00:00 Welcome and Weekend Announcements

00:31 Baptism Service Details

02:21 Humorous Baptism Stories

03:31 Introduction to Nehemiah 6 and 7

04:07 Nehemiah's Courage and Leadership

05:51 Completion of the Wall

08:36 Security Measures and Worship

10:44 Balancing Trust in God and Practical Actions

12:01 Stewardship of Our Bodies

12:34 Trusting God's Sovereignty

13:35 Christian Liberty and Convictions

16:17 Loving the Weaker Brother

18:04 Cultural Sensitivities in the Church

21:46 Nehemiah and the Return of the Exiles

22:16 God's Attention to Our Offerings

23:25 Closing Thoughts and Prayer

Hey, welcome back to another

edition of the daily Bible podcast.

2

Hello, y'all it is Friday.

3

Yeah.

4

Yes.

5

Happy Friday, everybody.

6

It's Friday.

7

It's the last Friday in September.

8

October is right around the corner.

9

That's right.

10

Uh, this weekend we have a big

weekend at chemist Bible church.

11

That's right.

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Not just, not just church.

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Uh, church is a big part of

that, a huge part of that, but

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also baptisms that's right.

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Sunday night, Sunday at four.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, that's right.

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I knew that.

19

Yeah.

20

So if, uh, if you're a part of

our church family here in north

21

Texas, we would invite you to

be a part of that to come back.

22

And I know that's unusual.

23

A lot of times you probably go home

like the rest of us do and kind of put

24

your feet up and take a nap or whatever.

25

And you still got time to do that between

the end of church and the four o'clock

26

service, but come back to Frisco first

Baptist church, which is right there.

27

And first go off main street and

join us for this baptism service.

28

It's going to be awesome.

29

And we want people there because

this is an important thing that these

30

people are, are going to be doing,

who are getting baptized, giving their

31

testimony before their own church family.

32

So.

33

Uh, we need the church family

to be there for that, to be the

34

result of what they're going to do.

35

So.

36

Four o'clock on Sunday.

37

At Frisco first Baptist, you

and yours should be there.

38

And there's going to be some light

snacks, fellowship refreshments.

39

Afterwards, you can go out to that.

40

Potatoes or something.

41

Exactly.

42

Yeah.

43

Actually the cob.

44

Yeah.

45

It's a whole cow.

46

Um, I'm in pastor.

47

Rod has graciously donated

all of his, his bow, my cow.

48

Yeah.

49

Uh, I don't, yeah, I'll

have to work on that.

50

Well, Fine.

51

Uh, yeah, but, uh, but breeze.

52

Make it a point to, to be there.

53

We would love to see you there

and it would be an encouragement

54

to those getting baptized.

55

We're gonna have some worship,

a couple of songs, worship.

56

Yeah, we're also going to, I'm

going to teach on baptism because

57

baptism, I think is a broadly.

58

Uh, widely misunderstood subject.

59

And even within our circles of

those, that would say, yeah, I'm a.

60

I believe in believers, baptism.

61

But what, what is this, what

are we talking about here?

62

What does it do?

63

What does it not do?

64

What's the significance of somebody

who hasn't been baptized versus

65

somebody who has been baptized.

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We'll talk through some of those things.

67

Uh, before the service on Sunday.

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So it should be a good

time looking forward to it.

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That'll be fun.

70

Yeah.

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Baptism services are awesome.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, just a celebration.

74

Nobody walks away from

a baptism service going.

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Ugh.

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I mean, that was discouraging.

77

At least.

78

If it's dumb, right.

79

I should say that's true.

80

I blocked away from a few thinking.

81

Okay.

82

That's one way to do that.

83

Yep.

84

Yeah.

85

There've been some interesting testimonies

that we've heard from the baptismal tank.

86

That's true.

87

A couple involving some extra

terrestrials at one point and yeah.

88

You know, it's funny.

89

Cause then cause at our

church anyway, people.

90

They tell us what they're

going to say beforehand.

91

And I'm sure a pastor is like, you know

what, let's leave the alien part out.

92

Maybe that's not as necessary.

93

Yeah, it wasn't me.

94

Cause I would've been like,

dude, let's talk about that.

95

It does bring up the green mint.

96

What were their names?

97

Dog Zafar so that was my interviewee.

98

That was your in here.

99

So you let.

100

No, no, no, no.

101

To tell you.

102

That in, in the prescreening,

when we walked through testimony,

103

there was nothing about aliens.

104

You might've not been listening though.

105

Is that a possibility?

106

No, it's not, you were

perfectly clear the whole time.

107

Yeah.

108

Cause I was like, ah, you know,

I need to pay attention and.

109

Then when that started happening

and this person was in the tank.

110

And I think pastor Mike was

the one doing the baptism and I

111

was watching in my office and I

just was like, oh no, I had to.

112

I had to get up and go do something

else at the time, when you offered your

113

resignation letter, after that, did pastor

Mike quickly accepted or did he push back?

114

Uh, you know, Well, considering I'm here.

115

I don't think it was a, I

don't think it was accepted.

116

It wasn't disqualifying.

117

No.

118

Okay.

119

No.

120

All right, well, let's jump in

Nehemiah six and seven for the day.

121

Just two chapters today.

122

Yeah.

123

Piece of cake.

124

By the way.

125

Uh, we're getting ready to jump in

the new, new Testament in right up.

126

Right off the bat.

127

We have Luke one in John one.

128

So I'm just warning you ahead of time.

129

That seems like, okay.

130

Just one to two chapters

and we'll be good to go.

131

Luke one has 79 verses in it.

132

John one has 54 verses in it.

133

So it's a lot, uh, That's going

to be like a four hour episode on.

134

At times when it's like super easy though.

135

There's days when I was like, okay,

that's a really light reading.

136

There are, but not day one.

137

Yeah, we are.

138

But right now in Nehemiah, Nehemiah six.

139

Uh, you might have six one through 14.

140

Uh, to buy it and sample it, come

back and they go after Nehemiah again,

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to stop the progress of the work,

even though it was almost completed.

142

Uh, Nehemiah boldly refused

to bend to their tactics and

143

continue trusting the Lord.

144

Um, near my six 11 is just

such an amazing verse.

145

It's I've got written down here.

146

I called it a Braveheart verse.

147

It's one of those.

148

They'll never take my

freedom kind of cries here.

149

Cause Nehemiah says, but I said

should such a man as I run away.

150

And what man, such as I could go into

the temple and live, I will not go in.

151

So Nehemiah just bows up and he

says, I'm not going anywhere.

152

I'm here.

153

I'm not running away.

154

I'm not running from you.

155

I'm going to stand here and I'm going

to do what the Lord has called me to do.

156

What a cool time for Nehemiah.

157

I mean, granted, if he, if he

wrote this, then he's, you know,

158

choosing the, the narrative here,

but as you sipped suggested.

159

And maybe this is Ezra composing.

160

This.

161

And capturing some of the really

sweet moments of Nehemiah's life.

162

I mean, and, and granted, uh,

another part of this is that you

163

might think, oh, I'm never going

to be in that kind of situation.

164

But so many times our life

demands a kind of courage.

165

Uh, fearlessness in the

face of death to say, look.

166

Here I stand.

167

I can't, I can't do anything else.

168

Um, or even as a Daniel's

friends now, Hannah Niah, Misha

169

Al, and Azariah said, look, w.

170

God's going to spare

us, but if he doesn't.

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Then, so be it we're prepared to die.

172

I think a Christian has to really

keep in mind often that every day

173

is an opportunity for you to die to

yourself in order that you might live

174

to Christ and really laying yourself

on the altar prepares you for moments

175

like this, because then you don't

have to say, well, am I going to.

176

Am I going to do this?

177

I may not going to do this now.

178

If you were to give my life away.

179

Lord you tell me how to want.

180

Oh, you want me to live it?

181

I'm going into the temple.

182

That idea he would have died.

183

He would have died there because the,

he was not allowed to go in there.

184

That was not his place.

185

He was not capable or he was

not qualified to go in there.

186

So this is a trap and it's a catch 22.

187

And he said, man, I'd rather die

standing here and not trying to run away.

188

Yeah.

189

Yeah.

190

Well, look at verse 15, verse 15,

the temple wall or the temple wall.

191

Completing everything.

192

It's all.

193

Yeah.

194

No, the wall of the city has done.

195

And this is August, September 4, 45, BC.

196

It's remarkable timing.

197

Yeah.

198

52 days to rebuild the entire wall.

199

So it took four months.

200

Remember to travel from

Babylon to Jerusalem.

201

And so they finished the wall and

basically half the time that it takes

202

to get from Babylon to Jerusalem

question, can we hire these guys

203

to work on the Dallas tollway?

204

Uh, I thought you were going to

talk about the wall at the border.

205

Well, that would be helpful too.

206

Not saying no 52 days, but I

would like if the Dallas tollway

207

could finish up pretty quick.

208

And I'd just like them to

come build us a facility.

209

I'd be like, Hey, 52 days.

210

I mean, that'd be nice.

211

Yeah, it would be, but no, it's amazing.

212

And it's, again, part of God's good

hand of favor upon the people that this

213

is happening, and this is they're able

to do this because remember it was not

214

without opposition to buy a Sanballat.

215

In fact, even after verses 16 through

19, even after the walls completed to

216

buy a steel, is that, that pesky gnat

that will not go away, he continues to

217

try to discourage and oppose the people.

218

And, uh, and so God is blessing the

people he's going to protect the

219

people, the completion of the wall.

220

All these are signs of God's hand of

favor upon the people of God here.

221

Well, it says something interesting

too in verse 18, that many in

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Judah were bound by oath to Tobiah.

223

So it seems like.

224

To buy as not just a Johnny come lately.

225

He's not just at some, some

kind of high ranking official.

226

He's got some ties, some.

227

The millennial ties perhaps,

and even more, it looks like.

228

To the people in Judah, which is

why they protected him, which is

229

why later he's going to be dwelling

where he's not supposed to dwell.

230

Right.

231

There are some ties here that

make it really hard for the

232

people to act in righteousness.

233

And we're only seeing the

beginning of it, but just notice

234

here, verse 18 has got ties.

235

People are bound by him in oath, which

I'm not sure exactly what that means.

236

You have any idea, pastor PJ.

237

I, you know, I don't, I don't know.

238

I don't know either.

239

I.

240

There's there's suggestions about

some of this in your, in your study

241

Bibles, but there's a tie to him.

242

A strong connection that makes it

hard for them to deal with them.

243

It does seem to be familial because it

says the next word there because right.

244

Many were bound in oath to him because

he was the son-in-law of Shanaya.

245

The center for RA his son,

Johanna, and so forth and so on.

246

So it seems to be that there

are familial obligations.

247

Um, tribal obligations, perhaps even

that, that were extended to Dubai as a.

248

Result of, of really.

249

At the end of the day in our

marriage, which was part of

250

the main issue to begin with.

251

Right.

252

And he's an Ammonite.

253

So there's, so that's, that's a,

no-go, that's a, that's a note,

254

unless you became a follower across

the light of Yahweh, which doesn't

255

seem like this is the case here.

256

I thought, I thought.

257

I guess I could be wrong on that.

258

Tobiah was, it was a government

official, maybe not the governor.

259

Uh, but some kind of.

260

I know it's called a servant.

261

I thought there was some kind

of a, I don't know, legal place

262

for him to have authority.

263

I don't know.

264

Again, there's, there's different

ideas about this, but certainly

265

family relations, but perhaps more.

266

Yeah.

267

All right.

268

Chapter seven.

269

Chapter seven.

270

As we get into the chapter, a

couple of obligations, number one,

271

he got delights in the musical

offerings that are brought to him.

272

I think that's encouraging for us, right?

273

I mean, that's one of the reasons why we

still do worship in church on Sundays.

274

Why we don't just go from showing up to

the preaching, the word to going home.

275

Uh, worship is a good thing.

276

Musical worship is a good thing.

277

God delights in that.

278

And so he's going to appoint

the gatekeepers and the singers.

279

Again, they're in

chapter seven, verse one.

280

Uh, the gatekeepers are they're appointed

to oversee the security of the city.

281

And what's interesting is he

gives these orders verse three.

282

That they, the gate shouldn't

be open until the sun is hot.

283

And while they're still standing

guard, let them, uh, shut the

284

Inbar the doors before essentially

that the end of the day.

285

And the reason being is there

was still going to be opposition.

286

Like we just mentioned to buyer

was still causing problems.

287

Others were still opposed to them.

288

And so they weren't going to open

the gates too early before the people

289

that could defend to the city were

ready to defend the city and they

290

weren't going to shut them too late

when it might be that people are

291

sneaking into the city on noticed.

292

And so there's a, an adjusted

timeframe here that, that is

293

ordered for the protection.

294

And the city in these opening

three verses here to make sure that

295

that the people are going to be.

296

Cared for.

297

And that's one of those

things of like, cause we have

298

gatekeepers at our church, right?

299

We.

300

We have people do that.

301

Run security for us, and we have

singers and we have singers.

302

We have both.

303

Okay.

304

But the gatekeepers in, in

particular, a lot of them are

305

either current or former police.

306

Some of them former military, right.

307

Secret service.

308

Right.

309

So they know they're trained.

310

They, they have the capacity

to take care of things.

311

And there's a measure to which it's

like, okay, where does just a, Hey,

312

we're going to trust God sovereignty.

313

Run into the idea of, but we also

want to make sure that we're.

314

Doing our part to, to keep

people safe and to see that

315

the security of, of the church.

316

And so here you see.

317

They were doing that with, with the city.

318

Yes.

319

God's hand of favor was upon them, but

they weren't blind to the fact that

320

there was a threat outside the gates.

321

And so they were going to be ready

against sword and trial concept.

322

To do what they had to

do to defend themselves.

323

They weren't going to just

let go and let God and say,

324

well, God sovereign over this.

325

So we don't need to worry about this.

326

They were aware of the threats and took

necessary measures to make sure that any

327

threat that showed up would be mitigated.

328

Probably most people fall into.

329

We're going to fall into error and

we're going to fall into either side.

330

I don't know very many people

that are like, man, this nail it.

331

You know, they got the proper protections

in place or not being negligence.

332

Uh, And neither are they being

over-protective and anxious or

333

worried to the point where they're

trying to control every controllable.

334

Um, how does someone then.

335

Find that.

336

Whatever, whatever we call balance,

whatever conception in your mind that

337

you think of, when you think of the word

balance, how does a Christian keep that?

338

Tension between saying, man, I trust God.

339

But I'm also going to go to the doctor

and I'm going to take the medicine

340

and I'm going to go through the

chemotherapy or I'm going to trust God.

341

And I'm also going to evangelize my kids.

342

I'm going to tell them about the

gospel over and over and over again.

343

And I'm going to do my best to,

to argue with them, argue in a

344

nonproductive way as, as in a.

345

About tempers, but I'm going to plead with

them in a compelling, logically airtight

346

way to say, man, you ought to trust Christ

today while at the same time recognizing

347

God's the one who does the work.

348

How do we, how do we find that magical

unicorn place of I'm in perfect tension?

349

I'm not controlling it

where I can't control it.

350

And I'm also trusting God.

351

Uh, on some of it, we're going to obey

scripture when scripture calls us to that.

352

I mean, for example, Exercise working out.

353

Do we trust God to sustain our bodies?

354

Yeah, we do.

355

But Paul also says there's some

benefit in bodily discipline, right?

356

So we can look at scripture and

draw some principles there to

357

say, there's a stewardship that

we should have over our bodies.

358

And so, yeah, we're going to work out.

359

We're going to go to the doctor.

360

We're going to do these things.

361

Paul instructs, Timothy, to take

some wine, but basically that the

362

medicinal component there to say,

Hey, look, calm your stomach.

363

Do do this to help with your body.

364

You don't just need to.

365

Pray that God will take away.

366

Whatever's ailing you, you

can use something else.

367

An instrument there.

368

And your local healer.

369

Exactly.

370

Tell me a local healer.

371

Yep.

372

Um, so I think there's the

wisdom that we can exercise and

373

saying, what does scripture.

374

Uh, permitter allow us to do in,

in pursuing these things, but

375

we're also always going to at the

end of the day, trust that God

376

is working through that thing.

377

So we've got our gatekeepers there

and they're, you know, carrying

378

a weapon on Sunday morning to

keep us safe as, as a church.

379

Our confidence isn't in, you know,

their ability to draw down faster

380

than the shooter and take them out.

381

Our confidence is in God's sovereignty

still, but we're going to say, you

382

know, there's a, there's a wisdom

that we can employ to say, this is

383

still a good thing for us to do.

384

Um, it's a good thing for you to

lock your doors when you go to bed

385

at night, because that's, God has

given you a house that has locks on

386

it, and he's provided that for you.

387

That's there's there's

wisdom in employing those.

388

So that.

389

You don't sit there.

390

And at the end of the day go, man,

I wish I had done something that I

391

could've done to prevent this thing.

392

Um, and yeah.

393

And that's where it gets tricky

because it's going, but even if

394

you had, you know, got sovereign.

395

And so wouldn't the same

thing still what happened?

396

Yeah.

397

It's a, it's a, I think the answer's no.

398

That it wouldn't have happened?

399

No.

400

Because there's different variables.

401

Right.

402

And that's where we get back

into, but there's no scenario

403

in which you would have.

404

Yeah.

405

Right.

406

Well there's in every

scenario that you thought.

407

Yeah.

408

Okay.

409

So let me, let me push back only in that.

410

So someone says, hold on.

411

If we believe in this and we believe in

that believe in God's sovereignty and

412

believe in, in man's responsibility.

413

Um, how can you not do fill in the blank?

414

You know, someone says,

why don't you use organic?

415

Like, yeah.

416

Do you call your body

of stewardship and yet.

417

And you fill your body

with all this stuff.

418

And so you have a very strong conviction

about filling the blank, right?

419

And you look at other Christians

who aren't as strongly convicted

420

about those things, right?

421

Um, what do you do with that?

422

How do you wrestle with that?

423

How do you deal with that?

424

Do you tell people about your convictions?

425

Or do you keep them to yourself?

426

Yeah, I had this conversation

recently with somebody else.

427

Cause it falls, eventually gets

into that area of Christian Liberty

428

and the weaker brother argument.

429

Right.

430

Because you're going to have a situation

where somebody doesn't share the

431

same conviction that you did, right.

432

Alcohol or even there's a million things.

433

There's a measure at which in fact

scripture talks about the, the idea

434

that we might be able to sin against

our conscience, but your conscience is

435

not the same thing as the holy spirit.

436

Um, if you are sitting against your

conscience is because you believe

437

that that act would be sin for

you to do therefore it is sin for

438

you to participate in that act.

439

But for somebody else, if scriptures

is unclear on that, if scripture

440

is not abundantly clear to say,

this is the amount of preservatives

441

that you should have in your food

and no more than this, right.

442

Or don't eat this many GMOs.

443

Exactly.

444

We're in the realm of subjectivity.

445

At that point, you may have a

conviction about that for yourself.

446

Great.

447

Lit by that conviction.

448

But where we get into trouble is when

we take that conviction and apply it to

449

somebody else and say, you're not being

a good steward of your body because

450

you ate a cheeseburger this week.

451

It's like, okay.

452

Yeah.

453

Th there's excess where

we do need to step in.

454

Right.

455

There's there's, you know, in

the area of food there might be.

456

Um, why can I not think

of the word gluttony?

457

Right.

458

Let me may be a sin that we

don't give much attention to

459

at all in the American church.

460

Uh, we kinda overlook

it like, eh, whatever.

461

You know, there's a lot of shame

or anything else like that.

462

Uh, respectable sin.

463

If we see somebody in that simulation, six

kicks in and we need to intervene there.

464

But if you see a kid walking

around with fruit snacks that

465

their mom bought at Costco.

466

I don't think it's your place to

go to the mom and say those are,

467

have high fructose corn syrup and

you're poisoning your children.

468

That's not, that's not helpful.

469

Right?

470

That's.

471

Yeah, that's, that's not a good thing

for you to do in that situation.

472

So, so much of the same subjective.

473

Yes.

474

You're you're making, you're

clearly very passionate about

475

food from the opposite end.

476

Obviously you probably encounter

people that are like, Hey, you can

477

only do it this way versus that way.

478

Um, there are areas where, you know,

people can have strong opinions.

479

And maybe way we wouldn't call

them convictions, but your strong

480

opinions about this or that.

481

Um, They would bring up the texts.

482

Well, what about the

weaker brother argument?

483

You know, if a scriptures, if.

484

If my heart is convicted by the way that

you, and since we're on the topic of food.

485

Is there let's, let's pick up

another let's pick on something else.

486

Yeah.

487

Um, I don't know, what's a good one.

488

What's one, what's one that

you've covered uncovered recently.

489

Alcohol.

490

Okay.

491

So a weaker brother says, man, And

my family alcohol was a big problem.

492

And so when you're drinking it

or when you're doing it in your

493

home, Uh, and I see it there, man,

that really, really bothers me.

494

Yeah.

495

It description mean that you have

to now acquiesce to the weaker

496

brother who says that bothers me when

you do that, around that brother?

497

Yes.

498

Yeah.

499

A hundred percent because it's,

it's not about the issue because

500

the issue is a gray area.

501

The issue is not clear.

502

This is black and white sin.

503

The issue is the gray area,

but your love for that brother,

504

isn't the gray area you're loved.

505

You're called to love that brother.

506

And you're called to love

that brother sacrificially.

507

We're even going to be

talking about that on Sunday.

508

So man, if, if that's the situation and

somebody comes over to my house, And this

509

brother, I know struggles with alcohol.

510

Well, then I'm going to

put the alcohol away.

511

Not that I have alcohol

in my house to put away.

512

But I, but I'm going to,

I'm going to put away.

513

I'm not going to offer him a beer.

514

I'm also not going to crack one open

in front of him, because again, I know

515

that for him, that that's an issue,

but if I'm having another brother

516

and my community group over and for

him, it's, it's not an issue then.

517

I'm not bound by that brother.

518

Who's not then present.

519

I'm not bound by his conscience.

520

To not drink.

521

If this other brother,

it's not an issue for them.

522

Okay.

523

So.

524

It sounds like you're getting

down to the, like, Love love.

525

Love your brother.

526

That caused them problems.

527

Maybe don't do it in front of them.

528

If it's not an area of

righteousness or sin.

529

Um, if it's a matter of wisdom, then

really love level always make help.

530

You make the right decision.

531

In those situations, right?

532

Cause when in that context, not to

bring it back to food, but when Paul

533

is making that argument and he says,

look, If eating the meat sacrificed

534

to idols caused my brother to stumble.

535

I'm not going to eat the meat.

536

I don't think he means that forever.

537

I think he means when I'm around

that brother, I'm not going to

538

eat the meat because that's going

to cause that brother to stumble.

539

But if he's in.

540

Different context then he's gonna, yeah,

he's gonna jump in and he's gonna eat

541

the meat and he's gonna be able to do so

freely because for him it's not an issue.

542

Right.

543

And I guess the, the, some of

the challenge becomes okay.

544

If I, so tattoos, for instance,

they used to be a big deal.

545

If you had a tattoo that

said something about you.

546

People would be scandalized.

547

Yeah.

548

Because, oh, I can't believe

you got a tattoo now.

549

It's like, Hey, if you're going to be a

cool pastor, you'd better have a tattoo

550

and it's better show I'm not a cool pack.

551

Got to wear the cool glasses

and all the cool things.

552

Uh, so there is something to be

said about, well, what does, what

553

does the Christian Church typically

think about a certain thing?

554

Yeah.

555

Is it, is it, is there a stigma about

it or, or is there a stigma would

556

be a good, a good point or if we

just, uh, a way of understanding it.

557

So again, we can, we can look it back

at the fundamentalist church movement.

558

Where a girl, a woman wearing pants

was frowned upon because it was, it was

559

understood to be a masculine virtue.

560

Our masking a trait, not virtue.

561

So now that's not the, that's not

the case, but at that point, if we

562

had a church at, and you know, when

the fundament fundamentalist movement

563

was in full swing, I think we'd feel

comfortable saying, Hey, please, ladies,

564

don't wear pants because wearing pants.

565

I would suggest a violation of

the normal order of man and woman.

566

Today we would have no problem with that.

567

And we could counsel people back then

and say, Hey, you probably got to not

568

do that because of what it suggests,

even though there's nothing in scripture

569

that says you can, or can't right.

570

Is that true or false?

571

Am I on the right track with you?

572

Or would you say something different?

573

Yeah, no, I was just thinking

about a modern day equivalent.

574

I mean, let's say.

575

Let's say somebody in the church.

576

A lady in the church,

walks into the church.

577

She's got a super short haircut

and she's got rainbow earrings.

578

Okay, well, the rainbow earrings

that's, let's get rid of the earrings

579

cause that's, that's less clear.

580

That one's a little more

like you're waving your flag.

581

Literally.

582

But what if her mindset, what if she's.

583

Very conservative and she's one of the I'm

taking back the rainbow kind of people.

584

Okay, but she's going to come here.

585

And conservative, but with short hair,

Yeah, because of whatever, right?

586

Okay.

587

Not.

588

Not that she like has buzzed her

hair, but that's just the way her,

589

her hair grows is she's got shorter,

tighter, curvy here, whatever, I'm not

590

thinking of anyone in particular, but.

591

And she comes in with,

with the rainbow earrings.

592

Okay.

593

So.

594

Yeah, that's probably not the better

part of wisdom because of, of what

595

it can convey, even though for her,

she might be sitting there going,

596

but it's, that's not what I'm about.

597

Let me give you, let me

give a different one.

598

That might be helpful.

599

Yeah.

600

uh there's so, because we're talking

about optional things here, a woman can

601

choose to either wear, not wear pants.

602

Sure.

603

Um, option.

604

A guy likes doing smoking a Stokey.

605

Like smoking a cigar.

606

He likes the flavor.

607

He knows that there are some health

risks associated with it, but it's not

608

the same as a, as taking a cigarette

because you're not inhaling it.

609

You're actually just holding it.

610

Your mouth.

611

Tasting it.

612

And then.

613

Sending it out and he

doesn't do it all the time.

614

He's not a slave, but he, he, he wanted

to do it before service with a few

615

friends or after service, whatever.

616

Um, There's nothing in the

Bible that says you can't do it.

617

There's nothing that

says you should do it.

618

What do we do with that?

619

I mean, you're, you're

exposing me right now.

620

Um, well, I'm trying to be helpful.

621

I'm trying to get the thing.

622

I get the question in that scenario.

623

I would say I don't have a, I

don't have a problem with that.

624

All right.

625

When I show up on Sunday with my Stokey.

626

Well, And that that opens

up a totally different case.

627

Don't wait until after.

628

And it makes your mouth

tastes like horrible, garbage.

629

I want to sing well, either.

630

Yeah.

631

Um, no.

632

But I think.

633

Yeah.

634

There are the gray areas.

635

There are things that I get

your point that culture would

636

say, Hey, you know what?

637

This is is not inappropriate.

638

It's not quite a stigma, but there is

a, there's a F a feeling in the church

639

that says that's not, that's not right.

640

Yeah.

641

It's out of place.

642

It's not, it's not fitting.

643

Good way to put it.

644

Yeah.

645

So again, that's one of those things

where it's like, okay, there are

646

areas in the church life where maybe

it's not a personal sin issue and

647

it's not even a matter of wisdom or

in righteousness, but it's really

648

a matter of saying, okay, Can I.

649

With the church.

650

Look at me funny if I did ABC or D.

651

And I think that's a fair question, right?

652

If it's not a stumbling block for

you, but it's a stumbling block

653

for the larger body of Christ.

654

I think love would dictate.

655

Okay.

656

I probably shouldn't do that.

657

At least within a Stone's throw

of where they can see me doing

658

it, saying it or whatever else.

659

Right.

660

Yeah, totally fair.

661

I agree with that.

662

Yeah.

663

Well back in Nehemiah chapter seven,

which we were, we were totally on track.

664

Um, totally on track.

665

The rest of this chapter

is really the list.

666

In fact, that's what it's called

the list of the return to exiles.

667

Um, and then he gives some total,

some numbers in there, by the way.

668

Uh, some have suggested this is a list.

669

Maybe a, to, to honor those who

returned or to distinguish them

670

potentially from the Samaritans

who had been there previously.

671

Uh, to say, Hey, these are the

ones that, that are, are that

672

belong to the people of God.

673

These are the ones that don't.

674

Um, Either way.

675

I think it's, it's worth note that

these names are recognized that God

676

wanted them written down in the Bible

to be recorded for all time for people

677

to understand, Hey, these people

are worthy of at least some honor

678

to remember that they were there and

they participated in this process.

679

And on top of that at the very end

of the chapter, God is taking note of

680

who gave what God is paying attention.

681

And we see this in the new Testament

when Jesus is sitting at the temple,

682

watching people give their offerings

and he highlights his widow.

683

Who's giving her last two

pennies that she has to live on.

684

Some would say that Jesus was actually

quite upset at this at the scene.

685

And that's, that might be true.

686

Uh, but what we see more here is that

God is paying attention to the offerings.

687

God is keenly aware of whether or

not we're being generous or whether

688

or not we're, we're even fulfilling

the obligation that we have to give.

689

So I would take special note of that.

690

God's paying attention to our gifts.

691

Even if sometimes in our part,

may we do automatic giving like

692

a thing most people do, right.

693

I'm not, did not cognizant of the number,

but God is, and maybe I should be more.

694

More thoughtful about that.

695

So that I'm saying.

696

I want to make sure it hurts.

697

I wanna make sure it's the right number.

698

I want to make sure it's, you know,

something I can feel good about

699

giving to God and if God would

have put your giving in the Bible.

700

Would you be excited about that?

701

No.

702

Would you be a little disappointed?

703

Maybe that's something

worth considering this week.

704

Yeah.

705

Yeah, good word.

706

Hey, let's pray.

707

And then we'll be done with this episode.

708

Got thanks for a.

709

Just this conversation about freedoms

and liberties and in Christianity.

710

And we do think that there are some

freedoms and liberties there, but we

711

also thank you that we are called to

love one another, as even as we're going

712

to look at it this weekend, love one

another as Christ has loved the church.

713

And so we want that to be

the overriding principle.

714

We want to err on the side of compassion

for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

715

Certainly not flaunt any of our liberties

or certainly not, uh, cause anyone

716

to stumble or to sin because of that.

717

So give us wisdom in

that because we need it.

718

We need wisdom.

719

We need the sermon.

720

To continually understand.

721

Even the, some of the, the, the way the

culture view, some of these things, as we

722

were talking about to God, give us wisdom

to know how to live the scriptures out.

723

In the world in which

we live, we need that.

724

We asked for that in Jesus name.

725

Amen.

726

Amen.

727

Aren't you guys keeping your Bibles and

tune in again tomorrow for another episode

728

of the daily Bible podcast, hopefully.

729

Shorter one.