Compass Bible Church North Texas

Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

---

Resources

Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage by Gavin Ortlund

---

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Googley

02:59 Listener Question

06:25 When to Fight Online

09:15 Joshua 7–8

16:34 Luke 2:25-52

22:48 Closing Prayer

23:31 Outro and Podcast Information

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

Hello and good morning.

4

Happy Sunday.

5

Happy Sunday.

6

Hot Sunday.

7

Is your air conditioner on Pastor Rod?

8

Oh, for sure.

9

It is.

10

Oh yeah, mine too.

11

Upstairs.

12

Yeah, the heat rises.

13

Yeah, we need to keep those rooms cool.

14

Especially at night, man.

15

Yeah.

16

Yeah.

17

You put yours at like 79 or 80, right?

18

It's up there.

19

78.

20

78.

21

Yeah, I was not too far.

22

Yeah that's hot man.

23

If I show up and I'm in

there, I'm gonna be sweating.

24

Well, when we host people we

bump it down because we know that

25

there's a lot of body heat in the

room and temperature can go up.

26

So we do bump it down.

27

Yeah.

28

You need to pre-cool it by several hours.

29

I've heard different things about

living in Texas about how to treat

30

your home when you're not inside it.

31

And I've heard two, two theories.

32

The first one is it doesn't matter.

33

Your home's gonna work just as

hard to keep you cool, so put

34

it up by a few degrees, leave

your home and then come back.

35

You'll save on electricity.

36

The other theory is that no, your

house is better and more efficient

37

when you put on a certain number

and just leave it there all day.

38

Because then it stays cool.

39

Your furniture stays cool.

40

The countertop stay cool,

everything stays cool if you

41

keep it at a certain temperature.

42

But if you raise and lower it your

thermostat is going to make your

43

HVAC work harder and it's gonna

cost you more money in the long run.

44

So better just to keep

it at the same number.

45

What do you subscribe to?

46

So when we were in Arizona and we were

in a hundred twenty, a hundred and twenty

47

five degree heat during the summertime,

we, they would, you would pre-Cool.

48

So you got up in the morning Yeah.

49

When it wasn't as hot outside.

50

Put it like at 60 degrees

and you cranked it way down.

51

Yeah.

52

And then.

53

The electricity cost more too during

the peak hours of the daytime.

54

Right?

55

Right.

56

And so you would basically shut your

air conditioner off after that Oof.

57

And did that in California,

and you just let it gradually

58

heat up throughout the day.

59

We don't do that here.

60

We just run it at 78 across the board.

61

Oh, okay.

62

We just let it roll at that and Yeah.

63

My bill doesn't really spike.

64

I It's predictable.

65

Yeah.

66

It spikes when it's like the

super, like August is the worst.

67

Yeah.

68

August and September.

69

Those are my two highest

bills of the year.

70

Yeah.

71

You run it 24 7.

72

Totally.

73

But aside from that it's reasonable.

74

It doesn't seem to be doing much, yeah.

75

Yeah.

76

I keep mine pretty, pretty cool.

77

Cool.

78

I not as cool as I used to, but

still cooler on the cooler side.

79

I like it that way.

80

Yeah.

81

And I enjoy that.

82

We can enjoy Texas weather the

best when it's controlled and to be

83

comfortable to be super comfortable,

which we're talking about comfortable

84

Christianity today at church.

85

Yeah.

86

Stop.

87

Stop stepping on my toes.

88

I don't like that you're

setting me up here.

89

I like comfort.

90

Nothing wrong with

enjoying the gifts of God.

91

That's true.

92

As long as you enjoy

them with an open hand.

93

Hey, I feel like.

94

Today's sermon and yesterday's

sermon of men's Bible study, kind

95

of hamm and egged a little bit.

96

I feel like they go together pretty well.

97

Yeah.

98

Well, when I gave you my notes and

said, here's what I'm preaching,

99

and then you said, oh, you know, I'm

gonna use half of this for my sermon.

100

I said, oh, cool.

101

No problem.

102

Exactly, exactly.

103

Yeah.

104

It's a whole meal.

105

If you were part of the men's

Bible study, you got to hear

106

part A and then part B on Sunday.

107

It was a good weekend.

108

Yeah.

109

Almost like we planned it.

110

Yeah.

111

But we did not.

112

Which we didn't.

113

No, no.

114

Yeah.

115

So hopefully you're you're gonna

be at church with us this morning.

116

We only got two more weeks of one service

before we moved to two services, so, wow.

117

This weekend, next week.

118

And then we are officially

two service church.

119

And then you're gonna

miss it when it's gone.

120

Yes, yes.

121

I remember the good old days.

122

We only had one.

123

There was only one.

124

Yeah.

125

Yeah, we have a question.

126

We've got a question.

127

Let's answer it.

128

So I wanna throw it at you

and see how you answer it.

129

And I want you also to help me as a

parishioner to a normal, average, everyday

130

congregant who's not reading Luther.

131

Help me put this into perspective.

132

Okay.

133

Here's the quote.

134

The quote is from Luther, and it

says this, if I profess with the

135

loudest voice and clearest exposition.

136

Every portion of the truth of God,

except precisely that little point which

137

the world and the devil are attacking.

138

I am not confessing Christ, however

boldly I may be professing him.

139

Or the battle rages there, the

loyalty of the soldier is proved.

140

And so our question asker, he says,

do you agree with this sentiment?

141

And if so, how do you balance this

with the idea of theological triage

142

and secondary tertiary issues?

143

I love that idea of theological triage

that was coined, I believe, by Dr.

144

Moler and most recently appropriated

by Gavin Orland in his book

145

called, you know this book, bro?

146

It's it's a book about.

147

Fighting on the, oh, finding

the right hills to die on.

148

Yes.

149

That's the name of the book.

150

Yes.

151

That's a great book.

152

I commend that to you,

but let's talk about that.

153

Do you agree with Luther?

154

In other words if you're opening up

scripture, but you're not hitting the

155

topic of the day, the topic du jour.

156

And it's where the battle is hottest.

157

Right?

158

Are you being faithful to God?

159

Right.

160

It depends in what We're not at a,

we're at a disadvantage because we don't

161

exactly know where this came from Luther.

162

So we don't know the surrounding

context of what Luther was talking

163

about in making this statement.

164

It's just a quote that has been

attributed to him by multiple sources.

165

And so it's hard to say and the reason

I say that is this, there are times

166

where I would say, yeah, you do need

to be ready to go after what the

167

world is attacking and address that

and where your witness can be heard.

168

If you don't, I, if you're there and

you are, you're hammering home one area

169

where you're super confident because

you don't wanna venture into this other

170

area, but the world is sitting there

saying, yeah, but this area, and we

171

wanna talk about this, whether it's.

172

Creation evolution or gender

identity or whatever it is and

173

you're just ignoring that and

you're not gonna speak to it at all.

174

The risk that we run is communicating

that the Bible doesn't have anything

175

to say about that or perhaps that

the world's wisdom is greater than

176

God's wisdom on one of those issues.

177

So I think it is good for us to be as

well-rounded Christians able to have

178

those dialogues in these various areas.

179

That said.

180

It can also hurt our witness if we spend

all of our time focused on trying to prove

181

young Earth creationism to somebody who's

an evolutionist, and then totally miss the

182

opportunity to share the gospel with them.

183

And I think in that instance, we can

do damage because we're not actually

184

being an ambassador for Christ.

185

We're not doing any good, even if

they leave evolution behind, if

186

we don't ever get to the point of

being able to share the gospel with

187

them, then we've done them no good.

188

They're just a slightly less less wrong.

189

Soul that's now still just

as much destined for hell

190

as they were to begin with.

191

So I think theological triage

is helpful for us to sit back

192

and say what is necessary?

193

What's helpful, what's good for us

to bring into this conversation?

194

And that's even gonna change.

195

In various areas.

196

He's talking about the world here, but

even within the church, we're gonna have

197

different levels of theological triage.

198

What doctrines matter for us to have

to be lockstep in agreement with

199

the fellowship together to serve on

the same ministry staff together,

200

or just to attend church together.

201

What doctrines are less important there?

202

So I.

203

It's not a clear cut answer either way,

but I do think we need to care about

204

truth because God is a God of truth and

we need to stand upon truth, but we need

205

to be careful not to fight for things

so much that we miss also at the same

206

time being able to share the gospel.

207

Amen to that.

208

I am full on and heartily

agreement with you on that.

209

In the age and day of Christian

Twitter, we argue about.

210

Everything.

211

Yes.

212

And while it's fun I think it's enjoyable

to watch two Christian theologians duke

213

it out on a certain topic and sometimes a

topic is helpful and actually substantive.

214

Other times though it's so inane and

so unworthy of our time and yeah,

215

below the dignity of the office to

argue about that, I often think.

216

What does the world think about us when

they see our infighting and our bickering?

217

We're supposed to be known

as peacemaking people.

218

That doesn't mean that we sacrifice

truth at the altar of peace, but we're

219

willing to overlook quite a bit when

it comes to and you mentioned this,

220

primary, secondary, and then tertiary.

221

Mm-hmm.

222

That's first level,

second level, third level.

223

It's great to argue about

the first level things.

224

Those are the matters of salvation.

225

The secondary things are important,

but those are in-house discussions.

226

Those are intramural conversations

that we really don't want

227

to allow the world to see.

228

Because it's not helpful for them to

be a confused by those things, or B, to

229

see us really fighting in ways that are

again below the dignity of the office.

230

So I thought about one Timothy chapter

six, where Paul is saying, look, you gotta

231

teach and nurse these things, Timothy.

232

If anyone teaches a different

doctrine and does not agree with the

233

sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ

and the teaching that accords with

234

godliness, he says, that person.

235

Who doesn't do this?

236

He has puffed up with conceit

and understands nothing.

237

He has an unhealthy craving for

controversy in quarrels about

238

words which produces envy,

dissension, and on and on he says.

239

So there is a time and place to, to

call things out, and I think it's.

240

On the primary spectrum, it's areas

where it's like these are matters of

241

importance for someone's salvation, but

by and large, the pastor, the parishioner,

242

every Christian is supposed to be a

peacemaking person, not quarrelsome.

243

We don't like picking fights.

244

We don't pick fights for fun.

245

It is good to fight for the right things,

for the right reasons at the right time.

246

But if you don't do

that, you put yourself.

247

At odds with, I think

what God's purposes are.

248

And you also make us look

bad to a watching world.

249

And I think it's important for us

to remember the era in which Luther

250

was serving, writing, ministering.

251

They were dealing with pretty

significant salvific issues.

252

And I think when he's talking about in

this quote, the world and the devil.

253

Knowing Luther's opinion of the Catholic

Church, I think he probably would put

254

the Pope and the Catholic Church in

cohorts with the world at this point as

255

far as attacking some of the doctrines,

what scripture clearly teaches here.

256

So that's important for

us to remember as well.

257

Scripture's not argue Luther's not

arguing the same things in his era

258

that we would argue about today.

259

We've got the luxury, to your point,

to argue some pretty obscured things.

260

Benign, yeah.

261

Yeah.

262

He was fighting for the actual

validity of the gospel in his day.

263

Right.

264

Yeah.

265

So I like the statement I would

be careful to adopt it and say it

266

takes a great deal of wisdom to

know how to apply things like that.

267

It does.

268

Yeah, for sure.

269

For sure.

270

Well, hey, let's jump into

our daily Bible reading today.

271

Joshua seven and eight and

Luke chapter 2, 25 through 52.

272

Joshua seven and eight.

273

We have Joshua with an another

battle with Israel this time

274

and this is the battle of ai.

275

Now, we were just talking offline,

it's probably pronounced differently

276

in the Hebrew because it's got

a guttural and everything else.

277

We're not gonna try to do that 'cause

neither of us are native Hebrew speakers.

278

You have the best shot

since you are Jewish.

279

That's true.

280

I am, but but AI works.

281

Thank you for remembering that.

282

Yeah.

283

This is not artificial

intelligence either.

284

Joshua is not battling and fighting

against artificial intelligence.

285

Dude, I bet some Christian

somewhere is like, dude, the

286

Bible talks about us fighting ai.

287

It talks about ai.

288

Yeah.

289

Oh man.

290

What was the school?

291

Alexandrian School was the

metaphorical school of interpretation.

292

Right.

293

You had the two different schools there.

294

And I could see somebody from the

Alexandria school back in the day

295

being like, yes, this is about ai.

296

This is actually about

artificial intelligence here.

297

Yes.

298

Anyways, things don't go well initially

here in chapter seven and this would've

299

been shocking to Israel because they've

just come off of the conquest of Jericho.

300

They didn't even have to

fire a shot there, really.

301

They just marching around the

walls that the walls fall down.

302

They go in, they conquer everybody there

and they've crossed over the Jordan River.

303

Things are going swimmingly.

304

They're going super well for

Israel and then they go up against

305

Aiken now or against AI rather.

306

And you think.

307

This is another nation.

308

God's gonna drive them out.

309

Israel is gonna win, and they're defeated.

310

In fact, Joshua even doesn't

send the full forces out there.

311

He's thinking we, we've got this.

312

God is going to fight the battle for us,

and instead they're defeated here and.

313

Joshua goes to the Lord

and asks the Lord why?

314

And the Lord reveals to Joshua

the reason for their defeat.

315

And that is because somebody had

taken some of the spoil from Jericho.

316

Somebody had taken some of the

things devoted to destruction

317

and kept it for himself.

318

And so in this chapter, we learn through

the process of casting lots, which every

319

decision is ultimately from the Lord.

320

The lot is cast in the lot, but

every decision is from the Lord as

321

the writer of Proverbs says here.

322

So the lot.

323

Falls to Aiken.

324

Aiken is going to be exposed

by God here, and Aiken's gonna

325

suffer him and his family.

326

Now.

327

This is the second time we've seen the

family suffer along with the Father.

328

Now, one distinguishing note here, I

think that's important for us to make.

329

If we look at verse 24, if.

330

It says Joshua and Israel with them took

ache in the son of Zarah with the silver

331

and the cloak in the bar of gold and his

sons and daughters, his oxon and donkeys.

332

And they end up executing them.

333

The words, sons and daughters is not

the same word used of of help me out.

334

Children of the little

ones back with, cora.

335

Yeah.

336

Oh yeah.

337

When Cora, the little ones in

Cora's family, sons and daughters

338

could be those that are older.

339

Right.

340

And so one of the things that I'm

gonna argue here is I think God gives

341

plenty of opportunities for repentance

to take place in this process.

342

As Joshua announces and gathers

the people by lot there and

343

says, something has happened.

344

We're going to, God is going to identify

the guilty party, so many opportunities

345

for both Aiken and his family to a step

forward and said, we're the guilty ones.

346

We've done it.

347

And cast themselves on

the mercy of the Lord.

348

What would've God done at that point?

349

We're not sure because it's a

situation that doesn't present itself.

350

But the opportunity for repentance is

there is my only point in all of this.

351

I would agree with that.

352

And what you also see here is

that I think what you see is

353

complicity in the children.

354

They must be saying, we're with you, dad.

355

We're going to hide this along with you.

356

I take this to mean that they are

guilty because they are accomplices

357

in the act which a can prove.

358

Aiken committed.

359

Another factor in chapter seven for

me is that the constant reminder

360

that you never sin in singular,

others are always gonna be affected.

361

Mm-hmm.

362

By your sin.

363

Mm-hmm.

364

And not only is it your family

who you took along with you Aiken,

365

but it's also the whole camp.

366

Mm-hmm.

367

Everybody suffers because of aikens sin.

368

I don't know if you saw that or

not, but you should see that the

369

whole people lose against ai.

370

Because Aiken took something

that didn't belong to him.

371

And I think this might be strange

to the rest of us who are, again

372

we're westerners, we're, we think

individualistically and not corporately,

373

but God saw them as a whole unit.

374

They were a whole people.

375

And so when we do this when

they did this, it was not just.

376

Aiken by himself, it was Aiken

and all those who are dependent

377

upon his righteousness.

378

And I think this is helpful for

us to see as Westerners because we

379

constantly think only in the singular,

it's about me, my family at the most.

380

But God sees us as a unit.

381

In fact, when Jesus is navigating

himself through the churches, he

382

doesn't call out singular people.

383

He looks at the whole church.

384

He says, I see your deeds.

385

I look at all of you.

386

The church at Philadelphia,

the church at La Deia.

387

He's calling out whole

congregations of believers.

388

Now, this is interesting because I

think it still has bearing on us today.

389

I think God does see you as your church,

or at least your part of the whole.

390

Remember, you think

about the body of Christ.

391

He doesn't see you as just a finger.

392

He does see you individually,

but he also sees you corporately.

393

It's like God can't help but see

you as both a part of the body and

394

a particular member of the body.

395

He sees both.

396

We focus on the individual, God focuses

on the individual and the corporates.

397

We would do well to do the same.

398

Yeah.

399

Yeah.

400

36 men die because of Aiken sin.

401

Right.

402

Because They were

innocent, defeated before.

403

Yeah.

404

They're relatively innocent.

405

They're not Absolutely.

406

So, but they're relatively innocent.

407

They didn't participate.

408

Yeah.

409

And because of their sin.

410

Because they can sin their lives are dead.

411

And then just think about their families.

412

Mm-hmm.

413

Their mothers, their children, their wives

who are dependent upon them, they're, they

414

suffer because of, again, ache and sin.

415

So since we're not in a building yet,

somebody must be in sin in our camp.

416

So tomorrow at church, or

today at church, I should say.

417

Yeah.

418

Today we're gonna cast lots.

419

And we're gonna find out, all right.

420

Bring them dice.

421

Well after this is dealt with in the

evils perch from the midst of the

422

camp, Israel gets round two with ai.

423

And it's fascinating still though,

because this is a very different way that

424

God is gonna provide victory for Joshua

and Israel than he did with Jericho.

425

With Jericho, Joshua was told, Hey,

go march around the city seven times.

426

The walls will fall down.

427

This time God is going to use

Joshua's military mind and strategy.

428

To bring about victory over ai.

429

This time Joshua's gonna

strategize and say, you know what?

430

We're gonna make them think that

this is gonna be the same easy

431

victory that they had over us last

time, but we're gonna lay an ambush.

432

And so Joshua's using his wit and

wisdom here to go about planning

433

the defeat of ai, but he's.

434

Ultimately trusting the

Lord to bring the victory.

435

So we see that married together

here with this situation.

436

And we'll see that multiple times.

437

We see that during the reign of King

David with Joab and Jo's brother, as

438

they are plotting a defense themselves.

439

Later on, God uses us to

accomplish his sovereign purposes.

440

So Israel was gonna win.

441

Why?

442

Because God was fighting for

them, but God was gonna fight

443

for them through their own.

444

Efforts to say we're gonna avail our

ourselves of the Lord and we're gonna do

445

our best and trust that he's gonna use

our efforts in accomplishing his will.

446

Such a good point.

447

Such a good point.

448

Because it tells us that

God does use different means

449

to accomplish his purposes.

450

God is not singular in his tool set.

451

He doesn't just say, I've only got this

one thing and this is all I can do.

452

God operates in the

spectacular and the mundane.

453

He doesn't have one way

of doing things right now.

454

We have his word.

455

We have his truth, and we should

rely on that and depend upon that.

456

He doesn't have more than one Bible.

457

That's not my.

458

Point, but I am saying he does have

more than one tool in his tool belt.

459

Right.

460

Let God be God.

461

Yeah.

462

Let's flip over to Luke chapter two

verses, by the way, if you note there

463

that they spare the king just keep reading

because the king is ultimately executed.

464

So this is not a situation where they're

disobeying God by letting the king live.

465

The king is gonna be hanged later on.

466

As a representative, I think of

the entire people there, but if

467

you notice that and you're like,

wait a minute, they spare the king.

468

Just keep going.

469

He's taken out Luke chapter two.

470

Is our New Testament reading, and we're

gonna get into verses 25 through 52 and

471

we meet two interesting people here.

472

We meet Simeon and we meet Anna,

and both of these are going to

473

be, prophets in their own right

here as they're gonna come forth.

474

And Simeon is going to take up the

child, the child, Jesus in his.

475

Arms and even make this prophecy

about him and say, Lord, you are now

476

letting your servant depart in peace

according to your word, for my eyes.

477

Have seen your salvation that you prepared

in the presence of all peoples Simeon's,

478

A guy I'd love to talk to when I get to

heaven, to find out what did you know?

479

And what did you think when you were

holding baby Jesus in your arms?

480

Simeon, did you know that this baby,

this is the second time you've done this?

481

That is true.

482

Did Mary know it's true?

483

Did Simeon know?

484

I think he just want a song for everybody.

485

Right?

486

I just said what did he know?

487

Is my question, Anna?

488

Did you know Anna too?

489

Why not?

490

Let's throw her in there too.

491

What did you know, Anna?

492

More Christmas songs on the way.

493

Yeah, but these are just unique

people that obviously foreshadow.

494

Who this child is and Luke's including

it again as he's writing into

495

Theophilus, so that Theos might have

certainty in the things that he's heard.

496

So he's saying, look, Simeon's prophesying

this, Ann is prophesying this and Luke

497

is writing this with the intent of

writing the rest of the story as well.

498

So Luke's writing this, knowing

the type of savior that Jesus

499

is going to be and prove to be.

500

And so he's.

501

Including this intentionally

with that in view.

502

Now Simeon, I don't think knew about

the cross and the empty tomb and

503

sin and everything else like that.

504

So Simeon's operating on, on limited

knowledge, but as we'll often say

505

Simeon is speaking better than he

knew in this prophecy about the

506

future of what Jesus was gonna be.

507

And then you've got Anna as well

who was a faithful woman of God

508

and a widow for quite a long time.

509

And God had promised her that she would

one day see the redemption of Jerusalem.

510

And that is the coming of

the birth of Christ here.

511

Yeah.

512

There are so many questions that

are sparked by this, and I think

513

the healthy response for us when we

have questions that we know we can't

514

answer is a healthy sense of awe.

515

Yeah.

516

To sit back and say, what was it like?

517

Now?

518

I just gave you some grief for asking

the question, what did they know?

519

But it is an interesting

question to ponder.

520

Yeah.

521

What were they operating off of?

522

Clearly it was biblical because

God said, we're gonna preserve this

523

and keep this in the Bible for.

524

All generations of Christians to read.

525

But I think even Anna a daughter of

fan Uel, the tribe of Asher, you don't

526

hear a lot about Asher, but here's this

gal out of Asher who is a prophetess.

527

That's another interesting note there.

528

This is un under the New Testaments, at

least one of the last female prophetess

529

that we know about, except when we

get to what's his name's Daughters.

530

A, a Agabar.

531

No, Agabus.

532

Agabus.

533

That's the one.

534

I don't know who Agbar is,

but Agabus is his cousin.

535

I think she was advanced in years

having lived with her husband seven

536

years from when she was a virgin.

537

Then she's a widow for 84 years.

538

I don't know that the Bible is saying

it's better to be a widow than not,

539

but clearly this is a devout woman.

540

That's what it's getting at.

541

Yeah, and her devoutness

is something that found.

542

Pleasure to the heart of God, and he

let her know, Hey Ann, I'm just gonna

543

tell you some special things here.

544

I just love this.

545

And she's a paragon of prayer and fasting.

546

You notice here in verse 37, she never

departed from the temple, which again

547

tells me what is she doing there?

548

We have no idea what the women

are doing at the temple, right?

549

Tabernacle, no idea.

550

What are the women at the Tabernacle?

551

We don't know, right?

552

She's got so many question marks around

her, but I just find it fascinating

553

and so enjoyable to think about the God

who serves all these different people.

554

God highlights Anna and Simeon, two people

that you never would've heard about.

555

Save for the scriptures

and save for their piety.

556

I love this.

557

This is exactly the heart

of God to showcase the low.

558

The people that are probably

gonna be overlooked by and

559

large, God highlights them.

560

Yeah.

561

Yeah.

562

The rest of this chapter you see the

familiar scene of Jesus in the temple

563

holding court with the religious

leaders and just leaving these

564

teachers and these experts in the

scriptures, experts in the Torah, in

565

awe over his wisdom in understanding.

566

But I think it's important to

note right before this, in verse

567

40, it says, the child grew and

became strong, filled with wisdom.

568

And the favor of God was upon him.

569

And so Jesus is just re we're reminded

of his humanity and we're reminded

570

of the humiliation of the kenosis

that Paul talks about in Philippians

571

chapter two, that Jesus had to grow

and had to grow up and had to become

572

strong and had to gain wisdom.

573

He's filled with wisdom

progressively here.

574

And so this is a glimpse into

what it looked like for him to.

575

As we talk about it, empty himself of

that equality with God not considering

576

it a thing to be held, but a thing that

he's willing to release as he took on

577

full humanity to his full deity there.

578

And so this is just fascinating because

you get the humility of Christ on the

579

one hand, and then you get the amazing

wisdom of Christ as he's sitting in the

580

temple with these teachers and astounding

them with the questions that he's asking.

581

How is it possible, do you think,

in verse 52 that Jesus increases?

582

In the favor with God and man, if

he is, and as we believe He is a son

583

of God here, so is Jesus increasing

wisdom, its stature and in favor with

584

God and man, how is he increasing in

those areas when he is the son of God?

585

Yeah I think John's Gospel does such

a good job of bringing out Christ.

586

Total submission to

the will of the father.

587

And ultimately that culminates in

his willingness in the garden to say,

588

not my will, but your will be done.

589

So I believe that this is emphasizing

in his humanity and his human will, his

590

submissiveness to the father and his

submissiveness to the father's will.

591

So he's growing in favor as he

continues to demonstrate that obedience

592

to the Father through all things.

593

Now, was there ever a situation where

he was gonna disobey the father?

594

I would say no.

595

Arguably that's an impossibility.

596

And yet he is experiencing and coming

to know more of the father's favor.

597

As he continues to submit

himself to the will of the

598

father, even as a young boy here.

599

Yeah.

600

I also considered that perhaps

what's happening is that he is

601

storing up quantities of God's favor.

602

That is, as he's more and more obedience,

God is more and more pleased with him.

603

It's not that he ever didn't have that.

604

He is a second member of the

triune Godhead, but as he's.

605

And as he's dwelling in the body of

a man, he continues to grow and do

606

good, and God continues to be proud

and to find him attractive in his

607

holiness and gives him more and more

credit, as it were to his account.

608

And this is perfect because

as he does that, he's a.

609

Accumulating it for you and I.

610

Mm-hmm.

611

When he dies, he attributes his

righteousness and all of his

612

accumulated favor to us through

his own death, his resurrection.

613

And this is what's so beautiful

about what Christ does.

614

He lives his whole life in this

way, which is, makes him, which is

615

what makes him a worthy substitute.

616

And the first born among many brothers.

617

This is why we're Christians.

618

Jesus living in our place, building

up all the righteousness we need,

619

taking on all of our sin debt.

620

He is the one true savior.

621

Well, let's pray.

622

Father, we thank you for

that one true savior.

623

We thank you for his submissiveness

to you and to your will.

624

Even through the incarnation, something

we'll never fully wrap our minds around.

625

As far as its profundity, the

humility that he took on as he

626

came for us to identify with us, to

live dependent upon even your will.

627

For us so that we might

be reconciled to you.

628

So we thank you for Christ

our perfect sacrifice.

629

We pray that we would honor

him in the way we live today.

630

In Jesus' name, amen.

631

Amen.

632

Keep in your Bibles.

633

Tune in again tomorrow for another

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

634

See you then folks.

635

Bye.

636

Edward: Thank you for listening to another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

637

We’re grateful you chose to

spend time with us today.

638

This podcast is a ministry of

Compass Bible Church in North Texas.

639

You can learn more about our

church at compassntx.org.

640

If this podcast has been helpful,

we’d appreciate it if you’d consider

641

leaving a review, rating the show,

or sharing it with someone else.

642

We hope you’ll join us again

tomorrow for another episode

643

of the Daily Bible Podcast.