00:00 Introduction and Personal Update

00:17 Reflecting on Loss and Faith

02:46 Support and Gratitude

03:51 Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 23

10:16 Daily Bible Reading: Luke 20-21

18:09 Concluding Thoughts and Prayer

18:52 Outro and Podcast Information

Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

Hello, pastor Rod is back.

4

I am Pastor Rod.

5

How did the weekend shape up for you?

6

Thank you guys all for praying.

7

The weekend was, I was back at church.

8

Yeah, the week was week challenging.

9

Yeah.

10

For different reasons.

11

My brother did end up dying on Wednesday.

12

And I stood, stayed around

Thursday to be with the family.

13

Friday I flew back home, so it was

a lot in a short period of time.

14

I was glad to be there.

15

I was able to be with him as he died.

16

That was special and.

17

It's been a strange week.

18

I mean, what day?

19

Today's Tuesday as we're recording it.

20

So you'll get this on Wednesday?

21

Yeah.

22

It's been a strange week.

23

We're gonna have his

memorial this coming Saturday.

24

So I'm planning on flying out

Saturday morning and we plan

25

on being back Sunday evening.

26

That is Kristen and I, and I

guess I'm looking forward to it.

27

That's a strange way to put

it, but I'm looking forward to.

28

Honoring my brother's life and spending

some time with the family to think

29

about him and to remember him fondly

and, you know, hopefully share some

30

memories and whatever else happens.

31

Yeah.

32

And your brother, we've mentioned

this, but your brother made a

33

profession of faith a while ago.

34

This is something that you had

a degree of confidence that

35

he was right with the Lord.

36

Yeah, that's probably one of

the best things about this.

37

It would be much more challenging

for a lot of obvious reasons if he

38

didn't, but he was in a great church.

39

He did make a profession of

faith and he was the one way back

40

when that, I think I might have

talked about this at some point.

41

He was part of this cult for a while.

42

It was really concerning,

but he got out of it.

43

Praise God for that.

44

And he joined this.

45

Reformed Baptist Church, Emmaus,

Emmaus Baptist Church, I think is

46

what it's called, and they're in

fact, who is going to be facilitating

47

his memorial and his pastor.

48

I don't know the guy, but already

have a high degree of respect for him.

49

He had visited my brother multiple

times in the hospital, and it's

50

not around the corner for them.

51

It was at least an hour plus of

driving just for them to show up.

52

So he and his wife showed up.

53

They have been so great

with, my brother and his.

54

Now widow, and they've been supportive.

55

They've taken care of them in a lot of

tangible ways, so I'm deeply encouraged

56

by that and I'm looking forward to

meeting this guy and the church.

57

They've been so wonderful.

58

I'm really excited about that.

59

Excited to meet them.

60

And I'm also looking forward to hearing

some of the things that are gonna be said.

61

You know, it's hard to agree

with it, but Ecclesiastes.

62

Seven says that it's better

to go to the house of mourning

63

than the house of feasting.

64

Mm.

65

Because this is the end of all mankind

and the living will lay it to heart.

66

There's something very good about

pondering the brevity of life

67

and then being sobered by that.

68

So I'm looking forward to

experiencing a little more of that.

69

Obviously the family's still grieving

and there's waves of sadness and waves

70

of sorrow that retreat and recede

back into the ocean and you're kinda

71

left feeling different and there's,

strange occurrences of heaviness,

72

and then they kind of evaporate or at

least lessen and it feels more normal.

73

So I'm just looking forward to being with

people who are okay with just crying a

74

little bit, being sad as strange as that

sounds, but all that to say, um, thankful

75

for all the ways that you guys, a lot

of you guys who listen who texted me.

76

Sent different things, uh, food and cards.

77

We're thankful for your

support and your care.

78

We're very grateful for those things.

79

They do make a difference.

80

I know it's hard to know.

81

Is this even appropriate?

82

Does this do anything?

83

Is this having any effect?

84

It does.

85

We take it.

86

As you offer it.

87

And we appreciate those words of kindness.

88

We appreciate your care and your concern.

89

You can pray for us as we go about

this, this Saturday and memorialize him.

90

And there will be a viewing

which I vouched for.

91

I asked for that.

92

I think that's good.

93

And then after the viewing, we're

gonna do the official memorial

94

and then a reception afterwards.

95

So please pray for that.

96

Lots of good conversations could be

had and we want that very thing.

97

That's good, man.

98

Yeah.

99

Our people I'm sure, want to be praying

for you, and so I was gonna ask how they

100

can be praying for, so that's helpful.

101

Yeah.

102

And I appreciate your prayers.

103

All, all the things we will take

everything you'll give us prayer wise.

104

Yes.

105

That's what I mean.

106

And otherwise too, I mean, hey.

107

Let's get into our DBR for today.

108

We are in Matthew 23, and then we've

got two chapters in Luke as well.

109

Matthew 23 is well known as one of

the most confrontational passages

110

that we find in the gospels

between Jesus and the Pharisees.

111

There are seven statements of

woe or condemnation and cursing,

112

that Jesus is going to issue

against these religious leaders.

113

It's interesting.

114

Jesus begins though by essentially

saying, you know, what?

115

Do as they say, but not as they

do, with the Pharisees, and so

116

he does not necessarily condemn.

117

All of the things that they teach.

118

In fact, in verse two he says,

the scribes and the Pharisees,

119

they sit on Moses' seat.

120

So do and observe whatever they tell

you, but not the works that they do.

121

And that's really the gist of the rest

of the chapter, is so much of what he

122

condemns them for is their hypocrisy.

123

That they think that they

are serving the Lord.

124

And yet what they're actually doing

by their actions is undermining

125

so much of what they stood for, so

much of what they taught, so much

126

of what they laid upon other people.

127

In fact, in 2315, he says that in

their zeal, the Pharisees were creating

128

disciples whose zeal would surpass

their own but for the wrong things.

129

And that's a heavy burden as

a teacher, as a preacher, is

130

to make sure that what we're.

131

Getting people passionate about as

far as following the Lord is the

132

right things and not the wrong things.

133

And so Jesus is concerned

about the influence that

134

they're going to have there.

135

But this time reading through

Matthew 23, it's a familiar chapter.

136

You've got the whitewashed tombs,

you've got the clean the inside of the

137

dish, not just the outside of the dish.

138

What struck me was that Jesus

starts out by saying, Hey, do what

139

they say, but not what they do.

140

Yeah, I was actually gonna ask you about

that because you've been talking a lot

141

about authority lately and submission

and what that's supposed to look like.

142

So can you comment then

on what we see here?

143

Jesus is telling them, submit to what

they say, and these guys are clearly

144

not, I mean, they're the religious

elite, but they're not teaching rightly.

145

Yeah.

146

And yet Jesus says, okay, follow what

they say, but don't do what they do.

147

Comment on that.

148

Yeah.

149

And that goes back to the exception clause

that we found in both of the passages that

150

we've looked for on, on submission so far.

151

And that is as to the Lord.

152

And so I think that would

follow here as well.

153

And so Jesus is essentially saying,

as long as they're not asking you

154

to sin, do what they tell you to do.

155

And so if they're laying laws and

restrictions on you as far as the

156

Sabbath is concerned and what you

can and can't do on the Sabbath, even

157

though that's oral tradition and not the

written law of God, as long as they're

158

not asking you to sin by doing those.

159

Things then do what

they're asking you to do.

160

They've been put in that

position of authority, submits

161

their authority in that.

162

So it sounds like then scripture generally

has a positive view of authority.

163

Yes.

164

In that it, it is always binding

as long as it's an, I guess, um,

165

I don't know, maybe this is wrong.

166

I'll just say it and you can correct it.

167

As long as that authority is legitimate.

168

You're obliged to submit to it?

169

Yeah, I think so.

170

And even this past Sunday, I didn't

get into it as much as I could because

171

perhaps the mentality then as Christians

is do we just roll over and play dead?

172

Are we the doormat for everybody to Yep.

173

To just do whatever they want and we

have to just submit, there are venues

174

that we can pursue in a non sinful

way to challenge authority when it's

175

appropriate in inappropriate ways,

but we also have to understand that.

176

Number one, there's a

risk that comes with that.

177

For example, if you're in a work

situation and you're gonna challenge

178

your boss's authority, even though you

may do it respectfully and in a way that

179

isn't breaking any company policies or

rules, your boss may not like that and

180

you may suffer consequences for that.

181

But like we talked about with the message

on the government a couple weeks ago,

182

Christians are free to go out and protest.

183

Christians are free to apply their.

184

Rights as a citizen in the United

States and cast votes to try

185

to get officials out of office.

186

Christians are free to participate

in politics, even to see policy

187

change and things like that.

188

But we're not free to say outright

just objectively, no, I'm not gonna

189

do that when we're not being asked

to sin, because that would be to sin

190

against what Peter is calling us to do.

191

And it seems what Jesus was calling the

people to do with the Pharisees here.

192

It seems like passages like this

really highlight the fact that our

193

understanding of authority for many

of us is informed more by the US

194

Constitution than it is by scripture.

195

Yeah.

196

And I think that's a big difficulty for us

to overcome that we have to learn to get.

197

Around.

198

And what I mean by that is that

God clearly loves authority.

199

Yeah.

200

All authority is derived from God.

201

He's the one who gives it.

202

He's the one who grants it.

203

He's the one who establishes

kings and rulers.

204

He's the overarching authority and

therefore all authority is from him.

205

I guess the challenge

then is to your point.

206

Is at what time in in what

ways do we resist if we resist?

207

And I think it is what you're saying is

it's a matter of wisdom and discretion.

208

Yeah.

209

To know when and where and how to do that.

210

As we have availability

or opportunity to do that.

211

So I guess my point here is to highlight

what you're highlighting is and is

212

that God values authority, and when he

installs authority, he expects his people

213

to submit to it as a rule of thumb.

214

Yeah.

215

Yeah.

216

And again the refreshing thing from Peter

is that when we do that with a mindset

217

of saying, I'm gonna do this because

it's from God, then ultimately recurring

218

favor with him, that this is more about a

relationship with him than it is about the

219

earthly ruler or the spouse, the husband.

220

For some of the wives out there that

are in difficult marriages, there's.

221

A freedom to submit even when it's

difficult, knowing that there is reward,

222

that is being stored up in the moment

for you in an eternal perspective.

223

Amen to that.

224

And notice here in chapter 23

of Matthew, these guys are not

225

getting away with it, right?

226

They're not gonna be let off the

hook just because they're the

227

authorities and they're making rules.

228

To the contrary.

229

What you see is Jesus talking

to his followers, saying, I

230

want you to submit to them.

231

However, they're not getting away with it.

232

Right.

233

He is going to hold them accountable

and they'll be taken to task.

234

Right.

235

Right.

236

I think as chapter 23 ends with this

lament section over Jerusalem, one of the

237

things again this time reading through

it that struck out to me was just the

238

deity here of Christ that we see on

display when he says Jerusalem, Jerusalem

239

the city that kills the prophets.

240

In stones, those who are sent to it.

241

How often I would've gathered

your children together as hens

242

gathers her brooded under her

wings and you were not willing.

243

I think this is Jesus making a claim

to his identity as Yahweh A as the

244

Godhead part of the Godhead, the Father,

son Holy Spirit, because it seems

245

this is an illusion back to the old t.

246

And Jesus is the one saying how often

I would've gathered your children

247

together, and yet you are not willing.

248

So I think this is a claim

to the deity of Christ here.

249

I don't think he's just talking

about the moment, the present of

250

his earthly ministry, the three

years of his earthly ministry.

251

I think this is him saying as God,

there are many times I would've

252

welcomed you back Israel, and yet

you rejected me time and time again.

253

Yeah, I'd say that sounds about right.

254

Well, let's jump over to Luke chapter

20 then and chapter 21 as that's

255

the rest of our reading for today,

256

luke Chapter 20 is the situation again,

where the religious leaders are gonna

257

challenge Jesus' authority by asking

him the question about the baptism of

258

John, John the Baptist, and his ministry,

and Jesus, like we've talked about, I

259

think twice before at this point, says,

well, I'm gonna ask you a question.

260

What about this baptism?

261

Is this baptism valid or not?

262

And the religious leaders

are fearful of the people.

263

They don't wanna say it was valid

because then they're admitting that

264

John the Baptist was true and what

he said was true, but they also don't

265

wanna deny it for fear of the people.

266

So then Jesus says, well, I'm

not gonna tell you either.

267

And again, he's saying that

because it's not as our yet.

268

And he knew that to step straight into

the tell us on what grounds you are,

269

you're doing these things, what authority

would've led to the cross much quicker

270

than what was God's plan at that point?

271

You know, one interesting

takeaway that I got from this,

272

this time around is that Jesus.

273

I think it's a good faith question,

but he doesn't give an answer in

274

the way that they want him to.

275

Mm.

276

Which leads me to wonder that perhaps

there are times when authorities

277

are asking questions and maybe the

right answer isn't the direct answer

278

because Jesus answers in a very shrewd,

clearly wise way where he says, I'll

279

ask you a question first, and then

you answer, and then I'll answer

280

yours, essentially as the bargain.

281

I think that's interesting that

he wisely avoids a direct answer.

282

'cause he could have just said, well.

283

Yes to your question.

284

And did I come from, yes.

285

I'm from the Lord.

286

I'm the Messiah.

287

Yeah.

288

He doesn't do that though.

289

And I think that's fascinating

given the fact that he is the

290

foremost of truth tellers.

291

He is God in the flesh.

292

He is the capital T truth.

293

And yet he doesn't respond in a

way that you might expect if you

294

think Jesus is simply a boy scout.

295

Right.

296

You know, from the earliest

part of the first entry.

297

He answers in a way that is wise,

and I love that it highlighted

298

to me there's a lot more nuance

and beauty to the way that Jesus

299

operates, even as the incarnate truth.

300

Yeah.

301

And 'cause he's later on, he will say yes.

302

When he's on trial and they say, I

adjure you, by God, are you the Christ?

303

But not until then.

304

Did you notice that?

305

Right.

306

Not until he gets to that point

where they put him under oath.

307

Yeah.

308

Before that he's like,

I'm not saying anything.

309

Right.

310

Isn't that crazy?

311

Right.

312

It is.

313

It is.

314

Yeah.

315

The one that can call down legions to

his defense, he is, he wasn't afraid.

316

Is not like, I don't wanna say anything

'cause I'm afraid of what's gonna happen.

317

He is shrewd and wise and that's

what truth telling looks like.

318

Yeah.

319

Yeah.

320

In the rest of chapter 20, we get a

parable before he gets into this

321

interaction with the religious

leaders, challenging his authority,

322

the parable of the tenets he sent.

323

The father did many prophets to

Israel and the prophets were killed.

324

And then finally the son is being

sent and the son is meant to be.

325

And we understand the son to

be Jesus here, and they're

326

gonna kill Jesus as well.

327

And so Jesus is forecasting what's

going to happen as well as calling

328

back the history of the Israelites

and their rejection of the prophets.

329

After this, there's two separate

situations here where he is

330

going to be challenged by the

religious leaders of the Jews.

331

The first has to do with the question

about paying taxes, and it's again,

332

the Pharisees and the Herodians.

333

This is an unlikely pairing that

wouldn't have gone together.

334

And yet they're gonna ask him the

question, should we pay taxes or not?

335

And this is where he calls

for the coin and he says,

336

whose likeness is on the coin?

337

And they say, it's Caesars.

338

And Jesus says, we'll render to

Caesar that which is Caesars into God.

339

That which is God's.

340

After that, the Sadducees step

up and they've got a question

341

about the resurrection.

342

Again, this is the marriage question.

343

One woman's seven husbands, who's

she gonna be married to on the

344

new Earth or at the resurrection?

345

And Jesus answers and

says, you don't understand.

346

No one is given in

marriage, nor do they marry.

347

At the resurrection time, but rather

they're gonna be like the angels.

348

And so Jesus is answering the question

again, in that way of saying, you don't

349

understand this doctrine appropriately.

350

And again, the Sadducees were those that

denied the resurrection to begin with.

351

And then Jesus goes on the offensive

by asking them the question

352

when he says, how can they say

that the Christ is David's son?

353

When David said, the Lord said to my Lord.

354

And so the question Jesus poses.

355

How can David be considered the

ancestor of the Messiah and yet

356

also subject to the Messiah?

357

And just by culture and tradition,

humanly speaking, that would never happen.

358

David would be considered superior.

359

And so Jesus' argument is the only way

for the Son of David to be superior

360

to David is if the son of David really

is indeed God, which is what He is.

361

Moving closer and closer towards

that full revelation of eventually.

362

The chapter ends then, and we'll

pick up in chapter 21 with a warning

363

about these scribes and the Pharisees

who devour widows houses and then

364

we pick up on the widows might.

365

And so this is something I think we talked

about last year, PR and I think it's.

366

Dr.

367

MacArthur that has the view that this

is not him commending the widow's

368

offering, but pointing out the tragedy

that is at work here after saying the

369

Pharisees devour the widow's houses,

and here you have that being lived

370

out as the widow brings the last two

mights that she has to live on and

371

gives those that this is not something

to say we should all do likewise, but

372

rather saying this is the effect of

the religious leaders on the people.

373

Yeah.

374

I'm not sure if it originated with Dr.

375

MacArthur, but I do know that he's

one who is preaches very sermon.

376

Most often when you see this

passage preach, it's gonna be look

377

at the widow, give like the widow.

378

Right?

379

Give to your last mites and give

until you have nothing left.

380

And I can see where that might be helpful.

381

That might be a useful application.

382

But I would agree this is not

the intention of the passage.

383

I have every reason to believe that Jesus

is not happy that this is taking place

384

because his poor widow needed support.

385

She's not the one who should be supporting

the ongoing efforts of the temple.

386

And so I do think that

this is a highlight of the.

387

Unlawful, unjust, evil religious leaders

at this point, chapter 21 continues

388

with Jesus talking about the destruction

of the temple and then also the signs

389

of the times that are going to come.

390

And this is him beginning to

give us an understanding of

391

what's gonna mark his return.

392

And he's gonna talk about things

that, are things that we've

393

seen, some evidence of already.

394

The initial.

395

Prophecy about the destruction of

the temple, I believe is referring

396

to 70 AD when again, Titus PHA is

gonna come in and destroy Jerusalem,

397

destroy the temple at that point.

398

But.

399

He then goes on to talk about the rumors

of wars and famines and earthquakes

400

and, pestilence and disease.

401

And he's saying this is the

beginning, but this is not yet the end.

402

And then he talks about the suffering

that's gonna go through in verse 15.

403

I'm gonna give you a mouth in wisdom

and none of your adversaries will

404

be able to withstand or contradict.

405

You're gonna be delivered

up by parents and brothers.

406

So this is a lot of what the early

church saw and even today, what

407

some people are seeing still.

408

Being persecuted for the

faith the suffering of the

409

Christians in Nigeria right now.

410

Yeah.

411

What they're going through

those that are hating them.

412

Verse 17, for the sake of

Christ and for his name.

413

And so Jesus is talking about the signs

at the end of the time and then talks

414

about the destruction of Jerusalem again.

415

And yet this is a different destruction.

416

I think this is the future destruction.

417

This is the end times destruction.

418

This is the abomination of desolation.

419

This is the antichrist.

420

And the reason I would say that is because

verse 25 says, then there will be signs,

421

the sun of the moon, the stars on earth.

422

The nations will be in perplexity

and that's gonna be the time that

423

the sentiment returns on cloud.

424

So we haven't seen that yet.

425

And so because of that, that's why I say

this can't be 70 ad that he's talking

426

about here, but it has to be that

future destruction that's gonna take

427

place during the tribulation period.

428

After this, we get the lesson of the

fig tree, which is, building on this

429

concept saying you can interpret signs

when you see things in nature that tell

430

you that it's almost seasoned for figs.

431

Likewise, you should be ready,

for the return of Christ.

432

And then he says that we should stay

awake, that we might have strength.

433

To endure and to escape all these

things that are going to take place.

434

So it's just that reminder, we need

to be ready for the return of Christ.

435

A message that he was preaching to

his disciples, a message that we

436

still need to preach today as well.

437

Yeah, I think that's how he

closes the chapter and really he

438

wants us to always be aware that.

439

His return is soon.

440

And as dispensationalist, we believe that

that's, especially heightened for us.

441

We believe that he could return at any

time, that there's nothing that would

442

prevent him from taking up his bride.

443

And we call that the rapture.

444

We believe that the rapture does make

us, ready at any moment in the day where

445

he could come and take his bride home.

446

Yeah.

447

And then thus begins the tribulation.

448

Yeah.

449

Well, let's pray and then we'll

be done with this episode.

450

God, we look forward to the day when

we will be with you and free from the

451

suffering of this world, free from

the tragedies, the trials, the sin

452

that we struggle with as well as

the sins that others sin against us.

453

Lord, we want to be with Christ.

454

We want to have that time that.

455

Future, where death is no more, where

sin is no more, and where we get to spend

456

the rest of our lives in your presence and

in the glory that is, accompanying them.

457

And so we pray, for faithfulness until

that day we pray that we would be,

458

quick to interpret accurately what's

going on , in the world, that we would

459

not be paralyzed with fear about these

things, but that it would remind us to

460

live ready for your return at any minute.

461

And so I pray this all in Jesus' name.

462

Amen.

463

Amen.

464

Keep in your bibles.

465

Tune in again tomorrow for another

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

466

See y'all.

467

Bye.

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Bernard: Well, thank you for

listening to another episode of

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the Daily Bible Podcast, folks!

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We're honored to have you join us.

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This is a ministry of Compass

Bible Church in north Texas.

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You can find out more information

about our Church at compassntx.org.

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We would love for you to leave a

review, to rate, or to share this

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podcast on whatever platform you're

listening on, and we hope to see

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you again tomorrow for another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

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Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

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PJ: Yeah.

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I would agree with

everything that you said