you in trouble, trying to trip you up. They're trying to make your life harder. And so there is that. There is that. And so, I don't know, like I said, I go kind of back and forth on this concept of persecution and that it doesn't really exist in America. Like, on the level that we see in the scripture or in other nations, but it's there. You know, you could be persecuted in your own house. You could be persecuted, like in your job, you be persecuted in your church, you'll be persecuted. Like in any of these social networks that people are in today. There's just some people that are after you, man. They're just after you. They're just harassing you. They're just trying to get at you. So it's the same spirit, I guess. It just operates on different levels in different places. Okay, but the big deal is, like, it's. You're being persecuted for righteousness sake, right? Not because you're doing people dirty. That doesn't count. Like, if somebody's after you, harassing you because you've been doing dirty stuff. That's not the same thing, man. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake. What? Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. Right? So we don't live the Christian life and do people dirty, and then that's what brings on this persecution. It's. It's from living, right? It's actually from living, right? There's people after you to harass you because of that. Let's look at 1 Peter 12, because this is a good thing that people should be told, like, early in the game, because otherwise you're just kind of wondering, like, what in the heck is going on? Like, what's happening in my life right now? Things are not, like, cozy and wonderful, and things are kind of getting a little crazy. If. And nobody explains this to you, you don't know what's going on.
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Co-host/Assistant
Beloved thinking not strange, considering concerning the fiery trial.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
The fiery trial. Remember last week, Jesus said, I didn't come to bring peace but a sword. And then he said, I didn't come to bring peace. But the. The other passages talking about I came to bring fire on the earth. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, right? Like a refiner's fire. Sorry, I'm jacked up right now. I'm like cutting you off and stuff.
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Co-host/Assistant
That's good.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay. Yeah. It's like this fiery, refining fire. Like, think about the day of Pentecost. Like, fire came down. The Holy Spirit came down in the form of fire on top of people's heads. And people say, oh, well, when it came on Jesus, it was a dove. There was nothing to refine in Jesus. Like a dove could land on Jesus, he could walk around. The dove would never Fly away. But dove landed on me or you, it'd be like out of here, right? When the Holy Spirit comes on us, it's fire. It's like this refining fire, right? And so that's what Peter's saying. He's saying, hey, man, don't be afraid of these fiery trials.
- [28:53]
Co-host/Assistant
Are you saying, like, the more, the more on fire you are, like, that means the more you had to burn off?
- [29:00]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Potentially.
- [29:01]
Co-host/Assistant
That's an interesting thought.
- [29:02]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I mean, potentially, yeah. To he who is forgiven much loves much. I mean, yeah, I think that kind of principle goes through. Goes through everything. Yeah, but. But Peter's just trying to say, hey, man, when you find yourself in this fiery trial, don't be freaking out, like, wondering what's going on. He says, beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you. This isn't strange. Like, you're supposed to be expecting this. Like, if you find yourself in a fiery trial, you're supposed to say, okay, that train's right on time. That's what he's saying. Like, if this stuff doesn't get taught, like, early on in the game, then we just end up in some wonky kind of modern American 501c3 Christianity. That's just weird, right? But this is biblical Christianity. Get ready for the fiery trial, because it's coming. But rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings. He knows about that. We just read that. That's what we just read in Acts. They were rejoicing because the sufferings that they had for Christ. So now he's just preaching what he's already practiced. Rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy if you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part, he's evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer. Right? This is what I'm saying. Remember it said, for righteousness sake, you're going to be persecuted. For righteousness sake. And they're going to say things against you falsely. Peter's going to elaborate on this. Don't let any of you guys be suffering as a murderer or a thief or as an evildoer or as a busy body. That's like a gossiper, bro. Look at, look at the. Look at the category that like a gossiper is put in. Like a murderer and a thief or a busy body in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. So he's drawing that distinction. He's not like, yo, you can have a pity party. If you're doing people dirty and they start persecuting you go, oh, that's not fair. I'm a Christian. No, that's because you were being a busybody. Right, he's drawn a distinction. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God. Vicki brought that up yesterday. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. You're saying like, hey, I'm being persecuted, I'm suffering, but doesn't matter. I belong to you, God. So it's whatever. I'm just a renter here. I'm just paying rent. This, this whole thing belongs to you. You're the landlord. So it's like, whatever happens, it's on you. I'm not fixing the ac. I don't own the building. This is. This is on you, Lord. You see what I'm saying? That's the Christian life is like trust the faithful Creator. All right, let's look. If we go back a page, we go to 1 Peter 3. 8. Finally be all of one mind. Remember we talked about that in the Book of Acts? They were of one accord. They didn't have 100 denominations. Finally, be all of one mind, having compassion one of another. Love is, brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrary wise blessing. Like, if they're evil to you, you bless them, knowing that you are there unto called, that you should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil in his lips that they speak no guile, guaranteed. My note here says. Lord, help me with this. I don't know any. I mean I. For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil. That's rough, man. I, you know, I get a little loose with some words here and there. That's A rough one. That's a rough one.
- [32:53]
Co-host/Assistant
Yeah, you should watch that.
- [32:54]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Any of these passages, even when it says you'll be judged for every idle word, guaranteed, it says, lord, help me with this. Like, all. Any of the. Even in James, talk about, like, taming the tongue. I'm like, lord, help me with this. Okay. Let him eschew evil and do good. Let him seek peace and ensue it. Right. Blessed are the peacemakers. Why? Because the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers. I love these passages. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. So you got. You kind of only got two options, dude. You're on his team or you're not. Dude, he, like, his ears and eyes are open under your prayers or his face is against you to do evil. I don't think most people's doctrine can sustain that passage. Actually. The face of the Lord is against them to do evil. Right. So he'll do good or do evil. I don't think a lot of people are like, can get with that, that.
- [33:44]
Co-host/Assistant
That do evil, not to do evil. Right.
- [33:47]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. He's against them.
- [33:51]
Co-host/Assistant
Right, Right.
- [33:52]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay. Yeah, I was reading that a little bit like he was going to do evil, but. Well, maybe there's some passages that. That do allude to that. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. So he's against them. He's bringing something harsh. Right. What does it say in. It says, we must understand the kindness and severity of God. What is that? Romans 8 or 9 somewhere in there. But anyway, that's. That's what it's alluding to. Like, we've got to be aware of both. Man, the kindness and severity of God. Who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good. But. And if you suffer for righteousness sake, that's where we're at. Again, happy are you. And be not afraid of their terror. Neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you. With meekness and fear. Having a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. So we're back to this whole thing. Just make sure you're staying grounded in Christ when you're suffering this persecution. Let it ride, let it ride. For it is better if the Will of God be so that you suffer for well doing than for evil doing. I think he's really making sure everybody understands this. Like just because you're a churchgoer doesn't mean you're automatically doing good. Make sure you're living right. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit. So he's just making this point, man. Be sure that you're living right because people are coming for you is really what he's saying, right? Dear friend of mine said that recently. He said we're coming, right? But the reality is in the Christian life, people are coming for you. Don't give them. Don't give them any fuel for the fire. It's what he's saying. All right, let's look at this. Let's look at. All right. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We're going to go to Acts 12. 1. Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my name's sake. All right, we're in. Acts 12, chapter 12, verse 1. My Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is my go to accessory. When I shop, I can earn 3% cash back on US online retail products purchases. Try on the blue Cash Everyday card. Learn more at americanexpress.com Explore-BCE terms and cash back cap. Apply
- [36:23]
Commercial Announcer
Cox Internet. Streaming.
- [36:36]
Co-host/Assistant
Include a keyboard, WI fi either. Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church.
- [36:56]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
He's coming for him. Dude, the real church. They're. They're coming for you.
- [37:00]
Co-host/Assistant
And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.
- [37:02]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Oh, you guys know. Okay, so like Peter, James and John, they're always with Jesus when he goes there. Like raise the girl from the dead. The mount of Transfiguration. This was like his inner circle. Peter, James and John. James and John were brothers. Their father, Thunder, because they call him Bow Anders. His kids were called the Sons of Thunder. I met this Indian chick that was working at Walmart in the ammo section one day and her name was Thunder. And we had like this really rad talk about the dude named Thunder. Yeah, yeah, I'm just saying. So like the Sons of Thunder. So you got the dad Thunder, you got James and John and they're in a fishing business. That's in Luke's account. They have their Own. It's their own business. They're not like hobos fishing off a bridge and, like, cooking their catch over a garbage can bonfire for dinner. They have a fishing business with Peter and Andrew. They walked away from that. That's a. That's a Christian business. It's closed up. They walked away from it. So anyway, James and John have been tight. That when they. When the disciples all got sent out in groups of two with Jesus, those two went together. Now John's brother and, like, closest guy is dead. That's what that just said in Acts 12, because I know we would like to read it like a fairy tale. We just want. We just want context. He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. Herod did that. Let's see what happens next.
- [38:23]
Co-host/Assistant
And because he saw it. Please. The Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.
- [38:28]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Dude.
- [38:30]
Co-host/Assistant
Then were the days of unleavened bread.
- [38:33]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers. I'm not a mathematician, but I think that means 16 soldiers, four quaternions. I don't know, maybe a quaternion is like 40. I. I don't know, to be honest, but I think it's got to be at least 16. So whatever. He's chained up, he's in prison to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. This is one of those passages where I'm like, I know everybody wants to argue over, like, certain doctrine and certain denominational stuff and certain theology. And honestly, man, a lot of times I get in those discussions and I'm like, I kind of don't care. Like, I really don't care. Like, if you see it that way, that's cool. Somebody sees it another way, that's cool. You know what stuff I think about? Like, this is on. This is what I think about when I'm looking at this. What did John's prayers sound like in verse five? Dude, that's the stuff I think about. Like, I don't really care to argue over the doctrine and the theology.
- [39:34]
Co-host/Assistant
So that that meant a. A squad or. Or detachment of at least four soldiers.
- [39:39]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay? So if he had four quaternions and, yeah, he had, like, 16 soldiers on him. Yeah. So John, he just had his brother killed, and now, like, his next closest guy to him is Peter, and now Peter's getting taken to get killed. What does John's prayers sound like when he's praying. That's what it says in verse 5. Peter, therefore is kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church and the God for him. Like, I don't know, dude. You guys can argue all you want about your doctrines and theologies and the why you divide it into these. These guys follow Calvin, these guys follow Luther, these guys follow Spurgeon, these guys follow whoever. Like, whatever. Enjoy yourself. I want to know what that prayer sounded like from John right there. He's like, dude, God, like, James already got took. Now they got Peter. Please, God, you know what I mean? Like, what did that sound like? And when Herod would have brought him forth. The same night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains. And the keepers before the door kept the prison. I like this guy Peter, bro, because he's like, you guys are gonna kill me tomorrow. I'm going to sleep. I don't know if I would be sleeping in that environment. You know what I'm saying? Like, I just. I think maybe I'd be like, oh, they're gonna chop my head off tomorrow. I'm gonna. Like, I don't know what I would do. I think I might be a little too uneasy, you know? Peter's just sleeping away, man. Yeah, he goes to sleep. Herod would have brought him forth. The same night. Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains. And the keepers before the door kept the prison. Here we go again with the angel. And. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him. And a light shined in the prison. And he smoked Peter on the side and raised him up saying, bro, get up. And his chains fell off from his hands. The angel says, arise up quickly. And his chains fell from his hands. But that's not the first time for Peter. He got broken out by an angel before. We already read it. And the angel said unto him, gird thyself and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, cast your garment about you and follow me. And he went out and followed him and wished not that it was true, which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. He thought he was in just super deep sleep, like. Like the deepest sleep. You know when you're like, in super deep sleep and you're going like crazy dreams?
- [41:55]
Co-host/Assistant
Maybe he was in. He thought he was in the spiritual realm.
- [41:57]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
He thought he was sleeping that hard. Yeah, my Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is my go to accessory. When I shop, I can earn 3% cash back on US online retail purchases. Try on the blue Cash everyday card. Learn more@americanexpress.com Explore BCE terms and cash back cap apply.
- [42:14]
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- [43:15]
Co-host/Assistant
Interesting, huh?
- [43:16]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Oh, spirit realm. So he. So he thought he just saw a vision. He didn't even think it was real because sometimes you were like, oh, what is it like in a vision or a dream? It. It seems like in some of them, it's just as real as, like, Peter must have had visions that were just as real as reality.
- [43:31]
Co-host/Assistant
It's interesting. We were talking with Vicki about that yesterday, right?
- [43:34]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
What was she saying?
- [43:35]
Co-host/Assistant
She was saying the mix of, like, this. This dreamscape, whatever it is in reality, she's not sure which is which because things have been getting a little bit. A little bit skewed. And that's kind of what seems like it's happening here.
- [43:48]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I thought that when I was a little kid, I used to think like, okay, all these dreams, man, these are so. I always have wild dreams. And then I was like, how do I know that's not the real realm and this is the fake realm? And then I was like a little kid, I was like, well, because in this realm, like, whatever I do today affects tomorrow, and then that affects the next day, and then that affects the next day. So clearly this is the real realm. Because, like, you think about a thing and then you dream it later. Mm. But then, like, later, I had a dream about the vice principal, and then the Next day, I saw him. So I was like, right when I was kind of, like, thinking through this, I was like, okay, wait a minute.
- [44:27]
Co-host/Assistant
Yeah, yeah.
- [44:28]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
But I don't know, man. The dream realm is weird, bro. It's weird. How about your boy Topher? Yesterday with the DMT realm? He said, like, yeah, that's not just lower than the spirit realm. He said, it's lower than this realm. That dude's got some heavy stuff. He's got some heavy stuff to talk about.
- [44:44]
Co-host/Assistant
It was a crazy day.
- [44:45]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah. Okay. When they were past the first and the second ward. Now. Now Peter's just following this angel. They came into the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them of his own accord. So now gates are just opening iron gates. And they went out and passed on through one street. And forthwith the angel departed from him. I don't know what that looked like. I don't know if he departed, like, up or just vanished or just took another right. Told Peter to go left. I don't know. But he's gone forth with the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, now I know of a surety that the Lord has sent his angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate. So they're having this prayer meeting. She runs back in and goes, guys, Peter's at the gate. They said under her, you're mad. We're having a prayer meeting to get Peter freed. It's not like he's actually got freed. Can you like. Isn't that so wild? They're like, we know that's what we're praying for, but that's not actually happening.
- [45:59]
Co-host/Assistant
Yeah.
- [46:00]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
They said, there's no way, but she constantly affirmed that it was even. So then they said, it is his angel, Salah. But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished, even though that's exactly what they were praying for. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand, told to hold their peace. He said, hold on, guys. Declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he Said, go show these things into James. I think that's probably Jesus, Brother James. That's obviously not James, the brother of John. And to the brethren. And he departed and went into another place. Now, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers. What was become of Peter? And when Herod had sought for him and found him not, he examined the keepers of the prison and commanded that they should all be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea in their abode. Okay, just keep that in your back pocket, though. Peter gets freed, they kill all the soldiers that were supposed to be watching them. Let's look at Acts 16.
- [47:00]
Co-host/Assistant
It's like what they did with the Epstein Epstein cops, right?
- [47:04]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
No, no comment.
- [47:05]
Co-host/Assistant
No comment.
- [47:07]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
So we go to Acts 16:14. I'm gonna have another story of a jailbreak in a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worship God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she should attend unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized and her household, household salvation, we're kind of more like, very individualized today. So this is a little weird, but household salvation is a thing.
- [47:42]
Co-host/Assistant
David got baptized with his entire family.
- [47:45]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah. Amen.
- [47:46]
Co-host/Assistant
What does this mean? She sold in the seller of purple?
- [47:49]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I think it's just got to be some kind of. I don't know. I probably could have researched it, but it just. I think it just means some kind of clothes. Some kind of clothing. Pretty sure purple is like a kingly, royal color too. So maybe it was like high money stuff that she was selling to, like, kings or royalty, if I had a guess.
- [48:05]
Co-host/Assistant
Okay.
- [48:06]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
But for the sake of the story, I'm just like, the main thing is that the heart opened, the Lord opened her heart, that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul. Remember, God's got to draw your heart. Like, we're out there grinding, preaching the gospel. But it only works as God has opened those hearts. That's why it doesn't have to be like words of man's wisdom. That's what Paul talks about in the Corinthian letters. Like, dude, I didn't win anybody with all this arguing and words of man's wisdom. Man's wisdom, like God opened hearts. And I was just a faithful preacher of the truth. And that's how you came. And when she was baptized in her household, she besought us, saying, if you've judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us. So that means Luke, anytime you see us in the book of Acts because he's the writer. So it's like Luke, Paul, Silas, they're all staying there. And it came to pass as we went to prayer, so they were going somewhere to pray that a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us which brought her masters much gain by sooth saying suitsaying is like if you see like these so called prophets that come to church and they say come get, come hear the plan of God from the man of God. And like you come up front and they give you like this personal word of prophecy, but it's really just like fortune telling.
- [49:23]
Co-host/Assistant
Right?
- [49:23]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Right. This works in the American church because a lot of American churchgoers worship the God of self, right? So if you have sooth saying and somebody worshiping the God himself, it's just the perfect dynamic, dude. And it's a lot of the same stuff. The Lord's gonna bring you a husband if it's a chick that's not married or like the Lord millionaire if it's somebody that's like struggling for money, there's like all these things but it's always like fortune telling suit saying, so she's possessed with a spirit of divination and there was no joke, it was no joke. It wasn't a made up thing. It wasn't like, oh, this is a silly fairy tale. Oh no, no, no. She brought her masters a lot of money by it. It was a real gift if you will. Like that evil spirit really could know future stuff or had a heart to at least or a mind to give exam. Like knowing enough about how the realm works. Because if an evil spirit's been here for thousands of years, knew enough to be able to give some clues of like what was going to happen next in the future. Because they've been in the game for thousands of years. Right. Humans have been walking around for a hundred years tops, like 120 years. These spirits have been going around for thousands of years, bro. So they kind of know stuff. They know what's going to shake out next either way. Somehow this spirit of divination was bringing much gain to her masters by soothing by like fortune telling if you will. The same followed Paul and us, that's Luke and cried saying, these men are the servants of the most high God which show unto us the way of salvation. Oh, you're not familiar with this?
- [50:53]
Co-host/Assistant
No.
- [50:54]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, this is heavy, bro. Yeah. So this evil spirit is out there saying these men are the servants of the most high God, which showing us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved after many days of this, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. We're dealing with a she, but he came out the same hour. He doesn't talk to the chick. He talks to the evil spirit inside of her. And he's grieved. What's he grieved about? I think there's a couple of takes on this. One is for starters, Paul's saying, we're not associated with this chick. Yeah. Let it be clear. Like, yeah, she might be saying truth. She might be saying true doctrine. She might be saying, like, true theology. No, she has no part in this. Just want to make clear to everybody, this. This chick that's got a spirit of divination, we have no fellowship with her.
- [51:49]
Co-host/Assistant
You know what's crazy? This sounds like. Like schizophrenia from this lady. Because one of the tenets of schizophrenia is that the person will hear a voice and it will tell them to go to a certain place and get
- [51:59]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
a thing that's demonic.
- [52:01]
Co-host/Assistant
Yeah. Yeah. But it's crazy. So she has this masculine spirit in her, and he casts it out all the time.
- [52:06]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
It's. Anytime Jesus is casting out demons, same thing. It says, he's, like, talking to the spirit. He's not talking to the person, but this person.
- [52:13]
Co-host/Assistant
Yeah. Today we would have called them schizophrenic. Like, it's a dude following you around, insane stuff.
- [52:17]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Or we would just allow him in the church and be like, oh, yeah, her doctrines. Right. No, for. I'm being. I'm being so serious, dude. They're saying, no, we have no fellowship with this chick. Right. Another reason why that, like, he could be not okay with this. Is like, it's not demon's job to preach the gospel. Same thing with Jesus. Like, he was casting out demons and demons who you are the Holy One of God. And he's saying, be muzzled. It's not demons job. It's not their role to preach the gospel. It's man's job to preach the gospel be muzzled. Like, they'll tell demons that when they're saying, we know who you are, like, we can witness that you're the real one. You're the Messiah. You're the one that was supposed to come. And he's telling them, shut your mouth.
- [52:58]
Co-host/Assistant
Yeah. Because they'll do that thing, the. The 99 truth and a lie. You know, they'll tell you a lot of that and then you'll believe them, but they'll slip in this one thing that could really throw you off the path. So, yeah, just shut up.
- [53:09]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
It's like Paul's saying, like, it's not. It's not demons role to preach the gospel come out of her.
- [53:15]
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- [53:45]
Co-host/Assistant
That's crazy.
- [53:46]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
So this is a wild story, bro. All right, so Paul being grieved, turned, and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains were gone. It's always money, bro. They caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace under the rulers and brought them to the magistrate, saying, these men being Jews, do exceeding our city. Do they say that about preachers today? No.
- [54:14]
Co-host/Assistant
Say it about Jews, though.
- [54:15]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Like, okay, relax. Like Ravenhill would say, the church used to be persecuted. Now it's just ignored. Like, these are some of these passages that you go like, oh, he's right, man. Like, I don't know any black preachers. I probably do, but off top of my head or whatever. In general, preachers aren't turning cities upside down. Down. Let's just go with the flow. Let's just go with the flow, yeah. They are exceedingly trouble our city and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe. Being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them. And the magistrates ripped off their clothes and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them. I'm going to come back to this. Dude, this is crazy. Verse 23 is crazy. Not yet, but it's going to be in a minute. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast him in a prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Right? So now we got another jailer, right? Remember the jailers got killed when Peter got broken free by the angel, right? So here we got a jailer who, having received such a Charge thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.
- [55:19]
Co-host/Assistant
He's not screwing around.
- [55:20]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, it's like, did you like, seeing
- [55:23]
Co-host/Assistant
what happened to the last guys?
- [55:24]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
No. I don't know if you've ever been arrested or not. I don't think we've ever gotten into that. But if you ever got handcuffed hard.
- [55:29]
Co-host/Assistant
No, I'm a good. I'm a good person.
- [55:30]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Same. But I got handcuffed hard one time. Me and my boy Armando got. Got handcuffed hard, and I was just like. Well, it just is what it is, you know? Like, it's, you know, mess with cops. Like, if we're just handcuffed. Hard to remember Armando going, hey, can you loosen up the cops? Like, we were like, kids, but it was like that, you know, like, they were just punking them. Dude, this guy was like a mean jailer, right? He was. Put the handcuffs on hard. He didn't just, like, put them on. Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises. No fog machine. There's no drummer. There's no guitar. There's no, like, sweet, lovely. There's none of this, dude. It's just two dudes in prison just took a beating. Just took a beating. Who knows what's in store for him next? Maybe killed. They're just praying and singing. At midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. And the prisoners heard them so. Well, they weren't just praying in their mind. They're praying out loud. And I know some people take it like, yeah, look at that story. So even through the hard times, you can still sing and praise God. So I'm not saying there's no truth in that. Amen. I'm just saying, like, maybe this is different. Maybe. Maybe Paul's like, Silas, we're gonna see him tomorrow. They might cut our heads off, bro. And if they do, we're going to be with our Lord tomorrow. Like, dude, this time tomorrow, me and you are going to be in the eternal realm, and we're going to be hugging our Lord, tell them we love them. And maybe that's why they were singing praises, not because they were in such a bad. They just praised them anyway. Maybe they were popped. You see what I'm saying? But this is, like, real music in real life. This isn't choreographed. Like, people are like, you're against worship music? No, I'm not. I just don't like choreographed stuff. I don't like plays and theater and like, things that are choreographed when the Bible is, like, so raw and so real. Like, these dudes are in a prison at midnight, and it's just. They're just praying and singing. I like that. I like that. I don't like choreographed stuff. I don't like. It's like, stand here, stand here, stand here. Okay? And at this time, make sure you do this with the hands. I don't like that. I'm just not into that. That doesn't mean I'm right. They're wrong. It just means it's not my thing.
- [57:43]
Co-host/Assistant
I was in the sound room for them the other day, and I plugged into the musician, monitor what they hear, and they had a click track, and I turned it off. We don't do that.
- [57:53]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
We don't play those games.
- [57:54]
Co-host/Assistant
We don't play those games.
- [57:55]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
We keep it real, okay? So they're. So they're singing praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake. So God gets down however he wants, bro. He'll send an angel or he'll send an earthquake. He just does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and he doesn't ask anybody's permission. That's sovereignty. He's a sovereign God. He does whatever he wants. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's bands were loose. So it was kind of a natural earthquake. But there was a little supernatural element to this as well. Everything shakes, the foundations are shaken, the doors open, and everybody's bands are loosed. Everybody who's chained up, loose in the keeper of the prison, awaking out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. Now, this is why you have to have a living relationship with God, right? If Paul already knew the story of Peter, he could very well go to the scripture and say, oh, look, I. Okay, I've got my doctrine right? I've got my theology right? God gets us out of prison, and then the. The keepers, the guards, they get killed. I chapter this, verse that, and I can prove it by the Bible. But this is different than a living relationship with God. In this example, Paul's not running for his life. Paul isn't saying, oh, look, the Lord wants to bless me. I was, you know, incorrectly put in prison. And now the Lord's doing this to save me. It's a jailbreak. I'm out of here. No, that's not what he does, man. Paul cried with a loud voice saying, do thyself no harm, for we're all here. So, like, they could have ran out and had all the doctrine and theology to do that. But he knew God. He knew what he was doing there. Do you see what I'm saying?
- [59:42]
Co-host/Assistant
This is like David in the cave.
- [59:44]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, yeah. He cries with a loud voice, do yourself no. No harm for all here. Then he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas. That's the jailer. He calls for a light and he comes in and he falls down before him trembling. Watch what he says it says. Came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said, sirs, what must I do to be saved? I love this story. And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved and your house. We're back to the household salvation two times in one chapter. Isn't that wild how this goes down, how these, like, themes just kind of roll through the same chapter. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Isn't that wild? That's what they told him. They didn't say, do this work and that work and follow these laws and make sure you do this and that. They said, believe on the Lord. And of course, more comes along with that, right? Like, believe, have faith, be faithful, be loyal. It's all wrapped up in that. Be loyal, right? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord into all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes and was baptized. He and all his. Straightway. They didn't wait. They didn't say, hey, man, at the next baptismal service at the church, man, we get some music, we'll get the fog machine going, and we'll do a baptism. No, they did it right then. Like, he washes them and then they wash him. It's kind of rad. It says he washed their stripes and then they baptized him. He took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes and was baptized, he and all. All his straight way. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. Look how crazy this story goes, bro. Can you imagine if Paul just ran out? That whole house doesn't get saved. And when it was day, the magistrate sent the sergeant saying, let those Men, go. And the keeper of the prison told this thing to Paul. The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart and go in peace. This is where it gets crazy, dude. This is. These are these passages where you're like, am I even saved? But Paul said unto them, they've beaten us openly, uncondemned being Romans, and have cast us into prison. And now do they thrust us out privily? Nay, verily, but let them come themselves and fetch us out. And the sergeants told these words under the magistrates, and they feared when they heard that they were Romans. So wait a minute. Let me just make sure I understand what happened here. Verse 23. We're back in verse 23. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, that's Paul and Silas, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Here we have Paul telling them, hey, I'm a Roman citizen. You guys just beat me openly. So you're telling me Paul could have said that back here in verse 23 and avoided taking a beating? Could have avoided being whipped. He could have brought it up back in verse 23. I'm a Roman citizen. You guys can't just beat me like this. He took a beating.
- [63:01]
Co-host/Assistant
Is it because he was with. He was with someone else?
- [63:04]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I don't know, dude. I don't know. I'm just saying this is like some other level stuff you could have said. Hey, man, I'm a Roman citizen. You can't beat me. He took the beating almost as if he knew there was a divine appointment in the jail. That's what I'm trying to get at, dude, is like, he knew God. He knew the guidance of God. He knew he had to go into the prison, because sometimes God's got to get his man behind enemy lines.
- [63:26]
Co-host/Assistant
But he doesn't know what. He just knows that.
- [63:29]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Maybe, maybe. But here's a trippy thing. This is a crazy thing. Watch this. Well, let's go back to. This is heavy, dude. This is super heavy. If we go back to verse six, it says now, when they had gone throughout Phrygia, in the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia. So here we go. Living relationship with the Holy Ghost. They're thinking about going into Asia, and the Holy Ghost stops them. After they were come to Mysia, they essayed to go into Bithynia, but the spirit suffered them not. So they're in constant contact with God. The Holy Spirit's guiding them. And they, passing by Mysia came down To Troas. I'm probably butchering that city mysia. I don't know what it is. Came to Troas in a vision, appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him, saying, come over into Macedonia and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel unto them. Was that jailer the guy he saw in the vision?
- [64:38]
Co-host/Assistant
Oh, yeah.
- [64:40]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I don't know, dude. I don't know, but this story is wild. This dude takes a beaten. It's not like you just got spanked by your dad. It's. They're being whipped. They're being whipped. And he could have said ahead of time, I'm a Roman citizen. You guys can't do this. He. He takes the beating, gets broke free, doesn't run out, goes to the jailer.
- [65:05]
Co-host/Assistant
That's like the three step that Vicki was talking to us about yesterday, right? Where it's like Jesus had multiple opportunities to either stop, stop what was going to happen, or get off of the cross, but just continued because there was more to do. That's a crazy thought, right?
- [65:21]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
It's Christian life, dude. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, dude. This is this whole other thing, thing of Christianity that's not really taught today, man. Like, yeah, there was something like just getting out of the beaten, just getting out of being whipped, Just getting out of going to prison was not the most important thing to Paul. The most important thing to Paul was this dude he seen in a vision in Macedonia saying, come to Macedonia, man. Was that him? I don't know. But either way, you got to be in this living relationship with God. You can't just be like, oh, he's trying to bless me. Oh, they want to beat me with whips. But I can tell him I'm a Roman citizen. You got to go with the guidance of God. You got to go. God. I don't know, like, where you're taking me or why you're taking me, but I'm down. I'm down. Let's go. And this is the guidance of the Holy Spirit, bro. I'm just saying this is. This is just on another level, man.
- [66:14]
Co-host/Assistant
I guess. How do you know when this is happening? So we go to. We go to a church that's like missions based on. And it's like, everybody's like, yeah, I'm going to this place because they. I was called to go, and I'm just like, are you really?
- [66:27]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
There's good snorkeling there, man. Or they have, like, cool ancient ruins to go check out. I mean, I don't know.
- [66:32]
Co-host/Assistant
But, like, like you said, there's precedent. Many times, like, yo, don't go to Asia. They're not ready for you. Don't go there. And I see a lot of the. I don't know. I'm conflicted on it because we're supposed to be spreading. We're, like, doing the Great Commission and spreading the word. But I'm like, you guys are going into these places what's seemingly, like, wholly unprepared, and you're like, maybe not even
- [66:55]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
saved yourself, but you're just gonna go there and, like, put roofs on people's houses. And those people are still going to hell because you didn't really, like.
- [67:02]
Co-host/Assistant
I don't know what they're doing there.
- [67:03]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I don't know.
- [67:04]
Co-host/Assistant
I don't know. And. And how do you know if that's, like, divinely appointed? I'm so. I'm sure some people are, but I don't know. I don't know.
- [67:12]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I don't know.
- [67:13]
Co-host/Assistant
It's kind of like the tongues thing. I'm like, I'm sure that is. But I don't know. Every time, like, is this. It's. It's hard. It's hard to tell, man. Maybe it's not my business.
- [67:25]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah. I don't know. Don't get me started on, like, the 501C3 missionaries, bro. I'm not. I don't want to go there right now. Let's look at James 1:1 through 4.
- [67:37]
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- [68:09]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Are we past the 20 minute mark? An hour.
- [68:12]
Co-host/Assistant
Keep going.
- [68:13]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Bro, what are you.
- [68:14]
Co-host/Assistant
Okay, we got time.
- [68:15]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus christ to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad. Greeting. That's his greeting. That's how he opens up. My brethren, count it all. Joy when you fall into diverse temptations or testings or trials. Why? Well, just know this, that the trying of your faith Works patience, but let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. So now we're getting a little bit more of the story as well with these trials, these temptations, persecutions, things of this nature. Trials work, patience test, and trials actually activate patience. So it's not like a thing learned in a classroom. It's like, it's saying, like, you can't learn this in a. In a classroom, like actual patience. You could have the doctrine of patience, but not be, but not have patience. You could have good theology of patience, but not have patience. Like, you're only going to get that, like, outside the classroom. It's got to be activated. It's got to be learned through the reality of life, which is like so much of what we learn in the Scripture. All right, how about a couple chapters later? Chapter 5, James 5, 7, 11.
- [69:27]
Co-host/Assistant
Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it.
- [69:35]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay, so patience keeps an eye on the end game, right? Patience has an eye on the end game. We're in the long game. That's why I always tell the kids, Aiden's buddies come over for Bible study. You boys are in the long game. I know, I know. Church camp was fun. I got it, I got it. Everybody's so cool to be a Christian. 2026 in America. There's cute chicks at church. I got it, I got it. But you're in the long game. You're in the long game. Patience has its eye on the long game. Go ahead. You can keep reading if you want. I don't mind.
- [70:07]
Co-host/Assistant
Until he receive the early and latter rain, be also patient. Stablish your hearts. What's that mean? Establish.
- [70:14]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Establish. Like establish.
- [70:16]
Co-host/Assistant
Establish your hearts. For the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
- [70:19]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, so? So be patient and establish your hearts, because. Amen. Even 2,000 years ago, the coming of the Lord is getting close.
- [70:28]
Co-host/Assistant
Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the judge standeth before the door.
- [70:34]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Oh, Jesus the judge. We don't hear much about him. Today we hear about Jesus the buddy Jesus or Jesus the high fiver. You know, when you get a Slurpee or a Big Gulp, he's your buddy. And you high five. Yeah. Jesus the judge. Yeah. He's standing at the door. Well, what if he doesn't come for another thousand years? Your Life's only 120 tops. So he's at the door, man. Eternity's close.
- [71:00]
Co-host/Assistant
Take my brethren, the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering, affliction, and a patience.
- [71:07]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, the prophets. Like, this is bigger than just you people have come before you.
- [71:13]
Co-host/Assistant
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord. That the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.
- [71:26]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Behold, we count them happy which endure. It's a great statement by somebody. I don't even know who. The only way to learn endurance is to endure like that. That's another thing you just. But no, but notice this connection between patience and endurance.
- [71:46]
Co-host/Assistant
What do they mean by like, pitiful and tender mercy? That I'm. I'm sure I'm missing something there.
- [71:51]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Behold, we count them happy which endure. You've heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord That. Yeah, that the Lord has pity on you and he has mercy towards you. Because look at the end of the story of Job, like, it starts off, he's getting crushed, but by the end of the story. We've brought it up before because it's like, this is a little bit of a sidebar, but, like, say he had 3, 000 flocks. God doubles everything. He has 6, 000 flocks. Say he had 10, 000 camels. Now he's got 20, 000 camels at the. the end. That's what he's talking about. It's. You saw the end of Job, how merciful God is and how he had pity on him and how much better. But it's trippy because he had 10 sons and daughters. And after, like, at the end, it doubles all of them, doubles all the flocks, it doubles the herds, it doubles the camels. He has 10 sons and daughters, still doesn't have 20. Like, it didn't double as almost as if to say, like, yeah, the humans, they're eternal. So they did get doubled, like. Like in the eternal realm. You got 20 now, right? They did get doubled. Because sometimes people talk about if, like in the Old Testament, if they understood eternal life. I think that's one of the passages that points to it. Just like when David's son dies, God strikes David's child sick that he has with Bathsheba, and then seven days later it dies. And then David says. They say, oh, man, you were, like, fasting and mourning and you were so sad. And now that he's dead, like, you're better. And he's like, yeah, man, I thought maybe I could keep him alive, you know, Petitioning the Lord. But now that he's gone, he can't come back and be with me, but I can go be with him. That's what David says. Like, they did have a concept of eternal life. It's probably a bunch of other passages that allude to it too. But that's just the interesting thing in Job. Okay, but so then we're in. What are we in now? We're in Matthew 24, 1:13. So we're just. We're just drawing these. We're just. We're just making it. We're like these tests, these trials, they activate patience. It's a sign on the end game. There's this. There's this connection between patience and endurance. This matters. If we look at Matthew 24,
- [73:51]
Co-host/Assistant
and Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
- [73:56]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Oh, people love this. If they're like, pre Trib, post trip, mid Trib, they love to pull this passage up. Whichever one they're in, they pull this passage up and then they explain it, like, beyond the shadow of a doubt. If you ever hear a preacher preach pre Trib, it's beyond the shadow of a doubt, Scripture by scripture, post Trib, beyond the shadow of a doubt, Scripture by scripture, you're convinced mid Trib, I mean, it's just. I don't know, a lot of these things. You like, whatever. You think you can just make it happen.
- [74:20]
Co-host/Assistant
Y' all true.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
At the end of the day, y' all tribute.
- [74:25]
Co-host/Assistant
And Jesus said unto them, see, not all. All these things. Verily, I say unto you, there shall not be left here, one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.
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Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
That's your boy. J.T. loves. J.C. was alluding to this, that the wailing wall, like, the stones are all still there. Yeah. And Josephus said, yeah, no, no, this actually happened, man. Like, they went like the Roman soldiers, took their spears and flipped all the stones to get all the melted gold out.
- [74:52]
Co-host/Assistant
And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, when shall these things be?
- [74:58]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay, for what it's worth, I'm not going to get into this. Pre Trib, post trip, mid trip, I'm not going to get into all that or exactly what Jesus is alluding to here. If was this 80, 70 stuff he's talking about? Was this end of the world stuff he's talking about? I just want to bring attention to. To this right here. Go ahead, you read it. When he says, tell us, and what
- [75:16]
Co-host/Assistant
shall Be the sign of thy coming.
- [75:17]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
And no, no, you got to go back to the tell us. Saying, tell us,
- [75:22]
Co-host/Assistant
tell us when shall these things be?
- [75:24]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay, that's one question.
- [75:27]
Co-host/Assistant
And. And what shall be the sign of thy coming?
- [75:30]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
That's the second question.
- [75:32]
Co-host/Assistant
End of the end of the world.
- [75:33]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
That's a third. So, like, whether they realized it or not, maybe in their mind they are just asking one question. Imagine like the end of the temple must be the end of all this stuff. It must be the end of the world, right? So whether they knowingly or unknowingly knew that they were asking three questions, that is.
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Co-host/Assistant
Yeah, that's true.
- [75:55]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I'm just saying it's three questions. That's all I'm saying. So when in his answer, some of this might be a little mysterious because he might be alluding to these things which. Which he had just talked about, that none of these stones will be left upon another. He might be talking about that which was a 80, 70 thing. But then some of his answers might be about the sign of his coming, you know, and then some of the answers might be in regards to the end of the world. That's all I'm saying. And Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no man deceive you. That's his thing, bro. It's like, don't be deceived. So some people point out all these next things. Wars, rumors of wars, all the stuff they say that's the sign of the end. I don't know. I feel like Jesus main thing when he's talking about the end is like, don't let anybody deceive you. Because deception is going to run hot in that day. Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ. This gets a little offensive, but he could very well be saying, many shall come in my name. That's Christians saying, I, Jesus, am Christ, and those people will deceive many. I know that's offensive, but that's very well what he could be saying right there. And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass. But the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Here we go. He's saying, you got to be ready for this. And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. This is a. This is a wild day to live in. Deception's running hot. There's false prophets, there's people coming in Jesus name that are deceiving. People are going to betray one another. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many a wax cold. There's gonna be so much sin and iniquity, love's gonna go away. But just remember this man, he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. This is why the endurance is a big thing. We got trials, we got afflictions, we got sufferings. This stuff leads to patience. Patience leads to endurance. The only way to learn endurance is to endure. Why does that matter? Because he that endures to the end shall be saved. That's all I'm saying. Mark says the same thing. If we look at Mark actually, let's look at 2 Tim 3 real quick. Can we go to 2 Tim 3? We have that.
- [78:32]
Co-host/Assistant
This. Know also that in the last days perilous times shall come.
- [78:36]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
That's why I wanted to go to this one next because this is a last days passage too.
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Co-host/Assistant
For men shall be lovers of their
- [78:41]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
own selves, lovers of self.
- [78:45]
Co-host/Assistant
Boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection. Truce break. Truce breakers. False accusers, incontinent, fierce despisers of those that are good traders, Heady, high minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.
- [79:06]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Oh, so they love God, but they love pleasures more. So you got love of self, lovers
- [79:10]
Co-host/Assistant
of pleasures having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. From such turn away.
- [79:17]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
So they. So look, they have a form of godliness. This is in the church. I mean this isn't. This isn't like conspicuous to any time period if it's in the world like this is always in the world. He's saying this is in the church. So watch out in the last days. Because this is the stuff you'll see among those professing godliness. But they're denying the power thereof. What power? To. To change them, to change that life, to be born again and change from those ways, from such turn away. For of this sort of. They which creep into houses and lead captives, silly women laden with sins, led away with diverse lusts, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. You know there's That's a thing. People, they have this many letters behind their name. They were educated at this place and that place. They're ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- [80:08]
Co-host/Assistant
Truth.
- [80:09]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Now, as Janice and Jammers withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth? They're not able. They resist the truth. They're men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be made manifest unto all men as theirs also was. But thou hast fully known my doctrine. I like this right here. Paul's like, hey, Timothy. But you know me, bro. All right? You have fully known how good I ran the church and how good we did at taking up offerings and how good my sermons were on Sunday and how good all the. No, no. He says, you fully know my doctrine, my manner of life. Like my. Like, my real life. Like. Like Monday through Friday, too. Not just Sunday. My purpose, my faith, my long suffering, my love, my patience. Persecutions, afflictions. Timothy, you know, I've been through all that which came unto me at Antioch and at Iconium, at Lystra. What? Persecutions I endured. But out of them all, the Lord delivered me. I like that man. I always like to look at God's part. My part. Some people may not like this. Paul says, I endured. I. I learned endurance. I learned patience. I learned endurance. Yeah, through all that stuff I endured, man, I stayed the course. But out of them all, the Lord delivered me. I wasn't getting out of it. Without the Lord, there's no way. But I still had to endure. I did my part. The Lord did his part. Yay. Just so we're all on the same page here, Timothy. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Not some. All this should be taught early in the game. It should be taught early in church. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. That's what we're up against. That's what we're up against. Okay, now we can look at the mark passage.
- [82:01]
Commercial Announcer 2
If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Grainger knows you need to understand what's wrong as soon as possible. So when a conveyor motor falters, Grainger offers diagnostic tools like calibration kits and multimeters to help you identify and fix the problem. With Grainger, you can be confident you have everything you need to keep your facility running smoothly. Call 1-800-granger.
- [82:24]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Click.
- [82:25]
Commercial Announcer 2
Granger. Dot com. Or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
- [82:32]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
It's Mark 13. Nine, 13.
- [82:42]
Co-host/Assistant
But take heed to yourself, for they shall deliver you.
- [82:44]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
That's good counsel. Take heed to yourself.
- [82:48]
Co-host/Assistant
And in the synagogues ye shall be beaten, and ye shall be brought in before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. We just saw that, right?
- [82:55]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah.
- [82:57]
Co-host/Assistant
And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
- [83:00]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Oh, that's heavy.
- [83:04]
Co-host/Assistant
But when they shall lead you and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall, neither do ye premeditate. But whosoever shall be given you, whatsoever
- [83:14]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
shall be given you, whatsoever shall be
- [83:16]
Co-host/Assistant
given you in that hour that speak ye. For it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
- [83:21]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Dude, that's heavy. Like, don't even sweat it. Let them bring you before these councils. And don't worry if you have flawless doctrine and flawless theology and you memorized all the passages and you compare it because you just read a commentary. Don't worry about that. Don't worry about it, man. Just be a real one. Just be a real one. Because in that hour when I bring you before these big shots, whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that's what you speak, Sake. Because it's not you, it's the Holy Ghost. Now, the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the Father, the Son and children shall rise up against their parents and shall cause them to be put to death. And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. Again, make sure you want to sign up for this before you sign up for this. You're going to be hated of all men for my name's sake. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. We gotta learn. Endure all I'm saying. Trials and afflictions and persecutions. These things build patience. They build endurance. We got to learn to endure, man. We can only do it by living it. What are we in now? Okay, Romans 5. We're in Romans 5. Romans 5, verse 1.
- [84:31]
Co-host/Assistant
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. Access and rejoice in hope of the. Of the glory of God.
- [84:44]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also. What? I thought we were just glorying. Like, when things go great, we glory in tribulations also. Knowing that tribulation works. Patience. Right, so we're back to this thing. There's these trials, the afflictions, these tribulations Those work. Patience. And now we get a little bit more of the story. And patience, experience. So we have to have experience in the game, dude. It can't just be like, book learning. Like, we gotta grow in experience. Patience works. Experience and experience. Hope. And hope makes not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. So now we're seeing a little bit more pieces of the puzzle. Patience, experience, hope, love, right? So, like, as we live in these things, they become real. This is what we call growth. This is what people call growth. Growing, right? And these things are only going to happen through suffering. It just is what it is, man. It. Like, I love good times, dude. I love good times as much as anybody. I'm convinced of it. Like, I'm so grateful for good times, right? But that's not what produces the growth. Growth, that's good. It's good to appreciate that and be thanking God and reminding him how much you love him and thanking him for the good times. But that doesn't produce the growth, right? All right, now we're back in two Tim 1112 and all these pieces together, so it makes sense.
- [86:12]
Co-host/Assistant
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Jesus. To Timothy, my dearly beloved son, Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I thank God, whom I served from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing, I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwell first in my grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice. And I am pers. And I am persuaded that in the. Also.
- [86:55]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, so faith got passed down. Wait a minute. Like, the same way if your grandma, like, left an inheritance of, like, some land or a farm, your grandma could lay down faith.
- [87:06]
Co-host/Assistant
So it's like generational iniquity.
- [87:08]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
But the bro, that's what he's saying, he said, I'm just remembering the unfeigned faith that's in you, man. And now that I think about it, it was in your grandma Lois, and it was also in your mom Eunice, even though she married a Greek guy, which, that's another story for another time, but I'm persuaded that it's in you also. But just keep this in mind, bro. It's not just, oh, you got the inheritance, don't Worry about it. That's great. I just want to put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God which is in you by the putting on of my hands.
- [87:38]
Commercial Announcer 2
If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Granger knows you need to understand why, what's wrong as soon as possible. So when a conveyor motor falters, Grainger offers diagnostic tools like calibration kits and multimeters to help you identify and fix the problem. With Grainger, you can be confident you have everything you need to keep your facility running smoothly. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
- [88:09]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
So there's a gift that got put into Timothy by the putting on of Paul's hands. Okay, that's one thing that's kind of wild, supernatural. Vicki was talking yesterday. Like, the church has to come to terms with, like, how supernatural this book is. This doesn't make sense. If we're just going to handle it on a rational, natural level. There's a lot more going on here.
- [88:29]
Co-host/Assistant
It's like something sleeping in Timothy.
- [88:31]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yes. Yes, it's in them. It did get put in them. But it's his job to stir it
- [88:36]
Co-host/Assistant
up, so it was dormant.
- [88:40]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God which is in you by the putting on of my hands. Stir it up. Like the Bob Marley song. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Almost like Timothy was acting kind of afraid, maybe because he says, for God has not given us the spirit of fear. He says, hey, man, stir it up. Because God hasn't given us the spirit of fear. He's given us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. That's a. That's a quite the blessing, man. Be not thou, thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Nor of me his prisoner, but be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. That's what he tells him. Be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. Almost like Timothy was shying away from it. He was getting a little afraid and was shying away from him. Paul is saying, bro, you. You've gone too far, bro. There's. You can't. You can't turn back now. Like, you're. Like you're already past the halfway. It's further to go back now. Like. Like you get. You gotta. Come on, man. You gotta keep coming. I know it's Scary. I know there's rough stuff going on, but you haven't been given the spirit of fear. You've been given power, love, and a sound mind. And you got to be willing to be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.
- [89:49]
Co-host/Assistant
This is what God told Joshua, right? Same kind of thing.
- [89:53]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, that's what he tells everybody, man. He says, let's go. You're only going to be down there for 120 years and you're going to be in the eternal realm forever. Like, let's go. Be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, who had saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. That's. That's too heavy. That's too heavy. That's what we like to call a destiny, right? So when you ask people, are they saved? You know, if you were in a church, hey, who's saved here? You know, probably all the church would go. They say, well, yeah, that's why I'm at church. We're saved. Okay, well, if you've been saved, you've been called. He has saved us and called us with a holy calling. Not just a worldly calling, but a holy calling. Not according to our works. Not according to how many letters behind our name, how much education we have, if we come from a wealthy family. None of the things of the. Like that. It's not according to our works. What's it according to then? His own purpose and grace. So he made you with a very specific calling according to his purpose, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. It wasn't like he ever looked at me and was like, dude, this guy's an idiot. What do I do with him now? He wasn't like, wow, Matt sure loves oxycontins. What do I do with him now? It's like, no, no, no. I had this plan for him from the beginning of time, before the world ever began. That's what I made him for. That's his purpose. I've got a purpose for him. I want him to do that. That's why I pray, lord, let me fulfill the purpose that you made me for. Let my family fulfill the purpose that you made us for. That's why we pray like that. That's really all we have to give him is our will. Like, I don't have works. I. Like, I haven't been called by good works. I've been called by his grace before the world began. I'm saying, lord, let me just fulfill the destiny that you made me for. Let me just do that. I'm down with that. I trust you. I know you now enough to know that, like, you're one to be trusted. You're faithful. Do with me whatever you want. My life belongs to you. You've given me a destiny. I just want to fulfill the destiny. Do you see what I'm saying? But this is all wrapped up in the afflictions, man. So we've been given. We've been called according to his own purpose and grace. We've been given a destiny which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest. It's just now been made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Where unto. I'm appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles for the which cause I also suffer these things. He says I'm suffering these same things, Timothy. For I know whom I have believed, and nevertheless, I'm not ashamed. Yeah, I don't care. Because I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. That's what he's saying. He's saying, hey, man, we're going to suffer afflictions. We're gonna. We're gonna suffer trials. There's just. There's going to be suffering. But I know whom I trust, so I'm good with it. I'm with him. Whatever he's got in store for me, I'm down for that. All right, So I just want to say that it's always been this way. Am I good? Can we go along?
- [93:05]
Co-host/Assistant
Yeah.
- [93:05]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay. Deuteronomy 8.
- [93:06]
Co-host/Assistant
Your coffee shop.
- [93:08]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Deuteronomy 8 is heavy, bro. I just want to say, like, it's always been this way. I just want people to kind of notice this pattern with God. I remember a guy in church one time said, yeah, you know, I don't really like all the books of the Bible. You know, if I was stranded on a deserted island, I'd rather have the book of Romans than the book of Deuteronomy. I remember the guy said that. And I was like, yo, I think the book of Deuteronomy is like, my favorite book. It, like, wraps up the first five. It wraps up the books of Moses, like, into one book, kind of condenses it a Little bit. It's. Deuteronomy is a rad. But I just want. I just want to, like, just let everybody know it. Like, it's always been this way. Look how God explains it in Deuteronomy 8. I'm just gonna start in verse one. All the commandments which I command you this day shall you observe. To do that you may live, not believe, but do and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swear unto your fathers, and thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these 40 years in the wilderness to humble you and to prove you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or no. So look at these trials that they went through in the wilderness. What were they for? It was to humble them and to prove them. So. What? So that God could find out what was in their heart? No, so they could find out what was in their own heart. That's what it says, man. To prove you to know what was in your heart. Whether you'd keep his commandments or not, would you remain faithful? That's why you went through these trials. Remember, he keeps saying, he that endures to the end will be saved. Like, yeah, everybody's having a good time in the beginning. Here comes the trials and the afflictions and the suffering. Will you stand firm? Will you remain loyal? And he humbled you and suffered you to hunger and fed you with manna which you knew not. Neither did your fathers know that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord does man live. Your clothes wax not old upon you, neither did your foot swell. For 40 years they walked around in the same sandals of clothes, and it all remained. He didn't just keep their physical body like he kept their clothes and sandals and stuff too, for 40 years. Hosea 12. I think it's chapter 12, verse 13. Kind of shines a little light on that, too. We don't have to pull it up. Thou shalt also consider in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord thy God chastens you. Right? This is what we're talking about, man. Like, this is all part of the journey. Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord thy God. To walk in his ways and to fear him. Like this is what it's always about. Walk in his ways and fear him. For the Lord thy God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks, of water, of Fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills. This is speaking of the promised land that he's bringing them into you. A land of wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates. A land of olive oil and honey, dare I say a food forest. A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness. Thou shalt not lack anything in it. A land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills now may dig brass. So, like all the stuff you need to mine out of the earth for everything. Yeah, it's all there. Okay, this is where it gets a little sketch of Source Rex in verse 10. When you have eaten and are full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given you. Beware. That's what he says. Beware that you forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes, which I command thee this day. Beware that you don't forget. Don't forget where you came from. Don't forget this whole story. Don't forget what you learned of God in the beginning. Remain true to that. Forget not the Lord thy God in not keeping his commandments and his judgments. That's what's intriguing about Jesus here in the Sermon on the Mount and the parallel between the Sermon on the Mount and the law that was given to Israel by Moses on the Mount. Very interesting. It's like Jesus is laying down the law of the kingdom of God. It's very applicable to this. Like he's laying down the culture in our kingdom. So in the same way, like he's teaching us these commands in the Sermon on the Mount, the same thing applies, man. Lest when you have eaten and are full and have built goodly houses and dwelt therein, and when your herds and your flocks multiply and your silver and your gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart is lifted up and you forget the Lord thy God. This is always the deal, dude. Comfort, luxury, entertainment. These have always been destructive forces against the people of God. I don't know why we're still going for those same things. I don't know why a 501C3 system would be built around that. Specifically. Comfortable, luxury entertainment. Feeling good. What do I want? That's always destructive for the people of God. He's saying it right here. Then. Then your heart's lifted up. When you get everything you need, then you don't need God and you forget the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Don't forget what he brought you out of man, who led thee through the great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions and drought where there was no water, who brought thee forth out of the rock of flint, who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers knew not that he might humble you.
- [98:18]
Commercial Announcer 2
If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Grainger knows you need to understand what's wrong as soon as possible. So when a conveyor motor falters, Grainger offers diagnostic tools like calibration kits and multimeters to help you identify and fix the problem. With Grainger, you can be confident you have everything you need to keep your facility running smoothly. Call 1-800-granger clickranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
- [98:48]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
And then he might prove you to do the good at the latter end. And you say in your heart, this is what will happen when you. When you become a big shot and everything's going good for you. You'll say in your heart, just like Nebuchadnezzar did. We read in Daniel. My power in the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth. But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he that gives you power to get wealth. People do this today say, yeah, I'm rich because. Because of my work ethic. Who gave you the work ethic? I'm not saying you have no part in it, you absolutely do. But just always remember, it's God that made you that way. Just remember that you shall remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant, which he shall swear unto your fathers, as it is this day, and it shall be, if you do at all, forget the Lord your God and walk after other gods and serve them and worship them. I testify against you this day that you shall surely die. As the nations which the Lord destroyed before your face, so shall you die because you would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God. It's heavy. It's heavy. I'm just saying it's always been this way, man. He tests us, he tries us. They know, but the people were persecuting me. Yeah, but he's allowing all that. He's allowing all that for these trials. Okay, so we really got through 10 verses, 10 and 11, right? That's really kind of. I hopefully that drew, like, a clear picture of, of 10 and 11. Which is blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my name's sake sake. We understand that's part of our kingdom now, right? We made that clear. Now we're going to roll into verse 12. This one's going to be way quicker. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which went before you. So in other words, you're a part of a story that's much greater than you. Right? Like I don't really know much about like beyond my grandpa. Like I knew both my grandpas, but I don't really know anything about like their parents parents or like anything. I think I, they say that my grandpa's like dad's dad's dad came from Ireland, the dude, Michael Sheehan. And they landed in Pennsylvania. So I kind of know that I suppose if you. I don't know. You know, I don't like the history books. Like I don't know. Who knows? I think that's what happened. But I don't really know. But like I've been grafted into this story. I know this is my story. I know I'm a part of a bigger story. I know that my, my life is found somewhere in this story, you know what I'm saying? Regardless of where like my so called blood ancestors came from. Like I know I'm part of this story. I'm part of something bigger than me. If I, if I get persecuted, my reward is great for so persecuted they the prophets which went before you. I like that. I like being a part of something bigger than just me. Right? But I want to key in on this concept right here that says rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. That's not my words, that's Jesus words. Jesus says great is your rewards in heaven in Matthew 5:12. That, that was another thing. Like again, before I opened the coffee shop, I didn't know all the things that people get offended by or like the different doctrines and theologies about stuff. But I've had people get mad at me when I talk about in heaven. I did, I didn't know that was like a touchy thing.
- [102:14]
Co-host/Assistant
Who's getting mad about that?
- [102:16]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
A really nice guy, dude, he's my buddy. But like, like he was really offended by it. He's like, no, no, it just means you're saved. Like, okay, let's unpack it. Let's unpack it. I think I probably went through these same passages with him. So we can go back to Matthew 6. It's just like right next to Matthew 5, Matthew 61 6.
- [102:35]
Co-host/Assistant
Take heed that you do not. Do not your alms before men.
- [102:39]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Giving. Giving. Yeah, giving money to the poor is
- [102:41]
Co-host/Assistant
what the alms is to be seen of them. Otherwise you have no reward of your father which is in heaven.
- [102:47]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Oh, so he. So here. Here he is saying reward in heaven again.
- [102:52]
Co-host/Assistant
Therefore, when thou does thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward.
- [103:07]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
But when you do alms, that's where we're at, right? Verse 3. But when you do alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does. That thy alms may be in secret, and thy father, which sees in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Do you know there was a dude that paid for all free drinks for people when we first opened the shop in coronavirus. He paid for the whole hospital. He came in and said, matt, just square up with me at the end of every week. I'll write you a check every week and let everybody that works in the hospital know their drinks are free. Because coronavirus was crazy with, like, hospital workers. I think his thought was that the. The hospital was overrun with people because of coronavirus. It ended up being the opposite. They had, like, they were all getting their hours cut. They were all getting sent home because there was nobody. Like, there wasn't anybody around. But it was this incredible gesture, and they were so grateful. It ended up being kind of opposite because they were. All their hours were being cut. So it was like this great thing that they were getting at least free coffee, and it was like this great blessing. They were coming in. We're having cool conversation, but this dude did this. And, like, to this day, nobody knows who that guy is. I just always think of this, like, whenever this comes up and we never told anybody, and he was very adamant about that. Like, don't, please. Not like, he didn't go way above and beyond, like, make a big deal out of it. But he kind of just made it clear, like, hey, don't. I don't want anybody to know that I've done this. And I was like, okay, cool. And we kept it going for a while. Dude, he did it for a long time. It Was. It was so cool that he did that. It helped us so much, and he wanted to help us, too. Was a big part of it.
- [104:36]
Co-host/Assistant
I think the previous passage that you were talking about where he says, like, don't worry about what you're gonna say. The Holy Spirit will tell you. In that hour, we're talking about, like, this weird spontaneity, like, this kind of a creation in a way. And it's got. If you. If you're, like, even working in comedy or, I don't know, just. Just being, like, a commentator in a way, you react and you do things right there in the moment. If. If your spirit's good, then the things that come out will be good.
- [105:08]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
That's what I'm saying.
- [105:09]
Co-host/Assistant
Yeah.
- [105:09]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Because sometimes I hear people say, oh, yeah, this lady did this thing. She was real nasty. And I had to think to myself, what's the Christian thing to do right now? Like, bro, whatever you do next is the Christian thing. If you're the Christian, it's got to already be in there. It's got to already be in there. Bro, that's not the time to decide. What's the Christian thing. Spontaneity? Is that what you said?
- [105:30]
Co-host/Assistant
Spontaneous.
- [105:30]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Spontaneous. Okay.
- [105:31]
Co-host/Assistant
Same thing.
- [105:34]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay. All right, so we're back. Sorry about that. That right hand let. When you do alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand does. That the alms may be in secret. And your father, which sees in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men. Look at these guys, bro. Like, they just don't get it. They're like religious people. They have the Scriptures, but still their goal is to be seen of men, that they're so holy and righteous. Like. Like, how are you missing it? If you have the book and you're reading the book, like, how are you wanting that to be your thing? I just think that's how dangerous, like, people think. Like, today's the day where people are so concerned about their reputation and what people think about them, because they got the Facebook and the Instagram and the X. Like, no, no, no. It's always been that way. That way. It's always been that way. It's just on steroids now. But they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men. Verily, I say unto you, they have their Reward. Can you imagine how offensive this is to God? You're like, hey, I'm having this conversation between me and the creator of the universe, But I'm going to do it in such a way that it sounds so cool for everybody else out there. Like, isn't that crazy? I know you guys like to make fun of me when I pray or if I say cuss word or if it's like God's in the room, but that's. That. That's how you're supposed to pray. Like, it's like you're talking to the creator of the universe. Talk. Exactly.
- [107:01]
Co-host/Assistant
I like your prayers. I don't think Tim did.
- [107:02]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay, talk exact. Talk exactly how you talk. And don't do it for whoever's watching. You're talking to the creator of the universe. But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you shut the door, pray to your father, which is in secret. And your father, which sees in secret, shall reward thee openly. I don't know. These passages are just so rad. It's just saying, like, look at what's in store for you. Like, look at what you have.
- [107:26]
Co-host/Assistant
Oh, by the way, not to cut in. Speaking of your prayers, our friend David, that came into the shop a couple months ago with the eye issue, he's had surgery and his eyes are doing a lot better.
- [107:38]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, he's my guy.
- [107:39]
Co-host/Assistant
He's on the road to. Apparently says he's on the road to, like, 2020 recovery. He's going through a little bit right now, but he's doing better every day, so pretty.
- [107:47]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Shout out. He's our guy, dude.
- [107:49]
Co-host/Assistant
Shout out. Dave, what's up, man?
- [107:51]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Love that guy. Moreover, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance. Right. So we're jumping down to verse 16 now. Sorry, I got a little sidetracked because the ravens here shout out to the raven.
- [108:07]
Co-host/Assistant
He's just standing here.
- [108:08]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
All right, we're back in verse six.
- [108:09]
Co-host/Assistant
We do.
- [108:10]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I don't know. He'll go away after a while. Moreover, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men. Here we go again. It's all about how they appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. This is intriguing. He's saying they. He doesn't say they don't get a reward. He says they have their reward. What's their reward? They look like big shots to men. He says, yeah, it's not like you don't get a reward. It's just you already got it. You look like a big shot. You're getting a terrible roi. You're getting a terrible return on investment. Like, you're doing this thing and people maybe think you're a big shot, think you're cool for the way you're doing that. But look at how crazy this is. Like, when you're fasting, you're supposed to be close to God. Like, that's the whole concept of fasting is. It brings you so close to God and they're acting like they're, like, miserable from it. You know what I mean? Like, they're like, oh, look at me, I'm fasting. Everybody noticed me, right?
- [109:02]
Commercial Announcer 2
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- [109:33]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that you appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy father, which is in secret, and your father, which sees in secret, shall reward thee openly. So we keep getting back to this reward thing with God, right? And then some people, you know, that absolutely could apply to, like, rewards on the earth, rewards in the temporary realm, right? But let's see how Jesus rolls in the next verse, right? Verse 19. He ties this together by saying, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth. So specifically, don't lay up treasure on earth where moth and rust is corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. So there's a command, like when we talk about the commands of God, right? I know some people want to go back to commands that were given to Israel, whatever, that's fine. It's no problem. I know that's a hot button topic, but these are very specific commands that were being given directly from the mouth of Jesus, right? Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth. That's kind of in. That's a little different than what was told to Israel, right? Like, they were specifically told that they had this covenant that was based on a blessing of wealth, health, land, big families, you know, like. Like these big blessings like this. Jesus is kind of Saying something that's a little different, a little different.
- [110:50]
Co-host/Assistant
That's where they went wrong.
- [110:51]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I guess. This. It's okay. It's just that. It's just that we need to take this to heart. You know, we're given another command about our kingdom. We're given this whole new set of the culture of the kingdom that we belong to. In part of our culture, he's saying is don't lay up for yourself treasures upon earth where moth and rust is corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. I'm not against a retirement account. I'm not. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that. Jesus is just trying to show you. And I guess that's just because of the culture we live in. I don't think in ancient days they needed a retirement account because you live with family and family took care of you. You took care of your kids and grandkids when they were babies. They take care of you when you're old. So you didn't need a retirement. If we live in a day where we need that to take care of ourselves, whatever. To each his own, teach his own. I'd like to be taken care of by my kids and grandkids and great grandkids. I think that would be way better. But I guess Saving in a 401k and being in a nursing home in
- [111:42]
Co-host/Assistant
that day, they're still. They're still putting equity into family, which will. So they're still putting some effort into this thing in the world that's going to help them later.
- [111:53]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Sure.
- [111:54]
Co-host/Assistant
But he's not talking about that at all. He's talking about a spiritual thing.
- [111:57]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah. I think he's just trying to draw this contrast between what's most important and. So there's two commands in it. Lay not up for yourself treasures upon earth. If you work hard in America, it's probably going to happen. But don't let that be your mindset. Where neither moth nor rust is corrupt. Sorry. Where moth and rust is corrupt. And where thieves break through and steal. But do lay up for yourselves. Treasure in heaven. So we're talking about rewards. We're talking about treasure in heaven where neither moth nor rust is corrupt. And where thieves do not break through and steal. Because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
- [112:32]
Co-host/Assistant
Here's a thought, and I know you're gonna hate this. Were they. Were the Jews walking when they were walking for 40 years Earth? If they're. If their stuff wasn't corrupted, bro.
- [112:45]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay, so this is wild. I've heard it Taught that, like from somebody who was in that part of the desert from World War II, that there's no way they survived in that environment if they were out all day and all night in all seasons for 40 years. No way. He makes the argument that the pillar of cloud and the pillar by fire at night, that protected them. That it was almost like they had a snow globe over him. That was the point he made.
- [113:13]
Co-host/Assistant
And he was firmament.
- [113:14]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah. This was like a legit dude to a legit man of God. That was saying he's convinced that there was like a snow globe, if you will, that that completed a com. It created a completely different environment that they were walking in. That. Yeah. That made them. Where their stuff didn't fall apart. Mana was being dropped for him. The fire gave him light and warmth at night. He just said, yeah, that like, as cold as that desert would get at night and as hot as it would get in the day, like they couldn't have survived it, man. But that God actually changed that atmosphere.
- [113:48]
Co-host/Assistant
Weird sci fi.
- [113:51]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
I mean, it's just the kingdom of God, bro. It's just, you know, this is the temporary realm. So in a weird way, this isn't really the real realm. This realm was made from the unseen realm. Like that's the real realm.
- [114:04]
Co-host/Assistant
I could explain why they're eating stuff that he's like, yo, your mother's and your fathers never eat this stuff. Like, this stuff is in a different realm. Maybe it's not accessible.
- [114:12]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
It's called angel food. Yeah, that's what it's referred to as. Like, like angels eat stuff. This is what they eat. I'm going to drop it down there. Actually, your boy Albarino alluded to this. That it wasn't just like it was. It was a type of grain from that realm where angels eat. Maybe he didn't say from that realm, but whatever.
- [114:31]
Co-host/Assistant
Angels, these definitions.
- [114:32]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
And they were eating grains in. In. In the earth. They could get it, gather it, need it, and make stuff out of it, cook it, whatever. And they were eating angels food. Yeah, it's a wild story, bro.
- [114:45]
Co-host/Assistant
Yeah, it's a wild story.
- [114:46]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
A slave nation just gets brought out of the most powerful empire on the planet. And the entire military dies in the Red Sea on their way out. The story's wild. The story's wild, but that's our story. We've been grafted into that.
- [114:57]
Commercial Announcer 2
If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Grainger knows you need to understand what's wrong. As soon as possible. So when a conveyor motor falters, Grainger offers diagnostic tools like calibration kits and multimeters to help you identify and fix the problem. With Grainger, you can can be confident you have everything you need to keep your facility running smoothly. Call 1-800-granger clickranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
- [115:27]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay, watch this. We're in. Matthew 16. Well, let me just say this about Hebrews 11:6 real quick. You don't have to pull it up. It just simply says that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Right? So. So we understand this man. There's a reward system. There's treasures, there's rewards. There's. There's things that happen, man, that you're rewarded for. Okay? Matthew 16:24 says this. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it. And whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his? And then here's his answer to that. Keep that in mind. What is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Okay, so we're talking about rewards. And now we're talking about you're rewarded according to your works. Keep that in your back pocket. Now we're in Luke 14:7. We're in Luke 14:7, and we're getting close to the end. We're getting close. Are people still listening or. No, everybody's dropping off.
- [116:47]
Co-host/Assistant
They're in.
- [116:48]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
They like it. All right, 14, seven. And he. That's Jesus, put forth a parable to those which were bidden when he marked out how they chose out the chief rooms. So he's. He's at this party. He's at this feast. And big shots are taking the big spots in the feast, right? They're taking the VIP sections they want to look like. And then Jesus says to them, when you're. When you're invited, when you're bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honorable man than you, than you be bidden of him. So somebody else more important than you might get invited don't take the big shot spot. And he that invited you and him come say to you, give this man place. And you begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when you are bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room. Isn't this. Wouldn't that be so nice of a life? Like, regardless of what happens, you're just somebody that's like, yo, when I go to the wedding, I take the seat in the back. I'm not. I'm never, never in the game of life am I trying to, like, look cool to anybody or be somebody important or be a big shot. Isn't that, like, way better of a life than trying to, like, be a big shot and get noticed?
- [118:02]
Co-host/Assistant
It's exhausting.
- [118:03]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah. Isn't that, like, so chill of a life? And then they. If you just sit in the back, like, yeah, no problem. But maybe they'll even come and sit you up front. Oh, cool. Yeah, I'm good either way. Thanks, man. When you're bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room. Then when he that bade thee come, he may say unto you, friend, go up higher. Then shall you have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with you. For whosoever exalts himself shall be abased, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. That's how our kingdom works, man. You want to be big, you got to make yourself small. You want to be important, you got to make yourself unimportant.
- [118:34]
Co-host/Assistant
The first shall be last.
- [118:37]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Then he said also to him that invited him, when you make a dinner or a supper, now he's at this big shopping, say, hey, here's a little advice for you, man. When you make a dinner or a supper, don't call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor your rich neighbors, lest they also invite you again in a recompense be made to you. So don't do this thing in expectation that now they're going to invite you, he said, because let's cut the bs. That's what you're doing here. You're inviting all the big shots. That way you're part of the cool group. And that way when they have a party, you get invited. That's probably all the Epstein stuff, is probably that dude. There was probably that whole circle. Like, if you got invited to this, then this guy got invited. Invite the important people, so you get invited too, right? But when you make a feast, call the poor ready for this. Like the homeless people that hold the sign, Like, Raven likes this one Guy that. He's got a knot, he's got a swastika on his chest. There's a guy out there that holds a sign. When he takes a shirt off, he's just like this crazy guy, right? He says, yeah, when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou shalt be blessed because they can't repay you, for they cannot recompense thee, for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. So he says, if you ever want to accumulate some reward, like, at the resurrection, here's a way to do it. He even tells us a way to do it. Throw a party, throw a feast. Like, we could do that sometime.
- [120:03]
Co-host/Assistant
We have the funds.
- [120:05]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, we could. We could just like, go get, like, a party bus and start picking up homeless people, bring them back, throw a big party here, and then just let them go. And that would be. It's like, hey, have a good day, guys. Or dropping back off. Whatever.
- [120:17]
Co-host/Assistant
Second thought, I'm not doing that.
- [120:19]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Okay. I'm just saying, like, it says, there's a way to do that. Okay, so motive. So motive is a big deal. You can take your reward in the temporary realm, or you can take it in the. In the eternal realm, but it's up to you, right? This is Our last passage, 1 Corinthians 3. 1 Corinthians 3 7. Because sometimes people are still. They're hearing all this. They're saying, yeah, but this doesn't mean that there's, like, reward in heaven. This isn't like, reward in the eternal realm necessarily. Or if it is, it's just talking about salvation. I don't know. I feel like this passage makes it a lot clearer, right? We've already pulled up a lot of passages that are talking about rewards, eternal rewards, stuff that you don't get here, but you do get there. Look how Paul explains it in 1 Corinthians 3, starting in verse 7.
- [121:09]
Co-host/Assistant
So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.
- [121:14]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
He's already been discussing with them. Like you. Some of you guys are saying, I'm followers of Peter, some are saying, I'm followers of Paul, some followers of Apollos. Like, just so we're on the same page, we're not really anything. Some of us are watering, some of us are planting. But just keep in mind God gives the increase. Now, he that plants and he that waters are one in purpose. There's like, if one guy plants and their guys water and they're on the same team. And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. It's cut and dry because we are laborers together with God. You are God's husbandry. You are God's building. According to the grace of God, which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation in another builds thereon. But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ is the foundation. And all of our lives, in one way or another, are going to build upon that. Now, if any man build upon this foundation, here's a couple of different categories. Gold, silver and precious stones, that's one category. Wood, Haynes, double, that's another category. So if any man builds upon this foundation, you could build with gold, silver and precious stones. Or wood, hay and stubble. Every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it. I believe that's referring to the day of the Lord shall declare it. And because it shall be revealed by fire. And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. We're back to this fire again, man. This trial by fire, this refining fire. If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. So we're. So here we are. This is talking about eternity. This is not talking about now. It's talking about eternity. And if any man's work abides which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. Right. Michael comes in with the flamethrower and goes like. Burns everything up. You either got wood, hay and stubble that just goes up in flames. Those are things that are easily found above ground. They're abundant, they're big and show. You get huge piles of them, it's all going to go up in flames. Gold, silver and precious stones. Those are precious things that nobody sees because they're underground. You get a little dirty digging those up, right? There's a lot that goes into that. And you may not have a giant pile that looks really showy. But when Michael brings out the blowtorch, it all remains. It all remains, man. If any man's work abide, which he had built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved. Yet so is by fire. I'm just making that point. It's not salvation because it says, if any man's work shall be burned, he'll suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved. So they're different things. And it's rewards according to our work in Christ. That makes sense. We could unpack that. That could be like its own. Its own show. But. But that's just a good general layout for anybody who's struggling with this concept of, like, eternal reward. That's just a general backdrop for that. So I'm just gonna wrap it up with acts 91 through 9, and we're gonna go. Did a French prostitute just come in here? I'm not sure what. That is.
- [124:19]
Co-host/Assistant
Crazy. Came in.
- [124:20]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
That's disgusting.
- [124:22]
Co-host/Assistant
Sprayed some cologne.
- [124:24]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
What was that?
- [124:25]
Co-host/Assistant
That was David.
- [124:26]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Oh, do you think it was just gassy. And then was just trying to cover, like, that was. That's. This is crazy.
- [124:32]
Co-host/Assistant
It's hard to tell, dude.
- [124:33]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
My eyes are watering.
- [124:34]
Co-host/Assistant
And Saul. Yeah. Breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.
- [124:40]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
Yeah, this is Saul before he gets converted and God changes his name to Paul. Dude, he's coming for the church.
- [124:44]
Co-host/Assistant
Man went unto the high priest and
- [124:47]
Matt (Main Speaker/Teacher)
desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues in Damascus, that if he found any of this way, that's Christianity, that's Christ. Whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound into Jerusalem prisoners. Bro, he's hunting humans. He's like a bounty hunter, bro. He's hunting them. Paul isn't just saying, like, no, f. Those guys actively want to go hunt these dudes, I'll bring them back. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus. And suddenly. I love anywhere in the Bible where it says suddenly as he journeyed, he came near Damascus. And suddenly, like, he. Like he was. He was one thing, like, right now, and then in one second, boom, he's something else. And suddenly there shine round about him a light from heaven. This is. This is midday, too. This isn't in the night time. This is midday. A light from heaven. And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, who art thou, Lord? The Lord said, I'm Jesus, whom you persecute. It's hard for you to kick against the pricks. And he, trembling and astonished, said, lord, what will you have me to do? And Lord said unto him, arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth. And when his eyes were opened, he saw no man. But they led him by the hand and Brought him into Damascus, and he was three days without sight, and neither did eat or drink. I just want to wrap up with this man. Like, we talked a lot about persecution, trial, suffering. It works patience, it works endurance. It bleeds to hope. It leads to love. All these things, it's trying us, right? It's the opposite of comfort, luxury. It's the opposite of, like, entertainment. It's living this life that you're willing to, like, lay down. And so it could get a little nasty, especially if you're first kind of coming to understand this, that, like, you're gonna live a life with some suffering, some persecution, some affliction. But I just take peace in this man. This is what Jesus says to Paul in verse 4. He says, Paul fell to the earth and heard a voice saying, saul, why persecutest thou me? He doesn't say, why are you persecuting my church? He says, why are you persecuting me? Remember, Paul's going and he's hunting human beings. He's hunting them down and bringing them back prisoners in chains. And Jesus says, I feel that you're persecuting me. And then he says, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. So just understand, like, in that persecution, in that suffering, Jesus is the head. You're part of his body. You're not going through it alone. He says, why persecute us down? Me, every time you're persecuted, every time you're suffering affliction, he feels it with you. Amen. Sa.