Compass Bible Church North Texas

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Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

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Resources

Where God Came Down: The Archaeological Evidence by Joel Kramer

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Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Googley

02:33 Listener Question: Discipleship

12:12 Joshua 19-20

19:33 Luke 5:17-39

26:40 Closing Prayer

27:22 Outro and Podcast Information

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

2

Welcome back.

3

Pastor Rod's here too.

4

He's just choosing to remain silent.

5

He's sitting this one out, so he's in

the room, but you will not be hearing

6

from him at all in this podcast.

7

I'm gonna be working on audio

leveling while you guys are

8

talking, so just have fun.

9

He's here.

10

He's here.

11

So, how's everybody?

12

What is today?

13

Today is Friday.

14

So we made it through a week March 26th.

15

Hey, thanks.

16

Thanks, shush.

17

Siri, I didn't even say it.

18

I just asked the question

out into the world and the

19

robot just decided to answer.

20

Everybody did.

21

Did you say seriously?

22

I think that's what got it.

23

Is it probably, did I say that word?

24

I don't know.

25

Let's go back to the T transcripts.

26

Were like, seriously, guys?

27

Seriously.

28

Anyways, home Star runner.

29

Remember that.

30

I do remember that.

31

Yeah.

32

That's so good.

33

Yeah.

34

Strong, bad, peak millennial humor.

35

Yes.

36

Are you familiar with Homestar?

37

I have not a clue.

38

Well, because you're not a millennial.

39

That's technically I am.

40

No, you're not.

41

I'm the very last year.

42

No, it, no, we're gonna, we're

gonna grandfather you into Jen.

43

What was that?

44

Z Wouldn't it be the other way around?

45

Not grandfather me in.

46

We're gonna I guess what would

it, we're gonna catapult you

47

into the future generation.

48

We're locking you in buddy.

49

Or overriding your millennial credentials.

50

I'm right on the cusp.

51

No, I'm right on the cusp between the two.

52

You could go, you all star runner then.

53

Well, fair enough.

54

Then that's the defining factor.

55

Hey, I've got another book

recommendation for everybody.

56

It is.

57

Where's Waldo Bible edition?

58

That's cool.

59

Yes, yes.

60

No, it's not.

61

They do have those though.

62

I had them growing up.

63

Where you can find biblical

characters in them.

64

Yeah.

65

So maybe at Mardel you can find those.

66

But this book is called

Where God Came Down.

67

The archeological evidence

is by Joel Kramer, who is the

68

guy behind Expedition Bible.

69

Oh.

70

So the YouTube channel that

I've recommended in the

71

past, he put out a book.

72

It's got Feld too.

73

There's a Kramer on Seinfeld.

74

Not the same guy.

75

It's not the same guy.

76

It's got a lot of really cool

pictures, but a lot of really good

77

text and explanations of them as well.

78

So if you wanna see some of the places

in the Old Testament that we're talking

79

about, for example, the mountain of God.

80

What was the mountain of God?

81

Where was it?

82

He talks about Hebrew in here, Bethel

Abraham's altar there, Jacob's altar.

83

He's got images that go along with a

lot of these things, and he's coming

84

at it from a conservative perspective.

85

And so, not that necessarily

are you gonna agree with a

86

hundred percent of what he says?

87

But by and large, his research

is really solid and he's a friend

88

of e Evangelical Christianity.

89

So this is a good resource for you.

90

It's called, again, where God came

down the archeological evidence.

91

It's got things from the Old Testament

and some really great images from the New

92

Testament archeology and research as well.

93

So that would be a good

one for you to pick up.

94

In keeping with our studying of the Old

Testament, especially right now with a lot

95

of different name places and the conquest

of the Promised Land and everything else.

96

His book is good.

97

Alright, we have another question from.

98

Somebody, I'll just say somebody.

99

Somebody, you know who you are.

100

So the question then has

to do with discipleship.

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They offer a definition and here's

how they're gonna describe it.

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Specific and intentional teaching and

learning to a specific person from

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another with the intent to significantly

influence the learner's life.

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And so they quote and they allude

to different examples like Moses

105

and Joshua, Elijah, Elijah, Paul,

Timothy, Jesus in the 12, and

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then even Jesus among the three.

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And so he asks whether discipleship

is supposed to look like that.

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Is this something, and let me just go

to the questions that they offer here.

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Is this something that's actually

practiced in the church today?

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What's your view on discipleship?

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Should we really be pursuing

this from someone and to someone?

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In other words, should we be

both the receivers and the givers

113

of discipleship relationships?

114

Should they be formalized?

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Do I call myself a disciple

of Pastor Mark or Pastor pj?

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Is that what you have in

mind when you encourage?

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Christians to take part in

discipleship relationships.

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That's a lot of questions I'll let

you guys pick up wherever you see fit.

119

Yeah.

120

So you hear us define partners

sometimes as our one-on-one discipleship

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program being the partner's manual.

122

But I think this question is

saying, but what about beyond that?

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What does discipleship look like?

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Is it formalized and is there

a situation where you'd say, I

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wanna be discipled by this person,

this person is gonna disciple me.

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And I would say.

127

In my experience, there have been

seasons where there has been formalized

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de discipleship that's taken place.

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There have been people that I've

invested in for a period of time, and

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likewise people that have invested

in me in the discipling me capacity.

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Even now, I've got other pastor friends

that are beyond me and my experience

132

and in different contexts that are

discipling me in my role as a lead pastor

133

here, so that I have somebody that I can

turn to and say, Hey, can you help me

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with this because I'm trying to figure

out what to do in this situation or.

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Hey, I want your wisdom in this,

and that's important for me.

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There's a rhythm there.

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I meet monthly with somebody and there's

also informal relationships there.

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So, for me, discipleship

has been seasonal.

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It's been, sometimes I've got two or

three people that I'm meeting with

140

on a regular basis, discipling them.

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Other times, it's not that.

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I think in our context, in our church, at

least, a lot of that's gonna take place.

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In the context of community groups

too wherein you're having those

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relationships, you're building those

relationships in with the men and or

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the ladies in the group, depending.

146

And and that's a good

venue for it to take place.

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Yeah.

148

And I would caution against saying

I'm a disciple of so and so.

149

I do think that that would be

a caution that I would give.

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And I would look to a place like

one Corinthians three where Paul

151

says, for when one says I follow

Paul and another I follow Apollo.

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Apollos are you not being merely human?

153

And then he goes on to

explain what he means.

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And his point is that we are

ultimately disciples of Jesus.

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And so I think we can confuse

what discipleship looks like

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when we are pegging it to

one kind of person or a name.

157

That doesn't mean we don't

practice discipleship.

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That doesn't mean there aren't

people who disciple us, but I think.

159

Watching out for that terminology,

I think that can reflect maybe a

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misunderstanding of what's going on

when we're practicing discipleship.

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But wouldn't you say though,

that it makes a lot of sense to

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formalize these relationships?

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For instance, if you were to go to

a young guy in the church and say,

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Hey, I think you could use my help.

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To grow up in your faith.

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I would love to meet with you on Thursdays

at 6:00 AM we're gonna meet at the Panera,

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and I'd like you to pick up this book.

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We're gonna read it together and

we're gonna discuss the chapters

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one-on-one for the next three months.

170

Anything wrong with that?

171

And if that person said, who's discipling

you, or Pastor Mark is discipling me.

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I'm a discip of Pastor Mark right now.

173

Maybe we're so casual that that

kind of thing doesn't take place.

174

But wouldn't that be a good thing?

175

Well, I think definitely the discipleship

in action that you're describing, I

176

would be cautious about using the term.

177

Because it can create factions.

178

Yeah, and I think that's what

Paul's getting at, right?

179

In one Corinthians three.

180

If that's the purpose.

181

Now I think you could use that term.

182

I'm not saying that term is inherently

wrong, but I do think what Paul is getting

183

at is that when we're using that term,

it's likely to reflect, and I think in

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the Corinthian church it is reflecting.

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A misunderstanding of what

discipleship really is.

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'cause he goes on to talk about, right,

that he's very much part of this process.

187

Right?

188

He's laying a foundation and

someone else is building upon it.

189

It's not that he's not discipling,

but I think he is cautious about

190

using that, that terminology.

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Not that there would be anything

wrong with it though, right?

192

Not that there's anything

be inherently wrong with it.

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Right.

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But I do, I would be cautious about that.

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Use of terminology for its potential

to create division, and that was a

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particular issue among the Corinthian

church, but in and of itself, the

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formality of the relationship.

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Does that bother you at all, pastor pj?

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No.

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You'd be okay with that?

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Yeah.

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And if someone said, I'm

a disciple of Pastor PJ's.

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Yeah I think by nature, as we mature

in our faith, we are disciple.

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We have a breadth of those

that have influenced our lives.

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So we might say, for me, for

example, maybe somebody like Dr.

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MacArthur influenced me or I was a

disciple of his in these particular areas.

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For example, I would point to

issues of soteriology salvation.

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I would say, man, I think his.

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Explanation.

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His view of Lordship salvation is

something that was instrumental

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in discipling me in my

understanding of soteriology.

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But I may look at somebody like Pastor

Mike, our sending PA pastor with the

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area of preaching and say, I discipled.

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He was my discipler in that.

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And so I think we are a product of so many

different voices out there that I don't

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think any of us are ever gonna say, I'm

a disciple of this one particular voice.

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In the end.

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Yeah, it's probably one of the privileges

of living in our time and season of

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life where we can afford to pick and

choose from a lot of different people.

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They write books and they have podcasts,

and they have videos and things like that.

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So rapid fire.

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Then let's answer the

questions more succinctly.

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Is this something that's actually

practiced in the church today?

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Yes, yes, yes.

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Maybe not the way that he

envisions, but definitely it is.

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And your view on it is that it is.

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Formal, informal.

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I think it could be both.

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It could be both.

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It could be both.

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And it's happening primarily and

at least in your church, pastor

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PJ, in the small group setting.

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One other area I would

add to that is parenting.

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I think as a dad, I'm

discipling my sons right now.

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And my wife is really discipling my

daughter, not that I'm not discipling

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my daughter, but she's taking that

more practical hands-on approach

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with her in her professed faith.

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And I'm doing that with Joshua as well.

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So I think there's a formalized

discipleship of the parent

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child relationship as well.

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I a hundred percent agree with that.

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I think even the term, so and

so is my dad, using the term

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dad implies discipleship.

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In the Christian context Of course.

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Yeah.

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Should we really be pursuing

this from someone and to someone?

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Yes.

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Yeah.

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I think it should ideally come

naturally and that's why I point to

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community groups as a place where it

can naturally form probably most easily.

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'cause that's where you get to know others

and others know you most thoroughly.

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I, yeah, I don't think there's a

deficiency if you're going through

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a season where you don't have

it active in your life, though.

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Would you be able to say if you're going

to a church, you are a disciple of that?

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Pastor Passively?

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Yes.

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Yeah, passively.

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Why passive?

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Just because it's not,

I'd say it's very active.

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Yeah.

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But it's not a one-on-one

formalized discipleship.

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Relationship the way that you think?

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There's not as much of a back

and forth the way that we

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normally think of discipleship.

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I think in our culture, we think of

discipleship as sitting down, reading

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a book together, having a cup of coffee

together and asking questions and

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going back and forth with each other.

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You're being discipled it, but it's a

one-way discipleship there rather than a

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two-way conversation that's taking place.

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You wouldn't qualify it

then as discipleship.

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No I think it is, I think it's a form of

discipleship, but what I mean by passive

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is you are receiving the discipleship from

the one that you're, whose church you're

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attending as far as the pastor of that

church, rather than when you're involved

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in a discipleship relationship, there's

more of a dynamic that takes place there.

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Would you add anything

to that Pastor Mark?

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I do think we should be

pursuing discipleship.

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I think that it may be that there's a

season when we don't have it, but I think

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that would be the impetus to pursue it.

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In a church setting.

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Are you a disciple of

that pastor automatically?

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Yeah, I think so.

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I think so.

283

Would you qualify it as

passive as well, would you?

284

I would qualify with something.

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I think it wouldn't be I, it

wouldn't be sufficient on its own.

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Meaning if you went by yourself and you

sat in the chair and you listened to the

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preaching and then you got up and you

didn't talk to anyone and you walked out,

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I would qualify it by saying that is not

a holistic understanding of discipleship.

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So that would be my qualification.

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I wouldn't necessarily qualify

the word, but I would say that the

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Christian life looks like more than

just that sort of individualistic

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sitting, listening and then leaving.

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So with the thrust of what we're

getting at then discipleship is good.

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It's right, it's part of being

a Christian, I think, and you're

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attempting to do some kind of

spiritual good to somebody else.

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Should you pursue these kinds of

one-on-one discipleship relationships

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with other people that you're

giving to and that you're receiving

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from even more from, besides a

book setting or besides a podcast.

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To your point, there's not a

lot of response when you're

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listening to a podcast or a sermon.

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So should you pursue these one-on-one

things yourselves, even as pastors,

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do you expect that of yourself?

303

Yeah, I would probably say a, again,

I don't know that it's gonna be

304

formalized every single time, but you

should have somebody in your life who's

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older, wiser, more mature than you are

in their faith that is available to

306

invest in you and pour into you and

answer questions when you have them.

307

And you need to be that person

for somebody else as well.

308

Yeah, I would agree with that.

309

Alright.

310

All right.

311

That was a thick question

with a pretty thick answer.

312

Thank you for sending that in.

313

That was good.

314

I hope that was sufficient.

315

We didn't even hit all the things that

they brought up, but it's multifaceted.

316

It's a multifaceted question.

317

It's a very thick one.

318

Thank you.

319

Good work.

320

And now back to the Bible.

321

The Bible, Joshua 19.

322

Because we weren't in it when we

were, well, no, that was, now we're

323

going through it chronologically.

324

No, no, no.

325

Not chronologically.

326

That's the last plan.

327

Nevermind Pastor pj.

328

Alright, Joshua one 19 through 20.

329

We are gonna finish really dividing

up the land here and in that's

330

gonna take place in chapter 19.

331

You're gonna get all of these other tribes

that are gonna get their inheritance here.

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You've got Zebulon, you've

got Simeon, you've got Iscar,

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you've got Asher, NAI, and Dan.

334

Dan's gonna show up a little bit

later in the book of judges too.

335

Dan's a little bit of a Wiley

figure here as a tribe, but.

336

This is Joshua bringing things

to a close and I think it's

337

interesting that Joshua waits till

everybody else has been settled.

338

Everybody else has their inheritance

allotted to them, and then he.

339

Last of all goes in to take his and

there's a book that's called, that's a

340

secular book called Leaders Eat Last.

341

But it's that idea, I think

this is leadership from Joshua.

342

I think he's making sure the people

are settled, they're cared for,

343

things have been done, at least to the

best of his awareness and knowledge,

344

even though we've pointed out how

many times they've failed already.

345

But Joshua waits until everybody else

has their allotment given to them.

346

And then he goes to take

his own place for himself.

347

Yeah, what a great point that is.

348

And interesting to know and if you looked

at your Bible Atlas book, whatever you

349

happen to have, you'll notice that Simeon.

350

Portion is oddly placed, and

you find out the reason why.

351

Here in verse number nine, it says, the

territory of the people of Simeon rather

352

was formed part of out, out of part of

the territory of the people of Judah.

353

So because the portion of the people

that Judah was too large for them, the

354

people of Simeon obtained an inheritance

in the midst of their inheritance.

355

So their position, like a donut

hole in the midst of a donut at some

356

point, and we don't exactly know

when and where and how, but Simeon

357

eventually gets absorbed into Judah.

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And they become the

southern tribes together.

359

Mm-hmm.

360

Mm-hmm.

361

It becomes less clear where

Simeon begins and Judah ends.

362

But Judah's moniker, his naming

takes the pre the, takes the stage.

363

It becomes the primary name by which

the Southern Kingdom is described.

364

But notice here, Simeon

is in the midst of them.

365

I was reading in one of the commentators

that I was consulting on this passage,

366

talked about all of these places

being somewhat even obscure to us,

367

or small to us, but they pointed out

the fact that God still cared about

368

what was gonna take place there.

369

Israel still had a stewardship

over that area, and I think.

370

It's not too much of a stretch to

see when we think about our role

371

in our church or your role in

your community of other believers.

372

It may not be the front and center role,

but God has given you a stewardship and

373

cares that you take care of that and

cares that you give attention to that.

374

And it, it may appear from the

outside looking in going, Hey

375

that's not the flashiest, it's not

Jerusalem, it's not Judah, it's

376

not some of these key tribes here.

377

But God still cared about those tribes.

378

He gave them a portion of

the land and they had a job.

379

They were supposed to steward that land

for the glory of God and that mattered.

380

So that's another kind of takeaway

for us, even as we're reading through

381

something that's heavy on the geography

and going, okay, what do I do with this?

382

Is remembering God cares

about these things.

383

These were stewardships for each

of these tribes, and we have

384

stewardships too in our own lives.

385

No matter how small they are, no matter

how small, they're, what a great point.

386

Some of us have very small stewardships.

387

I think about the parable of the talents.

388

Each of us are given a

different amount to steward.

389

And some of us can look, look at the

other guy with, oh, he's got five talents

390

and I've only got this measly one.

391

And I think the, I, the ironic

part is that a talent is actually

392

a substantial amount of resource,

whatever that is, dollar figure wise.

393

So you might look down on whatever

God has given you, but don't,

394

and take stewardship over it.

395

Use it, God glorify God with it.

396

And don't look at your neighbor

and say, I wish I was him.

397

Enjoy what you got.

398

Take what you got and

use it for the glory.

399

God.

400

Yeah.

401

I have an unresolved thought in my head.

402

Maybe you guys can help.

403

Oh, no.

404

So all of these tribes get a very specific

allotment of land with very clear.

405

Boundaries.

406

Right?

407

This is not a AI formula

coming up with this.

408

This is based on very specific

information and very clear landmarks.

409

What do you guys think is supposed

to happen as the land in total

410

of the people of Israel grows?

411

Come again.

412

So there's promises the

grows of Israel expanding.

413

Yes.

414

Right.

415

And we have locked in some sense,

or it appears that it's locked in.

416

Yeah.

417

That there are specific

allocations of these tribes.

418

To these specific locations.

419

Yeah.

420

But what happens to the new

land that is brought in?

421

That's a great question, and now I

was gonna bring it up on the last

422

podcast or the one before this.

423

But here's my working idea, because

the land of let's see, Benjamin

424

and Judah, they both border j.

425

And in one allotment, God

gives Benjamin Jerusalem.

426

In another allotment, God

gives Judah, Jerusalem.

427

Whose does it belong to?

428

Well, Judah fought for it and she won it.

429

And so I think there's probably, in God's

mind, he said, these are your boundaries.

430

This is your sandbox.

431

But go, I think go and take more.

432

Whatever one of you guys wants to fight

and expand your territory, go for it.

433

Although I know you can easily get

into problems when you start running

434

into conflict with your brothers.

435

But I think there is a sense,

although not an unlimited one.

436

Where you can expand your territory in

a God glorifying way, and maybe some

437

of those neighboring towns that were

left up for grabs, I think God would be

438

okay with them taking that position.

439

Yeah, I think that answer satisfies me.

440

I think the thing that'll be funny

about that is if that were to

441

happen, which hypothetical it doesn't

happen, it does not happen, right?

442

Is that there's some tribes that I

guess you could describe as landlocked.

443

Or they're either up against the

ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, or

444

they're surrounded by other tribes.

445

How does that work?

446

We don't ever know, but it fascinates

me to think about, well, and then

447

because Dan leaves his allotments, it

just tells me there's a little bit of

448

flexibility in here that you don't read.

449

Mm-hmm.

450

Mm-hmm.

451

And because of Dan's movement, and God

never says no, which is surprising to me.

452

'cause that seems to me

like an egregious move.

453

Dan, you left your land, bro.

454

Yeah.

455

You were beachside.

456

Well, even the tribes that are on

the other side of the river, right.

457

He doesn't say name.

458

He doesn't say no he works with them.

459

Yeah.

460

Oh yeah.

461

So I think there's a lot more flexibility

baked into this, even though he's

462

giving them specific pieces of land.

463

I'm gonna argue with

Dan when we get there.

464

And judges, I don't think God's

in favor of what Dan does.

465

I say he was in favor.

466

I just said there's never a clear

statement of his disapproval.

467

Right.

468

Yeah.

469

Which gives me a sense that there's

some flexibility in the way God

470

has orchestrated his arrangement.

471

Right.

472

'cause even the tribes on the other side

of the river, I think the implication is.

473

That that's not what they ought to

have done but there is no definitive

474

statement of God's judgment

because of that particular action.

475

Well, God, I think Grants

permission to them.

476

I don't think God ever

grants permission to Dan.

477

And I think when we see it in judges,

I think there's a perversion there.

478

'cause not to give it away,

but they send out spies, dude,

479

giving it away on their own.

480

Spoiler alert guys.

481

They send out spies on their own.

482

And they talk about how good the land

is and pleasant the land is, and it's

483

good for us to go up and take it and

settle it, but it never says God gave

484

the, in fact, it stresses that the people

of Laish were at a peaceful people.

485

And so I think that it's de

display displayed in judges as a

486

perversion of what we see in the

conquest of the promised land.

487

When Dan leaves their allotment and

goes up to take the other one, I

488

would offer an agreement to that,

but I would also say, did God not

489

also give them that land though?

490

Because I think when God, yes.

491

Well, no, I don't mean even like

practically and actually, but I do mean,

492

did God not promise the land as far

north as covering that same territory?

493

Yeah.

494

I don't know if he gave it to Dan.

495

Obviously he did not.

496

But the fact that God still said this.

497

Large piece of land for, it's for Israel.

498

Right.

499

So it makes, it's granted,

it's in the book of judges.

500

So that brings all of the

sender suspicion, right?

501

Yeah.

502

Right.

503

Because they're not doing what's right.

504

Right.

505

But I still think the land did belong

to them, how and when they got it.

506

That might be the perversion.

507

Well, it's coming up, so keep

listening, keep reading Bibles on that.

508

Hey, let's get over to the New

Testament just for sake of time.

509

We are in Luke chapter five.

510

One verses 17 through 39, and in Luke

five 17 through 26 the healing of

511

the paralytic, the friends that it's

too crowded, they can't get in there.

512

I think we see Jesus' sense of

humor here in a situation that for

513

the man that's lowered down wasn't

necessarily funny, but I Jesus clearly

514

knows what this guy's, after he

wants to be healed of his paralysis.

515

That's why the friends went to such

extreme lengths to do what they

516

did, and yet he looks at the guy and

says, Hey your sins are forgiven.

517

Th Thank you.

518

Can you do something about my legs?

519

I'd love to be able to walk.

520

'cause it's interesting.

521

He doesn't ask the man, why are

you here the way he does with

522

some of the other people, he heals

when the blind man comes home.

523

What do you wish?

524

Well, I wish to see I want to be made.

525

Well, I wish even the woman who touches

the fringe of his garment and she's healed

526

from her discharge, he doesn't approach

the man and say, why did you touch me?

527

Or what are you here for?

528

It's plain to everybody why he's there.

529

And yet Jesus says your sins are forgiven.

530

And then he flexes his divinity

here because he in his, I think

531

in his deity, understands what's

running through the minds.

532

And here's over, here's the grumbling

of the Pharisees saying, who has the

533

authority to forgive sins but God alone.

534

And that's when he steps fully

into, if you're paying attention.

535

To his identity and says that you may know

that I have the power and the authority.

536

So he doesn't say I'm God, but

he says, in order that you might

537

know, watch what I'm about to do.

538

And then he heals the man and

the man gets up and walks away.

539

So Jesus is kind of toying with his

opponents here, I think in this section.

540

I wanna point out that what

you see here is fascinating

541

because of who the audience is.

542

In verse 19, it says that these guys,

these friends of this paralytic man, let

543

him through the roof and let him down.

544

With his bed through the tiles,

into the midst before Jesus.

545

These are good friends, by the way.

546

If your friends are not willing

to lower your body down through a

547

roof, they're not your real friends.

548

You need to find some people like this.

549

Find new ones.

550

Definition.

551

This is my definition now.

552

If I ever am paralyzed and you guys

don't lower me through the roof to

553

see Jesus this friendship's over.

554

But I notice verse 20 here.

555

This is why this is so unique,

because Israelites are not known

556

for their faith, but yet he says

and when he saw their faith, it was

557

not their act per se, it was the act

because the act revealed their faith.

558

That's right.

559

Jesus' marveling at these people.

560

It was his friends and this

paralytic who had faith in him.

561

What was the quality of their faith?

562

I, it's hard to know, but the fact that

he offers them forgiveness in my mind is

563

less is less about, well, I, what I do

see, what I see is Jesus honoring the act

564

and saying, this is where it's at, guys.

565

You get it.

566

You get it.

567

And it's almost like this is an attaboy.

568

And he, I think the forgiveness of sins

is because that's what they're coming for.

569

I wondered this too, because

your point is well taken.

570

I was thinking, okay, this

is, there's a lot happening.

571

There's a lot moving at once.

572

It's like being in a moving car and

there's all these different features

573

that are moving past at once.

574

I was thinking in these days, it

was not an uncommon thought to think

575

that your sin created your sickness.

576

Mm-hmm.

577

So remember it was the man born blind.

578

Mm-hmm.

579

Who sinned first.

580

And so I wondered if perhaps what

was happening here is that people

581

thought, well, clearly you must

have done something really bad for

582

you to warrant being paralyzed.

583

And maybe they all thought

that, I don't know.

584

But maybe Jesus knowing their

thoughts and knowing their hearts

585

said, this is what he really needs.

586

And of course, that of course

what is, what he did really need.

587

But beyond that, let me also

hear your body and show that

588

your sins are in fact forgiven.

589

I'm gonna remove this stain from you and

give you a new a new life essentially.

590

So I like this because the faith is

highlighted that's unique for Israelites.

591

The parallels my man is given the

ability to walk and all this is

592

happening in order to confront

the authorities who are watching.

593

Yeah, that's a great point.

594

Rest of chapter five, you've got

the calling of Levi, AKA Matthew,

595

the tax collector who's called

away from his boot to follow Jesus.

596

This one's interesting because

we don't know how much Matthew

597

knew about Jesus prior to this.

598

We've mentioned it earlier, Peter,

James, John, those guys had spent

599

some time around Jesus before they

left everything to follow him.

600

With the tax collector here with

Matthew, we're not exactly sure how

601

much he knew, how much he was aware of.

602

About Jesus before Jesus passes by his

booth and says, come and follow me.

603

And Matthew gets up and goes.

604

And so we're left to fill in some of the

the blank spots there to figure that out.

605

But something is compelling enough about

Jesus for Matthew to leave a pretty

606

lucrative job being a tax collector.

607

One of the reasons they were despised

by the Jews was they worked for the

608

Romans and the Romans kind of had a.

609

An understanding.

610

Hey, if you want to overcharge

your countrymen and skim some

611

off the top with them, go for it.

612

We'll look the other way.

613

We don't care as long as we get what's

due us in the end, and that's one of the

614

reasons why the tax collectors were hated.

615

So Matthew gives up a good gig to go

and follow Jesus Now, not good as far

616

as his countrymen, but good as far

as his own provision and wellbeing.

617

All of that was so good, bro.

618

Thanks man.

619

Love that.

620

I appreciate that.

621

Did you get what you needed?

622

I sure did.

623

Did you?

624

That's good.

625

Why are you bringing this up?

626

They don't know.

627

Well, I just, the inside joke was for you

and Pastor Mark and myself, but I didn't

628

wanna toot my own horn by thinking You

just started, are there blowing smoke?

629

Yeah.

630

You didn't actually hear what he said.

631

It was heard.

632

It was pretty egregious.

633

Egregious.

634

Yeah.

635

It was actually.

636

It was awful.

637

He was heresy.

638

Yeah.

639

Maybe a little bit Mercy.

640

I said it the wrong time.

641

Everybody's probably

super confused right now.

642

They're alright.

643

Matt, cut this out.

644

Isn't that worth having anything

on the last section there?

645

The question on fasting

that we wanna point out.

646

We've covered it, I think

with Matthew, but anything we

647

wanna hit on again on that?

648

Okay.

649

Quickly, is fasting still

something people should do today?

650

Yes.

651

Yes.

652

When?

653

All the time.

654

All the time.

655

All the time.

656

Whoa.

657

Yes.

658

Okay.

659

Every day new diet, crashed.

660

Diet.

661

After Mark 27, forget GLP ones.

662

Everybody's just gonna stop eating.

663

Yeah, that'd be cheaper.

664

That would be a lot cheaper.

665

It would be regularly.

666

That's what I mean by all the time.

667

Yeah.

668

Consistently.

669

I think it's.

670

In the New Testament model, I think we

see it for those situations where you

671

have something significant coming up.

672

Like when the missionaries are being

sent out, when Paul and Barnabas

673

are being sent out there, there's

fasting and they lay out, lay their

674

hands on them and they send them out.

675

So I think fasting is meant to be used

intentionally, and I think it's purpose

676

is that when we feel the pain of whatever

that thing is that we're fasting from,

677

we're driven to prayer or we're driven to

worship, or we're driven to whatever it is

678

that we are pursuing, it's meant to serve

679

as a real life physical object lesson

for us to drive us towards that thing.

680

What about weekly or monthly?

681

Would you advise a Christian to

pursue something with that sort of

682

timeline outside of kind of bigger

events that you're describing?

683

Probably not, 'cause I don't think

it's established that way in the

684

New Testament for the church.

685

Does fasting make your

prayers any more effective?

686

I think it makes you more zealous

and passionate about your prayers.

687

I don't think it changes

the nature of your prayers.

688

So it could increase the quality

is what you're suggesting.

689

Yeah, I think it does, but I don't

think it makes your prayers more

690

effective, is what I'm saying.

691

Yeah.

692

I think you're gonna pray more,

makes your prayers effective.

693

Yeah.

694

I think you're gonna pray more and

you're gonna pray more urgently.

695

Urgently because you're keenly aware

of what you're not having, which is

696

driving you to pray more consistently.

697

Yeah.

698

Yeah, I think fasting's a

great tool in the tool belt.

699

I do think it'd be great to use on a

fairly regular basis because I think

700

it's a good spiritual discipline.

701

Now, it can be done wrongly,

it can be wielded wrongly.

702

There's so many different,

I don't know, trenches.

703

So many different pitfalls we can

have in that, but I think it's good.

704

Jesus commends it.

705

I'm for it.

706

Yep.

707

It's generally good ground to stand on.

708

I think so, yeah.

709

Alright, let's pray.

710

God, thanks for your word and for the

time that we got to spend in it right

711

now, answering these questions about

discipleship and the Old Testament, the

712

land allotment, the New Testament, talking

about fasting, talking about the healing

713

of this paralytic God we love how dynamic

your word is and that there's so much for.

714

Us to glean from it if we will

give ourselves over to studying it.

715

So I pray that we would do that.

716

I pray, God, that nobody would

just satisfy themselves with

717

listening to us on this podcast.

718

But they would use this either as an

after course after their time in the word

719

or as setting up their time in the word,

but they would really get their main

720

meal from spending time in the Bible.

721

And I pray that would be true of

all us we pray in Jesus' name.

722

Amen.

723

Amen.

724

Amen.

725

On that note, keep reading the Bible

and tune in again tomorrow for another

726

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

727

See ya.

728

Amen.

729

Bye.

730

Edward: Thank you for listening to another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

731

We’re grateful you chose to

spend time with us today.

732

This podcast is a ministry of

Compass Bible Church in North Texas.

733

You can learn more about our

church at compassntx.org.

734

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we’d appreciate it if you’d consider

735

leaving a review, rating the show,

or sharing it with someone else.

736

We hope you’ll join us again

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737

of the Daily Bible Podcast.